The Beauty and Warmth of Vietnam
Before Vietnam became a synonym for war, sorrow and lost causes, it was a sleepy place of beautiful landscapes, Buddhist temples, ride paddies, water buffalo and farmers with conical hats. Happily, today you can visit a nation at peace and focus again on the timeless aspects of the Dragon Kingdom.
Saigon carries echoes of the war, of course, but the dominant image now is the hundreds of motorbikes whizzing through the busy streets. They have to share the roads with cars, bicycles and walkers, making for an exciting road experience. Will you make it across the street in one piece?  Check out the rooftop bar of the Caravelle Hotel at night; the tropical breeze is fabulous. Historically, the war correspondents hung out there since it was the only hotel offering telephones in the rooms!
Hue, mid-way up this long nation, hosted the imperial capital for over one hundred years The citadel with its beautiful temples and court buildings hints at the luxury of life for the “Haves”. After your citadel tour, catch a Dragon Boat ride along the Perfume River to absorb the slower pace of life here. You can enjoy the French Governor’s digs, now converted into a beautiful riverside hotel. Imperial tombs and a significant Buddhist monastery are close by.
Next is Hoi An, reached by a gorgeous 3-hour drive over a mountain pass. Originally a trading post for Chinese merchants, this small town froze in time after the river silted up, stranding it 5 km inland. You’ll find a host of restaurants for good food and numerous shops for all kind of local handicrafts. Nearby, a wood-carving village displays everything from knickknacks to bed frames. Another village is full of pottery makers, working their small kilns as they done for hundreds of years.
Danang tore down its old airbase, allowing for an incredible explosion of luxury hotels, golf courses, and houses along a beautiful coastline. The local museum offers a first-rate exhibit of ancient artifacts from the Cham people. And for a nice bit of exercise, climb one of the nearby Marble Mountains, five big hills overlooking the town. Numerous Buddhist shrines dot the mountain and you can still see evidence of the war such as bullet holes and the effects of a bomb dropped on what was a Viet Cong strategic overlook.
In the north, the vibrant capital of Hanoi awaits with its Temple of Literature and central lake where two enormous turtles brought luck to the city’s people for generations. Don’t forget to attend a water puppet show to see an ancient art form unique to Vietnam. The city restaurants offer excellent cuisine, with French influences still infusing the local dishes today.
I haven’t even mentioned the Cao Dai temples, the small villages of the Mekong Delta, the farmers irrigating their fields with water buffalo or even or the live pig I saw strapped to a motorbike!
