- Interactive Map
- Explore our world using our interactive map
- Destination guides
- Asia
- Australia
- Canada
- New Zealand
- South Pacific
- USA
- Popular Destinations
- Sydney & New South Wales
- Far North Queensland
- Alaska
- Indochina
Vietnam
In order to view this page you need Flash Player 9+ support!
Vietnam is a country of extraordinary diversity with more distinctive experiences to offer than any other country in South East Asia. From the westernised and progressive south, with its bustling and frenetic cities, to the palm fringed beaches of the country’s centre.
Saigon, the largest and busiest of Vietnam’s cities is a city of amazing contrasts: exclusive restaurants and trendy bars side-by-side with roadside noodle stalls, street children and vociferous cyclo drivers. There are the elegant colonial French boulevards and buildings, the Cathedral, the riverfront, the quiet moments at a sidewalk cafe watching the world literally go by you at breakneck speed.
At the other end of the country lies its capital Hanoi. A city of lakes and parks, of tree-lined streets resplendent with French colonial villas and mansions, Hanoi is a European capital in the heart of Asia. The Old French Quarter is a maze of crammed narrow alleyways. Wide bicycle-filled boulevards, faded but elegant architecture, the grandeur and solemnity of Ho Chi Minh’s monumental Mausoleum, the incongruous rustic simplicity of the house in which ‘Uncle Ho’ lived out his final years, the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ where so many prisoners of war were incarcerated, the religious pride that constructed so many serene temples and pagoda complexes.
In between these two marvellous cities lies a country with its agricultural society at its heart. Journeying throughout the country one will find endless emerald rice fields backed by rugged mountain ranges and a coastal landscape that takes a dramatic turn at every corner. Popular beach resorts include Phan Thiet and Nha Trang and in the centre the quaint merchant town of Hoi An.
Besides the central and coastal areas of Vietnam there are added attractions of the Mekong Delta with its floating markets and mystical boat journeys and the far north, with its former French hill stations and villages communities of ethnic groups, not to mention superb territory for trekking or mountain hiking.
Our favourite must do is Halong Bay, a massive area of limestone karsts and mountains in an emerald sea. Sail through this area in a reconverted junk boat or kayak to one of the many hidden lagoons. We offer a number of different cruise options in the bay.
Con Dao
Con Dao is a 16 island archipelago within Ba Ria–Vung Tau Province, in south east Vietnam. It is famed for its crystal clear blue-green waters, soft golden sand beaches, lush mangrove forests and beautiful coral reefs.
Halong Bay
Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital is often the start or finishing point of any holiday to Vietnam. It is the gateway to Sapa in the north and also Halong Bay to the east but worth taking a few days to discover.
Mui Ne
Mui Ne is a coastal resort town in southeastern Vietnam on the South China Sea. The town is close to the city of Phan Thiết and is perfect for a relaxing beach stopover at the end of your Vietnam tour.
Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)
The most Western in atmosphere of Vietnam’s cities, Ho Chi Minh City (to use it’s official name – although to residents and visitors alike it is universally and affectionately known as Saigon) has a population of 6 million, and a booming free-market economy.
Mekong Delta
Vietnam’s ‘rice-bowl’, the Mekong Delta is a rich fertile region of flat farmland interlaced with thousands of waterways and tributaries of the mighty Mekong.
Nha Trang
Four hundred and forty five kilometres north of Ho Chi Minh City by road, or a short forty minute flight, lies Vietnam’s premier beach resort of Nha Trang.
With a backdrop of mountains, numerous deserted islands and kilometres of white sandy beaches it is hard not to enjoy the benefits of such an idyllic location.
Hoi An
One of Asia’s most delightful towns. Aside from its creamy white beaches, Hoi An’s medieval heritage is celebrated in its Chinese merchants’ houses, 16th century Japanese bridge and wooden shop houses now re-incarnated as restaurants, cafes, bars and craft galleries.
Hue
An imperial city, home to several generations of the ruling 19th century Nguyen dynasty whose Citadel, a heavily fortified court enclosed by a 10 km red brick wall, much battered by the war, is now protected by UNESCO as is the inner sanctum known as the Forbidden City.
Sapa and Northern Vietnam
The best place to experience Vietnam’s colourful hill tribes is to travel by the overnight Victoria Express sleeper train to the remote mountains in the far north of the country
Hanoi
Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital is often the start or finishing point of any holiday to Vietnam. It is the gateway to Sapa in the north and also Halong Bay to the east but worth taking a few days to discover.
