Mention Vietnam and some may think of “Apocalypse Now” or student protests against the war or the place where most of your trainers appear to be made….

Whatever your view of Vietnam, it’s bound to be influenced by history that simply no longer holds true.  The fact is this South East Asian country is one of the most stunning and beautiful places on the planet.

The major centres of population include Ho Chi Minh City, still the largest city in Vietnam.  Under the name Saigon it was the capital of South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975 and either “fell” from an American perspective, or was “liberated” from a Vietnamese viewpoint the following year.   It was officially renamed Ho Chí Minh City, although the name Saigon is still commonly used.

A thousand miles north from Ho Chi Minh City lies Hanoi, the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam.  For almost 800 years, Hanoi was the political centre of an independent Vietnam, although that role was briefly taken by Hue during the Nguyen Dynasty.   Hanoi again served as the capital of French Indochina from 1887 to 1954 and then until 1976, when it was the capital of North Vietnam.

In between are magnificent coastal towns and villages including Hue, the beach resort that is now  Nha Trang and Hoi An.  Of these, Hoi An has proved immensely popular and the old town was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1999.  Many visit for the numerous art and craft shops – lanterns abound in Hoi An – and tailors who produce made-to-measure clothes for a fraction of the western price in what seems a matter of minutes.

Further north, above Hanoi is the magnificent Ha Long Bay.  This UNESCO World Heritage site features thousands of limestone karsts and islets in various sizes and shapes scattered around the seascape.   More on Ha Long Bay in our next blog!