Hanoi
As the capital of Vietnam for almost a thousand years, Hanoi is considered to be the cultural center of Vietnam, where every dynasty has left behind their imprint. Even though some relics have not survived through wars and time, the city still has many interesting cultural and historic monuments for visitors and residents alike.

Some of the prominent places are: The Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu), site of the oldest university in Vietnam; One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột); Flag Tower of Hanoi (Cột cờ Hà Nội); The Old Quarter and Hoàn Kiếm lake.

Hanoi is also home to a number of museums, including the Vietnamese National History Museum, the National Museum of Ethnology, the National Museum of Fine Arts and the Revolution Museum .

The Old Quarter, near the scenic Hoan Kiem lake, has the original street layout and architecture of the old Hanoi. At the beginning of 20th century, the city consisted of only about 36 streets, most of which are now part of the old quarter. Each street then comprised of merchants and households specialized in a particular trade, such as silk traders, jewellery, etc. The street names nowadays still reflect these specializations, although few of them remain exclusively in their original commerce. The area is in general famous for its small artisans and merchants, including many silk shops. Local cuisine specialties as well as several clubs and bars can be found here also. A night market (near Đồng Xuân market) in the heart of the district opens for business every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening with a variety of clothing, souvenirs, and food.

West Lake (Hồ Tây) is a popular place for people to hang out. It is the largest lake in Hanoi, and there are many temples to visit in the area. There are small boats for hire, and a floating restaurant which has been operating for a couple of decades.

Halong Bay
Halong Bay is a body of water of approximately 1,500 square kilometres in north Vietnam with a 120 kilometre coastline, in the Gulf of Tonkin near the border with China, and 170 kilometres east of Hanoi. "Vịnh Hạ Long" — Halong Bay — means "Bay of the Descending Dragon" in the Vietnamese language. Hạ means "descending" and Long means "dragon" in Sino-Vietnamese.

The bay consists of a dense cluster of 1,969 limestone monolithic islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. Hang Đầu Gỗ (Wooden stakes Cave) is the largest grotto in the Halong area. French tourists visited in the late 19th century, and named the cave Grotte des Merveilles. Its three large chambers contain large numerous stalactites and stalagmites (as well as 19th century French graffiti). There are two bigger islands, Tuan Chau and Cat Ba, that have permanent inhabitants. Both of them have tourist facilities, including hotels and beaches. There are a number of wonderful beaches on the smaller islands.

Some of the islands support floating villages of fishermen, who ply the shallow waters for 200 species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks. Many of the islands have acquired their names as a result of interpretation of their unusual shapes: such names include Voi Islet (elephant), Ga Choi Islet (fighting cock), and Mai Nha Islet (roof). 989 of the islands have been given names. Birds and animals including bantams, antelopes, monkeys, and iguanas also live on some of the islands.

The bay was World Heritage listed by UNESCO at the 18th meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in Thailand on December 17th, 1994). It is one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations

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Sapa
It is most likely that Sa Pa was first inhabited by highland minorities of the Hmong and Yao groups, as well as by smaller numbers of Tày and Giay, these being the four main minority groups still present in Sa Pa district today. The Kinh (lowland Vietnamese) never originally colonised this highest of Việt Nam’s valleys, which lies in the shadow of Phan-Xi-Pǎng (Fansipan, 3143 meters), the highest peak in the country.

It was only when the French debarked in highland Tonkin in the late 1880s that Sa Pa, or Chapa as the French called it, began to appear on the national map. In the following decade, the future site of Sa Pa town started to see military parties as well as missionaries from the Société des Missions Etrangères de Paris (MEP) visit. The French military marched from the Red River Delta into the northern mountainous regions as part of Tonkin’s ‘pacification’. In 1894-96 the border between China and Tonkin was formally agreed upon and the Sa Pa area, just to the south of this frontier, was placed under French authority. From 1891 the entire Lào Cai region, including Sa Pa, came under direct colonial military administration so as to curtail banditry and political resistance on the sensitive northern frontier.

The first permanent French civilian resident arrived in Sa Pa in 1909. With its attractive continental climate, health authorities believed the site had potential. By 1912 a military sanatorium for ailing officers had been erected along with a fully fledged military garrison. Then, from the 1920s onwards, several wealthy professionals with enough financial capital also had a number of private villas built in the vicinity.

At the end of the Second World War a long period of hostilities began in Tonkin that was to last until 1954. In the process, nearly all of the 200 or so colonial buildings in or around Sa Pa were destroyed, either by Việt Minh sympathisers in the late 1940s, or, in the early 1950s by French air raids. The vast majority of the Viet population fled for their lives, and the former town entered a prolonged sleep.

In the early 1960s, thanks to the New Economic Zones migration scheme set up by the new Socialist regime, new inhabitants from the lowlands started to migrate to the region.

The short 1979 occupation of the northern border region by Chinese troops had little impact on Sa Pa town, but did force the Kinh (lowland Vietnamese) population out for a month.

In 1993 the last obstacle to Sa Pa's full rebirth as a prominent holiday destination was lifted as the decision was made to open the door fully to international tourism. Sa Pa was back on the tourist trail again, this time for a newly emerging local elite tourist crowd, as well as international tourists

Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh has involved into a major travel centre in recent years. Its sudden transformation from sleepy hamlet to tourist magnet has little to do with Ninh Binh itself, but rather with its proximity to nearby Tam Coc (9 km) and Hoa Lu (12 km) and Cuc Phuong National Park (45 km)

Although it is certainly possible to visit these sights as a day trip from Hanoi, many travellers chose to overnight in Ninh Binh or the national park to appreciate the scenery at a more leisurely pace.

Tam Coc
Known to travellers as Vietnam's 'Halong Bay without water', Tam Coc boasts breathtaking scenery. While Halong Bay has huge rock formations jutting out of the sea, Tam Coc has them jutting out of the rice field paddies. There is a striking resemblance here to Guilin and Yangshuo, both major attractions in China.

Tam Coc means 'there caves'. Hang Ca, the first cave, is 127m long; Hang Giua, the second is 70m long; the third is Hang Cuoi, the smallest with only 40m.

The best way to see Tam Coc is by row-boat on the Ngo Dong River. The boats actually row into the caves, and this is a very peaceful and scenic trip. The boat trip to all there caves takes about three hours, including the stops.

Hoa Lu
The scenery here resembles nearby Tam Coc, though Hoa Lu has an interesting historical twist. Hoa Lu was the capital of Vietnam during the Dinh Dynasty (968-80) and Early Le Dynasty (980-1009). This site was a suitable choice for a capital city due to its promixity to China and the natural protection afforded by the region's bizarre landscape.

Kenh Ga floating market
In Kenh Ga (Chicken Canal), chickens may not be a prominent part of the villagers' lives, but the canal certainly is. Everyone in Kenh Ga lives on boats floating on the Hoang Long River. About the only other place in Vietnam where you can see anything like this is in the Mekong Delta. On the other hand, nowhere in the Mekong Delta will you find a stunning a mountain backdrop as you find at Kenh Ga. Another difference - people in Kenh Ga row boats with their feet.

Phat Diem
Phat Diem is the site of cathedral remarkable for its vast dimensions and unique Sino-Vietnamese architecture. During the French era, the cathedral was an important centre of Catholicism in the north and there was a seminary here. Phat Diem has a high density of Catholics amounted to 120,000 live in this area.

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Hue
Tradditionally, Hue has been one of Vietnam's main cultural, religious and educational centres. Today, its main attraction are the splendid tombs of the Nguyen emperors, several notable pagodas and the remains of the Citadel. Also, the local will nodoubt tell you repeatedly, the women of Hue are renowned for their beauty.

Tourism just may have saved Hue's cultural sites from oblivion. Between 1975 and 1990, all the old buildings were regarded as political incorrect, sign of the 'feudal decay'. It was only in 1990 that the local government recognised the tourist potential of the place and declared these sites 'national treasures'. In 1993, the complex of monuments in Hue was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and restoration and preservation work continues.

My Son
One of the most stunning sights in the Hoi An area is My Son, Vietnam's most important Cham site, and as of 2000 a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the centuries when Tra Kieu (the known as Simhapura) served as the political capital of Champa, My Son was the site of the most important Cham intellectual and religious centre, and also may has served as burial place for Cham monarchs. My Son is considered to be Champa's counterpart to the grand city of South-East Asia's other Indian-influence civilisation: Angkor (Cambodia), Bagan (Myanmar), Ayuthaya (Thailand) and Borobudur (Java).

The monuments are set in a verdant valley surrounded by hills and overlooked by massive Cat's Tooth Mountain (Hon Quap). Clear streams (perfect for a dip) run between the structures and past nearby coffee plantations.

My Son became a religious centre under King Bhadravarman in the late 4th century and was occupied until the 13th century- the longest period of development of any monuments in South-East Asia (by comparison, Angkor's period of development lasted only three centuries, as did that of Bagan). Most of the temples were dedicated to Cham Kings associated with divinities, especially Shiva, who was regarded as the founder and protector of Champa's dynasties.

Champa's contact with Java was extensive. Cham's scholars were sent to Java to study and there was a great deal of commerce between the two empires - Cham pottery has been found on Java and, in the 12th century, the Cham king wed a Javanese woman.

Because some of these ornamentation work at My Son was never finished, archaeologists know that the Chams first built their structures and only then carved decorations into the brick work. Researchers have yet to figure out for certain how the Chams managed to get the baked bricks to stick together. According to one theory, they used a paste prepared with a botanical oil indigenous to central Vietnam. During one period in their history, the summits of some of the towers were covered with a layer of gold.

During the American War, the My Son region was completely devastated and depopulated in extended bitter fightings. Finding it to be a convenient staging ground, VC guerrillas used My Son as a base; in response the Americans bombed the monuments. Traces of 68 structures have been found, of which 25 survised repeatedly pillaging in previous centuries by the Chinese, Khmer and Vietnamese. The American bombings spared about 20 of these, some of which sustained extensive damage. Today, Vietnamese authorities are attempting to restore the remaining sites.

Quy Nhon
Quy Nhon is the capital of Binh Dinh province and one of Vietnam’s more active second-string seaports. The beaches in the immediate vicinity of the city is nothing special, however Quy Nhon is a convenient – though somewhat disappointing – place to break the long journey from Nha Trang to Danang.

Phan Thiet
Phan Thiết is the capital city of Binh Thuan Province, Vietnam. Located on an arm of the South China Sea, Phan Thiết is one of Vietnam's most important fishing areas. Its population is roughly 205,333 (2004). Ho Chi Minh lived in Phan Thiết for a short time and taught at the Duc Thanh school. During the war, Phan Thiết was the site of the US military base known as Landing Zone Betty which was located at the now closed Airfield South West of the City. In recent years, Phan Thiết (specifically Mũi Né Beach district) has been transformed into a resort destination. October 24, 1995 is considered to be the birth of tourism in Phan Thiết, when thousands rushed to Mũi Né to see the total solar eclipse. The event was commemorated on the same day in 2005 as the tenth anniversary of tourism for the province.

Mui Ne
Peaceful Mui Ne Beach has emerged as a highly popular alternative to the hoopla further south at Vung Tau. This beautiful beach is 200km from Ho Chi Minh City, and 22 km east of Phan Thiet on Route 706, near the fishing village at the tip of Mui Ne Peninsula.

Mui Ne is famous for its enormous sand dunes. These have been a favourite subject matter for many of a  Vietnamese photographer, including some who sit camel-like on the blazing hot sand for hours waiting for the winds to sculpt the dunes into that perfect ‘Kodak’ moment.

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Saigon
In this, the largest of Vietnam’s cities, you will see the hustle and bustle of Vietnamese life everywhere, and there is something invigorating about it all. Constrasting images of the exotic and mundane abound. There are the street markets, where bargains are struck and deals are done; the pavement cafes, where stereo speakers fill the surrounding streets with a melodious thumping beat; and the sleek new cafes and pubs, where tourists chat over beer, pretzels, coffee and croissants. A young office worker manoeuvres her Honda Dream through rush-hour traffic, long hair flowing, high heel working the break pedal. The sweating Chinese businessman chats on his cellular phone, cursing his necktie in the tropical heat.

The city churns, ferments, bubbles and fumes. Yet within this teeming 300 year old metropolis are timeless traddtions and the beauty of an ancient culture.

The city centre is still unofficially called ‘Saigon’. But officially, Saigon refers only to District 1, which is one small piece of the municipal pie. Southerners certainly prefer the name Saigon, but northerners tend to toe the official line.

Vung Tau
Vung Tau known under the French as Cap St. Jacques, is a beach resort on the South China Sea, 128 km south-east of Ho Chi Minh City.

Vung Tau’s beaches are easily reached from Ho Chi Minh City and have thus been a favourite of that city’s residents since French colonist first began coming here around 1980.

Seaside area near Vung Tau are dotted with the villas of the pre-1975 elite, now converted to guesthouses and restaurants for the post-1975 elite. In addition to sunning on the seashore and sipping sodas in nearby cafes, visitors can cycle around, or climb up, Vung Tau Peninsula’s two mountains. There are also a number of interesting religious sites around town, including serveval pagodas and a huge standing figure of Jesus blessing the South China Sea.

Mekong Delta
Pancake flat but lusciously green and beautiful, the Mekong Delta is the southernmost region of Vietnam. It was formed by sediment deposited by the Mekong River, a process which continues today; silt deposits extend the delta’s shoreline at the mouth of the river by as much as 79m per year. The river is so large that it has two daily tides. At low tide in the dry season, boats cannot even move through the shallow cannals.

The land of the Mekong Delta is renowned for its richness, and almost half of it is under cultivation. The area is known as Vietnam’s ‘bread basket’, though, ‘rice basket’ would be more appropriate. The Mekong Delta produces enough rice to feed the entire country, with a sizeable surplus.

Other products from the delta include coconut, sugar cane, fruitsand fish. Although the area is primarily rural, it is one of the most densely populated regions in Vietnam – nearly every hectare is intensively farmed. An exception to this is the sparsely inhabited mangrove swamps around Ca Mau Province, where the land is not very productive.

Phu Quoc
Mountainous and forested Phu Quoc Island is in the Gulf of Thailand, 45km west of Tien, and 15km south of the coast of Cambodia. This tear – shape island, which is 48km long and has an area of 1320 sq km, is ringed with some of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam. There are fantastic views of marine life through transparent blue-green waters

Phu Quoc is famous worldwide for its two traditional products: fish sauce and pepper. The numbers are quite surprising: hundreds of fish sauce workshops (annual output: 10 million liters) and countless pepper gardens (total area: 5 km²). Visitors to the pepper gardens will be captivated by the "itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny peppercorns" of patient growers while at fish-sauce workshops, they will be amazed at the sight of dozens of bulky barrels being lined up and waiting to be packed with fresh fish. You will be tempted to try a few pungent green peppercorns and half a spoonful of the tasty salty fish sauce.

Citizens of south-east Asian countries don't need certification when entering Duongdong town for up to 15 days. If they want to go to other places from here (except restricted areas), they can get immigration certifications given by the immigration and emigration management Offices of Duong Dong town. Foreign-tourist ships can arrive or leave Duong Dong harbour due to projects signed with Vietnamese tourist companies. Foreign tourist ships which visit Duong Dong area & other areas (except restricted areas) have to obey the laws mentioned above.

Foreign cargo ships are allowed to arrive or leave Duong Dong town to deliver or receive cargoes as stated in contracts signed by business on manufacturing organisations. The crewmen on these ships can use their passports or sailor's registers to enter Duong Dong area. If they deliver or pick up goods in other harbours of Kien Giang province, they have to obey Vietnam's current laws.