As my kayak quietly glided through the lime-stone formations of Vietnam’s Halong Bay,only monkey calls from amongst the pinkginger trees broke the silence. My oarbrushed through crystal-clear water, skim-ming fans of colourful coral under the sur-

face, as we explored the ancient UNESCO WorldHeritage-listed site.

This peaceful kayak cruise was a direct contrast to thebuzzing sea of motorbikes and chattering crowds thathad greeted me on arrival at frenetic, fragrant and fasci-nating Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam, once shorthand for war, is fast-becomingone of Asia’s rising stars and a new direct air servicefrom Vietnam Airlines is making it more accessible forUK tourists. While Thailand charms with its popularbeaches and neighbouring Laos and Cambodia attractintrepid backpackers, Vietnam offers a taste of Commu-nist South East Asia with a touch of comfort.

Vietnam’s troubled and varied past has left a uniquelegacy of architecture, culture and cuisine.

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Rising starSynonymous with conflict until relatively recently, Vietnam is undergoing rapid modernisation andis now one of South-East Asia’s fastest-growing tourism hotspots. But, as Amy Watkinsdiscovered, visitors can still easily find timeless echoes of its distant past besides vestiges of war,frenetic cities and unspoilt natural beauty

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baguettes recall 19th and early 20th century colonial rule.One of its most notable icons of the period is the SofitelLegend Metropole Hanoi, which was built in 1901 andretains the green shutters so reminiscent of French colo-nial rule. Guests have included Charlie Chaplin,Somerset Maugham and, latterly, Angelina Jolie. A

recently-rediscovered bomb shelter in the hotel’s backgarden which was used in the Vietnam War has beenopened as a memorial and is the main attraction in a Pathof History tour open to guests. Singer Joan Baez recordedpart of her Where Are You Now, My Son? album in thebunker in 1972, during an American air raid.

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From French baguettes on café menus to a maze ofunderground tunnels once used by the Viet Cong; every-where you look there’s a dent made by history. Vietnamis modernising at break-neck speed, but deep in thecountryside you’ll see women in conical hats tendingrice paddies and traditional snapshots of a bygone age.

Times have changed for Vietnam and the emergingdestination has thrown off the shackles of its conflict-ridden past. Vietnam is celebrating its heritage this yearby focusing on the positive legacies that have been leftbehind.

Designer shops and upmarket hotels now line theDong Khoi area of Ho Chi Minh City, once Saigon’snotorious red light district during the Vietnam War,and timeless wonders such as ancient rocks and beau-tiful beaches remain untouched.

rice paddiesA fortnight is an ideal amount of time to see thecountry’s highlights. It’s possible to make yourown way around Vietnam, but an escorted tourhandles many of the logistical issues such astransportation and language barriers so touristscan enjoy the sights. You can even follow theroute of the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail ongolf tours, playing half a dozen courses alongthe route from Hanoi to the area aroundformer Saigon that comprise the Ho Chi MinhGolf Trail.

Travelling overland between cities is a fantastic wayto see the scenery of rice paddies and thick forests, butflying between Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh Cityin the south means that both can be included on a shorterholiday.

Ho Chi Minh, remembered by most visitors asSaigon, is an energetic introduction to bustling Vietnam.Colourful lanterns in Chinatown, smoky incense emanat-ing from jade-encrusted temples and the sight of streettraders with piles of bright purple dragon fruit in BenThanh night market let you know you’re in Asia.

Among the exotic sights and smells there arereminders of the Vietnam War, or the American War, asyou’ll hear it referred to. On April 30, 1975, the impos-ing Independence Palace (now called Reunification Hall)was breached by Viet Cong tanks and this led to the fallof Saigon and the end of the war. The present buildingdates to 1966, but has remained in a 1970s time warpwith government rooms left as they were. An hour outside of the city are the 120-mile long

networks of Cu Chi Tunnels, which included kitchens,hospitals, schools and sleeping quarters. They were orig-inally built in the 1940s during Vietnam’s conflictwith the French, but were used by the Viet Cong tohouse around 16,000 people during the Vietnam War.

Capital Hanoi, over 1,000 miles north of Ho ChiMinh City, is a charmingly-chaotic blend of old andnew. Here, the wide mansion-lined boulevards, lake-filled parks and the smell of freshly-cooked

vietnam’s best beachesVietnam’s beaches might not get the positive pressthat neighbouring Thailand enjoys – but with over2,000 miles of coastline and some truly incrediblebeaches that are reminiscent of Thailand’s finestbefore mass tourism took over, Vietnam has plentyto boast about. Nha Trang is Vietnam’s most famous beach

destination and while the town can now be a littleloud and brash at times, the beautiful beach has

retained its charm andcontinues to attractholidaymakerslooking for a well-establishedresort. For those

looking for amore picturesque

introduction toVietnam’s beaches, the

white sand beaches andthick jungle covering the island of Phu Quoc makesit one of Vietnam’s most beautiful places to spend aholiday. For near-complete isolation away from the crowds,

head to the Con Dao islands for uninterruptedjungle hiking, as well as diving and snorkelling thecoral reefs; look out for resident sea turtles.

mekong river cruisesCruising the Mekong is one of the best waysto see remote corners of Vietnam; frommajor cities to tiny villages that can only bereached by boat. Most itineraries, includingPandaw’s (www.pandaw.com), leave fromKampong Cham on the Tonle Sap River –after an overnight in Cambodia’s Siem Reapto visit Angkor Wat – and sail to My Tho forHo Chi Minh City, or vice versa. The cruises call at the floating villages of

Kampong Chhnang, the Cambodian capital ofPhnom Penh and then sail through Vietnam.Cruises visit traditional village such as ChauDoc, canal-crossed Sa Dec and the floatingmarket at Cai Be.River cruise company AMAWaterways

(www.amawaterways.com) has twoMekong ships, which additionally stop atVietnam’s rapidly-industrialising Tan Chau. Earlier this year, CroisiEurope

(www.croisieurope.travel) beganchartering river cruise vessel RV Indochineto offer nine-night cruises through Vietnam

and Cambodia, while Noble Caledonia(www.noble-caledonia.co.uk) partnerswith Pandaw on Mekong and land itineraries.

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continental flavourOnce part of France’s Cochinchina Empire, Vietnam hasretained a Continental flavour that still exists amongHanoi’s busy streets. Visit the State Bank or GrandOpera House to see the best examples of French-influ-enced architecture or stroll around the Old Quarter,where original Hanoi architecture is still standing andstreet names reflect the work of the artisans, such assilk-traders and jewellery-makers, who once lived here.

If you happen to be in Hanoi during the wet season,there are plenty of museums and art galleries, such as theNational Museum of Vietnamese History and theContemporary Arts Centre, to while away a rainy after-noon and see how Communist Vietnam presents itselftoday. At the other end of the scale of “attractions” is theeerie Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the Chairman’sembalmed body lies in state.

Less than 100 miles from Hanoi is the sereneUNESCO World Heritage Site of Halong Bay, named asone of the New 7 Wonders of Nature last year. Over3,000 craggy limestone monoliths topped with verdantforest rise out of the sea up to 100 metres (300ft) high.

There are many ways to explore the area but mosttourists opt for a tour on a traditional junk boat.Overnight and multi-day tours are available, with vary-ing levels of comfort from very basic to semi-luxurious,or day trips can be taken to explore the beaches andfloating fishing villages in the area. You can also exploreon cruise ships such as the Emeraude, a modern replicaof a vintage paddle-wheel steamer that first sailed thebay 105 years ago.

It’s possible to stay on some of the islands, with CatBa being the most developed and popular place. InHalong Bay, cavers can explore the stalactites hanginglike stone icicles from the overhanging rocks or take akayak trip to quietly enjoy the dramatic landscape andsecret lagoons away from the crowds.

As I made my way through these timeless formationsit felt a world away from the beeping bikes and bustlingmarkets of Vietnam’s cities. But it’s this contrast thatmakes Vietnam so exciting to explore.

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Amy Watkins loves South East Asia; from Filipino beachesand buzzing Vietnam, to Borneo’s jungles and the gentlepeople of Cambodia and Thailand. Eating a thousand-year-oldegg in Hong Kong has been her only exception.

vietnam facts

when to goAvoid busy Tet (New Year) in late January.October-March is winter monsoonseason in the north, but is warm anddry in the south. April-October bringshot and humid weather outside ofmountain regions.

getting thereNational flag carrier Vietnam Airlines(www.vietnamairlines.com) recently introduced direct flights fromthe UK, or you can fly via other counties with Thai Air, Emirates, QatarAirways, Qantas, Lufthansa, British Airways or Air France. Arrange a visabefore you leave.

getting around Travelling by public buses can be uncomfortable, making domestic flyingwith Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific (www.jetstar.com) anattractive option. Other methods include air-conditioned “backpacker”buses or a train between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Cars withdrivers can be hired and “cyclo” rickshaws are used in towns.

sportPlay golf on the Ho Chi Minh Golf Trail(www.hochiminhgolftrail.com), with courses from the far northaround Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in the far south.

accommodation Budget places cater for backpackers, but luxury hotel chains such asSofitel, Six Senses, Intercontinental, Le Meridien and Park Hyatt havehotels in cities and resorts; prices are cheap compared to Europe.Among iconic hotels are colonial French veteran, Sofitel LegendMetropole Hanoi (www.sofitel.com), in the capital and Ho Chi MinhCity landmark, The Caravelle (www.caravellehotel.com). Spa resorthotels include the Nam Hai (www.ghmluxuryhotels.com) in Hoi An.

tour operators Audley Travel (www.audleytravel.com) and Cox & Kings(www.coxandkings.co.uk) offer escorted tours, as do Kuoni(www.kuoni.co.uk), Ampersand Travel(www.ampersandtravel.com), Bamboo Travel(www.bambootravel.co.uk), Tropical Sky (www.tropicalsky.co.uk)and Tucan Tours (www.tucantravel.com), while W&O(www.wandotravel.com) features the luxury Victoria Express Trainfrom Hanoi with stays at a mountain resort. Or you can self-builditineraries through Vietnam Travel Plan

(www.vietnamtravelplan.co.uk).

tourist informationVisit the Vietnam NationalAdministration of Tourism’s website,www.vietnamtourism.com, forofficial information, or go towww.vietnamtourism.org.vn forinformative features.

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