Vietnam
From Saigon and the Mekong Delta to Hoi An, imperial Hue, Hanoi and the limestone islands of Halong Bay.
The south
Ho Chi Minh City, still Saigon to most locals, is loud, fast and full of street food. A day trip south takes you into the Mekong Delta, a maze of canals, fruit orchards and floating houses, and north-west to the Cu Chi tunnels.
The centre
Hoi An's old town of merchant houses, temples and lantern-lit streets was a trading port for centuries. A short drive north, Hue was the seat of the Nguyen emperors, with its Imperial Citadel and royal tombs along the Perfume River.
The north
Hanoi mixes French boulevards, lakes and the narrow streets of the Old Quarter. From there it's a drive to Halong Bay, where you spend a night on a boat among thousands of limestone islands.
Good to know
- Capital: Hanoi
- Currency: Vietnamese dong (VND)
- Time zone: Indochina Time (UTC+7)
- Electricity: 220 V, plug types A, C and F
- Best time to go: February to April suits a trip from south to north; central Vietnam gets most of its rain from September to December
