Vietnam
By Debby Lenny
Vietnam is an amazing country.
Full of so much history, and it still feels like your witnessing history being
made.
In Ho Chi Minh City there are War museums to visit as well as the
beautiful opera house which of course has the French influence in the Architecture.
You can also do short trips to the Mekong Delta and the Cu Chi tunnels. The extensive
tunnel network was where the Vietnamese army based themselves during the war.
You can see how they lived underground. They have widened the tunnels so foreigners
can visit.
I ventured north through to Dalat which was a hill station
for the French. Its alpine climate is quite a welcomed change to Ho Chi Minh as
you can actually walk around without working up a sweat. Heading out to the coast
to Nha Trang which is a great place to stop and soak up the rays on the beach.
Fresh cooked seafood is sold by the locals on the beach so after gorging yourself
on that you can have a massage and hey just enjoy the holiday!
Hoi an
was a really pleasant surprise! It is a small town which is filled with glowing
lanterns by night and smiling post card seller kids during the day. You can instantly
notice the lower volume of noise and pollution which is in most other towns and
cities of Vietnam. There are lovely restaurants that line the river and tailors
galore ready and waiting to take your order for clothing. The markets are colourful
and inviting. There is also a beach if you feel like a swim!
Hanoi was
full of character and charm. You can visit Uncle Ho (Ho Chi Minh) who is kept
embalmed in the mausoleum or stroll through the old quarter of town, it is very
stimulating for all the senses! The colour of the markets and street vendors and
the smells of the food...mmm.
From Hanoi it is worthwhile doing a 2-3
day trip to the famous Halong Bay. This bay is filled with limestone mountains
and hills.Then there are the hill tribes which are inland and close to the Chinese
border in the Sapa region. To really get a feel for the hill tribes it is worthwhile
doing a 3-4 day trek where you trek from village to village visiting the hill
tribes and staying with them in their houses. Weekend markets are the most colourful
I have ever seen...trading everything from flint to pigs to hand made clothes.
It is an amazing experience. They are beautiful people.
There is all this
and so much more...It is a truly wonderful experience to witness a country still
developing their culturally rich society.
Debby Lenny
