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Vietnam Travel Guide: Reviews, photos, & videos
Did you ever wonder what the word "Vietnam" means? "Viet" means people and "Nam" means South. And when visiting Vietnam, its easy to feel that warm, Southern hospitality by this friendly country of the people of the south. That's right. Vietnamese are bona fide Asian southerners.
Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia. Its neighboring countries are China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west.
History
Vietnam's history is a history of war, colonization and rebellion. Occupied by China no less than four times, the Vietnamese managed to beat off the invaders just as often. Vietnam's last emperors were the Nguyễn Dynasty, who ruled from their capital at Hue from 1802 to 1945, although France exploited the succession crisis after the fall of Tự Đức to de facto colonize Vietnam after 1884.
After a brief Japanese occupation in World War II, the Communist Viet Cong under the leadership of Hồ Chí Minh continued the insurgency against the French, with the last Emperor Bao Dai abdicating in 1945 and a proclamation of independence following soon after. The majority of French had left by 1945, but in 1946 they returned to continue the fight until their decisive defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The Geneva Conference partitioned the country into two at 17th parallel, with a Communist-led North and Ngo Dinh Diem declaring himself President of the Republic of Vietnam in the South.
US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the Southern Vietnam government, escalating into the dispatch of 500,000 American troops in 1966 and what became known as the Vietnam War - although the Vietnamese refer to it as the American War. What was supposed to be a quick and decisive action soon degenerated into a quagmire, and US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, on April 30, 1975, a North Vietnamese tank drove into the South's Presidential Palace in Ho Chi Minh City and the war ended. Over 55,000 Americans and an estimated 3 million Vietnamese were killed.
The American Vietnamese war was only one of many that the Vietnamese have fought, but it was the most brutal in its history. Over two thirds of the current population was born after 1975. American tourists will receive a particularly friendly welcome in Vietnam, as many young Vietnamese aspire to American culture.
* The North, around Hanoi (Hà Nội): from the Red River Delta to high mountains near China, to the World Heritage site Ha Long Bay, the North harbors some of the most magnificent views of Vietnam in an exotic context.
* The Central Coast, around the ancient city of Hue (Huế), is the home of the still recent Vietnamese kings, and features one of the nicest old seacoast towns in Vietnam: Hoi An (Hội An), A World Heritage Site.
* The Central Highlands, are hilly and covered with lush forest, features tribes and the occasional elephant, but is still accessible to the more adventurous. Dalat, the former retreat of the French is the largest city in the Central Highlands with a great golf course and the tallest mountain nearby.
* The South, is the economic engine of Vietnam, built around Ho Chi Minh City (Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh, former Saigon) but also covering the lush and little-visited Mekong Delta, the rice basket of Vietnam.
[edit] Cities
* Hanoi (Hà Nội) - the capital
* Haiphong (Hải Phòng) - the "port city", a major port in north Vietnam
* Can Tho (Cần Thơ) - the largest city in southwest Vietnam
* Dalat (Đà Lạt) - the largest city in the highlands
* Da Nang (Đà Nẵng) - a major port in central Vietnam
* Ho Chi Minh City (Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh) - Vietnam's largest city and the economic centre of the south, formerly Saigon (Sài Gòn)
* Hoi An (Hội An) - delightfully well-preserved ancient port, near the ruins of Mỹ Sơn
* Hue (Huế) - former home of Vietnam's emperors
* Nha Trang - burgeoning beach resort
* Phan Thiet (Phan Thiết) - "the resort capital" with Mui Ne beach.
[edit] Other destinations
* Con Dao (Côn Đảo) island
* Cu Chi (Củ Chi), site of the Cu Chi Tunnels
* The DMZ
* Ha Long Bay (Vịnh Hạ Long) - famous for its unearthly scenery
* Kontum - A relaxed little town providing access to a number of minority villages.
* Mui Ne (Mũi Né) - beach resorts
* Phu Quoc (Phú Quốc) - an island adjacent to the border with Cambodia
* Tay Ninh (Tây Ninh) - main temple of the Cao Đài
* Tam Coc (Tam Cốc) - In Ninh Binh province south to Hanoi with Ha Long-bay-like sceneries on rice paddies
* Vung Tau (Vũng Tàu) - fishing town
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