Dalat

This former French colonial outpost in the mountainous Central Highlands enjoys a cooler climate than the rest of the south. The town was established in 1897 by the French ruling administration as an escape from the tropical summer heat of Saigon and...

Halong

Legend has it that the dragon that rose from the Red River, creating civilisation at Hanoi plunged into the sea at Halong, creating the estimated 1,900 towering limestone islands of Halong Bay. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994, Halong...

Hanoi

In 1010 Emperor Ly Thai To founded his capital on the fertile banks of the Red River, which he christened 'City of the Ascending Dragon'. A millennium later, Hanoi remains Vietnam's political centre with its crowded streets lined with reminders of it...

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Renamed Ho Chi Minh City in 1975 in honour of the nationalist leader, most people still call Vietnam's largest city Saigon. Saigon buzzes with energy; everyone is up to something, buying, selling, building, moving, this is a city that doesn't have...

Hoi An

The historical town of Hoi An was Vietnam's most important port between the 16th and 18th centuries, attracting merchants from as far afield as China, Japan, India, Indonesia and Europe who came to buy silk, spices and porcelain. Some of these mer...

Hue

While imperial rule ended almost six decades ago, the charming central city of Hue still bears the marks of its royal past. From 1802 to 1945, Hue was home to 13 Nguyen emperors, whose palaces and tombs provide fascinating glimpses into the luxurious...

Mai Chau

Mai Chau is located in the mountainous province of Hoa Binh province, approximately 135 km north from Hanoi. Mai Chau village is in the heart of a beautiful valley that is a bright, almost parrot-green in spring and by autumn has transformed into dee...

Mekong Delta

By the time the Mekong reaches Vietnam, it has travelled from its source high in the Tibetan Plateau, through China, skirted Burma, flowed along the Laos-Thai border and cut through Cambodia. Nine tributaries of the Mekong criss cross this fertile pl...

Nha Trang

The sun-washed town of Nha Trang with its wide avenues and seaside promenade is located on the dramatic coastline of southern Vietnam which has a Mediterranean feel reminiscent of the French Riviera. A place of soft white sand, surrounded by warm, tu...

Phan Thiet (Mui Ne)

Lying to the North East of Ho Chi Minh City, is the charming fishing village of Phan Thiet. The area is ideal for escaping from the hustle and bustle of Saigon without having to travel too far. The village has a long stretch of beach overlooking t...

Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc is the largest of all the Vietnamese islands, an hour's flight from Saigon, it is situated in pristine waters close to the Cambodian border. Development on the island has been slow, leaving the forest covered mountains, waterfalls, clear str...

Sapa

The small market town of Sapa is perched dramatically on the edge of a high plateau in the Tonkinese Alps of North Western Vietnam. The Colonial French chose Sapa as their holiday escape from the heat of Hanoi in the early 20th century. It offers spe...