Vietnam In-Depth

Set amid a maze of formal gardens and fig trees, the Temple of Literature is a particular delight in the morning, when you might see local students dressed in embroidered silk ao dai dresses praying for good exam results at the shrine of Confucius. Next up is the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh and his rather less imposing stilted home on the nearby lake. In the afternoon, soak up the traditional feel of the old quarter’s ’36 Streets ‘ where traditional craftsmen ply their trade in a maze narrow alleyways. Be sure to pause in the market for a fragrant bowl of beef soup and rice noodles, garnished with lime, ginger and chillies, before heading to Hoan Kiem Lake to see the delightful Vietnamese water puppets.

After a welcome drink and briefing, you’ll be served a light lunch as the boat chugs through the otherworldly karst limestone stacks and islets of Halong Bay, pausing en route at some of the more famous formations, such as Hang Dau Go (the ‘Cave of Marvels’), with its extraordinary stalactite’s and stalagmites, and Hang Sung Sot (‘Cave of Awe’). Visit Cua Fan fishing village in the afternoon by bamboo rowing boat or kayak (with supplement), before trying your hand at fruit and vegetable carving back onboard the cruiser.

For early risers, there will be a Tai Chi demonstration on the sundeck at dawn, followed by a light breakfast in the restaurant. Later, the cruiser will stop at Titov Island, where more energetic travellers may wish to disembark to climb the peak for a spellbinding view over the Golf of Tonkin. After returning to the marina and transferring to Hanoi airport, your connecting flight should arrive in Hue well in time for supper.

One of the finest historic monuments in Southeast Asia, Hue’s Imperial City was where the Nguyen Emperor, his Queen and five ranks of concubines, servants and eunuchs resided amid fabulous pomp in the 19th century. Open courtyards and lawns divided the various buildings, which are all richly decorated and surmounted by beautiful glazed tile roofs. Some of the rulers who resided in it are entombed in suitably extravagant mausolea on the outskirts of town, around the banks of the Perfume River, where the tombs of Tu Doc and Khai Din are the standout monuments.

Set on a low hill amid verdant countryside overlooking the river, the Thien Mu (‘Celestial Lady’) Pagoda is the oldest in the city, and boasts its most iconic landmark: a seven-storey octagonal tower known as the Thap Phuoc Duyen. By far the most impressive approach is by boat: a flight of stone steps leads from the water to the shrine. Low-lying rice fields scattered with farming hamlets and crumbling dynastic tombs, the surrounding countryside is perfect terrain for a leisurely cycle.

With the beautiful, pristine sands of ‘China Beach’ on the eastside, and a maze of local cafés, street food stalls and markets on the west, there’s plenty to occupy you in the seaside city of Danang.

Before moving on, consider a trip up to ‘Marble Mountain’, a cluster of peaks bristling with ancient temples, pagodas and Buddhist statues. In the evening, soak up the magical atmosphere of Hoi An’s Old Town, with its hundreds of paper lanterns and lively bars. Housed in a stately colonial building, Brother’s Café has a particularly lovely candlelit garden.

A thriving port before it was eclipsed by nearby Danang, Hoi An’s Old Quarter preserves a unique cultural legacy spanning more than three-hundred years of colonial trade. Wandering its grid of 17th-century streets, you’ll pass some fine examples of old tube houses, Chinese pagodas, elaborately decorated community halls and shrines, and a wonderful Japanese covered bridge, as well as a restored French enclave. Savour the traditional Vietnamese atmosphere of the riverfront and market district, or shop for locally made art, crafts and silk, displayed in numerous boutiques around the backstreets. Hoi An’s traditional tea shops and restaurants are good places to sample local cau lau noodles and white-rose dumplings.

Qui Nhon is a breezy seaport that still hasn’t really made it on to the radar of most international tourists – and is all the more appealing for that. Based at one of the sleek new resorts on the town’s beach, you can browse the local market, watch fishing boats and dockers at work in the port and visit the striking Thap Doi Towers – fine specimens of Cham architecture located in a central park. We also recommend the city’s main pagoda, Long Khanh, which dates back to the 18th century and boasts a 17-metre-high Buddha.

Nha Trang is a coastal resort city in southern Vietnam known for its beaches and diving sites. Thanks to its breathtaking setting and convenient location, as a stepping stone midway down the Vietnamese coast, Nha Trang claims the crown as the country’s top beach destination. A six kilometre arc of golden sand and surf fringe this relaxed city at the mouth of the Cai River. In addition to the main beach, the nearby islands hold world-class scuba diving and snorkelling sites.

Alternatives to a day on the beach include the boat excursions running out of Nha Trang. These usually include a stop at Hon Mun (‘Black Island’) for a swim, a pause for a fresh seafood lunch, and an afternoon session at pretty Hon Tam beach. Along the way, guides point out the cliffs where swallows’ nests are harvested – regarded in Asia as a great delicacy.

Developed by the French as a refuge from the humidity of Saigon, Da Lat is today Vietnam’s most popular hill resort. Its refreshing climate and faded Gallic ambiance have made it a favourite destination for Vietnamese newly weds and courting couples, who flock here to enjoys trip in swan-shaped peddle-boats on the ‘Lake of Sighs’, admire views of the ‘Valley of Love’ and giggle their way around the quirky Hang Na Crazy House – a cross between an amusement-park ghost castle and guest house made of concrete mushrooms and tunnels. Foreign visitors, meanwhile, come for the fresh air, delightful scenery and crafts produce sold at the local markets.

Numerous elegant, colonial-era villas line the avenues of the leafy French Quarter, most of which was laid out as a summer retreat in the early decades of the 20th century for Gallic residents of Saigon. The last Nguyen Emperor, Bao Dai, lived here between 1938 and 1945, in a 25-room mansion designed in a curious Art-Nouveau style – with a distinct nautical twist! In the afternoon, consider the cable car ride up to the Thien Vien Truc Lam monster, overlooking ‘Paradise Lake’.

Originally built by the French in 1870, Ben Thanh is the oldest surviving market in the city, and the most atmospheric. After dark the streets surrounding it transform into a large souvenir bazaar, serviced by rows of Vietnamese fast food stalls and sidewalk restaurants – the most popular dish by far is deep-fried white fish, washed down with ice cold beer.

As ‘Saigon’, Ho Chi Minh City earned the epithet ‘Paris of the Orient’, and more than a hint of Gallic grandeur survives in the swanky Dong Khoi district (setting for Graham Greene’s novel, The Quiet American).

In the afternoon, visit the beautiful Jade Emperor Pagoda, with its array of gilded Buddhist and Taoist deities, then wander around the atmospheric Cholon quarter, whose markets are brimming with silk, spices and jade souvenirs, before a sundowner at rooftop bars for a dizzying view over the metropolis – the Eon Heli Bar, on the 52nd floor of the city’s tallest building, Bitexco Financial Tower, is one of our favourites.

The Delta of the Mekong River begins with a couple of hours’ drive south of Ho Chi Minh City. Known as ‘Vietnam’s Rice Bowl’, it’s one of the most intensively farmed, densely inhabited regions in Asia. Mile upon mile of lush paddy fields carpet the flat landscape, lined by fruit orchards and coconut groves. Chugging along the waterways in a traditional song xanh boat is a great way to experience rural life in the region. You’ll see field workers in conical straw hats hunched over rice paddy; houseboats piled high with cargoes of pink dragon fruit; children sluicing water over their buffaloes in the morning, or pedalling home from school later in the day.