Slowly escaping the shadow of the war that thrust it into the international spotlight, Vietnam is emerging as a destination for those looking for something a little different from their holidays, says Julianna Barnaby

Vietnam is an undoubtedly fascinating country and the legacy of the war, its unique geography, culture and cuisine, meant it has had a steady allure for me over the years. For most people, conjectures about the country include the images of verdant jungle landscapes from American war movies, quaint French-influenced towns and village life. 

While these images are true, Vietnam is a country that is rooted as much in the 21st century present as it is in the past. The pace of development is fast; as jungles, hill tribes and traditional arts find themselves vying with the hustle and bustle of modern life in the cities.  Diversity and contrast are key words for a country that for years existed as two nations – the communist north and the ‘democratic’ south.

But it is not just the political contrasts that have helped the country to evolve into what it is today. Geographically, the country is long and thin, with different weather patterns in the north and south, and the contrast between the growing metropolises of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with sleepy villages such as Sapa. As communism lives on in name, in reality, it’s now capitalism that drives the country and has seen it transform into one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies.

In order to get a glimpse of these contrasts, most travellers to Vietnam buy an open jaw plane ticket flying into one end of the country and flying out of the other and travelling from place to place by plane, train or bus, which is what I planned to do – fly into Hanoi and out of Ho Chi Minh City.

Starting off in Hanoi was a thrill for the senses. Long the capital of the communist north, and now the capital of the whole country, it’s slowly opening up to the outside world to reveal a mesmerising city. While lacking the frenetic pulse of other Asian cities such as Bangkok, Hanoi has cultivated a charm of its own. Home to a number of the country’s historical sights, it’s a good place to start a journey across the country.

Hanoi
Though Hanoi doesn’t have a huge number of tourist attractions, there are a few must-dos, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex being one of them. Former leader Ho Chi Minh’s (or “Uncle Ho” as he is known affectionately by many) embalmed body is encased in a glass sarcophagus past which hundreds of children on regimented school trips and thousands of Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese people troop daily.

The entrance process can be a bit arduous – after checking I was correctly dressed, security staff temporarily confiscated my camera and other electronic equipment before deeming me suitable to enter, but it was worth the hassle. There are also several other sights within the mausoleum complex including the One Pillar Pagoda, an enchanting building constructed for Emperor Ly Thai Tong in the 11th century and the Ho Chi Minh Museum that are worth visiting while you are in the area.

A hair-raising drive through Hanoi’s seemingly incessant flow of motos, cyclos and cars took me to Van Mieu, otherwise known as the Temple of Literature, an 11th-century temple, Vietnam’s first official place of learning and a beautiful example of the country’s early architecture. The gardens, while small, are peaceful enough for a quiet few hours of exploration, though the ATM hidden in one of the corners came as a bit of a surprise. You can never quite escape the modern world in this city – but these incongruous details add to its charm.

Much of Hanoi’s attraction lies in navigating the quaint roads filled with small shops, restaurants, markets and galleries. Interested in the delicious sights, sounds and smells emitting from the city’s many roadside eateries, I enrolled in a cooking class at the  Metropole. Led by the native Hanoi chef Nguyen Thanh Van we took a trip to the local food market where rows and rows of women guarded stalls, loaded with all kinds of local fresh produce.

Thanh Van explained what the different kinds of fruits and vegetables were and what dishes they would be used for and showed how the rice noodles and rice paper were made daily on the spot. Returning to the hotel, she taught us how to whip up speciality North Vietnamese dishes such as Nem – deep fried pork spring rolls and Nom Hoa Chuoi  – banana flower salad.

After a few days filled with walking the humid streets, I decided to try out Just Massage, tucked away in a little place behind Van Phuc street – where massages are given by the blind. What the building lacked in luxury (it was spotlessly clean) it made up for with the skills of the masseuses. The hour-long Shiatsu massage cured the aches and pains of the day and ridded me of a few knots of tension.

Halong Bay
Once I’d explored the capital, it was time to get out of the city: Halong Bay, one of the most photographed areas of Vietnam and one of several Unesco Heritage Sites in the country. A short bus ride away from Hanoi, Halong Bay contains more than 3,000 islands picturesquely located in the Gulf of Tonkin and studded with caves and grottos galore, it’s hard not
to see the attraction of the area. The best way to navigate them is to book onto a traditional two or three day cruise navigated by majestic junk boats.

My apprehensions about spending three days on a junk boat, reasoning that there was so much else that I wanted to see in the country, turned out to be wrong – it’s not just about picture-perfect views. The junk boat trip included trips onto the several islands including Dinh Huong, Ga Choi, Snail Island and Tortoise Island, caves and it also provided a well-needed rest after the faster paced city.

After Halong Bay, my route took me south, heading towards my final destination of Ho Chi Minh City. Travelling between destinations by train or bus can be time consuming, but is worth the effort. Trains, while often slower than buses, are a far more comfortable and scenic way of seeing the country. The 13 hour-long train journey from Hanoi to Da Nang wound its way along the coast, offering dramatic views of cliffs and jungles that make way to the South China Sea.

From Da Nang, it was a short bus ride to the colonial town of Huè. Smaller than Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, Huè is a haven of culture and religion, having previously been the political capital of the country from 1802 to 1945. Another Unesco World Heritage Site, I spent a day walking around Kinh Thanh, the ancient citadel’s imperial gardens and halls and the Purple Forbidden City within. Previously only accessible by the emperor, his close family and the royal eunuch servants, the Forbidden City’s buildings show the interesting interpretation of Chinese culture by the Vietnamese. 

The city flanks the Perfume River (Song Huong), with the south side housing much of the action. My  whirlwind tour of the city included trips to the Royal Tombs where leaders from the Nguyen Dynasty are buried amongst lakes, perfumed trees and impressive pavilions. Famed for the Thien Mu Pagoda a 17th century octagonal pagoda, Hue is also home to a number of other religious sanctuaries including a modern-day Notre Dame cathedral built in the late fifties and early sixties. Many of the pagodas and the royal tombs can be taken in on a one day boat ride along the Perfume River.

Hoi An
A little further south, Hoi An has made a name for itself as the tailoring capital of Vietnam and a great place to get a suit or coat made – but there is so much more to this quaint little town than needles and stitching. An ancient trading port, it continues to attract visitors with its sleepy charm and laid-back lifestyle.

Walking around, it wasn’t too difficult to imagine how life in the town would have been one or two centuries ago. Clustered around the Thu Bon river it’s an easy place to navigate by bicycle – ancient streets are dotted with 200-year old houses and ancient temples, which remained largely unscathed by the war.

Never averse to some retail therapy, I took a trip to one of the city’s tailors to get a few items of clothing made. The result was impressive, in less than a day, I had a new coat and two new dresses to try and squeeze into my already-brimming suitcase. The pieces fit perfectly, and, if they don’t, the tailors are more than happy to make any alterations in further fittings.

Hotel development is becoming a big thing in Hoi An, and the road into town is smattered with growing buildings, but they’ll have to make a big effort to surpass the Nam Hai. A little way out of Hoi An, the hotel offers travellers a slice of unashamed luxury, complete with private villas (many with swimming pools), garden terraces and outdoor rain showers. 85 acres of landscaped tropical gardens paired with an impressive infinity pool and a private beach to work on the tan, it’s almost a destination in itself. 

If the day’s walking has taken its toll, or you are just looking to treat yourself, their spa is one of the best in the country. Each treatment takes place in a private pavilion with calming lake views and an outdoor terrace area.  Round off your evening with a trip to The Restaurant, which serves fine-dining Vietnamese fare complemented by Indian dishes for something a little different. The outdoor tables overlook the water gardens and the beach just behind them, for dinner with a view.

Ho Chi Minh City
All too soon it was time to leave the refined pursuits of Hoi An and head to my final destination – Ho Chi Minh City, still known as Saigon to many. Ho Chi Minh is the country’s biggest city and its economic hub. It’s chaotic, always on the go and its residents are always ready to let you know that it is the best place in the country.

That the growing metropolis lacks the reserve of Hanoi in the north was perfectly illustrated by the Reunification Day celebrations that took place the day after my arrival. Huge crowds gathered along the streets to see the arrival of the winning cyclists in the 997km long HCMC Television Cycling Race Cup, which had started in Ho Chi Minh City eight days earlier.
Trips to Reunification Palace, (another) Notre-Dame Cathedral and Ben Thanh Market were top of my list to visit in the city and were well worth the trip. But the most memorable place for me was the harrowing War Remnants Museum. Not for the faint-hearted, the museum chronicles the various methods of attack, machinery, weapons and offensives of the Vietnam War. Explanations of the displays are given in English, Japanese and Vietnamese, and cover everything from the debilitating effects of chemical weapons such as Agent Orange to international protests against the war.

Wanting to find out more, I went for a day trip to the Cu Chi tunnels, which are a little way out of town. The small, claustrophobic tunnels stretched from Saigon to the Cambodian border and were used by the communist Viet Cong (VC) during the war. Walking through them wasn’t the most pleasant experience, but is an interesting trip to discover more about the strategies of the VC.

After that unsettling experience, I was ready to see what the city had to offer in terms of nightlife. Nightlife in the north is quiet – few people would describe Hanoi as party central, which is where Ho Chi Minh City steps in. Apart from when authorities become a little too concerned with the ‘social evils’ of the city’s pulsing bars and clubs, Ho Chi Minh city, especially the area around Pham Ngu Lao has several options for those looking to while the night away and proved to be a memorable way to round up the trip. 

By the end of my time in Vietnam, I realised that it was never going to be the same place that had inspired movies like Platoon and Apocolypse Now. For the West, its main association is still with the war that ravaged the country over three decades ago. However, while the war still remains in the collective consciousness, Vietnam is a country looking forward to the future rather than remaining caught up in the past – and the sooner I came to grips with that, the richer my experience of the country was.