As my kayak quietly glided through the lime-

stone formations of Vietnam’s Halong Bay,

only monkey calls from amongst the pink

ginger trees broke the silence. My oar

brushed through crystal-clear water, skim-

ming fans of colourful coral under the sur-

face, as we explored the ancient UNESCO World

Heritage-listed site.

This peaceful kayak cruise was a direct contrast to the

buzzing sea of motorbikes and chattering crowds that

had greeted me on arrival at frenetic, fragrant and fasci-

nating Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam, once shorthand for war, is fast-becoming

one of Asia’s rising stars and a new direct air service

from Vietnam Airlines is making it more accessible for

UK tourists. While Thailand charms with its popular

beaches and neighbouring Laos and Cambodia attract

intrepid backpackers, Vietnam offers a taste of Commu-

nist South East Asia with a touch of comfort.

Vietnam’s troubled and varied past has left a unique

legacy of architecture, culture and cuisine.

Summer 2012 tlm � the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 73

Rising starSynonymous with conflict until relatively recently, Vietnam is undergoing rapid modernisation and

is now one of South-East Asia’s fastest-growing tourism hotspots. But, as Amy Watkins

discovered, visitors can still easily find timeless echoes of its distant past besides vestiges of war,

frenetic cities and unspoilt natural beauty

off the beaten track � vietnam

Summer 2012 tlm � the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 73

Emeraude Cruises

Vietnam Airlines

AMAWaterways

� Halong Bay

� Kayakingoff Emeraude

� Ho Chi Minh City

74 tlm � the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Summer 2012

off the beaten track � vietnam

From French baguettes on café menus to a maze of

underground tunnels once used by the Viet Cong; every-

where you look there’s a dent made by history. Vietnam

is modernising at break-neck speed, but deep in the

countryside you’ll see women in conical hats tending

rice paddies and traditional snapshots of a bygone age.

Times have changed for Vietnam and the emerging

destination has thrown off the shackles of its conflict-

ridden past. Vietnam is celebrating its heritage this year

by focusing on the positive legacies that have been left

behind.

Designer shops and upmarket hotels now line the

Dong Khoi area of Ho Chi Minh City, once Saigon’s

notorious red light district during the Vietnam War,

and timeless wonders such as ancient rocks and beau-

tiful beaches remain untouched.

rice paddiesA fortnight is an ideal amount of time to see the

country’s highlights. It’s possible to make your

own way around Vietnam, but an escorted tour

handles many of the logistical issues such as

transportation and language barriers so tourists

can enjoy the sights. You can even follow the

route of the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail on

golf tours, playing half a dozen courses along

the route from Hanoi to the area around

former Saigon that comprise the Ho Chi Minh

Golf Trail.

Travelling overland between cities is a fantastic way

to see the scenery of rice paddies and thick forests, but

flying between Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City

in the south means that both can be included on a shorter

holiday.

Ho Chi Minh, remembered by most visitors as

Saigon, is an energetic introduction to bustling Vietnam.

Colourful lanterns in Chinatown, smoky incense emanat-

ing from jade-encrusted temples and the sight of street

traders with piles of bright purple dragon fruit in Ben

Thanh night market let you know you’re in Asia.

Among the exotic sights and smells there are

reminders of the Vietnam War, or the American War, as

you’ll hear it referred to. On April 30, 1975, the impos-

ing Independence Palace (now called Reunification Hall)

was breached by Viet Cong tanks and this led to the fall

of Saigon and the end of the war. The present building

dates to 1966, but has remained in a 1970s time warp

with government rooms left as they were.

An hour outside of the city are the 120-mile long

networks of Cu Chi Tunnels, which included kitchens,

hospitals, schools and sleeping quarters. They were orig-

inally built in the 1940s during Vietnam’s conflict

with the French, but were used by the Viet Cong to

house around 16,000 people during the Vietnam War.

Capital Hanoi, over 1,000 miles north of Ho Chi

Minh City, is a charmingly-chaotic blend of old and

new. Here, the wide mansion-lined boulevards, lake-

filled parks and the smell of freshly-cooked

vietnam’s best beachesVietnam’s beaches might not get the positive press

that neighbouring Thailand enjoys – but with over

2,000 miles of coastline and some truly incredible

beaches that are reminiscent of Thailand’s finest

before mass tourism took over, Vietnam has plenty

to boast about.

Nha Trang is Vietnam’s most famous beach

destination and while the town can now be a little

loud and brash at times, the beautiful beach has

retained its charm and

continues to attract

holidaymakers

looking for a well-

established

resort.

For those

looking for a

more picturesque

introduction to

Vietnam’s beaches, the

white sand beaches and

thick jungle covering the island of Phu Quoc makes

it one of Vietnam’s most beautiful places to spend a

holiday.

For near-complete isolation away from the crowds,

head to the Con Dao islands for uninterrupted

jungle hiking, as well as diving and snorkelling the

coral reefs; look out for resident sea turtles.

Bamboo Travel

World Expeditions UK

AMAW

aterways

� Market traders plytheir goods by water

� Vietnam hasstunning beaches

� Pagoda

baguettes recall 19th and early 20th century colonial rule.

One of its most notable icons of the period is the Sofitel

Legend Metropole Hanoi, which was built in 1901 and

retains the green shutters so reminiscent of French colo-

nial rule. Guests have included Charlie Chaplin,

Somerset Maugham and, latterly, Angelina Jolie. A

recently-rediscovered bomb shelter in the hotel’s back

garden which was used in the Vietnam War has been

opened as a memorial and is the main attraction in a Path

of History tour open to guests. Singer Joan Baez recorded

part of her Where Are You Now, My Son? album in the

bunker in 1972, during an American air raid.

Summer 2012 tlm � the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 75

off the beaten track � vietnam

mekong river cruisesCruising the Mekong is one of the best ways

to see remote corners of Vietnam; from

major cities to tiny villages that can only be

reached by boat. Most itineraries, including

Pandaw’s (www.pandaw.com), leave from

Kampong Cham on the Tonle Sap River –

after an overnight in Cambodia’s Siem Reap

to visit Angkor Wat – and sail to My Tho for

Ho Chi Minh City, or vice versa.

The cruises call at the floating villages of

Kampong Chhnang, the Cambodian capital of

Phnom Penh and then sail through Vietnam.

Cruises visit traditional village such as Chau

Doc, canal-crossed Sa Dec and the floating

market at Cai Be.

River cruise company AMAWaterways

(www.amawaterways.com) has two

Mekong ships, which additionally stop at

Vietnam’s rapidly-industrialising Tan Chau.

Earlier this year, CroisiEurope

(www.croisieurope.travel) began

chartering river cruise vessel RV Indochine

to offer nine-night cruises through Vietnam

and Cambodia, while Noble Caledonia

(www.noble-caledonia.co.uk) partners

with Pandaw on Mekong and land itineraries.

AMAW

aterways

Tucan Tours

� Cruise the Mekong throughVietnam and Cambodia

� Floating fruit stall

continental flavourOnce part of France’s Cochinchina Empire, Vietnam has

retained a Continental flavour that still exists among

Hanoi’s busy streets. Visit the State Bank or Grand

Opera House to see the best examples of French-influ-

enced architecture or stroll around the Old Quarter,

where original Hanoi architecture is still standing and

street names reflect the work of the artisans, such as

silk-traders and jewellery-makers, who once lived here.

If you happen to be in Hanoi during the wet season,

there are plenty of museums and art galleries, such as the

National Museum of Vietnamese History and the

Contemporary Arts Centre, to while away a rainy after-

noon and see how Communist Vietnam presents itself

today. At the other end of the scale of “attractions” is the

eerie Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the Chairman’s

embalmed body lies in state.

Less than 100 miles from Hanoi is the serene

UNESCO World Heritage Site of Halong Bay, named as

one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature last year. Over

3,000 craggy limestone monoliths topped with verdant

forest rise out of the sea up to 100 metres (300ft) high.

There are many ways to explore the area but most

tourists opt for a tour on a traditional junk boat.

Overnight and multi-day tours are available, with vary-

ing levels of comfort from very basic to semi-luxurious,

or day trips can be taken to explore the beaches and

floating fishing villages in the area. You can also explore

on cruise ships such as the Emeraude, a modern replica

of a vintage paddle-wheel steamer that first sailed the

bay 105 years ago.

It’s possible to stay on some of the islands, with Cat

Ba being the most developed and popular place. In

Halong Bay, cavers can explore the stalactites hanging

like stone icicles from the overhanging rocks or take a

kayak trip to quietly enjoy the dramatic landscape and

secret lagoons away from the crowds.

As I made my way through these timeless formations

it felt a world away from the beeping bikes and bustling

markets of Vietnam’s cities. But it’s this contrast that

makes Vietnam so exciting to explore.

76 tlm � the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Summer 2012

off the beaten track � vietnam

Amy Watkins loves South East Asia; from Filipino beaches

and buzzing Vietnam, to Borneo’s jungles and the gentle

people of Cambodia and Thailand. Eating a thousand-year-old

egg in Hong Kong has been her only exception.

vietnam facts

when to goAvoid busy Tet (New Year) in late January.

October-March is winter monsoon

season in the north, but is warm and

dry in the south. April-October brings

hot and humid weather outside of

mountain regions.

getting thereNational flag carrier Vietnam Airlines

(www.vietnamairlines.com) recently introduced direct flights from

the UK, or you can fly via other counties with Thai Air, Emirates, Qatar

Airways, Qantas, Lufthansa, British Airways or Air France. Arrange a visa

before you leave.

getting around Travelling by public buses can be uncomfortable, making domestic flying

with Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific (www.jetstar.com) an

attractive option. Other methods include air-conditioned “backpacker”

buses or a train between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Cars with

drivers can be hired and “cyclo” rickshaws are used in towns.

sportPlay golf on the Ho Chi Minh Golf Trail

(www.hochiminhgolftrail.com), with courses from the far north

around Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in the far south.

accommodation Budget places cater for backpackers, but luxury hotel chains such as

Sofitel, Six Senses, Intercontinental, Le Meridien and Park Hyatt have

hotels in cities and resorts; prices are cheap compared to Europe.

Among iconic hotels are colonial French veteran, Sofitel Legend

Metropole Hanoi (www.sofitel.com), in the capital and Ho Chi Minh

City landmark, The Caravelle (www.caravellehotel.com). Spa resort

hotels include the Nam Hai (www.ghmluxuryhotels.com) in Hoi An.

tour operators Audley Travel (www.audleytravel.com) and Cox & Kings

(www.coxandkings.co.uk) offer escorted tours, as do Kuoni

(www.kuoni.co.uk), Ampersand Travel

(www.ampersandtravel.com), Bamboo Travel

(www.bambootravel.co.uk), Tropical Sky (www.tropicalsky.co.uk)

and Tucan Tours (www.tucantravel.com), while W&O

(www.wandotravel.com) features the luxury Victoria Express Train

from Hanoi with stays at a mountain resort. Or you can self-build

itineraries through Vietnam Travel Plan

(www.vietnamtravelplan.co.uk).

tourist informationVisit the Vietnam National

Administration of Tourism’s website,

www.vietnamtourism.com, for

official information, or go to

www.vietnamtourism.org.vn for

informative features.

Kuoni

Tropical Sky

AMAW

aterways

� Khai Dinh statues

� Wooden bridgein Hanoi

� Fishmarket