off the beaten track - vietnam
DESCRIPTION
ÂTRANSCRIPT
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