Vietnam - is increasingly visited by tourists. It has become a popular destination, not only by backpackers, but there are also tours that show you the entire country. Vietnam has a total coastline of over 2,500 kilometres and along the coast there are about thousands of islands. A stay at the picturesque Halong Bay with its many rocky islands is very special. At the seaside in Nha Trang (520 000 inhabitants) you can snorkel. Enthusiasts tourists are going by fishing boat to the nearby islands and reefs. The main sources of livelihood here are fishing and tourism.
Vietnam, with its rich history, is absolutely unique and evolving.

The Mekong Delta stretches from Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) to the Gulf of Thailand. The delta is also known as the "rice bowl" of Vietnam, because this agricultural area provides more than a third of Vietnam's food. Not only rice is grown here, but also fruits, cane sugar and coconut. The delta is mostly flat and it's a pleasure to cycle in between the rice fields and to meet the local people.
In the cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, the French influence is still visible in the architecture and in the kitchen. You can even buy croissants and baguettes in shops and at the colourful markets. Isn't it wonderful to start your breakfast with a French croissant and a "Caf� au Lait"?
Naturally, you'll find more tracks from the French colonial era: historic buildings. The colonial and eventful past is interwoven with daily life.
Ho Chi Minh City is the most important city of Vietnam. The name is often shortened as shown HCMC. Very busy and chaos in the streets, where you have to get used to it. It's a bustling city with modern office buildings and luxury department stores, but there are also historical buildings from the French era. On the street, there is always a huge crowd, with a lot more traffic. For transportation in the city you are depending on a taxi or a motorbike taxi. A nice way of transport is the cyclo (or rickshaw).

 

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and the second city of the country. The city has about seven million inhabitants. The city is situated on the banks of the Red River and is about 1,700 kilometres north of Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi is a bustling town where you have to get used to the traffic chaos. The social life is played out on the streets and you can enjoy that very well as a tourist. No sense of insecurity and very nice people. There is overwhelming a lot of traffic, so crossing the street brings a high degree of risk. Also, the diversity of the markets in Hanoi very diverse. There are good restaurants, but especially the smaller eateries. Try them, because they are a great experience. The backpacker district (Old Quarter) is particularly very cozy. You will find many guesthouses, several small bars, restaurants and countless small shops.

Vietnam has a long coastline and so you can find there many beautiful beaches. Whether you opt for 'surf' beaches like Mui Ne, the classy beach at Nha Trang, or for fun and lazing at a bar on the beach, Vietnam has it all. Over the entire length of Vietnam you find the most abandoned, sometimes, beaches. ........ And you can of course you can go to one of the paradise beaches on a deserted island. There is enough variety in beaches and so there for each is something to find.

In the smaller towns, you can easily rent a bike to explore the city. But you have to understand that such a bike does not meet the standards of your country. The quality is less. Would you like to go for a cycling holiday in Vietnam, then it is good to bring your own bike. Many tour operators in the your country would suggest this, but maybe they have a good incoming tour operator, which has made good arrangements with a Vietnamese bike rental.

In northern Vietnam find odd shaped limestone mountains. The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes. They were formed in the past millennia shaped by wind and weather, under the impact of the tropical wet climate. In Halong Bay these mountains rise vertically in the sea and that continues to the very North pf Vietnam. Generations of Vietnamese poets and painters have been inspired by the karst phenomena. The practical side is that the limestone formations offer great opportunities for adventure sports such as kayaking, rock climbing, caving, hiking and mountain biking. And of course, offer great opportunities to photograph them from all positions.
From a beautiful junks (Vietnamese boats) you can enjoy aboard this uprising mountains, while you sail in the magnificent Halong Bay.