Destination: Vietnam – a country of contrasts

As part of a round the world trip in 2008 I spent a couple of weeks travelling up the east coast of Vietnam.  From the muddy tunnels near Cu Chi and rain-drenched madness of Saigon to the dazzling beaches at Nha Trang, the history and tailors of Hoi An and the stunning natural beauty of Halong Bay, Vietnam is very much a country of contrasts.

Emerging from the horrors of war to be fast becoming one of South East Asia’s economic success stories, an increasingly Westernised approach in the big cities sits juxtaposed with a rural way of life that has changed little in centuries.  The landscape, history, food and most of all, people of Vietnam made my time in the country a truly amazing experience, and I hope that at least a little of that comes through in the blog entries below.

First impressions From Sydney to Saigon and my impressions of Vietnam’s largest city	Tunnels and beaches Exploring the Saigon river and the Viet Cong tunnels near Cu Chi
Motorcycle mayhem Checking out Nha Trang on the back of a scooter	Boats, beaches and brews A party boat trip, beers around town and working on my tan
Shopping! Last day in Nha Trang and shopping in Hoi An	Boys on bikes Where can’t you go on a pushbike round Hoi An? Nowhere, is apparently the answer…
Ruins and stuff Exploring the ruins of the holy city at My Son	Hanoi and Halong Bay Finishing up in Hanoi and overnight on the beautiful Halong Bay