Vietnam is a country of beauty where mountains, green rice paddies and blue rivers make up a beautiful and exotic local. Viet Nam is the perfect travel destination for tourists which want to enjoy a different sort of vacation from the typical Caribbean getaways or cruises.
Vietnam is the most populous of the Southeast Asian countries with over 85 million people. In the mid 19th century, France colonized Vietnam adding a touch of their culture to the already rich heritage of this country. During World War II, Japanese forces invaded Vietnam and France lost its hold on the country. The Vietnam War during the 1970's brought strife to the country as well as other nations around the world.
Nowadays Vietnam is a nice, peaceful country, so traveling to Vietnam is a magnificent experience. With a long coast line from north to south and a lot of mountains and highlands, Vietnam has both sea and mountain attractions. Having an area of 331,688 square km and a population of more than 84 million people, Vietnam is one of the most densely-populated countries in the world!
Known as heart of this beautiful country, Hanoi, the capital city, is one of the two biggest cities in the country. This city is located in the Red River Delta in the northern part of Vietnam and is the economic centre of the whole delta. Hanoi is a cultured city with many traditions, old streets and houses. Even nowadays, when globalization is becoming more popular and Hanoi is influenced strongly by this trend, the traditions and many old features cannot be lost and are still an important and memorable part of this city.
In the middle of Vietnam, the most famous city is Hue because this city was the capital of Vietnam during the feudal time. Hue has many old temples and palaces which date back from many centuries ago, when the King was in power. It is also famous for many kinds of unique food which are usually very hot and spicy.
Ho Chi Minh City is the biggest city of Vietnam and is located in the Mekong River Delta, in southern Vietnam. It was previously known as Saigon and that name is still used today. Lots of foreign companies have invested in this city, which makes it the most developed one in Vietnam. When you travel to Saigon, you are easily tempted to do a lot shopping. There are many shopping centers as well as open markets where you can find a wide range of goods at incredible prices. Most foreign travelers visiting Ho Chi Minh will come to Ben Thanh market, the symbol of this active city. There you can find many traditional items as well as modern ones and you can bargain for your desired prices.
Beside the aforementioned cities, there are many other beautiful cities and towns with lots of attractions. Travelers can enjoy beautiful beaches in Vung Tau or Nha Trang, green mountains and peaceful lakes with pine forests in Da Lat, splendid waterfalls in Cao Bang and mysterious caves in Ha Long and Quang Binh. That's the reason why Vietnam has been chosen as a favorite travel destination of millions of tourists all over the world.