The Joy of Travel visits Vietnam with Trails of IndoChina

A country of beautiful diversity, Vietnam entices travellers with soaring mountains, thousands of kilometres of unspoilt beaches and one of the best street food scenes anywhere in the world. Anchored by Hanoi in the north with its 1,000 years of history, and the modern, French-influenced metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in the south, Vietnam also boasts world-class beach destinations, including Nha Trang, Danang and the paradise island of Phu Quoc, all home to luxury designer resorts and private yacht charters. In between these hotspots are rural towns and idyllic landscapes where buffalo and farmers in conical hats work the fields of the Mekong Delta, junks drift through the morning mist on Halong Bay and cyclo drivers peddle along the narrow streets of Hoi An’s Ancient Town. A pleasing mix of contrasts, Vietnam beguiles with the warmth, openness and positivity of its people, an abiding memory of an alluring country.