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a trip to vietnam
by andrea johnny la bella

we have always been fascinated by remote countries that are so distant from us, not just in physical terms. vietnam is a destination that is still relatively unknown. this troubled land is just starting to find its own dimension after healing from the wounds of a war that continues to live within its inhabitants and not just there. what follows is a brief travel report. just a few lines to give you an account of about three weeks spent in one of the most fascinating areas of the far east.

you can reach vietnam by plain, usually after a stopover in bangkok (thailand). hanoi is about 1.5 hours from bangkok by plane; ho chi minh city (most widely known as saigon, from the name of the central area of the city) is more or less at the same distance.

an ideal itinerary starts in hanoi and ends in saigon. it is quite a long journey, much more challenging than the distance between the two cities (1750 km, 1087 miles) would make you think.

you will need a tourist visa to enter vietnam.

hanoi, the first stop on our itinerary, was very different from what we expected. tourists are treated in a rather cold manner, no one approaches you and you are left free to move around the city. those who have already traveled in other cities in the far east will know what a pest shopkeepers and taxi drivers can be. sometimes it looks like they are on the prowl for tourists!

hanoi is a chaotic city, despite the relatively low number of cars. but all the gaps in the traffic are regularly filled in by bikes and mopeds that nonchalantly and noisily whiz through passers-by and cars. the result is constant traffic congestion (we had never seen a traffic jam involving just bikes and mopeds!) and absolute chaos. even those of you who live in big cities will be amazed.

an absolute must in hanoi is a visit to the old quarter, also known as "the 36 streets". colonial architecture is the typical feature of this quarter, where traders of the same commodity cluster around the same street. in other words, every street is entirely devoted to one of the 36 guilds such as the one for tailors, shoe and sandal shops, silver traders, etc. spend some time shopping in this quarter and you are in for a nice surprise!

another recommended visit is the long bien bridge which is famous for having being repaired and rebuilt time and time again during the vietnam war. the result is a unique bridge in terms of appearance and composition. definitely worth a visit.

third recommended visit (if you have some time to spare) is the halong bay, probably the most beautiful place in the country. unesco has declared the bay "world heritage". an unforgettable cruise along the limestone formations emerging from the water create a truly spectacular scenery.

a guesthouse in hanoi costs approximately $10-15 a night, whereas a three star hotel is between $20 and $40. eating out at a simple restaurant costs on average between 4 and 8 us dollars per person.

after hanoi we headed towards the perfume pagoda, about 60 km (38 miles) south-west of hanoi. the bus journey through rice fields was 2 hour long and not very comfortable but still worth a try if you wish to experience the real vietnam. in addition to the two hours by bus, remember to add a good half-hour trip on a rowing boat along the river and a walk for 1.5 hours on a slightly rugged path. therefore we suggest you allocate a full day for this enjoyable trip.

moving further south we ended up in hue. it takes 15 hours by train to cover a journey of 700 km (435 miles). the train passes through wonderful landscapes but that is not the only thing that changes during the journey. hue is situated on the border with former south vietnam. even though there is no physical border anymore, there is still a striking difference in the way people approach you. here they are much more business-oriented and with a keen interest in tourism, a source of substantial income for the area.

visit the imperial city and the imperial tombs along the perfume river.

the next stop further south is nha trang. everything here revolves around the stunning beach frequently used also by the vietnamese in the hot season. in nha trang you can 'recharge your batteries' after the long and tiring trip by train and coach.

moving further south, a compulsory stop is phan thiet, on the way to saigon. the typical feature of this city is the sand dunes.

welcome to saigon, which could not be any different from hanoi. it is like another planet compared to the city where only a few days before we started our trip through vietnam. this chaotic, lively, noisy city, the bangkok of vietnam, is trying to trace back its pre-war history. this is vietnam's business hub. prices of hotels or restaurants here are closer to those in bangkok than those we paid in hanoi. saigon has a real cult for food. we had a great time going from one restaurant to another where you can nibble on gorgeous food at a very low price.

vietnam is clearly much more than what we have managed to present you in these few paragraphs. it is an enormous country, known by the majority of people just for its inauspicious war. a country which offers its visitors traditions, art and customs that differ significantly from the western ones.

a trip to vietnam is long and the domestic transfers are quite tiring, albeit well organized. the state of its road network and the incessant traffic of lorries, carriages drawn by animals and pedestrians seriously affect the speed of the transfers. those who would like to visit vietnam by train or coach will have to be very patient and consider transfers, tiring as they might be, as an integral part of an experience that will stay with you for a very long time.