Vietnam Travel and Tourism Guide

Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is the easternmost nation on the Indochinese Peninsula. The S-shaped country borders China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest and the South China Sea to the east.

Vietnam is divided into three regions: the northern (bắc), central (trung) and the southern (nam) regions.

The northern region has Hanoi (the capital), Hai Phong, Hai Duong and Sa Pa, located on the Red River Delta. One can visit the Hill tribes, Ha Long Bay ("Bay of the Descending Dragons") and the Perfume Pagoda (Chùa Hương). The Central region consists of Da Nang, Hue (ancient imperial capital) and Hoi An (preserved architecture from the 15th to 19th centuries). One can visit the Marble Mountain, China Beach, Cham ruins near My Son and various ancient temples. The southern region has Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Nha Trang (known for its beaches), Da Lat and Can Tho. This is where one can visit the Mekong Delta, the French inspired buildings in central HCMC, the Cu Chi tunnels and the beaches in Vung Tau.

With a population of approximately 84.5 million, Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world and the world's second largest producer of coffee. The number of tourists to Vietnam has increased steadily over the past ten years, with nearly 3.56 million visitors in 2006. With the increase of tourists, hotel staff, guides and shopkeepers speak a fair amount of English, Japanese and French.