Vietnam the beautiful wonder of Asia
Vietnam is a unique nation that has become synonymous with success, growth and adventure. The countrymen call their motherland "The Land of Dragons". Vietnam is a land of history filled with memory of many told and untold events. The great theme of modern Vietnamese history is the Vietnam’s war of Independence and reunification.

The Vietnam War was proved to be an extremely sobering experience which caused so much suffering for the Vietnamese people. The people of the country have a well-deserved reputation for being hard workers, but they enjoy their leisure as much as anyone else. Today the largely agrarian society of the country is shifting towards a more multi-sector economy. The country has a population of 91.5 million with a wealth of dialects spoken in different regions.

President Ho Chi Minh’s name comes to mind when we remember the recent history of Vietnam. He is the best-loved and famous political figure in the country. Ho Chi Minh the founder of the Vietnamese Communist Party and leader of the revolution carried the torch of Vietnam’s independence movement for over half a century. As a revolutionist he made great contribution to the victorious Viet Minh that unified the country. Mausoleum Ho Chi Minh a monumental marble edifice at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi was built to show the deep gratitude of the countrymen to their great leader. His remains are displayed inside the chamber of the mausoleum.

Hanoi the capital city, known as "city of lakes" is one destination for which any number of praising words seems inadequate. It is a thriving metropolis with cloud-tickling skyscrapers, numerous specialty shops, boutiques and colorful markets that unhesitatingly leap into the future.

A visit to the country would remain incomplete if one doesn’t drive a 3½-hour journey on road from Hanoi to Halong Bay port. The five hour cruise in Halong bay on a double deck wooden boat on the bluish green waters, one can enjoy the beauty of the bay. The UNESCO world Heritage site Halong (or "Descending Dragon) Bay is situated amidst a splendid panorama. The bay covers an area of 1500-square-kilometres dotted with a cluster of 1960 lime stone islands.

Hue in the center of the country is studded with many archeological sites. There is no end to the breath-taking sites visitors can see in Hue. Among those sites, feudal capital city with fortresses, temples, mausoleums, pagodas, bridges attract thousands daily. The area also offers the tourist to enjoy the riverside beauty. The Perfume River is famed for breathtaking river cruise in a traditional wooden boat. Traveling from North to South of Vietnam can be a fantastic experience for a tourist.

Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam and is situated nearly 1,700 kilometers south of Hanoi. After the end of war in 1975 the Saigon city was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honor of this great Leader. It is a city with a rapid development, where modern buildings are rising besides the 19^th century buildings. An array of giant cranes show the development fever in the city.

Among its highest-esteemed attractions are the Notre Dame Cathedral, Municipal Theater, the Re-unification palace, the Mekong River cruise, the Cu Chi tunnels and the Vietnam War Memorial Museum. The Vietnam War memorial museum is one of the most recognizable places to visit in the city. It is a living testimony to the history of the Vietnam’s war of independence and re-unification of North and South Vietnam. It is a place preserving the memories and relics of the Vietnam war.

Vietnam culture possesses several distinctive characteristics that give its own unique style. Today, the mixture of influences is apparent in art, music, dance and literature. Moreover, the fast growing tourism sector is another major pillar in the overall economic field of the country Vietnam is emerging as a strong tourist destination with number of visitors to the country climbing to 9.0 million in 2019.

Traveling to the country can be done in different ways. However the experience that a visitor gains is unforgettable. The country is home to a wide range of domestic and international airports. Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport, Da Nang and Tan Son Nhat Airport of Ho Chi Minh City are the major stop over points for many international airlines and foreign tourists can get Vietnam visa on arrival at the airports easily. Vietnam has a great deal to offer and is worth visiting.

Why Visit Phu Quoc?
Phu Quoc is the kind of place where you could get stuck for weeks just chilling out in a hammock. To be honest, there’s not much to ‘do’. Rather, there is this captivating laid-back, tropical vibe that seems to make it difficult for travellers to leave. We spent our days eating delicious street food sitting on tiny chairs by the side of the road, and cruising around on our scooter from beach to beach.

Phu Quoc is mercifully free of tourists – you won’t find the ugly high-rise apartment blocks of Nha Trang here. There’s not much tourism infrastructure, which means you also won’t find the big party hostels here. Instead, you will be getting back to basics with a couple of hammocks and a fan.

Phu Quoc is slightly more expensive than mainland Vietnam, given that everything needs to be flown or shipped into the island. But there are still budget food and accommodation options available if you look hard enough. We stayed at Island Life Hostel which I have booked on hotels in Phu Quoc island website,  the hostel lacked air conditioning but made up for it with its cheap beers and relaxed atmosphere. There was also a good value motorbike hire shop conveniently located next door! A word of warning: Phu Quoc is extremely hot so if you struggle with the heat then invest in a room with air conditioning.

Phu Quoc’s Best Beaches
Our absolute favourite beach on Phu Quoc was Sao beach. This beautiful, white sand beach is quite isolated but that is what makes it so great. There are a few beach side bars dotted along the shoreline, where you can hire an umbrella and a beach chair to enjoy a cocktail or two while the sun slips below the horizon.

Cua Can and Ong Lang beaches, located right next door to each other, are also a must-see. Take a couple of beers and escape the heat by going for a swim in the crystal-clear water. The beaches are also quite close to the town of Duong Dong, where there are a few cheap accommodation options if you don’t mind staying in a busy and kind of ‘meh’ town

Hiring a Motorbike on Phu Quoc
There is pretty much no public transport on Phu Quoc. However, you will find heaps of motorbike/scooter hire shops dotted around the island. You can hire motorbikes for as little as US$8 per day (including helmets). Be prepared to bargain, especially if you are renting for more than a few days. The longer you are renting the cheaper it should be! You need only guarantee by your passport with Vietnam visa if you have.
Phu Quoc’s traffic is nothing like Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi. The island is pretty quiet traffic-wise, so even first-time motorbike riders can get around without too much hassle. You can buy a tank of petrol for just a few dollars – keep an eye out for plastic bottles with petrol sitting on the side of the road. Most of the island’s beaches are within an hour’s drive of each other.

A word of warning: many travel insurance policies do not cover you for motorbike accidents, especially if you don’t have a motorbike licence at home. Check your policy carefully.

The street food in Vietnam looked delicious and the ingredients appeared to be fresh, but would my tender Western stomach be able to handle it all? Should I miss out on this vital part of Vietnamese life, or forge ahead and risk earning a first-class ticket on the “Imodium Express?”

I found the perfect answer in the town of Hoi An, the charming old town known as the culinary capital of central Vietnam. I signed up for a Taste of Hoi An, a combination food tasting and walking tour around the town. Run by Dulichso of TUN Travel, this street food Vietnam tour takes up to six guests for a stroll through the back streets of Hoi An. A local nutritionist has personally inspected all the stands they visit to make sure they use sanitary cooking practices and fresh ingredients. During the four-hour tour TUN share anecdotes about Vietnamese food and markets.

We stopped at local fresh markets, small “one dish” restaurants, and many of those street stalls that are so intimidating to a newcomer. Among other delights, we slurped the ubiquitous pho, trying to make as much noise as the locals. TUN taught us a few tips on selecting the best markets and street stalls:

1. Find food-only markets
   The best food is found in markets where people come specifically for food. Many towns have markets that carry a little bit of everything, or a lot of t-shirts and other tourist-related trinkets. Locals don’t shop here, any more than you would go to a touristy place in your hometown to buy vegetables.
    
2. Avoid the flies
   Forget the prejudice that Asian open-air markets are steamy, smelly and fully of flies. The truth is most of the small street markets in Vietnam are scrupulously clean, and the food very fresh. Meats are slaughtered, butchered and sold within four hours. Vendors bring only enough food to sell in one day. If there are no flies and no nasty odours, you have found a good market.
    
3. Go early
   The market closes when all the food is gone. If you want to see silvery stacks of freshly caught fish on ice, piles of crisp bean sprouts or cilantro and mounds of fresh rice noodles get there well before noon or you’ll miss the mouth-watering display.
    
4. Look for the trash
   For street stalls, ironically, the key is to find a place with lots of papers around it. The Vietnamese keep their streets clean, sweeping in front of their shops and stalls constantly. Diners drop their order chits on the ground, where the stall owner will sweep them up at the end of a mealtime. A stall with good food is one where there are many chits on the ground - a sign that it is has constant traffic.
    
5. Find a one-dish spot
   Many tiny storefronts (or front porches of homes) serve one dish only. They specialize and use only the freshest ingredients. Treat your dining experience as a moveable feast: a fruit shake here, some pho bo there, then down the street to the tofu custard lady for dessert. You can eat, work off calories and sightsee all during a meal.

By the end of our morning walking tour we had more than 40 (yes 40!) tastes of Hoi An. Everything was well prepared and fresh. Some weren’t to my particular taste, such as the black sesame pudding. But I’d say a hit rate of about 38 out of 40 was pretty good.

1. A round of West lake
   This 19-kilometer round trip of West lake is a popular biking route for bikers in Hanoi. Along the lake side, while enjoying the stunning view of Hanoi from the lake, we will pass by lovely lotus lakes, sumptuous villas as well as several iconic temples, including Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest in Vietnam. But perhaps the highlight of any bike trips around the Westlake is witnessing the sensational sunset over the distant horizon whilst the locals are fishing and swimming near the lakeside. This is also an ideal choice for leisure bikers who look for an easy and relaxing route, or more specifically, bikers with kids or with limited stamina.
    
2. Old Quarter Essence
   We will start at the Opera House and head for Hoan Kiem lake for one lap there before a brief stop at the iconic St. Joseph Cathedral Church which dates back to 1886. The small and busy streets of the Hanoi Old Quarter will take us to one of the major and oldest markets in Hanoi, Dong Xuan Market. Here we will get a closer look of how the locals exchange various kinds of goods, ranging from foods, household goods to garments and clothes. Then, we will pass by Bach Ma Temple which ages over 1000 years before having a break at the newly restored Ta Hien Street, an ideal place to sit back, relax and have a refreshing local “Bia Hoi”. On the returning way to the Opera House, we will encounter other three famous landmarks in Hanoi: the ancient house at 87 Ma May Street, followed by the State Bank of Vietnam and the legendary Sofitel Metropole Hanoi which is over 110 years of age.This half day bike trip will take us through numerous iconic places in the Old Quarter and give bikers a glimpse of Hanoi in the present time with the vibrant streets full of motorbikes as well as in the past via a number of historic landmarks that witness the ups and downs of the city throughout its history.
    
3. Red River Ride
   The rusty Long Bien Bridge which was built by the French renowned architecture Gustave Eiffel over a century ago will lead us to the fertile island in the middle of Red River. Here we will explore the large fields of corn and reed, immense banana and guava gardens while strolling down the dusty path along the riverside. Continuing our ride along the historic bridge, we will reach the east side of the Red River. During the 2-hour biking down south towards Bat Trang Village, we will stroll through the narrow biking trails and enjoy the beauty of the picturesque Vietnam villages, with the vegetable and fruit gardens, the buffalos taking their bath and the villagers harvesting on their rice fields in an ordinary peaceful morning. In the afternoon, we will discover Bat Trang Village, which is famous across Vietnam for its tradition of pottery making. The highlight of the visit will probably be making ceramic products by our own hands.This one-day journey along the Red River will let us see the big differences between the two sides of Hanoi. While the west side symbolizes the rapid modernization and urbanization of the capital city of Vietnam, the east side is still able to keep the tranquility of the typical villages. The Red River Ride is perfect for bikers seeking for an adventurous trip.
    
4. History of Hanoi
   During this half day trip, the bike wheels will take us through numerous famous historic landmarks in Hanoi. Starting from the oldest temple in the country – Tran Quoc Pagoda, we will drive through Doc Lap Road (or the Independence Road) where Ho Chi Minh read the Proclamation of Independence in 1945 in front of thousands of people to announce the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Afterwards, we will pass by the Citadel of Hanoi which used to be the residence of Vietnamese monarchs throughout 8 centuries. Then, we take a brief stop at Hoa Lo Prison, sarcastically called as “Hanoi Hilton” by the American POWs before heading for the real Hanoi Hilton adjacent to the historic Opera House. The Opera House Square has also witnessed several important historic events during the early days of the nation in the autumn of 1945. Our finishing line is the History Museum, which showcases the rich history of the country throughout every era.

Source: getvietnamvisa.com