Vietnam Travel Guide

By The Non Fiction Author

The Vietnam Traveler's Guide to Make The Most Out of Your Trip.
Where in the world can you find snake wine, war souvenirs, steaming bowls of pho and iced coffee right next to each other? You guessed it, Vietnam, Southeast Asia’s up and coming coastal beauty. Vietnam’s white sandy beaches are enough to rival those in Thailand and it is quickly becoming the next hot destination for backpackers and luxury travelers alike.
But Vietnam is so much more than its exquisite beaches, dense forests and meandering deltas. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are vibrant and thriving metropolises with millions of young people creating innovative cuisine and art alongside ancient marketplaces. The sights, smells and sounds will enthrall you and overwhelm you but they will also leave you wanting more. There are pagodas and a multitude of religious sites throughout the country representing many religions over the centuries. There is no way to summarize what Vietnam is so you will have to experience it to understand the changes that started decades ago and are still going today.
For many Americans and westerners the name Vietnam brings up memories of the Vietnam War, though younger generations will have heard of it only secondhand and in history classes. While there are some remnants of the conflict most of the country has rebuilt and continued to move forward so that it is hardy recognizable to what it used to be in 1975.
Today Vietnam has many attractions in the northern, central and southern regions. If you want to go shopping then check out Hoi An on the coast. For a wild nightlife then follow the backpackers to Nha Trang, or to Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. To see the surreal beauty of Ha Long Bay then hop on a boat and prepare to be amazed.
Geographically it is a long and thin country but it occupies almost the same area as Germany. The land is very hilly and full of forests. The north is made up of the highlands with the largest mountain standing at 10,312 feet high. Southern Vietnam has a share of mountains in the Annamite range but it is also home to the Mekong Delta, a flatland with rice paddies near every canal and waterway.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Non Fiction Author
• Release date: Apr 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370808168

The Non Fiction Author

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Vietnam Travel Guide

The Vietnam Traveler's Guide to Make The Most Out of Your Trip

By The Non Fiction Author

Published by The Non Fiction Author

Smashwords Edition

Copyright ©2017 The Non Fiction Author

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. All pictures are held by commercial license and may not be duplicated by anyone without express permission.

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Disclaimer

The information provided in this book is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. The author's books are only meant to provide the reader with the basics travel guidelines of a certain location, without any warranties regarding the accuracy of the information and advice provided. Each traveler should do their own research before departing.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Why You Will Fall in Love With Vietnam

Chapter 2: Tips To Make The Most Out of This Guide

Chapter 3: Let's Get Started! (Planning Your Trip In Advance)

Chapter 4: Crash Guide to Vietnam's History

Chapter 5: Northern Vietnam: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and the Mountains

Chapter 6: Central Vietnam: Ancient Hue and the Coast

Chapter 7: Southern Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City and the Beaches

Chapter 8: Tips and Tricks For an Unforgettable Visit

Chapter 9: Things You Should Know About Vietnam

Chapter 10: Vietnamese Expressions You Must Absolutely Know

Conclusion: Aren't You Excited? Your Trip Is About to Begin!

Chapter 1:

Why You Will Fall in Love With Vietnam

Where in the world can you find snake wine, war souvenirs, steaming bowls of pho and iced coffee right next to each other? You guessed it, Vietnam, Southeast Asia’s up and coming coastal beauty. Vietnam’s white sandy beaches are enough to rival those in Thailand and it is quickly becoming the next hot destination for backpackers and luxury travelers alike.

But Vietnam is so much more than its exquisite beaches, dense forests and meandering deltas. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are vibrant and thriving metropolises with millions of young people creating innovative cuisine and art alongside ancient marketplaces. The sights, smells and sounds will enthrall you and overwhelm you but they will also leave you wanting more. There are pagodas and a multitude of religious sites throughout the country representing many religions over the centuries. There is no way to summarize what Vietnam is so you will have to experience it to understand the changes that started decades ago and are still going today.

For many Americans and westerners the name Vietnam brings up memories of the Vietnam War, though younger generations will have heard of it only secondhand and in history classes. While there are some remnants of the conflict most of the country has rebuilt and continued to move forward so that it is hardy recognizable to what it used to be in 1975.

Today Vietnam has many attractions in the northern, central and southern regions. If you want to go shopping then check out Hoi An on the coast. For a wild nightlife then follow the backpackers to Nha Trang, or to Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. To see the surreal beauty of Ha Long Bay then hop on a boat and prepare to be amazed.

Geographically it is a long and thin country but it occupies almost the same area as Germany. The land is very hilly and full of forests. The north is made up of the highlands with the largest mountain standing at 10,312 feet high. Southern Vietnam has a share of mountains in the Annamite range but it is also home to the Mekong Delta, a flatland with rice paddies near every canal and waterway.

Most visitors arrive in either Hanoi in the north or fly into Ho Chi Minh City in the south. From there they make their way to the opposite city jumping on buses, trains and planes to get around. Upon landing in one of the cities you will immediately notice the traffic and driving customs are uniquely chaotic at best and can take some getting used to. But with a little practice you will be crossing the street like a local and you will be ready to hit the street food stands.

From Hanoi you can get a bus over to Ha Long Bay and spend a day, night or more on the water with local entertainment and new friends on your boat. There are also many villages in the mountains that are worth visiting if you have a few extra days or a week to explore the region thoroughly.

As you head down the coast you will encounter Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam which still has many palaces and temples to see from that time period. A little further down the coast you will cross into Hoi An, a modern and charming seaside city, with its winding alleyways that call out to those who dare to get lost.

Next of the big destinations is Nha Trang with a lively nightlife and plenty of resorts up and down the beach. Mui Ne is similarly adorned with boat rides and sand dunes which are an ideal location to watch the sun rise or set.

Ho Chi Minh City in the south is in rapid transition, a behemoth in the making as the city grows in both size and depth, as well as wealth. Here you can walk past French colonial style buildings next to concrete office buildings while cyclo drivers weave around Honda SUVs in the streets. In the past few years the government launched an economic program called đổi mới which has introduced more capitalism into the traditionally communist system. Despite the continual growth at nearly 10% each year there are still many issues with the services in major cities like consistent electricity. For example blackouts have become so commonplace that many shops have a backup generator.

The majority of the people in Vietnam are ethnically Vietnamese, or Kinh, though there are minority populations of Chinese in Ho Chi Minh, Khmer Krom in the lowlands by Cambodia, and villages of Hmong, Muong, and Dao in the mountains. Over 80% of Vietnamese are Buddhist, mostly Mahayana, and there are a few groups practicing Catholicism, Cao Dai and Islam.

Since Vietnam was a part of China for more than a thousand years there are many parts of its society that bare strong influence from the Chinese Confucianism. Vietnamese culture focuses on humanity and harmony, valuing family and community very highly. Today the Vietnamese culture has been heavily influenced by the government controlled media, which since the 1990s has been more open to global culture and media from the rest of Asia and western