The Vietnam of today is influenced not only by its ancient traditions and culture but also by its chequered and often tragic past. Vietnam is finding its way back to its ancient roots of serenity and family oriented lifestyle. Experience a country still unspoiled and tolerant, a country quite unique in the world. Hanoi Vietnam's lovely capital contradicts the prejudices we have of socialist cities: the beautiful old centre with its narrow alleys and wide tree-lined boulevards are reminiscent of French small towns. The French colonial period left much deeper marks than 40 years of socialism. Halong Bay This bay is one of the most impressive landscapes on earth: thousands of small islands and limestone cliffs full of caves and caverns in emerald-green waters make the legend seem true: that on his flight into the sea a dragon left this beautiful piece of nature behind. Legend also has it that he still lives there but until he re-appears you can enjoy the peace and tranquillity on an all-day boat trip. Dien Bien Phu In the far north-west of Vietnam near the Laotian border in a beautiful valley, the last and decisive battle with the French was fought in 1954. The journey to this remote region passes through impressive and picturesque mountain terrain with glimpses of ethnic villages - a very special experience. Hoa Binh The capital of the province of the same name is the starting-point for excursions to the Muong and the Thai - minorities still living in their traditional pile-dwellings. See traditional dances and taste traditional tribal food prepared especially for visitors from afar. Cuc Phuong National Park The largest national park of Vietnam is home to unique flora and fauna and several of the species are no longer found anywhere else in the world. Excursions under the expert guidance of park rangers help visitors experience this unique habitat. The park includes the largest jungles remaining in Vietnam. Hue This imperial city was the cultural and intellectual centre of Vietnam. The old imperial palace, the citadel and the Thien Mu Pagoda which is one of Vietnam's landmarks are only a few examples of the sights of Hue. There is also a boat trip down the Perfumed River, which leads to the six impressive imperial tombs.

Danang The road from Danang to Hue crosses the famous Pass of Ocean Clouds, one of the most spectacular parts of Highway One. Danang City has not much to offer the tourist but the Cham Museum, the Marble Mountains and China Beach are all in close vicinity, the latter being famous for the wave surfing GIs of the Vietnam War. Hoi An For many centuries Hoi An was one of South-East Asia's most important ports. Fortunately Hoi An was spared much of the destruction of the Vietnam War. No other town in Vietnam has such well-preserved ancient buildings. Today Hoi An is unsurpassed for its charm and has blossomed into an artists' colony. Nha Trang Is simply a seaside resort in Vietnam. It features miles and miles of empty beaches, deserted bays, numerous islands and coral reefs. Swim, snorkel and dive all day. Nha Trang has many good mid-range hotels. There are beach cafés, fine seafood restaurants and one beach resort. Dalat Vietnam's honeymoon town nestles in a mountain valley at an altitude of 5000 ft. (1500 m). The climate is temperate and the cool evenings attract newlyweds from all over Vietnam. The area is dotted with lakes, waterfalls, evergreen forests and gardens. Saigon Once again the city has become the effervescent economic centre of Vietnam. To some it's a hectic and terribly noisy city, to others the former ‘Paris of the East’ with Vietnam's best restaurants and cafés and an intense nightlife. Saigon has restored famous hotels like the Majestic, the Continental and the Rex and boasts recently opened Asian luxury hotels a la Bangkok or Singapore. Mekong Delta It is difficult to highlight individual towns in this huge river delta. The Mekong River divides into nine branches to encompass an area of endless paddy fields and mangrove swamps. Especially worth seeing are Vinh Long, Chau Doc, Ha Tien, Soc Trang and Tra Vinh with their large Khmer pagodas. Con Dao The notorious penitentiary island Con Dao is the home of the ‘tiger cages’, made famous by movies on Vietnam.