Vietnam’s melting pot
Vietnam is the destination du jour for Australian travellers. After years of conflict and controversy it has transformed itself from a war-torn nation to a bustling tourist haven.
The people are welcoming, the traditions are enchanting and the cuisine, from street-side stalls to five-star restaurants, is spicy and flavoursome.
One of the most beautiful cities in South-East Asia, Vietnam’s capital Hanoi features two dozen lakes, the main Hoan Kiem Lake attracting hundreds of locals at dawn for regular tai chi exercise sessions, bodies swaying powerfully yet elegantly before the clamour of the day begins.
Transport in Hanoi is predominantly by foot, bicycle, motorcycle or cyclo, the latter a buggy for hire and pedalled by a friendly local (the favoured means of transport for lazy tourists). It’s honk till you drop in the Old Quarter, with an estimated 1.5 million motorcyclists continually warning you to stay on the narrow footpaths amidst cute, cosy timber shopfronts.
The Old Quarter is steeped in tradition, and is a shopper’s paradise. The 36 streets are named after the commodity originally sold there, and that tradition continues, with merchants segregated to particular streets for shoes, Vietnamese silk, jewellery and blacksmith work.
Wooden chopsticks, bowls, hand-painted photo frames and stunning vases are sold in all areas, and the night lanterns light up the district well after the sun has set over the surrounding farmers’ fields.
Local women loaded with large baskets of fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, chicken or local delicacies such as eels and catfish balanced on a pole over their shoulders sell their wares on the street, or door to door to local shopkeepers, who cook their evening meal at their doorstep on a small grill or fire.
Take a break at the Tamarind Caf?80 Ma May, Hanoi), arguably the best vegetarian restaurant in the Old Quarter and also the office for Handspan Adventure Travel, which organises trips to the breathtakingly beautiful Halong Bay to the north-west and the colourful hill tribes in Sapa to the north-east, where you can stay overnight with the villagers and taste the locals’ very potent rice wine.
Unmissable Hanoi tourist attractions include the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the late communist leader’s body is kept for public viewing, the Water Puppet Theatre and Ngoc Son Pagoda on the north end of Hoan Kiem Lake, where you can escape the heat of the city and watch the city’s older generations relax with their checker boards.
Most tourists journey south from Hanoi on the Reunification Express rail system toward Hi Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta, stopping off at the fishing village of Hoi An, the seaside nightlife of Nha Trang and the former demilitarised zone near Hue.
Vietnam’s hotel industry is booming, and you can find clean, comfortable rooms for as little as $20 in each city. Remember to take small $US bills for tipping and fares.
