Even in this age where information travels fast, more is known about the American soldiers in the Vietnam War than about Vietnam as a whole. In fact, it is only in the recent past that people around the world have realized that there’s more to Vietnam, in terms of being a tourist destination, than its war-torn past. A Vietnam travel guide is all that you need to open your eyes to the wondrous beauty of the country, the warmth of its people and the richness of its culture.

What makes Vietnam popular among the tourists from all over the world is its rich history. Get to know more about the history of Vietnam during Sightseeing in Vietnam. History of Vietnam dates back more than 4,000 years, however, the reliable source for Vietnam’s history dates back to around 2,700 years. Whenever one talks of the history of Vietnam, the first word to come in mind is ’War’, how let’s explore with Indochina Legend.

Vietnam today features on the global tourism map as one of the largely visited tourist attractions in Asia. Home to breathtaking islands, temples, churches and numerous striking historic monuments, Vietnam is truly a tourist’s paradise. Vietnam accommodation further promises that your stay in the country is a memorable one. There are hotels for all tastes and budgets that one can choose from as per their duration of stay and choice of comfort. We at Indochina Legend offer to assist you in your choice of the most suitable Vietnam accommodation and also provide online hotel booking for your convenience.

Vietnam, situated in Southeast Asia, is blessed with all kinds of climatic conditions, in various regions of the country. Climatic conditions in Vietnam tend to vary considerably from place to place due to the differences in latitude and longitude and variations in terrains from low lying coastal plains to 4000 meters high mountain peaks. In general however Vietnam climate is a kind of tropical monsoon climate with average humidity of 84% throughout the year.

Issued by the Vietnam State Bank, ’Dong’ is the currency of Vietnam. Abbreviated d or VND, dong is subdivided in to 10 hào, which is further divided into 10 xu. But one should know that hào and xu are no longer in use in Vietnam. The word dong actually means copper or bronze.

Geography of Vietnam can be divided in to four sections that range from rugged mountains to marshy fertile flatlands. Towards the south lies the Gulf of Thailand, towards the east and southeast lies the Red River Delta. China lies towards the north then there are mountains extending up to 3.143 m at Fan Si Pan, which is also know as the highest point in Vietnam.

Almost every nation has its own language that speaks of its culture and heritage, so does Vietnam. ’Vietnamese’ is the official language of Vietnam. Having a similarity with Cambodia’s official language ’Khmer’, Vietnamese is a bit difficult language especially for the foreigners. Other than Vietnamese, Chinese, Khmer, Cham and other tribal languages are also spoken in Vietnam.

Vietnam is a communist state, with the Communist Party of Vietnam playing the central role in the politics of the country. Article 4 of the new Constitution, approved in April 1992, reaffirms the leading role of the Communist Party of Vietnam. There are no legal opposition parties in Vietnam, although several opposition groups do operate from overseas, supporting demonstrations and civil disobedience against the government

Vietnam is a multi-nations country, which is home to the people of about different 54 nations. However, about 90% of the population is Vietnamese but there are a large number of ethnic minorities. The remaining 10% of the Vietnam Population constitutes of the various ethnic groups that include approximately 1.2 million Chinese.

Though Vietnam is relatively a smaller country geographically, there are sixty four Vietnam provinces existing presently along with five municipalities existing at the same level. Historically however there were five Vietnam provinces. A brief idea about these provinces will act as a Vietnam travel guide of provinces to the visitor.

Vietnam is a country lesser known for tourism and more for the horrors of the Vietnam War. More recently Vietnam has also been known internationally as the home of the Nobel Peace Prize winner nationalist leader Aung San Su Chi. However, Vietnam today is emerging as an Asian nation with diverse culture, beautiful terrains, natural beauty and exquisite cuisine encouraging Vietnam tourism and developing various Vietnam tourist attractions.

Vietnam has long come out of its troubled past and the miseries and horrors of war and colonization. Vietnam today is a growing nation with Vietnam tourism as a major industry. Tourists flock to Vietnam attracted by the uniqueness in its culture, terrains, cuisine and its people. Major Vietnam tourist attractions include mountains as well as sea beaches, modern cities as well as traditional villages and historical cities as well as beach resorts. Sightseeing in Vietnam will keep your days full.

The vignettes from Vietnam come in multitudes. The country has spectacularly scenic locales, vibrantly colorful cities, quaint towns and villages where life flows languorously and some amazing architectural creations that actually seem poetic. The Vietnam popular destinations promise a colorful and versatile assortment. Ensure that you include them in your Vietnam travel guide.

Ba Be National Park, Vietnam was established in 1970’s surrounding the Ba Be Lake, which is made of three connecting lakes reflecting the meaning of its name Three Lakes. This national park lies in the province of Bac Kan in Vietnam. Ba Be National Park, Vietnam is a beautiful place for sightseeing in Vietnam

Can Tho, Vietnam one of the largest cities of the country, is practically considered the ‘capital’ of Mekong Delta. Being the gateway to the paradise of Mekong Delta, Vietnam, practically no other urban city in Vietnam can match Can Tho in terms of its spectacular landscape. Bustling with life and color, Can Tho is like a painter’s stroke on the canvas of Vietnam. You must visit this place, one of the most frequented of the Vietnam popular destinations and that too with lots of time in hand.

The largest island in Halong Bay, Vietnam, Cat Ba Island, Vietnam is home to the Cat Ba National Park. The Cat Ba National Park covers an area of nearly 200 square kilometers. It has both forests and water bodies within its boundaries. The national park is an attraction to the tourists who enjoy hiking. To the east of the island is the Lan Ha Bay. This bay is famous for its excellent beaches and breathtaking scenery.

China Beach, Vietnam, an endless expanse of unspoiled white sand beach, is one of the best beaches in Vietnam. It is more famous among the American and Australian soldiers for being the landing ground during the Vietnam War. China Beach lies a few kilometers to the south of Danang within close range to the Marble Mountains, one of the Vietnam popular destinations.

Keo Pagoda Festival in Vietnam is held from the 13th to 15th of the ninth lunar month annually, 100 days after the death of the Buddhist monk Duong Khong Lo. As with all other Vietnam festivals & events, Keo Pagoda Festival in Thai Binh Vietnam also begins with a procession to remind people of the anniversary of the Buddhist monk.

The pagoda was built under the dynasty of King Tran Thanh Tong (1258-1278) and rebuilt in 1647 in the Le Dynasty by Chinese Zen Buddhist priest Zhus Zhus, known as Chuyet Chuyet in Vietnamese. Legend has it that when leaving his former pagoda on the northern bank of the Duong River, priest Chuyet Chuyet saw a flock of flying swallows suddenly swooping down and

Do Temple was built during the Le Dynasty and has been altered several times since. The major reconstruction took place under the reign of Le Trung Hung, in the 17th century.

Halong Bay, Vietnam is one of world’s natural wonders and is one of the top tourist attractions in Vietnam. The literal meaning of “Halong” is “Bay of Descending Dragons”. A local legend says that a family of dragons was sent to defend the land long ago when the Vietnamese were fighting the Chinese invaders. These dragons had descended upon what is now Halong Bay. Halong Bay, Vietnam, famous for its scenic rock formations, has been listed among the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

Phan Thiet, Vietnam is located in the Binh Thuan province. 200kilometers from Saigon, it is on the southern most tip of Central Vietnam. Legend has it that Han Mac Tu, the disfigured poet spent his time in Phan Thiet waiting for the lady of his dreams, Mong Cam. With a population of around 100,000 people, it is the largest town in Binh Thuan province and one of the major Vietnam popular destinations.

Marble Mountains Danang, Vietnam is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Danang Vietnam. It consists of five peaks. Located to the south of Da Nang city, these hills are made of marble and limestone. Nui Ngu Hanh Son is the Vietnamese name for Marble Mountains Danang. It means Mountains of Five Elements.

The original tunnels were dug long ago by the Viet Minh to provide hiding places from which to attack French soldiers. During the 1960s, the Viet Cong reopened them and greatly extended them both horizontally and vertically. At their peak, an integrated 200km network of passages, on five or more levels in places, stretched to within thirty kilometres of the centre of Saigon.

Caodaism is a new Vietnamese faith. It originated from Ngo Van Chieu, a minor civil servant on Phu Quoc Island, in the early 1920s. During a séance, he was contacted by a spirit called the Cao Dai (high position) who handed down a creed and symbol – the ‘all-seeing eye’.

Chau Doc is as close as you can get to Cambodia without being in it. The Bassac River flows through the town and is a border crossing for river borne traffic, and the small Sam Mountain has an excellent view of the flat plain on the other side. It’s an attractive, busy place with a good hotel and several interesting attractions.

The mountain is a tourism complex in its own right. Everest it isn’t, although the pancake-flat plains of the Mekong make it look higher than it is. It’s a ‘holy’ mountain, full of caves, shrines and temples. The most significant in religious terms is the Ba Chua Xu, dedicated to the ‘Lady of the Region’. Her festival is held in the spring. It attracts huge numbers of devotees and, of course, swarms of vendors hoping to make a killing.

The remote Con Dao group of islands is about 180km from Vung Tau, and has a local population of around 5,000. The main island, Con Son, was a much-feared former penal colony until 1975. Most of the archipelago is now a National Park with some good beaches, clear water with pristine coral, lush tropical forest with many flowers, coconut groves, and few visitors. Accommodation is limited, but a new air link is starting to generate interest in visiting this largely unspoilt area.

About a 110km to the northeast of Ho Chi Minh City is Vung Tau, a Vietnamese resort and the centre of the country’s offshore oil industry, but a grubby reputation acquired during Vietnam’s black gold bonanza has dimmed. It’s a busy city with a few poor beaches, an attractive summer palace, a couple of interesting temples and other attractions and not much else. Nevertheless, Vung Tau and its hinterland have enough attractions to make a short visit worthwhile.

Phan Thiet is about 200km northeast from Ho Chi Minh City and lies south of Cam Ranh Bay on the southernmost stretch of Central Vietnam. Once part of the Cham Kingdom, it’s now a bustling town of about a 100,000 inhabitants.