Things to do in Vietnam

Vietnam is long and thin. The mainland runs about 1,650 kilometres from the Chinese border down to the Mekong Delta. Near Dong Hoi it narrows to under sixty kilometres.

That shape decides the trip: by weather, north and south are different countries.

The regions and what each is for

• Hanoi and the north — the Old Quarter, Ha Long Bay two and a half hours east on the expressway, the karst valleys of Ninh Binh two hours south.
• Hue and the imperial centre — the Nguyen citadel, and royal tombs along the Perfume River.
• Da Nang and Hoi An — a beach city, and a merchant town of lanterns and tailors thirty kilometres south. The Hai Van Pass climbs north from Da Nang.
• Nha Trang and the south-central coast — the resort bay, its islands, and Dalat in the hills above.
• Ho Chi Minh City and the delta — war museums and the Cu Chi tunnels, then canals, floating markets and orchards southwest.
• Phu Quoc — the big island in the Gulf of Thailand, closer to Cambodia than to Saigon.

Distances are real. Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is 1,726 kilometres by rail, about thirty-four hours on the Reunification Express. The flight takes two hours.

What the days are made of

Food is the spine of the trip, and it changes as you move south.

• Eating. Pho and bun cha in Hanoi, bun bo in Hue, banh mi in Saigon. Cooking classes in Hoi An start at the market.
• Water. Overnight junks in Ha Long and quieter Lan Ha, two to four days by bike and kayak in the Mekong Delta, diving off Nha Trang.
• War, and what came before. The Cu Chi tunnels outside Saigon, the citadel at Hue, Cham brick towers along the coast.
• Countryside on wheels. Jeeps around the edges of Hanoi, motorbike days over the passes, coffee farms in the hills behind Dalat.

Practical

• Three climates. Hanoi has a damp, cool winter from December to February. The central coast takes the heaviest rain and the typhoons from September to November. The south is dry from November to April and wet in short afternoon bursts otherwise.
• No perfect month. March, April and October come closest to working the whole country.
• Between cities. Domestic flights are frequent and cheap. The sleeper train is slower and better company.
• Money. The dong runs to tens of thousands, so count the zeros twice. Cards work in cities, cash elsewhere; tips are for guides and drivers, not restaurants.
• Tet. Lunar New Year falls in late January or February. Transport fills and much of the country closes.