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Vietnam, the Ascending Dragon

Vietnam is one of the most intriguing travel destinations in Asia. The long period of warfare has very much shielded Vietnam from the rest of the world, and it is only in the last ten years that visitors are trickling back into the country. What is awaiting their discovery is a country that has been left behind by the rest of Asia, but is now economically propelling itself forward, oft times leapfrogging its slower neighbours.

The country of Vietnam is 331,690 square kilometers in size. It forms a long strip on the eastern coast of Indo-China, sharing border with China to the north, Laos to the northwest, and Cambodia to the southwest. The land has been inhabited for thousands of years, with evidence of human habitation going back to Paleolithic times. It has suffered successive invasion and occupation by foreign powers, chief among them China in the ancient times and France in more recent history.

The capital of Vietnam today is the city of Hanoi, also spelled Ha Noi. It is the second largest city in the country, and as with all major cities of Vietnam, is rapidly growing and developing.

Visitors to Vietnam focus on the major attractions around Hanoi, such as Halong Bay, Sapa, Perfume Pagoda and Tam Coc. Some venture further south, to explore ancient cities such as Hue, Hoi An, Dalat, as well as Ho Chi Minh City, the biggest city in Vietnam formerly known as Saigon.

In Vietnam Travel Guide, I want to provide you an overview of this remarkable country, and take you through to all the major cities as well as the lesser-known ones. I hope that this website will provide you with the necessary information to explore and enjoy Vietnam.

Vietnam Travel Information

Time Zone: 7 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
Currency: dong
Language: Vietnamese. English gaining popularity as a language for tourism and commerce.
International Dialing Code: 84
Population: 84 million
Religion: Mahayana Buddhism (similar to China, but different from the Thailand, Laos and Cambodia), Catholic, Taoism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam.
Electricity: 220V 50 Hz
Electrical Outlet: two round pins, some times three round pins. If you bring a laptop, get a surge suppressor to guard against current fluctuations. (See details here: http://www.kropla.com/electric.htm)
Driving: On the right side of the road.


Sungsot Cave, Vietnam
Sungsot Cave, Vietnam (31 August, 2006)
© Timothy Tye using this photo

Vietnam Public Holidays

The following are public holidays observed in Vietnam:

  • New Year Day: 1 January
  • Tet (Lunar New Year): January/February, similar to Chinese New Year celebrated elsewhere.
  • Founding Day of the Coomunist Party of Vietnam: 3 February
  • Women's Day: 8 March
  • Youth Day: 28 March
  • Liberation of Saigon Day: 30 April
  • International Labour Day: 1 May
  • Victory Day: 7 May, commemorating the victory over France
  • Ho Chi Minh's Birthday: 19 May
  • Children's Day: 1 June
  • Memorial Day: 27 July
  • August 1945 Revolution Day: 19 August
  • National Day: 2 September
  • Teacher's Day: 20 November
  • Army Day: 22 December

    Vietnam Hotels

    It pays dividends to do a bit of homework before you book your accommodation in Vietnam. You will find that different Hotel Booking websites actually offer the same hotel room at different prices. Use this free Vietnam Hotel Search Engine to view prices of hotel rooms offered by different booking sites. It allows you to make an informed decision that ultimately saves you a lot of money.

    If you are backpacking to Vietnam, you can view a big list of hostels in Vietnam with online booking facility.

    Find a hotel

    More Photos of Vietnam

    Halong Bay, Vietnam
    Halong Bay, Vietnam (31 August, 2006)
    © Timothy Tye using this photo

    History Museum of Vietnam
    History Museum of Vietnam (2 September, 2006)
    © Timothy Tye using this photo
  • Top Tourist Destinations

    1. Co Loa
    2. Cu Chi Tunnels
    3. Cuc Phuong National Park
    4. Ha Long Bay
    5. Ha Tien
    6. Hanoi
    7. Ho Chi Minh City
    8. Hoa Lu
    9. Hoi An
    10. Hue
    11. My Son
    12. Perfume Pagoda
    13. Sa Pa
    14. Tam Coc

    Cities of Vietnam

    Listed here are the cities in Vietnam arranged by population.
    1. Ho Chi Minh City (7,123,000)
    2. Hanoi (6,449,000)
    3. Hai Phong (1,837,000)
    4. Can Tho (1,187,000)
    5. Da Nang (887,000)
    6. Bien Hoa (541,000)
    7. Nha Trang (361,000)
    8. Buon Ma Thuot (340,000)
    9. Hue (334,000)
    10. Quy Nhon (284,000)
    11. Vinh (282,000)
    12. Da Lat (256,000)
    13. Thai Nguyen (256,000)
    14. Vung Tau (240,000)
    15. Rach Gia (228,000)
    16. Long Xuyen (227,000)
    17. My Tho (215,000)
    18. Phan Thiet (205,000)
    19. Ca Mau (204,895)
    20. Thanh Hoa (198,000)
    21. Nam Dinh (192,000)
    22. Hai Duong (187,000)
    23. Pleiku (187,000)
    24. Thai Binh (186,000)
    25. Ha Long (185,000)
    26. Viet Tri (176,000)
    27. Soc Trang (174,000)
    28. Tuy Hoa (167,000)
    29. Tan An (166,000)
    30. Bac Ninh (153,000)
    31. Lang Son (148,000)
    32. Vinh Long (147,000)
    33. Bien Tre (143,000)
    34. Kon Tum (137,000)
    35. Quang Ngai (134,000)
    36. Ninh Binh (131,000
    37. Bac Giang (127,000)
    38. Vinh Yen (123,000)
    39. Hoa An (121,000)
    40. Phu Ly (121,000)
    41. Hung Yen (121,000)
    42. Tam Ky (120,000)
    43. Ha Tinh (118,000)
    44. Mong Cai (108,000)
    45. Son La (107,000)
    46. Dong Hoi (104,000)
    47. Phan Rang-Thap Cham (102,000)
    48. Yen Bai (96,000)
    49. Dong Ha (94,000)
    50. Lao Cai (94,000)
    51. Hoa Binh (93,000)
    52. Dien Bien Phu (71,000)

    UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Vietnam

    1. Complex of Hué Monuments
    2. Ha Long Bay
    3. Hoi An Ancient Town
    4. My Son Sanctuary
    5. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

    National Parks of Vietnam

    1. Bach Ma National Park
    2. Ba Be National Park
    3. Ba Vi National Park
    4. Bai Tu Long National Park
    5. Ben En National Park
    6. Bidoup Nui Ba National Park
    7. Bu Gia Map National Park
    8. Cat Ba National Park
    9. Cat Tien National Park
    10. Chu Mom Ray National Park
    11. Chu Yang Sin National Park
    12. Con Dao National Park
    13. Cuc Phuong National Park
    14. Hoang Lien National Park
    15. Kon Ka Kinh National Park
    16. Lo Go Xa Mat National Park
    17. Mui Ca Mau National Park
    18. Nui Chua National Park
    19. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
    20. Phu Quoc National Park
    21. Phuoc Binh National Park
    22. Pu Mat National Park
    23. Tam Dao National Park
    24. Tram Chim National Park
    25. Vu Quang National Park
    26. U Minh Ha National Park
    27. U Minh Thuong National Park
    28. Xuan Son National Park
    29. Xuan Thuy National Park
    30. Yok Don National Park

    Provinces of Vietnam

    Vietnam is composed of 58 provinces and 5 centrally governed cities.
    1. Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province
    2. Bac Giang Province
    3. Bac Kan Province
    4. Bac Ninh Province
    5. Binh Dinh Province
    6. Binh Duong Province
    7. Binh Thuan Province
    8. Cao Bang Province
    9. Can Tho (city)
    10. Da Nang (city)
    11. Daklak Province
    12. Dak Nong Province
    13. Dien Bien Province
    14. Dong Thap Province
    15. Gia Lai Province
    16. Ha Giang Province
    17. Ha Nam Province
    18. Hanoi (city)
    19. Hai Duong Province
    20. Hai Phong (city)
    21. Ha Tinh Province
    22. Hau Giang Province
    23. Hoa Binh Province
    24. Hung Yen Province
    25. Khanh Hoa Province
    26. Kien Giang Province
    27. Kontum Province
    28. Lai Chau Province
    29. Lam Dong Province
    30. Lao Cai Province
    31. Long An Province
    32. Long Son Province
    33. Nghe An Province
    34. Nam Dinh Province
    35. Ninh Binh Province
    36. Phu Tho Province
    37. Phu Yen Province
    38. Quang Binh Province
    39. Quang Nam Province
    40. Quang Ngai Province
    41. Quang Ninh Province
    42. Quang Tri Province
    43. Soc Trang Province
    44. Son La Province
    45. Thai Binh Province
    46. Thai Nguyen Province
    47. Thanh Hoa Province
    48. Thua Thien-Hue Province
    49. Tien Giang Province
    50. Tra Vinh Province
    51. Tuyen Quang Province
    52. Vinh Long Province
    53. Vinh Phuc Province
    54. Yen Bai Province

    Compare Hotel Room Rates

    Find the lowest price of hotel rooms from different Hotel Booking websites. Our free Hotel Search Engine lets you compare room rates from different booking sites. Just key in your visiting City. You'd be glad to do your homework!









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    AsiaExplorers is researched and written by Timothy Tye. Reasonable care is taken to check and verify the accuracy of the content. AsiaExplorers disclaims responsibility for any inconvenience, mishap, injury or death resulting from following the tips and advice provided directly or indirectly by this website. All pages may be printed out for your own personal, non-commercial use. Photographs not credited to a third party belong to Timothy Tye and may not be reused in any form unless you are first given permission. Write in to inquire if interested. Third party photographs are governed by their respective licenses. The author is a Christian. Click here if you are interested to know more about his Christian beliefs. To contact AsiaExplorers, use the following email address: