Vietnam forum

Posted from within Vietnam.

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Travel the length of Vietnam on this 10 day tour, stopping in HCMC (in the south), Hanoi (in the north), and the beaches and small towns of the central coast in between. Begin in dynamic HCMC, the country's commercial capital and center of a growing number of upscale restaurants and shops. Visit Chinatown, the Thien Hau Pagoda, the ReunificationPalace, the Opera House and Hotel de Ville. If desired, also visit the moving WarRemnantsMuseum . Explore colorful outdoor markets and Dong Khoi Street, the city's most upscale shopping boulevard with fashion boutiques and accessories designed by new Vietnamese designers, hill tribe crafts, high quality linens and housewares. Take a day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels and watch an unusual and eclectic religious ceremony at the main temple of Cao Daism , a unique fusion of world religions, in Tay Ninh. Alternatively, spend the day cruising the narrow canals of the Mekong Delta.

Fly to Danang and land transfer to the cozy town of Hoi An, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site and riverfront port town crammed with historic homes, tiny museums, cafes, and bustling silk and fish markets. Nearby, see ancient sculptures in the ChamMuseum, and tour Buddhist cave temples in the MarbleMountains. Opt to stay at a luxury beach resort in nearby Danang, or a boutique riverside hotel in the heart of Hoi An.

Next, view the dramatic central coasline by a private car or minivan to Hue, the former Imperial capital of Hue. It is a quiet city renowned for the unique architecture of its citadel, palaces, royal tombs, pagodas and temples, built under the Nguyen dynasty on the banks of the PerfumeRiver .

Wrap up in Hanoi , Vietnam's artistic and intellectual capital. Explore the fascinating Old Quarter and its hundreds of specialty shops selling silk clothing, lacquerware, embroidered linens, furniture, bamboo, cooking utensils, ceremonial objects and more. Walk around HoanKiemLake, ride a cyclo to dinner, and watch a performance at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. Dine in French colonial villas converted into gourmet restaurants. Enjoy people watching at stylish cafes. Shop for impressive modern art in the city's many galleries. Also visit Hanoi 's main cultural attractions, including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, his House on Stilts, the One Pillar Pagoda, the FineArtsMuseum and the Temple of Literature.

Also spend a day cruising HalongBay, where thousands of limestone rock sculptures jut dramatically from the sea and numerous grottoes have created an ephemeral, fantastic landscape.