A journey through Vietnam is an unforgettable encounter with a land of remarkable and
unexpected unspoilt beauty. Arriving in Hanoi, the ancient capital of
Thang Long established by King Le Thai To in 1010 A.D., today's political capital, is like stepping
back in time. Beyond the fields, the provinces of the vast northern Red River Delta reflect the
traditional agriculture on which the economy is based, in lush inundated rice fields.
An overwhelming sense of the past pervades Hue, the old imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty who moved the capital to the Center and ruled the country from the beginning of the 1800's until 1945.
Saigon, outspoken and cosmopolitan, as far removed in character as in physical distance from the more reserved and traditional cities of Hanoi and Hue, lies in the heart of the South. The beaches of Vung Tau and Nha Trang to the North and the vast rice bowl of the Mekong Delta to the South offer some welcome respite from the constant flow of traffic and humanity of Vietnam's most populous city.