Vietnam
Vietnam has an awesome variety of unforgettable and unique vacation options. Considered by many travelers to be one of the friendliest vacation destination in Southeast Asia, Vietnam is an inviting land with a fascinating history, diverse scenic beauty, and a rich cultural heritage.
Enjoy planning your Vietnam vacation with our Virtuoso Travel Advisors. We will provide you access to unparalleled vacation experiences that transcend the ordinary. It helps us help you, if you begin with our vacation planner and our expert Vietnam Travel advisors will make planning fun, save you time and costly mistakes. We do it all for you, air, car, hotels, and everything else you desire.
Vietnam bygone eras are carefully preserved in spectacular World Heritage Sites, French architecture stands in testimony to the nation’s colonial past, and smiles and friendly people everywhere extend a genuine welcome. In the cities of Vietnam, the historic and mythical past mingle with present the is vibrant with the activities of life. In the Vietnam mountains you can expect a very tranquil experience that has remained unchanged for centuries.
Needless to say, Vietnam has many poignant memories. Things have changed for the better, verdant paddy fields and powdery white beaches, vibrant cities and beautiful pagodas. Ho Chi Mihn City, formerly known as Saigon, is a great place to start your Vietnam vacation. It is also the Capital City of South Vietnam and has a unique culture.
Hanoi, is Vietnam’s thousand-year old capital, best known for three things, its bustling Old Quarter, its serene lakes and its vibrant art scene. The city’s artistic roots go back to feudal times, when craftsmen serviced the royal court. Artisans founded Hanoi’s thirty-six guild streets, with each street devoted to making and selling a different product! To this day Hang Bac (silver) Street is lined with silversmiths, Hang Chieu (Mat) street still sells the woven rush mats that are traditional wedding gifts and Hang Ma (Votive paper) Street is festooned with brightly colored paper items that are burned as offerings on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month. These traditional crafts inspired later generations of artists with the arrival of the French-founded Ecole des Beaux Arts in the 1930s.
This fusion of East and Western Art still flourishes today. According to legend Ha Long Bay was formed when a massive dragon slithered down from Vietnam’s mountains and crashed into the sea. As the dragon descended beneath the waves its tails gouged up huge chunks or rock, creating the thousands of strangely shaped limestone islets that pepper this vast archipelago. In the distance, a cluster of islands, look the sailing ships braced against the wind. The island straight ahead evokes a fairy tale castle! Let our Virtuoso consultants take you on a breathtaking kayak trip through a narrow passage between two cliffs so you can observe the local wildlife in its natural habitat, before you enter a cave; your torch revealing a narrow, barnacle-encrusted tunnel. Moments later you’re left blinking in wonder, you’ve entered a lagoon in in the center of an island, the glassy water encircled by high walls carpeted in green!
Many other adventure tours are available. One can bike the Mekong Delta, through the rustic rice paddies and small villages making their way to Sam Mountain, a sacred site near the Cambodian border. Or you could bike through the southern coast highlands, past the settlements of the Hmong hill people through Da Lat’s colorful market! Climb Fansipan, at 10,000 feet it is the highest peak in Southeast Asia, its rocky summit offering unforgettable view of jagged jungles and lush valleys. When the mist lifts, you may even see distant peaks in China and Laos.
You won’t want to miss Hue, the capital of Vietnam from 1829 to 1883. The splendor of Emeror Tu Duc’s mausoleum and palaces are not to be missed! Our Virtuoso consultants can also plan a tour for those interested in recent military history. Let us take you to Da Nang, Pleiku, Hue, Dien Bien Phu, Khe San and let you explore the former military bases and battle sights to see tragedy of war and the triumph of peace. There are two distinguishable seasons in Vietnam. The cold season occurs from November to April and the hot season from May to October.
