OVERVIEW

GENERAL INFORMATION

Lying on the eastern part of the Indochinese peninsula. Looking at the map, Vietnam is located in the center of the Southeast Asia. The north is China borders, Lao and Cambodia to the west, the East Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the East and South.

The country’s total area is 329.241 km and can be conveniently divided into three distinct regions, the north, the centre and the south. The North was the first to be settled and is characterized by the rich farming lands of the Red River Delta. The Central contains the Truong Son Mountain Range running along the border with Laos in the west and the narrow coastal trip bordering the Eastern Sea in the east. The South, the Mekong Delta is the country’s most fertile region and Vietnam’s major rice and fruit producing area.

Vietnam was known as a gem by the visitor from all over the World with by the immense geographic and cultural diversity, bustling cities, exotic temples, pagodas, deserted sandy beaches, brilliant green rice fields, breathtaking mountain scenery, delicious cuisine, graceful women in ”ao dai” tunics and conical straw hats.

For the visitor, Vietnam offers a rich and varied cultural history, combined with the charm of a country which is still in the early stages of development. Its tourist industry has developed to the extent that accommodation of decent, even high quality is available at most destinations of interest.

As Vietnam continues to develop, it remains of particular interest to travellers in the region. From the capital Hanoi, with its graceful, French-colonial influenced architecture and ancient "old quarter", to the fast-moving, economic centre of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly (and currently, let's face it) known as Saigon, with its hustle and bustle and war-torn history, and its close neighbour, the enchanting Mekong Delta, via the coastal paradises of Phan Thiet, Nha Trang and Vung Tau, the refreshing highland retreat of Dalat and the historic centres of Danang, Hoi An and Hue, Vietnam offers something for everyone, and should definitely be visited before it becomes spoiled, although that day is - thankfully - still distant.

CLIMATE

Vietnam lies in the South – East Asia intertropical monsoon zone. Its weather is determined by two monsoons which set the rhythm of rural life. The relatively dry winter monsoon which mainly affects the part of Vietnam north of Da Nang, comes from the North – East between October or November and March.
In general, in Vietnam the annual average temperature is 27oC in the South, failing to about 21oC in the extreme North. There are distinguishable seasons, the hot and rainy season occurs from May to October and the cold season occurs from November to April next. However the four distinct seasons are most evident in the Northern provinces (from Hai Van Pass toward to the North): spring, summer, autumn and winter.

CULTURE

Vietnam is a country with a long – established history and has a population of more than 80 million people, comprised of 54 different ethnic groups that possess historically rich and cultural backgrounds and interesting folk arts. The country has more than 1.000 historical, cultural and architectural sites: Halong Bay, the ancient capital of Hue, the ancient town Hoi An, My Son Site and Phong Nha National Park which have been recognized as world cultural heritage sites by United Nations Education and Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
 

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