With over 80 million inhabitants and a young population, there is a tangible sense of growth and excitement as Vietnam adapts its Socialist rule to the modern age, overcoming a turbulent past and hurtling towards a prosperous future. Shopping in one of Hanoi’s increasing number of chic boutiques, staying at one of the latest stylish resorts or sampling Saigon’s emerging bar and restaurant scene, you will be amazed by the frenetic pace at which these great cities are developing.

Vietnam is however also characterised by the picture postcard Asia of old which has captivated travellers for so many years. It is here that you will see many of the iconic images of a disappearing Asia – vendors in conical hats selling food from a shoulder yoke, endless green rice paddies being ploughed by water buffalo, sampan boats in narrow waterways or entire families being ferried around by a rickety cyclo.

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