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why you should come here and be a tourist:

it’s time for all of us to escape from our american lives. it’s time for all of us to head across the vast pacific ocean and visit a fascinating country that has much to offer. come to vietnam and experience its history, its culture and its people.

your trip to vietnam should start in the north, in hanoi, the capital. there you will find ancient beauty and smiling faces. after a quick drive from the airport to your hotel snugly situated around the beautiful hoan kiem lake, take a rest and a shower. after your break, you’ll be ready to explore the city. take a three-wheeled cyclo ride around town. walk around the lake and enjoy a cup of vietnam’s world famous coffee. stop at a rode side stand and enjoy a bowl of steaming pho. take a moment out of your schedule to see uncle ho chi minh’s mausoleum and the temple of literature. hanoi has much to offer you in terms of history and beauty.

after your stay in hanoi, you should move down to the central, more mountainous region of vietnam. there you will find thriving cities and an abundance of culture. stop off and visit an ethnic minority group whose traditions have been preserved through the ages. stop off at one of the many costal beach towns and enjoy a few days lying in the sun and playing in the warm waters of the east sea.

your break in the center of vietnam should have revitalized you and now you’re probably going to be ready for bustling, ho chi minh city. ho chi minh city is a mixture of east and west and has something to offer everyone. there are a number of museums and the night life is always exciting. make sure to stop off at the ben thanh market and see what deals you can get on famous vietnamese fabrics and coffee bought in bulk. also, outside the market there is a stand that sells sugar cane juice mixed with strawberries. outside of ho chi minh city, there are a number of very interesting tourist sights. visit vung tau for another relaxing break by the ocean. visit the cu chi tunnels for a window into the struggle against the american occupiers.

head further south and experience the rural community of the mekong delta. you should spend a couple of days in can tho city. there, if you wake up early enough, you’ll find a fascinating floating market. from can tho, travel west to long xuyen. long xuyen is the birthplace of vietnam’s second leader after uncle ho, uncle ton. head off to tiger island, a small island in the middle of the mekong river and see his original home and a museum dedicated to his life.

from long xuyen, you might want to travel to chau doc or maybe tri ton where you can see rural vietnamese life in full swing. watch farmers work in lush green paddies. watch families fishing in the many branches of the mekong river. spend some time walking up cam, sam and many other mountains that stick out of the flat mekong and make for wonderful photo opportunities.

all in all, your trip to vietnam will be fruitful and exciting. escape from the monotony of your life and see another place. you owe it to yourself.