France 
Vietnamese
“Vietnam offers a refreshing experience for anyone who cares to come its way,” Sapna Nai Purohit and Jugal R. Purohit said on their feature storey “Vietnam: Along Uncle Ho’s trail” in the India Today newspaper.
Vietnam: Along Uncle Ho's trail
An Bang beach (Pic: Jugal R Purohit)
For a country which only four decades ago saw over 1.5 million deaths, about 3,50,000 acres of its land area devastated by 8 million tons of bombs - more than twice the amount dropped during the entire second world war - Vietnam offers a refreshing experience for anyone who cares to come its way.
We landed in Ha Noi, the capital of Vietnam and also the gateway to the splendid Ha Long Bay and the hills of Sapa. It's a bustling city - shops, hotels, small eateries on either side of the roads, and cycles, motorbikes and cars jostling for space at the centre. Even if people appear busy, they make time to sit on little stools on the pavement and sip on beer or hot Pho (a Vietnamese rice noodle-beef soup), chatting away with friends and relatives. Given that Ha Noi was the capital of the communist, erstwhile North Vietnam, you can't but help notice the omnipresent heavy hand of the state, be it a red flag with a yellow star (national flag) or a red flag with a sickle and a hammer (communist party flag) or party offices. Of the numerous museums the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum came across as a storehouse of information, documents and rare photographs of the life and times of Vietnam's most revered leader Ho Chi Minh, fondly called Uncle Ho. One must see the Water Puppet show there. Beautiful puppets and props controlled under water by a bunch of skilled puppeteers left us awestruck. Watch dragons breathing fire, dancers in sync, a farmer chasing a tiger, as Vietnamese folk singers and musicians build the tempo with their background score.
Ha Long Bay (Pic: Jugal R Purohit)
If the thought of drifting on emerald waters surrounded by mysterious limestone cliffs appeals to you, head to Ha Long Bay. Book a one-day or two-day (stay on the boat) tour with your hotel or a tour operator and head to this paradise which is four hours away from Hanoi. As you sip on 'Bia' (beer) on the top deck of your boat, let the wind and the magical scenery blow you away. Hire a kayak and explore the bay on your own, gorge on fresh sea food on the boat and feel like Indiana Jones exploring the inside of a cave, as your guide regales you with fables. Meanwhile, try not to go on an overdrive with your camera.
Having spent three nights in the capital, we boarded the Reunification Express for our next stop, Da Nang, the city on the coast of which the first United States Marines landed in March 1965 in what was to become America's longest war till Afghanistan in 2001. The Da Nang of today wears a swanky look with top hotel labels occupying its beachfront. We meanwhile proceeded on a 45-minute drive along a straight road that took us to Hoi An, a quiet town that lets its evenings do all the talking. Devoid of cars and traffic, Hoi An village is a cyclist's delight, as also a walker's. This French-influenced settlement, a once-thriving port from a bygone era, is a busy market during the day with the fresh catch and produce of the day adorning stalls and by evening it turns into a fairytale. Elegant lanterns on trees, shops, restaurants, by the river, all over the famous Japanese bridge and the ambient piano music make for a lovely setting. Get a river side table and enjoy Com Ga (chicken rice), as you savour the sparkling beauty that Hoi An is. Not too far is the My Son sanctuary, a temple complex built by the Hindu Champa rulers of Vietnam between the 6th and 15th centuries. It is here that you will come across Shiva lings and idols of Lord Ganesha which have miraculously survived not only centuries but also thirty years of war in the recent past. Hoi An also has a lovely beach called An Ban which must be on your list of places to see.
Colourful lanterns in Hoi An (Pic: Jugal R Purohit)
From Hoi An, we landed in the village of Mui Ne, in southern Vietnam. A beach lover's paradise, it is best explored cruising on a motorbike along its ocean-hugging and remarkably empty highways. Swim in vast, clear waters, enjoy delectable sea food, sip on some local beer brews, devour the country's diverse fruit fare and tire yourself trying to capture the beauty of the sea. Mui Ne doesn't leave you with much to see and do. But then isn't that the point of a vacation?
A sea-side restraunt in Mui Ne (Pic: Jugal R Purohit)
A five-hour long bus ride took us to Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), the erstwhile capital of South Vietnam, a city that represents the modernity and progressiveness that Vietnam is striving for. Tall buildings, huge parks installed with work-out equipments, eateries serving international cuisine and its heavy Western outlook make it a city to reckon with.
Dodge motorbikes and cross lush green parks to reach the most happening part of HCMC - the Ben Thanh market. Choose from numerous stalls loaded with apparels, accessories, shoes, food products and souvenirs. Good bargains, great choices and a sight to watch as sellers pitch their stalls on the busy street by 6 PM with much gusto and ask you each time you pass them, "what you lookin' for?" The golden rule for shopping is 'bargain' - for half the quoted price, for whatever you wish to buy. You may get a frown in return, followed by a good deal.
What ranks on top of any traveller's chart in HCMC are the War Remnants Museum and Cu Chi Tunnels. The museum is among the most meticulous and well-organised museums that one has come across. What three decades of war can do and how far has the Vietnam of today travelled from those dark days is what is on display. Rest assured of a hair-raising experience. For us, even two visits didn't suffice.
A US Air Force plane on display at the War Remnants Museum HCMC (Pic: Jugal R Purohit)
Did you know that when the French and Americans, based in South Vietnam, were fighting against Uncle Ho's North, there was a secret 250-km-long tunnel complex which brought the fighters from the north right to the gates of Saigon from where were mounted the most amazing attacks? District of Cu Chi, just an hour away from HCMC, is today the capital of this resistance where the tunnels are on display. Fight claustrophobia and feel like a guerrilla as you traverse inside a tunnel - which did not extend beyond 1.2m in width and 1.8m in height - and fire live ammunition from a variety of guns at a Vietnam Army shooting range. A day at Cu Chi is a must!
If you are someone who would rather travel on ground than take flights, in Vietnam the Reunification Express should be your choice. It is a term for the multiple daily trains connecting Ha Noi to HCMC. Tad slow (runs on metre/narrow-gauge) and highly priced, yet it is a comfortable ride with plenty of breathtaking sights.
In many ways Vietnam is similar to India, be it the community living, fertile lands, gender discrimination and a creaking-cum-developing infrastructure, and yet is strikingly different.
No matter where you go in Vietnam, you will always be surrounded by conflict. Expect to find the wreckage of a US Air Force B52 bomber plane shot down, in the middle of a lake surrounded by middle-class households, large craters in forests thanks to the incessant bombings four decades ago and museums documenting horrendous realities. You may think of the locals as those who have had it rough. Yet, try looking around with just a hint of a smile, you will never be disappointed.
Also to see:
Hanoi - Army museum, Hoa Lo prison
Nha Trang
Hue
Ho Chi Minh City - Independence Palace, Revolutionary Museum
Phu Quoc island
Mekong river delta
Points to note:
Expect free WiFi just at every eating joint, even ones along the road! So do not hesitate asking for the password.
Ensure you carry a two pin charger for any appliances you wish to carry. Only rarely will you find a three pin plug.
Availability of vegetarian food is, surprisingly, not an issue. However ensure you have made your meal order very clear to the waiter.
Train tickets, just like in India, are much sought after so make sure you plan and book in advance. Road journeys can be exhausting.
Vietnam has a convenient E-Visa facility which requires you to obtain a permission letter which can, on arrival, be made into a visa.
Taxi rides, even with those having a meter, can be 'scams' as the locals call it. Ask your hotel staff to advice you on the taxis to take
Source: indiatoday.intoday.in