The thing that really stands out is its diversity – both geographically and people wise. Our travels took us from Saigon in the south to Mt Fansipan in the north. In between, we enjoyed sights and wonders of a great variety. It’s safe to say that it was never boring.

We liked Saigon – it’s a pretty intense city with surprisingly large, well-kept parks. Spending only two days there, we never really saw much outside the central districts. It’s definitely a place that could take a bit more exploration. Oh and the food is great.

From Saigon we moved up to Mui Ne. This could possibly have been the least interesting part of the trip, but again the glorious Vietnamese cuisine came through. If nothing else, Mui Ne is worth a visit for its fantastic seafood restaurants. Had we been interested in water sports such as kite surfing and windsurfing, we would probably have loved the place.

In stark contrast, and this was a personal favorite of ours, Dalat provided us with cool mountain climate and beautiful scenery. It was also the starting point for our Easy Ride – one of the most exciting parts of our whole round the world trip so far. Riding on the back of vintage motorbikes for six days, our excellent guides saw to it that we experienced more than can be seen without spending far more money and effort. The Central Highlands are an interesting destination in its own right, but our gut feeling is that it may have been less gratifying without a proper guide.

After a short stop in Hoi An for tailor made clothing and banana pancakes, we took a long and tedious train ride to Hanoi: our base for exploring some of the delights of northern Vietnam.

Hanoi is nice. Friends have told me it was pretty bleak and dreary ten or fifteen years ago, but we found it to be a pretty cool and promising city. Too hot, at the time of our visit, but with a handful of interesting sights and decent shopping (if you like cheap copies, that is). We’re still a bit miffed that we missed out on Ho Chi Minh’s mummy. Next time, mummy! Grr!

Halong Bay is one of those must-see places that every country seems to have. In this case, it truly is a must-see. However, you want to do it right: spend a few bucks extra to avoid the crowds! We had a ball, just four tourists splashing around with a junk on the bay for a couple of days. Most tours there seem to follow the most trafficked routes, and we heard more than one disappointed voice complaining about overcrowding.

We loved Sapa and the mountains surrounding it. Again, we thought we’d be traveling through heavily touristed areas, but while we saw lots of domestic Vietnamese tourists, local tribespeople never failed to make us feel like we were curiosities. I have specifically fond memories of the hike up to Mt Fansipan – I can’t wait to do more of those merry little expeditions.

All in all I have to say that I would probably go back to Vietnam if I had the chance. However, I would try to focus on one area only: it is a huge, long country with the population size of Germany. You just can’t take it all in – concentrate on one area and you will come away happy and eager to go back.

Next up: a few more weeks here in Sweden, and then on to Singapore. We’re looking into various options on Sumatra after that. Stay tuned!

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The minority peoples of the Central Vietnamese Highlands love Ho Chi Minh. Really. In many places, people have erected signs and effigies to the former leader (he died in 1969), proclaiming their loyalty and affection.

I can’t remember if this is the sign that says ‘Ho Chi Minh lives forever in our hearts’, but it does say something to that effect. The sign has been posted in front of a home, and the family that lives there re-paints the sign every new year’s day.

Today’s homework: imagine making a similar sign with the name of a contemporary western leader on it. It will be placed above the entrance to your home. Hah. Didn’t think so.

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Their church was a Technicolor delight; their funerary car was even more so.

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During the war, this hill was of highly strategic importance for the warring parties – so strategic that it changed hands numerous times. The ground around it is peppered with craters, courtesy of US B-52 bomb planes carpet bombing the area. In the end, the Communist army prevailed. After the war, they spent a lot of money on building a monument to commemorate the victory.

Interestingly enough, the local people thought that the spirits of the killed American soldiers would be jealous of the big Vietnamese monument. Not having access to the same type of funds that the Communist government had, they build this little altar for them.

So there. The US spirits have somewhere to live and hide out when it rains. The locals give them water and rice wine now and then. I find it very endearing.

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During the war, the Ho Chi Minh trail was a system of roads, tunnels, paths and boats that served to support the Viet Cong with manpower and equipment.

Today, most of the trails are off-limits, being kept secret by the Vietnamese military (in case of the increasingly remote chance of a second Vietnam war, I guess). Some parts, however, are open to the public and kept in decent condition – for educational and tourism purposes.

This part of the trail goes through a waterfall – it was the only option left for their engineers, as the bridge across the river had been bombed so many times that they lost count.

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Our Easy Riders told us that these days the forest is used in a very different way. The government leases out a plot of land to the farmers in the area. They slash and burn it, plant food stuffs in the land for three years and then return it to the government with replanted (future) forest.

I have to admit, thought that I didn’t see any replanted forest plots. Maybe they were off the highway?

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Click the post’s title and then click here for photos

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If we hadn’t seen them unfinished it would be hard to believe they’re wood. It was a truly unique, breathtaking experience. Well done boys!

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Now and then, travel experiences come along that are far removed from the usual fare of fun encounters and merry little adventures. Our visit to this orphanage was one of those. Funded by a Swiss Catholic organization, this institution seeks to provide a place for abandoned children. Most of the kids have been left to the orphanage by members of the minority peoples that live among the Central Highlands – others have been found at the local Pagoda or Church.

Upon entering the room where the youngest kids are kept, we were immediately swarmed by little children, all throwing themselves at us. They all have dark, beautiful, attention-starved eyes which they focus on you with the strength of a blowtorch.

It was hard to walk out of there and just go back to enjoying traveling again. For the last few days, our minds have wandered back to that place more than once.

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