Vietnam In Our Memory

By Author: Lee Rajna
Total Articles: 1
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My friends and I traveled to Vietnam in a few months ago, and it was our first time in that small country. One of the main reasons for choosing Vietnam as a destination was because we thought it has not yet been influenced by the effects of mass tourism, plus it would also give us an introduction to South East Asia, which was totally new for us.

The Hanoi capital was an attractive destination with its own culture characteristics. Here the prior visit was Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the final resting place of the Vietnamese great father or Uncle Ho. It’s guarded by an honor guard of Vietnamese soldiers in immaculate white dress uniforms who march around the building at regular intervals. Temple of Literature, the oldest university in Vietnam where many nobles graduated with high flying colors, was also a must-see in Hanoi divided into five landscaped courtyards. Here you also can see a big bell… try ringing it one time, why not? In a small mountainous town of Sapa, the views of the lush green mountains were amazing; it really was a beautiful countryside. There were people from different hill tribes who inhabit the area ...
... wandering around the streets, predominantly H’mong people in their indigo dyed outfits and large silver hoop earrings. There were also Red D’Zao people with red material wrapped around their heads and colorful outfits and jewelry. Most were selling cloth, jewelry and even opium, and added a lot of character to the town. To ensure we were able to experience as much as possible during the trip, we booked the tour with a Vietnam tour operator which proposes package tours to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

In Hue, architecture, culture and history of Vietnamese royal family… all were reflected in outstanding Royal tombs. Situated on a hill, Khai Dinh tomb, is smaller than other tombs. Next, Tu Duc tomb seems to be scenery of mounts and lakes. And you can't miss Minh Mang tomb. A different tomb… was designed on a symmetric axis running from the Gate to the foot of the surrounding wall. Decorated with colorful lights and lamps along every lane, the streets of the old city of Hoi An were great for a sparkling and mysterious view, stimulating anybody’s curiosity. It was also a great experience when getting on the boat to go to a carpentry village with its arts of wood carving and sculpture.

On the way to Chau Doc in the Mekong Delta, the drivers who could speak English shared some history and showed us points of interest like the Cambodian border in the distance. We went to Tay Anh Pagoda which was interesting, colorful and different from the temples we had seen up to that point. It was crowded and the air inside was thick with incense. There were lots of statues inside the temple and we wandered through until the incense began to wreak havoc on our sinuses. This would be our first attempt to go to an island called Phu Quoc located southwest of Ho Chi Minh City between Vietnam and Cambodia. We’re really surprised of its beaches which look sugary-white and the water is crystal-clear. People said that the success of Vietnam travel is enhanced by its greatest treasure: people. They have prevailed with their smiles intact; no visitor stayed in Vietnam without a measure of admiration and affection for the inhabitants of this country.