Vietnam may lack direct flights or a UK-based tourism office, but it hasn’t let that hold it back. This Southeast Asian gem has seen a boom in interest from the UK, and is now featured by specialist and mainstream operators.
Wendy Wu, Thomas Cook Signature and Travel 2 have even produced dedicated Indochina brochures, heavily featuring Vietnam, with a wide range of stopover options sitting alongside twin-centres with neighbouring Laos and Cambodia.
And it’s no longer just an option for backpackers. The country has rapidly opened up to capitalism and the West in recent years, and it now boasts high-end hotel stock to rival that of nearby Thailand. There are properties from international brands such as Sheraton, Hyatt and InterContinental alongside options from luxury spa specialist Six Senses and established deluxe one-offs such as The Nam Hai.
New launches include Life Resort Da Nang, which opened its doors in April on a five-hectare plot on beautiful China Beach. Dutch company Life Resorts will open a further property in Halong Bay later this year. The venerable Hanoi Metropole has just been relaunched, as has the Sofitel Legend Metropole – the first of a new collection of Legend hotels from the brand – after a five-year renovation programme.
Despite these developments, Vietnam still provides a very authentic Asian experience, albeit with a French feel, borne of its long colonial period.
Take a tour
One joy of travelling in Vietnam is that even a week is enough to enable visitors to experience many of the country’s highlights. Starting from the south and heading north, these include exploring Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), where the former US Embassy was the scene of the American evacuation at the end of the Vietnam War.
Popular excursions in the area include exploring the Cu Chi Tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the war, and the Mekong Delta with its colourful floating markets.
Further up the coast, the central area boasts some glorious beaches, including favourites such as Nha Trang and Da Nang, home to some seriously swanky hotels.
Coastal city stopovers on the way north include the beguiling ‘perfumed city’ of Hue, with its Imperial citadel, and the port of Hoi An, where guests can kick back with some excellent seafood after getting measured up by local tailors who can produce suits and dresses over night.
In Hanoi, visitors can choose from a wide range of city tours, taking in sights such as former leader Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum. For most, the big draw is a cruise in timeless Halong Bay amid the towering limestone outcrops in anything from a plush yacht to an old-style junk boat.
As if the stunning views weren’t relaxing enough, some ships like the Emeraude, a replica 19th-century paddle steamer carrying 74 passengers, have on-board therapists offering treatments such as massages, facials and body scrubs.
Luxury operators such as Cox & Kings, Bales Worldwide and Kuoni offer escorted tours, as do adventure brands Gap Adventures, Dragoman, Explore and Tucan Travel.
Specialists in the destination include Travel Indochina, which sells its product portfolio through Travel 2. It offers 12 small group tours of Vietnam (maximum 16 people), with durations ranging from seven to 27 days.
A key point of difference is the frequency of its tours. For example, for most of the year its best-selling Highlights of Vietnam tour has 42 departures a year on the Classic journey (three and four-star) and 25 departures a year on the Deluxe (five-star) journey.
Off the beaten track
For the more adventurous there are lots of options for getting off the beaten track. Visitors can explore the Ho Chi Minh trail, used by the Viet Cong army, on foot, by bike or even by motorbike; take a cruise down the mighty Mekong River from Laos to Vietnam; or head overland to neighbouring Cambodia to explore the vast temple complex of Angkor Wat.
In recent years, cycling tours have become increasingly popular, offering a great way to view the lush countryside at a relaxed pace. Gap Adventures’ leisurely 15-day Cycle Vietnam tour and Exodus’s 16-day Cycling Vietnam between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh also offer the chance to ride on the scenic Reunification Express train, while Exodus’s 16-day Cycle Indochina and Angkor tour takes travellers on a journey from Bangkok, Thailand to Ho Chi Minh City via key sites such as Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
An increasingly popular extension is to Sapa in the north, reachable by train from Hanoi. Here visitors can interact with local hill tribes and marvel at the ancient rice paddy terraces while hiking. Wendy Wu, for example, offers it as a four-day tour extension and Travel Indochina will be adding it next year as a five-day tour extension. Dalat, in the lush, central highlands, is a good base for trekking, with access to routes such as the Pinhatt Mountain Trailhead.
On the water
Options afloat include iconic cruises in Halong Bay to sunset trips along Hoi An’s Thu Bon river, offered by operators such as Thomas Cook Signature.
A number of operators offer cruises along the Mekong River, which runs from Laos through Cambodia and into Vietnam, through tribal villages and towns rich with French colonial architecture.
Bales Worldwide offers a luxury 14-day trip with Pandaw Cruises operating from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap in Cambodia to view Angkor Wat.
What the operators said
“Vietnam is strong for us – second only to Thailand in Southeast Asia. It offers a nice mix of culture, great scenery such as Halong Bay and it’s also stable – you don’t get the problems you get with Thailand.” Matthew Fletcher, Dragoman sales and marketing manager
“It seems more like the Asia of yesteryear than, say, Thailand. It also has amazing food and fantastic scenery – and it’s incredibly cheap.” Lesley Wright, Travel Indochina business development manager
“We’ve seen some pretty strong growth over the last 12 months. It’s a great second tour for people who have been to China or Thailand, like that part of the world and are looking for something more than just a beach holiday. It’s not a huge country but it’s very diverse and it splits neatly into north, middle and south.” Jonathan Wilson, Wendy Wu commercial director
Sample product
Cox & Kings offers the 11-night Spirit of Vietnam tour visiting Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Hoi An, the Cu Chi Tunnels, Halong Bay and the Mekong Delta, from £2,395 per person departing October 23, including Thai Airways flights from London to Hanoi via Bangkok, guided excursions, accommodation and most meals. coxandkings.co.uk020 7873 5000
Tucan Travel’s 14-day Vietnam Adventure travels from Hanoi and Halong Bay to Ho Chi Minh City via the beaches of Nha Trang, historic Hue and Hoi An and includes local guides, tour leader and a homestay with locals in the Mekong Delta. The tour costs from £430 per person plus a local payment of US$250 until July 31, when the tour operator is scrapping the local payments system. tucantravel.com020 8896 1600
