About Vietnam
Vietnam – The Country
A trip to Vietnam is an opportunity to experience the vibrant culture, sublime natural beauty, unique sights, strange flavours, and more adventures than you could possibly have in one trip.
Vietnam is a country of opposites and contradictions. A melting pot of influences where the ancient sits side by side with the ultra-modern. A place where tumultuous history is not hidden or glossed over but displayed honestly for visitors to see. A country unlike any other, Vietnam is a country that has surprises at every turn and keeps seasoned travellers coming back year after year.
With bustling cities like Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi and Hue and 3000 km of coastline, 8 UNESCO world heritage sites, and some of the best food in the world, we’ll be surprised if you can’t find something to love about Vietnam.
Fantastic scenery, amazing historical monuments, great beaches – it has it all. However, for many the highlight of Vietnam is the people – such a wonderfully kind, courteous, generous and friendly people that are so eager to showcase their stunningly beautiful country to its visitors.
The cities big and small, are expanding quickly into the sky. You can find every modern convenience and some of Southeast Asia’s best shopping opportunities. You can still find parts of the country that hardly appear to have changed in the last 100 years. In cities like Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi it seems like every scooter on earth is on the road at once and this creates some of the most electric and gloriously chaotic scenes you could possibly imagine. Tourism remains very affordable for most, with great hotels, tours and food that can be found for very reasonable prices.
You must make it to Vietnam! It’s changing fast, but right now it’s a great mix of old and new, traditional, and modern. They have a young outgoing population, who are waiting to help make your time there something special and to be remembered.
The Facts
- Population: 102 million people live in Vietnam (2022)
- Capital: Hanoi with 4.8 million inhabitants
- Name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam or Viet Nam
- Government: Communist
- National Holiday: 2 September (Independence Day)
- Language: Vietnamese, with English and French the most common second languages
- Literacy: 95% of the adult population can read and write
- Religion: Folk religions our non-religious (81%), Buddhism (8%) Christianity (8%)
- Currency: 1 Vietnamese Dong = 100 Xu. However, coins are no longer accepted in shops. Mainly banknotes from 1000 Dongs upwards are used. 1000 VND equals 4 US cents or 3 British pence!