| VIETNAM | | | | not devout of any religion. Just 9.3% strongly |
| Population: 83.6 million (UN, 2005) | | | | identified with Buddhism, 7.2% are Christians. A |
| Capital: Hanoi | | | | teeny minority adhere to ethnic religions like Hoa |
| Area: 329,247 sq km (127,123 sq miles) | | | | Hoa (1.5%) and Caodaism (1.1%). |
| Major language: Vietnamese | | | | LANGUAGE |
| Major religion: Buddhism | | | | VIETNAMESE is the socialist republic's official |
| Life expectancy: 68 years (men), 72 years | | | | language, while ENGLISH is the favoured second |
| (women) (UN) | | | | official language over the colonial language |
| Monetary unit: 1 dong = 100 xu | | | | FRENCH. The language paradigm in Vietnam also |
| Socialist Republic of Vietnam - a country stricken | | | | consists of some CHINESE and KHMER with some |
| by the horrors of war, but the country's history | | | | ethnic groups with their languages or dialects. One |
| does not only pre-date to the Vietnam War. | | | | thing they all got in common- a love for football. |
| We're dealing with a civilization that goes as far | | | | ATTRACTION |
| back as 3,000 B.C. This is a place where the | | | | Besides football, there is so much more ways to |
| people are gentler than its past, slowly being | | | | have a grand time in Vietnam. While the temples |
| explored by visitors, with the Vietnamese as | | | | and historical monuments are becoming quite too |
| warm and welcoming like no other. The moment | | | | solemn and serious for the liking, paying a short |
| you step here, there the war is without a trace. | | | | visit to the one and only Uncle Mao is |
| The moment you step here, you're life, as you | | | | quintessentially essential. After an educational tour |
| know it, had changed. To fall in love with this | | | | of the country, be it in Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi, a |
| country is by no means a feat with the smell of | | | | bona fide nature experience is a must in these |
| Vietnamese coffee sufficient to keep you | | | | parts be it at the Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Ha Long |
| entangled and entranced. Vietnam is a place of | | | | Bay or the Ban Gioc waterfalls. Hoi An is perhaps |
| beauty, serenity, tradition and utterly amazing | | | | one of the places with the strongest resistance to |
| gastronome, a place where all senses are | | | | change, thus its appeal to travellers with the taste |
| engaged with the vividness of colours, the drone | | | | for the old and authentic. |
| of motorbikes, the smell of charcoal smoke | | | | FOOD |
| roasting goodness, and the cool of evaporation on | | | | Vietnamese cuisine is a fair-weathered friend to |
| the skin. | | | | the world with Viet restaurants flourishing and |
| Vietnam is in no rush to catch up with the rest of | | | | familiarizing the whole world starting with the ever |
| the world but it is flourishing to become one of | | | | famous pho. Pho is a true and loyal breakfast |
| the greatest tourist getaways. Adventure begins | | | | buddy, effervescent as it is universal alluring and |
| right here in the streets, the sea of bikes, around | | | | allowing everyone, locals and tourists alike, a taste |
| 4 million plaguing the traffic and giving the junkie | | | | of Vietnam-in-a-bowl. No, that is a garnish tray |
| some adrenaline high. This creates an imagery of | | | | not a fresh salad. You add in the sprouts, a |
| a surreal dream that is a nightmare to cross. For | | | | squeeze of lemon upon liking, then the chili and |
| travellers who come back a second, a third, a | | | | fish sauce, and finally, the coriander leaves. Now |
| fourth time around, Vietnam is lazily changing in a | | | | dissecting the banh mi, there you will find on that |
| pace of ebb and flow, but as the locals would say, | | | | crunchy and so good baguette a bed of succulent |
| "same same, but different". | | | | grilled pork, ham, vegetables, dressing, some |
| GEOGRAPHY | | | | shrimp paste and at times a fried runny egg |
| Vietnam (16 10 N, 107 50 E) is besotted for its | | | | surprise. This is the real deluxe sandwich. Another |
| heavily forested landscape of almost half the total | | | | favourite is the goi coun or fresh rice spring roll |
| area. With a total area of 331,688 km2, Vietnam | | | | which contains a healthy balance of pork, |
| runs along 3 other countries in the Indochina | | | | vegetable, and tofu. Banh xeo, also ubiquitous all |
| peninsula and is almost the size of Germany. | | | | over Vietnam is a light and hearty snack for no |
| Aside from forested land, hills and mountains also | | | | more than 20 cents which is essentially a bouquet |
| cover the terrain up north at 40% of the total | | | | of goodness on a crispy and crunchy rice and |
| area, with southern of Vietnam flat lands taking | | | | coco milk batter. This seems like the same batter |
| up less than 20%. The highest mountain (and | | | | as in Sri Lankan hoppers or the Indian dhosa-any |
| point) in Vietnam is the Phan Xi Pang, 3,143 | | | | possibility of influence? Again, Vietnamese flavour |
| metres above sea level, the South China Sea (0 | | | | is all about a balance of tastes- of sweet, sour, |
| metres). | | | | salty, definitely spicy with a hint of tart element |
| CLIMATE | | | | sans excessive oil. |
| The weather in Vietnam is diverse regionally with | | | | Would like some coffee to swirl it all down? I don't |
| an area large enough to cover 2 climate zones: | | | | know about most of you but the tinker of the |
| tropical and temperate. In North Vietnam, four | | | | slow drip of coffee on a bed of condensed |
| seasons embrace the temperate zone- winter, | | | | creaminess will make the traveller want to wake |
| spring, summer, and autumn. The Central | | | | up to this sound every morning. Similar to the |
| Highlands suffer extremes of hot summers and | | | | baguette, Vietnamese cuisine played mother to |
| cold winters, while the South Vietnam climate is | | | | French cuisine, rearing it as her own. As a result, |
| fundamentally tropical. The perfect time to be in | | | | freshly baked pastries and cakes the traveller can |
| Vietnam, upon critical suggestion would be from | | | | smell 5-7 houses down the road. |
| January to March, as months before or after are | | | | Life in Vietnam renders simplicity, but a good life |
| characterized by either very cold with flooding in | | | | is a dream to be had for the locals, and with an |
| some parts, or the high roasting sun. | | | | unimaginable demographic living near the poverty |
| PEOPLE | | | | line, the cost of living here tends to be really |
| In this relatively big country thrives a population of | | | | affordable particularly to the independent budget |
| 88,576,758 Vietnamese, most of which are Kinh | | | | traveller. Delight in the meagre offerings of |
| or Viets comprise almost 90% of the population | | | | traditional Vietnam while it is still possible, for |
| and, as such, practice political and economic | | | | whatever the weather, modernization will gradually |
| control, while a great many minority ethnic groups | | | | come regardless resistance. The only assurance |
| that are in existence are, by size, Tay, Muong, | | | | the traveller will get is to hope and make the self |
| Khome, Hoa, Nun, and about 47 others. Most | | | | believe that as things change, Vietnam will remain |
| Vietnamese are Buddhists but a sizeable 80% are | | | | "same same. |