Travel to Vietnam

Vietnam is long and narrow, running from mountainous northern borders with China to the flat, watery Mekong Delta in the far south.

It reads as three parts: the north, with Hanoi, Halong Bay and the rice terraces of Sapa; the centre, with Hue, Hoi An, Da Nang and the Phong Nha caves; and the south, with Ho Chi Minh City and the delta.

• Northern Vietnam, characterized by mountainous areas and strong cultural diversity
• Central Vietnam, shaped by coastal landscapes and historical cities
• Southern Vietnam, defined by river systems and tropical environments

Each calls for its own timing and pace, and the distances between them are longer than they look.

Vietnamese culture blends deep Confucian and Buddhist roots, a long history with China, and a visible French colonial layer in its cities and cooking.

Imperial Hue, the lantern-lit streets of Hoi An, the ethnic-minority communities of the northern highlands, and the memory of the war years each tell a different part of the story.

Food is central to all of it, and it changes noticeably from north to south — reason enough to slow down and eat your way through the regions.

Vietnam is well set up for travel, with a long rail line, cheap flights and good coastal roads, but its length means transfers add up quickly.

Seasons vary by region: the south is tropical year-round, the north has a cool dry winter, and the central coast has a rainy, sometimes stormy season from roughly September to December.

Matching the route to the season is what keeps a trip from running into rain in one region while chasing sun in another.