|  Vietnam is not your commonplace holiday resort however its popularity is growing especially with back packers. If you are up for an inspirational journey to really get into the heart of a foreign country and explore its hidden wonders then Vietnam is the place for you.
It is a developing country that was destroyed by war for nine long years, and the scars still run deep. However the people are extremely welcoming and tourism is fast becoming the trade to lift the country back onto its feet. Vietnam is a poor country, which means travel and accommodation, by our standards, is extremely cheap. In the cities there are many hotels big chain hotels and small locally run hotels. The smaller hotels are generally extremely basic and offer very little in the way of comfort, but are very cheap. You can get a double room as little as roughly £2 and you can haggle the price if you are staying for a few nights.
Even the large chain hotels are much cheaper per night; for example, the five star Hilton in Hanoi is around £80 per night in a King room compared with around £200 at one of London's Hiltons. But for an authentic, cultural visit you should slum it in the cheaper hotels and spend the extra cash on sightseeing and staying longer!
Vietnam is especially popular with back packers because the whole country can be enjoyed on a tight budget. With everything being much cheaper out there you can travel around and take in the whole country, as there are so many places of interest to visit.
In the south of the country the main city is Ho Chi Minh, formerly Saigon, an extremely busy, lively city. On arrival it rapidly becomes clear how different the way of life here is. The streets are crammed with mopeds, bicycles and taxis and make crossing the road a leap of faith. The streets are lined with people grouped on the pavements apparently living there. It seems that most people live, eat, sleep and do business on the streets. In England that would be a terrible state of affairs but here they seem happy!
This city really is an assault on the senses; the sounds of the traffic and the banter; the smells of food being cooked roadside, and the revolting smell of the Dorian fruit; and all the sights to be seen. Must sees in Ho Chi Minh include the History Museum, Unification Palace, the Former U.S Embassy, Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda. As far as shopping is concerned the city offers everything; clothes to antiques, to handcrafted artwork to delightfully tacky souvenirs. Ben Thanh Market has absolutely everything offers a real insight into the Vietnamese culture. Interestingly there are hundreds of tailor shops in the cities which let you pick an item of clothing from any catalogue for example Next and they will make it for you by the next day. The quality is outstanding and will cost you a fraction of our prices.
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