Vietnam

Vietnam unfolds like a story told from north to south. In Hanoi, the day begins with tai chi beside Hoan Kiem Lake, motorbikes weaving through the Old Quarter and the scent of pho drifting from street-side kitchens. A few hours east, thousands of limestone islands rise from the emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, best seen from the deck of an overnight cruise as the mist lifts at dawn. Further north, the rice terraces of Sapa ripple down the mountains, home to Hmong and Dao villages where life still follows the seasons.

The centre is Vietnam's cultural heart. Hue guards the citadel and royal tombs of the country's last emperors, and the scenic Hai Van Pass winds down to the beaches of Da Nang. Just beyond, Hoi An glows each evening as silk lanterns light its ochre shophouses and old wooden boats drift along the Thu Bon River.

In the south, Ho Chi Minh City moves at full speed: French colonial landmarks, rooftop bars and some of Asia's most exciting street food. From here, the Mekong Delta opens up a slower world of floating markets, fruit orchards and sampans gliding through palm-lined canals, while Phu Quoc offers white sand and warm sunsets on the Gulf of Thailand.

What stays with travellers most is the everyday: a cup of egg coffee in a hidden Hanoi cafe, a cooking class with fresh herbs from the market, a bicycle ride through Hoi An's rice fields, the warmth of a family welcome in the Delta.