Vietnam Cities - which is north and which is south? Where to go and why?

Halong Bay, Vietname.

The city in the south is the capital, renamed Ho Chi Minh city, named after the revolutionary leader.

Seventy per cent of the visitors to the country go to the capital first. My family had already been there, so we went to Hanoi.

I like Hanoi. I was delighted by our side trip to romantic Halong Bay which has green mountains like monument valley on land and most excitingly reflected in the blue sea..

I would have liked to have seen both major cities. But they were not nearby.

The city in the south was previously called Saigon and that name has gone, yet some people still use it. The name Saigon has various suggested origins, one of which is the kapok tree. The word Saigon is two syllables, one meaning wood, the other meaning pole, forest. 

The capital city, renamed Ho Chi Minh city, has memories of the Vietnam war and Ho Chi Minh and the tunnels called Cho Chi - the word Chi again. 

Ho is a family name. Chi means will. 

The northern city, Hanoi has Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum. You pass it on the open top hop on hop off bus tour. Hanoi's landscape feature is the two adjacent lakes, one of which is next to the old town and you walk around it. During festivities and holidays, such as Christmas and New Year when we were there, the area is pedestrianised. 

I enjoyed Hanoi but the potholes in the pavements (USA sidewalks) and zig-zagging scooters hooting when you cross the roads, make it scary for the nervous or elderly.

Highlight of my trip to Hanoi was a side trip to Halong Bay, overnight on a cruise ship. Photos often show just one boat amid the majestic scenery. I think that is supposed to be more romantic.

I was afraid that you would be lost in the remote seas, far from any other boats or people, stranded alone like the Titanic. 

Far from it. Rows of boats of all sizes are along the quayside, shops selling clothes and hats. As you sail, you pass other boats. 

Even when you are in a small motorboat going through the caves, lots of other tourists are in boats ahead and in front.

I found seeing lots of other tourists reassuring.   

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Angela Lansbury

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