Visit Viet Nam

I am secretly Vietnamese, but you cannot tell by looking as I have a large caucasian birthmark which covers my entire body. I love Vietnamese cuisine. This is perhaps the most perfect of all Asian cooking styles. There is little deep frying, and the freshness and crispness of the vegetables comes through with every bite.
Viet Nam is a very long slender country, and the best way to see it is by train or by riverboat. The train will take you along the full length of the country. A riverboat will take you through the Mekong Delta: the world epicentre of rice production.
To my mind the best way to travel in and see much of Viet Nam is by train. To find out how easy this is, I recommend you visit Seat 61 dot com and puruse the page on trains in this crowded and active country. The Vietnamese state rail company also has an English language website, and will take advance booking.
In Hanoi the greatest cultural attraction is the Thang Long national water puppet theatre at 57B Dinh Tien Hoang (near the N.E. corner of Hoan Kiem Lake in the centre of the city. This is a national treasure, and an amazing sight. The puppets come up out of the pool of water used as the stage. Performances are daily.
My choice for the place to stay is within the confines of the old city. The Old quarter, with streets named after the craft practiced there (such as tin, or silk, or tombstone street) hosts hundreds of inns and hotels and great eateries. This is one fo the world's great travel bargains. And if you want the ultimate rooming experience, then the Metropole is just east-south-east of the central lake.
In the centre of the country, not too far from the thin waist of the nation, is the old royal capital city of Hue. This place is best known to the west as the site of the battle of Hue during the Tet offensive in February 1968. Now it is a pleasant resort town with world heritage site ruins of the royal citadel. Daily trains from Hanoi run to Hue. A first class ticket on the SE1 overnight train costs about $30.
Four hours south by train is the stop in Da Nang, and up-and-coming industrial and port city. The ride between Hue and Danang is the most beautiful train journey (trains SH1 and SE3 cost about $6) on earth. The verdant hills and waterfalls, with the South China Sea spread out to the east, is simply stunning. Once in Danang, quickly leave for a short 20km motorcycle hop to the exquisite town of Hoi An. The town is a gem of old architecture and good food. Watch for ancient Hoi An pottery sunk in 1490, and recovered lately. Small jars can be had for $20.
The southern capital of Saigon (formally titled Ho Chi Minh City) is big and noisy and full of so much traffic you will be unable to cross the street. In Saigon it is usually worth getting massages and foot rubs on Dong Koi street. Also, if you want a professional oil portrait done, this is the place. Take along a good qaulity image you would like painted, then find a gallery in the area between the Rex Hotel and Dong Koi. They will paint it in one month, then send it by post to you in Canada. We had this done, and are still delighted with the result. A train (TN7) from Da Nang to Sai Gon (TP HCM), first class sleeper overnight, costs about $35.
So go soon. And fall in love with Viet Nam.