Now really is the time to visit this rapidly developing, colourful and diverse south east Asian country.  Located along the South China Sea, Vietnam is a land bubbling with culture and history.  A country renowned for its shimmering paddy fields, stunning beaches, limestone islands of Halong Bay, elegant buddhist temples and bustling cities. Hanoi, the capital, pays homage to the nation’s iconic Communist leader, Ho Chi Minh, with an impressive marble mausoleum. Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) is known as the ‘Pearl of the Far East’ and has numerous French colonial buildings, plus war history museums and the infamous Củ Chi tunnels, used by Viet Cong soldiers.  With Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar close by, it’s worth combining your stay in Vietnam with any one of these fascinating and beautiful countries.