Destination: Vietnam

Vietnam Highlights
Your comprehensive travel guide to Vietnam - All in one place!
Vietnam is a beautifully diverse holiday destination offering something for everyone. Whether you're a nature lover, history buff or culture fan, Vietnam attractions are a rich blend of sights, sounds, smells and experiences. From beaches to desert and tropical forests to mountains, there's plenty to feast your eyes upon. The ancient culture and historical significance of the country is also clearly evident in the pagodas and ruins, while the simplistic lifestyle of the locals and fishermen are a charming reminder of the 'old' days.

Geography
Vietnam is located in the southeastern extremity of the Indochinese peninsula and occupies about 331,688 square kilometers. The S-shaped country has a north-to-south distance of 1,650 kilometers and is about 50 kilometers wide at the narrowest point. Vietnam is a country of tropical lowlands, rolling green hills, and densely forested mountains. Low-level land covers about 20% of the country. The Red River delta is fronted by hills that rise gently into the high mountains of the northwest; the Annam Highlands cover much of the central landscape, and in the southern areas, the coastal lowlands and Mekong River Delta merge. A fertile and narrow coastal lowland extends south from the Red River Delta to the Mekong Delta.
The Red River (Song Hong), and the Mekong are the most significant rivers; both have numerous tributaries, and the latter is certainly among the great rivers of the world.

Culture
Vietnam inherited its cultural wealth from thousands of years of history, sprinkled with a handful of outside influences. Taoism and Confucianism still play a strong role in Vietnamese values. Chinese philosophy and customs are frequently found and French-inspired ingredients have been adapted across the country. Nonetheless, the Vietnamese have a strong sense of pride in their traditions and way of life. The central cities of Hue and Hoi An are treasure troves for culture lovers, as is Hanoi, the country’s graceful capital. Outside the cities, many elements of Vietnamese culture trace back to cycles of wet rice cultivation. These encompass everything from harvest festivals to table manners. There are countless ways to immerse yourself in the fabric of Vietnamese life, including cooking classes, craft workshops, temple tours, musical performances, rice-planting excursions, museums visits and much more.

Population
On the eastern tip of the Indochina peninsula in southeast of Asia, Vietnam is one of the larger and more densely populated countries in the region. An estimate puts the Vietnam population in 2019 at 96 million. For every square kilometer of land, there is an average of 291 people. That number converts to 112 individuals per square mile and overall, this becomes the 46th most densely populated country on earth.