My first experience of Hanoi was the ride to the hotel late in the evening. In fact, as I sat in the back of the taxi, I had my hands over my eyes. Motorbikes and bikes were coming at us in all directions. How was I ever going to cross the road? Advice from our guide was wait for a break in the traffic, step out onto the road, and walk. Don't run and whatever you do, do not stop. The riders will judge your speed and go around you. There are no such rules as giving away to pedestrians.

To start exploring Hanoi there is no better place to start than the 'Old Quarter'. Hoan Kiem Lake is located right in the heart of Hanoi (the lake of the restored sword). From the lake continue north along Le Thai Tho and you will enter the '36 streets'. This area dates back to the 13th century and each street was named after the merchandise sold in that street traditionally, eg. paper, silk, lanterns. Today you will find that it may not be necessarily the product that the street has been named after.

Two km west of Hoan Kiem Lake is the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu Pagoda). This temple is dedicated to Confucius. This is an example of well-preserved Vietnamese architecture and is certainly worth a visit.

The next place to visit would be the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex. Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum is the final resting place of Ho Chi Minh. Please note that you are not allowed to take cameras or bags and must be left at the reception hall. You are taken through Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum by the guards. You must all walk at the same pace, no stopping and definitely no talking. Didn't want to find out the consequences of what might have happened if you failed to comply with the above. From Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum it was to Ho Chi Minh's Stilt House and the Presidential Palace. The stilt house was built in the style of Vietnam's ethnic minorities. Near the stilt house is the Presidential Palace, which is now only used for official receptions and is not open to the public. Also found in the complex is the One Pillar Pagoda where Vietnamese couples go to get a blessing in the hope that they will have a son.

In order to see the majority Kinh people as well as the other 53 minority peoples the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology has displays of everyday objects and art gathered from these tribal people.

Well worth a visit is the Municipal Water Puppet Theatre located in the Old Quarter. You will find that along with the admission fee you will need to pay a fee to take your camera/handy cam. Water puppetry originated in the Red River Delta of Northern Vietnam. The puppets are carved from water-resistant wood and represent traditional rural lifestyles and mythical creatures.

At last, but not least, the Hanoi Hilton (Hoa Lo Prison). Not only has this prison had patriots and revolutionary figures imprisoned and tortured towards the end of the 19th century but in October 1954 it became a state prison to detain criminal offenders and then from 5 August 1964 until 31 March 1973 American pilots were detained after there aircraft had been shot down over Ha Noi and the Americans gave Hoa Lo the nickname 'Hanoi Hilton.

And if you still have time there are a number of villages surrounding Hanoi that specialise in particular crafts. One of these is Bat Trang and is known as the 'ceramic village'. You can pick up some very reasonably priced pieces. If you don't have the room to take it with you they will pack it up and ship it home for you.

For 30 VND (approximately A$3) we headed out into Halong Bay on a junk. As we headed out Halong Bay was covered in a mist. Apparently this is how Halong Bay is most of the time and you are very lucky if you get a clear day.

We were somewhat disappointed in the first part of our trip as there was rubbish floating everywhere in the water. Unfortunately, ecological responsibility has not hit this area yet, but as we got further in, it all disappeared.

Your junk will stop to allow a swim. The water in Halong Bay is extremely salty. You are able to get cold drinks and snacks on the junk.

Our stop for the night was a place called Cat Ba Island. It is the largest island in the vicinity of Halong Bay. Cat Ba Island has a few fishing and farming villages. It was declared a national park in 1986 to protect the island’s diverse ecosystems. There are numerous floating restaurants in Cat Ba Harbour. It is a very interesting dining experience. In some cases, these are also fish farms, so you can be reassured that the fish you are getting for dinner is fresh. Just a word of warning! The restaurant brought a plate of greens out to go in a dish being cooked at the table. Hygiene is not of the standard you would find in Australia and I must say there were a number of bugs running from this plate of greens. Be reassured that I made sure than none ended up in my dinner.

On our next morning, we explored Cat Ba Island. Taking a walk to the local markets to see what the fishermen had brought into sell. The smells do assault your senses so if you have a week stomach I would suggest waiting outside the markets.

Our trip back to the mainland on the junk was a memorable one as the boat crew served up the most spectacular seafood lunch I have ever had.

At Dong Ha, we hopped onto our bus to explore the DMZ or Demilitarised Zone. The area surrounding the former border between North and South Vietnam at the 17th Parallel is still referred to as the DMZ. There are still places in the DMZ where there are live mortar rounds, artillery projectiles, and mines.

There are a number of places to visit one of these being the Vinh Moc Tunnel. There is 2.8km of tunnels. Vinh Moc's underground passageways are also larger and taller than those at Cu Chi, which makes it easier and less claustrophobic visit.

Khe Sanh Combat Base is the site of the most famous siege of the American War in Vietnam. Now hosts a museum with American helicopters, etc.

The Hien Luong Bridge over the historic Ben Hai River at the 17th Parallel within the former DMZ.

From here, we proceeded to Hue. Hue is situated on the banks of the perfume river and is a small and peaceful city with a royal and religious history. Hue is also known for the beauty of its women.

A visit to the Royal Citadel is a must. The Royal Citadel was constructed between 1804 and 1832 in consultation with the royal astrologers and geomancers. It covers 520 hectares and comprises three concentric enclosures. You can see the nine holy cannons located just inside the Citadel ramparts, flag tower, Ngo Mon Gate - the principal centre to the Imperial Enclosure and the nine dynastic urns.

Thien Mu Pagoda is an active monastery originally constructed in 1601. It sits on the banks of the Perfume River. You will find the Austin motorcar that transported the omnk Thich Quang Duc to the site of his 1963 self-immolation. He travelled to Saign and publicly burned himself to death to protect the policies of President Ngo Dinh Diem.

There are a number of Vietnam's former emperors buried in spectacular tombs in the hills surrounding Hue. We visited the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc (1848-83). It includes a lotus lake, pavilions and a small palace amongst pines groves and is all beautifully landscape. The second tomb we visited was Emperor Ming Mang (1820-41) is also set in grounds with portals, bridges, lakes and pavilions and the third tomb was Emperor Khai Dinh (1916-25). The tomb houses intricate mosaics and they have combine Vietnamese and French cultural traditions in this tomb.

To end the day a relaxing cruise down the Perfume River from Thien Mu Pagoda back to our hotel. One thing that Hue is noted for is its Conical Hats. Hue specialises in making 'poem hats' which when held up to the light reveal black cut-out scenes that are sandwiched between the layers of translucent palm leaves.

Da Nang was the favourite ‘rest and recreation' area for U.S. servicemen during the Second Indochina War. The only major attraction is the Cham Museum. The museum has sandstone carvings from the Kingdom of Champa dating from the 7th to the 15th centuries.

Also in the vicinity of Da Nang is Marble Mountain and China Beach. China Beach is a line of beaches that stretches almost 30km south of Da Nang. This was a favourite 'Rest and Recreation' area for US servicemen during the Second Indochina War. Marble Mountain is located 30km from Hoi An and is a series of large limestone outcrops that have acquired a mythical status over the centuries. There are 200 unevenly hewn steps should you wish to climb Marble Mountain. At the foot of Marble Mountain are marbles workshops were you can purchase marbles sculptures.

Hoi An is one of my favourite places in Vietnam. The Old Town is World Heritage listed. It is one of Southeast Asia's most famed trading ports. Shop houses and temples feature styles from Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, French and Vietnamese communities in 19th century streetscape, which has escaped the ravages of war and modernization.

Shoppers haven. This is the place to get your clothes and shoes made. Many of the tailors will have your clothes made up within 24 hours. If you are looking for an extremely good tailor in Hoi An then try Thu Thuy, 60 Le Loi Street.

Also worth doing is a boat trip on the Thu Bon River. You may be lucky enough to see one of the fishermen throwing his nets to get fish.

Also two things you must try when you are in Hoi An is "Cao Lau'. Thick rice flour noodles are served with a handful of bean sprouts and greens, pork croutons, and slices. Crumble of crispy rice cracker over the top and Hoanh Thanh Chien (Fried Wonton) is a delicious Hoi An specialty. Crispy fried wontons are filled with meat and toped with vegetables, shrimp or crab, and a sweet and sour sauce.

A suggestion is to find boat that will take you out for the day stopping at Mieu Island with its fascinating fishing village. In some cases the villagers will come out to meet you in their basket boats, take you to shore, you walk to the other side of the Island where your cruise boat. If you are lucky the boat you are on will offer massages, manicures and pedicures. Will stop to allow you to swim in the South China Sea and will serve you up a spectacular seafood lunch.

About an hour by cyclo is the mud baths. There are single and double mud bath tubs filled with fresh warm mud and a hot spring with a waterfall and a heated swimming pool. Take your swimwear and feel like a new person!

Bao Dai's summer residence was built in the 1930s and the summer residence and hunting lodge for the last Emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai. It is a classical piece of nautical art deco style.

Hang Nga Guesthouse is a bizarre guesthouse and is also known as the Crazy House. Animal-themed rooms have been built by a Vietnamese architect whose father was a former president.

Lam Ty Ni Pagoda is on a quiet hilltop pagoda, which is home to Dalat's better-known resident, Vien Thuc. Vien Thuc describes himself as an artist monk and his studio houses an amazing collection of his own unique artwork.

Ga Dalat is Dalat's railway station and is another decaying relic of the French era. It is only possible to travel 8km to the village of Trai Mat with views of Dalat's rich vegetable gardens.

Dalat Markets is located in the heart of town and is one of Vietnam's most interesting markets, which is all the rich produce from the surrounding area. Fresh flowers can be found and roses can be purchased at 60C a bunch and a kilo of cashew nuts at A$6 a kilo.

Dalat is truly a beautiful place and such a contrast from the coastal areas.

You can get around Saigon on foot and taxis are cheap, but make sure they are metered.

Places to visit:

War Remnants Museum. You will see very graphic and disturbing accounts of atrocities committed by US Forces during the Vietnam War. This can be quite confronting and upsetting.

Reunification Hall. Formerly the Presidential Palace. This building was the home of the last three Presidents of South Vietnam. Film footage of Communist tanks crashing through the palace gates on April 30 1975 came to symbolize the end of the Vietnam War.

Notre Dame Cathedral. Saigon's main Catholic cathedral built by the French in the 1880s. The twin spires were for decades the city's best-known landmark.

Dong Khoi Street. This street features some of the city's most historic French colonial buildings including the Majestic and Continental Hotels, the theatre, cathedral and post office. Both sides of Dong Khoi Street are lined with tamarind trees.

Cholon. Saigon's Chinatown district is a must see. Binh ay Market is the main market of Colon. Take a walk through the packed aisles for a look at Vietnamese and Chinese doing about their daily business.

Saigon is a great place for shopping and well worth a visit is the Ben Thnah Market on Le Loi Street for a bargain or two. The Russian market opposite the Rex Hotel. If you want some clothes made I can recommend Mangrove, 83 Mac Thi Buoi, District 1.

The most famous of sites that you must pay a visit to is the Cu Chi Tunnels. See how the VC lived; go down into a tunnel if you are game! Please note that these tunnels are extremely small. In the same area is the Chu Chi War History Museum, but you will find the tunnels more interesting.