December 2005 - Vietnam Visit

We visited Vietnam  during our Xmas 2005 holiday.  Our first port of call was Nha Trang which is a seaside resort area in South Vietnam. We spent 4 days here over Xmas.  Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate as it was cloudy, overcast and chilly.  In addition a bad storm had hit the area a few weeks before our visit and much of the beach had eroded.  Despite less than ideal weather we enjoyed our stay and had a nice holiday.  Click here to read about our Nha Trang visit and view pictures from our visit here. After Nha Trang we visited Ho Chi Minh City (also still known as Siagon) for 3 days.  Click here to read about our Ho Chi Minh City visit and view pictures from our visit here. Being an American that grew up during the Vietnam/US conflict I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of friendliness from the people.  I recognize that its been 30 years since the conflict ended and I guess that is the key to the message that "time can heal all wounds".  We didn't sense any hostilities towards us and people were very friendly and helpful.  I guess part of their eagerness to please is driven from economic realities of trying to survive as the country becomes a more capitalistic society.  In addition, most of the people we came into contact with were young and were probably not alive during the conflict so do not probably harbor any ill will towards Americans. Local food vendor in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Anette and Kimberly at streetside cafe in Ho Chi Minh City Saigon skyline from river.  Click on picture to see more postcards from Vietnam Vietnam Facts Country name:  Socialist Republic of Vietnam Capital City Hanoi Languages: More than 80 percent of the population speaks Vietnamese or Kihn/Viet, the national language.  Many ethnic minority people speak Kinh as well as their own native language.  Three scripts have influenced Vietnam's history: Han Chinese ideograms were used in the beginning of the 20th century; The nom script, created between the 11th and 14th century, was derived from Han script to transcribe the Vietnamese language; European missionaries in the 17th century developed Quoc Ngu, the Romanized transcription of the Vietnamese language used to this day. Ethnic Groups: There are 54 ethnic groups living in Vietnam.  The Viet, or Kinh, people account for 88 percent of Vietnam's population and are mostly concentrated in the lowlands.  In contrast, most of the country's 5.5 million ethnic minority peoples live in mountainous areas.  Major groups include the Tay (960,000); the Nung (152,000); the Thai (770,000); the Muong (700,000); the H'mong (441,000); the Zao (340,000); the Hoa (930,000); the Khmer (720,000); the Bana (100,000); the Giarai (184,000); and the Ede (140,000). Population: 82 million Religions: Major spiritual influences in Vietnam include Buddhism, Confucianism, and Ancestor Worship.  Christianity arrived in the late 18th century and is now the second major religion following Buddhism.  Other religions practiced include Islam and Cao Dai, with concentrations in the South. Land Area: 330,991 square kilometers Currency: Dong (VND) Climate: Tropical Useful Web links      Lonely Planet Guide on Vietnam Vietnam Adventure Travel Vietnam Travel Guide Vietnam.com Sofitel Vin Pearl Resort (Nha Trang) Saigon Park Hyatt