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Vietnam is in Southeast Asia. The Central Highlands, are hilly and covered with lush forest, features tribes and the occasional elephant, but is still accessible to the more adventurous. Dalat, the former retreat of the French is the largest city in the Central Highlands with a great golf course and the tallest mountain nearby. The Central Coast, around the ancient city of Hue, is the home of the still recent Vietnamese kings. The North, around Hanoi from the Red River Delta to high mountains near China, to the World Heritage site Ha Long Bay. The Central Highlands, are hilly and covered with lush forest, features tribes and the occasional elephant, but is still accessible to the more adventurous, Dalat.

The main local airlines in Vietnam are Vietnam Airlines, a full-service airline. Long-distance bus services unite most cities in Vietnam. Most depart early in the morning to accommodate traffic and late afternoon rains, or run overnight. Vietnamese spoken by most of the population, is a tonal language and definitely not   easy for Westerners to master. It is written in the Latin alphabet similar to most European languages. Flights are the fastest way to travel the distance of this long country; the trip from Hanoi to HCMC will take about 2 hours by plane.

Watch out for ice in drinks. Factory-made ice is usually secure, but anything besides can be suspect. Draft beer is made daily. It's available throughout Vietnam, mostly from small bars on street corners. BIA hoi bars will give you the opportunity to relax drinking in a typical Vietnamese bar surrounded by the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Souvenir shops in Vietnam sell lots of T-shirts with the red flag and portraits of Uncle Ho. They may make good souvenirs. Vietnamese are highly critical of the government of Vietnam you are advised not to wear communist paraphernalia in their communities.