Vietnam you see today is steeped in ancient rites and traditions that have survived throughout the bumps and scrapes of history. It’s a place where handmade water puppets spin elaborate tales, singing kites soar overhead, highland markets promise the hope of love to young villagers, and Mekong River markets float. A passion for beauty flows from poetry and paintings, from palaces and pagodas. It’s a beauty rooted in the past and complimented by the natural surroundings of the present.

Sharp-angled mountains, cloaked in dense foliage, jut from forest and sea. Impossibly long stretches of white sand shimmer under the warm afternoon sun. Lush vegetation masks rivers edge. Immense caves gulp seawater. Ho Chi Minh City is calling out to you. Hanoi is whispering your name. And the beaches are beckoning.