The cultural centre of Vietnam, and the largest city is Ho Chi Min City, formerly known as Saigon. Unmistakeably modern and incredibly dynamic, Ho Chi Min City is a place that is teeming with cultural history, and has many excellent museums, fantastic ancient temples and pagodas, all of which offer insight into the nature of this country.
Vietnam has several great beach resorts, which are on the whole unspoiled by mass tourism, and still have a lot of charm. Da Nang in the south is a popular choice, as is Nha Trang. The best of all though is Phan Thiet, between Nha Trang and Ho Chi Min City, where a 21KM stretch of unspoilt beach awaits the traveller.
