Hoi An - Old Vietnam

Hoi An is a quaint old city, making it to the UNESCO World Heritage List due to the fact that it is virtually unscathed from the wars and retains its old buildings and way of life going back 500 years.  Previously called Faifo, Hoi An was a significant port of call by the Japanese and Chinese traders.  They left their mark on this city with structures such as a bridge and shop houses.  It’s a peaceful place, with trishaws, boats, craftsmen, heritage buildings and great food.

There are a lot of things to see and do in Hoi An with lost of great food, accommodation and shopping.  Both Wikitravel and Lonely Planet have a comprehensive guide on Hoi An.

Hoi An is a jump off point for many tours.  So setup base camp in Hoi An and off to the Marble Mountains, the Cham Islands, My Lai Peace Park, My Son and many other tours.  My Son is an archaeological site full of 4^th to 14^th century temples build by the Champa.  The Cham people of Vietnam are descendants of this civilization. The My Lai Peace Park is a Vietnamese-American dedication to peace in memory of the My Lai massacre.

This video by overlander gives us a glimpse of Hoi An.  Do take of note the short Cham dance snippets contained in this video.

Hue - Vietnam's Soul

Hue was the seat and Imperial capital of the Nguyen Emperors of Vietnam.  Hue today has a complex of imperial remains such as the citadel and the Purple Forbidden City within, making Hue attain the UNESCO World Heritage List.

As the centre of Vietnamese culture, Hue gives an insight into Vietnamese culture, a peek into the soul of the Vietnamese people.  You will be able to soak in the traditional Vietnamese music and song, and admire the traditional craftsmanship such as mosaic making.  And don't forget to drop by a tailor shop and get an Ao Dai, the enchanting national dress of Vietnam and worn by most Vietnamese women.

Besides the Imperial Complex, Imperial Tombs and the Eiffel Bridge (Trang Tien Bridge), you should check out the dinner cruise on the Perfume River, making sure that live Hue cultural performances are shown abroad the dragon boat.  If possible, schedule your trip to be in Hue in the first week of June on an even year (2012 for eg), to soak in the Hue festival.

And if you have the time, you should exit Hue and travel to Hoi An, a city virtually unscathed by war and showcases buildings from the 15^th to 19^th century, On the way do drop by Danang to view the sculptures in the Cham Museum. Try the Beer La Rue in Danang, a nice Danang brewed beer of French heritage.

This video by UNESCO gives a glimpse of the Imperial Complex, traditional music and mosaics making.

Penang - A Victorian Legacy

The Europeans came to Asia looking for riches from spices and trade.  The British created free ports such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Penang to get a share of the money of the Chinese traders.  The first of these free ports was Penang, established in 1786.

Armenians, Danes, Germans, Jews, British, Punjabis, Tamils, Malayalees, Bengalis, Arabs, Straits Chinese, Chinese, Siamese, Burmese, Achehnese, Javanese and Malays flocked to this beautiful island and were richly rewarded for their toils and enterprise.

The umbrella of the British Empire ensured that property was protected by law and the thriving community build institutions and shared their food and cultures.  We can see the cemetaries, houses of worship, clan houses, beautiful parks and beaches and taste the mouth watering mix of food and drink that uniquely defines Penang.  This unique melting pot has resulted in the capital city, Georgetown, to be listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, a joint listing with its sister heritage city, Malacca. It should be noted that Penang's special home grown dish 'Assam Laksa'  made it to the top 10 (at number 7) of CNN's World's 50 most delicious food.

This video by Alfred and Jasmin Grech from their holiday in Penang sums it all.  Its a colorful montage of the various spots to see and things to do in this cosmopolitan creation of the British Empire.