Total pandemonium. In Vietnam, there doesn’t seem to be any time for rest. Traffic from all directions overwhelms your senses. The violent flowing rivers of motorcycles and scooters of Saigon merge with surprisingly safe and meticulous ease. Watching an intersection for only a few minutes will trick you into believing you are watching flies in a jar.

The new Vietnam means business. It is a country in sheer economic growth. Everyone seems to sell. Alongside the bustling streets, the people also share their collection of noises: “Cheap!”, “Motorbike!”, “Sale!”, “One picture, one dollar!”, “Give tip!”

Tranquil Vietnam unveils in the countryside, where you dive into the charm of a collection of shades of green in the extensive rice paddies and jungle. Close to Ho Chi Minh city is the Caodai Temple, the headquarters of the Cao Dai religion, widespread in South Vietnam and the Mekong Delta, an overly populated area, filled with floating markets.

Driving North, we stopped at the hill station of Dalat and the sea resort of Nha Trang surrounded by its tropical islands. We rested in Hoian, an island that preserves the traditional architecture of Vietnam, and in Hue, the old imperial capital, that was heavily bombed by the North Vietnamese and American Forces, but still, despite the destruction, preserves ancient vestiges of the Imperial times.

Hanoi, the capital of the country, is surrounded by remarkable sites. Around the city is the old citadel of Hua Lu, the first capital of the unified and independent Vietnam of the 10th century, surrounded by the extremely picturesque karsts peaks of Tam-Coc, and also the holy place of the Perfume Pagoda.

Halong Bay is the “jewel of the crown,” Vietnam’s major attraction, with its karsts peaks popping out of the sea. But any trip in Vietnam would be incomplete without a tour to the North, in Sapa and Ba Cha, to admire the markets populated by the local minorities dressed in amazingly colorful traditional costumes.