In recent years,  Vietnam  has established itself as a popular holiday destination in the Far East. Mark explores the sights and sounds. Vietnam is a destination that combines incredible scenery and a varied history with vibrant cities, great food and exceptionally friendly people. This is a country of contrasts, and none more apparent than that of its two main cities, the elegant and charming capital Hanoi and the vibrant southern powerhouse Saigon. Both are well worth a few days to explore, and Vietnam's geography makes it easy to start your journey in one and finish in the other. Hanoi 's French influence is apparent in its elegant buildings and tree-lined avenues – the Old Quarter is a fascinating place to wander through. The pretty Hoan Kiem Lake is a good place from which to get your bearings, with the photogenic Rising Sun Bridge crossing the water. Close by, Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum is most popular with Vietnamese visitors, who come to see Uncle Ho's final r...

Vietnam is one of our favourite destinations, with a great combination of incredible scenery and  a varied history with vibrant cities, great food and exceptionally friendly people - laze on the beach,  explore the cities, head to the hills or combine all of it! Escape Worldwide 's Mark visited most parts of the Country on a whirlwind visit recently, and brings you his take on this incredible destination . . . Vietnam is a country of contrasts, none more apparent than that of its two main cities, the elegant and charming capital Hanoi; and the vibrant southern powerhouse Saigon. Vietnam’s geography makes it easy to start your journey in one and finish in the other, and to my mind both are well worth a few days Meet Uncle Ho! Hanoi's  French influence is apparent in its buildings and avenues, while the Old Quarter dates back 1,000 years and is a fascinating place to wander - I got completely lost ...

At Number 4...... Bargain Beer For a small town, Hoi An in Central Vietnam has an amazing array of beers available, and is quite possibly the cheapest place for a beer you’re likely to find – that’s ignoring the town’s incredible history and beautifully restored UNESCO-listed Old Town, of course – it’s not all about the beer, you know! Hoi An is one of our favourite parts of the Far East , rammed with historical interest but with great beaches, a relaxed atmosphere and some superb dining and drinking options. A few days here is highly recommended on any Vietnamitinerary . Throughout Vietnam it’s easy to get a beer for around 12,000 Dong - a mere 40p! In many local bars (and for local read tourist bars, but outside of the larger hotels), a bottle of local beer such as Saigon or Larue will cost 12,000 to 15,000 (40p - 50p), or up to a whopping 30,000 Dong (£1) in a pricier venue. That’s for a large 450ml bottle of very pleasant beer indeed! Central Vietnam also has a number of lo...

Mark's currently sitting in a bar in Vietnam, so it seems like there's no better time to ask him about the beverages he's been 'testing out' there... The cost of beer in Vietnam depends on what you drink and where you drink it, but overall the simple answer is - beer is very cheap in Vietnam! Hotels are obviously the most expensive place to drink beer in Vietnam, but even here things do vary dramatically. Business-orientated hotels in the main centres are the most expensive, with a bottle of Heineken or similar at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Saigon being 110,000 Dong (£3.65), although in their rooftop Bar add an extra £1 (worth it for the view!) At the other end of things, you can easily get a beer at 12,000 Dong - a mere 40p! In many local bars (and for local read tourist bars, but outside of the larger hotels), a bottle of local beer such as Saigon or Larue will cost 12,000 to 15,000 (40p - 50p), or up to a whopping 30,000 Dong (£1) in a pricier venue. That’...

Darren spent a morning teaching English to Vietnamese kids when he was in Central Vietnam! “It’s alarming what you’ll agree to after a few beers in a bar. I was on the last day of a Vietnam trip and I was in the seaside town of Nha Trang. I’d seen so much of Vietnam over the past week or so that I was planning a relaxed evening of good food and plenty of beer – not difficult in Vietnam! I’d dined well, with scrummy spring rolls for starters and local seafood for a main course, and was now looking for a few beers to finish off the evening. I’d been recommended a local bar called the Crazy Kim Bar, named after the larger than life owner, Kim. The beer was cold and cheap (as it always tends to be in Vietnam!) but the Crazy Kim Bar was slightly different to the other bars in Nha Trang. During the day, Kim ran classes for local street kids, where visitors could spend a few hours teaching English to them – no experience needed. I signed up on the spot! Early next day and I was back in the ba...

Hi all, We have some great holiday offers to Pattaya in Thailand, Cairo in Egypt and a great tour of Vietnam this week. Check them out: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/newsletter/offers/Sep09b2.html I was fortunate enough to go to Vietnam last year and it is a truly amazing place. The people are so open and friendly, which is surprising considering their checkered history. The food is great and there is so much to see and do. I loved Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), it's a mad place with motorcycles all over the place and it is a true challenge just to cross the road! Cairo is another great place and when I came up to the Pyramids at Giza was pleasantly surprise to see that they didn't disappoint ! Happy travelling! Darren