A Million Shades of Green

The first country I visited in Southeast Asia was Vietnam, and I fell in love with that country right away. I don't think I've ever seen so many shades of green, and the people were very gracious and kind. I've heard that's changed a bit, because when I visited in 1995, the tourist cash cow stampede was just beginning. I long to go back there: you get thirty days on your visa and that's barely enough time to see the entire country. Hanoi has a rustic, and rusty, feel about it, replete with beautiful yellow buildings that are a holdover from when the French colonized Vietnam. I spent Christmas 1995 exploring the old tombs of Hue in pouring rain and had a great time. Hoi An is a wonderful little town, an old trading port where you can get great tailor-made clothes quickly and cheaply! The Marble Mountains and surrounding countryside are breathtaking. And then, there is Saigon--you would think the Americans never left. That ugly sixties architecture is still there! It's a wild town that can give Bangkok a run for its money. While you're down there, explore the Mekong Delta and surrounding rural areas. If I had my choice of countries to which I could return immediately, I would have to say Vietnam.

• Hanoi

• Hue

• Hoi An

• Saigon