Vietnam

Vietnam is a highly populous country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. The official language is Vietnamese, but minority groups speak T├áy, Mã░ß╗Øng, Cham, Khmer, Chinese, N├╣ng, H’M├┤ng, and others. Most of these languages correspond to the names of the people who speak them. The terrain includes a lot of hills and forests, plus rivers and canals. The climate is pretty variable. Vietnam ranks among the top 20 in the world for level of biodiversity. Recent discoveries of new mammal and bird species include the saola, the giant muntjac, the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey, and the endangered Edwards’s Pheasant. While the Vietnam War did significant damage to the long-dominant agriculture industry, the country has shown strong economic growth lately. Manufacturing, information technology, and high-tech industries are big business today, along with oil and petroleum.

Yet natural beauty abounds in Vietnam. Paradise Cave in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is said to be the longest dry cave in the world. There are a number of places on UNESCO World Heritage Sites list, including Hạ Long Bay. It contains dramatic limestone karst islands rising out of the ocean, with thick vegetation on top and grottoes and caves underneath. Another
is the well-preserved trading port of Hội An, which was a premiere spot for commerce from the late 16th century to the late 18th century. If business or history capture your interest, this site could really speak to you.

Rice in multiple forms is very important in the Vietnamese diet. Breads and pastries reflect a French influence, and Vietnamese sandwiches (stuffed baguettes made with rice flour called bính m├¼) could be the best in Asia. Typical vegetables include greens like watercress, daikon radish, cucumbers, and carrots. Pork and fish, which can be eaten caramelized, are both very popular. You can find vegetarian restaurants in most towns, and sometimes many of them. Those places usually have Asian or American cuisine. If you’re really lucky you might come across a raw or macrobiotic spot. A light, healthy option is papaya salad, which usually contains shrimp, herbs, and other greens, and a vinaigrette dressing based on fish sauce along with shredded papaya (often green papaya). For a cooling treat, sip a sinh tß╗æ, a shake with a bit of condensed milk and a lot of flavorful fruit, such as strawberry, passionfruit, dragonfruit, or avocado.