Northern Vietnam for Tourists

In the imaginations of many Americans, Vietnam is still divided into two regions, namely the north and the south of the Vietnam War. For tourists, northern Vietnam combines the ancient history of the Vietnamese people with the more modern history of the Vietnam War, all of it alongside some of the most breathtaking scenery in the country. Still, Vietnam remains one of the world's poorer countries, so travel there requires some preparation.

Entry Requirements
Americans traveling to Vietnam need a visa. The country has no Visa on Arrival service, so the visa must be acquired prior to departure. Applications consisting of a completed application form, one passport photo, passport, and fees paid by money order, cashier's check or certified check may be submitted up to six months in advance, either by mail or in person, at the Vietnam embassy in Washington, D.C.

Getting There
Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), roughly 30 miles from the center of Hanoi, is the main airport in northern Vietnam. Overland crossings into northern Vietnam are possible through both Laos and China. Both trains and buses ferry passengers across the Chinese-Vietnamese border, while those coming from Laos have only buses as an option.

Health Concerns
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends a battery of vaccinations for visitors to northern Vietnam. In addition to the shots normally recommended for travel to a developing country, such as hepatitis A and B, much of northern Vietnam is considered a malarial hot spot by the CDC. Antimalarial medication is strongly recommended, as is the use of a strong bug repellent to prevent both malaria and other insect-borne diseases, such as dengue fever. The water in northern Vietnam should be regarded as suspect, so visitors should either treat their own drinking water or rely on bottled sources.

Attractions
Hanoi is on the Red River and is considered the greatest city of the north. Rough Guides describes the city's old historic district as a "vibrant, intoxicating tangle of streets," while elsewhere in the city are sights like the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the infamous Hanoi Hilton and other Vietnam War-related points of interest. The north also is the location of the famous scenery of Ha Long Bay, with its green sea and thousands of striking, rocky limestone islands. The interior of the north is thick with green jungles for hiking and the villages of Thai and Hmong hill tribesmen.

Cuisine
The food in northern Vietnam tends to use more vegetables and fewer herbs and spices than the same dishes made in the south. However, just as in the south, the staple condiment is nuoc mam, or fish sauce. Fans of pho, or Vietnamese noodle soup, will love the north. It's not an exaggeration to say that cities like Hanoi were built on steaming bowls of pho ba (beef noodle soup) and canh bun (ground crab and shrimp noodle soup), since these dishes are consumed for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Not everything in northern Vietnamese cuisine is about soup, however, as dishes like bun cha dong xuan attest. Bun cha dong xuan is thin-sliced marinated pork served with fresh herbs and noodles, and stands as a Hanoi classic.