Vietnam

Located in northeast Vietnam, in the Gulf of Tonkin, Halong Bay contains over 1,900 islands and islets! Formed from limestone karst and jutting up from the water, these islands are so unique that the area, all part of the Cat Ba Archipelago, has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name Ha Long can be translated to mean Bay of Descending Dragons.

Indochina, which was originally termed Indo-China, consists of the countries in Southeast Asia now known as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Thailand, and Vietnam. The countries are all within the sphere of influence of the Indian subcontinent and China, and also included part of Malaysia and Singapore in the original designation. Later, the term Indochina was used to refer to the French Indochina region that covered just Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, until each was recognized as an independent nation in the 1950s.

Vietnam is a country like no other, with a complex culture and a long, rich history. It's a fascinating mix of old and new, urban and rural, Communism and capitalism, with wafts of Chinese and French influence.