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Vietnam top 10

• The northern mountains
  Vietnam's mountains are gradually becoming more accessible, though facilities are still fairly basic outside the main tourist centres such as Sa Pa, Bac Ha and Mai Chau. Magnificent scenery and the chance to visit ethnic minority villages, however, more than makes up for a spot of discomfort.
  
  
• Hué
  Of all Vietnamese cities, this is the one I enjoy most. It's an easygoing, peaceful place with lakes and canals, tree-lined boulevards and a certain refinement thanks to its imperial past. Hue also has great cuisine and wonderful restaurants - not to mention all its historical sights (see Hué top 10 below).
  
  
• Hanoi
  Hanoi has changed enormously over the last few years, but I still find it a beguiling city. The Old Quarter is as captivating as ever, while some of revamped colonial buildings are just stunning. (See Hanoi top 10 for more.)
  
  
• Bia hoi bars
  Come early evening, it's time to join the lads for a bia hoi (draft beer). Everyone sits on pint-size stools to quaff glasses of weak-tasting beer (in fact, it measures in at a respectable 4 percent) drawn straight from the barrel. Many bia hoi bars also serve decent snacks, if not full-blown meals.
  
  
• Mooching on the Mekong
  The best way to appreciate languid delta life is by local transport. Make sure you include a couple of river markets and at least one boat trip through the skein of canals. There are also bird sanctuaries, Khmer pagodas, fruit orchards and even a couple of decent beaches if the pace of life gets all too much.
  
  
• Hoi An
  I keep expecting Hoi An to sink under the weight of tourists, but somehow this little town retains its charms. Its most noteworthy monuments are the two-hundred year old homes of Chinese merchants and their colourful Assembly Hall. Add to that a tasty local cuisine, dozens of good restaurants, a riverside setting and some of the best tailors in the country - not forgetting the nearby Cham ruins at My Son - and Hoi An easily justifies a couple of nights' stopover.
  
  
• Cat Ba
  Part of the attraction of Cat Ba is the ferry-ride over there. On leaving the Bach Dang estuary, you cut across open sea towards the island's towering cliffs and then head south to Cat Ba Town, an attractive little fishing port. From here it's easy to explore the southern reaches of Ha Long Bay.
  
  
• Street kitchens
  Perhaps it's because I like snacking, but my favourite occupation in Vietnam is cruising the street kitchens for interesting titbits. Not only is the food usually excellent, but it's cheap and you can see it being cooked in front of you.
  
  
• Café culture
  Afterwards, I search out a quiet café - often in the front room of someone's house - and watch the world go by. Vietnamese coffee has a real kick.
  
  
• Those early morning buses
  Getting up before dawn is not something I generally approve of, especially when it heralds a ten-hour bus journey. On this particular morning we crept out of Dien Bien Phu and climbed the valley wall in a dismal, swirling fog. Then, with perfect timing, the bus broke free as the sun rose over a breathtaking landscape of mountain peaks floating above billowing lakes of cloud.