Action-packed cities? Check. Scenery so blindingly beautiful it could have been lifted straight out of a fantasy movie? Check. A vibrant and unique culture still steeped in traditionalism? Double check. Vietnam really does have it all; and although reminders of the American War still pockmark the landscape, this isn’t a country bogged down by its past. Big, bustling metropolises such as Ho Chi Minh City and the capital, Hanoi, are leading the rapid march of progress, while past and future collide in the old imperial city of Hue and the elegant port of Hoi An. Add the simply sublime beaches dotted along Vietnam’s coastline and trekking opportunities galore in the karst mountains of Cao Bang, and you have a heady experiential cocktail that will leave most visitors aching for more.