Vietnam

Vietnam is a country with stunning natural beauty and a rich cultural legacy. Forty years since the bloodshed and destruction of an era-defining conflict, its progress is visible in the country's expanding and rapidly developing metropolises. What adds to Vietnam’s charm is the ancient trading areas of still-thriving craft industries, paired with majestic colonial houses from the French era, which can all be overseen from the sky bars of 21st-century glass and steel high rises. Vietnam’s also got the brash if you have the cash. Some activities demand physical exertion, such as motorbiking up central Vietnam's jaw-dropping Hai Van Pass. Others, such as kitesurfing in the tropical marine waves off Mui Ne or climbing in the evergreen hills of Bac Ha or Sapa, demand even more sweat. And once you've had your adrenaline fill, there's plenty of horizontal 'me' time to enjoy. From posh temples of treatments to small family-run massage businesses with backpacker-friendly rates, Vietnam offers some of the best spas in the world.

Experiences in Vietnam tantalise every human sense, from the meditative and majestic to the absurd, inspirational, and even hilarious.