Vietnam

Vietnam is a long thin country stretching 1,000 miles from the Chinese border in the North down to the tip of Indochina.  A coastline with hundreds of beautiful beaches and the Heritage site of Halong Bay with its spectacular limestone islands and cliffs soaring out of the bay.

When people think of Vietnam, they remember the war but the current generation of young people don't even remember it.  The iron grip of Ho Chi Minh's communist party has given way to a one party haven of capitalism, similar to China.  Vietnam's growth rate is phenomenal.  Along with this growth has come the development of tourism and with that the arrival of golf.

For our purposes we divide the country into two.  Hanoi and the North and Ho Chi Minh City and the South.  The climate in the North is very different to that of the South.  In winter, December and January, Hanoi can seem quite cold with temperatures in the mid teens with quite a lot of rain.  But by February it warms quickly and through to April it has a very pleasant climate for golf, although rain is still possible.  The rainy season May to October brings tropical rains, mainly vry heavy thunderstorms in the afternoons.

In the South temperatures vary much less and the seasons are more clearly marked.  November to April is dry and May to October is wet.

Vietnam is such a large country that we would advise two trips, one to the North and one to the South.  The area around Hanoi now has a dozen courses of which 6 are international championship standard.  Just 3 hours drive away is the port of Halong where an overnight boat trip is a must for any visitor.  From Hanoi a short flight takes you to Da Nang where the beautiful beaches are developing fast and there are now two championship golf courses designed by Colin Montgomerie and Greg Norman.  Rather than stay in Da Nang we would prefer Hoi An, a picturesque little town on the river, with dozens of restaurants, bars and tailors shops.  It is very pretty and a perfect place to end your holiday.

Saigon, or HCMC, is a large buzzing metropolis, completely dominated by the ubiquitous Honda motorcycle.  District 1 has excellent 5 star hotels, superb shopping and restaurants from every corner of the globe.  There are dozens of golf courses around the city but we would recommend just two or three.  Traffic is an issue in Saigon, but nevertheless the city deserves at least 5 nights with a couple of rounds of golf and a mandatory visit to the Cu Chi tunnels with its eye opening take on the Vietnam war.

From Saigon a short flight to Dalat, high in the mountains is a must.  The Sofitel Palace sits on a hill overlooking the lake and is just a short walk to town.  Dalat golf club is a beautiful parkland course, often rated No 1 in VN.  The town, with it's central market is fascinating.

From Dalat you can drive down the mountains on a wonderfully scenic road to the southern plains around Phan Thiet, famous for its Saharan like sand dunes.  Here there is another beautiful beach and the Nick Faldo designed Ocean Dunes golf course.  Wonderful seafood restaurants are served by the enormous fishing fleet.  Just up the coast is the resort of Mui Ne with dozens of small boutique style hotels of every grade.  This would be ideal for those who just want to unwind at the end of the tour with maybe one or two games of golf.

Vietnam is a country on the up.  Visit now before they come to visit us.