Hello Hanoi: History, horror and heavenly spa treatments on a journey into Vietnam

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Hello Hanoi: History, horror and heavenly spa treatments on a journey into Vietnam

Vietnam is tricky to pin down. It is exotic, but austere in some parts and playful in others. And it is impossible to ignore the war that has left an indelible mark on American history.

People say that it is like Thailand twenty years ago. And that you should go now, because it’s easier than ever, thanks to Vietnam Airlines' new direct routes to Hanoi and Saigon, which knock the journey down to 12 hours and save the faff of changing in Bangkok.

This long slim country has a coastline groaning with inviting sandy stretches and tropical islands off the south west and southern tip, catering for budget travellers to luxury seekers and superstars. Brangelina are fans - their adopted son Pax was born in Vietnam.

War tourism is part of the experience, and Americans make up the greatest proportion of western tourists. But the country has been re-built, the trees re-planted and the Vietnamese look to the future, not the past.

Whenever I ask locals how they feel towards their American visitors and ex-pats, the answer is the same. They welcome them.

They are hardly likely to say anything different, but moving on is part of the culture.

And it is particularly celebrated over Chinese Lunar New Year, when I am here. This takes place in January or February (depending on the moon), and it is as light-filled and glittery as our Christmas.

Families get together, bury arguments, remember their ancestors, thank their teachers and give out ‘lucky’ brand new 1000 dong notes to children. I bring two crisp notes back to London, hoping to secure my fortune.

In Hanoi, North Vietnam, where my trip begins, the foggy city is chilly, grey and just a little oppressive - but brightened by sprays of peach blossom and kumquat trees.

There is plenty to see – and not nearly enough time to take it all in. Walking solemnly past Ho Chi Minh’s body, in a glass box guarded by four uniformed men, is strange. Visiting the Hanoi Hilton prison, where communists and then GIs were interned, is horrifying.

Senator John McCain’s jump suit, kit and parachute are on show. He was shot down flying a Skyhawk in 1967 and imprisoned in Vietnam until 1973.

There are pictures of GIs eating thanksgiving dinner, playing pool or cards, smiling. When I speak to a former POW, who was held here for nearly 6 years, he tells me these photographs were set ups.

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