Vietnam, a name too long associated with the horrors of war, has finally won its last battle - to capture the imagination of the travelling public. Elegant Hanoi now vies with its dynamic sister, Ho Chi Minh City (still fondly called Saigon by the locals), for the attention of visitors drawn by the eclectic mix of old and new. In both cities the streets are jam-packed with motorbikes and scooters, often carrying whole families, and the markets are chaotically busy.

Elsewhere, the scenes are timeless. Early morning on the Mekong Delta brings the daily floating markets where fruit and vegetables are peddled. Everywhere the green patchwork of rice paddies stretches into the distance, broken only by the silhouette of water buffalo and conical-hatted farm workers bending down to tend the young plants.

The soaring mountains in the north of the country tower over tiny villages where life continues much as it has done for centuries, with traditional costumes still proudly worn. Old French hill stations survive throughout the country offering welcome respite from the heat of the plains below.

The ancient former imperial capital, Hué, takes visitors back to a time of concubines and eunuchs. In every town, young women wearing the simple but feminine national dress, the ao dai, weave their way through the traffic at the controls of a motorbike.

Only in Vietnam could the past and the present be encapsulated so perfectly.

Anita Sach

329,247 sq km (127,123 sq miles).

83.6 million (UN estimate 2005).

253.9 per sq km.

Hanoi. Population: 3.2 million (official estimate 2005).

Socialist republic since 1980. Gained independence from France in 1954.

Vietnamese is the official language. English, French, Chinese and occasionally Russian and German are spoken.

Buddhist majority. There are also Taoist, Confucian, Hoa Hao, Caodaist and Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic) minorities.

GMT + 7.

Handshaking and a vocal greeting is normal. Clothing should be kept simple, informal and discreet. Avoid shorts if possible as they are usually only worn by children. Footwear should be removed when entering Buddhist pagodas. Vietnamese people should not be touched on the head.

Photography: There are restrictions at ports, airports and harbours, and in similar areas elsewhere. It is courteous to ask permission first before taking photographs of people.

220/110 volts AC, 50Hz; two-pin flat plugs are in use.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung since 2006.

President Nguyen Minh Triet since 2006.