From entrepreneurs looking for deals to veterans seeking closure to travelers discovering the next "new" paradise, everyone is heading back to 'Nam these days. With its mountain tribes and misty bays, its pristine beaches, its verdant countryside, its rivers and deltas teeming with commerce and romance, and its cities and towns alive with culture and electricity, Vietnam is colonial France wrapped around an American flag atop an Asian dragon inside the pages of a Graham Greene novel.

Contributor John Wood served in the Army there during the Vietnam conflict. He returned recently to answer this question for us: How can a visitor best get the full Vietnam experience?

"It's not in a cramped bus, a rickety train, or a wheezing Russian plane," he says. "Get around the way the locals do: by cyclo, boat, raft, bike, and foot."

Cyclo Confessions

One of the best ways to mingle with the people--among the most gregarious in the world, says John-is to hop on a cyclo (pronounced "seek-low"), a three-wheeled rickshaw attached to the front of a bicycle. Because the vehicles move slowly, you're able to observe the people and street life in much greater detail than if you're whizzing by in a taxi. In addition, many cyclo drivers are former South Vietnamese soldiers who speak English, so you'll be deluged with questions about America.

Water Wanderings

To visit Hanoi and not take the obligatory sidetrip to explore the eighth wonder of the world, Halong Bay, would be like going to Las Vegas and not setting foot inside a casino. The crystal-clear gulf contains literally thousands of skyscraper-sized limestone caves, islands, and karst sculptures that look like they've been carved by Wes Craven.

Or you can hire a boat and tour the pagodas and Royal Mausoleums along the Perfume River in Hue. While you're inspecting one of the temples, your boatman will buy chicken, fish, and vegetables in town, cook them on your boat, and serve them as you re-board. At night, don't forget to return to the waterfront for a moonlight cruise where you'll be serenaded by beautiful Vietnamese girls singing ancient love ballads.

In Saigon, rise at dawn, take a cyclo to the Sinh Cafe, down a hearty breakfast of banana pancakes, bacon, and hot chocolate (85 cents), and sign up for a two-day tour of the Mekong Delta.

When you reach the bustling, Wild West river hub of Can Tho, you'll board a "long boat" for a languid glide into an exotic world of floating markets, river traffic, and drop-dead scenery. One moment you'll swear you're in Tahiti; the next, Africa; the next, the Amazon.

And everyone on or along the river will wave and smile.

"Many people, upon seeing us, would scramble around shouting and rush down underneath to the hull of their boats, bring up an infant, and wave one of the baby's hands at us," John said. "Along the river banks, children would scream 'Helloooo!' and run after us for hundreds of yards until they literally could not run another step, waving all the time. And they wouldn't stop waving until we were out of sight. We stopped a couple of times to visit people's homes, and tiny tots would just come up, take our hand, and walk with us. And people wonder why I love Vietnam so."

Rafting Rapture

Two vivid rafting memories: About 70 miles south of Hanoi near the town of Hoa Lu, beetlenut-chewing mama-sans will scissor-oar you in tiny skiffs down Hoang Long River, one of the most idyllic, jaw-dropping waterways in the world because you meander through neon-green rice paddies among the same limestone outcrops that distinguish Halong Bay.

And in Can Tho one evening, John and a German foursome were walking along the waterfront when a swarm of female sampan owners beckoned them for a river ride. They didn't quite see the point since the night was pitch black. But they eventually agreed on a half-hour trip: 3,000 dong for four people-about 75 cents each.

"It was one of those marvelous moments you least expect," John said. "We laid back against the side of the boat, lost in our own thoughts, and swayed to the strokes of the oars. A cool breeze wafted over us. It was so dark and quiet that every star and sound was amplified. Dogs barked at one another from opposite sides of the river. A karaoke tune echoed from some distant bar. Kids did cannonballs into the river somewhere far back in the jungle. Fishermen floated by silently laying nets. And the Big Dipper popped out of the sky as brightly as if someone had just switched it on."

Bicycle Bravado

"Excuse me, sir."

John braked his bike and turned around. Poised on a bicycle on the dirt road 10 feet away was a silhouette so stunning, he didn't believe it at first: It was a lovely young woman in jeans, T-shirt, and long straight hair below her waist that snapped in the breeze like a horse's tail.

"Where are you from?" she asked.

"America."

"Oh joy! I was wondering, could I ride with you? I would enjoy an opportunity to practice my English."

John had heard that the women of Hue were the prettiest and friendliest in Vietnam, but he didn't think it would take less than an hour after arriving to confirm it.

Another ideal place to bike is Hanoi because of its many lakes and shady, tree-lined boulevards. The social heart of the city is Hoan Kiem Lake, where residents practice tai chi in the misty mornings and play badminton in the cool afternoons.

But the best spot in Vietnam to bike is through the historic waterfront of Hoi An, a composite of Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, French, and Portuguese influence that will have you gaping at every pastel-colored building, art gallery, and postcard-framed alleyway.

Walking Wonderland

Saigon is a walker's dream. If you want to relive history, head down fabled Dong Khoi Street. Known as Rue Catinat during the French colonial period, it was the Rodeo Drive of its day. In the '60s it was renamed Tu Do Street and became one of the most infamous red light districts in Asia. Today it's just a great place to browse, shop, and eat.

Another great stroll is along the harbor. John ambled along the waterfront one afternoon and came upon two women adorned in ao dais, the traditional Vietnamese dress. They posed for a picture, a conversation ensued, and within moments, a crowd had formed. One young boy offered to translate, cyclo drivers rushed over from their pedicabs to ask questions, and elderly couples looked on in amusement. Eventually the entire throng moved across the street to take over a restaurant for an afternoon of animated conversation.

His most memorable saunter, however, took place inside the mammoth Ben Thanh Market. The main action is in the market's rear, or "wet" portion, where every imaginable food is offered--especially if you like it live and wriggling.

"As I passed through, I noticed a gaggle of women having a rip-roaring time chopping off fish heads," John said. "I'd never associated chopping off fish heads with a rip-roaring time before, but these women were having one."

He said hello in Vietnamese, and that was all it took to make him the subject of a howling tug-of-war that soon encompassed the entire fish market.

"I vaguely remember somebody dragging a middle-aged woman from the crowd and introducing her to me at some point," John recalls. "But I was having such a grand time, nodding yes to whatever they were saying and causing cries of delight each time, that I didn't realize until it was too late that the conversation had become more urgent and strident. And that all of a sudden they were really, really trying to communicate something very, very important to me."

Two women finally got up, linked each other's arms, and pointed to the two of them. When John realized what was happening, he bowed gracefully, mimicked taking a ring out of his pocket, took her left hand in his, and pretended to place the ring on her finger. The place erupted.

"I blew her a kiss, waved them all goodbye," John said, "then hightailed it down the nearest labyrinth of T-shirt stalls to a hail of laughter."

Lesson: Always wear a wedding ring while shopping at Ben Thanh if you're not prepared to take part in an arranged marriage!

VIETNAM: JUST THE FACTS

Tour Operator

Untours, PO Box 405, Media, PA 19063. This unique tour company emphasizes independent travel, family-run guesthouses or small hotels, and social responsibility (profits are reinvested into the community). A two-week trip to Hanoi and Saigon, including airfare and accommodations: $1,587-$1,698 from L.A. or $1,684-$1,840 from New York. Phone: 610-565-5242; Fax: 610-565-5142; http://www.untours.com

Hanoi Highlights

Halong Bay and Hoa Lu: Tourist cafes along Hang Be, Hang Bac, or Hang Quat Streets have the best prices: A three-day bus trip, including hotel, meals, and two full days cruising the bay: $35. Day trip to Hoa Lu: $15.

Old Quarter, northern end of Hoan Kiem Lake: Each street specializes in one craft. Check out Hang Quat Street (bright-red funeral banners), Hang Gai Street (silks), or Hang Ma Street (paper products).

Municipal Water Puppet Theater, 57 Dinh Tien Hoang Street: Entertaining show with beautiful traditional folk music. 8 p.m. nightly except Monday; $2, or $4 if you want music--which you will.

Hue Highlights

Perfume River: Day trip to see pagodas and mausoleums: $4-$6 plus $1 for lunch cooked on board (your hotel or guesthouse can arrange).

Hoi An: Day trip by private car: $30-60. Route takes you up dramatic Hai Van Pass overlooking South China Sea and past Danang's lovely beaches.

Saigon Highlights

Mekong Delta: Best tour deals are at Sinh Cafe, 179 Pham Ngu Lao Street, or Kim Cafe, 270 De Tham Street.

Apocalypse Now, 2C Thi Sach Street: For those who miss Tu Do Street, this venerable institution is loud, dingy, and rough.

Old Saigon: Full of landmarks for nostalgia buffs including Hotel Continental, 132-134 Dong Khoi Street, http://www.continentalvietnam.com (setting for Graham Greene's The Quiet American); Hotel Majestic, 1 Dong Khoi Street, http://www.majestic-saigon.com (rooftop bar overlooks Saigon River); and Hotel Rex, 141 Nguyen Hue Boulevard, http://www.rexhotelvietnam.com. The Hotel Rex's conference room was the scene of daily press briefings, known as "five o'clock follies," during the war, and the hotel's rooftop restaurant is one of the world's most kitchy and most famous. The traffic circle outside is the place to be on Friday and Saturday nights.

Learn to Speak Vietnamese

February 2001