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The Award-Winning Tour Specialist
Vietnam is a country that boasts a rare and magical beauty. Long and thin in shape, its diverse and magnificent landscapes, ranging from rice paddies to mountains, are a big part of its appeal but it is the culture, born from a tumultuous history and a compelling mix of influences, that make it such a delightful place to explore.
As you discover the country, you’ll uncover elements of indigenous, Chinese, Champa and Khmer, and French heritage in things like language, the amazing food and architecture. Add in age old traditional values and the more recent impact of the West, and you’ve got something that is unique, tangible, and utterly fascinating. Exotic, enchanting and compelling and so much more, Vietnam is a must for every bucketlist.
The amount of rail travel you'll be enjoying varies from tour to tour. You may be exploring a country travelling predominantly by train or perhaps just getting a flavour of how the locals get about with one or two select journeys. We've also included those tours that include a journey on iconic scenic trains. Take a look at the tour inclusions to see how many rail journeys you'll be enjoying in each instance.Fully Inclusive of Tour & Flights
In Vietnam, trains aren’t just a mode of transport, they are an experience in themselves. A place to sit and watch the beauty of your surroundings roll by and to get a glimpse of day-to-day life, to meet locals and to almost step back to the halcyon days of old.
You see, trains in Vietnam are the low-tech kind, ones that are slow and relaxed while still being comfortable and efficient. There is one main line, the Reunification Express line, that runs between Saigon and Hanoi, with a couple of trunk lines that run into the highlands to Sapa and to Haiphong, the gateway to Halong Bay.
This 100 kilometre stretch of line, which takes three hours to traverse, is the most spectacular section of an already incredibly scenic railway journey. Snaking its way along the cliffs, the train hugs the coastline on one side, overlooking golden sand beaches and cerulean waters, while on the other, lush green jungle swathes lofty mountains.
The literal and figurative apex of the journey is crossing the Hai Van Pass (called ‘Ocean Cloud Pass’ in Vietnamese), where you’ll have sweeping views over the coast. There’s also a section of emerald rice paddies and wetlands, which give a glimpse of into a bucolic scene of rural life.
A former colonial mountain resort, Dalat is set up in the cool, picturesque highlands in southern Vietnam. Originally a trunk line of the main north to south railway, it fell into disrepair during the war and it was ultimately decided to not restore it.
However, a seven kilometre stretch between Dalat and Trai Mat was, as a restored heritage line. The 30-minute ride uses a diesel locomotive but heritage carriages which give a wonderful sense of nostalgia. As you chug out through the countryside, there is beautiful rural scenery to enjoy especially as the area is ideal for growing fruit and vegetables away from the tropical heat of the lowlands.
You embark at Dalat Station; French built with echoes of Art Deco, its architecture is lovely. While here, have a look at the old steam locomotive and the section of cog railway that helped the original train up steeper sections of the hills. At the other terminus, Trai Mat, you can glimpse small town life in Vietnam and visit a local temple.
Vietnam’s 1,700 kilometre North-South Railway, unofficially known as the Reunification Express since the end of the Vietnam War, is a historic train line that links the country’s two great cities, Hanoi and Saigon. The line runs through glorious scenery full of rice paddies, lush jungle, forested mountains, tranquil pagodas and even the crowded neighbourhoods of cities like Hue, Danang and Nha Trang. One stretch, between Hue and Danang, which hugs the coast and mountains, is considered one of the most spectacular train journeys in the world. More than the scenery outside of the window, though, the Reunification Express is an experience, rumbling along at a relaxed and leisurely pace, while you get to sit back, relax and take note of the life going on around you, on and off the train.
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