|
  Trekking
Though specialist agencies may be able to arrange some trips,
organised trekking is not yet available.
Sports
Water sports are available at the more developed beach resorts,
and there are numerous golf courses, though some require a
member to accompany visitors.
 Wildlife
Specialist agencies offer wildlife tours in some of the national
parks.
Drinking
Green tea is the most common drink, and is offered as a courtesy
to guests or visitors. The two most popular local beers are
Saigon Export and Saigon Lager, but imported beers are available,
at roughly double the price. Vietnam produces several varieties
of rice wine - known as Ruou. However, bottles of Ruou commonly
contain a pickled snake, the inclusion of which is thought
to impart health-giving elements. There are also numerous
varieties of locally distilled spirits, which do not include
the reptilian element - even if they may taste as if they
do. Fruit wines, such as apricot, orange or lemon, are also
common, and Soft drinks are processed from the many varieties
of tropical fruits. Bottled drinking water should be checked
to ensure that the cap or seal is original and intact.
Eating
Vietnam's elaborate cuisine has achieved international recognition,
with such dishes as pho (noodle soup) gio lua (pork sausage)
nem ran (spring rolls) and cha ca (fish balls), and cooking
is itself seen as something of an artform. Most meals consist
of a number of side dishes served with one of a variety of
rices. Some of the best Vietnamese food can be sampled at
the proliferation of pavement food stalls around towns and
cities. Mon canh consists of a soup made with pork or spare-ribs,
crab meat, and fish, while Mon an kho consists of dishes of
pork, fish, shrimp, and vegetable stirred in fat, and served
with vegetable pickles among other condiments.
Entertainment
There is a wide range of cultural entertainment available
around Vietnam to suit the most diverse of tastes from traditional
ethnic minority dances to symphony orchestras and ballets.
One particularly indigenous cultural show is roi nuoc - water
puppetry - with its origins dating back to the Ly Dynasty
(1010-1225). Developed around village ponds in the Red River
Delta, puppets rise out of the water to move and dance on
the surface, accompanied by percussion music. The country's
best puppeteers now stage regular shows in Hanoi and Ho Chi
Minh City.
Another unique artform is Cheo drama - a combination
of song, dance and narration, the script embellished with
the lyricism of folk songs, proverbs, and popular sayings.
|
