|   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. |
