introduction

Vietnam, being officially named Socialist Republiic of Vietnam is a country in the Southeast of Asia. It is 331,690 kilometres squared in total with 4,200 (1.3%) kilometres squared of water and a population of 85,363,356 inhabitants as of 2007.

Hanoi is located in the north and is the capital city of Vietnam and the largest city is Ho Chi Minh city.

surfing

A pitching deck, the creak of well worn timbers, the cracking of sail and canvas...tied to the mast. Things have changed a little I guess from when Jack London and Josef Conrad wrote their haunting Pacific infused epics but it hasnt changed everythwhere. There are corners of this earth where that mythos still holds true, and most of those corners are here in the South Pacific.

The main source of swell here is from the intense lows that circle the earth south of Australia, these lows spin off northwards with blessed regularity, peppering the entire region with generous SE to SW groundswell from March to September. Australia and New Zealand see the bulk of these swells. These countries cast a very tall shadow across the rest of the Pacific and hence many other islands in their wake can suffer from swell difusion. December to February is cyclone season. Unpredictable cells can deliver swell in a 360 radius, lighting up rarely breaking reefs and points facing every conceivable direction.

The South Pacific trade winds are some of the most consistent in the world, generally from the East with slight seasonal variation. This is the largest Ocean on the planet and these winds easily generate regular rideable swell. Onshore conditions can be a problem on east facing coastlines but peeling yourself out for an early surf will usually bring some relief.

In the North Pacific it is the intense lows descending from the Aleutians that deliver NE to NW swells from October to March. Hawaii is ideally placed to make best use of this energy but other coastlines in the region have their own less publicised and far less crowded gems.

Jun to October also sees rarer hurricane swell radiate out from southern Mexico. This energy is often felt right throughout Polynesia. With so many energy vectors at work it isnt very hard to find a wave in Vietnam. Finding a really good and consistent one is a little tougher.

history

The area now known as Vietnam has been inhabited since Paleolithic times, and some archaeological sites in Thanh Hoa Province purportedly date back several thousand years. Archaeologists link the beginnings of Vietnamese civilization to the late Neolithic, Early Bronze Age, Phung-nguyen culture, which was centered in Vinh Phuc Province of contemporary Vietnam from about 2000 to 1400 BCE. By about 1200 BCE, the development of wet-rice cultivation and bronze casting in the Ma River and Red River plains led to the development of the Dong Son culture, notable for its elaborate bronze drums. The bronze weapons, tools, and drums of Dongsonian sites show a Southeast Asian influence that indicates an indigenous origin for the bronze-casting technology. Many small, ancient copper mine sites have been found in northern Vietnam. Some of the similarities between the Dong Sonian sites and other Southeast Asian sites include the presence of boat-shaped coffins and burial jars, stilt dwellings, and evidence of the customs of betel-nut-chewing and teeth-blackening.

where to stay

Lodging is not an issue in Vietnam, whether you are ready to splurge or on a tight budget. Hotels in Vietnam range from scruffy US$4-a-night (per couple) backpacking hostels to world-class resorts, both found in the city and in popular rural destinations.

Even backpacking hostels and hotels are by far cleaner and nicer than in neighbouring countries (Cambodia, Thailand, Laos), and even cheap US$4-6 per couple hotels often supply very clean rooms with towels, clean white sheets, disposable toothbrush and so on.

Like many hotels, there are often drinks and snacks in the mini-refrigerators in Vietnamese hotels; but these are horribly overpriced and you would be much better off buying these items on the street. As a common practice, hotel staff usually keep guests' passport in reception until the end of the stay.

what to pack

You will be bringing alot home, so keep your baggage there simple.

Vietnam is a country where you can find great bargains and amazing custom-made goods, so make sure you have enough space to bring home the goods! You do not need to bring alot of clothes as laundry services are readily available everywhere and most hotels come with cleaning services!

Vietnam is very hot! So forget the hair supplies and makeup! With the humidity here, it will melt everything you put on! Just bring the basics: shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant, bug spray and sunscreen!

 

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