Photo Essay: the well traveled route of Vietnam

One thing about traveling Vietnam is that it can be very cheap. Hotel rooms can be found for $5 per night, dinners for even less, and a hop on, hop off bus ticket from the top of the country all the way to the bottom for well under $100. Of course at these prices there are going to be few amenities on travel and accommodation; but the experiences, sights, and cultural flavors are almost unbeatable.
A standard rite of passage through the eastern coast of Vietnam is to purchase a hop-on/hop-off bus ticket from hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.
There are plenty of hidden gems to be discovered throughout this trail; but I will mention a few and leave the rest to your own exploration.
This well traveled route usually begins in the Hanoi area which is also the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage site, Ha Long Bay. So after a few nights of getting used to the hectic way of Vietnamese life in Hanoi; most head out to Ha Long Bay for a few nights on a boat cruising through the land of the dragons. The slow boat journey through this land is the definition of surreal. You can expect to find of jagged mountains protruding from the sea, enormous natural caves, beautiful beaches, and stunning rain forrest throughout the area.

A ways down the coast, in Nha Trang you find a bit of a more modern city and there are some great temples and gigantic buddhas to be found if you search and take a bit of time to leave the beaches. The beaches are it's trademark though and it is very much a party town as well as a backpacker enclave. Nha Trang is a famous surf spot in Asia.

Hue is a popular stop due to the the Forbidden Purple City, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. This brings back a nostalgic feel of past dynasties, emperors, and royal families reminiscent of their ancient Chinese heritage.

Hoi An is a gem and has a very colonial feel to it due to it's foreign influences during its days as an important international trading post. Some of the finest and cheapest tailors in South East Asia can be found here and the food is exquisite.

Just three hours outside of Ho Chi Minh is a long stretch of Vietnams most beautiful beaches in Mui Ne. There is surfing, beach resorts, and some of the best seafood in Vietnam. The trademark of Mui Ne is it's enormous red sand dunes which tourists like to surf down on rubber mats. Catching the sunset here is not to be missed as the most the setting sun will turn the dunes the most vibrant colors of red.
Mui Ne is mainly a fishing town though, well known and famous for its fish sauce. It is well worth getting up before dawn to stroll down the beaches and watch the families get ready for the incoming catches of the day. All of the business starts here. The locals are some of the most friendly you will find in Vietnam and you will find smiles everywhere.
The bus route usually ends down in Ho Chi Minh City but a trip down into the Mekong Delta is not to be missed as you can float down the river and catch a ancient way of life along the river banks.