Archaeological evidence of habitation dates back to Paleolithic times, with sites in the Thanh Hoa Province reaching several thousand years back. Vietnamese ancestry traces back to the Phung-nguyen culture of the Bronze Age (1400 BC)
Rice cultivation and bronze casting ushered in the Dong Son culture and strong reflections of the Bronze Age can be seen in drums, weapons and tools which show their exceptional skills at casting.
The thousand years that followed saw Vietnam dominated by the Chinese rule until the reigns slacked, after which it passed hands back and fourth between various dynasties until the famous war toward the end of the last century.
Vietnam was communist-ruled at the time and opposed the support of the US. It didn't take long for a war to ensue which spread to Laos and Cambodia. This lead to the eventual collapse of the South Vietnamese government which was quickly integrated with the North, and now remains the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
The Republic is bordered by China, Laos and Cambodia and hosts a population of over 87 million. Vietnam is a tropical country of great natural beauty with two World heritage Sites; Ha Long Bay and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.
In addition, it boasts a total of 6 World's biosphere reserves ; Can Gio Mangrove Forest, Cat Tien, Cat Ba, Kien Giang, Red River Delta, Western Nghe An. SaolaVietnam also falls under the Indomalaya ecozone.
Needless to say, these rich delta ecosystems have Vietnam ranked 16th among 25 countries with the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. It has 1438 species of fresh water microalgae (imagine the much diving!), 794 aquatic invertebrate and 2458 fish.
Scuba Diving in Vietnam
Nha Trang is a popular reef diving destination and has excellent visibility. Local operator trips incorporate sites such as the Long Son Pagoda with its famous giant Buddha image and a visit to the Oceanographic Institute. Dive Sites in Nha Trang Bay include The Big Wall, the Small Wall, the Cave and Coral Garden.
The majority of the dive sites are close to Nha Trang and Hon Mun Marine Park. Tipped the 'best diving in The South China Sea' spots not to miss include Rainbow Reef, Madonna Rock and Moray Beach.
The tiny island of Hon Kho Trang, a boat ride away has the gorgeous; Hon Trau Nam, Hon Tai, Hon Lon and a magical night dive with Sea Horses, Shrimps, Crabs, giant Spanish Dancers, sleeping Clown Fish.
Other abundant marine life in the area includes Groupers, Jacks, Parrot Fish, Stingrays, Angel Fish, Butterfly Fish, black and red Lion Fish, Bat Fish, Longfin Banner Fish (Heniochus) rare Frog Fish, razor Fish and many species of Ray.
The Con Dao Archipelago are 16 remote islands 200km south of Saigon considered to have the best scuba diving in Vietnam. Most of the area is National Park.
Con Son or "Devil's Island" its largest member used to be a penal colony and has since turned in to a contemporary well-developed infrastructural centre in comparison to many Vietnamese towns. As many as 1,300 marine species are known to inhabit Con Dao's waters among which are Hawksbill, Green Turtles and Dugong.
Hoi An town is 45 minutes south of Da Nang. The costal town's rich history can be seen and felt in its streets and buildings. Its off-shore Cu Lao Cham Marine Park consists of 8 islands and a promise of the taste of what it means to experience true Vietnamese biodiversity.
Remote Phu Quoc lies south west of Vietnam and though its does not play host to the larger game fish, but the hard and soft corals and endemic reef fish, Fairy Basslets, Damsel fish and the odd Dugong make up for it.
Whale Island Resort, north of Nha Trang, has been referred to as "The Maldives of Vietnam." It even boldly claims to be the location that initiated Jacques Cousteau's passion for the diving.
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