One of the hottest and most exciting new developments in cruise travel is the inclusion of more and more exotic ports of call. If you're an avid cruiser and have pretty much "done" the Carribean and have explored Alaska and even ventured through the Panama Canal ... wake up! Asia is calling! And nowhere in Asia is more intriguing than Vietnam.

Traveling by cruise to Asia, including Vietnam, is a great way to see these countries. You don't have to hassle with travel within the country (infrastructure is uneven, even in major powers like China), some of your language barrier is broken down, and you essentially travel with your hotel (no packing and unpacking). If you take advantage of excursions, you have one of the easiest ways to experience Asia without having to deal with some of the difficulties of travel to these great destinations.

There are three main cities in Vietnam: Hanoi in the north, Hue (pronounced H-way) in the middle, and Ho-Chi-Minh City in the south (which used to be called Saigon). Hanoi is industrial, Hue harks back to ancient grandeur, and Ho-Chi-Minh City is the vibrant, modern face of Vietnam.

Vietnam has a long coastline (the coastline is actually longer than the country) and is also traversed by the Mekong River. Boats and waterways mark the culture. The image above is a floating market--vendors set up shop in boats while customers walk the docks to pick out merchandise.

Whatever you do in Vietnam, try the food. Vietnam is the original nation of "foodies." Look for lots of fresh vegetables, plenty of rice, and ubiquitous "fish sauce" which tastes about a hundred times better than it sounds. (Fish sauce, in the original form, is called nuoc mam but made up into dipping sauce is more likely called nuoc cham. It's salty, sweet, sour, and hot, all at once.)