Vietnam is a relatively safe country to visit. As a woman, I have travelled extensively in Vietnam on my own with absolutely no problems. Despite people’s fears, there is almost no animosity towards Americans.

That said, there are increasing instances of theft, especially in HCMC where pickpockets and snatch thieves on motorbikes are the worst menace. The best tip is to be vigilant at all times. Often cute kids or old grannies have deft fingers. Leave all valuables (expensive watches, jewellery, glasses, etc.) at home, and don’t even wear flash costume jewellery. Make sure you have a firm grip on cameras and shoulder bags at all times and never leave anything you value lying around unattended. I would also not advise taking cyclos late at night, especially in HCMC or as a female on her own.

The other problem area is on the trains, especially the night trains from Hanoi to Lao Cai. Again, make sure all your luggage is safely locked, preferably stowed out of sight or attached to an immovable object, and don’t leave things near open windows. It’s also wise not to accept food or drink from people you don’t know (there are reports of one or two people being drugged and robbed this way).

You might also have read warnings about unexploded shells, mines and other ordnance lying around. This is still the case in the DMZ, around My Son and certain border areas, particularly along the Chinese border. It is advisable to visit such areas only with an experienced local guide and never stray off well-trodden footpaths anywhere in Vietnam.

Finally, there’s the traffic. Trying to cross the street in Hanoi or HCMC is an adventure in itself! You’ll be faced with a tightly-packed stream of scooters, bikes and cyclos which looks completely chaotic at first. But don’t give up! Either walk till you find some traffic lights or just go for it. The key is to walk slowly and steadily out into the traffic. As long as you keep a steady pace and make your movements clear, the traffic will flow round you. Problems arise if you stop or move too quickly and the drivers/riders can’t anticipate your progress.

Unfortunately, driving standards are pretty poor. Vehicles are badly maintained and the roads are becoming ever more crowded, especially Highway 1. As a result the number of serious accidents on the highways is on the increase.

But don’t get paranoid! Thousands of people visit Vietnam each year without experiencing any problems whatsoever. It’s also worth bearing in mind that the situation in Vietnam is certainly no worse than many big European and American cities. Just take the same precautions you would in any unfamiliar place, and you should be fine.

Life seems to be in a hurry; from horses and camels, we have moved on to jet planes, bullet trains, cruise ships and speedy cars – all rushing from one destination to another. What we still need from time to time is that link with the past which has gone missing in our day to day routines.

Luxury train travel could have been the bullet trains of our day, so adapt at taking passengers from one underground to another that its is mere routine to board one and catch a nap till you have to get off. When it comes to luxury train tours though, the slow paced trains of the early nineteen hundreds have been preferred and restored to their former glory, and more, even adding the modern plumbing mechanisms to them so the time spent aboard these trains is just that, luxurious with no downsides.

The best feature of these luxury train rides though is the serenity and contact with nature and culture of the areas visited. All the top train tours will take you through the wilderness, mountains and over rivers. While the interior of the train will be the world of luxury and opulence, beyond the window will be the scenes you would not see in a city; of stags and wild flowers…the life we have shut out in the cities.

Contact with nature is possible otherwise too, a camping trip would be a more immediate contact, this however is for those of a refined taste with a mere matter of personal suites in the train for the duration of the trip. Lavishly opulent dinning halls with a waiter in a tux at your call, cuisines from around the world served for to spoil your taste buds, bars, and luxury lounges are just the beginning of the facilities available in these trains, literally making them cruises over the train tracks but then again, no cruise could take to sites these trains do.