DECEMBER 4, 2000 VOL. 156 NO. 22

TRAVEL WATCH Lakes, Lattes and Learning to Love Hanoi The place, believe it or not: Hanoi, the no-longer-stodgy capital of Vietnam. Hot Spot What's the coolest hangout along the backpacker belt in Asia? Short Cuts Vietnam is not an easy place to get to. But that's starting to change. Web Crawling In this extensive, no-frills guidebook, webmaster and globe-trotter Peter M. Geiser covers Vietnam and the rest of the neighborhood. Detour Hanoi's hotel industry has been through plenty. The colonial era was a heyday of luxury and pampering. Travel Watch Archive Browse hundreds of Asian travel tips

Short Cuts

MORE FLIGHTS
Vietnam is not an easy place to get to. But that's starting to change, thanks to a new service agreement between Vietnam Airlines and Japan Airlines. Round-trip flights between Tokyo and Ho Chi Minh City have increased from three a week to six, in part to accommodate an influx of Japanese tourists. In the first nine months of this year, 110,000 Japanese visited Vietnam, equal to the total for all of 1999.

VISA DETAILS
Vietnam may be embracing tourism, but the government still keeps careful tabs on who's coming and going. Most foreigners must apply for a visa in advance, and processing can take up to a month. You need to fill out two copies of the application and hand over two passport photos. Visas are granted for single 30-day stays and are almost impossible to extend. Be sure to plan your trip before you apply, as you will have to declare exactly where you intend to enter and exit the country.

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