The Grand is one of the country's oldest and most respected hotels, having kept its customers satisfied for over a century and a half. Opening in Ho Chi Minh City in the 1930s, it provides modern travellers with an oasis of colonial-era elegance, slap bang in the middle of bustling modern streets.

Amongst the many traits responsible for this hotel's continuing popularity is its sheer accessibility. It lies within convenient walking distance of the city's riverside area, as well as its major entertainment and commercial centres. The Grand's reputation for superb hospitality means that, as well as welcoming new arrivals, there are many guests who continue to return here.

The hotel's upper floors are renowned for their plush accommodation. There is a luxury wing here, containing deluxe rooms. These fabulously appointed rooms offer superb views of the courts below. They also boast marble bathrooms, king-size or twin beds, and free Wi-Fi. There is also an outdoor pool and spa. When it comes to pampering, the Grand offers signature treatments. If you do happen to book into the Grand, then one of the highlights of your Vietnam holiday will undoubtedly be soaking up the city's unique ambience while dining at the Grand Café Rooftop Restaurant.

Upon arrival at Ho Chi Minh City airport, transfer time from checkout to hotel is just under half an hour. You will find to the hotel makes a convenient location, given its central proximity to so much of what the city has to offer. What are your reasons for visiting Vietnam are purely for pleasure, or for business meetings, you won't have to spend much time getting to your respective destinations once you depart the beautiful colonial building each day.

The rooms in the Grand occupy one building that is built on two wings, and 16 floors. Each of these rooms possesses a marble bathroom, complete with a bath and separate shower. The rooms are fully air-conditioned and come with a TV containing a full complement of satellite channels. Other facilities on offer include free Wi-Fi, a telephone, a minibar, a safety deposit box, a desk with stationery, and tea and coffee making facilities. The deluxe rooms that are situated on the hotel's upper floor include 32 m² of living space and a view of the inner court below. Here the sleeping facilities include either one king size bed or twin beds that will sleep maximum of two adults or one adult and one child up to the age 11. There are senior deluxe rooms which offer even more living space, as well as executive deluxe rooms located on the first to third of the ‘Ancient Wing' offering 40 m² of space.

As well as a pool and spa, there is a jacuzzi and a hair salon.

Because Vietnam is such a melting pot of different cultures, it is no wonder that there is any number of festivals being celebrated, throughout the country, and throughout the year.

January

The Tet Festival is when the people of Vietnam celebrate the lunar New Year. This is a massive festival in the country, during which people will travel home to be with their families, taking part in a variety of activities – principally eating, drinking and general socializing. At this time of year there will be something going on to interest visitors in every town and city.

February

The Lim Festival is held in Lim, near Hanoi, every February. This comprises a celebration of various traditional activities, such as folk music and handicrafts, especially weaving. The Lim Festival is traditionally held on the 13th day of the first lunar month. Folk songs are enthusiastically sung by male singers (known as lien anh) and their female counterparts (lien chi). Visitors are also invited to browse various stalls where weavers perform their intricate activities. The local fishermen and farmers also display their wares, while in the background colourful processions and ceremonies are enacted throughout the vicinity.

March

One popular festival that takes place every every March is the Perfume Pagoda Festival. This takes place in My Duc, near Hanoi, and features a pilgrimage to the local Buddhist temple. Visitors are encouraged to join in with this pilgrimage, and as well as having the opportunity to become immersed in local culture, it offers some splendid views of the local scenery.

Perhaps a less austere celebration is the Cow Racing Festival, enacted every March in An Giang. Originally imported from neighbouring Cambodia, this event is based on paying respects to departed friends or family members, and features a pilgrimage to a pagoda. As part of the festivities involves the mass-lighting of incense sticks, this is the feast for the nose as much as the eyes! After these activities come the actual races alluded to in the festival's title.

April

The Chu Dong Tu Festival occurring each April is dedicated to the hero, Saint Chu Dong Tu. This all about promoting an awareness of agriculture, and the importance that it continues to play in Vietnamese life. The festival lasts for three days and culminates in an ornate procession.

May

Ba Chua Xu takes place over a four-day period in Chau Doc, on Sam Mountain. Because there are many shrines and temples in this vicinity, numerous events are held during their time, to which all tourists are respectfully invited to enjoy the activities.

Another Vietnamese celebration which takes place in this month is Labour Day or May Day. This is celebrated throughout Vietnam with parades, feasts, and colourful (and noisy) firework displays.

June

The Chem Temple Festival takes place in Vietnam in June, celebrating the momentous events in the country's history. Celebrants recall Ly Ong Trong, a supporter of the Chinese Emperor at the time of a Mongol invasion. This festival has deep religious significance for many Vietnamese citizens.

There are many cultural events occurring throughout Vietnam over the second half of each year.

Compared to many of the religious celebrations held in Vietnam over the first six months each year, which rightly call for a degree of formality and veneration, August's Honchien Temple Festival is all about fun. Here the revelers put on imperial costumes as they take part in a vibrant procession near the Perfume River. Tourists are encouraged to participate in the exciting festivities.

The Kiep Bac Festival is one of Vietnam's most important historical celebrations. This is all about marking the moment in the nation's story when the Chinese Nguyen Mang invaders were finally repulsed. Kiep Bac is celebrated in the temple in Luc Dau, and commemorates the victorious Vietnamese general Saint Tran.

Festivities run over a five-day period, featuring a pilgrimage to the sacred temple, when Saint Tran's ancestral tablet is held aloft aboard a golden chair, and transported through bustling streets. Coinciding with this procession is a boat race held in the Luc Dau River.

Octoberace held in the Luc Dau River.

The Keo Pagoda Festival is a wild celebration of Duong Khong Lo. Amidst the jovial proceedings there are traditional pastimes, such as duck catching, cooking of rice and firecracker throwing.

The Oc Om Boc Festival is held in Soc Trang in the south of the country, each November. The main participants are the Kho Me people, who use this festival as a time to pay veneration to the Moon. Amongst the highlights of this festival is a noisy boat race that draws large and enthusiastic crowds to cheer on the rival participants.

Che Ngo is when indigenous Khmers celebrate their new year. This is another colourful event that is wonderful for visitors to witness. As well as noisy music and costumes, there is much feasting and a boat race or two! The skies are also lit with myriad lantern rockets.

The excellent thing about Vietnam's festivals as that they offer visitors a unique insight into local customs. Many of the activities that unfold at these annual events have been enacted for centuries. While Vietnam is certainly a technologically advanced and economically prosperous Asian nation, it is also a very ancient one. As a melting pot, it contains a variety of ethnic groups who can trace their respective developments back over many centuries. The various festivals pay homage to all manner of events and dieties.

While much of the proceedings appeared to be shrouded in deeply religious significance, there is never any hint that what visitors are witnessing is in any way private or sacred. Indeed, newcomers to the country are openly welcomed into the various processions and pilgrimages as active participants.

Vietnam is one of the world's fastest up and coming tourist resorts. The upside of this is that many of its resorts are now fully geared towards making every visitors' experience as comfortable as possible. The one downside, however, is that a lot of people will have thought of paying a visit to the same resorts that you have. The good news is that if you would really like to get away from it all, there are still many parts of the country that are relatively unspoiled.

The bulk of visitors to this beautiful Far Eastern country tend to head along to the eastern coast, drawn to the beautiful beaches and the limestone islands of the likes of Ha Long Bay. Those who are drawn to mountains usually head northwards to the more spectacular ranges. While the mountain ranges in the centre of Vietnam can't match their northern counterparts in terms of sheer beauty, there is still an immense amount of landscape here waiting for the more intrepid explorer.

The mountains here are shrouded in mist and harbour countless thundering waterfalls. There are a immense longhouses, which are hardly struggling to cope with the demand of tourists clamouring for accommodation! Vietnam's central highlands share their western border with Cambodia, and spread to the high peaks and wide plateaus of the Truong Son Mountains. This region is renowned for its fertile red soils that yield a lot of natural resources. Chief amongst these are tea, coffee, silk, hardwood, and rubber. Although plantations obviously take up a lot of this land, there are still pockets of Forrest dating back to primeval times. Amongst these secretive trees there are elephants gibbons and bears that have managed to survive the advances of civilization surrounding them.

For visitors coming to the central highlands, the first target of choice is often Da Lat. Christened by the former French colonists of this country, this mountain retreat looms above pine-crested hilltops. It does have to be said that it can be somewhat disappointing to arrive here because the architecture is fairly dreamy and it has succumbed to some of the excesses of being a tourist trap. On the other hand, it does contain some charming colonial buildings and if you enjoy bike rides, some extremely picturesque trails. Its market is also overflowing with local delicacies to whet your appetite prior to exploring further in the hills.

North of Da Lat you'll come across Lak Lake. This picturesque body of water is surrounded by tiny villages, whose inhabitants always welcome visitors. Be prepared to be offered all manner of hand-crafted trinkets to be taken away to remind you of your time spent in the central Highlands.