Visit 'striking' Vietnam for an adventure holiday full of 'ancient charms'

Writer recommends the south-east Asian country for its mix of ancient and modern

Travellers who wish to travel to Vietnam on an adventure holiday will find a country that is "striking" in its fascinating history: from ancient civilisations to "recent violent upheavals".

That is according to Phillip Sherwell who, writing in The Sunday Telegraph, opined that Vietnam manages to "retain ... its ancient and peaceful charms even as it embraces the 21st century".

He added: "What was just as striking was that the relics of that ancient civilisation had survived Vietnam's recent violent upheavals at all."

Mr Sherwell described a trip on a wooden junk through one of the south-east Asian country's many "narrow channels" as one of his best experiences in the country.

"The vessel anchored under a moonlit sky, we dined against a spectacular backdrop of pinnacles and towers that, by sunrise, seemed to have morphed into strange sea monsters emerging from the mist," he wrote.

People may also wish to take a cycling trip through the country, as they may be rewarded - as Mr Sherwell was - with "some glorious snapshots of rural life".