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

Web Crawling

Geiser's Internet Travel Guide
(www.pmgeiser.ch/vietnam)

Launch Pad In this extensive, no-frills guidebook, webmaster and globe-trotter Peter M. Geiser covers Vietnam and the rest of the neighborhood (Laos, Cambodia, Burma, China and Tibet). You'll find listings of sights and an excellent reference on restaurants and hotels in key cities. Nothing is eye-popping, but the detail is impressive—right down to where to rent bicycles and how much you should pay.

Vietnam Online
(www.vietnamonline.net)

One Stop As the government gradually loosens its grip on society, Vietnam is attracting more and more business travelers. One look at this website and you might think the whole country was making money hand over fist. The site offers articles from the Vietnam Investment Review, links to local businesses selling everything from coffee to coal and a Bar & Pub section that will make taking clients out after meetings a snap. Like Vietnam's economy, the site can be a bit slow, but it's chock full of info and well worth the wait.

Write to TIME at mail@web.timeasia.com