My wife and I will be in Singapore this winter with about 5 free days to head somewhere else in Southeast Asia. We've been to most of the countries in Southeast Asia, but we've never been to Vietnam. The country seems to get mixed reviews; lots of people seem to have a great time, others report major hassles (I know they've made the visa process much easier). I remember Nomadic Matt posting a screed a few year ago about how badly tourists are treated in Vietnam.

So I'm trying to get a good handle on the actual tourist situation in Vietnam. And whether 5 days is enough time to be worthwhile. It doesn't seem like we'd enjoy spending all that time in Hanoi or Saigon, where I assume we'd have to fly into. I'm wondering if there's a "blockbuster" site near either of these cities that would be a particularly worthwhile addition.

I still remember driving around the highlands of Thailand a few years ago (near Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai), thinking it would be more interesting than a more typical Thai beach vacation. We loved the food, but didn't think there was all that much "to see" there. So I'm kind of wondering what there would actually be "to do" in Vietnam in a short period of time that would be interesting. Any thoughts? Thanks.