Housed in one of Vietnam's most spectacular pieces of French era architecture, the National Museum of Vietnamese History is home to the finest collection of artefacts from Vietnam's ancient and more recent history. If Hanoi's other museums have overwhelmed you with propaganda and war, this museum will come as a welcome relief both with its delightful setting and its superb collection. Concentrating on Vietnam's pre - twentieth century evolution, the presentation is refreshingly contemporary

Rusty Compass