The plane crawls high above the Mekong delta - flooded paddy, intestinal loops of river, roads crammed with Honda 50s and lined with shops selling rice and Marlboros.

Hanoi's old quarter is brimming with life. A steady stream of motorcycles whizz by as we weave through the dense crowd of shoppers along Hang Dao.

Villas are scattered over undulating hill slopes, offering garden and ocean views.

Ahead of the signing of the TPP, Vietnamese business and trade leaders and exploring trade opportunities in New Zealand.

A note on the actual seat: Vietnamese silk cushions were a lovely touch.

Our day-trip dollars become micro-loans to empower rural women, writes Naomi Estall.

A son of Vietnamese "boat people" to New Zealand is running three half marathons to fundraise and highlight the plight of refugees.

John Key's programme in Hanoi yesterday reflects the complexity of the country. In the morning it was a visit to the Vin empire of Vietnam's first and only billionaire, Pham Nhat Vuong, and in the afternoon he was off to meet the communists.

John Key is in Vietnam meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, launching what he calls "a new era in bilateral relations".

Halong Bay's famed islands are well explored from a kayak, writes Neda Vanovac.

Ho Chi Minh City has a great craft ale scene, says Vietnam beer vet Brett Atkinson.

Pam Neville finds the spirit of Joan Baez still lingers in Hanoi’s Metropole Hotel.

Kevin Pilley checks out the subterranean mazes used by Viet Cong 'human moles' during the Vietnam War.

Australia's live animal export trade is once again under a harsh spotlight amid claims that cattle are being bludgeoned to death with sledgehammers in Vietnam.

New Zealand and Vietnam aim to double trade to around $2.2 billion by 2020. The target announced yesterday was part of an accord between the two countries.

It's been 40 years since the end of the Vietnam War and this vibrant country has never stood taller, writes Nel Staveley.

In a style that acknowledges the extravagant comforts of early 20th-century travel, Sarah Marshall sips prosecco on a train trip from Bangkok to Vientiane.

Vo Van Duong's bamboo and coconut leaf house looks much like others deep in Vietnam's Mekong Delta.

A Kiwi air traveller wrestled with a crazed passenger who tried to force open an emergency aircraft door mid-flight between Vietnam and Australia.

Somerset Maugham and Graham Greene penned works here, writes Wynne Gray.

Between 1963 and 1975 some 3500 Kiwis served in the Vietnam War. This edited extract from a new book, No Front Line, tells the grim reality of jungle warfare.

Bich Ngoc, who earns less than $60 a week, cobbled together four months of savings to buy the latest iPhone so she could impress her colleagues.

Travelling from Chau Doc to Ho Chi Minh City, Nick Redmayne encounters an optimistic country.

Vietnam's Phu Quoc is what Phuket was 40 years ago. But it won't last, says Jacqueline Le.

China carries out more executions than any other country, a new report has estimated.

Two Brisbane couples and another two Australians are among 239 people feared dead after a Malaysia Airlines flight went missing en route to Beijing.

A father of two young sons is one of two Kiwis feared dead in a mysterious Malaysia Airlines flight which disappeared yesterday.

Wynne Gray escapes the bustle of the big cities with a delicious escape in Hoi An.

Pamela Wade explores all sides of Vietnam, from the traffic-jammed streets to remote hill villages.

The war is the past. Today, Vietnam focuses on the future, writes Tori Mayo.