This beautiful Southeast Asian country is a blend of colours and flavours - from street food to vibrant beaches, ancient temples...
From the moment you step out of the traffic to cross the road to sampling the mouthwatering street food, with all its herbs, spices, bold flavours and aromas – you’ll be hooked. “I first stepped onto the nearly 8 million motorbikes of Ho Chi Minh City in 2004 and have explored the place dozens of times since. It’s the driver’s responsibility to avoid you, not the other way around. It works – if you don’t hesitate or panic,” writes author Claire Boobbyer. Here are the most “addictive” things visitors can experience in Vietnam, according to the prestigious British newspaper The Times .
1. Discover old Hanoi
THE TIMES
2.Street food
Sample Vietnam’s famous fresh, herb-infused dishes on a street food tour. From broths to fragrant seafood, Vietnamese cuisine is alluring in its balance of flavours, textures and sheer impact. Start with Vietnamese egg coffee or the popular iced milk coffee before tucking into a steaming bowl of pho. But save room for banh mi, bun cha, and cheap draft beer (bia hoi) at sidewalk stalls…3. Ha Long Bay Cruise
According to legend, Ha Long Bay was formed by a dragon spitting pearls, creating stone pillars rising from the teal sea. Today, thousands of limestone mountains dot the Gulf of Tonkin, a stunning, ethereal seascape – as appealing in the bright sunlight as when shrouded in a delicate mist. A cruise will take you beyond the caves to the isolated Bai Tu Long area.4. Backpacking on Ha Giang route
Ha Giang is Vietnam’s most remote region, an “otherworldly landscape” of soaring peaks and deep valleys carved by towering rice paddies and surrounded by high-altitude roads that stretch across the sky. In its remote corners, you’ll find villages with colorful weekly markets. Traveling by motorbike, passing wonderfully named sites like Heaven’s Gate, visiting ancient towns… is an experience hard to find elsewhere. Visitors should choose to stay in homestays and eco-lodges among these remote mountains, a world away from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi.5. Rowing in Tam Coc
Tam Coc, or “Ha Long Bay on land”, is a particularly picturesque area where the Ngo Dong River winds through flat green rice paddies framed by round-topped limestone mountains. Board a bamboo boat where local women row down the river towards Tam Coc, on foot. Amid this dramatic landscape is Vietnam’s 9th-century capital Hoa Lu.6. Terraced fields in the ripe rice season
Mu Cang Chai, home to the most beautiful sun-drenched terraced fields, is about 300 km northwest of Hanoi. During the planting season from May to June, the hills are shaped by glistening rice fields, and during the harvest season (autumn) they are dyed a brilliant yellow.7.Adventure in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park
Located in the Truong Son mountain range, Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park is home to the world's largest cave, Son Doong, with its underground tunnels. Multi-day expeditions in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park take visitors into a "different world".8. Experience the ancient capital of Hue and DMZ
The Imperial City of Hue was built by the Nguyen Dynasty in the 1800s. The Nguyen Dynasty emperors built many ornate mausoleums with manicured gardens. From Hue, visitors can explore war sites and DMZ relics in Quang Tri.9. Shopping in Hoi An
Hoi An is a beautiful riverside town with ancient houses, carved pagodas and markets fronting the tranquil Thu Bon River. Today, it is bustling with craft shops, silk tailors, fashion boutiques, lively bars and restaurants catering to Vietnamese and international tastes. Time your visit during the full moon of each month when the old town is decorated with colourful lanterns.10. Central Highlands
Dreamy scenery at Tia stream, the source of Tuyen Lam lake, Da Lat
Few international visitors explore this vast highland region, with its coffee and tea plantations, fascinating village traditions and spectacular waterfalls, far from the crowded coastal tourist routes. Da Lat is a lakeside destination and a centre of flower and strawberry production. Visit the cafes of the coffee capital of Buon Ma Thuot and take your binoculars to the bird-watching havens around Kon Tum. The Gia Rai people hold grave-abandoning ceremonies, decorate graves and carve strange wooden carvings left in the forests over the years.11. Mekong Delta Tour
The Victoria Mekong is the only boat on the Mekong River that uses solar panels and is 99% plastic-free. It also travels slowly to avoid waves that could erode the delta’s riverbanks and follows a different route – the Hau River – than the ones that cruise ships take. Visitors visit floating markets away from the crowded tourist routes; Tra Su water bird paradise, Tan Chau silk village…12. Visit Ho Chi Minh City by Vespa or scooter
Ho Chi Minh City is bustling with life. Nearly 10 million people use 8 million motorbikes. You have no choice but to jump into the noise and join the locals zooming around at night. Ride a Vespa through the bustling streets past glass skyscrapers, villas, temples and the breezy banks of the Saigon River. Pop into local cafes, indulge in street food, listen to live music at some of the hip bars and sip craft cocktails on rooftops.13. Take a luxury train
Vietnam’s first luxury train, the Vietage, travels between the emerging beaches of Quy Nhon and Da Nang, the gateway to the ancient river port of Hoi An. The six-hour journey follows the coast of the South China Sea, passing fishing villages, rice paddies and mountainous landscapes. The carriage features a beautifully designed bamboo interior, designed by hotelier Anantara, and guests travel in one of six private carriages...Vi Nguyen - Thanhnien.vn
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