Vietnam always brings interesting journeys in every corner. Here are the interesting things in the whole country from the countryside in the North, the majestic Ha Long Bay, the mossy corners of the bustling ancient town of Hoi An, the land of Hue Ancient Capital to the prosperity of Ho Chi Minh city and much more.
1/ Visit the Lantern Festival in Hoi An Ancient Town
Every New Year comes, Hoi An transforms into a kaleidoscope with vibrant colors and shimmering lights to serve the Lantern Festival. The festival takes place for seven days with the roads stretching from Chua Cau to Hoai River Square decorated with thousands of colorful lanterns.
The most sparkling image is probably the image of the lanterns floating on the river. You can fully experience it yourself by renting a sampan and a lantern for a very small amount of money. According to the opinion of the tourists who came here, Hoi An is one of the essential destinations of the trip to Vietnam.
2/ Visiting Ha Long Bay and surroundings
Halong is considered one of the most beautiful places in Vietnam. With 1,600 limestone spiers rising from the turquoise water, Ha Long Bay is truly one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in Vietnam. It’s always on every visitor’s bucket list – and every day hundreds of ships offer cruises around the bay. So even though it is huge, it still feels crowded here.
Bai Tu Long Bay, just a few miles away, possesses equally charming scenery, but attracts only a small number of tourists. Here, you can explore uninhabited caves, tiny beaches and enjoy fresh and nutritious seafood dishes.
3/ Visiting Cat Ba Island
You will not regret it if you choose to visit Cat Ba Island. The scenery is breathtaking, and the nearby Lan Ha Bay is a perfect alternative to Ha Long Bay – a breathtakingly beautiful destination that isn’t crowded at all.
Enjoy a walk through the rainforest. The Look-Out Tower Trail is a popular and fairly easy route. Continue for about 1 hour until you see a red-brown hut, where you can admire the unspoiled beauty of Cat Ba Island. If you want more, climb up to Ngu Lam Peak to see the vast green mountains looming between heaven and earth. Even more adventurous choice is the option to hire a tour guide to accompany you on the Viet Hai trail – an 18km long winding road that requires good physical condition.
4/ Boat ride on the Mekong River
After a journey of more than 4,000 km from the Tibetan Himalayas, the Mekong River flows back to Vietnam at a slower and more harmonious pace.
Hitching a ride on a cargo boat, resting in a hammock in a shady place and admiring the scenery on both sides of the distant river, taking one of the many commercial cruises located on that part of the river. The journey from Cai Be to Can Tho is a great opportunity to experience a night on the river. As you head south along the Mang Thit River connecting the Tien Giang and Bassac river systems, the canal becomes so narrow that you can peer inside the rickety stilt houses by the river.
5/ Step into the world’s largest cave in Phong Nha National Park
Go to Quang Binh to discover the extraordinary beauty of Vietnam’s heritages! Quang Binh province is the land of impenetrable wild forests of Vietnam, close to the border with Laos. It is full of mysteries with hundreds of deep caves, including one of the largest caves in the world – Hang Son Doong.
The town of Phong Nha is the focal point for caving expeditions, another UNESCO-recognized cave of the same name as a wonder well worth exploring. Here, you can hire a guide or the necessary equipment to go deep into the cave.
If going deep underground doesn’t appeal to you, the area is also popular for its jungle hikes. The surrounding forest is adorned with majestic waterfalls and the bustle of monkeys and flying foxes.
6/ Visit the center of Buon Ma Thuot Coffee production
Buon Ma Thuot is the capital of the central highlands of Vietnam, a beautiful region of majestic waterfalls and traditional Ede villages.
Buon Ma Thuot is also the heart of Vietnam’s coffee industry. Trung Nguyen Coffee Company is a prominent brand in this field, and there is not a single industrial park in the area that does not have their own logo.
There are many coffee-related attractions in the city. Visitors can learn about the history of the region’s and world’s coffee industry at the World Coffee Museum. In March 2021 and March 2023, many coffee shops in the city will give away free products to celebrate local produce, during the biennial Coffee festival.
You will likely come across “weasel” aka “kopi luwak” or civet coffee during your visit, claimed by fans to be the best coffee in the world. Despite the great taste, recent investigations have found a few unethical animal welfare practices on coffee farms across the region.
7/ Enjoy Hanoi Pho specialties
Pho is a Vietnamese specialty – a quick, delicious dish made with simple ingredients like beef, rice noodles, herbs or green onions. In Vietnam, you will find Pho served at roadside stalls, at a high-end restaurant or right in the family meal.
All pho restaurants are proud to have their own recipe. It will be interesting for you to explore and find for yourself a stall that suits you best. But if you need advice, come and try Pho Thin on Lo Duc Street. The unique pho restaurant with wooden benches and rows of closely spaced tables makes things a little different – like stirring beef with garlic before putting them in the broth. Pho Thin is always packed with customers, but once you try it, you’ll find it’s well worth the wait. Taste it to enrich your Vietnam travel experience!
8/ Learn more about a glorious past of Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City
More than 60% of Vietnam’s population was born after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. But that doesn’t mean that the glorious history will be forgotten. The country of Vietnam has passed through bombs, but the loss and sacrifice of both sides in the conflict still resonates throughout the country, especially in Ho Chi Minh City.
The Ho Chi Minh Museum has many fascinating exhibits that explain the nation’s bloody past through photographs. Everything is done subtly but still shows the fierceness of war.
