VietNam

Northern Vietnam

Hanoi
Hanoi, located on the banks of Red River, is the capital of Vietnam with over thousands of years of history and culture. It has always been an interesting place and one of the oldest cities in Asia attracting tourists with its charm of delectable cuisine, vibrant nightlife, arts and handicrafts as well as friendly people. The city also has many remarkable museums, ancient pagodas and temples especially the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Central Sector of Thang Long Imperial Citadel built in 11th century. One of the prominent features of the city is the image of local people doing Taichi exercises, jogging or playing chess in the mornings or flocks of young people chitchatting, children playing in the evenings around the lush greenery lakes and parks giving not only the feeling of peace but also the sign of development to the country suffering by war. Despite time going by, Hanoi still keeps its charming that few other cities in Asia ever do.

Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay is about 170km east of Hanoi with approximate 3-hour drive thanks to the highway Hanoi – Hai Phong – Ha Long. A magnificent bay which has thousands of islets scattered throughout a large area of limpid emerald water, this bay surely ranks among the most impressive landscapes in the world and has been an accredited UNESCO natural heritage of the world. An overnight cruise through its spectacular limestone islands and islets is the best way to explore the beauty of the bay.

Cat Ba Archipelago

Cat Ba Archipelago, located in the north of Hai Phong including over 360 islands, has been recognized recently as UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in September 2023. Cat Ba Island, the main and biggest island in the archipelago, has many things to offer for all types of travel from swimming or kayaking in pristine beaches to hiking in the jungle in Cat Ba National Park, from cycling to Viet Hai village or exploring natural caves in the island. Also, the Lan Ha Bay in Cat Ba Archipelago is as beautiful as Ha Long Bay which is a great choice for those who want to discover the stunning limestone landscape yet immerse in the tranquility of the Bay.

Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh has many interesting things to offer for tourists from the rich culture with temples dedicated to Dinh and Early Le Dynasties from 10th – 11th centuries in Hoa Lu ancient capital to the beautiful landscape at Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014. A relaxing trip on small sampans hand-rowed by local people along the river passing by limestone mounts, grottoes in Trang An will recall to you a similar image of the worldwide famous Ha Long Bay. Moreover, for nature lovers, a boat ride in Van Long Wetlands Nature Reserve in the mountain settings with imposing rocks, vast lakes searching for wild birds and langurs during the sunset is enjoyable. For active travelers, a trip to Cuc Phuong National Park, the country's first national park, is recommended with outdoor activities such as hiking, trekking, cycling through the jungle path or even kayaking. One day trip to this province is surely worth visiting and convenient with a couple of hours drive from Hanoi.

Mai Chau & Pu Luong
Mai Chau is situated in the valley surrounded by high mountains in Hoa Binh Province in the northwestern region of Vietnam. The valley is home to several ethnic minority groups such as Thai, Muong, H'mong, Tay, Dao, etc which they still preserve their living and culture in daily life. Guests can leisurely walk or bike along the village paths enjoying the rural landscape of idyllic hills in the background, lush green rice terraces to visit friendly local people. It is suggested to stay overnight in a traditional house on stilts and watch the cultural performance of ethnic people in the evening.

On the other hand, Pu Luong Nature Reserve is the place for more authentic experience. It is located not far from Mai Chau yet still retains the tranquility and peaceful feeling of sleepy ethnic villages to the modern, busy city dwellers. The popular activities in the reserve vary from hiking or mountain biking visiting remote villages, kayaking down the river passing by typical bamboo water wheels to just sitting back, reading a book as the time slowly goes by. Both Mai Chau and Pu Luong enjoy the close proximity to Hanoi which is perfect for a weekend getaway trip

Sapa & Bac Ha
Once a resort established by the French in the early 20th century and located on a plateau of pleasant climate and picturesque landscapes in the mountainous region of North-west of Vietnam, Sapa present-day offers more with diverse cultures and colorful costumes and traditions of many ethnic minority peoples living in the area. For those with a more adventurous mind, conquering Fansipan - the tallest mountain in Indochina - at the height of 3,124m is another challenge besides trekking to remote villages on mountain sides. Around 100km from Sapa, Bac Ha is the place for all the ethnic minority people in the region to gather for their weekly market on Sunday. Many of the interesting aspects of ethnic people's traditions and cultures can be witnessed in the event.

Ha Giang
Ha Giang is the northernmost province in Vietnam sharing the long border with China as well as home to the country’s most stunning mountainous scenery, winding passes and ethnic diversity. The province has so many things to offer from the unique Dong Van Karst Plateu UNESCO Global Geopark to the most exotic ethnic villages that can be found only in Ha Giang, from the breathtaking terrace rice fields in Hoang Su Phi to the most challenging yet fascinating mountain roads of Ma Pi Leng Pass. It is best riding a motorbike to explore the beauty of Ha Giang.

Central Vietnam
Phong Nha
Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh Province is the UNESCO World Heritage Site and a paradise for adventure seekers. The park is most famous for its magnificent, world's biggest cave, Son Dong Cave, as well as other numerous caves systems waiting to be discovered. For easy half-day tours, travelers can visit Paradise Cave or Phong Nha Cave by boat for its beautiful staglamites and stalactites, or join interesting activities at Dark Cave such as zip-line, kayak etc especially the mud bath inside the cave. For adventurous travelers, they can choose one-day trip requiring trekking through the jungle, swimming in the underground rivers to explore the caves or they can take multiple day expedition for getting most experience. It is truly worth the name as “kingdom of caves” in the world tourism map.

Hue
This UNESCO World Heritage Site, imperial city of the 19th century had been representing the cultural and spiritual center of Vietnam for a long period of time. This city is famous for its magnificent architectural citadel's palaces, pagodas and royal tombs erected during the Nguyen Dynasty - the last dynasty of the feudal Vietnam reigning from 1802 to 1945. The majestic royal mausoleums and also boat trip on the famous Perfume River (or "" Huong" river in Vietnamese) must not be missed for tourists. Another attraction of Hue is the Hue Royal Court music performance, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage that was one exclusively for royals.

Da Nang & Hoi An
Built on the bank of Han river and being Vietnam's third largest city, Da Nang offers both spectacular mountain scenery and white sand beaches with crystal-clear water. Most of the remaining evidence of the once flourishing civilization of Champa Kingdom at the site of the present central and southern regions of Vietnam can still be seen around Da Nang, either in ancient Cham towers or in stone sculptures at the Museum of Cham Sculpture. Places worth visiting also include Marble Mountains with interesting grottoes and China Beach - once very famous among American soldiers during the Vietnam War. Nearby is Hoi An which was also known as Faifo and one of the most important sea ports of Southeast from 15th to 19th centuries. The laid-back, charming town of Hoi An is the UNESCO Word Heritage Site with well-preserved architecture of old houses, bridges and alleys is a must-visit destination in Vietnam.

My Son
My Son, 70km southwest of Da Nang and located in a valley was a religious sanctuary of the once flourishing Champa Kingdom from the 4th century. Many temples and towers were built here dedicated to the kings and Brahman divinities. Because of wars and time, only around 20 architectural works stood on until today and are vivid examples of Cham culture and history. My Son has been accredited as a cultural heritage of the world by UNESCO and worth a half-day visit from Hoi An.

Southern Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Saigon is the former name of Ho Chi Minh City which was once also called "the Pearl of the Far East". It is the largest, populous and most vibrant city in Vietnam through its development velocity and changes taking place almost every day. However, the city is still much more with pagodas, temples, museums and markets which give visitors knowledge of the city's history and evolution as well as local people's daily life. From Ho Chi Minh City, one-day excursions are easily arranged to the famous system of underground tunnels of Cu Chi and/or to Tay Ninh Province to the magnificent Great Temple of Caodaism - a religion uniquely found in Vietnam, or for a boat trip on Mekong river in the Mekong Delta.

Mekong Delta
On the map, this vast area encircles the downstream of the Mekong River which is to Vietnamese people as the "River of Nine Dragons". The nine dragons here correspond to the river's nine estuaries through which the river flows into the East Sea. Being called the "rice basket" of Vietnam, the delta boasts large rice paddies with beautiful landscapes. Visitors can enjoy the hand-rowed boat into small canals to visit local farmers' houses hidden in large orchards of longan, rambutan, sapodilla, etc. A trip to know thoroughly the farmers' daily life and to enjoy seasonal tropical fruits in shady gardens is truthfully an unforgettable and rewarding experience in the southern Vietnamese countryside.

Phu Quoc Island

Nestled in the Gulf of Thailand, Phu Quoc Island is the largest island in the south of Vietnam and home to a growing number of luxury, world-famous resorts with beautiful beaches including Ong Lang Beach, Khem Beach, Sao Beach and Long Beach. It is easily reached by flights as well as speed boats from Rach Gia and Ha Tien with the best time to visit between November and March.