Ancient History – White Sand Beaches – Party Nights
Vietnam is one of our favorite countries, packed with history, stunning landscapes, cultural highlights, and amazing food. It’s one of the most exciting destinations in South East Asia. We visited back in 1999 for the first time ever and we go back regularly to create this Vietnam Travel Blog section for you. We’ve had the luxury of time and long visas to really get to know Vietnam. Our aim is to help you plan your trip to Vietnam using this travel guide.
The Top 25 Places Must see in Vietnam
Vietnam makes terrific destination to travel for nature: the landscapes are diverse, there’s always something to do and see during the year and the auxiliary services are plenty in most popular landscapes. After all, Vietnam landscape are famous for inspiring artworks which speaks volumes about the beauties of this land. If you are a keen nature lover, and wish to have more followers on Instagram, put Vietnam on your bucket list, you won’t be disappointed. To not letting any worthy spot out of your trip, this article of will show you the ultimate collection of most beautiful Vietnam landscape, including UNESCO natural heritage and lesser known attractions.
Eat Your Heart Out
From turquoise sea to limestone mountains to otherworldly grottoes, for a small country like Vietnam geographically, there are a great diversity in landscape and sceneries across the country.
Blessed with a sexy S-shape and a 2015-mile coastline, Vietnam beaches are listed as the best on the world with variety of sea color and beach shapes. Vietnam beaches should be the number-one places to see when it comes to Vietnam landscape. Not only great for photos, the beaches in Vietnam offer exciting beachside activities, including snorkeling or diving.
The highlight of Vietnam geography is karst structures, especially limestone mountains and karst caves which set Vietnam natural beauties apart from other nations in Southeast Asia. If beaches give the feeling of calmness, peaceful with its pastel horizontal skies then caves and mountains in Vietnam bring you right in a film set for a Hollywood fantasy movie. World famous movie makers found their inspiration here for such masterpieces in terms of visual effect like The Lover, Pan, Kong: Skull Island, Apocalypse Now and more.
Talking about Vietnam beauties, missing Mekong River and Mekong Delta would be a serious mistake. Mekong Delta is the most powerful example of how nature nurture culture, resulting in such unique, beautiful way of life, not separating but rather depending on the nature and adding even more to the pulchritude of the land.
Yet, the landscape of Vietnam can’t be summarized in a few paragraphs, trying to fit words to describe the indescribable. Let’s us take you to a visual trip to Vietnam to see all the thrilling, exhilarating, shivering views of the country.
1. Hạ Long Bay
There is no better place to admire nature than a world natural heritage. Ha Long Bay would be a much easier destination than Son Doong (you have to go on a physical training and briefing before the trip). To visit Halong Bay, you can just book a luxury cruise tour and then just let you get lost in in the natural wonder.
As the name describes, Halong is a land where dragon descended into. This is a rather poetic explanation of thousands of limestone islands and islets scattering on an area of 434 sqkm, reflecting on the greenish bay water. Halong Bay’s geographical landscape was the result of complex geological processes taking over 500 million years. Halong is home to beautiful, unique karst caves such as Dau Go Cave, Sung Sot Cave and Thien Cung Cave.
Bai Tu Long Bay, Lan Ha Bay are the two bays that are also worth visiting for its beauties and rustic life of the floating villages
2. Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is a popular tourist destination due to its fascinating culture, classic French architecture, and sleek skyscrapers as well as ornate temples and pagodas. The city is also filled with rooftop bars that overlook Saigon and beyond, while fantastic restaurants offer a combination of French, Chinese, and, of course, local Vietnamese cuisine.
3. The world cultural heritage My Son
The most beautiful and impressive Cham temples of Vietnam can be found in My Son. It is located 40 kilometers from Hoi An and 70 kilometers from Da Nang. This temple complex was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. It is also compared to the immense temples of Angkor in Cambodia, however, there are fewer temples in My Son and they are a lot smaller and much destroyed. However, this does not mean that it is not worth a visit.
4. Cu Chi Tunnel
Visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels, you have a chance to witness its unique architecture and structure as well as understand why it plays an important role in Vietnam’s history.
Believe it or not, there were hospitals, schools, theatres, kitchens, all built into this extraordinary tunnel network. The entrances to these tunnels were covered with a secret wooden door and camouflage leaves above. Its size is so small that only the Vietnamese could fit in.
5. Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park
Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park is a protected area in north-central Vietnam bordering the Hin Namno Reserve in Laos. Characterized by mountains, tropical forests and underground rivers, it’s known for its ancient limestone karsts and vast network of caves. These include the huge Sơn Đoòng cave and Phong Nha cave, which is big enough for boats. The area’s rich wildlife includes tigers, black bears and elephants
6. Mekong River Delta
The Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam is a vast maze of rivers, swamps and islands, home to floating markets, Khmer pagodas and villages surrounded by rice paddies. Boats are the main means of transportation, and tours of the region often start in nearby Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) or Can Tho, a bustling town in the heart of the delta.
7. Cát Bà Island
Cát Bà Island is the largest of the 367 islands spanning 260 km² that comprise the Cat Ba Archipelago, which makes up the southeastern edge of Lan Ha Bay in Northern Vietnam. Cat Ba island has a surface area of 285 km² and maintains the dramatic and rugged features of Ha Long Bay.
8. Ba Be National Park
Ba Bể National Park is a reserve in Bắc Kạn Province, Northeast region of Vietnam, set up to protect a very murky lake along with surrounding limestone and highland evergreen forest. It is located about 240 kilometers northwest of the capital city Hanoi
9. Ban Gioc Waterfall
Ban Gioc – Detian Falls or Ban Gioc Falls is a collective name for two waterfalls on the Quây Sơn River that straddle the international border between China and Vietnam; more specifically located between the Karst hills of Daxin County, Guangxi, and Trùng Khánh District, Cao Bằng Province.
10. Sa Pa
Sa Pa is a town in the Hoàng Liên Son Mountains of northwestern Vietnam. A popular trekking base, it overlooks the terraced rice fields of the Muong Hoa Valley, and is near the 3,143m-tall Phang Xi Pang peak, which is climbable via a steep, multiday guided walk. Hill tribes, such as the Hmong, Tay and Dao, make up much of the town’s local population
11. Hoi An
Hội An is a city on Vietnam’s central coast known for its well-preserved Ancient Town, cut through with canals. The former port city’s melting-pot history is reflected in its architecture, a mix of eras and styles from wooden Chinese shophouses and temples to colorful French colonial buildings, ornate Vietnamese tube houses and the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge with its pagoda.
12. Chàm Island
Popular for day trips, the peaceful Chàm Islands offer water sports like kayaking and swimming, plus diving and snorkeling amid tropical coral reefs. Hòn Lao, the largest island, has quiet Bãi Ong and Bãi Xếp beaches, marine exhibits at Cham Museum, and tiny Buddhist temples. Traditional fishing villages such as Bãi Hương dot Hòn Lao’s coast, while rustic homestays and seafood eateries cluster around its ferry pier.
13. Hue City
Huế is a city in central Vietnam that was the seat of Nguyen Dynasty emperors and the national capital from 1802 to 1945. A major attraction is its vast, 19th-century Đại Nội Citadel, surrounded by a moat and thick stone walls. It encompasses the Imperial City, with palaces and shrines; the Forbidden Purple City (Tử cấm thành), once the emperor’s home; and a replica of the Royal Theater.
14. Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh
The Tomb of Khải Định, officially Ứng Mausoleum, is located in Chau Chu mountain near Huế in Vietnam. It was built for Khải Định, the twelfth Emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty. It was built from 1920 to 1931 taking 11 years to complete. The tomb is a blend of Western and Eastern architecture.
15. Ponagar Tower
Po Nagar is a Cham temple tower founded sometime before 781 C.E. and located in the medieval principality of Kauthara, near modern Nha Trang in Vietnam.
16. Long Son Pagoda
Long Sơn Pagoda is a Buddhist temple in the city of Nha Trang on South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is regarded as one of the main sites in the city, along with Hai Duc Temple.
17. Ninh Van Bay
Ninh Van Bay is a “hidden place” to leave the noise of the city life. It’s about 60km from Nha Trang city, located in Ninh Van commune, Ninh Hoa town, Khanh Hoa province. This place is considered a “hidden” place ideal for those who want to escape the noise of the city to find peace, deep in the soul, to be calm and immerse in the nature of heaven and earth most complete way.
It will take you about 20 minutes to go by speedboat to the island, all you see in front of you will make you just “stumble” surprised and stunned by peace and beauty in Great tranquility of this place.
18. Christ the King Cathedral
The Cathedral of Christ the King is one of the most popular sites in Vietnam’s premier beach resort town. Nha Trang is a coastal resort town in southern Vietnam. It is situated about halfway between Da Nang and Saigon, and is famous, particularly among Russian and European tourists, for its perfect sandy beaches.
19. Saigon Opera House
The Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon Municipal Opera House, is an opera house in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It is an example of French Colonial architecture in Vietnam.
20. Fansipan Mountain
Fansipan is a mountain in Vietnam. The height of the mountain was 3,143 meters in 1909, but now the height of the mountain is 3,147.3 meters. It is the highest mountain in the Indochinese Peninsula, hence its nickname “the Roof of Indochina”
21. Sand Dunes of Mũi Né
Mũi Né is a beach resort town along the sea in Southeast Vietnam. With a long, palm-lined stretch of sand, it has steady wind conditions (in the dry season) that make it a top destination for windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing and other water sports. It’s also a popular weekend getaway from Ho Chi Minh City, with a busy strip of hotels, restaurants and shops.
22. Hanoi
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is known for its centuries-old architecture and a rich culture with Southeast Asian, Chinese and French influences. At its heart is the chaotic Old Quarter, where the narrow streets are roughly arranged by trade. There are many little temples, including Bach Ma, honoring a legendary horse, plus Đồng Xuân Market, selling household goods and street food.
23. Da Nang
Da Nang is a coastal city in central Vietnam known for its sandy beaches and history as a French colonial port. It’s a popular base for visiting the inland Bà Nà hills to the west of the city. Here the hillside Hải Vân Pass has views of Da Nang Bay and the Marble Mountains. These 5 limestone outcrops are topped with pagodas and hide caves containing Buddhist shrines.
24. Ha Giang
Hà Giang is a province in northern Vietnam, bordering China. It’s known for its forested limestone and granite mountains. The laid-back provincial capital, also called Hà Giang, sits on the Lô river. North of the capital, the Quản Bạ Valley has green hills and caves, and is the location of the Quản Bạ pass, also known as Heaven’s Gate for its panoramic views over terraced rice fields below.
25. Nha Trang
Nha Trang is a coastal resort city in southern Vietnam known for its beaches, diving sites and offshore islands. Its main beach is a long, curving stretch along Tran Phu Street backed by a promenade, hotels and seafood restaurants. Aerial cable cars cross over to Hòn Tre Island, and the nature reserves of Hòn Mun and Hòn Tằm islands, reachable by boat, have coral reefs.
