Seven Experiences You Shouldn’t Miss in Vietnam

by Bethaney Davies 

Vietnam is a country that can polarize the opinion of it’s visitors. Some people love it, others loathe it. I, myself, have had a love-hate relationship with Vietnam over my two visits. I hated it on my first visit but fell in love on my second visit. If you want to fall in love with this crazy country too, here are seven experiences you shouldn’t miss in Vietnam.

Street in Saigon

Cross the Street in Saigon

Seriously. Crossing the street in Saigon is not the same as crossing the street anywhere else on the planet. The streets are constantly thick with scooters. To get a cross you honestly just have to step from the curb, walk across and keep your pace consistent letting the traffic weave around you. In some strange way it just works. The drivers know how to anticipate the movements of pedestrians crossing the street. You’ll only get into trouble if you stop or change your pace causing motorists to swerve.

Floating Market

Cruise Through the Mekong Delta

Take a tour from Saigon to explore the Mekong Delta region. You’ll get to shop at the famous floating markets of the region, visit cottage industries making rice paper and coconut candy and just soak up the vibe of the river towns. It makes for a welcome antidote to the craziness of Saigon and should definitely be part of your Vietnam holidays.

Motobike at Mui Ne

Motorbike in Mui Ne

If you’re going to try your hand at riding a motorbike anywhere in Vietnam, make it in Mui Ne. It’s a relatively sleepy fishing village with a row of tourist resorts running along one road. There isn’t much in the way of public transport in town so renting a motorbike is the best way to get around. Once you’ve got the hang of it, ride your motorbike out to see the sand dunes.

Wallow in mud

Wallow in Mud in Nha Trang

The beach is lovely but it’s over developed and over commercialised. My absolute favourite thing about Nha Trang is the hot springs at Thap Ba. Where else can you wallow in your own private therapeutic mud pool, swim in hot spring water and get a relaxing massage for only a few dollars? It’s a little bit of a drive out from Nha Trang so arrange for your moto or taxi driver to wait or come back and collect you at a set time.

Nikes at Hoi An

Get Tailor-Made Clothing in Hoi An

Having clothes tailor-made to your exact measurements is a real treat. Back home it would cost hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars to have a custom made suit, dress or coat. There are no shortage of tailor shops in Hoi An but the best of the best is Yaly Couture. The garments I had made in 2008 at Yaly are still in circulation in my wardrobe. Sadly, my blinged out custom “Nikes” bit the dust after only a few wears.

H'mong ethnic

Go Trekking in Sapa

This mountainous region of Vietnam up by the Chinese border is very special indeed. Mountain mists roll in and out of the verdant rice terraces. Minority hilltribespeople wander around in traditional dress. There are days and days worth of fantastic walks in and around Sapa. If you’re keen for longer treks, go with an organised tour. Or if you just want short walks, pick a trail and you’ll be met by smiling young women who guide tourists in exchange for purchasing their handicrafts.

Halong Bay

Explore Halong Bay

Save the best until last! Halong Bay is the emerald in Vietnam’s crown. 2000 islands dot the green waters, supposedly representing a huge dragon’s body dipping above and below the surface. You can easily join a Halong Bay cruise from Hanoi on any budget. All tours include a night aboard a traditional Junk ship. If time permits, go for the two-night, three-day tour… all the magic happens on the second day which most tourists miss. You can cycle around islands, kayak through the waters and explore historical sights from the Vietnam war on Cat Ba Island.

ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA would like to recommend Family Adventures in Vietnam tour.With its stunning natural landscapes, millennia-old history, exciting cosmopolitan cities, friendly hamlets and mélange of cultural influences, Vietnam has it all. And there’s no better way to become acquainted with this vibrant country than by exploring it under your own locomotion and at your own pace. Walk past pagodas and temples in old Hanoi, kayak amid labyrinthine limestone outcrops in Halong Bay, bike past vibrant green rice paddies, investigate magnificent historic sites in Hue and stroll through the enchanting city of Hoi An, one of Vietnam’s architectural gems. Round out your days of discovery with meals of delicious local cuisine and stays at warm welcoming hotels.

Highlights:

• Kayaking in the amazing Halong Bay
• Biking in the majestic former capital of Hue
• Charming ancient town of Hoian
• Floating market of Cai Rang

The reasons why come to Viet nam

Known with many famous tourist sites with natural beauties, tranquil villages, ancient pagodas, beautiful lakes, Vietnam has been a popular tourist destination in the world. Not convinced as yet? Here are the top reasons why Vietnam should be your next destination.

Magnificent terrace field

A stunningly beautiful country

Vietnam is just beautiful, its geography, topography, landscapes, and especially 3265 km of coastline. Magnificent mountains, Red River and the Mekong deltas, rivers and primary forests make the country an amazing land to visit. The top destinations for ideal Vietnam travel is the 2000 fascinating naturally sculptures rising up from emerald water in Halong Bay. Or head to the Northwest and enjoy the spectacular scenery of terrace rice fields in Sapa, occupied by different tribes. In the central region, Vietnam boasts its best beaches on earth and ready for your golden holidays in Cua Dai beach, Nha Trang beach or Mui Ne beach. In the Mekong delta, tourists get amazed by amazing ways of life from floating villages and floating markets.

World Heritages

Hoi An ancient town

It is not difficult to find out key highlights of Vietnam. The small country is proud to have rich heritages, from natural ones to man-made spiritual. So far Vietnam has 7 UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage Sites which contribute to its appealing beauty, including Hue Complex Monuments, Hoi An ancient town, My Son Holy Land, PhongNha-Ke Bang National Park, Halong Bay, The Cultural Space of Gong in the Central Highlands, the Royal Court Music of Hue. Other intangible heritages that attract tourists are Xoan singing, Folk songs and Ca Tru.

Vietnam: A journey from past to present

If Hanoi is the grand old dame of Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City is the brash young floozy, then Halong Bay, Hue and Hoi An are the alluring mistresses you encounter along the way. Here landscape, architecture, culture and cuisine work their seduction via subtle charms rather than sensory overload.

The first stop on our north-south journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City was a side trip to the unchanging wonders of Halong Bay, where thousands of limestone outcrops rear from the placid aquamarine waters of the Gulf of Tonkin.

Halong Bay, Vietnam

The voyage, on a luxury sleep-aboard wooden junk, was an immediate immersion in oriental serenity as we glided calmly through the narrow channels past floating fishing villages where life is lived on the water as it has been for centuries.

After the vessel anchored under a moonlit sky, we dined against a spectacular backdrop of pinnacles and towers that, by sunrise, seemed to have morphed into strange sea monsters emerging from the mist.

These islands are pitted with caves and chambers and the morning hike to the Grotto of the Heavenly Palace was rewarded with a stunning display of stalactites and stalagmites.

We then flew south to the country’s geographic and spiritual heart, Hue, the imperial capital from 1802 to 1945. And from its perch overlooking the Perfume River, the Art Deco comfort of La Résidence – the elegant former French colonial governor’s home-turned-hotel – provided a majestic base for exploration.

Ngo Mon Gate, Hue, Vietnam

That evening we dined out in style on the local specialty: banh khoai (a crispy pancake of shrimp, pork and bean sprouts) with nuoc leo (a peanut sauce), bun bo (spicy beef noodle soup) and seafood with vegetables.

Food in Hue is served with formality and elegance, with a tradition of “royal cuisine” where as much emphasis is placed on the aesthetics of a dish’s colors and presentation as its contents and cooking. It certainly made for a formidable treat for the eyes as well as the taste buds.

The next day we struck out for the elaborate royal mausoleums that the emperors built for themselves among the low hills south of town. Our reward for toiling through the heat on bicycles was some glorious snapshots of rural life – as well as the final imperial resting places themselves.

The bustling modernity of Danang holds little interest unless you want to see close up how wholeheartedly the country’s rulers have marched from Marx to Mammon. But we were heading for the slow-paced charms and architectural heritage of Hoi An, a 30-minute drive south that took us past the shimmering white sand expanse of China Beach, where luxury all-inclusive resorts and golf courses are now springing up with alacrity.

While Hue still carries the aloofness of its imperial roots and its northern reserve, the historic trading entrepôt of Hoi An feels like the start of the more freewheeling south. No need for a bicycle here – the old town is a grid of just a few streets packed with wonderfully preserved 200-year-old Chinese merchants’ homes and shop houses converted into art galleries, antique stores and tailors.

Lantern shop at night, Hoi An, Vietnam

A few miles away, there is the chance to take a break from the sights and soak up the sun on the same glorious white-sand beach that runs down the coast from Danang. And at night, the town assumes a magical air, thanks to the lines of colorful illuminated lanterns that are strung across the streets, and the restaurants along the river come alive.

The next day, we ventured inland to My Son and its evocative clusters of ruined Hindu temples, built to worship the god Shiva by the Cham kings between the seventh and 13th centuries, but then lost to the jungle when their dynasty collapsed.

Yet even as we enjoyed the Indiana Jones atmosphere of the Unesco World Heritage Site, what was just as striking was that the relics of that ancient civilization had survived Vietnam’s recent violent upheavals at all.

From Hoi An, we headed south via the beaches of Nha Trang to the bustle, chaos and energy of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon.

Our arrival in Hanoi and departure from Ho Chi Minh City book-ended the trip with its own memorable sights colors and experiences. But it was in exploring the narrow, central heartland of this long snaking land that Vietnam had most magically woven its spell.

Source: Telegraph