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The must-see attractions in the capital city of Hanoi, the villages in the Red River Delta and 3-day cruise in Halong Bay, the World Natural Heritage site aboard the Au Co Luxury Cruise. The tour also include a visit to local tea house/or cafe, one lunch at a restaurant fitted out as if it is a small museum of 1976-86 period with various objects once common in people’s lives; and a private folk song performance with opportunity to interact with local people.
This is the perfect journey for travelers who seek for an introduction to Vietnam & Cambodia’s heritage, culture, wonders, cuisine, and its people.
Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) – bustling & dynamic city in southern Vietnam while Phu Quoc Island is now becoming the paradise resort in Vietnam. It is not only the perfect destination for leisure beach vacations but also popular for weekenders from Ho Chi Minh City. Besides relaxing on the white sandy beach, you can also explore villages to see the local life or many famous fish sauce factories located around this peaceful island. On this 5-night relaxing escape visit Phu Quoc Island in the Gulf Of Thailand, a perfect relaxation spot with forested mountains and white sandy beaches.
Hanoi, the country’s capital unfairly overlooked due to the famous Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon) because of how the War portrayed it towards foreign tourists. When in fact, Hanoi is one of the most picturesque, culturally rich, and has well-laid streets that it one of the world’s most attractive and interesting cities. It’s the country’s cultural heart where its thousand-year history is ever-present and takes centerstage by its centuries-old but well-preserved colonial architecture.
The port city of Hoi An is a major tourist hub and makes no effort to hide it and even flaunts it freely and with good reason. One such display that’s sure to attract visitors is the noticeable lanterns that illuminate the city at night. That’s because local laws require shophouses to dangle these from their facade thus giving one a snippet of what Hoi An is for tourists. Additionally, this is the only city that prohibits motorbikes from plying the roads during most parts of the day.
Hue is one of Vietnam’s major cities located in the central region which is rich in the country’s monarchial history and was the capital until 1945. It’s a photogenic destination with amazing local cuisine with people who are devoid of big-city trappings. The weather isn’t always pleasant with either its perpetual rains or its unbearable heat but if you make the journey (most scenic by train from either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City), you’ll be rewarded as most tourists tend to overlook the former capital.
HCM, Saigon, take your pick as these are all names that Ho Chi Minh City go by since the fall of Saigon in 1975. The city is Vietnam’s business and financial hub with a prominent history going back hundreds of years but the war is mostly how foreigners associate the city’s history.
Not much has been written about Ninh Thuan, maybe because it is Vietnam’s newest province, splitting away from Binh Thuan in the south and Khanh Hoa in the north in 1993 so with even locals not knowing that it is now its province, travelers will find a hidden gem of a location that offers so much more tranquility but an equal amount of beauty compared to neighboring Nha Trang. The best way to reach Ninh Thuan is ironically via the Nha Trang Airport which is closer to the capital city of Phan Rang than it is to Nha Trang.
Tourists looking for a vast expanse of golden coasts with barely anyone in sight should look no further than the Province of Phu Yen. It’s 120 km south of the uber-popular Nha Trang and enjoys a vibe that is laid-back and very local. As beach province, it is best to avoid it during the monsoon season from September to November but do note that May to July is the peak of the domestic tourist season so prepare for heavy local tourism.
The City of Ben Tre is actually where the Vietnam War started when the Viet Cong killed 12 southern Vietnamese soldiers in 1959 and where the preposterous strategy was proposed by a US army officer who said, “It became necessary to destroy Ben Tre to save it” and was bombed till flattened. But this meant the city had a clean slate and rebuilt what it is now today. The completion of the Rach Mieu Bridged in 2009 was when things kicked into high gear as development growing at a rapid pace with tourism following suit.
My Tho is the capital of the Tien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam. Historically, it was formerly Cambodian and known as Misar but was annexed by the country towards the end of the 17th century. Later on, it was ceded to the French and was developed into agricultural lands after the French army engineers drained its marshes. It once had a direct rail route that connected to Ho Chi Minh City and apart from tourism, it is also known for coconut, fruit, and vegetable production, soap making, and coconut oil extraction.
Looking for adventure but dread the crowds? The province of Cao Bang may just be the destination fit for you. It’s on the Northeastern-most part of Vietnam and one of its main attractions, the Ban Gioc Waterfall sits on the border and is just 30 km from China. If you visit at the right time, ideally from October to April, Cao Bang is a laid-back getaway with five major river systems and 47 lakes and most of the province is protected as a UNESCO Global Geopark.
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