8 Destinations in Vietnam You Should Go

The Cu Chi Tunnel, Mekong Delta region, Phu Quoc, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Mui Ne and Sapa are seen as favourite destination for foreign tourists coming to Vietnam, according to the world’s travel search engine.

Cu Chi Tunnels

Cu Chi tunnels built in 1948 were used by Vietnam soldiers during the reistance struggles against French colonists and American imperialists. They are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Cu Chi district of HCM City.

Mekong Delta region

Floating market is the highlight of the Mekong Delta region. Visitors can experience diverse activities like rowing through mango forests, trekking, visiting fish and snake farms, and riding along tracks.

Sapa

Sa Pa is a town in the Hoang Lien Son Mountains of northwest Vietnam. Popular with trekkers, it overlooks the terraced rice fields of the Muong Hoa Valley, and is near the 3,143m-tall Fan Si Pan peak, climbable via a steep, multiday guided walk. H’mong, Tay and Dao hill tribes make up much of the local population.

Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc is the biggest island in Vietnam, which is famous for beautiful beaches. This peaceful tropical paradise, floats in the warm turquoise waters in the Gulf of Thailand, 50kms from the Vietnamese mainland and a 50 minute flight from Ho Chi Minh City 

Hoi An ancient city

Hoi An is recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Hoi An Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site.

Mui Ne

With a long, palm-lined beach, Mui Ne 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 Saigon with a busy strip of hotels, restaurants and shops.

Nha Trang

Nha Trang is a coastal resort city in southern Vietnam known for its beaches, scuba diving and offshore islands. Its main beach is a long, curving stretch along Tran Phu Street backed by a promenade, hotels and seafood restaurants. Cable cars cross over to Hon Tre island and the Vinpearl Resort, with a golf course, water park and fairground.

Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a popular travel destination in Quang Ninh province. It features thousands of limestone karstsand isles in various sizes and shapes.

Top ten tourist attractions in Vietnam by Amity Smile Travel

Vietnam however is also a country with a long history and ancient traditions. It has many historic attractions and old temples.

Following is an overview of the most amazing tourist attractions in Vietnam by amitysmiletravel.com, a travel list website that features the most amazing sights around the world divided into various “best of” lists.

1. Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay is situated in north Vietnam round a 120km-long coast line and is literally translated as “Bay of Descending Dragons”. The top tourist attraction in Vietnam, Ha Long Bay features thousands of islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves, others islands include lakes and some support floating villages of fishermen.

2. Thien Mu Pagoda (Hue)

With seven stories, the Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue is the tallest pagoda in Vietnam. The pagoda overlooks the Perfume River and is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the former imperial capital. The temple was built in 1601 during the rule of the Nguyễn Lords. The initial temple was very simply constructed, but over time it was redeveloped and expanded with more intricate features.

3. Hoan Kiem Lake (Hanoi)

Located in the historical heart of Hanoi, Hoan Kiem Lake is one of the major scenic spots in the city and serves as the locals’ favourite leisure spot. Hoan Kiem means “returned sword”, and the name comes from a legend in which King Le Loi was given a magical sword by the gods, which he used to drive out the invading Chinese. Later he returned the sword to the Golden Turtle God in the lake.

4. Hoi An

This fishing-village-turned tourist attraction is situated on the coast of the East Sea. Hoi An has been an international port from the 16th century although the serious shipping business has long since moved to the city of Da Nang. The heart of the city is still the Old Town, full of winding lanes and Chinese-styled shops. It is sometimes called the “Venice of Vietnam” because of the narrow canals that cut through part of the town.

5. Phu Quoc Island

Located in front of the Cambodia coast, Phu Quoc is the largest island in Vietnam. Phu Quoc is what Phuket would be if it hadn’t been overrun by development. The island features pristine tropical forests, undamaged coral reefs and great beaches. One of its beaches, named Bai Dai (Long Beach), was chosen by the ABC News as one of five beautiful and clean beaches. Phu Quoc is famous for producing the best nuoc mam or fermented fish sauce in the world.

6. Sa Pa Terraces

Sa Pa is a town in northwest Vietnam not far from the Chinese border. Rice terraces can be found in the Muong Hoa valley between Sa Pa town and the Fansipan Mountain, on a backdrop of thick bamboo woodlands. Local mountain people, the Hmong, Giay, Dao, Tay, and Giay, grow rice on these paddy terraces, along with vegetables.

7. Mui Ne

The formerly little-inhabited beach south of the fishing village of Mui Ne has seen some serious development in the last 15 years. Due to strong sea breezes it is a popular destination in Vietnam for kite and windsurfing. No trip to Mui Ne is complete without a trip to the famous sand dunes located a short distance north of the town. The vast sandy expanse provide some great panoramic views especially during sunset.

8. Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta is the region in southern Vietnam where the river approaches and empties into the sea. It is a very rich and lush area, covered with rice fields, that produces about half of the total of Vietnam’s agricultural output. Subsequently, life in the Mekong Delta revolves much around the river, and all the villages are often accessible by river rather than by road.

9. Cu Chi Tunnels

The Cu Chi Tunnels are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located about 70km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City centre. The tunnels, measuring 200km in total length, were used by liberation soldiers as hiding spots during the Vietnam War, and were the base of operations for the Tet Offensive in 1968. The tunnels have become a popular tourist attraction, and visitors are invited to crawl around in the safer parts of the tunnel system.

10. Nha Trang

Nha Trang is Vietnam’s most popular seaside resort town located along the second most beautiful bays in the country. It features beautiful beaches with fine and clean sand and clear ocean water with mild temperatures. The city has about 300,000 inhabitants and is more lively and urban in character than other beach destinations like Mui Ne and Phu Quoc. It’s also a major scuba diving centre of Vietnam.

Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam world’s most surprising tourist attractions

The UK's second biggest-selling daily newspaper Daily Mail has named Cu Chi Tunnels among world’s spookiest and most surprising tourist attractions beneath the surface.

Cu Chi Tunnels: According to the website, the tunnels’ manhole-size entrances, hidden under fallen palm fronds, have currently been widened for the tourists.

The newspaper noted the tunnel, built by the Viet Cong (South Vietnamese liberation fighters), are famous for its tiny dimensions.

‘Parts of the tunnel system were like little subterranean cities with factories, kitchens and hospitals’, says Daily Mail.

These pitch-black tunnels were used as living quarters, hospitals, supply routes and storage during the war.