Destinations and holiday guides in Vietnam today? Located in the Central Provinces, Hue was Vietnam’s imperial capital from 1802 to 1945, the home of a dynasty of Nguyen Emperors and the nation’s political, cultural and religious heart. All those imperial legacies, a collection of relatively well-preserved ancient monuments, royal court traditions and relics of great historical and cultural importance, now come listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, or ‘Complex of Hue Monuments.’ Thus, this amiable, languid city, majestic beside the scenic Perfume River, offers visitors many attractions to see, many easily accessed by bicycle or on leisurely ‘Dragon Boat‘ cruises. Find additional information at https://danangopentour.vn/tour-ba-na-hills-1-ngay.html.
Ha Long Bay, in northern Vietnam, is dotted with 1,600 limestone islands and islets and covers an area of over 1,500sqkm. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, for many visitors, this surrealistic place is like something right out of a movie. Approximately a four-hour drive from downtown Hanoi, the area is also home to different kinds of limestone caves such as phreatic caves, karstic foot caves and marine notch caves. Activities include exploring the many cave formations, kayaking around rocky outcrops and watching the wildlife.
Once a week, the quiet town of Bac Ha becomes a hub of culture and trade in Northwest Vietnam. Residents from the surrounding villages and valleys flock to Bac Ha, and the roads are filled with buses packed with tourists. Visiting on a Sunday means watching locals in their traditional ethnic dress, sipping the juice from fresh coconuts and browsing countless stalls. Shoppers can find everything for sale in Bac Ha, including water buffalo, delicious Hmong and Thay cuisine, brightly colored fabrics and fragrant spices.
The verdant rice field countryside surrounding Sapa, bordered by the jagged peaks of the Hoang Lien Mountains (often still known by their French colonial era name of the Tonkinese Alps), are home to Vietnam’s most beautiful rural vistas. The deep valleys here are home to a diverse mix of the country’s ethnic minorities including the Hmong, Giay, and Red Dzao people while the rippling hills are terraced with rice fields and overlooked by the country’s tallest peak, Fansipan Mountain. This is the top trekking destination in Vietnam, with oodles of options to trek or day hike between tiny villages and experience the staggering mountain views. Sapa itself is the main base here – an old French hill station and now a bustling and forever growing tourist center that is a stark contrast to the sumptuous tranquil countryside right on its doorstep.
Hoi An’s utterly charming Ancient Town is one of Vietnam’s top attractions, but despite the crowds, still hasn’t lost its beguiling charm. Centrally located in Hoi An town, alongside picturesque Thu Bon River, this compact enclave was once a thriving Silk Road trading port, from the 16th to 19th centuries. Today, this beautifully preserved Ancient Town is one of Southeast Asia’s oldest towns and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, its atmospheric narrow streets lined with centuries-old cultural treasures, historic sites, and quaint buildings, a hybrid of the port’s multi-national architectural legacies.