Da Lat city destinations of vietnam floating market Ha Long Bay hanoi Ho Chi Minh hoi an hue Phu Quoc island sapa

Vietnam offers terrific experiences that should be on every traveler’s list. Here are Fodor’s top picks for a memorable trip

Halong Bay

Thousands of limestone karsts jut skyward from emerald waters in this UNESCO World Heritage-listed seascape. The best way to see it is to hop by boat between islands, including scenic Cat Ba, home to a national park.

The Imperial City, Hue

The jewel of Hue’s Citadel, this sprawling complex of majestic palaces and evocative temples brings the magnificence of Vietnam’s royal dynasties to life.

Markets

From Hanoi’s bustling Old Quarter to floating outposts in the Mekong Delta, markets reveal colorful slices of local life. Plunge right in and haggle like you mean it.

Ho Chi Minh City

Rapidly modernizing, HCMC is a jolt of urban energy unlike anywhere else in the country. The frenetic pace (that traffic!) is tempered by peaceful pagodas, parks, and cafés.

Street Food

Devour a delicious bowl of pho on a bustling corner or follow the fragrant smoke emanating from a sidewalk brazier, where marinated pork sizzles

Vietnam War Legacy

Museums pay tribute, but for a different perspective on the war, look underground—the vast Cu Chi tunnel network is a monu­ment to Vietnamese tenacity.

Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park

Untamed jungle, vast imagination-defying limestone caves, and underground rivers make this spectacular region irresistible to

adventurers.

 

Hoi An

French colonial architecture, historic traders’ houses, and atmospheric temples are among the charms of Hoi An that are easily discovered on a riverside stroll.



Beaches and Islands

Two thousand miles of tropical coastline ensure that the white sands of a postcard are never far away. Islands like Phu Quoc combine idyllic beaches and diving.

Sapa

Home to ethnic minorities, this northern mountain town is also the jumping-off point for some compelling sights, including Fansipan, Vietnam’s tallest summit.

The Mekong Delta

This patchwork of waterways and floating markets, mangrove swamps, and brilliant green rice paddies is best explored by boat, but bike tours provide a fun alternative.

Hill Stations

Built by the French as health retreats, hill stations such as Dalat make a cool contrast to the steamy lowlands—think misty peaks and rugged scenery.

Source: Fodor's

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cambodia Cu Chi tunnel destination detox laos Malaysia mekong Delta Myanmar Phu Quoc island Sand dunes sapa Singapore Southeast asia Thailand Vietnam

If the flocks of postgrad travelers in elephant print pants haven't told you already, Southeast Asia is having what we like to call "a moment."
And just because it definitely has its share of over-touristed sites, don't let the region fool you: there are some seriously stunning spots that are perfect for your next digital detox.
Want to know which authentic places backpackers really get amped about?
1. Pai, Thailand
If you uprooted the hippie neighborhoods of San Francisco and plopped them into the jungles of northern Thailand, you'd (roughly) end up with Pai. Ride your motorbike a few hours into this mountain town for a chillaxing weekend of zenning out at Rasta bars, napping in woven hammocks, and -- if you can manage to leave your field hut -- exploring the waterfalls and hot springs.

2. Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
Almost everybody agrees that Phu Quoc is about to become Vietnam's next hot destination, but thankfully the perfect beaches are still mostly empty. You can rent a motorbike (no license needed, no questions asked) and zip up, down, and around the red dirt roads of this island paradise. Then, take a snorkeling or scuba dip. Hurry up, before other people discover the secret.

3. Bagan, Myanmar

Temples seem to pop out of nowhere in Bagan, which has the highest concentration of Buddhist ruins the world. A hot air balloon ride over the temples during the quiet dawn or sunset hours is an absolute must.

4. Mui Ne Sand Dunes, Vietnam

They're not far from Saigon, but these sand dunes seem like they belong on another continent entirely. You can sled, bike, or just freely frolic down both white and red mountains of bliss. Be sure to find the Fairy Stream, a magical river with a soft, sandy bottom that flows between dry rocks.

5. Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar

This is a pristine chain of hundreds of tropical rainforest islands in the Andaman Sea. Check in at one of the two hotels and kayak or sail the uncharted blue waters, where you might run into sea gypsies who, for part of the year, live on boats while they dive for pearls

6. Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
This is one of Southeast Asia's most popular hill stations, holiday towns at the base of lush, low mountains. Travelers agree the Cameron Highlands are a perfect escape when you're too hot to withstand another day of astronomically-sizzling Malaysian temperatures. You can tour one of several authentic tea factories before cozying up to a mug overlooking the rolling green hills

7. Ngwe Saung Beach, Myanmar

Weary travelers looking to literally escape it all should head to Ngwe Saung, an astonishing NINE MILES of beach that just recently opened to the public. It's unspoiled, uncrowded, and some of the best scenery you'll see in Myanmar.

8. The Mekong Delta, Vietnam

The Mekong River creates a rich marshland responsible for the bulk of Vietnam's rice crops. There are oodles of tiny villages and floating markets to visit, with kindly locals who will gladly let you sample their fruit or teach you to birdwatch. Avoid feeling like a yuppie in a tour boat by biking the Delta-- that way, you can see the impressive rice paddies and stop off at destinations on your own.

9. Sapa, Vietnam

There's nowhere on Earth like Sapa: tiers on tiers of bright-green rice fields are dotted with the colorful clothes of hill-tribe dwellers and roofs of French colonial villas. Sometimes the view gets clouded by a warm, jungle-y mist, but it only makes your day of hiking even prettier

10. The Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

This $5.7 billion hotel -- which also boasts shopping, a dinosaur museum, and a concert hall -- has a yacht-shaped infinity pool teetering on the 57th floor. When you take a swim, it feels like you're about to spill over the edge and onto glittering Singapore beneath you.

11. The White Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand

It may look ancient, but the White Temple (technically named Wat Rong Khun) was actually designed by a Thai artist in the 1990s, and it's still a work in progress. A tangle of gnarled statues and outstretched hands -- symbolizing the cycle of rebirth -- lead you into the temple, where you'll find intricate (although haunting) murals of Keanu Reeves and planes hitting the Twin Towers.

12. Luang Prabang, Laos

UNESCO named Luang Prabang a World Heritage Site, partly for its architecture that fuses Asian and European styles together. As in much of Asia, elephant tourism is huge here. But not many places have four-day mahout courses where you can learn to expertly (and humanely) ride elephants as their keepers do.

13. Kep, Cambodia

This seaside village was a hip getaway for wealthy Frenchies in the early 1900s, and it's about to tip over into another big tourist boom. For now, though, you can feel like a total local in Kep's tranquil beaches, where cute seafood spots on stilts serve some of the yummiest crab in the world.

14. Mae Sot, Thailand

"Perfectly remote" might be a good way to describe Mae Sot, which teeters right at the border of Thailand and Myanmar. The crowd here is a zesty mix of Burmese, Thai, hill-tribe natives and Westerners making visa runs. Locals hang out at the town's herbal sauna and open-air markets, and visitors get a kick out of adorably furry rescued apes at the Highland Farm Gibbon Sanctuary.

15.Angkowat, Cambodia
This larger-than-life temple complex really is as epic as it looks. The biggest religious monument in the world is surrounded by a wide-open moat-- you'll march down a massive stone causeway to enter a village of temples, life-size stone-carved faces, and giant tree roots that have grown to twist over and around dark, windowed hallways.

16. Inle Lake, Myanmar

This massive, shallow lake is over 13 miles long and a big draw for visitors, as it's inhabited by many local tribes who set up waterside "workshops" for intriguing traditional crafts. Despite the touristy-ness of it all, most agree Inle is unmissable because of its peaceful floating gardens and entire towns hoisted onto stilts.

17. Ko Lanta, Thailand

When backpackers want to visit one of the hundreds of islands off Thailand's coast, they normally head for the "big names" like Ko Tao (known for its scuba diving) or Ko Phangan (home of the famous full moon parties). These islands are pretty and so are the foreigners that visit them, but for a true Thai experience, try the blissfully empty Ko Lanta, where the National Marine Park protects unpolluted oceans that explode with angelfish.
18. Cu Chi Tunnels in Saigon, Vietnam
Viet Cong soldiers used these narrow, claustrophobia-inducing tunnels as hiding places during the Vietnam War. Trap doors in the jungle led down into the underground network, where soldiers suffered from malaria and parasites while guarding food sources. The eeriness is all too real during a modern-day tour.

Viet Cong soldiers used these narrow, claustrophobia-inducing tunnels as hiding places during the Vietnam War. Trap doors in the jungle led down into the underground network, where soldiers suffered from malaria and parasites while guarding food sources. The eeriness is all too real during a modern-day tour

19. Chiang Dao, Thailand

This forested region is a Disneyland for nature junkies complete with waterfalls, hot springs, and incredible limestone cliffs. The biggest attractions of all are the Chiang Dao Caves, which consist of about 100 caverns that extend as far as 40,000 feet into the mountains. You can enter five of the caves alone or with a guide to explore narrow rocky hallways, hanging stalactites and hidden Buddha statues.

Source: Huffington post

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hotels and resort international resort centre Kien Giang Phu Quoc island

Phu Quoc, an attractive destination in Viet Nam’s southwestern waters, is striving to become an international eco-tourism and resort centre.
Viet Nam’s largest island, dubbed the Pearl Island in the southern province of Kien Giang, attracts numerous tourism development projects and thousands of holiday-makers due to its stunning landscapes and geographical features. 

The efforts of local authorities and investors to support tourism development are certainly paying off: visitor numbers are at an all time high. Phu Quoc welcomed approximately 600,000 tourists in 2014, an annual increase of nearly 40 percent, and this year numbers are expected to exceed 850,000 visitors. 

The island posted an 84.28 percent hike in tourism revenue last year, totalling over 2.2 trillion VND (104.8 million USD), according to the People’s Committee of Phu Quoc district.

However, despite its large number of tourists, the island has yet to attract large investors, General Director of the Sai Gon-Phu Quoc Resort, Phung Xuan Mai, said. He added that local tourism operators still neglect the quality of services amid the fast increase in visitors’ number, which prevent Phu Quoc from becoming a top destination in the region. 

To remediate this, Vice Chairman of Phu Quoc district’s People’s Committee said local authorities were working with schools and vocational training centres to boost the island’s human resources in order to meet the increasing demand for highly skilled staff in the tourism sector. 

The locality is also focusing on improving the environment by constructing concentrated waste treatment and collection plants. 

The Prime Minister recently approved a mechanism for the building of entertainment complex with casino on Phu Quoc island, which is expected to help lure more visitors to the island. 

At present, Phu Quoc Island has more than 4,000 hotel rooms on offer, which can accommodate 7,000-8,000 guests. A number of hotel and resort construction projects are currently under way in an attempt to cater to tourism demands and make the island an international tourism hub.

Source: VNS

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