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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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beautiful Ha Long hanoi hue instagram landscape mekong Delta north vietnam photography photos sapa stunning Vietnam

The WorldPost's "Through Your Lens" series brings you stunning photos taken by social media users in a different country around the world every week. This week, we explore the striking geography and local cultures of Vietnam.

From the solitary beaches of Ha Long Bay to the chaotic streets of Ho Chi Minh City, travelers to Vietnam (with a bit of patience) will be rewarded by the country's dramatic landscapes and rich cultural heritage.

Check out some of the beautiful images taken in the country below, and tag your Twitter and Instagram photos from around the world 

The Sung Sot Cave aka the "Amazing Cave" in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
A photo posted by b®enda alexander-quach (@brendalexander) on Mar 11, 2015 at 3:07pm PDT

Went exploring in Phong Nha Cave in central northern Vietnam today. The cave itself is is 7729 m long, contains 14 grottos, with a 13,969 m-long underground river. Only 1.5km of area is accessible for tourists, with some caves with roofs towering up to 40m in height. See the full width shot at my Facebook page /jimmydauphotography

Halong bay, Vietnam 2013
A solitary temple on a beach surrounded by huge limestone formations out in Halong Bay.
A photo posted by Spencer Elzey (@spencerlz) on Nov 30, 2014 at 3:56pm PST

A photo posted by @bradwilletts on Feb 11, 2015 at 11:52pm PST

Been bullied into hurrying up and posting some photos from my trip to SE Asia. So here's one of an old lady selling lottery tickets at the side of the road in Huế, Vietnam. There are very few beggars in Vietnam since the police started cracking down on them. So now, they all sell lottery tickets instead.
A photo posted by Nick C (@midvale99) on Feb 3, 2015 at 6:31am PST

The Long Bien Bridge in Hanoi is a traditional spot for wedding photos. We were convinced we were going to be hit by a train and didn't spend too long on the tracks. #Vietnam #Hanoi
A photo posted by Eric Stoen (@travelbabbo) on Dec 8, 2014 at 6:00am PST

Mister Traveler @vanderploatsen || Phố Trịnh Hoài Đức Barber || Hanoi, Vietnam || #mistertraveler
A photo posted by #mistertraveler (@mister.traveler) on Dec 26, 2014 at 6:22pm PST

I spent four days riding through the backcountry of Northern Vietnam getting to know a place of extraordinary beauty. I rode through rice fields and over mountains, all the while interacting with some of the most down-to-earth, kind people I have ever met. I took this picture on the side of a small country road. It was the Golden Hour in the Golden Land.

Rush hour makes this city a sight to see. #saigon #hochiminh #Vietnam #anewbreedoftraveller #movingmeowtains #goexplore #letsgosomewhere #neverstopexploring #travelvibes #travel #travelgram #traveling #igtravel #instatravel #instapassport #rgphoto #travelwithfathom #thinklesstravelmore #getlostnow #travelstoke #lonelyplanet #huffpostgram #theexpatlife #discoveryourworld
A photo posted by Lauren & Seth (@movingmeow_tains) on Jan 28, 2015 at 2:31am PST

A lady having a smoke by the waterside in the beautiful picturesque city of Hội An in Vietnam.
A photo posted by Nick C (@midvale99) on Feb 3, 2015 at 11:13am PST

Hoi an, Vietnam 2014 This woman sold flowers to float on the river.

Playing a tourist on New Years Day in this beautiful city // Thank you @grierface for letting me use your phone ☺️
A photo posted by Charl🌹tte (@charlottemaryrose) on Feb 19, 2015 at 1:06am PST

Sa Pa, in Northwestern Vietnam, was my favorite place I visited. Cool, foggy mornings would give way to bright, sunny days. It was just beautiful. Side note: Thanks to @visuals4all for a recent feature! Much appreciated!

Lantern stall, Hoi An, Vietnam #hoian #vietnam #southeastasia #asia #lanterns #ig_captures #igtravel #travelgram #travelingram #instapassport #instatraveling #worldplaces #ig_worldclub #guardiantravelsnaps #wonderful_places #travelasia #globe_travel #huffpostgram #exploringtheglobe #lonelyplanet #rising_masters #myworldpost #igspecialist #ilovevietnam #lovetheworld #vietnamcharm

Foggy evening in the nortern part of Vietnam. #nakedplanet #NatureAddict #DoYouTravel #awesomeearth #TheGlobeWanderer #OurPlanetDaily #EarthPix #TravelAwesome #BeautifulDestinations #fantastic_earth #BestVacations #DiscoverEarth #wildernessculture #wonderful_places #luxwt #warrenjc #travelstoke #WelcomeToNature #allshots_ #hot_shotz #jaw_dropping_shots #epic_captures #BeautifulPlaces #Canon_Photography_ #vietnam #fog #worldshotz #huffpostgram
A photo posted by Tommy Simonsen (@tommysimonsenphotography) on May 13, 2015 at 10:05am PDT

A water buffalo in a field just outside of Hoi An, Vietnam. #latergram #vietnam
A photo posted by Nicole S. Young (@nicolesy) on May 13, 2015 at 9:30am PDT

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Ha Long Bay Ho Chi Minh City hoi an mekong Delta Saigon Vietnam Cave Vietnamese Food vietnam food Vietnam Vietnam Travel Vietnam Tourism Halong Bay Hoi An Hoi an Vietnam Vietnamese Cuisine

Vietnam should be on the top of everyone's travel list. It's that simple. With its dramatic landscapes, fascinating history, epic food and pulsating energy, Vietnam will electrify all of your senses and seize you from all angles. Vietnam is at once crazy and serene, thrilling and relaxing.

There are endless reasons to hop on a flight to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City and travel down or up this amazing country by train, plane, bus or -- the preferred method of transport -- motorbike. If you need persuading, here are 21 reasons to fall head over heels in love with Vietnam:
1.Street food

The best place to eat in Vietnam is on little, plastic stools on the sidewalk. Whether it's noodle soups, like the iconic pho or bun ca (the fish and pork-based soup garnished with dill pictured here), or bun cha -- char-grilled pork served over rice noodles with herbs and dipping sauces -- the street food in Vietnam is nothing short of amazing. At any hour of the day, you'll find Vietnamese people of all ages congregating under market awnings or outside store fronts, chowing down and enjoying each other's company. Eating on the street is by far the most exciting -- and accessible -- way to truly experience daily life in Vietnam, and it's also where you'll find the best food
2. Motorbikes

One of the first and more important things to learn when visiting Vietnam is how to cross the street. It may be intuitive at home, but the traffic in Vietnam's major cities seems so chaotic and incessant, that getting from one side of the road to the other feels almost impossible at first. You'll find cars and people in the street, but the preferred mode of transportation is motorbikes, and the stream of two-wheelers feels like unpredictable, roaring rapids when you're standing on one sidewalk trying to get to the next. According to The Diplomat, there are currently 39 million motorbikes in Vietnam, up from about 4 million in 1996. That's a lot of bikes -- and with at least two people on every bike -- that's also a lot of people. The trick to crossing the street is to walk steadily, at an even pace. If you're moving at a predictable rate, the motorcyclists will move around you. Eye-contact with oncoming bikers doesn't hurt either. The most important thing is to keep moving and not to stop or speed up. Once you've got the hang of crossing the street, you can really appreciate the beauty of the organized chaos.
3.Coffee

As the second biggest producer of coffee in the world, Vietnam knows a thing or two about coffee. Most importantly, coffee comes with sweetened condensed milk (a.k.a. the best stuff on Earth) pretty much without exception. It's also an integral part of the culture, served in cafes and... drumroll... on the street, of course.
4. Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta is an area in Southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River dumps into the sea. Visitors can go to Can Tho, the largest city in the area, and get a real taste of rural life in this region affectionately known as the "rice bowl." Traveling up the backwaters, visitors will be wowed by the floating markets and above all else, the friendly people who live in the region.



5.Caves
Mammoth caves that hold entire jungles and lakes are still being discovered in Vietnam. Son Doong Cave, the biggest cave in the world, was only first explored in 2009, and didn't open to tourists until 2012. Trips into Son Doong are still highly controlled, expensive and limited, but there's a vast network of caves that are much more accessible. Paradise Cave, pictured here, in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, is 19 miles across and offers a variety of tours into its interior, including an easy walk on the boardwalk at the beginning of the cave and a trek past the boardwalk for the more adventurous. Headlamps and nerve are required. Visit before the sights become overrun with tourists.


6.Markets

Markets in Vietnam may not be cavernous underground worlds of stunning rock formations and skyscraper high stalagmites, but they can be cavernous worlds unto themselves. Markets like this one in Danang sell everything from fabric for clothing to dried baby shrimp. Needless to say, you can get lost exploring the rows for hours. They're most active in the early morning and late evening, when the temperature cools down a bit and shoppers come out. During the middle of the day, you might find shopkeepers taking a nap in front of their stalls. When we say you could spend all day in these markets, we seriously mean it.
7.Fresh Seafood

One of the most extraordinary things about the markets in Vietnam is that the food doesn't smell at all. You'll walk into the food section and see freshly caught fish, snails, crabs and prawns and brace yourself for a fishy smell. But because the fish you see in the market was caught just a few hours ago, you won't smell a thing. We swear.
8.Fresh meat
Same goes for the meat. When you see a pig's head laid out on a table next to a slew of other cuts, you'd assume something would smell. The meat was butchered no more than four or five hours ago so it doesn't give off any smell. You can tell it's super fresh by the bright red color. If you see browning meat, it may be a day old and will cost less. Most people buy their meat the same day it was butchered, however, making for some extraordinarily fresh dishes and surprisingly pleasant market experiences.

9.Fresh vegetable
You might not recognize all the vegetables you'll find in Vietnam, but you should try them all. From bitter melon to morning glory, the vegetables go into everything from shredded salads -- like green papaya salad -- to stir-fries. Like all the other food you'll find in Vietnamese markets, everything is super fresh.

10.Fresh fruit

Don't be alarmed if you see spiky fruits you can't identify. It could be a durian, dragon fruit or rambutan (pictured here) -- and they're all worth a try. (Be warned: durians smell like feet and are not for the faint of heart.) You'll also find mangos, papayas, mangosteens, jack fruit and a fleshy fruit with a bumpy green skin called custard apples, among more familiar fruits like pineapples, bananas and watermelons.
11. Vistas
Views of the horizon are magnificent, especially at sunset, all over the country. The mountainous vista pictured here -- filled with sharp undulations, like shoulders standing side by side


12. Ha Long Bay
Speaking of vistas, Halong Bay, the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Gulf of Tonkin, is every bit as spectacular as people say. It IS worth the roughly four hour drive from Hanoi, and it IS worth fighting the swarms of tourists to see. The bay used to be littered with a lot more trash, but with recent clean-up efforts, it's much better these days. The 1,600 islands jut out of the sea, seemingly one on top of the other, creating a dramatic scape of mountains, sea and sky

13.History
Vietnam's history is tumultuous and complex, the country having been occupied and divided by various countries for decades. Colonial influences are visible everywhere, from the architecture to the food and the coffee. The aftermath of the Vietnam War is apparent too -- in the museums and monuments but also in the faces and stories of survivors and the overwhelmingly young population. Interwoven with our own history, Vietnam's past is not only fascinating, it's also important to learn about.


14. Banh Xeo-Rice Pancakes
Bánh xèo are rice pancakes, and while they may sound ordinary, they are anything but. Grossly underrepresented outside of Vietnam, this practically perfect dish isn't well-known to many non-Vietnamese. Made simply with rice flour and water, the pancakes are very basic, but somehow also sublime. They owe their yellow color to turmeric, not eggs, and they'll typically have some small prawns cooked inside. The real fun comes when you add all the fresh herbs you want, and dip them into a sweet and sour sauce.

 15.Sapa
Sapa, a hill station in the Northwest of Vietnam, is one of the country's most stunning areas. Its dramatic rice terraces and surrounding peaks make this mountainous area well worth the short trip from Hanoi. You can take an overnight train from Hanoi to Sapa, which makes it a popular destination on the tourist circuit.

16.City parks
In the early morning hours and around dusk, you'll find groups of Vietnamese men and women doing every exercise under the sun. Large groups of people, young and old, gather around an instructor and follow aerobics routines with music blaring in the background. A few feet away, a group will be practicing ballroom dancing, flanked by some guys playing basketball. Meanwhile, walkers and runners will be circling the periphery of the park. It's a wonderful sight to behold and scene in which to partake if you're up for it.

17. Beaches
Vietnam's beaches may be one of the country's most unsung beauties. While travelers may think of Thailand and Cambodia as the countries to visit for white sand and clear water, Vietnam boasts beaches that rival these countries' beloved tourists spots. Sure, some beach towns in Vietnam, like Nha Trang and Mui Ne, get a lot of attention, but quieter, less-traveled beaches like Doc Let are the real treasures. Con Dao and Phu Quoc are some of the most gorgeous islands in South East Asia, and travelers would be wise to hurry there now, before these isolated, idyllic spots suffer the same fate as the over-traveled beaches in Thailand and Cambodia.

18. Fresh herbs
In Vietnam, it's all about the herbs. Plates piled high with fresh herbs like Thai basil, coriander, mint, and dill, and greens like Morning Glory accompany everything from soups to spring rolls. The crisp, refreshing addition of these herbs and greens cuts salt and fat and brings levity to some of the heavier dishes. Used as garnishes or wraps, herbs also serve as great palate cleansers and most of all, they make food really fun to eat.


19. Hoi An
A UNESCO World Heritage town, Hoi An is one of the most picturesque, lovely places to visit in all of Vietnam. Located in the center of the country, just outside of Danang, Hoi An used to be a flourishing port town from the 15th to the 19th centuries, before the Thu Bon river silted up and basically halted trade in the region. Fortunately in the 1990s, the town was declared a World Heritage site and tourism has since revived the so-called "Venice of Vietnam." Thanks to the international residents -- from the Chinese and Japanese to the French -- during the port years, Hoi An boasts a variety of local specialities that you can't find anywhere else in the country. Dishes like Cao Lau and White Rose Dumplings are reason enough to visit Hoi An, and when you factor in the gorgeous, canal-side setting and preserved colonial French architecture, it really does become a national treasure


20. Noodle Soups
Pho (pronounced fuh, fyi), may be Vietnam's most iconic dish, but it's just the beginning of the country's amazing noodle soups. Noodle soups are typically eaten for breakfast, oftentimes at a street stall or in a market. They run the gamut and include Bun Bo Hue, a beef bone broth-based noodle soup for which people (including Anthony Bourdain) travel to its namesake town Hue. Bun Ca, a pork and fish-based soup with dill and tomatoes, is a noodle soup specialty to Hanoi. You could spend months in Vietnam without eating the same noodle soup twice -- although once you get hooked on one, you'll definitely return for seconds.


21. People
Kind, thoughtful, industrious, optimistic, generous -- the people are the heart of country, and if you visit, you should take every opportunity to get to know them.



Source: Huffington post

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