Top destinations

Dalat

Originally built as a holiday retreat for French colonialists, Dalat remains a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists. Located in mountains about five hours by road from Ho Chi Minh City, Dalat combines cool, clear air and a strong European feel thanks to its many period buildings.

Dalat remains an excellent option for escaping the heat and noise of Vietnam’s bigger cities. Most visitors to Dalat are Vietnamese but increasing numbers of foreign visitors are discovering the delights of this charming city. The countryside around Dalat offers some of the best hiking, mountain biking and canyoning in the country.

Halong Bay

Halong Bay is famous for the stunning finger mountains that jut out of the water, creating a network of narrow islands and islets across a body of water covering some 1,500 km². Halong Bay is increasingly popular with international tourists partaking of boat tours through Vietnam. Nearly 2,000 limestone islands dot the bay, creating an impressive background for the many tour boats disguised as Chinese junks.

Halong Bay is located in Quang Ninh province. A core area of the bay covering about 430 km² enjoys UNESCO World Heritage status thanks to the area’s impressive geo-diversity. Due to their structure, few of the islands are inhabited. However, roughly 1,600 people call Halong Bay home. Most of these people live in four fishing villages built from floating houses.

Hanoi

Vietnam’s capital city is home to some seven million people. Thanks to the country’s expanding economy and Hanoi’s rising value as a center for commerce and tourism, the population of this 1,000-year-old city is increasing by more than three percent every year. Hanoi’s cosmopolitan mix of historic architecture survived the war largely intact, with few buildings going up in the 1970s or 1980s to spoil the picturesque streets.

Like much of Vietnam, Hanoi today is enjoying the benefits of a booming economy and an increasingly liberal government, turning it into one of Asia’s latest international hotspots. Whether you’re keen on the story of the Vietnam War, the full extent of Vietnamese history or the vibrant metropolis that is Hanoi today, there is something to enchant almost any visitor.

Hoi An

Hoi An is one of Vietnam’s most charming cities. Located close to Da Nang, Hoi An’s old city is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. In the 16th and 17th centuries, this was an important international port. Hoi An’s heritage is clearly visible, especially in the old city, where old Chinese shop houses line narrow winding lanes. Not only did Hoi An emerge relatively unscathed from years of war but renovation of its historic buildings has been undertaken with great care.

Today, the historic city of Hoi An exists almost solely to support the burgeoning tourism industry. In addition to a wide range of notable historic buildings, Hoi An is also famous for its tailors. Hundreds of tailor shops today churn out cheap suits and dresses for huge numbers of visitors.

Ho Chi Minh City

Still known informally as Saigon (or HCMC), the former capital of South Vietnam remains the biggest city in the country. Ho Chi Minh City is perhaps most famous for images of helicopters ferrying Americans out of South Vietnam in 1975, just hours before tanks from North Vietnam overran Saigon, signalling the end of the Vietnam War.

Many of the tourist attractions in and around HCMC stem from the days of the Vietnam War. The most popular of these is the Cu Chi Tunnels complex and museum located in a northern suburb of the city. However, the city’s historic attractions are not limited to the Vietnam War. The city enjoys many fine temples, pagodas, museums, theatres, parks and other historic pieces of architecture.

The city’s character is largely dominated by its setting amid several rivers that are tributaries of the Mekong River Delta system. The largest of these rivers lies to the west of the city but several smaller rivers wind their way through the centre of Ho Chi Minh City.

Hue

From 1802 to the end of WWII, Vietnam was ruled by the Nguyen Dynasty. Located in the center of Vietnam, Hue was the imperial capital during these times. Hue sits on the Perfume River, which forms an important and picturesque local feature. Much of the city has been developed to make the most of the river, with many hotels and restaurants lining the river banks.

Many buildings still testify to Hue’s imperial past. The most impressive of these is the Imperial Citadel, called Dai Noi, which contains a beautiful courtyard, a palace and a royal residence. The buildings and people of Hue suffered terribly during WWII and the Vietnam War. Several massacres were committed and many buildings destroyed. Many of the local landmarks testify to such events in the city’s history. Hue’s heritage does, however, enjoy many positive attributes. The most famous of these are the city’s imperial cuisine and the fine embroidery.

Phan Thiet

Located on the South China Sea in southeast Vietnam, Phan Thiet is an important region for the country’s fishing industry. In the decades since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, Phan Thiet has been transformed from one of the US’s key landing zones into a popular resort destination, thanks largely to the attractive beaches.

Phan Thiet is about 200kms east of Ho Chi Minh City and takes about four hours to reach by road. The city has about 200,000 residents and remains a relatively sleepy community. The beach resort area, despite continuing to grow in popularity, remains laid back, with little in the way of traffic noise or hawkers to intrude on peaceful holidays.