With 99 million souls and a coastline that wrinkles 2,000 miles along the country from north to south, there are plenty of people to meet and a lot to see, do and eat in Vietnam. I first visited in 2004 and have returned many times since. It’s easy to follow the tourist trail of historic Hanoi, ethereal Halong Bay, shopping emporium Hoi An and buzzy Ho Chi Minh City, but push a little further and you’ll be rewarded with some dazzling and memorable experiences.
Mine have been when I’ve gone the extra mile, quite literally: a magical three-day cruise to the outer battlements of Halong Bay; a thrilling motorbike trip through the sugarloaf peaks and beyond in remote mountainous Ha Giang; meeting the last wild elephant catcher in Yok Don National Park. Taking in the elaborate mausoleums and sites of Vietnam’s last imperial dynasty deepened my understanding; sighting the endemic, critically endangered Cat Ba langur on Cat Ba island was exciting; and I loved exploring the history, food and pristine beaches of Con Dao island. And of course the irresistible, fragrant food, delicious coffee, craft cocktails and beer will lead you everywhere. These are the best places to visit in Vietnam.
If you only have . . .
One week Hanoi, a boat trip to Halong Bay and the rice fields of the Mai Chau Valley
Two weeks After Hanoi, Halong Bay and Mai Chau, hop on trains and domestic flights to visit imperial Hue, the DMZ, the ruins of My Son, gorgeous Hoi An and energetic Ho Chi Minh City
Three weeks Take in Ha Giang in the far north, Dalat in the Central Highlands or the caves of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a beach break, and a boat trip along the Mekong Delta or a couple of days on remote Con Dao island
1. Hanoi
Hanoi is noisy, traffic-choked and beautiful all at once. The thousand-year-old city of lakes, founded on a bend of the Red River, is full of history, charm, museums, shops, markets and wonderful street food. Don’t miss the Old Quarter, the heart of the city, where you’ll find lots of food, hotels and temples cheek-by-jowl with shops. Learn how to dodge the motorbikes while on a street-food tour or exploring the ochre-hued French colonial villas, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Temple of Literature, the “Hanoi Hilton” prison museum of Hoa Lo and the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.
2. Ha Giang
Ha Giang is Vietnam’s northernmost region, pushing up against the border with China. It’s an otherworldly landscape of sugarloaf peaks, mountain passes and rice paddies carved into impossibly steep mountains. Find villages of Red Dzao, Flower Hmong and other local minorities, markets, eco-stays and a window into a rural world of timeless traditions such as weaving. Don’t miss the palace of the Hmong king who raked in revenue from opium farming. En route, stop at the dazzling rice paddy region of Mu Cang Chai.
3. Pu Luong and Mai Chau
Not too far from Hanoi are these idyllic retreats found amid neon-green rice paddies. At Pu Luong nature reserve, with its homestays and eco-retreats, trek past the paddies and orchards of the Muong people and cruise down a river on a traditional bamboo raft in a landscape woven with traditional water wheels. This area is home to rare Asian black bear, Owston’s palm civet and endangered Delacour’s langur. North is the exceptionally beautiful Mai Chau Valley, a serene landscape of rice paddies. Stay at the lovely Avana Retreat, built by local Hmong, White Thai and Black Thai people.
4. Bai Tu Long Bay, Halong Bay
Boats — from junks to elegant luxury vessels — cruise through the waters of Unesco-protected Halong Bay, which is studded with thousands of craggy limestone outcrops. It’s an ethereal landscape and with each turn of weather can bring dense fog or crisp blue skies. It won’t matter — it’s all enchanting. To make the most of it, head out on a boat for at least two nights to cruise to the outer “fortress” of towers — Bai Tu Long Bay. It’s more magical and it escapes the crowds of one-day and one-night boats.
5. Hue and the DMZ
Hue was the cultural and political power base of the Nguyen emperors, Vietnam’s last imperial dynasty. They built a citadel, gilded in bronze, enamel and lacquer, with gates for themselves, elephants and their minions, based on the Forbidden City of Beijing. They lived in extravagant regal splendour surrounded by concubines and eunuchs. And they fashioned their last resting places, all gothic-meets-Confucius and geomantic in design, landscaped with streams, statues and elaborate graves that trace the serpentine route of Hue’s Perfume River. This city is often overlooked in favour of Hoi An as a central Vietnam stop, but don’t miss it. The thousand-plus dishes of the imperial household are still eaten, too. From here, explore the Demilitarized Zone marking the border established in 1954 between the communist north and the US-backed south.
6. Danang
Today, it’s more fabulous, with some top hotel retreats, such as the Four Seasons and, hidden amid the forest of monkeys on a small peninsula, the outstanding InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula designed by Asia-based architect Bill Bensley. But there’s more — the incomparable Museum of Cham Sculpture with its beautiful carved sandstone works, the nearby Unesco-protected ruins of My Son, the spiritual capital of the Cham, an Indianised culture, and Danang’s fire-breathing Dragon Bridge.
7. Hoi An
Yes, it’s touristy, but that’s because it’s gorgeous. The ancient port of Hoi An is filled with Chinese temples, large merchant houses, and hundreds of tailors and craft shops. One-storey ochre-coloured homes line the small lantern-lit streets along the Unesco-protected town’s Thu Bon river. Come for the atmosphere, tailor-made clothes, and the delicious street food including some tantalising local dishes. Nearby An Bang beach provides downtime, too.
8. Ninh Van Bay
Ninh Van Bay is a divine little hideaway close to the major seaside resort of Nha Trang. Escape from the city to this peninsula, just north, for some serious beach time. An Lam Retreats Ninh Van Bay is dreamy with a boho vibe, while Six Senses Ninh Van Bay is on a sublime stretch of sand with villas tucked away between and behind huge boulders. It’s just you, the beach, the restaurant and your butler at Six Senses Ninh Van Bay. The waterfalls and forests of the peninsula can be explored too.
9. Dalat
Dalat is a quirky place. A former French hill station up in the pine-scented highlands with a central lake, it’s ringed by attractive early 20th-century homes and villas (some hotels, some museums), markets, flower gardens and waterfalls. There’s even a golf course. Today, the city is filled with bars and cute cafés and is a great base from which to explore a load of kooky spots including the Crazy House homestay, cactus and coffee playground Kombi Land and a dragon statue made from thousands of glass bottles. Don’t miss checking out the French-built railway station, a Wes Anderson shoo-in.
10. Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh is a heady city of nine million people and eight million motorbikes. It has brilliant street food, is draped in a fantastic array of fairy lights and is fuelled by a growing craft beer, spirit and cocktail scene and a thrilling, infectious energy. What two decades ago was a fairly low-rise city has now been dwarfed by an army of high rises. Don’t miss exploring the city on the back of a motorbike, visiting the top sites, and taking a trip out to the Cu Chi tunnels and the fantastically decorated Cao Dai cathedral at Tay Ninh. Sampling the food and coffee goes without saying.
11. Mekong Delta
The liquid fingers of the Mekong River slink through southern Vietnam into the sea. Here you’ll find a mostly rural way of life with floating markets, temples and churches, and market farms harvesting coconut, bananas, mangos and veg. It’s not so much specific sites but a dip into the region’s culture — a mix of Cham, Khmer and Vietnamese, war history (Xeo Quyt’s forest bunkers are fascinating), wetlands and birds, and delicious food.
12. Con Dao archipelago
Con Dao was once a prison island run by the French and then the Americans. Today, this remote island off the south coast of Vietnam is a nature paradise, internationally recognised (by Ramsar) wetland area and home to the most important location for nesting sea turtles in Vietnam. Hike, snorkel, dive, sunbathe on the beautiful beaches, visit the turtle sites, and watch the squid boats at work. Visit its museum and sites, too: the cemetery of Vietnamese martyrs’ graves features seats built for their ghosts. You’ll want to stay at the fabulous Six Senses Con Dao.
