“Best places to visit in Vietnam” is a subjective statement. For me, five places within this thriving South East Asian tourist magnet stood out. In this post, I have laid out quite well-known to a little lesser known places to see in Vietnam. From one underrated city to a bustling, yet family-friendly city. Not sold? I’ll throw in a fire-breathing, super-soaker dragon! These five destinations are my answer to “Where to go in Vietnam?”
Hoi An – Colourful, Lantern Filled Town
Anyone that has travelled to Vietnam before has almost definitely heard of or visited Hoi An. There are a plethora of reasons why this UNESCO World Heritage Site gets so many visitors annually. This well preserved 15th-19th Century Port town is a melting pot of culture and architecture, from it’s French Colonial buildings to its iconic Japanese Bridge.
One thing you won’t be able to miss is the number of lanterns in Hoi An. It’s a town that loves its lanterns, and they make a great souvenir. If you’re lucky enough to visit Hoi An during a full moon, you’ll be treated to the monthly lantern festival, where the river running through the town is illuminated by hundreds of tiny flames.
How about things to do? Learn to cook a traditional Vietnamese dish – Cao Lau (a traditional Vietnamese dish consisting of noodles, pork and local greens ), sourced from local farms. Take a bike tour around the beautiful ancient streets and visit a local village, Kim Bong, where the workers make almost anything you can think of out of wood.
There’s also the well-known tailoring services in abundance throughout Hoi An. Suits, dresses, matching outfits of any fruit you can imagine, the list could go on for pages! Hoi An has got it all. For a more traditional souvenir, a vibrant lantern from Hoi An’s amazing night market is a sure bet.
It is little wonder why Hoi An top place on my list of best places in Vietnam.
Da Nang – Vietnam’s Underrated City
Still in Central Vietnam, Da Nang is a city I feel is quite underrated within the borders of Vietnam. I didn’t expect too much from the third largest city in the country. I guess that’s why I was taken by surprise when I visited Da Nang!
Swimming along the golden shores of the East Vietnam Sea and the stunning lookout from the Buddhist Temple Chua Linh Ung were both memorable Vietnamese experiences. It wasn’t until the sunset though that Da Nang revealed its true colours – literally!
As darkness took hold, neon lights lit up just as bright as midday! Reflections lined the banks of the Han River, both from buildings alongshore and boats cruising along the glassy water. It was all leading up to the main event of the night.
Running along the entire length of Da Nang’s “Dragon Bridge” lives a giant metal dragon. Weird right?! Like most dragons, fire spews from the jaws of this ferocious beast at 9 p.m. sharp on weekends and annual festivals. After the heat from the giant fireballs dissipates, you’re then soaked by the water shooting out of the dragon’s mouth! Did I mention the dragon’s scales constantly changes color thanks to LED lights?
I mean, if there’s a fun experience to be had, I think my vote goes to Da Nang and its resident dragon!
Hanoi – A Family-Friendly City With a Dark History
Vietnam’s capital city needs little introduction. Crossing Hanoi’s chaotic streets – like other major cities in the country – is a test of your nerves. The anxious moments as motorbikes and cars maneuver around you is something I couldn’t come to grips with, but I oddly enjoyed the nerve-wracking excitement!
Hanoi is home at a tremendous amount of history. One such point of interest is the notorious Hoa Lo Prison. Built by the French in the 1880’s, the prison was used to detain US prisoners of war in the Vietnam War. The small number of documents and displays in the museum paints an interesting, albeit one-sided, picture of daily life behind bars at Hoa Lo Prison. How accurate the content is in the museum isn’t really for me to judge, but I’d love to hear your take on what the museum has to show! LEave a comment below!
Hanoi has a softer side, it is a very family-friendly city. Every weekend the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake are closed to all vehicle traffic – except some kind of mini carts children were tearing around in! Walking this peaceful area as a multitude of social games take place on the pavement, and university students practice their English with you, is a beautifully unsuspecting memory of the capital city.
In the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake sits Thap Rua, or Turtle Tower. As the sun sets, shooting soft pastel colours into the sky, looking out over spotlights illuminate Thap Rua is a beautiful way to end a night in Hanoi.
SaPa – Beautiful Rice Terraces and Hiking
If you’re thinking of trekking in Vietnam, there aren’t many places better than SaPa. You don’t have to go far to see stunning rolling green hills and cascading rice terraces as far as the horizon stretches. You do have to get out of the town of SaPa itself though. If you just spent one night in SaPa, you might think all the amazing stories of beauty might be a myth and miss out of the beauty just out of sight!
If you’ve made the windy bus ride from Hanoi, hopefully, you have at least a couple of days to venture out beyond the town limits of the construction works of SaPa and the intense selling tactics of the local ladies tagging along with the tourists. Don’t worry, it does get better. Much better!
To really see what the area of SaPa has to offer, it can get easily confusing as most trails aren’t marked well and who knows where you may end up. Taking a trekking tour is easy, and also quite affordable. On top of that, there are plenty of different hikes that allow you to choose difficulty, length of the hike (multiple day ones are available) and to some extent what you will be able to see along the way.
When I travel, I love to give back to the local communities when I can. This is why I find it SO important to choose the right company. SaPa has so many trekking companies it can be easy to get lost. In my mind, there are only two. SaPa O’Chau (who I went through) and SaPa Sisters. At the time of my visit, these are the only two companies that always hired local guides and gave back to the community – mostly by providing jobs, but also things like selling artwork and clothing made by people from around the area.
I met my guide, Xuan (pronounced Swan) and instantly loved her as both my guide and homestay owner. She was absolutely amazing and through her knowledge and stories, made me feel so immersed in nature and culture I couldn’t recommend any other company to trek with.
Bike Around Phong Nha
When you mention Phong Nha, most people think of trekking through the jungle of Phong Nha Ke-Bang National Park. While that is definitely worth a day or two of your time in Vietnam, seeing the sites of the relaxed town Phong Nha is a great reason to stay in the area another day.
Renting a bicycle is easy in Phong Nha is simple and the most convenient way to get around. If you’re staying at the Easy Tiger Hostel, Phong Nha Farmstay or Shambala Hostel, bicycle rental is free, and as long as you’re a guest at one of the three, you can pick up/return bikes to any that is easiest for you.
As for what Phong Nha has to offer, quite a few unique places to visit. All are easily accessible by bike and allows you to take in a lot of the rural ways of life in the area.
The Duck Stop is a stop filled with ducks. Most guests seemed to be led around by 2-3 highly energetic kids and their love to play pranks on the visitors. Whenever they could they would throw food for the ducks at your feet and all giggle while the ducks fought each other for the food at your ankles. Not really dangerous, but the squabbling was real!
Around the same area, there’s a restaurant where you can choose and prepare your chicken to eat. This includes everything you think it does. And it’s not for everyone (myself included) but it was a popular topic around the hostel common area.
The area of Phong Nha also has a few great spots to enjoy a beautiful sunset. Phong Nha Farmstay and Bomb Crater Bar are two of the best. If you decide to bike to a sunset view, take care cycling back along the dark roads. Cows love to sleep on the road and can be very hard to see until it’s too late!
Best Places To Visit In Vietnam – Conclusion
Narrowing down the best places to see in Vietnam to five wasn’t easy. At all. These are my personal favourites from spending just under one month in Vietnam. There are so many beautiful sights and activities in this tourist hotspot of South East Asia. I urge you to visit these five places, as they are all so memorable to me. However, travelling always finds differences of opinions, and I would love to hear what makes your shortlist of Vietnam must-see destinations! Drop me a comment below to discuss!
Best Places To Visit In Vietnam – Information and Tips
Vietnam’s currency is Dong. For $1 Australian Dollar (AUD), this equals around 17,000 Dong (VND).
If you do visit Da Nang and get to see the giant dragon do it’s thing, remember, if you get close, you will get wet. Even the clever locals who brought an umbrella didn’t escape all the water! Remember, this is only a weekend event.
SaPa has many trekking companies, but if you can spare a little extra money, I think supporting the local communities we visit is so importan. SaPa O’Chau and SaPa Sisters are great at what they do!
Crossing the street in Vietnam can be intimidating. Full stop. Through my experiences, the best way to cross safely is calm and confident. Walking out in the sea of motorbikes whizzing by is not uncommon. But if you walk smoothly, and at a regular pace, the locals know how to react and move around you. If you run or stop, they may get confused, and that’s not good for anyone!
Have you visited Vietnam? What would make your list of “must-see” destinations? If you have any questions or concerns about travelling Vietnam, drop me a comment below!
