Vietnam is a perfect travel destination for many as it offers incredible adventures at highly affordable prices. Numerous unique experiences wait for you, including ancient temple tours and exploring some pretty dramatic landscapes. The cuisine is also renowned all around the world. To put it quite simple, if you never visited Vietnam, you miss out a lot. Here are some experiences that you surely do not want to miss in the country.
A Hanoi Visit
The capital is filled with museums, motorbikes and incredible structures that feature a mixture between east and west, all with a French flair. Private morning tours are perfect to start off your day right. You would be taken by a local expert to various wonderful spots like One Pillar Pagoda (a Buddhist temple), the Ho Chi Minh Complex and the first university in the country, Temple of Literature. Make sure you also visit the Old Quarter, the most important commercial district of Hanoi for 1,000 years. Half-day bicycle rides are available and have to be considered if you want to consider visiting rural villages or banana plantations.
Halong Bay Cruises
Halong Bay is considered by many as being the most beautiful of the world’s seascapes. This is why it is a must see if you visit Vietnam. Jungle-capped limestone pillars rise to create a backdrop locally known as “bay of descending dragons”.
A day cruise is a wonderful way to experience the region. You are going to be relaxed and go through lush islands and various floating fishing villages. There are also some mysterious inlets and caves that can be explored. When you want to extend the visit, the Royal Lotus Hotel should be considered.
Eating Incredible Street Food
The traditional Vietnamese cuisine is wonderful, renowned all around the world because of the use of really fresh ingredients, with mint, coriander and lemongrass being really popular. The food is spicy and a lot of fish is used. You should know that Vietnamese cuisine is actually seen as among the healthiest in the world because of the low reliance on oil and dairy, with heavy use of herbs and vegetables being present. Because of how popular the cuisine is, there are numerous food tours you can enjoy. Read reviews about them and go for the one that takes you to places serving what you would enjoy. Also, be sure that you visit the street food vendors that have been around for generations as they are normally the ones that respect tradition the most.
Hoi An Exploration
This waterfront city is actually a UNESCO Heritage site location, mainly because of the Ancient Town, which is incredibly well preserved. You can also see some beautiful lively canals and there is a stunning mixture of French, Japanese and Chinese architecture present.
The region’s history is rich so you want to try a small group tour in order to experience all that it can offer. Stops at My Son Sanctuary in Duy Xuyen should be included on the tour you choose and if you are interested in a unique dinner experience, try a city motorbike tour that takes you to the very best restaurants.
Mekong Delta Navigation
This location is an important agricultural headquarter for Vietnam. You will be able to learn about the food system and the delta tours are often held in traditional sampan boats. Canals are crisscrossing and while you look at the sites you can hear about the impressive local history, featuring a truly unique lifestyle. As you surely expect, food here is also great. Mekong Delta has different unique culinary traditions you want to learn more and tourists can actually take a local cooking class if they want to.
