Vietnam is a strip of land that is shaped in the letter “S”. It lies on the eastern end of the Indo-Chinese peninsula. Its neighbors include Cambodia and Laos in the west and China in the north. To the east of Vietnam lies the East sea and to its east and south is the Pacific Ocean. A major portion of its land consists of hills and mountains, with its coastline over 3000km long.
Tourism is one of the major contributors to the economic growth of Vietnam. It was bagged as “Asia’s leading destination” by the WTA in 2019. There are a lot of tourist attractions in Vietnam and things to do in Vietnam, and if we have to mention the best places to visit in Vietnam, touring destinations like Halong Bay, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, My Son, Hoi An, Sapa Countryside, Hanoi, Cu Chi Tunnel and many more find a place. We’ll be dealing with a few Vietnam attractions in the blog. You can also indulge yourself in a range of activities including sea tourism, cultural tourism, ecological and natural tourism, in addition to recreation and sports tourism. In terms of figures, Vietnam clocked more than 18 million foreign visitors in 2019, a surge by 16.2 percent from the previous year. Here’re the top tourist places to visit in Vietnam and the best things to do in Vietnam.
Halong Bay
One of the most popular Vietnam tourist spots, Halong Bay’s karst seascape offers awesome views of the blue waters and is officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Halong Bay in the Gulf of Tonkin is an archipelago of thousands of limestone islands subjected to erosive action by the water and wind over several centuries. You can take the best views of the bay by boat, certainly also a prime cruising territory. Choose in any case an overnight tour for a 365-degree view of Halong’s bay iconic destinations because a day trip can’t justify the tour. You’ll find a number of caves in the Halong Bay that are accessible such as the Hang Dao Go comprising weirdly formed stalagmites and stalactites, and Hang Sung Sot featuring three colossal caverns. But like most tourists here, you will love cruising and karsts, whilst absorbing the dynamic scene shifts of pinnacles as you travel along.
Ho Chi Minh City
One of the best things to do in Vietnam is to visit Ho Chi Minh city. If you’re a big city fan, any visit to Vietnam is incomplete without visiting Ho Chi Minh city, the country’s most important commercial hub. The nearly non-stop honking of scores of motorbikes and cars can drive you crazy. The cafe and restaurant scene is unbelievably cosmopolitan, and the shopping is pretty much enjoyable. The centrally located Dong Khoi, a small and easily travelable central district, has some of the city’s best sights. There’s also the HCMC Museum stocking an incredible collection of artifacts that retell the story of the city, and the 19th century grand Notre Dame Cathedral. Don’t forget to visit the old district of Da Kao as you can find some of the finest surviving examples of the French colonial architecture. If you’re interested to learn more about the Taoist and Buddhist religious icons, then visit the Jade Emperor Pagoda which also displays stacks of rare archaeological relics and artifacts.
Among the most popular things to do in Vietnam is visiting Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, a little out of the central Ho Chi Minh core. Also, visit the Reunification Palace or the Independence Palace and the War Remnants Museum that paint a horrifying picture of the Vietnam war, and several atrocities perpetrated by the US Forces during their unsuccessful campaign.
Hue
Hue, one of Vietnam’s travel spots is a popular historical town reminiscing of the good old days of the Nguygen empire from the 19th century. Located along the river banks of the Perfume, the Imperial Enclosure spells majesty within walls spanning across an area of over 2.5km. Some of the attractions of the Thai Hoa Palace include the beautiful Ngo Mon Gate featuring an intricately glazed interior detailing; the resistance of the Queen Mother, the Ngo Mon Gate, and the Halls of Mandarins with its well-preserved ceiling wall murals.
There are a number of historical sites that are located outside the Imperial City as well. Here’re other things to do in Vietnam take a jolly riverboat cruise on the River Perfume to visit an array of outlying sites; a day cruise will transport you to the many royal tombs besides pagodas. Not having enough time? Then, take the time to visit the Tomb of Tu Doc alone, and then the Thein Mu Pago, over 21m high, considered the most prominent pagoda in the area.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
One of the most popular places to visit in Vietnam for caving, the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a World Heritage-listed site is a striking karst mountain formation faveolated with large caverns, which houses a spectacular display of stalactite and stalagmite structures. You’ll find Paradise Cave, another famous touring spot within the park, which goes 31km below ground level. The yawning caves are incredible. Swim through the staggering cave-system river to get a taste of the Tu Lan Cave, a magical “wet cave”. Another attraction in the national park is the Phong Nha Caves, whose interior is readily accessible by boat. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is reachable from Son Trach.
My Son
Enveloped by lush jungle-covered mountainous terrain, My Son is a Cham era temple in dilapidated condition belonging to the 4th century. This ancient Hindu religious center was very much in existence from the 7th to 10th century, and fell into ruins and total abandonment later in the 13th century. One of the best things to do in Vietnam is to visit the 20 odd temples still in reasonably good condition here, all made of sandstone blocks or bricks, representing the different influences of several Asian Empires such as Indian and Malay. It’s to be noted that the temples of Group B are considered to be the oldest, whilst Group A at one time comprised some of the most important monuments of the site but were forcibly destroyed by the US in the Vietnam War. There’s a museum on-site that provides a lot of information on the Cham. My Son is accessible from Hoi An.
We mentioned only five fun things to do in Vietnam. While you’re in Vietnam, sightseeing can be planned around any time of the year. You’re free to add more Vietnam tourist attractions to the list and help explore the “land of the Ascending Dragon”.
