1.Drop into the world’s largest cave in Phong Nha National Park
Hang Son Doong Cave
Quang Binh province is a wild region of barely penetrable jungle in Vietnam’s skinny middle, close to the border with Laos. The area is riddled with hundreds of deep caves, including one of the largest in the world – Hang Son Doong. It contains a cavern so tall that a skyscraper could fit inside it.
The small town of Phong Nha is the epicentre for the area’s caving adventures, its eponymous cave another UNESCO-listed wonder well worth exploring. Here, you can hire both the guides and the gear you’ll need to descend into the caves.
If going underground doesn’t appeal, the area is also famous for trekking. The surrounding jungle is peppered with stunning waterfalls and an active (and noisy) population of monkeys and flying foxes.
2. Sail past the Tam Coc rice fields
The Ngo Dong River and rice fields in Ninh Binh
In 2014, the Tràng An Scenic Landscape Complex in the northern Vietnam’s Ninh Binh province was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. No wonder to anyone who has seen it with their own eyes: dramatic limestone karsts and sweeping, deep green valleys, often with boats floating along the Red River Delta.
The village of Tam Cốc-Bích Động (often referred to simple as ‘Tam Coc’) falls under this complex, and its famous rice paddies enjoy the same UNESCO-listed status. Undoubtedly, the best way to experience them to take a slow, languorous boat ride along the Ngo Dong River, admiring the otherworldly view as you go.
Getting to Tam Coc is easier than ever. Admittedly, the area has become more popular with visitors in recent years – for good reason. Buses and trains from Hanoi to Ninh Binh take about three hours, while organised day tours and two-day trips are available, if you’d prefer to take the pressure off planning your excursion.
However you get there, you’ll want to spend at least a day here, if not longer, advises Wanderlust‘s Jackie Scully. “Head to Hang Múa while you’re in the Ninh Binh province and you’ll be rewarded for climbing the 486 stone steps with an amazing viewpoint. Go early to avoid the heat.”
3. Marvel at Ban Gioc Waterfall
The magnificent Ban Gioc Waterfall (Shutterstock)
Ban Gioc is the name of not one, but two colliding waterfalls along the Quay Son River – an iconic way to mark the Vietnam-China border, in the Trung Khanh District, Cao Bang on Vietnam’s side, and Daxin County, Guangxi on China’s.
Here, you’ll be taking in one of South-East Asia’s most breathtaking natural sights. Its sheer size (70m tall, and 208m wide) is marvel-worthy in itself, but the way the falls cascade down its rocky, limestone face is most eyecatching. If you’re up for a climb, it is possible to trek up to the ‘falls high points, as long as you’re equipped with the appropriate walking gear.
Once you’ve soaked up the immense views, there’s plenty to see and do in the Cao Bang region, which sits high up in the mountainous north-east of the country. Caves to explore, local homestays to experience, and more majestic waterfalls beckon
4.Light a lantern in Hoi An
Lanterns in Hoi An (Dreamstime)
Every Tết (Vietnamese New Year), Hoi An is transformed into a kaleidoscope of colour and light for its Lantern Festival. The celebration lasts for seven days, with the road from Hoi An Bridge to the Hoai River Square adorned with thousands of colourful lanterns.
Over 50 workshops take part in the event, each trying to create the prettiest lantern. The colours are bright and the designs are strictly traditional.
The heart of the festivities is in the old town, between the Japanese Covered Bridge and the Cau An Hoi Bridge. It’s crowded, chaotic and festive, with spontaneous singing and food stalls at every turn. It is as much a celebration for locals as it is for visitors.
The most breathtaking sight is thousands of lanterns floating on the river; hire a sampan boat to get a closer look. For a small sum, you can buy a lantern and set it afloat too.
Don’t worry if you can’t make it to Hoi An for New Year: smaller lantern festivals are held every full moon.
5. Visit Halong Bay and its equally spectacular neighbour
Halong Bay (Dreamstime)
With 1,600 limestone towers rising from its turquoise waters, Halong Bay is rightly considered one of Vietnam’s most beautiful spots. As a result, it’s on every visitor’s list – and hundreds of boats offer cruise trips every day. The bay is huge, but it can still feel crowded.
Bai Tu Long Bay, just a few miles away, offers the same jaw-dropping scenery but sees only a fraction of the visitors. Here, you can explore uncrowded caves and tiny beaches, and feast on super-fresh succulent seafood.
Boat trips to Bai Tu Long Bay leave from the crowded dock at Halong City, just like the ones to Halong Bay. But you’ll head off in the opposite direction, to where the islands are a little less taller and a little more spread out – but, according to locals, are just like what those in Halong Bay used to be like.
6. Admire the Golden Hands Bridge in Da Nang
The Golden Hands Bridge in the Ba Na Hills, Da Nang
Have you ever seen a bridge quite like this one? The Golden Bridge (or Golden Hands Bridge, or Giant Hands Bridge) in the Da Nang province is one of a kind.
Pedestrians can stroll across the 150m-long pathway, high above the gorgeous greenery of the seemingly-endless Ba Na Hills, and feel like they’re being held in the sky by two humongous, God-like stone hands. As it happens, the stone hands are not held up by God himself, but by a sturdy steel frame and fibreglass.
The reality-warping structure was created to attract more visitors to the Da Nang region, and surely no-one can refute its social media success. There are well over 124,000 images of the bridge on the #GoldenBridge hashtag alone.
If you went to Vietnam and you didn’t post a picture of the Golden Hands Bridge on your Instagram page, did your trip even happen at all?!
7. Hike through Cat Ba Island
Ngu Lam Peak, the end point of a popular Cat Ba hiking trail (Shutterstock)
You can’t go wrong with a visit to Cat Ba Island. The views are spectacular, and the nearby Lan Ha Bay is a brilliant Halong alternative – another breathtakingly beautiful bay, without the tourist masses.
It’s USP? The hiking, says Wanderlust‘s Rosie Fitzgerald. Enjoy trekking through the pristine rainforest that makes up the vast national park. The Lookout Tower Trail is a popular and fairly easy hike. Walk upwards for around an hour, until you come out at a rusted shelter, from where you can appreciate just how untouched Cat Ba really is.
If you want more, venture up a little further to reach the stunning Ngu Lam Peak. It’s worth the effort to look out over the jagged, green mountains that blur out into the distance.
For more of a challenge, book a guide and embark on the Cang Viet Hai Trail – an 18km, undulating trail that requires a good fitness level. Prepare to climb steep, slippery paths and scramble over thick knots of tree routes that block the path.
8. Embrace tranquility on Phu Quoc Island
A peaceful beach on Phu Quoc Island (Shutterstock)
Off the coast of Cambodia lies the idyllic Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc: a haven for travellers hoping to get away from the hustle and bustle of Vietnam’s cities.
There’s no shortage of things to see and do on Phu Quoc. Wildlife lovers can head to Vinpearl Safari Care and Conservation Park, to meet, elephants, white Bengal tigers, macaques and silver langurs, among others. Head out into nature, with a hike through the dense forests of Phu Quoc National Park, and admiring the gentle trickle of Suoi Tranh Waterfall.
Once you’re all walked out, ride in the incredibly long cable car to Hon Thom Nature Park, or sit back and relax on the pristine white sands of Sao Beach, Ong Lang or remote Khem Beach. Surrounded by palm trees and forest, you’ll feel like you’re sitting on the edge of paradise.
9. Become a Hanoi foodie tripper !
Vietnamese cuisine is incredibly diverse and rich thanks to the unique flavors and characteristics of each region. It’s this diversity that has earned Vietnamese food praise and admiration from friends around the world.
Vietnamese pho (Dreamstime)
If you are a food lover and want to explore Vietnamese culinary culture, then Hanoi is the best place to try those amazing tasty foods such as pho, bun cha, nem cua be (crab spring rolls) and many more. Do you want a chance to taste these foods in the best way? Contact to Hanoi Foodie Trip, so we can give you so many exciting experiences that’ll make you unforgettable!
