A path to the dream city: Where to visit in Vietnam... for 2 weeks... tough question

Highlights from North to South Vietnam

The North

Hanoi, the northern Capital city, stands out against many of its larger Asian cousins, maintaining an authenticity of national character that is becoming harder to find. No ubiquitous shopping centres, 24 hour western fast food outlets or anonymous mass transit schemes, you know you’re somewhere different, somewhere special.

For me, the most unique thing about Hanoi is women selling flowers on bicycle. Very beautiful.

Halong Bay is the natural wonder of Vietnam. Majestic and mysterious in equal measure, over 1,600 limestone karsts dramatically dot this UNESCO World Heritage site. Back on dry land the mountainous northern border provinces attract those looking for dramatic scenery, traditional hill tribes, fabulous markets selling art and crafts, embroidery and silver and the chance to explore a little by foot or bike.

World Heritage Ha Long Bay

One of the most popular options is to take the Victoria Express train up to Sapa, the picturesque old French hill-station that nestles high in the Tonkinese Alps, beneath the shadow of the mist shrouded Fansipan Mountain, the highest summit in mainland SE Asia. Alternatively Mai Chau is a little closer to Hanoi or to really get off the beaten track head up to Ha Giang on the Chinese border.

Ha Giang - I've never been but it was supposed to be very beautiful

Photo at Noong Lake taken by Stanley

Sapa

Sapa is an ideal add on to a stay in Hanoi or as part of a Vietnam tour. The most popular way to travel is by the overnight train that takes approximately 10 hours and is a great holiday experience. We recommend the Victoria Express which is the most comfortable option with two or four berth cabins that, while not en suite, are tastefully decorated and provide the best facilities for the journey.

The ability to interact with the various hill tribes and experience everyday life in a beautiful setting is one of Sapa’s main draws and to this day it remains a major trading post for more than 30 local ethnic groups that live among the rice paddy covered hills that carpet the region. Make sure you’re in Sapa over the weekend as the Saturday market brings the tribes together and many will be wearing their colourful local costumes. Nearby Bac Ha offers a less crowded alternative and arguably a better experience at its Sunday market.

Sapa rice terrace view

Sapa view from Topas Ecolodge hotel

Moc Chau tea hill (Moc Chau is one province few hours from Hanoi)

Mai Chau - also one province in the North

Mai Chau Valley.

Other gems lie to the south of Hanoi. For example Van Long or Tam Coc are areas of extreme beauty just a couple of hours (1& a half hr) away. Limestone pinnacles soar skywards from wetland reserves to create "Halong Bay on the Rice Paddies" and can be explored by sampan. Combine these with a trip to Vietnam’s first national park, Cuc Phuong, one of the country’s most important protected areas and home to the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre, which is fighting to re-introduce langurs and gibbons to the wild. This is also a great area for hiking amongst the impressive forest and bird watching.

Tam Coc

You will be on a tiny tiny boat. There will be a Vietnamese lady skillfully taking you through the route. The route takes only 20 minutes on the boat, but worth to visit.

Another place that is very nice is Perfume Pagoda.

The Perfume Pagoda is located 75km south of Hanoi. This is the biggest pagoda complex, which hosts Vietnam's longest annual Buddhist festival (from the first month of the lunar calendar to third one). En route, marvel at the breathtaking mountain scenery interlaced by cool clear streams. You will be on a tiny boat for 1-2 hours, visiting various temple. Not recommend during high season as there will be too many Vietnamese visit and pray here.

Central Vietnam

History buffs love central Vietnam and its heartbeat has to be the Imperial City of Hue. Straddling the Perfume River this was the Nguyen capital, the last dynasty in Vietnam. Hue is dominated by The Citadel, a moated fort whose walls protect the forbidden Purple City, the former home of the royal family. Take your time wandering through the fascinating tombs, temples and museums and past pagodas, lakes and pavilions. You’ll also see the scars still visible from its prominent role during the Tet Offensive.

This region was also the heartland of the Champa who flourished from the 2nd-15th century and whose brick sanctuaries (Cham towers) bear testament to their power and Hindu beliefs. The major site at My Son is an easy day trip from Hoi An.

Hoi An is the perfect place to base yourself for a couple of days and take it easy. This bustling town on Vietnam's central coast was a busy port during the 16th & 17th centuries, used by silk and spice traders from around the world as a convenient stop-off point on their journeys. This confluence of cultures created a town full of eclectic architecture that has been beautifully preserved and is now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Old Town is car free allowing visitors to enjoy the mixture of shops and watch local artisans working with silk, ceramics, paint and wood. The cobbled streets with their fine colonial architecture also house some atmospheric restaurants. Like Hue and her imperial past, central Vietnam offers some of the country’s best food. If you fancy a few days on the beach with evenings in Hoi An, some great beach resorts are just a few minutes away.

Hoi An people are very proud of their lanterns. Old bamboo soaked ten days in salt water is used to protect against insects, then dried and shaped. Cloth must be silk and must be tough enough for stretching. The lantern making process requires good skills and lots of patience. The materials are natural: 100 percent silk, bamboo frames and wool tassels. The colours, the shapes and the patterns on silk are meaningful. These beautiful handmade silk lanterns are the combination between the beauty of Vietnamese silk and the high skills of Vietnamese people. Hoi An's old-fashioned charm is always visible.

Dak Lak and Pleiku are the two places on the mountain. Tourists do not visit here as "there is nothing" for tourist here. It was historical place, and currently when we mention Pleiku/ Dak Lak/ Buon Me Thuat, we think of tea, coffee, rubber, and wood.

Sunset on the lake at Ban Me Thuot. Photo: Ngoc Dinh Trung.

South Vietnam

Just outside HCM city the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels offer a window into the horrors of fighting underground during the Vietnam War. However the real attraction is the Mekong Delta, with miles of inter-connecting canals and rivers, known simply as "the green lungs of the Mekong" because of the vast quantities of rice, fruit and vegetables that are grown here, much of which ends up in the fascinating, bustling floating markets. One of the most popular ways of experiencing delta life is to board a boat and join the morning crush of the floating markets and then explore the backwaters visiting local orchards, villages and local businesses. You can also cruise from Saigon all the way to Angkor using the Mekong as your gateway to Cambodia.

For the best beach options the south wins. 4 hours north of Saigon you’ll find Mui Ne a great place to escape the humidity of the delta as its micro climate makes it one of the driest places in Vietnam. Mui Ne has a unique white sand dune

Alternatively take an hour’s flight to the relatively undiscovered Phu Quoc Island, ringed by bays and beaches, filled with a jungle-covered interior and dotted with a handful of fishing villages.

Or a short hop to the former penal colony islands of Con Dao, now at the forefront of Vietnam’s marine conservation and important for Hawksbill and Green turtles, as well as the very rare dugong.

Another popular place is Da Lat - there is a direct flight from HCMC.

Da Lat town is most likely one of Vietnam's best well known holiday location. Since the beginning of the 21st Century, it has been named the honeymoon Mecca of Vietnam due to its temperate climate, beautiful sights such as waterfalls and lakes and its abundance of flowers and vegetables.

This city was spared during the Vietnam war-- the North Vietnamese agreed to not attack, in turn for a hands-off policy on their popular vacation spot in the north.

Once called “Little Paris” by the French colonists who founded it, Da Lat has a lot to offer to those interesting in trekking, natural sights, and motorcycle trips. This is a great place to get to know Vietnam’s highlands.

The land around Da Lat is a place of coffee farms and colorful small towns. Arriving via car or bus provides an opportunity to view the switch from tropical jungle surroundings to panoramic mountain views. Though the road is narrow, the ride offers enough scenery to distract riders from Vietnam’s famously dangerous traffic.