What are the most beautiful places in Vietnam and secret tips? Because of our upcoming trip to Vietnam, we wanted to get to the bottom of this question.
Vietnam has a terrific landscape, delicious food and many sights. We didn’t want to miss out on something and that’s the reason why we would like to give you an insight into wonderful Vietnam before our trip.
Favorite places and secret tips for Vietnam
We asked 7 bloggers about their most beautiful places and must-sees for Vietnam. At the end they named many different places and we got some great inspiration for our Vietnam trip.
We asked the bloggers the following two questions:
- Which place has impressed you the most and why?
- What is your personal secret tip for Vietnam?
Here are the answers, which reflect the popularity of the Mekong Delta. But there were also some real surprises.
Tim from Earth City
1. Most of all, the huge caves in the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park impressed me. An incredible spectacle of nature, which gives you goosebumps because it’s so impressive.
I went there by train from Hanoi. A night train actually. That was also a great adventure and we almost missed our station. You can take the train from Hanoi to Dong Hoi and hire a driver afterwards to get to the national park.
2. Both of these would be my insider tips: take a train once in Vietnam and visit the Phong Nha Ke Bang. You can also participate in real expeditions inside the Paradise Cave. However, the first hundred meters can be visited without an expedition.
For a trip with a train in Vietnam I recommend the route from the old imperial city Hue to Da Nang, as it leads through the massif in the center of Vietnam (the narrowest part of the country). You will have great views from there, as the train goes directly through the mountain and you can see the ocean below.
Stefan from Faszination Südostasien
1. Vietnam is a very impressive, interesting and diverse destination. It’s really hard to highlight one place in particular.
Unforgettable, however, is the Halong Bay, where you only can experience sunshine and blue sky if you are really lucky, the narrow streets in the old town of Hanoi as well as a scooter tour across the northeast of the island Phu Quoc, which is touristically less developed at the moment.
I’m also really fascinated by the road traffic. Whether in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), almost every busy intersection is an impressing place. Just choose a nice bar or cafe with a good view.
Then you can watch the endless stream of motorbikes coming from all sides of the road – and you will be surprised that it works and you don’t see one accident after another.
2. Maybe not a real secret, but definitely a recommendation: Look out for “Bia hoi” during your Vietnam trip. This is a beer, which is brewed on the same day with limited quantity. It’s only good for one day, since “Bia hoi” is brewed without any additives.
It’s sold as tapped beer in the afternoon while stocks last. There will be plastic chairs and tables built up on many busy corners of the city, where you can get “Bia hoi”. Also good to get in touch with locals. Street vendors sell some small snacks, too.
The beer tastes very good and is quite cheap. You will get about five or six glasses for one Euro.
Ýou will find “Bia hoi” mainly in the north of Vietnam around Hanoi.
Florian from Flocblog
1. For a Vietnam crossing with the Open Tour buses you only have one choice: Mui Ne or Dalat? I have never been to Mui Ne but already 3 times to Dalat and I can highly recommend this place.
There is only one condition: you have to be able to ride a scooter (~$6/day) or ride on the back of one of the many bikers, the so-called Easy Riders (~$25/day).
The highlight of Dalat is the beautiful nature in the central mountains of Vietnam. Waterfalls, lakes, rivers and really much up and down the hills, is all you get.
Dalat is also known for kitsch, especially Crazy House, Valley of Love and the Chua Linh Phuoc Temple. If you still don’t have enough, you can visit the Truc Lam Monastery, either by cable car or by bike.
Food tip: Very delicious vegetarian food in the first floor of the main market at lunchtime.
2. My secret tip for a visit of the Halong Bay is the island of Cat Ba. The island is located in the Halong Bay, which you can reach on your own by bus from Hanoi (about VND 200,000). This way you avoid mass tourism and exorbitant prices.
Cat Ba City is certainly not the most beautiful city of Vietnam. But you can find some accommodations and food for a normal Vietnamese price and within 10 minutes you can reach one of the three beaches.
You can also book a Halong Bay boat ride from Cat Ba. Or you can enjoy the view at the Halong Bay from the Cat Ba Viewpoint – with a real cannon from the Vietnam war.
Melanie from Good Morning World
1. When I was in Vietnam, I was most impressed by my boat trip through the Mekong Delta. The landscape here is just beautiful. The many rice fields glow in lush green, the chili plantations dab a blob of red and the small huts on the banks enrich the whole ensemble with all sorts of colors.
I thought it was just awesome to float on a houseboat for three days through the many small canals, to sleep on the boat and visit different islands in the Delta during the day.
My bike tour on the small and absolutely non-touristic island of Cu Lao Gieng, the private cooking class directly on the boat and of course the visit of the famous floating markets were my highlights.
By the way, I deliberately left out the big markets and chose to visit the small, but more authentic one, in Chau Doc. There were not so many sales boats on site, but you also couldn’t buy souvenirs or other stuff. Just the goods that the local people sell and buy for their everyday life.
2. My secret tip for Vietnam is the small town of Hoi An in Central Vietnam. The old town with its many old-fashioned houses is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Hoi An is worth to stay a few days and I would recommend you to do a street food tour. You can learn a lot about the Vietnamese cuisine and try some curiosities if you dare!
Jens from Overlandtour
1. In Hanoi, I arrived as a total Vietnam amateur and had previously got myself into “Couchsurfing in Vietnam” and let’s say I liked this, I didn’t regret it!
I actually found a couch and went to a meeting of Couchsurfing Hanoi and was very welcome. That way I found some new friends on my second evening in the new city and saw a side of Hanoi that would otherwise have been hidden from me.
In the morning, I liked to sit at the Hồ Thiền Quang Lake near the train station/Laotian embassy and watch how the Vietnamese “walked” their birds to get them to chirp. A funny show, which I enjoyed with a sweet Vietnamese ice coffee.
In the evening it’s nice to visit the old town, drink some beer with the Vietnamese and recover from the day, because most of Hanoi can be explored by walking.
2. It’s not everybody’s cup of tea to ride a motorbike in Vietnam, but thank God I did it as I was rewarded with the two most amazing weeks of my world trip. Unfortunately, you can’t go on a road trip through north Vietnam by yourself. You definitely need a partner.
I met a french girl, who asked me if I would like to come along and I experienced the most beautiful landscapes I’ve seen in Asia. You have to leave your comfort zone for the trip, but I wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world.
Nina from Reisehappen
1. The easiest way to get to Vietnam is of course by plane. I went with a boat from Phnom Penh in Cambodia to Vietnam and because of that I had the opportunity to get to know one of the most beautiful parts of Vietnam.
The Mekong Delta with its colorful huts on the banks of the river, the fishermen on their small boats, the beautiful colors of the rice fields and the sunsets impressed me deeply. Many times I sat on the deck of the boat and opened myself to all the colors of the delta for hours.
Furthermore, there are some great and traditional floating markets in the Mekong Delta, like the market of Cai Be, where you can taste fresh fruits and Cà phê sữa, the Vietnamese coffee with sweet condensed milk.
The best way to get to know some of the small islands in the Mekong Delta is a bicycle tour. You can discover chili plantations, rice fields and many exotic fruits and remarkable animals.
2. My secret and for me one of the most beautiful and pristine areas of Vietnam is Sapa, in the north of the country. Sapa is a really beautiful part of the country with its high mountains and the picturesque rice fields. In addition to the unique landscape, which you can explore on great trekking trips, I was particularly impressed by the visits of the Hilltribes.
Here you can still get to know the traditional Vietnam in all its wonderful facets. The Hilltribes are very welcoming and helpful. The guest houses are simple but nice. And the food, which you prepare with the locals, is really delicious.
In the evening you sit around a camp fire and listen to the stories of the old Hilltribe folks.
Martin & Caro from We Travel The World
1. We are absolutely impressed by the Mekong Delta. On our world trip we made a 3 day trip from Saigon to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. During that trip you will get a really good insight into the “real” life along the Mekong.
Yes, it is a little touristy, but as you float along the banks of the Mekong, you can guess how the everyday life takes place. Especially the Lower Delta is beautiful with its natural canals. If we come back one day, then we’ll discover the Lower Delta on our own. There are lots of homestays, where you can stay with the locals.
2. You can find delicious street food almost everywhere. So if you want, you can have some cheap food on the street. If the street stalls are well-frequented you have to try it, because usually they are very good then.
If you want to have some beautiful clothes for little money, then Hoi An is the place to be. We made our wedding dresses with one of the tailors. The tailor “Yaly” is recommendable. It is a little bit more “expensive”, but really great! Stay away from the tailor “Lana”.
An important tip for taking a taxi: you should always have a business card from your hotel for the driver. It is a lot easier to show the address than explaining in English or with a map of the city.
And if you want to get in touch with the locals: Vietnamese people are often very reserved, but if you give them a smile, they thaw quickly. A few words in Vietnamese also help.