British newspaper selects 13 most 'addictive' things about Vietnam tourism

This beautiful Southeast Asian country is a blend of colors and flavors - from street food to vibrant beaches, ancient temples...

From the moment you step out of the traffic to cross the road to sampling the mouthwatering street food, with all its herbs, spices, bold flavours and aromas, you'll be hooked. "I first stepped onto the wave of nearly 8 million motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh City in 2004 and have explored it dozens of times since. It's the driver's responsibility to avoid you, not the other way around. It works - if you don't hesitate or panic," writes author Claire Boobbyer. Here are the most "addictive" things visitors can experience in Vietnam, according to the prestigious British newspaper The Times .

1. Discover old Hanoi

THE TIMES

Hanoi's Old Quarter is bustling with many temples, townhouses, street food stalls, and bustling traffic... The soul of Hanoi lies in its 36 streets, where craftsmen once crafted silver, produced paper, silk, etc. The Old Quarter is bustling day and night, and many handicrafts are still sold on the small streets. Tourists can visit the ancient capital - Thang Long Imperial Citadel nearby.

2. Street food

Sample Vietnam’s famous fresh, herb-infused dishes on a street food tour. From broths to fragrant seafood, Vietnamese cuisine is alluring in its balance of flavours, textures and sheer impact. Start with the popular Vietnamese egg coffee or iced milk coffee before tucking into a steaming bowl of pho. But save room for banh mi, bun cha, and cheap draft beer (bia hoi) at the sidewalk stalls…

3. Ha Long Bay Cruise

According to legend, Ha Long Bay was formed by a dragon spitting pearls, creating stone pillars rising from the teal sea. Today, thousands of limestone mountains dot the Gulf of Tonkin, a stunning, ethereal seascape – as appealing in the bright sunlight as when shrouded in a delicate mist. A cruise will take you beyond the caves to the isolated area of Bai Tu Long.

4. Backpacking on Ha Giang route

Ha Giang is Vietnam’s most remote region, an “otherworldly landscape” of soaring peaks and deep valleys carved by towering rice paddies and surrounded by roads that stretch skyward. In its remote corners, you’ll find villages with colorful weekly markets. Traveling by motorbike, passing wonderfully named sites like Heaven’s Gate, visiting ancient towns… is an experience hard to find elsewhere. Visitors should choose to stay in homestays and eco-lodges among these remote mountains, a world away from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi.

5. Rowing boat in Tam Coc

Tam Coc, or “Halong Bay on land”, is a particularly picturesque area where the Ngo Dong River winds through flat green rice fields surrounded by round-topped limestone mountains. Board a bamboo boat where local women row down the river towards Tam Coc, on foot. Amid this dramatic landscape is Vietnam’s 9th-century capital Hoa Lu.

6. Terraced fields in the ripe rice season

Mu Cang Chai, home to the most beautiful sun-drenched terraced fields, is about 300 km northwest of Hanoi. During the planting season from May to June, the hills are shaped by glistening rice fields, and during the harvest season (autumn) they turn a brilliant golden yellow.

7.Adventure in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park

Located in the Truong Son mountain range, Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park is home to the world's largest cave, Son Doong, with its underground tunnels. Multi-day expeditions in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park take visitors into a "different world".

8. Experience the ancient capital of Hue and DMZ

The Imperial City of Hue was built by the Nguyen Dynasty in the 1800s. The Nguyen Dynasty emperors built many ornate mausoleums with manicured gardens. From Hue, visitors can explore war sites and DMZ relics in Quang Tri.

9. Shopping in Hoi An

Hoi An is a beautiful riverside town with ancient houses, carved pagodas and markets fronting the tranquil Thu Bon River. Today it is bustling with craft shops, silk tailors, fashion boutiques, lively bars and restaurants catering to Vietnamese and international tastes. Time your visit during the full moon of each month when the old town is decorated with colourful lanterns.

10. Central Highlands

Dreamy scenery at Tia stream, the source of Tuyen Lam lake, Da Lat

Few international visitors explore this vast highland, with its coffee and tea plantations, fascinating village traditions and many majestic waterfalls, far from the crowded coastal tourist route. Among them, Da Lat is an attractive destination around the lake and a center of flower and strawberry production. Visit the cafes of the coffee capital Buon Ma Thuot and take binoculars to the bird-watching paradises around Kon Tum . The Gia Rai people hold grave abandonment ceremonies, decorate graves and carve strange wooden sculptures left in the forests over the years.

11. Mekong Delta Tour

The Victoria Mekong is the only boat on the Mekong River that uses solar panels and is 99% plastic-free. It also travels slowly to avoid waves that could erode the delta’s riverbanks and follows a different route – the Hau River – than the ones that cruise ships take. Visitors visit floating markets away from the crowded tourist routes; Tra Su water bird paradise, Tan Chau silk village…

12. Visit Ho Chi Minh City by Vespa or scooter

Downtown Ho Chi Minh City is bustling. Nearly 10 million people use 8 million motorbikes. You have no choice but to jump into the noise and join the locals zipping around at night. Ride a Vespa through the bustling streets past glass skyscrapers, villas, temples and the breezy banks of the Saigon River. Visit local cafes, indulge in street food, listen to live music at some of the hip bars and drink craft cocktails on rooftop terraces.

13. Take a luxury train

Vietnam's first luxury train, the Vietage, travels between the emerging beaches of Quy Nhon and Da Nang , the gateway to the ancient river port of Hoi An. The six-hour journey follows the coast of the East Sea, passing fishing villages, rice paddies and mountain scenery. The carriage has a beautiful bamboo interior, designed by hotelier Anantara, and guests travel in one of six private carriages...

Vi Nguyen - Thanhnien.vn

Source