- HubPages»
- Travel and Places»
- Visiting Asia»
- Southeastern Asia
Best Places to Visit In Vietnam
One of the paradises of Southeast Asia, Vietnam has traditional festivals, rich culture, benevolent religions, and ancient history that easily make this country of stunning caves, mountains, forests, and beaches a magnet for tourism.
Indeed, the list of the best places to visit in Vietnam is long. There are many “best” places in Vietnam to visit.
Where to Visit in Vietnam:
Beaches
Many people say that the best places to visit in Vietnam are its beaches.
Because of its extended eastern coastline of over 3,000 kilometers, Vietnam has picturesque beaches that travelers can enjoy all year round.
Among the finest beaches in northern part of Vietnam are Tra Co, Halong, Do Son, and Sam Son.
In the south, the most beautiful beaches are Danang, Nha Trang, Vung Tau, and Ha Tien.
A particular favorite of foreign and local travelers alike is Ha Long Bay, a body of water strewn with thousands of islands and rocks of curious sizes and shapes.
In the islands, travelers can stumble upon remarkable caves and shadowy forests.
Ancient Architecture
The best places to visit in Vietnam for those who are inquisitive of history are perhaps the ancient architectures of the country.
Vietnam is a country that has long annals of times gone by and the architectures are the standing pieces of evidence of this.
The country’s best ancient architectures include the Hanoi’s One Pillar Pagoda and Kim Kien Pagoda, Nam Ha’s Pho Minh Tower, Vinh Phuc’s Binh Son Tower, Tay Dang Temple, Ha Tay’s Chu Quyen Temple and Tay Phuong Pagoda, Thai Binh’s Keo Pagoda, and Bac Ninh’s But Thap Pagoda and Dinh Bang Temple.
Cham Towers still stands as proof of an olden civilization while the Hue Ancient Citadel has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for the citadel’s contribution to royal architectures.
Hot Springs
Very much rich in natural resources, Vietnam also boasts of hot springs in which guests can dip for relaxation and rehabilitation.
The best places to visit in Vietnam in terms of hot springs are the Quang Hanh spring in Quang Ninh, Hoi Van spring in Binh Dinh, Vinh Hao spring in Binh Thuan, Duc My spring in Nha Trang, and Kim Boi spring in Hoa Binh.
These springs are famous for their abilities to help people revitalize their senses.
National Parks
Also included in the list of best places to visit in Vietnam are its national parks, protected areas of fauna and flora that are endemic in tropical countries like Vietnam.
The most famous national parks include the Cuc Phuong, Cat Ba, and Con Dao.
Vietnam also designates as protected areas several bird safe havens.
In terms of bird sanctuaries, the best places in Vietnam to visit are Minh Hai Sanctuary and Tam Nong Sanctuary.
Ha Long Bay
About 180 kilometers from the east of Hanoi in the province of Quang Ninh province lay a gem of Mother Nature – the legendary Ha Long Bay.
Ha Long Bay, which is at the edges of the Asian continent, has long been considered one of the wonders of the world.
It is a spectacular bay speckled with thousands of islets of fascinating sizes and shapes.
In these islets, visitors can chance upon caves, forests, flora, and fauna.
A good way to explore this gift of nature is by riding boats and then getting off the boats to discover the caves.
Cuc Phuong National Park
About 100 kilometers southwest of Hanoi at the border of Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh, and Thanh Hoa is the Cuc Phuong National Park.
Measuring 25,000 hectares, the Cuc Phuong National Park is a virgin forest with plenty of surprises.
Limestone mountains occupy one-third of the national park.
The park also has thousand-year olds caves and grottoes, hot springs teeming with water at the temperature of nearly 40 degrees Celsius, and Dracontomelon Dao of between 50 meters and 70 meters high.
There are also thousands of species of plants as well as hundreds of species of animals at the Cuc Phuong National Park.
Hue
Hue had a thousand-year history when it was named as the capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945 by the Nguyen Dynasty.
During its stint as the nation’s capital, the rulers of Nguyen Dynasty commissioned architectural wonders in the city.
Today, many of these architectures still cast their shadows on the Huong River while some have been either destroyed or left to ruin.
Because of the city’s contributions to world architecture, UNESCO declared Hue as a cultural world heritage.
Hoi An
The view of the ancient town of Hoi An is seemingly taken out of an old painting.
Its houses are minute, built to have similar heights, topped with same types of roofs that then have uniform colors, and then put one beside the other.
Much of the ancient port city of Hoi An from the 8th to 17th centuries still remain today – its houses, roads, bridges, and even secret alleys.
Because of this well-preserved charm, Hoi An can be said to be one of the best places to visit in Vietnam.
Copyright © 2011 Kerlyn Bautista
All Rights Reserved