Vietnam has a tall and slender body that extends to the tropical waters off Cambodia's coast. Vietnam has a lot to offer from mega-cities to white-sand beaches and jade-green paddy fields. It is difficult to decide where to begin.
Sample sweet coffee and visit countryside rice terraces. Highlights of a trip to Vietnam include these.
The Nguyen Dynasty was in charge of the city until 1945. The imperial city was not just the country's seat of power but also the epicenter of its classic cuisine. The cuisine of the Old Empire consisted of "imperial dishes" and "royal dishes".
The banquets were presented as choreographed banquets of up to 50 dishes to please the emperor. Some of the picks from the royal menu can still be found in some of the best restaurants in the city. The plates they offer are labor intensive and give diners a taste of the past.
Explore the planet's most surprising adventures with our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.The Son Tra Nature Reserve, a mountainous peninsula overlooking the bay of Danang in central Vietnam, has stolen the show since American troops aptly named their haven "Monkey Mountain." Son Tra's last 1300 doucs have become an unwilling attraction due to their rarity. People are taking pictures of tourists.
Don't feed the animals to avoid disrupting their eating habits and the population's health
M Sn is a cluster of Hindu temple ruins surrounded by jungle and a ring of mountains that are protected by the UNESCO. The original site of M Sn's religious and political capital was built between the 4th and 14th century. The ruins are open from sunrise to sunset.
It's a good idea to visit after 2pm for a more intimate experience.
There is an easy day pilgrimage from Ho Chi Minh City to the town of Tay Ninh, which is home to one of the world's youngest religions. The ultimate goal of the monotheistic faith is to free the soul from the endless cycle of reincarnation, and that's why it was founded by Ng Vn Chiu.
The church fronted by the bell towers may look like it was built in Europe. The sect worships Jesus Christ, Buddha, Mohammed, and even a red star, as well as turrets decorated with weapon-toting statues. The shrine is open to visitors four times a day.
Even if it takes courage to adjust to the traffic, a motorbike is a great way to explore the country. The northern and central mountains, thousands of miles of coastline, and the green paddies of the Mekong Delta are open to endless adventures as a result of the Congestion thaw. Short multi-day loops around most towns are as easy to plan as long cross-country journeys because of the large availability of bikes for rent.
If you have a motorcycle license at home, you may be able to get an international driving permit.
The Ban Gioc Waterfalls on the Quay Son River are the largest waterfall in the world, measuring 682ft wide and 70ft tall. They are the largest falls in the country. Visitors can view the waterfall from the base of the bamboo rafts on the other side of the border. While it is possible to hike beyond the falls or up to a nearby hilltop temple, hikers will find the nearby Nguom Ngao caves and their kilometer-long walkway, flanked by an impressive number of well-lit stalactites.
An offbeat region filled with more caves, village homestay experiences and delicious local food is the starting point for the tour.
The "Tonkinese Alps" are the mountains surrounding the former French Hill station of the most popular gateway into China. The H'Mong and Dao ethnic minorities are still farming terraced paddy fields in traditional attire.
Don't think that only Vietnam's northernmost reaches have mountains and cooler climates, because Dalat is a former French colonial hill station with hundreds of old-world European villas. Hang Nga Crazy House is one of the most popular guesthouses up here. It mixes swirls of color, wavy structures, sculptural bedrooms and fairytale-like turrets into a building.
The southern end of Vietnam's Central Highlands is sealed by the province of the same name. This is the perfect place to grow coffee.
There are dozens of different coffee strains grown on eco- sustainable farms in the surrounding hills, which should be visited by coffeeholics.
The best time to visit is during the harvest season, which runs from September to December.
Quy Nhon is hidden behind a 6 mile stretch of land between Highway 1 and the ocean. The name "Maldives of Vietnam" comes from the white beaches and mountains. Start in Quy Nhon beach, straight in town and lined with low-key bars, and then head to Ky Co beach, a less developed arch of white sand about 30 minutes drive out of town.
There is a road that leads to a series of red rocky cliffs next to the ocean. The walking path that snakes along the coastline can be tried by nature lovers.
Hang Son Doong is the world's largest cave and is located in the Phong Nha-K Bng National Park. It is a mile in and a jumbo jet could fly through the tunnel. Hang Son Doong has a rainforest with trees as tall as buildings because parts of the limestone ceiling have collapsed.
There is a small population of tigers in this Underworld. The world's biggest stalagmite is found here. Since 2012 one tour company has been taking a very strict number of visitors into Son Doong for a four-day trek that costs $3000, but other caves await to be explored.
The name Vietnam evokes images of the war that split the country into two parts. The city may have changed its name, but it hasn't forgotten its past. War atrocities, napalm burns, unexploded ordnance, and a perfectly conserved US tank are just some of the things the War Remnants Museum shows.
You can take a tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels outside of town to get a closer look at what the war was like.
One of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations is Halong Bay, with 1600 jagged limestone islands emerging from the sea. Bai Tu Long Bay to the northwest is a less-touristy waterworld filled with rows of jungle- studded limestone karsts that rise like fangs. The highlight is kayaking in the heart of the bay to Vung Vieng, a distance of 15 miles away from the mainland.
The countryside around Mu Cang Chai is mostly rural and a great place to try a less crowded experience. There are 2200 hectares of rice paddies. The hills of Mu Cang Chai are carved with giant steps that rise to the sky from the valleys of the Red River.
Simple yet authentic indigenous homestays manned by the local H'mong minority are supplemented by charming eco lodges on stilts. Trekking between villages is a good way to try fresh farm to table dishes.
The journey from the Tibetan plateau to the south of Ho Chi Minh City took 4350 km and ended in the South China Sea. For hundreds of years, the Mekong Delta has been Vietnam's rice bowl, nurturing a network of sleepy towns and villages on stilts that use the river as their primary water source.
The best way to explore is by cruising overnight on the main channel between Cai Be and Can Tho, or by paying the local fisher-folks to take you on the backwaters, where the smaller waterways become so narrow you may come face to face with a her.
The 350 km loop between Ha Giang and Dong Van is a sight to behold no matter how you tackle it.
If you want to see the region's former opium trading post, visit the H'Mong King Palace and then stop at the 1500m high Ma Pi Leng.
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