From North to South Vietnam will amaze you with the vastness of culture you can discover, the spectacular scenery and delicious food.
A country rich in history and contrasts, an explosive energy charge that you will perceive from the first moments you will set foot in the country.
Many are the treasures that Vietnam offers and that are waiting to be explored!
Some of the activities I suggest you plan during a trip to Vietnam:
- Sit in one of the cafeteria tables and enjoy a Vietnamese coffee, watching the explosion of life and vitality of the country, the show of people and a multitude of scooters that frantically move along the streets.
- Visit the countryside and the wonderful rice terrace fields, if you can plan your visit during the rice harvest!
- A ride on a boat on a river or a cruise on Halong Bay to observe a unique landscape in the limestone mountains of the area.
- A visit to the fascinating and rich cultural historical cities.
- Taste some of the delicious food that you will find anywhere in the country, even here the culinary quirks are many … some really extreme!
- Have a chat with the Vietnamese students who try to practice the English language!
- Visit one of the floating markets in the Mekong Delta.
- Try the Bia hơi in one of the many bars in central Hanoi, the super cheap beer that they sell around here.
- If you are tested pilots rent a scooter and try the crazy and unique traffic of the Vietnamese cities, maybe not pleasant, but an experience that you will remember forever!
- Lose yourself in the streets of Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh, your mobile phone with GPS will let you find your way back to your accommodation.
- Visit the sand dunes at Mui Ne, it seems to be in the desert!
- Take a tour of Hue on a motorbike with drivers with one of the tours offered by the various local agencies.
- Do not miss the Ho Chi Minh war museum, a blow to the stomach, but important to understand what happened.
Some info about Vietnam:
Capital of Vietnam: Hanoi
Population: 89,7 milions
Official language: Vietnamita
Currency: Dong (VND)
Calling Code for Vietnam: +84
Vietnam Visa: Depends on your nationality, usually you need to arrange it before the arrival in the country. You can apply online. There is also an option for some passport holders of few countries of getting a visa on arrival for 15 days, not extendable.
N.B. Always check before leaving that the rules for obtaining the visa have not changed recently!
Phone and Internet: It is easy to get a sim card, there are several service providers, a good company is Mobifone, you can take advantage of the WiFi service practically everywhere: from restaurants to cinemas to hotels, to some public areas, sometimes you find it even on the bus line.
The main tourist destinations of Vietnam:
These are just the main and tourist destinations in Vietnam, but the country is much more! Over time I will try to describe other interesting parts of the country to explore for the more adventurous and curious!
The Vietnamese capital Hanoi is an incredible city: an open-air market full of energy, restaurants with delicious food (and some very special …) and cafes from which you can observe the vitality of the place.
The unique and spectacular Halong Bay, with its limestone formations that look like “panettone” shaped rock planted in water, do a cruise of a couple of days at least!
Terraced rice fields in northern Vietnam and the various ethnic minorities living around Sapa. Don’t miss a trekking to mountainous areas here and a night in a homestay.
The impressive historical capitals Hue and Hoi An. The ancient cities present a lot to be explored!
The sea of Mui Ne and Nha Trang. Interesting seaside tourist destinations on the east coast of Vietnam.
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), a city that is becoming more modern and with a rather western atmosphere.
The magnificent and unique Mekong Delta, in the south of the country. Here the majestic river goes into the sea, forming several islands. Floating markets and a river-related life…one of my favorite places in Vietnam!
I wrote an article with more details about the destinations and what to visit during a trip to Vietnam: Vietnam: cosa vedere!
Vietnam, what to eat?
Vietnam, when to go?
Vietnam can be visited all year round, if a part is not climatically good you can find another one that is perfectly suited to a trip.
The best seasons to visit the country are autumn September-November and spring February-April.
N.B. Lately the weather conditions are changing a lot, so sometimes the seasons are not always as expected!
