Ha Noi
Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam. Located in the red river delta in the centre of North Vietnam. It is the political,economic, cultural, commercial and tourist centre of the country. Hanoi was founded in 1010 AD as the City of the Soaring Dragon'' during the reign of king Ly Thai To.Throughout the thousand years of its eventful history, and despite being marked by destruction, wars and natural calamities, Hanoi still preserves many ancient architectural works including the Old Quarter and over 600 pagodas and temples. Famous sites include the One Pillar Pagoda (built in 1042), the Temple of Literature (built in 1070), Hanoi Citadel, Hanoi Opera House, and ex-president Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum. Hanoi also characteristically contains 18 beautiful lakes such as Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, and Truc Bach Lake, which are the lungs of the city, with their surrounding gardens and trees providing a vital source of energy. Many traditional handicrafts are also practiced in Hanoi including bronze moulding, silver carving, lacquer painting, and embroidery. Hanoi has many famous traditional professional handicraft villages near by, such as Bat Trang pottery village, Ngu Xa bronze casting village and Yen Thai silk village.
Hoa Binh
Hoa Binh is a mountainous province located in the North. The annual average temperature ranges between 22.9 and 25 ° C. The culture of Hoa Binh consists of six minorities with their own languages, traditional literature, and festivals. Visitors can enjoy minority specialty dishes including rice cooked in bamboo and grilled meat. You can also enjoy watching traditional dance, music performances (bronze, drums, gongs), and Thai minority singing and dancing. The remote minority villages are attractive sites for tourists. SaPa
Sapa is 380 km from Hanoi. Sapa is a beautiful and romantic resort town. At an altitude of 1,600m above sea level, the average temperature of the area is 15-18°C. It is cool in summer and cold in winter. Visitors to Sapa in summer can experience all four seasons in one day. Sapa has an amazing diversity of flora ranging from flowers to tropical and temperate fruits including plums, peaches, apples and pears. Traditionally, every Saturday a charming "Love Market" is organized and various hill tribe people go there to try and win a heart. Sapa is also of ideal climate for walking in the nearby hills, including Mount Fansipan, the highest point in Vietnam, and visiting ethnic villages.
Ha Long Bay
Located in the north east of Vietnam, 170 km east of Hanoi. Halong Bay is one of the country's most famous tourist destinations and was listed by UNESCO, as a world natural heritage site, and an area of outstanding natural beauty. Halong Bay borders Cat Ba Island in the south west, the sea in the east, and the mainland, creating a 120 km coastline. The bay is made up of 1,969 islands of various sizes, 989 of which have been given names.
Ninh Binh
The main attractions of Ninh Binh are : the ancient capital of Hoa Lu - the first capital of Vietnam; Bich Dong - a grotto located in the Ngu Hanh Son mountain range, in Hoa Lu district, where a short boat trip takes you into a beautiful landscape with canals meandering between high rocks and grottoes; Tam Coc - a boat trip from Bich Dong - this comprises of three grottoes: Hang Ca, Hang Hai and Hang Ba, all are adorned with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites in different shapes and colours, sparkling like gemstones); Phat Diem Cathedral (build in 1875-1898) - this cathedral covers an area of 8 hectares and consists of various structures, it is an architectural complex that combines the traditional pagoda architecture of Vietnam and the Gothic style of Christian architecture.
The Centre
Hue Citadel
Hue is a place, which has many cultural treasures: the tombs of kings, the imperial citadel and temples. In Vietnam there is no other place that has as many original historical vestiges as this ancient capital. Highlights include the royal citadel palaces, which were constructed as 11 kilometre long defensive ramparts with more than a hundred architectural works; the beautiful tombs of the Nguyen Kings; and dozens of pagodas constructed more than 300 years ago. Moreover, Hue is where the world renowned royal music originated, and is famous for its traditional, spicy cuisine and sophisticated handicrafts. In December 1993 the historic and cultural value of this tremendous city was recognized by UNESCO when it was declared a World Cultural Heritage Site.
Da Nang
Da Nang ( Da Nang international airport - 30 km from Hoi An Ancient town). Danang City is located in middle of Central Vietnam, separated from Laos by the western Truong Son Mountains. The province has 150km of coastline. Danang is an ancient land, closely related with the Sa Huynh cultural traditions. Many imposing, palaces, towers, temples, citadels and ramparts, the vestiges from the first to thirteenth centuries are still to be seen in the Cham Museum. Danang has other various interesting attractions such as Ba Na Tourist Resort, Ngu Hanh Son (Marble Mountains) as well as the Linh Ung Pagoda, Han River, and My An, Non Nuoc beaches, stretching for dozens of kilometers.
Danang City is located in middle of Central Vietnam, separated from Laos by the western Truong Son Mountains. The province has 150km of coastline. Danang is an ancient land, closely related with the Sa Huynh cultural traditions. Many imposing, palaces, towers, temples, citadels and ramparts, the vestiges from the first to thirteenth centuries are still to be seen in the Cham Museum. Danang has other various interesting attractions such as Ba Na Tourist Resort, Ngu Hanh Son (Marble Mountains) as well as the Linh Ung Pagoda, Han River, and My An, Non Nuoc beaches, stretching for dozens of kilometers.
Hoi An
The ancient town of Hoi An,30 km south of Danang, lies on the banks of the Thu Bon River. Occupied by early western traders, Hoi An was one of the major trading centres of Southern Asia in the sixteenth century. Hoi An has a distinct Chinese atmosphere with low, tiled houses and narrow streets; the original structure of some of these streets still remains pretty much intact. All the houses were made of wood and decorated with lacquered boards and panels engraved with Chinese characters. The town is famous for its tailors and this is the best place in Vietnam to get your clothes and shoes made. You can visit the relics of the Sa Huynh and Cham cultures and also the beautiful scenery of the romantic Hoi An river, Cua Dai Beach and Cham Island.
My Son
My Son, located 69 km south west of Danang, was an imperial city during the Cham dynasty, between the fourth and twelfth centuries. My Son Sanctuary is a large complex of religious relics that comprises of more than 70 architectural works. They include temples and towers that interconnect with complex red brick designs. The main component of the Cham architectural design is the tower, built to reflect the divinity of the king.
Quy Nhon
Qui Nhon is located on the coast of Central Vietnam and is divided into four clear-cut regions: highlands, midlands, plains, and coast. The special products of the province are silk, swallows' nests, shrimps, fish, precious wood, vegetable oil, rice, marble, titanium, and handicraft articles. Qui Nhon is also the home of old folk opera, and Bai Choi folk songs. The many historical sites include the Cham Tower , Quang Trung Museum and it also has a spectacular beach.
Buon Me Thuot - Pleiku - Kontum
The Vietnam's Highland is the place with full of traditional and cultural nuance including the provinces such as Buon Me Thuot, Pleiku and Kon Tum. Beside the imposing natural landscape, the rich cultural of these highland provinces is also a feature of astonishment for most of visitors. At night, under Rong roofs, everyone gathers around a cosy fire to talk and participate in all sorts of cultural activities. In the warm and jolly atmosphere with exciting traditional dances and songs, boys and girls dance to the rhythm of Gong and Chieng (traditional music instruments) in pairs. Moreover, as you gather around a big vase of Ruou Can (a special minority spirit), you can hear from the old villagers, the songs, romantic tales and epic legends of man's desire, which is as imposing as Chupong ‘s summit, and forever immortal in the life of the minority people.
The South
Phan Thiet
Phan Thiet is a coastal town located to the east of Ho Chi Minh City. It attracts tourists due to its amazing coastline and lovely landscape. The mountains range from west to east and stretch down to the beautiful beaches. There are many great architectural sites such as towers, communal houses, pagodas, temples, shrines, and tombs. Lively cultural activities including festivals, traditional customs, dancing, and traditional music.
Nha Trang
Nha Trang is called Vietnam ‘s Mediterranean coast due to its seven kilometre long, white, sandy beaches, several nearby islands, and is an ideal place for scuba diving and snorkelling. Visitors can also enjoy the group of five or six islands situated close to each other, set just off the coast. The largest of the islands is Hon Tre, which is located 3 km from Nha Trang. Nha Trang is not only famous for its natural landscape, but also for its heritage of the Cham culture.
Da Lat
Dalat, the “city of eternal spring” or “Little Paris”, nestles on the Lang Bian plateau. It is renowned not only for its tranquil beauty and hundreds of French colonial buildings and villas dotted through the town but also for its cool and fresh mountainous climate. This makes it a popular getaway for local honeymooners and tourists who seek a cool respite from the tropical heat. Dalat is 300 km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City and 220 km from Nha Trang. From Dalat, you can visit the nearby Lang Bian Highlands, home to several ethnic minorities and with an ideal peak for adventurers to conquer.
TP Ho Chi Minh City
Formerly known as Saigon, Vietnam's biggest city lies next to the Mekong delta in the south of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City is a modern city with a population of six million and the country's largest centre of trade and science. There are pagodas, where incense burns and monks pray, and artists create their masterpieces on canvas or carved wood in their workshops, puppeteers entertain children in parks and down narrow alleys seamstresses carefully create the graceful Vietnamese costume, the Ao Dai.
Cu Chi Junnels - Tay Ninh
The Cu Chi tunnels are located in the outer northern suburbs of Ho Chi Minh City. This renowned network of tunnels is over 250km long and became famous around the world during the Vietnam war. This was the site of years of fierce struggle and an example of the endurance of the Vietnam people. Once you visit Cu Chi you will get a feel for the conditions that the Vietnamese soldiers went trough during the war. The network of tunnels was built and used as the Vietnamese guerrillas' nearest base to Saigon during the war. It is now a major attraction for foreign tourists and Vietnamese. Further to the west is Tay Ninh, the headquarters of Cao Dai Daism, a religion very popular in the Mekong Delta area. Tourists will be amazed by the magnificent Great Temple or Holy See.
The Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the southernmost region of Vietnam and was formed by sediment deposited by the “river of
the Nine Dragons.” This rich land is known as Vietnam's rice bowl, producing enough food for almost the whole
country. The hospitality of the local people and amazing food products including coconuts, fruit of all kinds, sugar
cane and fish, make the area famous. The most popular areas to visit are:
Can Tho
Can Tho is located in the centre of the 11 provinces of the Mekong Delta, 170 km from Ho Chi Minh City, south of the Hau River. The river is considered the benefactor of this region, since yearly floods deposit large quantities of alluvia on the rice fields. It is wonderful to take a boat trip along the river on fine days. On the east bank is Ninh Kieu Wharf, which is well known for its beautiful location. Not too far from the wharf is a floating restaurant connected to the bank by a bridge. Visitors travel along the waterway to the floating markets to see the normal waterways life of people there.
Chau Doc
Chau Doc is a town closes to the Cambodia border. There are a number of floating houses (the floats are empty metal drums) which provide a convenient way for families to raise fish underneath. What makes Chau Doc interesting is its mix of communities, Khmer, Cham, and Chinese. The Cham are mostly Muslim, and live in isolated communities across the river, complete with mosques. The Sam mountain, which provides an outstanding view over the Cambodia border, has dozens of pagodas and shrines where the Chinese influence is obvious. At its base lie the Tay Anh pagoda, whose architecture is influenced by Hindu and Islamic style, and the temple of the Lady Chua Xu to whom offerings of whole roasted pigs and lavishly embroidered clothes are made.