Most travelers to Vietnam

Most travelers to Vietnam are attracted by the wonderful natural beauty of the stunning S-shaped country, from extensive rice terraced fields in the north to the fascinating bustle of the Mekong Delta in the south. Furthermore, clear natural beaches are also the amazing tourist attractions in Vietnam.

Recently, Lonely Planet, the world’s famous tourist site, has chosen top 7 beaches you should visit at least once in life in Vietnam.

Phu Quoc Island

Located in front of the Cambodia coast, Phu Quoc is the largest island in Vietnam. The island features pristine tropical forests, colorful coral reefs, and great beaches, which is the favorite destination of tourists to enjoy the peaceful and tranquil atmosphere as well as admire the wild beauty of long beaches, natural forests, and pure streams.

Come to Phu Quoc, besides swimming, walking in the night markets, and discovering famous pearl farms, you can also visit scenic spots such as Dinh Cau, Bai Dai, Bai Sao, Phu Quoc prison, myrtle forests, and pepper gardens.  In addition, Phu Quoc is famous for producing the best fermented fish sauce in the world. Therefore, paying a short visit to some fish sauce manufacturing places is also a good idea for your trip.

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Con Dao Island

80 kilometers from the Mekong Delta and 230 km from Ho Chi Minh, Con Dao Island used to serve as a prison for political prisoners during the French colonial period. However, due to immense natural beauty, Con Dao today turns into the heaven of nice resorts, which attracts numerous domestic and international tourists.

Visit Con Dao, you can explore historical relics and experience the special activities like swimming in the clear sea, walking on white sand beaches, diving into pure beaches, or driving along deserted coasts. Moreover, don’t forget to enjoy typical seafood here.

welcome in Sapa !

Mui Ne

Mui Ne is located on the east coast of Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan province, about 250 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City. It’s famous for the beautiful beaches with strong waves, huge red sandy dunes as desert, and delicious dishes made from seafood. Moreover, Mui Ne is the kingdom of resorts and one of the most favorite places for those who are fans of beaches to relax and enjoy interesting vacations.

In addition, Mui Ne also possesses a lot of unique destinations like Rom Island, Lao Cao Island, Rang Beach with pristine beaches, majestic landscapes, and fresh air. Especially, in early 2013, Mui Ne was listed in Top most beautiful beaches in Southeast Asia by Skyscanner.

Tra Su melaleuca in the Mekong

The diverse ecological system and magnificent natural scenery have turned Tra Su melaleuca forest in the Mekong province of An Giang into a popular tourist attraction, especially in the high-water season.

Nearly 100 kilometers from Long Xuyen City, each year Tra Su melaleuca forest welcomes 10,000 domestic and international tourists.

best time to travel to Vietnam

With the area of 845 hectares, Tra Su is home to 140 kinds of plants, mainly melaleuca, and dozens of reptiles and birds, including two kinds of birds listed in Vietnam’s Red Book.

Most likely, the best time to visit Tra Su is from the middle of September until the Lunar New Year when the whole forest becomes inundated.

To reach Tra Su forest, visitors have to go for a walk about 500 from the car park. Along the walking path are lotus ponds and rows of green trees as a warm welcome to visitors. At the forest’s gate, tourists take a motorboat or row boat to explore Tra Su.

mausoleum ho chi minh

You will feel overwhelmed with numerous green melaleuca and water-fern floating on the surface. Along the way, you will see birds perched on tree trunks, bunches of water lilies, and the water’s surface full of water ferns. It’s great to admire the nature beauty and enjoy peaceful vibe of Tra Su melaleuca forest.

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In the early morning or late afternoon, visitors may get a chance to see large flocks of birds flying from or to their nests. However, the forest becomes livelier in the afternoon when thousands of white storks fly and chirp all around the forest. The white of storks contracts with the green of the melaleuca forest, which gives tourists peaceful and relaxing feelings. In addition, there are also many species of other birds and animals.

Visiting Tra Su melaleuca forest in An Giang, Vietnam is an interesting destination for tourists who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Surely, the journey to Tra Su will leave you unforgettable experiences.

Wanderlust cited Vietnam among best Christmas trips for solo travelers

A journey to discover Vietnam in 15 days at a cost of only GBP595 (about US$902.75) will bring you invaluable experience of the life in Southeast Asia. That’s also one among 8 of best Christmas trips for solo travelers in 2015 recommended by Wanderlust.

dalat Vietnam

For the upcoming Christmas season this year, the famous British travel magazine of Wanderlust has drawn up a list of 8 best Christmas trips across the world for solo travelers, who want to run away from the festive madness and have a big adventure on this Christmas Eve.

mausoleum ho chi minh

According to the site, the best time to start this 15-day trip is on Dec 17. From hectic Sai gon to historic Hanoi, you will have the chance to see how the local residents live by an overnight homestay in the Mekong Delta region, then get on the queen beaches in Nha Trang, and immerse yourself in the culture and history of Hoi An and Hue. After that, let’s cruise Halong Bay’s emerald waters by boat, snorkel off picture-perfect beaches and finally, go for a snoop through any of famous markets in Hanoi. Pagodas, gorgeous beaches, fishing villages, and superb street foods are awaiting you to explore.

That’s a full-trip along the coast of Vietnam taking the travelers to all top spots of the country with a bunch of adventurous experiences – one of the 8 best trips for solo travelers on the eve of Christmas this year suggested by Wanderlust.

Here is the list of 8 best Christmas trips for solo travelers in 2015 from Wanderlust:

visit Hanoi

-Vietnam in a banana leaf, homestay on the Mekong – Vietnam
-A whistle-stop tour of Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala
-Encounter Pandas in China
-Lima to Rio de Janeiro – A BIG adventure in South America
-Sailing experience – Sail Burma’s untouched coast
-Marrakech Express – Immense yourself in Morocco
-Walk around Cuba
-Kigali to Arusha Safari – Animal encounters in East Africa

Traditional toy of Vietnamese children - Tò he

Tò he or Toy figurine, a traditional toy for Vietnamese children, is made from glutinous rice powder in shape of edible figurine such as heroes, flowers, animals, etc, 

HistoryThe origin of this traditional toy dated back to the 17th century. When there were not comics or illustrated books, tò he came out to depict characters in folk stories, heroes, animals, flowers, etc. Children were really interested in this tò he. They gathered around stall of to he, watched the heroes in elaborate costumes made by skillful hands of craftsmen and imagined the whole vivid world of fairies and heroes.

temple of literature hanoi

traditional toy

It was first made and sold on some typical occasions such as Tet and Mid-Autumn Festival. You can catch sights of to he in many public places and festivals now.

Xuan La Village in Phu Xuyen District,  visit Hanoi city is famous for its skill in making tò he. One interesting fact is that Tò he craftsman doesn’t pass his secret of making to he to his daughter but to his son.

mausoleum ho chi minh

MakingTo he craftsmen have a set of tools so that they can move to several common places in one day. They are a tray of glutinous rice powder in different colors, a bunch of sticks, a small comb, and a spongy box to display their products.

The preparation of the dough is the recipe for success in to he making. Rice after being grinded into fine powder will be mixed with water until it becomes a sticky lump. That lump will be put in a pot of water and boil for an hour until it is removed from the pot. The craftsman then dyes with seven different colors including green, red, yellow, white, black, red, and purple. These colors are made from edible and natural ingredients.

traditional toy

Nowadays, they no longer imbue the dough with natural colors but food colorings since they are more fresh and bolder.

The artisans have such an amazing ability to mould these lumps become a beautiful work of art. They use exactly the amount of paste to form separate parts of a toy.

Just place your own orders, watch the craftsman make the toy and get beautiful tò he in minutes.

How to spend one day in Ho Chi Minh

If you choose Ho Chi Minh City as the destination for traveling with a short period of time, I will suggest some typical amazing attractions as well as awesome Vietnamese cuisine that should be on your itinerary for a trip within one day in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Morning
Tao Dan Park (1-2 hours)
Starting your day with a morning walk through Tao Dan Park, popularly known as a four-sided island of calm in the middle of madness with an ideal urban green space, is an optimal choice. In the morning, local people come here for doing exercise, strolling, running and doing tai chi. There’s nothing quite like admiring the lush green garden and sophisticated sculptures and walking through the uninterrupted tree lines to feel the strong vitality of this beautiful S-shaped country as well as the soul beauty of locals. The refreshingly cool air here will energize you and offers the fantastic experience to continue your promisingly wonderful trip within one day in mausoleum Ho Chi Minh.

It is also recommended that you should not miss Pho for breakfast which is one of the most favorite dishes in Vietnam and then sip a small cup of coffee with condensed milk following Vietnamese-style from a vendor along the path of the park.

Ben Thanh Market (1-2 hours)
Ben Thanh Market is an iconic central market and the most visited market in Ho Chi Minh City. A full lively picture of the whole city is portrayed by the exchange activities of local people selling countless necessary items for everyday life including clothes, food, souvenir, handicraft products, cosmetics and so on. One thing you should bear in mind is that if you want to purchase something, a proper negotiation will be preferred as the cost of each item is labeled up.

Here you can buy some popular drinks such as sugarcane juice or lemon tea and witness the atmosphere of hustle and bustle in this crowded city.

War Remnants Museum (1-2 hours)
Paying a visit to this historic War Remnants Museum, you will have a deeper insight in the other side of Vietnam War. The museum gives a clear illustration of the brutality of the war as well as its many civilian victims. Moreover, there’s a collection of precious documents, photos, films, the US vehicles, artillery pieces, bombs and infantry weapons that you can hardly see anywhere else.

Com Nieu Saigon Restaurant for lunchtime (less than 1 hour)From War Remnants Museum, take a 10-munite walk to traditional Com Nieu Saigon Restaurant offering authentic Vietnamese food. Come here and enjoy the local food and the relaxing atmosphere of spatial ancient decoration like a local people. There’s a wide range of choices for you but you should Com Nieu- unique flavor rice displayed in the old clay pot served with other mouth-watering dishes involving stewed fish in the clay pot, braised eggplant with tofu and pork in the clay pot and caramel pork in the clay pot.

After the meal, you should try some desserts such as mixed fresh fruits with yoghurt, banana and mango crepe. Take your time and have a short rest before going to discover the upcoming stunning places.

Afternoon
Saigon Opera House – Ho Chi Minh Municipal Theater (less than 1 hour)
Being one of the most prominent landmarks in Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon Opera House is the artistic treasure of French colonial architecture. Built in 1897 as a classical opera house with 800 seats, the architecture offers the gorgeous interior and exterior with the ornate arch on top.

The best thing to enjoy this legendary museum is by enjoying fabulous shows like the AO Show. In terms of ticket purchase, you can go directly to the venue, in District 1, or book at every travel agency in Ho Chi Minh City.

Additionally, you can walk along Dong Khoi Street with classy and high-end shops, restaurants and coffee shops.

Address: 7 Lam Son Square, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Telephone number:  +84 8 3823 7419

Bitexco Financial Tower – the tallest skyscraper in Saigon (1 – 2hours)Built in 2010, Bitexco Financial Tower ranks the top ten attractive tourist destinations characterized by a 262-metre commercial building with 68 levels with the total area of more than 37,000 square meters. The unique shape of this modern building was drawn from the Lotus- Vietnamese’s national flower representing purity, faithfulness and hopefulness by the world most renowned architect Carlos Zapata.

The highlight of the Bitexco Financial Tower is Skydeck Observatory in the 49th floor. From here, you will have a panoramic view of the fabulous and breath-taking view of the cosmopolitan Saigon and surrounding areas.

It can be said that Skydeck is a must-see site when coming to visit Ho Chi Minh City to get the sense of exciting experience.

Entrance fee for Skydeck:

200 000 VND for adults
130 000VND for children aging 4 to 12
Address: 45 Ngo Duc Ke, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

See more:  things to do in ho chi minh

Evening
Bui Vien Street (1-2 hours)
Hanoi is famous for crowded Ta Hien Street while Ho Chi Minh City is renowned for Bui Vien Street, which is the main street stretching through backpackers’ area in District 1. This street is full of travellers from every corner of the world coming together for eating street food, drinking draught beer and enjoying the chaotic atmosphere here.

Crowded Bui Vien StreetThere are numerous restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and budget hotels and hostels, which are the ideal place for those who desire meeting like-minded people. You can have dinner here with Vietnamese BBQ meal laid on the simple wooden table at the corner of this street. Similarly, drinking some beers or soft drinks is a good choice to have a good meal.

Saigon Saigon Bar (1-2 hours)End your night at Saigon Saigon Bar belonging to the luxurious and sparkling five-star Caravelle Saigon Hotel and then enjoy drinks while watching live performances from excellent artists. From here, you can have a look at the hustle city.