Hanoi

The Vietnamese capital of Hanoi is a city brimming with beautiful architecture, an enigmatic youth scene and layers of history. Staying in the city’s old town means living amongst the crumbling, vine-covered facades of the French colonial architecture. Street food remains a huge part of the culinary landscape of the city with street stalls selling delicious dishes that reflect the wealth of culture and vibrancy. Sit in street side cafes, sip on ice coffees and enjoy a banh mi sandwich.
Hanoi’s many sights and museums are eclipsed by the sheer vibrancy of its streets and the welcoming smiles of its people. Spend days here simply walking the city streets, along the lakes and shopping in the food markets. Just watch out for the motorbikes – they are everywhere!

Dalat

In the south of Vietnam’s central highlands, Dalat is a cool spring city. With a fresher climate than other cities in the country, Dalat is an elegant rural city that is scattered with French colonial villas. Initially developed as a French holiday resort, the city has become somewhat of a romantic holiday destination for Vietnamese couples. The streets filled with horse-drawn carriages and there’s a somewhat tacky Eiffel Tower-type structure overlooking the city. It isn’t all about romance though, those who are into adventure sports find their way here to try out a spot of mountain biking, trekking in the mountains or perhaps some white-water rafting.

Hue

Hue was once Vietnam’s imperial capital, home to the ruling class, but much of its once resplendent palace was destroyed during the war with America. The town is now a place for tourists to stop off and spend a few days ambling around ruins. Some of the Imperial Palace remains in tact and some of it has been painstakingly rebuilt, while much of it is in ruins but makes for an interesting place to explore. Take a bike ride outside of the city to visit the excessive self-built tombs of the emperors and then return to the city to spend the evening having dinner alongside the Perfume River.

Can Tho

Famed for its floating markets, Can Tho is a merchant trading hub on the confluence of the Can Tho and Hau rivers. Life in this city is centred around the rivers and its trade along the connecting Mekong; food is bought and sold on the water at Cai Rang floating market. The area has been labelled the rice bowl of Vietnam and rightly so: fresh vegetables, rice and fish are all traded through the city and as such the town’s restaurants are overflowing with delicious offerings. Evenings in the city consists of dreamy sunset walks along the riverside promenade with friendly locals to chat to along the way.

Cao Bang

The beautiful part of Vietnam is reminiscent of paradise: lush hills, flourishing valleys and gushing waterfalls. The Bang Giang River snakes its way through the environment and into the cool city of Cao Bang. The area is home to many ethnic hill tribes, which is also evident in the city itself; the markets here are full of goods made by the rural communities – women arrive from small villages to sell their fresh produce alongside the river. Cao Bang city offers visitors the chance to experience the lives of the people of Vietnam and is a fantastic gateway into the arcadian countryside.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

Mountains, caves and rivers combine to make the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park one of the most scenic spots in all of Vietnam. The cave systems in the park are truly enormous, and you can explore many of them on a large boat. The Phong Nha and Tien Son Caves are close to one another, and they are usually available to tour on a single afternoon. The world’s largest cave, Hang Son Doong, is an incredible experience, but it is only open to a handful of people each day. If you would rather see the national park on foot, you can hike along the Nuoc Mooc Spring Eco Trail. Along the way, you’ll cross over bamboo bridges and walk alongside winding rivers.

Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh is an entire province in Northern Vietnam, but it is also the name for the capital city of that province. The city of Ninh Binh makes for a great homebase so that you can explore the surrounding countryside throughout the province. This is where you’ll find Tam Coc, also known as Halong Bay on land with its magnificent limestone scenery. You can enjoy a boat ride in Tam Coc and admire spectacular views as the river winds through sheer cliffs. Nearby Trang An Grottoes is another amazing experience, and this time your boat will take you through remarkable caverns.