With its fascinating history, stunning landscapes, lush mountains, bustling cities, and golden sand beaches, Vietnam is a country with breath-taking natural beauty, and history offering something for all kinds of travellers. Despite rapid modernization in cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), others like Hoi An have kept time honored traditions intact. Buddhist shrines can be found next to towering skyscrapers, where vibrant festivals and ceremonies dating back 1000s of years take place.
Vietnamese culture is as complex and diverse as its history and landscapes, with influences from China, India, and the French. The culinary landscape too is something to talk about, even though it’s often overlooked (and unjustly so) due to stiff competition from Thailand in the South East Asian region. Vietnamese food is as diverse as its landscape, with incredible flavors, and use of fresh meat, seafood, herbs and vegetables. Street foods are as celebrated here as upscale dining is. In addition to the centuries old culture and the delicious food, Vietnamese hospitality is something you would have never experienced before; the people being some of the nicest, friendliest, kindest and happiest that you could ever meet.
And the cherry on the cake? There is no bad time to visit. The weather is different in the north, central, and south; with all the regions experiencing rain at different times of the year. Depending on where you want to go, and what you want to experience, a Vietnamese itinerary could be planned for practically any time of the year.
Here are my top recommendations for what to do, see, eat, drink and shop when in Vietnam.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Hanoi: A bustling city in the north of the country, the capital of Vietnam has a lot of old world character, mixed with modern developments.
Sapa: A small mountain town known for its beautiful rice terraces and homestays.
Halong Bay: A cruise through the stunning rock formations of the bay is a must do when visiting Vietnam
Hoi An: It’s a beautiful UNESCO town located in the middle of the country. It has charming architecture and a laid back vibe.
Da Lat: Set in the montains, Da lat is known for its adventure activities.
Han Son Doong Cave: The largest natural caves in the world, Son Doong is magnificient, but the journey to the cave involves 2 days of intense jungle trekking.
Ho Chi Minh: Known popularly as ‘Saigon,’ HCMC is a modern city that is the financial capital of the country.
Phu Quoc: An island off the coast of Cambodia, it is known for its white sand beaches and resorts.
Mui Ne: A small resort town in the south east of the country, it is a top destination for kite-surfing, sailing and other water sports.
EAT AND DRINK
Vietnam is a culinary superpower – from its myriad of street food hawkers to epicurean hot spots. The food is known for its incredible flavor; rice, noodles, meat, and fresh vegetables are staples of most meals, exquisitely prepared with the perfect balance of sour, sweet, fresh and spicy. Cuisines among the different regions have variations, but the common denominator amongst them is the use of rice, fish sauce, and vibrant fresh herbs in most dishes.
The country is also famous for its culinary specialties, which can be pretty experimental for the conservative traveller (think snakes, peanut worms, crickets, or even beetle larva). But even if you aren’t a dare devil when it comes to food you don’t have to worry. Pork, Shrimp, Beef and Chicken are easily available and in various forms.
Pho is the most popular Vietnamese dish, which is a soup with meat, vegetables and noodles. Apart from Pho, a must try is Goi Cuon, the famous Vietnamese summer roll wrapped in a thin rice paper usually stuffed with shrimp, pork, or vegetables. A popular snack food is the banh mi which is a baguette sandwich stuffed with meat and pickled vegetables.
If you are a vegetarian, you might face some problems while looking for authentic food, as meat and seafood are an integral part of the Vietnamese diet. Since fish sauce is a staple in most preparations, it can be hard to get around that. But, that being said, if you let a restaurant know of your food restrictions, they are more than happy to accommodate your preferences. It’s definitely easier to get vegetarian and vegan food in the bigger cities like Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, which even have dedicated vegan only places. With increasing awareness about different diets, a number of restaurants also incorporate mock meat and tofu-based dishes on their menu.
A trip to Vietnam wouldn’t be complete without trying their traditional coffee – which has a distinct taste of its own. Their black coffee is strong, but very tasty and flavorful. If black coffee isn’t your thing, then their sweetened coffee, which is mixed with condensed milk, is a must try. The sweetened coffee is served both hot and over ice. Hanoi is also famous for its version of coffee, which has egg yolks, and definitely tastes better than it sounds!
SHOP
Vietnamese boutiques have an excellent selection of handicrafts and traditional textiles for the traveller who wants to shop. Exquisite silk, colorful lacquer-ware, gems, silver, and hand tailored clothing are the most common things travellers buy. The local markets are also flooded with branded export surplus goods, which are popular with tourists. As is common in Asian countries, bargaining is acceptable here – travellers can often bargain the price of a product to one third of what was quoted.
OTHER TIPS
- Like any other Asian country, Vietnam can be as luxurious, or as pocket friendly as you desire. Most of the tourist spots have affordable hostels and small boutique hotels, as well as resorts and 5 star hotels.
- The history of the country is tough, and due to the sheer number of wars that happened here, there are a lot of war related tourist places, from museums, to tunnels (Cu Chi –a vast network of tunnels built to protect the Viet against the invading Americans), to prisons.
- Transportation is easily available: taxis for intra-city transport, as well as luxury vans (they call them limousines), buses or hired cars for inter city travel. But while travelling from north to south of the country or vice versa, it is advisable to take domestic flights.
- Although Vietnamese people are the nicest you would meet, there are always exceptions. Taxi scams are extremely prevalent in the major cities, and it is advisable to discuss fare in advance, or go according to the metre.
- Plan your stay in Hanoi for the weekend to experience its night market, where the streets around the Ho Hoan Kiem lake and the Old quarters are transformed into a vibrant, culture-rich experience, and the visitors are greeted with fun activities like group dances, music, animal shows, local cuisines and the option to buy fun trinkets.
