Cat Ba Island
Cat Ba's beautiful national park is home to 32 species of mammal, including most of the world's 65 remaining golden-headed langurs, the world's most…
Must-see attractions in Vietnam
Phu Quoc Island
Long Beach is draped invitingly along the west coast from Duong Dong to An Thoi. Development concentrates in the north, near Duong Dong, where the…
Ho Chi Minh City
Built between 1939 and 1942, this temple is said to be the only pure Taoist temple in Vietnam and is unique for its colourful statues of Taoist disciples…
Ho Chi Minh City
With its airy corridors and verandas, this elegant 1929 colonial-era, yellow-and-white building is stuffed with period details; it is exuberantly tiled…
Nha Trang
This small museum is dedicated to the scientist Dr Alexandre Yersin (1863–1943), who founded Nha Trang’s Pasteur Institute in 1895. The Swiss-born Yersin…
Mui Ne
Mui Ne is famous for its enormous red and white sand dunes. The 'red dunes' (doi hong) are conveniently located north of the main strip, but the 'white…
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
The spectacular boat trip through Phong Nha Cave is an enjoyable though touristy experience beginning in Son Trach town. Boats cruise past buffalo,…
Nha Trang
Climb steep steps up to this striking pagoda, founded in the late 19th century. The entrance and roofs are decorated with mosaic dragons constructed of…
Ho Chi Minh City
In a land where so many ancient temples have been ‘restored’ in concrete and neon, it’s a joy to discover one that looks its age. The temple has an…
Hanoi
Hanoi's neo-Gothic St Joseph Cathedral was inaugurated in 1886, and has a soaring facade that faces a little plaza that's usually stuffed with selfie…
Demilitarised Zone
The site of the most famous siege of the American War, the USA’s Khe Sanh Combat Base was never overrun, but it saw the bloodiest battle of the war. About…
Bac Ha
This small market, 20km north of Bac Ha, attracts a growing number of visitors. Some tours from Sapa now visit Can Cau on Saturday before moving on to Bac…
Cu Chi
Two sections of this remarkable tunnel network (which are enlarged and upgraded versions of the real thing) are open to the public. One is near the…
Ho Chi Minh City
Built in 1929, this notable Sino-French museum houses a rewarding collection of artefacts illustrating the evolution of the cultures of Vietnam, from the…
Hanoi
This humble, traditional stilt house where Ho lived intermittently from 1958 to 1969 is set in a well-tended garden adjacent to a carp-filled pond and has…
Quang Ngai
A world away from the sombre atmosphere of the Son My Memorial, but only a couple of kilometres down the road, My Khe is a superb beach, with fine white…
Southwest Highlands
One of the outstanding natural treasures of the region, the 72,000-hectare Cat Tien National Park comprises an amazingly biodiverse region of lowland…
Hanoi
The city's best views can be found on the 65th-floor 360-degree Observation Deck of the landmark Lotte Center in the western corner of Hanoi's Ba Dinh…
Quy Nhon
This small museum concentrates on regional history and has some superb Cham sculpture. The entry hall focuses on local communism, while the room to the…
Phan Rang & Thap Cham
Po Ro Me is one of the most atmospheric of Vietnam’s Cham towers, thanks in part to its isolated setting on top of a craggy hill with sweeping views over…
Vung Tau
Atop Small Mountain with his arms outstretched to embrace the South China Sea (East Sea), this 32m giant Jesus is one of the biggest in the world – taller…
Hanoi Region
About 30km west of Hanoi, Tay Phuong Pagoda, also known as Sung Phuc Pagoda, consists of three single-level structures built in descending order on a…
Ho Chi Minh City
Gracing the intersection of Ð Dong Khoi and ÐL Le Loi, this grand colonial edifice with a sweeping staircase was built in 1897 and is one of the city's…
Dalat
From Dalat’s wonderful art deco train station you can ride one of the nine scheduled trains that run to Trai Mat (return from 108,000d, 30 minutes) daily…
Con Dao Islands
Some 20,000 Vietnamese prisoners died on Con Son and 1994 of their graves can be seen at the peaceful Hang Duong Cemetery, located at the northeastern…
Cat Ba Island
Hospital Cave served both as a secret bomb-proof hospital during the American War and as a safe house for Viet Cong (VC) leaders. Built between 1963 and…
Hanoi
The excellent Fine Arts Museum is housed in two buildings that were once the French Ministry of Information. Treasures abound, including ancient Champa…
Phu Quoc Island
The distillery of Nuoc Mam Hung Thanh is the largest of Phu Quoc’s fish-sauce makers, a short walk from the market in Duong Dong. At first glance, the…
Ho Chi Minh City
One of the city’s most prominent landmarks is home to the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee. Built between 1901 and 1908, the former Hôtel de Ville…
Ho Chi Minh City
This elegant 68-storey, 262m-high Carlos Zapata–designed skyscraper dwarfs all around it. It's reportedly shaped like a lotus bulb, but it also resembles…
Hanoi
This glorious neoclassical centrepiece of Hanoi's French Quarter is unmissable with its Gothic pillars and domes. The French-colonial 900-seat venue was…
Ninh Binh Province
Rowboats bob along the Sao Khe River through limestone caves. It's a relaxing trip, but many caves have also been enlarged to accommodate boats. Boat…
Can Tho
An intimate floating market, Phong Dien has more stand-up rowing boats than motorised craft, with local vendors shopping and exchanging gossip. Less…
Ninh Binh Province
Established in 1962, this national park is one of Vietnam’s most important protected areas. Though wildlife has suffered a precipitous decline in Vietnam…
Can Tho
Dating from 1870, the Binh Thuy house was built by wealthy merchant Duong Chan Ky and extensively renovated in the French colonial style in the early 20th…
Northeast Vietnam
Often referred to as the Ba Be Lakes, Ba Be National Park was established in 1992 as Vietnam’s eighth national park. The scenery swoops from towering…
Ho Chi Minh City
This museum is dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of Vietnamese women. The first floor is the most accessible to foreign visitors, with…
Hanoi
The city’s largest lake, West Lake is 15km in circumference and ringed by upmarket suburbs, including the predominantly expat Tay Ho district. On the…
Ho Chi Minh City
Housed in a splendidly restored French-colonial mansion – a building that was the home of US Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge from 1963 to 1967 – Salon Saigon…
Hanoi
A symbol of the tenacity and resilience of the Hanoian people, the Long Bien Bridge (built between 1899 and 1902) was bombed on several occasions during…
