Cat Ba Island
Lying to the south of Halong Bay off the north-eastern coast of Vietnam, the 300-or-so karst islands and limestone outcrops of Lan Ha are just as…
Must-see attractions in Northeast Vietnam
Cao Bang
Ban Gioc is one of Vietnam’s best-known waterfalls, and its image adorns the lobby of many a cheap guesthouse. The falls, fed by the Quay Son River that…
Cat Ba Island
For one of the best views in Vietnam, head to Cannon Fort, where there are astounding panoramas of Cat Ba Island's jungle-clad hills, the harbour and the…
Bai Tu Long Bay
Most Vietnamese visitors make a beeline for Hong Van Beach – and justifiably so. It's nearly 3km of fine, white sand lapped by blue water and backed by a…
Bai Tu Long Bay
The spectacular islands of Bai Tu Long Bay, immediately northeast of Halong Bay, form Bai Tu Long National Park and are every bit as beautiful as their…
Haiphong
Du Hang Pagoda was founded three centuries ago. It’s been rebuilt several times, but remains a fine example of traditional Vietnamese architecture and…
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…
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…
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…
Halong Bay
Hang Trong has wide-arched entrances on either side and a ceiling clustered with stalactites. It's so named because when the wind blows through its…
Cat Ba Island
A 10-minute walk southeast from Cat Ba Town, the three Cat Co Cove beaches boast the nearest sand to town, though all are being developed with hotel…
Cao Bang
About 4km from Ban Gioc Waterfall, 2km up a side valley, Nguom Ngao Cave is one of the most spectacular cave systems in Vietnam. Created by an underground…
Ba Be National Park
Rimmed by limestone peaks, Ba Be (meaning Three Bays) is in fact three linked lakes, with a total length of 8km and a width of about 400m. Most boat…
Halong City
Vietnamese and cruise-ship tourists flock to this cable car that spans the Cua Luc inlet, offering dramatic views over Halong Bay. The views are…
Northeast Vietnam
Paths follow the the Ngoc Tuyen River through this beautiful cave for about 1km. The entrance has a series of poems carved in Chinese characters by the…
Bai Tu Long Bay
The beautiful 1km-long crescent-moon sweep of Minh Chau Beach, 12km from Quan Lan town on the northeastern coast, is the island's main drawcard. Between…
Haiphong
In a splendid colonial building, this small museum concentrates on the city's history, with English translations on displays. The front hall's taxidermy…
Halong Bay
This huge cave consists of three chambers reached via 90 steps. Inside, ceilings soar up to 25m high, while some rather disco-festive lighting illuminates…
Northeast Vietnam
Tam Thanh Cave is vast and seductive, with a water pool inside and natural ‘window’ offering a sweeping view of the surrounding rice fields.
Bai Tu Long Bay
The only attraction within Quan Lan Town itself is this beautiful 200-year-old pagoda, flanked by the town's communal house and a temple, all of which are…
Bai Tu Long Bay
Directly north of Hong Van Beach is its slightly scruffier sister, Bac Van Beach. It's quieter, but coarse sand and water not quite deep enough for…
Halong Bay
The popular Hang Sung Sot has three vast chambers – in the second there’s a pink-lit rock phallus unsurprisingly regarded as a fertility symbol. Even less…
Bai Tu Long Bay
For coastal scenery beyond the beaches, head south from town for 3km, bearing left at the pond, to the flagpole and headland of Mong Rong, where walking…
Cat Ba Island
Within Cat Ba National Park but accessed from a separate roadside entrance 2km north of Hospital Cave, the multi-chambered Trung Trang Cave is fun to…
Ba Be National Park
One of Ba Be's most popular off-the-water sights is this 800m-long cave complex with a pathway leading down into a soaring 50m-high cavern. It's 6km…
Halong Bay
Part of the same cave system as nearby Hang Dau Go, Hang Thien Cung has ‘cauliflower’ limestone growths as well as stalactites and stalagmites.
Bai Tu Long Bay
Located in the northwestern corner of Co To Island is broad Van Chay Beach. During the summer months it's home to lots of food stalls, as well as kayak…
Northeast Vietnam
This modest museum sits at the entrance to the Coc Bo Cave area. It covers the period in 1941 during which Ho Chin Minh lived here, planning his…
Ba Be National Park
The Dau Dang Waterfall (also called the Ta Ken Waterfall) is a series of spectacular cascades between sheer walls of rock.
Cat Ba Island
By far the nicest beach in Cat Co Cove is Cat Co 2 with a pretty swathe of white sand.
Northeast Vietnam
After 30 years of exile, Ho Chi Minh re-entered Vietnam in January 1941 and took shelter in this small cave in one of the most remote regions of Vietnam,…
Haiphong
With a facade embellished with white columns, Haiphong’s neoclassical Opera House dates from 1904. It's usually not possible to view the interior, but…
Cao Bang
There's not a whole load to do in Cao Bang town itself, but there are great 360-degree views from the town's hilltop war memorial. Head up the second lane…
Cat Ba Island
Cat Co 3 is the closest beach to Cat Ba Town but its blink-and-you-miss-it sliver of sand isn't really worth stopping for. Head here just to take the…
Haiphong
Haiphong’s elegant Roman Catholic cathedral was built in the 19th century and comprehensively restored in 2010. The building’s grey towers are a local…
Cat Ba Island
Cat Co 1 has a decent stretch of beach but is dominated by a rather ugly resort. Don't expect much peace and quiet here during the summer months as it's…
Halong City
This wide and sandy beach offers good sunset strolls and views of the cruise ships and lighthouse. It's accessible behind the massive Sunworld complex.
Cat Ba Island
The market at the northern end of Cat Ba Town's harbour is a scruffy local affair with twitching crabs, jumbo shrimp and pyramids of fresh fruit.
Cat Ba Island
This monument stands up on imaginatively named Mountain No 1, the hillock opposite the pier in Cat Ba Town.
