Best Vietnam travel attractions and vacation tricks and tips? For sandy fun in Vietnam, Nha Trang is king. The well-maintained beach trundles for six kilometers along the shoreline of central Nha Trang city and during summer is jam-packed with local families on vacation as well as foreign visitors. There is excellent swimming here with designated swimming areas and manicured lounging areas that make this a great option for relaxing days soaking up the sun and sand. If you do get bored of sunbathing, the ancient Po Nagar Cham Towers are just to the north across the Xom Bong Bridge and have been used as a place of worship here since at least the 7th century (with some historians saying the site itself has been a place of active worship since much earlier). There is also an excellent museum dedicated to the work of Alexandre Yersin who discovered the cause of the bubonic plague and founded Nha Trang’s Pasteur Institute (which still carries out vaccination programs in Vietnam today). Find more information on https://khachsandanang.shop/vn/tour-ba-na-hill.html.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is a popular option for adventurous travellers looking to explore its many limestone caves and grottoes. Set within the Quang Binh Province, it’s home to the world’s largest cave, Son Doong, with sections reaching up to 200m in height, as well as Paradise Cave, which boasts spectacular shapes of limestone stalactites and stalagmites. Entrance to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park costs VND 40,000, plus additional fees (between VND 80,000 and (VND 150,000) to enter the caves. Hiking, mountain-biking, and cave expeditions are regularly organised by tour operators in Vietnam.
One of the largest caves in the world, and certainly the largest in Vietnam, is Hang Son Doong. Approximately three million years old, Hang Son Doong Cave is an incredible destination unlike anywhere else on the planet. The cave is enormous, and it is possible for dozens of people to camp within it at a time. Bright blue water pools are located in the cave, and a river runs through it. Lush greenery lines the walls, thanks to erosion that lets in beams of sunlight. The cave is ethereal, and guided tours are available to best explore this amazing landmark.
Wartime legacies are prominent attractions in Ho Chi Minh City and these two museums are the most popular, equally fascinating, and a must-do experience. The imposing Independence Palace (or Reunification Palace) is of great symbolic importance in the nation’s history. Formerly, the South Vietnam government’s HQ and official presidential residence, this was where North Vietnamese Army tanks crashed through the main gates on April 30, 1975: the defining ‘Fall of Saigon’ moment and the start of Reunification. Now a ‘National Cultural and Historical Relic,’ museum and VIP function space, this landmark monolith building, ensconced in pretty grounds, stands frozen in time from that fateful day. Take a guided tour through five floors and rooms preserved in the 1960s and 1970s time-warp: highlights include the bomb-proof basement, with secret tunnels and war command room, kitschy cinema and casino, and glittering reception halls.
Located in the Central Provinces, Hue was Vietnam’s imperial capital from 1802 to 1945, the home of a dynasty of Nguyen Emperors and the nation’s political, cultural and religious heart. All those imperial legacies, a collection of relatively well-preserved ancient monuments, royal court traditions and relics of great historical and cultural importance, now come listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, or ‘Complex of Hue Monuments.’ Thus, this amiable, languid city, majestic beside the scenic Perfume River, offers visitors many attractions to see, many easily accessed by bicycle or on leisurely ‘Dragon Boat‘ cruises.