100 Reasons to Visit Vietnam

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Sometimes Vietnam feels like it was made for travellers. With increasing dependence on the tourism industry for their economy, the Vietnamese have set up the country to be as travel friendly as possible. English is widely spoken in the cities and around

the famous sites and restaurants in touristy places almost always have English menus.

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The Vietnamese favorite transport It is the bike. If you like motorcycles you will not find another country in the world with more bikes to Vietnam, where it is said that every adult has a bike.

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Vietnamese food goes beyond pho and spring rolls and varies by regions: fresh vegetables continue to dominate the tables, while meat and poultry are rising in popularity.

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The best place to eat in Vietnam is on little, plastic stools on the sidewalk. Whether it's noodle soups or bun cha - the street food in Vietnam is nothing short of amazing.

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Don't be alarmed if you see spiky fruits you can't identify.

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In the early morning hours and around dusk, you'll find groups of Vietnamese men and women doing every exercise under the sun.

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Like many other neighbor countries in Southeast Asia, Vietnam has a precious treasure: its people. Everywhere you go, you will be welcomed by smiles and kind helps from the locals- whether they know Vietnamese or not.

Would you like to take a swim on a beach of white sand and crystal-clear in the month of December? Vietnam is your destination.

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Fertilised duck eggs, fermented scorpion wine, deep-fried snake dishes: Vietnam is synonymous with cuisine to put hairs on your chest.

Unlike Thailand, Malaysia and some parts of the Philippines, Vietnam has managed to control urbanization despite the rapid development of its cities and as such, isn’t nearly as polluted.

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Home of the president of South Vietnam during the "American War", as locals prefer to call the Vietnam War, this is the site where the first communist North Vietnamese tanks crashed through the gates on the morning of April 30, 1975, resulting in Saigon's official surrender.

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Equivalent to Bangkok's famed Khao San Road, Pham Ngu Lao Street is HCMC's backpacker district, and it's where the revelry goes on long into the night.

Travellers who like to let their hair down and have a few bevvies will love Vietnam. Most expat bars charge around $2 for a beer, with local joints charging half that.

Due to geography, generally, everyone who travels through Vietnam is heading in one of two directions (North to South or vice-versa). More often than not, if you meet someone heading the same direction as you, you’ll either be able to arrange to travel with themor at the very least, plan to meet them further down the line.

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Most fancy resorts in Vietnam charge less than similar ones in neighboring countries do. Some cost less than $100 a night, just half of that in Thailand or Singapore.

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Po Nagar is a Cham temple tower founded sometime before 781 and located in the medieval principality of Kauthara, near modern Nha Trang.

From the decks of a smart river cruiser, enjoy viewing river life as you cruise along the waterways from the Mekong delta deep into Cambodia or overnight on Halong Bay.

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Enjoy a cup of black coffee (ca phe den) or iced coffee with condensed milk (cap he sua da) and watch life goes by on a corner of the street- you will never forget Vietnam.

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The One Pillar Pagoda is a historic Buddhist temple in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. It is regarded alongside the Perfume Temple, as one of Vietnam's two most iconic temples.

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Vietnam is a truly hidden gem that only those visiting the country themselves will be able to tell. To put it correctly, Vietnam is not short of World Heritage Site.

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The Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon Opera House, is an opera house in Ho Chi Minh City. It is an example of French Colonial architecture in Vietnam.

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Markets like this one in Danang sell everything from fabric for clothing to dried baby shrimp. Needless to say, you can get lost exploring the rows for hours.

In Vietnam, it's all about the herbs. Plates piled high with fresh herbs like Thai basil, coriander, mint, and dill, and greens like Morning Glory accompany everything from soups to spring rolls.

The Mekong Delta is an area in Southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River dumps into the sea. Visitors can go to Can Tho, the largest city in the area, and get a real taste of rural life in this region affectionately known as the "rice bowl."

Vietnam has all the off-the-beaten-path experience that you are all looking for. From staying with an ethnic family in the Northern mountain area of Sa Pa to sand-surfing with local kids in Mui Ne- you name them all.

Vietnam visas can also be granted upon arrival. All you need to do is to apply online for your approval letter via a number of online travel companies online. You can also apply from Vietnamese Embassy back home.

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The biggest chamber of the cave, which is called Hang Son Doong (and translates to “mountain river cave”), is 3.1 miles long!

Nha Trang is famous for its stunning sandy beaches, waterfalls, seafood, the age-old Po Nagar Cham Towers, and thrilling activities such as wind surfing, parachuting, snorkeling, diving, etc.

When Americans think of Vietnam, they think of the bloody Vietnam War that left such an imprint on the national psyche. Vietnamese see the Vietnam War a part of a successful process of decolonialization: the defeat of the French and retreat of the Americans is as much part of their national creation myth as the Revolutionary War is part of America's.

Vietnam is a country of contrasts with its lush green patchwork of rice paddies, dramatic mountains, unspoilt coastline and the watery worlds of the Mekong and Red River deltas.

Think Vietnam and many still think about a war-torn country. Vietnam is more than just its war memory: its natural resources are something worth talking about.

One of the most extraordinary things about the markets in Vietnam is that the food doesn't smell at all. You'll walk into the food section and see freshly caught fish, snails, crabs and prawns and brace yourself for a fishy smell.

Whether you’ve decided to give two weeks (the absolute minimum) or two months of your well-earned time to Vietnam, with proper planning, you really can leave feeling like you’ve done it justice.

Vietnam's central location in Southeast Asia allows travelers to travel to neighboring countries in a blink.

The old city of Damascus is one of the most magical places that you will visit. That feeling of history really stirs imagination.

While the World Heritage-listed riverside town of Hoi An, about 865 kilometres north of HCMC, remains Vietnam's top spot for quality tailoring, HCMC is another safe bet.

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Ho Chi Minh City is famous for its pho (traditional Vietnamese noodle soup) and pork rolls. Often the best places are shops and stalls named after family members, such as "Aunty" or "Chi" (meaning sister) followed by a number representing their order in the family and, finally, their name.

Manicure and pedicure shops are everywhere, particularly around the Pham Ngu Lao area, and most are open late into the night.

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Not far from the Ben Thanh Market, housed in a Chinese-influenced yellow and white colonial-era mansion, the Fine Arts Museum offers an extensive insight into Vietnamese aesthetics ranging from the country's earliest civilizations to the present day.

Designed and built by French architect Gustave Eiffel, the Gothic-styled Saigon Central Post Office began its life in 1886 and remains one of the country's most celebrated structures.

Travellers coming from nearby Laos or Cambodia will notice something different about Vietnamese cities immediately: their sheer energy.

Whether your tastes run as tame as sledding down the Mui Ne sand dunes, or as extreme as riding through Vietnam on a Russian-made motorcycle, there's something in Vietnam that suits your appetite for adventure.

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The tunnels of Củ Chi are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Củ Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City, and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country.

Sand Dunes in Mui Ne

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Taking a cooking class in Hoi An is one of Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Iconic Travel Experiences.

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This is the main reason over a million tourists visit Vietnam’s central coast each year. Petrified in time as the ancient trade port that it once was, Hoi An’s Old Town looks today the same way it did 200 years ago.

A stark contrast to the maddening streets of Saigon and Hanoi, Hoi An enjoys a slow-paced lifestyle. Rent the local’s favorite mode of transport (a bicycle) for a dollar a day, and pedal your way through the Old Town, beaches, rice paddies and tiny villages.

Vietnam, especially the cities, can be hot & stressful, but they also have lots of spas, massage parlours and health clubs where you can cool down & relax after a day’s sightseeing. Full massages cost as little as $6 an hour, with luxury hotels offering spa & massage packages from around $35.

Most houses are painted in bright colours and are excessively decorated with what resembles a mixture of European architecture ranging from ancient Rome to 19th century French Haussmannien style.

In few countries, you have so much sense of security, trust and above all, the absence of any kind of problem or incident. The Vietnamese village is very peaceful and above all, much respected foreign tourists.

Any traveler who has crossed with a Vietnamese woman will remember safely that beautiful long Vietnamese silk suit worn by the woman.

Vietnam can be very rewarding for lovers. Visit Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, for instance, and you'll find plenty of locals going a-courting around the lake's edge.

St. Joseph's Cathedral is a church on Nha Tho Street in the Hoàn Kiếm District of Hanoi

The Tomb of Khải Định is located in Chau Chu mountain near Huế. It was built for the Nguyễn Emperor Khải Định. It was built from 1920 to 1931 taking 11 years to complete. The tomb is a blend of Western and Eastern architecture.

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Like all the other food you'll find in Vietnamese markets, everything is super fresh.

Vietnam's history is tumultuous and complex, the country having been occupied and divided by various countries for decades.

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Trúc Lâm Temple is a Zen Buddhist temple outside the resort town of Da Lat

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Unlike many countries, who charge tourists for using the Internet, many cities in Vietnam allow you to stay connected for free. Most restaurants will provide their customers a password and you can use as much as you want.

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Vietnam has many taxis available in cities.

There are rush hours in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, but you don’t have to wait too long on the road, possibly because motorbikes still outnumber cars and the cities have many alleys.

Vietnam has a unique street cafe culture, where you can sit on a little plastic stool in the shade of a large tree, looking out onto the street and chatting with each with a cup of hot tea in Hanoi or a glass of iced café in Saigon for as long as you want.

Many companies operate the open bus and they run almost to every capital cities in the country. Moving around is very easy.

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The Vietnamese Dong, has a currency exchange rate with the US Dollar so good that it’ll make you laugh. Usually the change rate hovers around $1 gets you 20,000 Vietnamese Dong. Yes, twenty thousand.

Vietnam is a truly fascinating country, there’s no better way to put it. You really get a chance to pick your journey: wander through the urban, concrete jungle that is Saigon and Hanoi, or break away to quiet costal towns like Hoi An and Da Nang.

Most people buy their meat the same day it was butchered, however, making for some extraordinarily fresh dishes and surprisingly pleasant market experiences.

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The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is a museum in Hanoi,, which focuses on the 54 officially recognized ethnic groups in Vietnam. It is located on a 3.27-acre property in the Cầu Giấy District, about 8 km from the city center.

Cát Bà National Park is a national park in northern Vietnam. Cát Bà is situated on Cát Bà Island in Hạ Long Bay, is administered by the city of Hai Phong, and belongs to the Cát Hải District of Hai Phong.

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Black Virgin Mountain is a mountain in the Tay Ninh Province of Vietnam. To the Vietnamese the mountain is the center of a myth about Bà Đen, a local deity of Khmer origin.

Long Sơn Island is an island off the coast of Vietnam near Vũng Tàu. The Nha Lon Long Son, the home of Ong Tran religion, is situated on the island. During the Vietnam War, the Viet Cong used the island as a rest and training centre.

The Hanoi Opera House is an opera house in central Hanoi. It was erected by the French colonial administration between 1901 and 1911.

Thiên Mụ Pagoda is a historic temple in the city of Huế. Its pagoda has seven stories and is the tallest religious building in Vietnam.

Mỹ Sơn is a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples constructed between the 4th and the 14th century AD by the kings of Champa.

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Vinpearl is a resort company operated by Vietnamese billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong. It merged with Vincom in 2007. Vinpearl Land is a resort island in Nha Trang, Vietnam located in the old Hòn Tre island.

The Imperial City is a walled fortress and palace in the city of Huế, the former imperial capital of Vietnam.

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It is located in the centre of Ba Dinh Square, which is the place where Vietminh leader Ho Chi Minh, Chairman of the Communist Party of Vietnam from 1951 until his death in 1969, read the Declaration of Independence on 2 September 1945, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.