While still a wild and unfamiliar destination for many tourists, Vietnam has increasingly become a popular attraction. The country is home to a range of misty mountains, lush rice terraces, and scenic beaches. However, most tourists have only seen half of what that the country has to offer. Hidden in its notorious jungle and high mountains lie the quiet and astonishing gems that are worth a visit too. Vietnam is often hard to navigate and tricky to explore for most people. When you know what to avoid and where to go, you’ll discover a completely different side of Vietnam that most tourists often don’t get to see. To make it more accessible to first-time travellers, we’ve included some need-to-know-basics, tourist-friendly places as well as nearby remote and less-known destinations to guide you through your travel plans.

Vietnam’s north to south distance is 1,560 km, and its coastline reaches up to 3,444 km including its numerous islands. The historical capital Hà Nội is the second largest city with more than 7.7 million people. Hà Nội is famous for its ancient old quarter, colonial French quarters, and picturesque parks. It’s been consistently voted as one of the World’s Top Ten destinations by TripAdvisor. Most visitors also know Hà Nội for its proximity to the famous sea rocks of Hạ Long Bay, which have been a popular tourist destination for years. 

The Basics

Located in the south is the largest and most populated metropolis of Vietnam. Hồ Chí Minh City is home to  approximately 12 million people and it’s located in the south-eastern region. The mouth-watering cuisine, French colonial buildings, high skyscrapers,and luxurious boulevards set the city apart from any other city in Vietnam. The city is especially known for the Củ Chi Tunnels.

Brief History

Both cities still show traces of the country’s past. After its last dynasty ruled by Nguyen Anh, the country came under French rule, where most French settlers were concentrated in and around Saigon (the now Hồ Chí Minh City). As a result, the country is now home to numerous French colonial buildings. Since the French rule, the Vietnamese character script changed into what’s now the Vietnamese modern writing script with influences of the Portuguese alphabet. The country had experienced several wars, including the first Indochina War with France and Japan, the Vietnam war with the north Viet Cong, followed by a separation between the northern democratic republic and the independent republic of the south. In 1975 the north and south merged into the socialist republic of Vietnam. To date, influences of the French occupation, Japanese invasion, and its post-war years are still noticeable.

Geography

The country’s narrowest point is in the Quảng Bình Province, which is located in the north-central part of the country. Even though it’s only 50 km from west to east, it has an incredible variety of landscapes with a rich flora and fauna, breath-taking mountains, numerous caves, rocky beaches and sand dunes. Vietnam is densely forested and mostly hilly. Its tropical forest covers around 42% of its land and mountains account for 40%, with the highest mountain of 3143 m located in the northern Lào Cai Province. The country also has two large delta rivers: The Red River Delta in the north is the most densely populated delta, and the Mekong Delta in the south. The southern delta that also called the “biological treasure trove”, is home to over 1,000 rare animal species. Vietnam has several islands and a few mini-archipelago such as the Cham Islands close to Hội An. Read on and discover our picks for the most beautiful and off-the-beaten-track islands!

The Climate

From the snowy mountains in Sa Pa to the hot tropical river delta in the south: Vietnam’s climate varies per region. There’s no average temperature due to the differences in latitude and the variety in topographical relief. The northern of Vietnam has a more humid subtropical climate with temperatures going below 15°C in Hà Nội during the winter and 40°C in the northern highlands in the summer. The monsoon wind usually blows from the northeast along the Chinese coast roughly during November to April. The central regions of Vietnam have two distinct weather patterns. The north (starting from Lăng Cô) is usually hotter in the summer and colder in the winter compared to the milder weather in the south (starting from Đà Nẵng). The monsoon season is usually between September to February. With often strong winds and heavy rains, it is difficult to travel through central Vietnam during this period. Hồ Chí Minh City and Mekong Delta have hot summers with temperatures rising up to 33°C and cool winters with mild temperatures around the 20°C. The southern region has a typical tropical savanna climate with high humidity. It has a distinct hot and dry season between March to May/June, rainy season between June/July to November, and the winters are often cool and dry.

Transportation

You can get around easily by scooter, which is still the main transportation of the Vietnamese locals. Other city transportation includes bus, bike, taxi, cyclo, or Xe ôm (motorbike taxi). In  Hồ Chí Minh City you can get the equivalent of Uber: Grab Taxi. As in any other Asian city, be aware when you are planning to get a cab. Order a GrabCar with its official app or call a taxi from Vinasun and Mai Linh to be safe. When traveling from one city to the other, you can travel easily by bus (e-ticket system available), train or airplane through the country. Recent developments to push back pollution and congestion, both Hà Nội and  Hồ Chí Minh City are currently constructing a subway system. The first line in  Hồ Chí Minh City is expected to be finished around 2019-2020.

What to see: You’ll find the most incredible places off the beaten track and these are sometimes closer than you think. From north to South, every well-seasoned traveller is familiar with Vietnam's backpacker trail. While there are a lot of amazing places and scenic areas to see along the route,there are also some hidden places nearby that's worth a visit as well.

Mai châu 

Mai châu offers a more authentic taste of Vietnam. Located 3 hours’ drive from Hà Nội in the mountainous Hòa Bình province, Mai châu is one of those areas that still has its natural charm. If you want to escape the Hà Nội’s hustle and bustle, Mai châu has enough countryside, nature, and mountains to soak up. 

How to get there:

- Bus, from My Đinh Bus station Hà Nội (6:00/07:30/14:00/14:30)     

- Bus from Hoa Binh (every 15 min)

- Minibus at Tong Dau Junction (every half hour)

Costs: 50,000 - 80,000 VND

Duration: +-4 hours

Hà Nội’s train tracks

Every day between 4 to 7 pm, the local train in Hà Nội passes through narrow streets in Hà Nội’s old quarter, just inches away from local’s residents.The photogenic scenery is located near the Aptez Holiday Hotel in Hà Nội, between Lê Duẩn and Khâm Thin street.This is very interesting for cultural interest of tourists. One can observe the nature that Vietnam has to offer and also get a view of the local people and their way of living. For the first half of the distance, you can walk along the tracks and observe small houses that create tight spaces. Residents live there despite the train tracks passing through their neighbourhood. There are also cafes,restaurants and clothing shops that tourists can visit. Halfway to Long Bien, you'll be forced to step down from the tracks because they become elevated. Tourists have enjoyed the experience of exploring a new culture on this train ride and it is highly reccomended to get a feel of Vietnam as a local. 

Bai Tu Long Bay

While Hạ Long Bay offers plenty of beautiful scenery, there is much more to see along the northwest coast of Vietnam. Another incredible limestone plateau close to Hạ Long Bay is the Bai Tu Long Bay. Compared to the world famous Hạ Long Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay National Park is much less touristy but equally as incredible. There are more and more tour agencies offering trips to this scenic destination, but you can also go alone by taking a slow boat from Cái Rồng to the remote Quan Lạn Island. You’re guaranteed to see the most incredible sceneries.

How to get there from Cái Rồng: 

Ferry boat (between 7 AM in the summer, 7.30 otherwise, and 1 PM)

Costs: 50,000 VND pp

Duration: two hours

Speedboat between 7.30 to 8.30 AM and 1 PM

Costs: 140,000 VND pp

Duration: 45 minutes

Private wooden boat

Costs: 1,600,000 VND per boat

Duration: +- 3 minutes

Quảng Bình Province 

Quảng Bình Province is a destination that’ll satisfy the more adventurous tourist. It is home to several unique sites such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park. The park is home to two world famous caves: the Phong Nha Cave and Sơn Đoòng Cave. Before Sơn Đoòng Cave, the Phong Nha Cave was regarded as the top cave by the British Caving Association due to its longest underground river, fine sand beaches inside the cave, and spectacular stalagmites and stalactites. Phong Nha Cave is open to tourist and better accessible. Only the more experienced cavers are able to visit the Sơn Đoòng Cave. It is regarded as the largest known cave in the world. Inside there is a subterranean river, an incredible forest, and the tallest stalagmites in the world. 

The province is also known for other sites such as the Đá Nhảy, Ly Hoa and Nhật L beaches, which are among one of the most attractive beaches with white and fine sands, clean water. If you are looking for a break between your mountain hikes and adventurous cave climbing: rejuvenate in the Bang Spa in Lệ Thủy District. The spa is located in a hot spring area where the temperature of the water can reach up to 105 degrees Celsius. 

How to get to Quảng Bình Province:

You can get to the seaside capital Đồng Hới city of the Quảng Bình province from Hà Nội or  Hồ Chí Minh City by train or airplane.

If you are departing from Huế, you can take a local bus which costs about 80,000 VND to 500,000 with tourist buses. 

Duration: 3 -4 hours.

  Mũi Né

Mũi Né is famous for its incredible red sand dunes and scenic areas such as Suối Cát, Cham towers, Red Canyon, and the green-hued Silver Lake. The coastal fishing town is located 180 kilometers from  Hồ Chí Minh City in Bình Thuan Province. It’s a popular weekend getaway for water sports such as sailing, windsurfing, and kite surfing.

How to get there: 

It is fairly easy to get to Mũi Né from  Hồ Chí Minh City by bus or train

Costs: 120,000 – 260,000 VND for the bus, 150,000 – 200,000 VND one way seated ticket with the train

Duration: 5-6 hours with bus, 4 hours by train

Internships in Vietnam 

Vietnam is evidently an amazing place to explore and often more suitable for the experienced traveller. Nevertheless, as long as you have a big appetite for adventurous destinations, you’ll have an incredible time where ever you go in Vietnam. A perfect way to experience the true local life during your adventure in Vietnam is to do an internship in one of Vietnam’s dynamic cities. There’s nothing more adventurous than to fully immerse yourself in a foreign culture. You’ll meet locals, learn from their stories and above all, make new friends who can show you new and exciting places that most foreigners won’t get to see. The fascinating country has plenty of career opportunities to offer. If you’re considering moving to Vietnam for an internship or a job, you might want to know more about what you can expect when working there.