🇻🇳Vietnam

Ha Long Bay

An overnight boat cruise among thousands of limestone karsts rising from the emerald water, many riddled with caves large enough to explore by kayak. The bay's formations, shaped over 500 million years, have inspired countless local legends involving descending dragons. Cruises typically include kayaking, cave visits, and a night anchored among the karsts.

Hoi An Ancient Town

A lantern-lit old town best visited on foot, its Japanese covered bridge and merchant houses reflecting centuries as an international trading port. On the 14th day of each lunar month, the town switches off electric lighting entirely in favor of lanterns for a citywide festival. It's also renowned for same-day tailored clothing, a local specialty for visitors.

Cu Chi Tunnels

A vast underground tunnel network near Ho Chi Minh City used by Viet Cong fighters during the Vietnam War, complete with living quarters, hospitals, and kitchens designed to vent smoke undetected. Sections have been widened for tourists to crawl through, giving a visceral sense of the cramped conditions. Guides, often with personal or family connections to the war, add firsthand context.

Sapa rice terraces

Terraced hillsides in the northern highlands, farmed for generations by ethnic minority communities including the Hmong and Dao. Trekking routes wind between villages and rice paddies, with homestays offering a closer look at local life. The town is reachable by overnight train followed by a scenic mountain drive.

Mekong Delta

A vast network of rivers, canals, and floating markets in southern Vietnam, where boats piled high with produce trade directly with each other on the water at dawn. Cycling and boat tours pass through fruit orchards and villages built along the waterways. It offers a markedly different, water-based rhythm of life from the rest of the country.

Imperial City, Hue

The walled former capital of the Nguyen Dynasty, its citadel modeled partly on Beijing's Forbidden City, though considerably damaged during the Vietnam War. Restoration work continues on many of its palaces, temples, and gates. The nearby royal tombs, set in landscaped grounds outside the city, are considered some of the country's finest examples of traditional Vietnamese architecture.