Visit Vietnam: The Ultimate Vietnam Travel Guide

Land of the Blue Dragon

Vietnam: Where motorbikes outnumber the people. For most travellers, this country is synonymous with three things: Frenetic cities, incredible outdoor adventures, and some of the best food on earth.

After my first visit to Vietnam when I travelled the entire length of the country on the Reunification Express, I told myself that unlike the 97% of people who only visit once, I’d be back. Years later, I moved to Hanoi to work with an NGO – an experience I’ll never forget. I have more dear friends in Hanoi than almost any other city. Vietnam feels like a second home to me.

From the jagged peaks of Ha Giang to the backwaters of the Mekong Delta, the one thing Vietnam isn’t lacking is variety. Join the crush inside the canary yellow walls of Hoi An’s UNESCO Ancient Town, chase dragons in Hue, then find room to breathe in one of rural Northern Vietnam’s hidden oases.

Between the velvety rice terraces of Sapa and Mu Cang Chai and the prickly limestone karsts of Halong Bay and Ninh Binh, you’ll find sand dunes in Mui Ne, waterwheels in Pu Luong, tea fields in Thai Nguyen, and hundreds of sweet hamlets and fascinating small cities in between.

From rustic homestays to boutique apartments, sipping cocktails in a Saigon skybar to knocking back a glass at a bia hoi in Hanoi. Vietnam might come off as a little aloof, but at the end of the day, she certainly knows how to treat her guests.