Have you ever been to Vietnam? If yes where did you go? If not, I will recommend some of the best places to visit in Vietnam in this post! No, not Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi city. The following places will make your instagram explode!

As a local Vietnamese who traveled across Vietnam for many years, I believe these places will be a nice addition for your tropical vacation.

First of all, you should know that Vietnam consists of 63 provinces and cities. The biggest city is Ho Chi Minh City in the south and the capital, Hanoi in the north.

The Northern, central and Southern part of Vietnam offers three distinguish natural landscape for different categories of travelers. If you’re keen on immersing yourself into the beauty of the nature, the ancient cities, mountains, flower gardens stretching through the sky or you are simply a nature love, I will recommend you to visit the northern part of Vietnam.

If you are a beach lover you will not want to miss the best beaches in the central provinces.

And if you are just a food lover, simply want to enjoy a modern city life, or interested in seeing floating markets, then the southern part of Vietnam is definitely the best choice for you.

Personally, the following 4 places are the must-see for you when you travel to Vietnam! Let’s travel through my memories now!

Sapa town (Lao Cai province) – North

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Sa Pa town is a mountainous region of ethnic minorities in Lao Cai. It takes about 5 hours journey by bus from Hanoi. In case you don’t know, Sapa is the only place in Vietnam where it snows during the winter time, albeit for only 1-2 days. Besides, Sapa is also the place where you can see some natural cherry blossom with color like the Japanese Sakura.

Attractions: Ta Van, Cat Cat, Ta Phin, Lao Chai village, Fansipan mountain, Can Cau market, Ham Rong Mountain, Muong Hoa Valley, Thac Bac fall…

I came to Sapa in an afternoon winter late when the snowy days passed just a couple of weeks ago so there were not many tourists there. If you like a peaceful day, I will recommend you to come around that time (Late March).

My host is a good old man. He owns an Ostrich restaurant where I tried Ostrich for the first time. To be honest it’s more delicious than beef :D. He also offered me a ride to visit around the town. On his motorbike riding with speed of 10km/h, I could sightsee the beauty of Sapa in slow motion. What a beautiful memory!

The readers of the US magazine – Travel and Leisure voted for Sapa terraced rice fields as one of seven most beautiful and impressive attractions of Asia and the world. Sapa in my heart is also the best place to relax, refresh and revive. So if you ever come to Vietnam to travel, make sure you include Sapa in the list!

Tips for you:

1/ Heaven gate (Cổng trời) is the best place to see a whole of Sapa’s beauty.

2/ There is a love market taking place every Saturday evening. It’s the place where you can see local guys and girls from all villages come to find a partner to get married. They talk, sing and play different games according to their ethnic groups’ tradition.

Click here to watch more video at Sapa

Ninh Binh

Did you watch King Kong Skull Island movie ? if yes you might know this movie was shot at Ninh Binh. What an honor!

Just over 1 hour from Hanoi by bus, Ninh Binh is a good place for one-day trip. I dropped by there after a business trip in a hurry. Although I stayed there for less than a day but the appearance of Ninh Binh Sites in the real life is one of the best lifetime-experience ever.

Attractions: Mua Cave to visit Hang Mua Peak, Tam Coc, Bich Dong padoga, Cuc Phuong national park (to visit Endangered Primate Rescue Center), Bai Dinh temple, Thung Nham bird valley.

I was lucky to have a chance rowing on Tam Coc river. At first I could not manage the paddle to right direction and it turned around for 10 minutes. Everyone laughed out loud when they saw me struggling with the paddle in the middle of the river. I laughed at myself too. But luckily I could control and run it for 100m eventually 😀 It’s the same as rowing Kayak on Ha Long Bay but I personally think it’s more romantic when you are in Ninh Binh.

The good place to capture picture is on Hang Mua Peak. Many people get their masterpieces of photos there. Look!

Source: Ninh Binh Tourist

Tips for you:

Local draft beer there in Ninh Binh is total different from any other place in Vietnam. It is worth trying.

Click here to watch more video at Ninh Binh

Quang Binh

Attractions: Phong Nha Cave , Thien Duong Cave, Tien Cave, Nhat Le Beach, Quang Phu Dunes, Chay River – Toi Cave, Nuoc Mooc Stream, En Cave, Son Dong cave

Quang Binh is located at the narrowest place according to the east-west direction of the S-shaped strip of Viet Nam. This province is well-known for amazing caves. The most famous one is Son Dong – the world’s largest natural cave.

Most of the hotel there offer us free usage of their bikes to ride around the city while enjoying the cool and windy weather that a coastal city brings. It is definitely a nice experience you should not miss.

Besides beach and caves, Quang Binh has a very famous dunes called Phu Quang. People call this place the Sahara desert in Vietnam. Comparing with other dunes I have visited, Phu Quang dunes is really the most wonderful beauty of all.

Phu Yen

Attractions: Da Dia Reef, Dai Lanh Cape, Bai Xep Hill (Well-known from a famous Vietnamese movie called Toi Thay Hoa Vang Tren Co Xanh (I see yellow flowers upon the green grass) O Loan Lagoon, Bai Mon, Bai Xep Beaches, Vung Ro Bay, Mang Lang Ancient Church…

I believe the success of the movie “I see yellow flowers upon the green grass” impacted a lot of tourism in Phu Yen. Indeed, this place lately becomes top-rated & must-see attractions of all.

I came there 1day right after the annual storm passed.  No one else travelled there so I was solo for a whole day long but it was not bad. I love the feeling when I rode motorbike across the rice paddy then I saw the beach waves in the other side. This place has its own unique charm!

A note: Most of destination are far from each other and far from the residential areas so you better rent a good motorbike and explore all the places by yourself.

Below I made blue circles to identify places which I have been to (you’re welcome to ask me anything to plan your trip).The orange circles are the places I am planning to visit, if you also love these places, why don’t we plan the trip together? wink 😀

If you wish to see more of my photos at these places, pls visit me at Instagram : thanhtratrinh.