More unusual places to visit in Vietnam

[ASEAN NOW News]

Following on from last week’s post, it seems many of you are keen to stay away from the main touristy attractions and prefer to explore by yourself.

 

So here are another three places to add to your list.

 

Ha Giang: Great forested limestone and granite mountains

 

Ha Giang is a land with many magnificent landscapes: Dong Van Geopark, Quan Ba Twin Ranges, Ma Pi Leng Pass, 16 ethnic brotherhoods with their cultural features and vibrant traditional dresses in residential areas.

The beauty of pristine natural scenery of the Rocky Mountains, deep valleys & spectacular rice terraces is a unique point of this; a must-visited & off-the-beaten-path destination for adventure lovers & nature.

 

Along with the magnificence of the landscape, travelers will hear about the rich culture and lifestyle of local ethnic groups living in this Vietnamese highland.

 

Great forested limestone & granite mountains in Ha Giang

 

As rice terraces change their natural color from green to yellow at the beginning of October, it's so lovely to have breathtaking captures of stepped rice fields down the valleys with their numerous golden layers.

 

It is also fascinating to see local ethnic groups happily gathering rice in their colorful clothes, placing it on the sack, and carrying it home. How lovely to see local rice-stepped farming practices with buffalo plowing, harrowing & planting on the high mountain slope terrains.

 

Then you are intrigued by the purple & pink colors of buckwheat flowers blooming everywhere in Ha Giang between late October & early November.

 

Buckwheat is considered a symbolic flower in the northern mountainous regions of Vietnam and its finest beauty that you can only find in Ha Giang province.

 

The only way how to get to Ha Giang is to travel by bus/van/motorbike. The closest airport to Ha Giang is Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, about 260 km south of Ha Giang. In the future there should be opening a new airport in Lao Cai.

 

Con Dao: prison island

 

In the past, people always thought of frightening jails when discussing Con Dao and felt the agony of history. But in recent years, voted by a popular Travel & Leisure magazine as one of the 10 most stunning and enigmatic archipelagos globally, Con Dao is now being picked as a paradise for leisure travel nature discovery.

 

Firstly, Con Dao's elegance is undoubted, as it is fortunate to have all the best for a beach destination.

People also said it is a "compensation" from God for his grim past.

 

Con Dao is the biggest of sixteen islands, with 200 km of perfect coastline with a sparkling emerald sea and fine white sandy beaches.

 

Con Dao Island looks like a mighty hunting sea bear from the air, amidst the USA's unbelievable blue.

 

Con Dao Island

 

Additionally, any tourist who comes to this gorgeous island has the same fresh air sensation and a pristine environment.

 

Natural biodiversity is unspoiled enough that tourists can also see wild animals up in forested mountains, such as beautiful chamois, and all kinds of birds leisurely hopping on the trees.

 

Con Dao Island, the setting for Six Senses Con Dao, is 140 miles (230 kilometers) from Ho Chi Minh City. It takes a 45-minute domestic flight from Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao Airport (VCS), then a 10-minute drive to the resort.

 

Hanoi Old Quarter: the spiritual symbol of Hanoi

 

The Hanoi Old Quarter is a top tourist destination with its stunning architecture, Buddhist temples, and long, narrow-styled shops.

 

If you have ever explored the back streets in Paris you will love the old quarter.

 

It would easily be one of the most unforgettable moments of your journey to Vietnam to experience Hanoi’s Old Quarter's architecture.

 

In this part, the French colonial has made an enormous influence on houses.

 

On several corners in Old Quarter, you will notice a collection of small houses with tile roof blocks after blocks featuring French themes.

 

Each house is just a few meters tall, but about 10 meters long and has two to three floors.

 

Artisans or merchants manufacturing their items in the same places they sell made a cooperative structure for delivering goods to specific streets.

 

 

For instance, Hang Gai Street offers ready-made and personalized silk garments, embroidery, and silver items.

 

Wherever you wander you will come across interesting sites and some unusual and unique items to take home.

 

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[Emily1996]

Do you want to try a food tour in HCM? It will be very interesting