Vietnam
has
still
a
way
to
go
before
being
a
world-renowned
destination.
However,
it
still
has
its
share
of
activities.
These
range
from
stunning
Ha
Long
Bay
to
beautifully
quaint
Hoi
An
to
Ho
Chi
Minh’s
mausoleum.
The
Cu
Chi
tunnels
represent
the
sheer
grit
and
‘can-do’
attitude
of
the
Vietnamese
while
a
visit
to
the
War
Remnants
Museum
brings
home
the
horrible
reality
of
war.
On
the
more
positive
side,
the
marvelous
Hue
Monuments,
along
with
the
My
Son
Sanctuary
will
awaken
your
spiritual
side.
Explore
the
best
of
Vietnam.
Halong
Bay
(Ha
Long
Bay)
Halong
Bay
is
a
beautiful
natural
wonder
in
northern
Vietnam
near
the
Chinese
border.
The
Bay
is
dotted
with
1,600
limestone
islands
and
islets
and
covers
an
area
of
over
1,500
sqkm.
This
extraordinary
area
was
declared
a
UNESCO
World
Heritage
Site
in
1994.
For
many
tourists,
this
place
is
like
something
right
out
of
a
movie.
The
fact
is
that
Halong
Bay
features
a
wide
range
of
biodiversity,
while
the
surrealistic
scenery
has
indeed
featured
in
endless
movies.
The
best
way
to
get
to
Halong
City
is
by
car,
minibus
or
bus
from
Hanoi
which
is
only
170km
away.
If
budget
is
not
a
problem,
an
hour-long
helicopter
transfer
is
also
available.
Imperial
Citadel
of
Thang
Long
in
Hanoi
The
large
central
sector
of
the
Imperial
Citadel
of
Thang
Long
in
Hanoi
was
named
a
UNESCO
World
Heritage
Site
just
in
time
for
Hanoi’s
millennial
anniversary
in
2010.
The
ancient
site
was
the
political
centre
of
the
country
for
13
consecutive
centuries
and
served
as
the
capital
of
Vietnam
for
eight
centuries.

Imperial
Citadel
of
Thang
Long
Highlights:
The
central
sector
of
the
imperial
citadel
includes
relics
in
Hanoi
Citadels
and
an
interesting
archaeological
area
at
18
Hoang
Dieu
Street.
Excavation
work
took
place
from
2002
to
2004
at
the
Thang
Long
Royal
Citadel
site
and
as
a
result
many
artifacts
and
items
from
the
6th
to
the
20th
century
belonging
to
the
Ly,
Nguyen,
Tran,
Le
eras
were
found.
Foundations
of
old
palaces,
relics,
ancient
roads,
ponds
and
wells
were
discovered
and
as
a
result
the
famous
Hanoi
Flag
Tower
on
Dien
Bien
Phu
Street
in
Ba
Dinh
District,
a
renovated
old
stone
fortress,
is
popular
with
visitors.
On
top
of
these
discoveries,
archaeologists
also
found
bronze
coins,
ceramics
and
pottery
from
China
and
many
places
in
Asia,
all
of
which
demonstrate
a
close
trading
relationship
in
the
area.
Visitors
should
head
for
the
display
room
that
features
interesting
excavated
items
as
well
as
mockups
of
the
citadel
itself.
Location:
Next
to
Ba
Dinh
Square,
opposite
the
Ho
Chi
Minh
mausoleum
and
also
near
many
important
political
buildings
including
the
Vietnamese
Presidential
Palace.
Hoi
An
Old
Town
Once
a
major
Southeast
Asian
trading
post
in
the
16th
and
17th
centuries,
the
seaside
town
Hoi
An
is
basically
a
living
museum
featuring
a
unique
mixture
of
East
and
West
in
the
form
of
its
old-town
architecture.
Among
the
heritage
architecture
stand
Chinese
temples,
a
Japanese-designed
bridge,
pagodas,
wooden
shop-houses,
French-
colonial
houses
and
old
canals.
Though
large-scale
trading
had
long
moved
elsewhere
Hoi
An
has
been
successful
in
preserving
and
restoring
its
charming
roots
and
was
declared
a
UNESCO
World
Heritage
site
in
December
1999.
Hoi
An
Riverside
is
the
best
place
to
be
at
night
as
the
area
is
lit
by
quaint
and
old-fashioned
lanterns,
making
it
an
atmospheric
and
beautiful
spot.
For
those
who
love
sea,
sun
and
sand,
Hoi
An
offers
two
lovely
beaches
five
kilometres
away
from
the
town
centre
–
a
sort
of
holiday
within
a
holiday.
Hoi
An
is
known
for
its
great
food,
fun
shopping,
skilled
tailors,
friendly
people
and
cosy
atmosphere
–
all
key
characteristics
that
draw
people
to
this
picturesque
town.

Hoi
An
Old
Town
Two
great
things
about
Hoi
An’s
Old
Town
are
that
it
is
small
enough
to
get
around
in
on
foot
and
the
traffic
is
nowhere
near
as
heavy
as
in
bigger
cities.
Some
of
the
streets
only
allow
bike
and
motorbike
traffic
and
some
are
pedestrian
only.
These
factors
make
Hoi
An
even
more
inviting
for
most
travelers
to
Vietnam,
especially
those
who
have
passed
through
frenetic
Ho
Chi
Minh
City
(aka
Saigon)
or
Hanoi.
Many
buildings
in
the
Old
Town
were
constructed
over
a
century
ago
and
feature
strong
Chinese
influences
stemming
from
merchants
from
Guangzhou,
Fujian,
Chiu
Chow
and
Hainan.
Some
of
the
wooden
signboards
bearing
the
company
names
are
carved
and
gilded
in
Chinese
characters,
reflecting
the
strong
presence
of
the
Chinese
in
Hoi
An
ever
since
its
prosperous
times.
Ho
Chi
Minh's
Mausoleum
in
Hanoi
Ho
Chi
Minh
is
probably
the
most
popular
leader
of
Vietnam
and
known
to
his
people
as
‘Uncle
Ho’.
His
body
is
preserved
here
in
a
glass
case
at
the
Ho
Chi
Minh
Mausoleum
in
central
Hanoi
(albeit
against
his
wishes).
For
visitors,
a
trip
to
Uncle
Ho’s
final
resting
place
can
be
an
extraordinary
experience
as
it
is
not
just
an
average
attraction;
it’s
a
part
of
a
unique
history.
Ho
Chi
Minh's
Mausoleum
Highlights
Started
in
1973,
the
construction
of
the
mausoleum
was
modeled
on
Lenin's
mausoleum
in
Russia
and
was
first
open
to
the
public
in
1975.
The
granite
building
meant
a
great
deal
for
many
locals
as
it
ensures
that
their
beloved
leader
‘lives
on
forever’.
Security
is
tight
and
visitors
should
dress
with
respect
(no
shorts,
sleeveless
shirts
and
miniskirts)
and
everyone
has
to
deposit
their
bags
and
cameras
before
getting
in.
Visitors
are
not
allowed
to
stop
and
hold
the
constant
queue
up
as
the
place
is
constantly
busy.
Uncle
Ho’s
remains
are
sent
yearly
to
Russia
for
maintenance
therefore
the
mausoleum
is
closed
usually
from
October
onwards.
It’s
best
to
recheck
with
your
hotel
tour
desk
before
visiting.
Admission
is
free
but
donations
are
accepted.
Opening
Hours:
Tuesday
to
Thursday
and
weekends
from
08:00
–
11:00.
Closed
on
Monday
and
Friday
Location:
At
Ba
Dinh
Square
in
Hanoi
city
centre
Tel:
+84
(4)
845
5128
My
Son
Sanctuary
in
Hoi
An
My
Son
Hindu
Sanctuary,
a
UNESCO
World
Heritage
Site,
is
a
great
sample
of
the
ancient
Champa
civilization
located
in
the
southern
part
of
Vietnam.
It
was
an
independent
state
from
around
the
2nd
to
the
17th
century,
at
which
time
it
was
occupied
by
Vietnam.The
impressive
Hindu-themed
ruins
feature
many
beautiful
stone
sculptures,
temples
and
towers
in
tropical
jungle
surroundings.
My
Son
was
also
a
political
centre
and
a
royal
burial
ground
and
the
complex
consists
of
more
than
70
structures
devoted
to
Hindu
gods
and
goddesses
and
the
most
noticeable
one,
Shiva,
was
considered
the
protector
of
the
Champa’s
kings.
Their
skilful
use
of
red
bricks
and
sandstone
is
remarkable.
Like
many
historic
sites
around
the
world,
My
Son
was
destroyed
by
time
and
wars
and
after
lying
neglected
for
a
long
time
it
was
rediscovered
and
renovated
by
the
French
in
1898.
Sadly
the
most
recent
war
did
great
damage
to
the
complex
as
the
Americans
bombed
this
area
knowing
that
the
Viet
Cong
used
it
as
a
hiding
place,
mistakenly
thinking
that
the
enemy
would
not
touch
a
holy
site.
However,
the
majority
of
the
central
complex
managed
to
survive
the
bombs
and
parts
of
the
ruins
have
now
been
rebuilt.
Overall,
this
Hindu
sanctuary
reminds
visitors
of
other
similar
sites
in
Southeast
Asia
including
the
great
Angkor
Wat
in
Cambodia.
A
must-visit
for
those
who
appreciate
history.
Opening
Hours:
All
year
round.
The
best
time
to
visit
is
early
in
the
morning
before
it
gets
too
hot
and
when
it
is
not
too
busy
Location:
In
a
small
valley
in
Duy
Tan
Commune,
Duy
Xuyen
District
of
Quang
Nam
Province
(about
70km
southwest
of
Danang
and
40km
from
Hoi
An)
Hue
Imperial
City
The
Complex
of
Hue
Monuments
is
a
UNESCO
World
Heritage
Site
and
is
located
in
the
city
of
Hue
in
central
Vietnam.
Hue
was
founded
as
the
Vietnam
capital
city
by
Gia
Long,
the
first
king
of
the
Nguyen
Dynasty
in
1802.
It
held
this
position
for
nine
Nguyen
dynasties
until
1945.
The
massive
complex
features
hundreds
of
monuments
and
ruins,
such
as
the
Forbidden
Purple
City,
once
the
residence
of
the
royal
family
and
badly
damaged
during
the
Vietnam
War,
the
Imperial
City,
royal
tombs,
flag
tower,
pagodas,
temples,
a
library
and
museum.

Hue
Imperial
City
Highlights
The
Citadel
in
Hue
Hue,
located
on
the
banks
of
the
Huong
River,
(aka
the
Perfume
River)
is
about
three
hours
north
of
Da
Nang.
Among
the
most
impressive
monuments
in
this
former
grand
imperial
capital
are
the
Ngo
Mon
Gate
of
the
imperial
city
which
once
was
exclusively
used
by
the
royal
family
and
their
eunuch
servants,
the
tomb
of
Emperor
Minh
Mang
as
well
as
the
tomb
of
Emperor
Tu
Duc.
In
fact
many
of
the
monuments
surrounding
the
royal
buildings
were
constructed
in
the
early
19th
century
and
were
modeled
after
Beijing’s
Forbidden
City.
The
wall
that
surrounds
the
citadel
is
six
metres
high
and
two-and-a-half
kilometres
long.
The
historical
complex
is
known
not
only
for
its
rich
architecture
but
also
for
beautiful
landscaping.
Overall,
the
site
is
quite
stunning.
Avoid
Hue
between
October
and
December
as
it
gets
most
of
its
rain
from
the
northeast
monsoon
during
that
period.
This
small
city
is
also
famous
for
its
Imperial-style
cuisine.
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