In January, Con Dao Island off the southern coast was voted as one of 16 best destinations for summer getaways by U.S. travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler.
Situated around 230 kilometers (143 miles) southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, Con Dao was overlooked by international tourists for years until Hollywood couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie along with their children visited it in 2011.
Con Dao used to be known for a large prison first established by the French and later used by the Americans during the Vietnam War.
Decades after the war, Con Dao rose its fame on tourism map thanks to its long, sandy beaches with crystal blue waters.
The government recently planned major upgrades of facilities and infrastructure on the island to turn it into a "regional level eco-tourism area."
Photo by Shutterstock
Also in January, the Mekong Delta was named among world's 25 hottest destinations by Australian magazine Traveller.
"Regardless of your choice, this is one of the world's great regions for exploration, brimming with culture that's unique even from the rest of Vietnam," the magazine said.
The Mekong Delta is home to Can Tho City and 12 provinces with around 20 million people, or a fifth of the country's population. The delta is known as Vietnam's rice basket and aquaculture hub.
The region is famous for its unique floating markets, such as Cai Rang, Phong Dien and Nga Nam (pictured), where trading on waterways has been a way of life for generations.
Despite being the home of tourist attractions and culinary gems, Mekong Delta has often been forgotten by foreigners due to limited infrastructure and poor tourism campaigns.
Photo by Trieu Hon Vo
The New York Times earlier listed the northern mountainous highlands province of Ha Giang near China border among 52 destinations to visit this year.
Situated on the northern border with China and around 300 kilometers from Hanoi, Ha Giang is known for its twisting, narrow roads and dangerous passes that are not easy for amateur travelers.
Ha Giang has been favored by Western backpackers who opt for a motorbike ride to conquer the 350-kilometer-long loop that takes around three to four days depending on weather conditions.
Videos of Ha Giang have been widely shared on TikTok and other social media channels, boosting its popularity.
Motorbike rental services have developed across Ha Giang, at the price of VND150,000 ($6.50) a day for a vehicle.
However, inadequate infrastructure and poor services remain major challenges for Ha Giang tourism.
Photo by Giang Huy
In March, online travel agency Booking.com listed the resort city of Mui Ne in the south central region one of the six most ideal destinations in the world for a hot air balloon ride.
Mui Ne, around 12 km away from Phan Thiet, the capital of Binh Thuan Province, is the only locality in Vietnam that offers a hot air balloon ride over sand dunes.
In 2017, Mui Ne started offering hot air balloon rides for visitors to explore the coastal town famous for ancient fishing villages and rolling sand dunes.
The hot air balloon ride begins as early as 5 a.m.
A four-hour hot air balloon trip in Mui Ne Cape costs approximately US$165 per person, which includes transportation from and to a hotel or other locations in the city.
Photo by Shutterstock
In April, Ban Gioc Waterfalls in the northern province of Cao Bang Province on the border with China was named among the world's most Instagrammable international borders by Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.
Ban Gioc along the Quay Son River that forms a natural border between Vietnam and China is 53 meters high and 300 meters wide, making it the world's fourth largest along a national border after Iguazu, Victoria and Niagara.
Surrounded by limestone karst mountains and rice fields, the waterfalls are part of the UNESCO-recognized Non Nuoc Cao Bang geopark whose fossils, sediments, volcanic rocks, and karst landscapes are believed to be 500 million years old.
Between September and October is the ideal time to visit the waterfalls, coinciding with the rice harvest season, leaving ride paddy fields in golden yellow color.
The best way to approach the cascade is by bamboo boat for around VND50,000 ($2) per person.
Recently, Vietnam and China started to allow tourists from both countries to visit Ban Gioc-Detian Waterfalls on a trial basis lasting until Sept. 14 next year.
A visa is not compulsory for Vietnamese and Chinese citizens to enter the destination but instead they must show their passports and conduct exit and entry procedures.
Tourists are required to book their sightseeing during the pilot opening.
Photo by Tran Bao Hoa
Condé Nast Traveler in April selected Mu Cang Chai in northern Vietnam among world's 40 most colorful places "to brighten up winter days."
Located in the northern highlands province of Yen Bai, Mu Cang Chai, home to ethnic minority groups, primarily the Hmong people, is around seven hours drive northwest of Hanoi.
It is famed for its terraced rice fields, which change color depending on the time of the year.
Due to its rugged terrain, infrastructure has not yet been developed.
The government plans to turn the mountain gem into a national tourist area.
Photo by Nguyen Tan Tuan
In April, U.S. magazine Forbes recommended Ninh Binh in northern Vietnam one of 23 best places to travel this year.
Around 90 kilometers south of Hanoi, Ninh Binh, home to Hoa Lu that used to be the ancient capital of Vietnam during the reign of the Dinh Dynasty, had been ignored by foreign tourists for years.
It started shining on the global stage after the Hollywood movie "Kong: Skull Island" was filmed there in 2016.
The most ideal way to explore limestone karst mountains there is a two-hour boat tour winding down paddy fields and stunning caves that costs VND150,000 and requires at least four passengers for a trip.
Photo by Le Hoang
In May, CNN listed dragon-themed Thuy Tien Water Park on the outskirts of Hue in central Vietnam among the world’s 10 most bewitching theme parks.
The amusement park opened in 2004 and closed down just a few months later due to financial problems.
It has since remained abandoned, but its creepy and desolate image is a cause for curiosity for many foreign tourists.
Due to its severe deterioration, local authorities prevent people from entering it on safety grounds.
Recently authorities have been considering renovating the park and turning it into a public tourist attraction.
Photo by Vo Thanh
Once a favored summer retreat by the French in late 19th century, Tam Dao was voted world’s leading town at the annual World Travel Awards ceremony earlier this month.
Located 90 kilometers northeast of Hanoi, Tam Dao, or "three islands" in Vietnamese, has been almost a cliche in the capital’s guidebooks for weekend escapes ever since the French visited the area in the late 19th century.
Hanoians too have begun to flock there to escape the hustle and bustle of urban life. A two-hour ride from the capital offers a sea of clouds and a maze of hidden gems.
Tam Dao is dubbed a "dreamy land" by travel bloggers since everything in the town is engulfed in clouds.
Today, Tam Dao teems with villas, hotels and even luxury resorts. Spend a little time to discover an old stone church as built by the French in 1912. It is situated in a nice, high spot right in the town center, from where you can view the entire area.
Tam Dao is an ideal place to visit all year round with temperatures ranging from 18 to 25 degrees Celsius.
Photo by Viet Dinh
Ha Nam, about 65 km from Hanoi, was honored as "World's Leading Regional Cultural Destination 2023" at the World Travel Awards.
The province remains largely off the Vietnamese tourist map's beaten path, but it is home to ancient pagodas and traditional craft villages.
The most famous pagoda complex in Ha Nam is Tam Chuc, the largest in the Red River Delta.
Covering an area of 5,100 hectares, Tam Chuc lies on the banks of the eponymous 600-hectare lake, described as a mini-version of UNESCO heritage site Ha Long Bay, complete with limestone karst mountains rising out of the still waters.
The pagoda complex is always overcrowded during the Lunar New Year holiday.
Photo by Ngan Duong
