Hanoi (VNA) - The livable coastal city of Da Nang, the ancient town of Hoi An, and Phu Quoc island, are destinations considered by foreign experts to be must see attractions for international visitors to Vietnam.
Last week, experts from the famous international travel website Travel+Leisure (USA) and The Week (UK) suggested engaging activities that tourists can experience when coming to Da Nang and Hoi An in the central region and Phu Quoc island in the southern region.
10 best things to do in Da Nang and Hoi An
According to Travel+Leisure, with pristine beaches, Da Nang is gradually becoming a "magnet" attracting international tourists with luxurious coastal resorts, restaurants, bars, attractive entertainment areas, mysterious mountains and cave systems, and especially the iconic Golden Bridge, the new symbol of Da Nang.
Notably, Da Nang is blessed with picture perfect nature with smooth white sand beaches and clear jade blue sea water as beautiful as a painting.
The My Khe beach stretches from Son Tra peninsula to Ngu Hanh Son (or Marble Mountains), a "paradise" for surfing, jet skiing, boating and experiencing other water sports activities.
Meanwhile, Hoi An is a charming ancient city in Quang Nam province.
Travel+Leisure suggests the 10 best things to do in Da Nang and Hoi An.
Travelers can watch the dragon spit fire every Saturday and Sunday at 9 pm on one of the longest bridges in Da Nang or step into a world of fantasy and adventure at the Sun World theme park located high up in the Ba Na Hills 1500 metres above sea level.
Visitors can hike the Marble Mountain, relax on the beach of My Khe, experience the verdant Son Tra Peninsula, or stroll around Hoi An ancient town - UNESCO Heritage Site.
One can also join a cooking class in Hoi An, enjoy a morning coffee, immerse in the excitement of Hoi An’s local night market, or visit the historic Cham Islands.
Explore an island paradise in Vietnam
British magazine The Week has suggested that tourists explore the “Paradise Pearl Island” of Phu Quoc (Kien Giang province). Vietnam’s largest island is a much-loved destination among tourists, foreign and domestic, and caters to all budgets.
Famous for its endless palm-dotted, ivory sanded beaches, more than half of the island is a pristine national park. This creates a glorious vision of deep jungle green fringed with pale cream beaches, the whole surrounded by an ocean of jade fading to deep blue.
All that said, as with much of Vietnam, the construction crews are moving in and large resorts are springing up all over the place. The island has changed dramatically over 10 years and will continue to do so. The website advises to go soon, while there’s plenty of space to get lost, dirt tracks to drive down for hours to hidden beaches, friendly faces everywhere and delicious, local bars, cafes, street food and restaurants.
Phu Quoc is a famous destination with many luxurious resorts. (Photo: Vietnam+) Much of what happens on the island is focused on Long Beach (known locally as Duong Duong) and the majority of beach clubs, restaurants, shops and bars are located here. It’s buzzing but not overwhelming so and there’s plenty of space to hang out.
Eating out is an inherent part of the culture here – from plastic stools around food carts on the street to modern takes on classic dishes and high end luxury seafood spots – there are countless options for dining.
A few must-tries on the island, available all over, are the Phu Quoc-style herring salad with onions, garlic, chilli and coconut; bún kèn (ken noodles) with herbs, pounded fish, shredded green papaya and cucumber over rice noodles with a coconut and lemongrass broth; and grilled sea urchins with spring onions and peanuts.
Tourists can do all the usual water sports here and Phu Quoc is home to some of Vietnam’s best diving with the core season from October to May.
There are waterfalls to hike to, fishing trips, temples and pagodas, the world’s longest cable car out to the small island of Hon Thom (it’s 8km if you’re interested and takes around 15 minutes), and a knock-off version of Disneyland called “VinWonders”./.
