Vietnam travel guide
The top things to do in Vietnam

From the lens of a person who is not born and raised here but spends enough time to feel the vibes of this city, Hanoi is so beautiful, strangely beautiful expressed through its specialty in terms of food and lifestyles. However, for a daughter (a Hanoian) of this charming city, Hanoi is more than that. The beauty of the city has gorgeously developed through the century from the small green streets, falling yellow leaves, the smell of milkwood pine flowers (Alstonia Scholaris), and the smell of “cốm” in season,  romantic fall to the cold winter with fragrant incense. Hanoi goes into people’s hearts and turns into poems and songs.

Each location in the Northern part is special and unique. It is where we immerse ourselves in the majestic natural scenery with spectacular mountain views and motorbike passes, where we can find boundless rice terrace fields, can delve into unique tribal hill cultures and lifestyles, and where once adventurous and serene, thrilling and relaxing which will electrify all of your senses from all angles.

The history partly explains why there are so many cultural and lifestyle differences between regions of Vietnam. In the Middle region, we speak Vietnamese with a different accent, our cuisine is not simply food to fill up your belly, it is art and culture. Quang Binh might not be the land of majestic mountains but a home of nature where you can find the largest cave in the world and many natural treats in Phong Nha National Park.

From the outside, Saigon may not share the same charms as Hanoi but for Vietnamese, Saigon has its vibe, a worth living place with friendly and kind people. Although the city is vibrant, busy, and rapidly developed, we still can find the ancient remnants of the Chinese, Japanese, French and American traces through many monuments, temples, and architectural buildings such as the Notre Dame Cathedral and Saigon Post Office. Making our way down to the Mekong Delta, we will witness a different way of life.