For anyone who loves to explore the nature; unspoiled places, Vietnam is THE place you are looking for. This S-shape country is blessed by Mother Nature with so many exquisite sights that it seems like a fairy land for any tourist visiting it. And here are 7 surreal beauties that hold a special allure for travelers to Vietnam.
- Quang Binh – Land of Caves
Anyone who have had a chance to explore Quang Binh can’t agree more with the fact that this place has an unbelievable beauty forming by its caves – the scenery, the light, the water’s color, the rock formation and the stalactites of the caves – all together create a masterpiece that even artists can’t make it out.
Known as “Land of Caves”, Quang Binh consists of a system of caves namely Son Doong Cave (the world’s biggest cave reported by National Geographic, CNN, Huffington Post, Business Insider); Hang En Cave; Tu Lan Cave (a system with over 10 dry and wet caves); Hang Va Cave (with some of the rarest formations ever seen); the gorgeous Paradise Cave; etc. There are tours on offer for travelers who loves adventure, wildness and the wonders of the nature to visits these caves. The tour will be with 2 to 4 days trekking, swimming, diving, discovering and camping with a group from 6 to 10. And you may need to book a year in advance due to the limit numbers of visits to the caves in order to preserve their pristine environment and surrounding.
- Son La – Ta Xua, a Cloud Hunting Peak
Stepping on cloud is true if you set foot on Taxua, a peak for hunting cloud. Located in the North-West region of Vietnam, Peak of Taxua is an ideal place where you can have a chance to see magnificent sea of clouds – really an incredible and breathtaking scenery. At an altitude of 2875m, this peak is surrounded by layers and layers of cloudy cloud all year round but any way it would be much more spectacular during Oct to Apr from 5a.m to 9a.m. The view of clouds soaring like ocean waves embracing the mountain range looks amazing.
- Quang Ninh – Binh Lieu
Along Ha Long (the world heritage) and Co To Island, Binh Lieu is another must-see when people come to visit Quang Ninh. Binh Lieu is well-known for its dinosaur spine in the middle of a vast space where the conquerors can get so cool feeling. Binh Lieu also welcomes visitors with a charming reed field along the hillside and endless terraced field under it. This destination is in good combination with a trip to Ha Long and you can visit it at any time of the year.
- Ninh Binh – Trang An
Trang An in Ninh Binh, a Landscape Complex, is spectacular for its limestone karst peaks permeated with valleys, many of which partly submerged and surrounded by steep and almost vertical cliffs. This complex is a mixed cultural and natural heritage of Vietnam consisting of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital (reigned by the Dinh, Le and Ly dynasties during the 10th & 11th centuries), Trang An-Tam Coc-Bich Dong Scenic Landscape (a so-called inland Ha Long Bay) and Hoa Lu Special-Use Forest. So coming to Trang An, people can choose to visit temples, pagodas to know more about the kings or to tour the ecosystem to explore its subterranean cave passages, beautiful paddy-fields and small villages.
Beside Trang An, Cuc Phuong National Park is another highlight for Ninh Binh visitors. It was officially opened in 1960 as the first national park in Vietnam. The park is surrounded by several limestone cliffs, the highest May Bac Peak (silver cloud peak) and on the area of 22,408ha. There are plenty of plants and mammals living in the park. Up to 2,000 different species of flora and the 450 species of fauna accounting for 38% of the national fauna are found here.
- Lao Cai – Sapa
Located in the northwest of Vietnam, Sapa is a small but beautiful town of Lao Cai province bordering to China. Sapa is always rated as one of the tourist ideal destinations thanks to its mountainous scenery, pleasant climate and pristine rice terraces. The surreal beauty of Sapa can also be seen in sky-high mountains in white cloud, in enchanting waterfalls or in trekking trails to home of the ethnic groups nearby.
- Ha Giang
Ha Giang is known for its majestic mountain landscape, wild and diverse nature. This is the must-visit place once in lifetime for those who love to travel along the nature. After passing through all the curviest routes, steep slopes – visitors will be awarded with dreamlike scenery made up with terraced fields, Nho Que River and the cloudy valley.
Coming to Ha Giang, we can visit Dong Van Geopark (recognized as the World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO), enjoy the panoramic view of Nho Que valley from the peak of Ma Pi Leng, or learn about the unique culture of the Mong and H’mong people.
Among must-sees of Ha Giang, Hoang Su Phi is one of the most off the beaten track for trekking through jungle, rice field, local life, slopes and hills. The best time to come here is between September and October when the rice fields are turning to gold. The view is so stunning that every visitor wishes to see.
- Binh Thuan – Phu Quy
In recent years, Phu Quy Island in Binh Thuan has become a more popular destination on the travel list. The island has shimmering scenery with beautiful beaches, blue water and especially a soil cave. Phu Quy Island is a flat, green island rising gently to two volcanic peaks, very isolated and far out in the ocean (120km east of Phan Thiet’s mainland). That makes the island more attractive to the ocean lovers. There are water activities here for you like scuba diving, fishing, and swimming.