Top Destinations in Vietnam
Walk around midnight in an unrecognizable street. Sit along the
shoreline and watch the world breathe another year. See all those lively
fireworks that burst like fierce bubbles in the horizon. Join the crowd in the
street, rub elbows with unfamiliar faces and be part of history.
Strange. But one of my long standing wishes in life is to spend New Year in another country. Not that I detested the way New Year is celebrated in the Philippines and want to escape to another territory, but I just want to experience what it feels like being in a completely different environment at the start of another year.
I want to discover something worthy of a book. I want to explore how magical the world is on the other side of the planet when New Year comes. The custom, tradition, culture and other rituals. I want to find out how other races celebrate New Year and how it differs from the Philippines. It could be one of the most amazing experiences I would have in my lifetime.
Strange. But one of my long standing wishes in life is to spend New Year in another country. Not that I detested the way New Year is celebrated in the Philippines and want to escape to another territory, but I just want to experience what it feels like being in a completely different environment at the start of another year.
I want to discover something worthy of a book. I want to explore how magical the world is on the other side of the planet when New Year comes. The custom, tradition, culture and other rituals. I want to find out how other races celebrate New Year and how it differs from the Philippines. It could be one of the most amazing experiences I would have in my lifetime.
Some of the countries I considered
to spend New Year are Italy and England due to its glorious history and
cherished traditions. I always thought these nations offer some of the best
memorable experiences of celebrating holidays.
However, it would take
years, even decades, to fulfill this very ambitious European New Year dream due
to the high cost it entails, so I rewrite my plans, get in touch with reality
and take a reroute, diverting my focus to neighboring countries.
While searching for an
ideal destination closer to home that would not only offer a unique experience
of traveling to a strange territory but also a historic discovery, I remember
Saigon, one of Asia’s most interesting cities with a touch of Europe, so, we (I
will be traveling with my friends) decided to choose Vietnam for this New Year
holiday escape dream.
Most Filipino travelers
might never consider Vietnam as an ideal holiday destination maybe due to its
economic reputation, non-popular attractions and its legacy on war. When it
comes to Asian destinations for leisure, Filipinos easily think of Hongkong,
Macau, Singapore, Thailand, even South Korea and Japan, but not so much about Vietnam.
However, I don’t travel
just for leisure, I travel because of the anticipation and excitement of having
new discoveries and learning, having new stories to tell to the world and a
unique travel memories to keep that only few can relate.
Vietnam might never live
up to the expectation of a gorgeous Asian nation to visit but it is equally
exciting as discovering Croatia in Europe--- a nation that's not totally
familiar to travelers but offer amazing discoveries with hidden historic
milestones worthy to be explored.
Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City
Image credits: Onthegotours.com
Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh
City, is located in Southern Vietnam, far from the country’s capital of Hanoi,
but it’s very historic because of its attachment to Vietnam War. It has long
been the subject of intense curiosity since Cameron Macintosh used it as the
story backdrop of his famous and elite West End musical, Miss Saigon.
In the 19th century, when Southern Vietnam was under the French
colony of Cochinchina, Saigon was named as its capital city. In 1976, it was
renamed Ho Chi Minh city, in honor of Ho Chi Minh, the country's great
revolutionary leader who became Prime Minister and subsequently, President of the
Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
Today, French influence is still visible around Ho Chi Minh City earning
a reputation of being the Paris of the Orient! And the greatest perk,
Vietnamese Dong, the country's currency is inferior to Philippine peso, meaning
I would have to visit this country without too much worries on my budget. Ho
Chi Minh City's most popular attraction is the Reunification Palace - former
residence of the President of Southern Vietnam.
Step in to another world in another time? It can be experienced in Mekong Delta,
Vietnam's famous tourist attraction due to its floating market culture
Image credits: mekong-delta.org
Lonely Planet warns that prices on commodities in Vietnam reach
its peak between Christmas and New Year and the streets will be crammed with
bikers, so if you're someone who hate this scene better travel between
September and November when all the streets seem at the quietest.
The biggest downside for tourists however, although it's a little bit exciting and eventful, is when the plan of travel falls on the last week of January and early part of February when the country will celebrate "Tet" (Vietnamese New Year), the streets would be totally chaotic as people come to celebrate the festival, some of the leading shuttle buses will be shut down to give way to bikers, leading business establishments and shops will be closed and everything gets pretty crowded.
The world famous Ha Long Bay with its "ascending dragon" features
Image credits: Selectiveasiatour.org
If you're traveling to Vietnam in a short period of time and want
to experience the best of this nation, aside from Saigon, the most recommended
destinations are the following:
Da
Lat - It's one of the most
visited places in Central Vietnam and very popular to tourists. Its charming
background can be attributed to its remaining French influence among its
chalets, architecture and colossal buildings. It has a cooler climate due to
its location in the highlands. Travel hours from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat
takes almost seven hours.
Halong
Bay - Absolutely terrific
like nowhere else on earth! According to one source, it feels like you're
watching spies of James Bond Films cavorting with sexy girls in an unknown
beach due to its magnificent view by the sea similar to those wacky scenes in
Bond Films. It has been declared one of the world's natural wonders and
UNESCO'S World Heritage due to its breathtaking formation in the sea. It gives
Vietnam the monicker, " Land of the Ascending Dragon".
Nha
Trang - Vietnam's most
popular beach destination. This place has so many things to offer when it comes
to a satisfying beach holiday getaway according to some travel bloggers who had
visited Nha Trang. It also boasts pagodas and temples and foods are great!
·
Mekong Delta - Famously known as the "Nine Dragons", it features a tradition unique only to Vietnam, the floating market. Though it is closer to the highly modernized city of Ho Chi Minh, Mekong Delta, however, is somewhat laid back. According to one travel blogger, stepping into Mekong Delta is like stepping back in time and into a totally different world! Now, that's worth of discovery! This is closer to Cambodian border.
Mekong Delta - Famously known as the "Nine Dragons", it features a tradition unique only to Vietnam, the floating market. Though it is closer to the highly modernized city of Ho Chi Minh, Mekong Delta, however, is somewhat laid back. According to one travel blogger, stepping into Mekong Delta is like stepping back in time and into a totally different world! Now, that's worth of discovery! This is closer to Cambodian border.
Hanoi - The country's capital city still boasts
amazing French influence among its colonial buildings and the city is covered
with trees! Perhaps why, even if dense traffic is maddening like Manila, the
experience evokes harmony and romance and not totally annoying.
Hue - The country's former capital until 1945,
offers a delightful experience of discovering the cultural highlights of
Vietnam. It houses old buildings and elaborate mausoleums of Nguyen Emperors
which are more like palaces to look than tombs with courtyards, temples and
lakes. One of Hue's most impressive sites is Thien Mu Pagoda, a Buddhism
religion site that has an amazing seven-storey octagonal tower.
Hoi
An - Its town center
is declared a UNESCO's World Heritage Site to protect its Chinese, Japanese and
European architectural influences. Visitors will experience the country's
unique and distinctive culture here with its ancient streets, quaint town
market and delectable cuisine that is unique around Asia.
Sapa - If you're a nature lover and love
photography, oh well, according to Selective Asia site, Sapa is for you! Dubbed
as "Tonkinese Alps" by the French, Sapa is one of those rare places
in Asia where lifestyle is far from modern and left untouched by the severely
chaotic influence of technology, according to one source who visited this place.
Its picturesque surrounding offers the best experience of being in a quiet,
tranquil environment where strong regional culture dominates the landscape. So
if you love to take pictures of the country side life and want to learn
something from Asia's thriving old culture, Sapa is the best destination to
choose.
Amazing holiday escape isn't it? What made this country more
exciting is its proximity to Cambodia and Thailand, travelers may opt to take a
quick visit to any of these Asian nations with equally great history to
discover.
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