Ho Chi Minh City has ranked third on a list of the best destinations in Asia this year from renowned travel guide site Lonely Planet.

The list was based on the views of travel experts who combed charming beach towns, scoured cloud-snagging skylines, and poked around the prehistoric temple complexes of the ever-changing Asian continent to offer advice to those seeking exciting “escapes” in Asia over the next 12 months.

Vietnam’s largest city features aging apartment blocks “being colonized by vintage clothe stores and independent coffee shops, while innovative breweries like Heart of Darkness and East West Brewing are fueling one of the best craft beer scenes in Southeast Asia and a selection of eclectic venues are strengthening the local music scene,” according to the site.

It also recommended long-standing attractions in the city, such as the War Remnants Museum and its eye-opening displays, a pioneering street food scene, and accommodation suited to all standards.

First on the list was Busan in South Korea, which is a stunning confluence of scenery, culture and cuisine with an eclectic offering of activities to suit all travelers. Following was not a city but a country - Uzbekistan, thanks for its visa-free and e-visa schemes, new air routes, and extensions to its modern high-speed rail line, making access to its arsenal of jeweled architecture and ancient cities easier than ever.

Others destinations on the list were Western Ghats (India), Nagasaki (Japan), Chiang Mai (Thailand), Lumbini (Nepal), Arugam Bay (Sri Lanka), Sichuan (China) and Komodo National Park (Indonesia).

Ho Chi Minh City is also known for its French colonial landmarks, including Notre-Dame Cathedral, made entirely from materials imported from France, and the 19th-century Central Post Office.

Known as a city that never sleeps, it boasts pedestrian malls with fountains and beautiful views and all-night coffee shops, while the backpackers area around Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien Streets has a range of pubs, bars, street food, and live music cafés. The city was named among the Top 10 new global party destinations in 2016 by Traveller, an Australian travel website.

Business Insider also voted Ho Chi Minh City as one of the 30 best cities in the world for foodies. “Ho Chi Minh City is famous for its delectable varieties of ‘banh mi’ - a French-inspired sandwich consisting of a baguette filled with meat and topped with fresh vegetables, daikon, pickled carrot, cilantro, and different sauces,” it wrote.

Last year the city was also listed among the Top 50 most beautiful cities in the world by CnTraveler and featured in the ten most dynamic urban areas in the world in the City Momentum Index from real estate group Jones Lang LaSalle.

International arrivals to the city in 2017 were estimated at 6.39 million, an increase of 22.8 per cent against 2016. The figure was 3.8 million in the first half of 2018, up 26.5 per cent against the same period last year.

VN Economic Times