Foreign visitors enjoy Banh Mi- a Vietnamese sandwich. (Photo: Intrepid/TheTimes)

Vietnam reopened its borders to international tourism on March 15, with arrivals needing to present a negative COVID-19 test (PCR or lateral flow) before entry. Following this occasion, The Times revealed seven of the best Vietnamese tours for visitors to discover this year.

1. ‘Go Wild’, Wild Frontiers

The Times suggested a 22-day tour that visitors can join. The itinerary features a number of outdoor activities, such as going off-piste to a local village near Hanoi and seeing endangered Delacour’s langur in Van Long. This is along with taking a deep dive into the earth’s treasures at Phong Nha, a national park that’s home to the largest cave in the world, and kayaking down a river winding past paddies and pagodas to Hoi An.

It also recommended that at the journey’s end, holiday-goers take a trip to the Con Dao islands, which are wild with beaches, marine turtles, and reef life. 

2. ‘Classic Mekong’, Wendy Wu

The UK media publication noted that visitors can join the 16-day tour that will depart from Cambodia. They can then board the Victoria Mekong, the first eco-cruise on the river, heading towards Vietnam. After a trip to vibrant Ho Chi Minh City, visitors can take a riverside stroll in Hoi An, see the sites of the capital by cyclo (traditional tricycle taxi) in Hanoi, and sail on the teal waters of Halong Bay.

3. ‘Vietnam real food adventure’, Intrepid

The article stated that “Vietnamese food is the best in the world”, recommending an 11 day-tour for food lovers to enjoy silky noodle soups, spicy meats, ca phe sua da (coffee blended with condensed milk and ice), and delicious ice cream, most of it consumed at little family-run stalls.

4. ‘Southeast Asia Family Journey’, G Adventures

According to The Times, tourists should spend 12 days visiting the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, particularly due to its Forbidden City and tombs near the Perfume River, to learn about the dragon king court and royal gossip. Then, guests can learn to cook through the youth-training scheme Oodles of Noodles in Hoi An.

5. Vietnam’s Northern Soul’, Inside Asia

The 12-day tour will take visitors across several northern destinations boasting rugged mountain scenery, local markets, vertiginous terraced rice fields that turns gold in September, and traditional homelands of the Hmong, Red Dao, and Tay minorities.

It recommended that tourists trek, boat, and drive by day, and spend the night in an eco-lodge and homestays. The trip also features a street-food safari in Hanoi and languid days cruising Lan Ha Bay. 

6. ‘Cycling Vietnam’, Exodus

According to the piece, a 15-day cycling tour will help tourists discover famous sightseeing spots from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat in the Central Highlands.

After paying a visit to the hectic southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City, visitors can take to the peaceful back roads by bike, exploring fishing villages and stopping off at beautiful beaches along the way. Then they can pass by coffee and strawberry plantations in Da Lat, or tackle the Hai Van Pass and discover Ha Long Bay by catching the Reunification Express train.

7. Ultimate Vietnam’, Black Tomato

The last option offered by The Times is a 14-day luxurious tour which costs VND240 million per visitor. A chauffeur will drive holiday-goers through intriguing Hanoi in a vintage classic car, followed by a street-food tour with a leading chef. Guests can then float through the limestone pillars of Ha Long Bay on a private junk and tour its lofty peaks by chopper. Other activities include buzzing around the markets of Ho Chi Minh City on a vintage Vespa and taking a boat trip through to the floating veg markets of the Mekong Delta.

After gaining insider access to wartime sites in Ho Chi Minh City, visitors can then kick back at Six Senses Con Dao on an isolated curve of sand overlooking a sapphire sea where manatees, dolphins, and marine turtles swim. 

Source: The Times/VOV

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