For those after an overseas holiday with built-in charm, serenity, scenery, shopping, great food, cultural splendour, and astonishing value, then Vietnam is a standout option, the newspaper wrote about the country.

These days guests can add relaxing to the list thanks to ever-improving transport systems, professional tour operations, and glossy resorts and hotels. Although gateway cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are compelling enough, both represent churning whirlpools of entrepreneurial energy.

The Australian newspaper suggested visitors head out into the countryside in order to discover a tapestry of jade-green rice paddies and muddy villages against a backdrop of blue hills. Indeed, both northern and southern Vietnam are distinctly different experiences, with guests spending at least 10 days exploring either.

December is the beginning of the dry season in the south, therefore it is the prime time to explore the liquid landscape of the Mekong Delta. Along with the floating markets, the fecund bird life and the water meadows, visitors shouldn’t miss the staggeringly beautiful region around Chau Doc, located near the Cambodian border.

In Hanoi at this time of year guests can expect warm and sunny days with low levels of humidity, although nights can be chilly. The one area of the country off the agenda in this season is the northern hills, which are freezing in December, according to the author Michael Gebicki.

Other locations to feature the list include Nepal, Maldives, Cambodia, and India.

Source: VOV