The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology provides a fascinating introduction to the country’s 54 ethnic groups . The museum’s collections are clearly displayed and include everyday objects, religious items and works of art, giving an excellent overview of th..

The “Writing Brush” pagoda, built in the 17C amid the rice fields, comprises several buildings which are home to some outstanding carved and lacquered wood items . In the Bell Tower, note the statue of Quan Am sitting on a lotus supported by a drago..

The highlights of the Gulf of Tonkin are Halong Bay and its limestone islands, Cat Ba Island and its national park, and Haiphong and its port. The landscape of rice fields that cover a part of the coast around the Red River Delta is also well w..

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ha Long Bay is Vietnam’s leading tourist sight. The bay is home to a karstic formation of almost 2 000 islands: rocks of different shapes and sizes covered with saxicolous plants emerge from the turquoise waters where ..

The Dynastic Temple, built during the region of Minh Mang in 1821-22, is dedicated to the cult of the Nguyen kings . Ten altars stand in this long room, each of which is dedicated to a king and his queen. Missing are those of Duc Duc and Hiep Hoa, b..

Built in 1915 with the help of the French School of the Far East, this museum houses the most complete collection of Cham sculptures in the world, with over 300 original works in sandstone and terracotta tracing the development of Champa art from th..

The spectacular 30m-high Pongour waterfalls are arranged in a magnificent semi-circle 150m long. A 300m track leads to the foot of the falls, from where the view is spectacular, particularly during the wet season. An entrance fee is payable here.

Nature has created a scene of stunning beauty here: a huge expanse of water surrounded by paddy fields and dormant volcanic peaks. Alongside the lake, the traditional village of Jun , with its houses on stilts occupied by the Mnong, has adapted to t..

Coiled around the bank of a river in a wooded setting, Kon Kotu boasts a wild and magnificent location. Here, you can sleep in the rong (house on stilts) in the middle of the village and enjoy the traditional way of life of the Ba Na.

While Ton Duc Thang Avenue and its gardens provide perfect views of the Saigon river and its constant activity, the charms of the old colonial quarter to the west are equally numerous. Here you can admire the main buildings which bear witness to the ..

A journey back in time, from the Palaeolithic era to the 20C, awaits visitors to this museum, where an impressive collection of items from the country’s different civilisations are displayed. Admire, in particular, the collection of bronze drums de..

This pagoda is said to have been visited by the emperor Gia Long himself. Today, monks still occupy this sanctuary which is imbued with a remarkable calm. Attractive statues are dotted around the site, including a golden Buddha and the goddess Chu..

Standing in the middle of a verdant garden, the Giac Lam pagoda rises majestically above the skyline of Ho Chi Minh City. Within the confines of the temple, visitors can view a cemetery, a 7-storey tower and two impressive statues. Inside the pagoda ..

From Cambodia, the Mekong crosses Vietnam along two main arteries, the Tien Giang and Hau Giang, entering the South China Sea via nine estuaries which lend its name as the “river of the nine dragons”. The waters of the delta are the setting for inten..

This bird reserve is an area of exuberant vegetation covering 13 000m 2 of the Mekong Delta. It is home to myriad species, including white egrets, and a multitude of herons and cormorants which come to nest in these tranquil surroundings. The reserv..

The largest and most beautiful beach on the island, stretching 30km from An Thoi to Duong, is a jewel of fine sand backed by coconut palms; it is also one of the few places in Vietnam where you can enjoy a sunset over the sea. A handful of hotels are..

An attractive wooden bridge leads to the Temple of the Jade Mound, which was built in the 19C on the site of the old palace of the Trinh lords on a small island in Hoan Kiem lake . It is dedicated to Van Xuong (the god of literature), General Tran H..

In the 15C, thirty-six artisans’ guilds were situated in this area which lies to the north of Hoan Kiem lake , each occupying a different part of the district. Today this is the Old Quarter, once the commercial heart of the city. The narrow winding ..

The Fine Arts Museum boasts a comprehensive collection of Vietnamese art, from Dong Son bronzes to 18C sculptures and Later Le art, as well as Cham (9C-10C), Ly (1009-1225), Tran (1225-1413), Le and Mac (15C-16C) statues. Part of the mu..

With its pavilions, courtyards and pools, the Temple of Literature has a delightful and peaceful atmosphere. Founded in 1070, the temple was dedicated to the Chinese philosopher Confucius , whose teachings advocated moral propriety. Here, and in the..