The second son of King Thieu Tri, Tu Duc was a lover of poetry who designed this mausoleum to serve as his eternal pleasure garden. Surrounded by a 1.5km wall, the mausoleum occupies an attractive site which is home to around 50 buildings dotted over..

The mausoleum of Minh Mang, completely dedicated to painting, poetry and philosophy, is without a doubt the most majestic of the tombs, along with that of Tu Duc. The king, who reigned from 1820-41, designed the mausoleum during his lifetime, althoug..

Built in 1601, Thien Mu Pagoda (Pagoda of the Celestial Lady) houses the three Buddhas of the Past, Present and Future, all of which are made of shining copper. Also worshipped at the pagoda are Von Thu, the goddess of Wisdom and Intelligence, and Ph..

Five limestone hills shaped by erosion have each been given the name of one of the five elements – water, earth, fire, metal and wood. Together these are known as the Marble Mountains or Mountains of the Five Elements. According to popular legend, th..

If you’ve only got time to visit one sanctuary among the many caves and pagodas scattered over the slopes of the Mountains of the Five Elements, your best bet is to head to the Huyen Khong Cave on Thuy Son mountain (Mountain of Water). With its mys..

Hidden from passers-by behind a high wall in a mix of Japanese and Chinese styles, the Tran Family Chapel was built in 1802 by a civilian mandarin by the name of Tran Tu Nhac in order to venerate his ancestors. The visit to the chapel is all the more..

Six families from the Ming dynasty fleeing the Manchurians arrived by boat from China in the middle of the 17C and built this assembly hall. Dedicated to the worship of their ancestors, but mainly to the goddess of the sea , Thien Hau , from the pr..

Like many markets in Vietnam, the one in Hoi An, located alongside the Thu Bon river , is teeming with life, colour and incredibly exotic scents and aromas. The setting for much of the city’s economic activity, it is a maze of stalls displaying fish..

A jewel of Hoi An architecture, this house built at the end of the 18C has survived seven generations and in 1985 was the first Chinese house in Hoi An to be listed as a historic monument. In the salon, admire the superb jackfruit wood columns encrus..

It was the Japanese, established to the west of the river, who started to build this covered bridge in 1593. The project took three years, from the Year of the Monkey to the Year of the Dog, hence the presence on it of statues of these animals. In 17..

Nestled in a verdant setting at the foot of My Son mountain (“Good Mountain”), also known as Hon Quap (“Cat’s Tooth Mountain”), My Son is a jewel of Cham architecture and remains one of the most important vestiges of this civilisation. Comprising ov..

Many visitors visit the islands of Nha Trang Bay on a day’s excursion, where the beaches are perfect for doing very little and the crystal-clear water is ideal for scuba diving or a boat trip out to sea. The aquarium on the island of Mieu is home t..

Nestled in the heart of a verdant region, Bao Loc is known for its silk workshops, although visitors come here mainly to admire the Dambri waterfalls. Surging forth from a bamboo grove, these falls tumble 60m into a deafening maelstrom. Although it..

The huge summer palace of Bao Dai, in Dalat, has remained intact since the emperor’s departure in exile in 1955, despite being used regularly for a further twenty years or so by the country’s presidents. Built in the 1930s on a hill surrounded by pin..

Statues, crockery, jewellery, musical instruments, costumes and many other traditional objects on display in this museum provide an insight into the different ethnic groups – such as the Ma and Chu Ru – living in this region. These collections also h..

The village of Lat , at the foot of the Lang Bian sacred mountain (2 163m), comprises nine hamlets inhabited by the Ma, Lat, Koho and Chill – both Protestants and Catholics – who have preserved their typical buildings on stilts. The arrival of touri..

A few kilometres after they meet, the Ana and Kno krong (“Male and Female rivers”) reach these waterfalls, 15m high and 100m wide. Steps descend to river level, from where visitors must negotiate a series of submerged stones to get to the base of the..

Situated along the Cambodian border, this 58 000ha nature reserve is home to over 60 species of mammal (including tigers, leopards and bears), close to 200 species of birds (such as peacocks and hornbills) and 46 types of reptile. The best way of adm..

Built in 1913 and dedicated to St Cuenot, the first missionary here, the wooden church in Tran Phu Street has retained a certain charm despite the reconstruction of its base walls in concrete. However, the pillars and framework are original, as are t..

A stop in the village of Plei Chot, not far from the magnificent forestry reserve of Chu Mom Ray , is an ideal opportunity to become acquainted with the Gia Rai minority people. This ethnic group of hunters, farmers and animal breeders have maintain..