10 reasons why you should visit Vietnam

Vietnam is a wonderful country to travel around in. The landscape is breathtaking, the locals are friendly and it’s safe. What’s there not to love about Vietnam! So if you’re hesitating about traveling to Vietnam, we suggest you take a look at this list of 10 reasons why you should visit Vietnam. You’ll be booking your ticket there by the end of it.

1. Tourism infrastructure is well developed

When tourism started booming a few years ago, Vietnam’s tourism infrastructure improved rapidly. The government started investing in hostels, hotels, restaurants, theme parks, museums and other tourist attractions. You’ll notice when you land in Vietnam that there are several hotels and hostels everywhere, you’ll find plenty of international restaurants, there’s guides in English and the locals have even started to pick up the language more. That’s why Vietnam is one of the safest and easiest countries to travel around in.

2. Food is amazing

Let’s face it – food is a huge factor to why we travel abroad (well, at least for us). So if you’re a big fan of Asian food, there’s really no better place to visit than Vietnam. The food is hearty, insanely cheap and full of flavors. When you’re in Vietnam, don’t be afraid to try the street food. Many people are put off by it, but street food is the heart and soul of the Southeast Asian countries and you can find some of the best food on the streets. Some of the dishes you can get includes the world famous ‘pho’, a noodle soup that consists of rice noodles in piping hot broth with vegetables, slices of beef or chicken (you can also get vegetarian ones), topped with herb garnishes. Another equally popular dish is ‘banh mi’, the Vietnamese style baguette which you can stuff with vegetables, meat, fresh chili, coriander, paté, and more. They say the best one is found in Hoi An, but that’s up to you to find out!

3. The landscape is out of this world

The landscape in Vietnam can remind you of a painting – beautiful and serene. In the north, you have Sapa and Ha Giang, two places that travelers visit because of the spectacular landscapes. Sapa is known for its rice terraces that turn golden during harvest season. It’s also here where you get the unique opportunity to meet the Hmong people, Vietnam’s ethnic minority. They offer both accommodation and guided tours where you can truly get to know their culture and its people. If you feel adventurous, head further north to Ha Giang, one of Vietnam’s most fascinating places. Many travelers overlook Ha Giang because it’s a bit trickier to get there, but those who do get there are in for a surprise. Ha Giang is the most rural and authentic side of Vietnam, with grand mountains, rice terraces, roaring rivers, smiling locals and limestone. It’s a spectacular site. Other places that are worth mentioning are Halong Bay, the sand dunes in Mui Ne, Con Dao Island, Mekong Delta, Phong Nha Ke-Bang National Park and Ninh Binh. As you can tell, there’s a lot to see in Vietnam, and we’ve just touched the surface.

4. The people are incredibly warm

You’re probably making a “what the heck” face, but it’s true. The locals are very friendly and warm, if you just try to get to know them. Most people who have encountered rude Vietnamese have mostly met the ones who try to sell you something. The culture in Vietnam is a bit complicated to explain, but the more you spend in the country, the more you’ll understand the local culture. Shouting is one part that travelers are put off by, but it’s really just in their culture to be loud. But once you really get to know the locals, you’ll notice how friendly and warm they are. It’s not uncommon to be invited over to dinner with their families or grab a beer with their friends. The locals are mostly curious about foreigners and want them to have the best experience in Vietnam. They’ll go above and beyond to help you – except when they’re trying to sell you something.

5. Transportation is easy

I’ve traveled to many countries in the world and learnt that transportation can either be a big hassle or really smooth. It really affects your mood as well if transportation is a big hassle. I was in Myanmar for 2 weeks and spent almost half of that time in a bumpy bus that was both extremely slow, had no air condition and stopped whenever the bus driver felt like it (which means every 15 minutes). But when I came to Vietnam, I was so pleasantly surprised by how easy transportation was and how developed the buses were. There’s also times when you can get really good flight deals. But I mostly opted for the buses because it was cheaper and they ran frequently. The buses might not have always been on time, but they were at least air conditioned, comfortable and even had WiFi.

6. It’s very affordable

Vietnam was probably the most affordable country I traveled around in, although I didn’t visit Laos yet so I can’t say how it’s there. But I found the other neighboring countries to be more expensive and was longing for the Vietnamese prices while traveling around. You can find hostels as cheap as 3 USD(!), food for 1-2 USD and beer for less than 1 USD! Doesn’t those prices sound great? And there’s so many free things you can do such as walking around the big cities, go swimming in one of the golden sand beaches and sit in a park and read a book.

7. The weather is always good

… At least if you’re in the south. The north gets chilly during the winter months and you’ll need to bring warmer clothes if you want to go there. But you can always count on good weather in the south.

8. Vietnam has the best coffee in the world

Did you guys know that Vietnam is the second largest coffee exporter in the world? While traveling around in Vietnam, you’ll notice how the locals love their coffee. You can find everything from black coffee, coffee with coconut milk (highly recommended!), coconut with egg yolk (egg coffee is a specialty that you must try), coffee with yoghurt and coffee with condensed milk. You must try them all!

9. Shopping is fantastic here

You can find everything from huge shopping malls with high end stores, more budget friendly stores such as H&M, smaller boutique shops, Vietnamese brands, or why not get tailor made clothes. Hoi An is an especially popular town to get tailor made clothes. It’s definitely a more fun experience to walk in to a tailor, choose the fabric, show your design and be part of the whole process instead of just picking up a garment in a store.

10. Vietnam is so much fun to travel around in!

Backpackers and other travelers are loving traveling around Vietnam and so will you! There’s a lot of adventurous things you can do such as kitesurfing, hiking, ziplining, exploring underground caves, cruising around Halong Bay and of course – party all night long with other travelers! Vietnam is an incredibly fun, beautiful and cultural travel destination. So hurry up and get here!