February
This month, readers of Roughguides voted Sapa among the Top 10 most favored destinations in Southeast Asia.
Sapa was planned as a summer resort in the 1920s. Now, tourists can climb among rolling hills and terraces, through Muong Hoa Valley; spend the night in the middle of the cloud-covered hills or conquer Fansipan peak to welcome the dawn.
March
TripAvisor announced its list of the 25 best destinations around the world in March. Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, appeared on the list for the first time at 8th place in 2014. In 2015, the city jumped to 4th place on the ranking of the famous website. In 2016, it won recognition at 8th place and in 2018, the northern hub returned to the list at 12th, surpassing Dubai and Tokyo.
Due to favorable weather for tourists to walk, discover cuisine, architecture and culture; Hanoi was suggested among the best destinations for March by Business Insider. Photo: Giang Trinh.
June
Long Beach (Phu Quoc) and Tran Phu Beach (Nha Trang) are two of the world’s 50 most beautiful beaches as selected by USNews in June.
In Nha Trang, the beach along Tran Phu street is an attractive spot with many hotels, resorts and restaurants, while Phu Quoc is famous for beaches and natural landscapes. Photo: linhlaplalaplanh18.
July
Ha Long Bay was listed among the Top must-visit natural wonders by Insider. This UNESCO World Heritage is surrounded by about 1,600 big and small islands with majority being limestone.
Among Top 10 destinations in Asia in 2018, Ho Chi Minh city ranked third after Busan and Uzbekistan. According to Lonely Planet, the southern city always keeps its vitality. Photo: MSN
September
Ho Chi Minh city is listed among Top cuisine hubs in Asia beside Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore, according to Traveller. According to the website, the southern city has many special dishes. Worthy dishes include mushroom chicken soup, pancakes, and grilled beef with leaves.
In September, Brightside introduced the list of speculator destinations travelers want to visit immediately. Golden Bridge in Da Nang and Cua Van fishing village in Quang Ninh appeared on the list at 1st and 17th places. Photo: Phong Vinh
October
The seaside city of Da Nang was named among the top 10 places of choice for Singaporean tourists by Kayak, a Singapore-based travel booking site. In late October, Travel & Leisure honoured Hoi An ancient town for landscape, culture, cuisine and friendly people, and listed it among the best hubs in the world.
Also in this month, Singaporean travel site Tripzilla named Hoan Kiem lake and Mu Cang Chai among the 15 best places to enjoy the autumn in Asia.
Accordingly, Hoan Kiem Lake, also known as the Sword Lake, is transformed into a romantic landscape by barrington acutangula trees glistening in “shades of red and yellow”. Rooms cost from USD30 to USD77 a night.
Meanwhile rice terraces in Mu Cang Chai were described “turning different hues of green and golden yellow, and the landscape exudes a charm that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world.” Room prices fluctuate from USD8 to USD39 a night. Photo: Hachi8.
November
Based on booking data for the first half of 2018 Airbnb announced the list of world’s Top 10 destinations, in which Da Nang ranked fifth and Hanoi ninth.
Golden bridge in Da Nang
In November, Hoang Lien Son appeared on the list of the Top 10 attractive destinations for 2019 as voted by National Geographic. The landscape ranked at 7th.
An array of Vietnamese waterfalls from north to south were also introduced on Culture Trip this month. The photo here is Pongour Waterfall in Lam Dong province. “The multi-layered falls allow visitors to get under and behind them, perfect for cooling down in the heat. While not as well known to tourists as the Elephant Waterfall, Pongour has the edge when it comes to ambience and untamed beauty.”
December
In the last month of the year, Ha Long bay and Mui Ne (Binh Thuan) were named among the most beautiful places to watch the sunset in Asia by MSN.
“The sun in Ha Long bay going down sets the sky beautiful, alternating with limestone mountains. This moment will be memorable if you have the opportunity to welcome the sunset here with your loved ones,” said the website.
In Mui Ne, to enjoy “the sunset in this amazingly beautiful skyline, you can choose to sit on the beach or on the sand dunes.” Photo: MSN./.