Why you should visit Vietnam

What’s on the list of potentials for your next holiday? Down the coast? Australia? Europe?

How about somewhere tropical and exotic instead then?

Vietnam can make for a great holiday destination if you’ve already visited some of the usual suspects in South East Asia – or even if you haven’t. A country that’s as diverse as it is beautiful, as bustling in places as it is laid back in others, and a place that can be as much – or as little – of an adventure as you make it.

Vietnam sits in between Thailand and Cambodia on the map and is a well-known holiday destination. For most people, arriving in Vietnam means flying into Ho Chi Minh, previously known as Saigon. This large busy metropolis is worth spending a day or two in, visiting a rooftop bar and checking out the war memorials and walking through a lush city garden or two. Now’s a good time to start feasting on Vietnamese food – goi cuon (rice paper rolls), pho bo (beef noodle soup), and banh mi (French-influenced Vietnamese baguettes filled with meat, pate, and herbs) are all stand out dishes, depending on how good the restaurant you pick is. The iced drip coffee with condensed milk (ca phe sua da) is famous worldwide.

For travellers looking for an island getaway, fly to Phu Quoc, a sleepy island featuring wonderful resorts set upon a white beach. Sample the freshly caught seafood at the night markets and sip cocktails in deck chairs out the front of your hotel. Bring a book and get a tan without a care in the world.

Like tramping? Head to the highlands of Vietnam to Sapa, taking a trek up Mount Fanispan to see the view from the top. Stop along the way overnight in one of the locals houses to experience what life is really like out here.

You wouldn’t have thought it, but Vietnam also has a wine country. Now, we can’t guarantee that it will live up to anything like you may know of in New Zealand, but it’s worth checking out if you’re a bit of a wine buff. This area is known as the vineyards of Dalat and surrounds, and you can find plenty of cute guesthouses to spend your time in.

Vietnam is a great country to check out as there are so many different regions, each with a different soul, a different pace of life, a different way of doing things. The NZ dollar stretches a long way in Vietnam so you’ll find you’re able to do more on your holiday for less, the most expensive part will be your flights and even then you can get great deals.

You’ll find a number of different airlines that fly to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam from Auckland, and Air New Zealand even fly nonstop, so why not book a flight today?