Vietnam Travel guide

The Cao Dai Great Temple at the sect’s Holy See is one of Asia’s most unusual and astonishing structures. Built between 1933 and 1955, the temple is a rococo extravaganza blending the dissonant architectural motifs of a French church, a Chinese temple and an Islamic mosque. Tay Ninh province, northwest of HCMC, is bordered by [...]

If the tenacious spirit of the Vietnamese can be symbolised by a place, then few sites could make a stronger case than Cu Chi tunnels. This district of greater Hochiminh city now has a population of about 350,000, but during the American War it had about 80,000 residents. At first glance there is scant evidence today [...]

1. Soak up the city’s electric energy and admire views of the neon city from a high-altitude perch in one of its rooftop bars 2. Witness the turbulence of conflict in the War Remnants Museum. 3. Feast on an eye-opening selection of local and international cuisine at the city’s standout restaurants and street stalls. 4. [...]

Why Go? Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is Vietnam at its most dizzying: a high-octane city of commerce and culture that has driven the whole country forward with its pulsating energy. From the finest of hotels to the cheapest of guesthouses, the classiest of restaurants to the tastiest of street stalls, the choicest of boutiques [...]

Kon Tum’s relaxed ambience, river setting and relatively traffic-free streets make it a worthwhile stop for travellers intent on exploring the surrounding hill-tribe villages, of which there are 700 dotting the area. You’ll also find a few intriguing sights in town, and the accommodation options are good. If you’ve the choice, Kon Tum is a [...]

The rather forgettable capital of Gia Lai province, Pleiku is better known as a strategic American and South Vietnamese base during the American War than for any postwar accomplishments. It makes an adequate pit stop, but there’s little to detain a traveller for more than a few hours. Torched by departing South Vietnamese soldiers in [...]

Yok Don National Park  The park runs all the way up to the border with Cambodia, with the beautiful Srepok River flowing through it. Unfortunately, deforestation is a big problem, particularly in the region closest to the entrance. Yok Don is home to 67 mammal species including wild elephants, tigers, leopards and rare red wolves. [...]

The Ede name translates as ‘Thuot’s father’s village’, but Buon Ma Thuot has outgrown its rustic origins without acquiring any real charm. An affluent, modern, but rather characterless city (pronounced ‘boon me tote’) it is inundated by traffic from three highways. Its only saving grace is coffee: the region grows some of the best in [...]

TThere are two minority villages around the lake that often receive visitors. On the south shores near the town of Lien Son lies Jun village, a fairly traditional M’nong settlement filled with rattan and wooden stilt houses. The villagers are surprisingly nonplussed about visitors, even though DakLak Tourist MAP GOOGLE MAP ( 0500-385 2246; www.daklaktourist.com.vn) has [...]

Cat Tien ( 061-366 9228; www.cattiennationalpark.vn; adult/child 50,000/20,000d;  7am-10pm)  comprises an amazingly biodiverse area of lowland tropical rainforest. The 72,000- hectare park is one of the outstanding natural treasures in Vietnam, and the hiking, mountain biking and bird-watching here are the best in the south of the country. Always call ahead for reservations as the park [...]

The spectacular Ngoan Muc Pass is 43km southeast of Dalat. On a clear day you can see the ocean, 55km away. As the highway winds down the mountain it passes under two gargantuan water pipes that link the lake with the hydroelectric power station at the base of the pass. South of the road (to [...]

Bao Loc is all about tea, silk and the cultivation of mulberry leaves (which make up the silkworms’ diet). Roadside rest stops offer free samples of the local tea. It’s a practical place to break the journey between HCMC (180km) and Dalat (118km); Easy Riders often stop here. Nearby Dambri Falls (admission 10,000d) is one [...]

Dalat is Vietnam’s alter ego: the weather is spring-like cool instead of tropical hot, the town is dotted with elegant French-colonial villas rather than stark socialist architecture, and the farms around are thick with strawberries and flowers, not rice. The French came first, fleeing the heat of Saigon. They left behind not only their holiday [...]

Why Go? There’s a rugged charm to this distinctly rural region, with pine-studded hilltops soaring over intensively farmed fields and remote, bumpy roads meandering through coffee plantations. Two national parks are of key interest. Cat Tien is a Unesco-listed biosphere with an impressive variety of flora and fauna. Yok Don is Vietnam’s largest protected area [...]