Exploring Vietnam - Top Things to do & See

Vietnam is a country fully opened to tourism since 1993. There was a gradual relaxation of government control over the mobility of travelers, and since then Vietnam has become a sought after destination, giving rise to a real boom in tourism.

Vietnam attracts thousands of tourists every year, who go there to explore its natural beauty combined with a rich heritage, a varied cuisine, and an extremely sociable population. Over the last few decades, the country has seen rapid industrialization and economic growth. However, the people in Vietnam still follow a very pristine way of life. You can still see rural Vietnamese people, who are farmers by profession, working on their paddy fields while wearing big hats.

Here are some of the top things to do and see:

Ho Chi Minh City

It is the largest city in Vietnam and is locally known as Saigon. The places of interest in Saigon are located in central area of the city making it very easy for the tourists to explore these places of interest. A visit to this area requires at least a whole day. After reaching the city hall, people can walk farther down to the market where they can see dead snakes on sale.

One of the top attractions of the city is the Mariamman Hindu temple. It is frequented by domestic as well as foreign tourists. Other religious places to explore in the city include the Central Mosque and the Notre Dame Cathedral. On the outskirts of the city there are two interesting Pagodas, namely the pagoda of Phuoc Hai Tu (Jade Emperor), just before Thi Nghe canal, and also the small pagoda of Tran Hung Dao. Other tourist attractions in the city include the Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum, Museum of Vietnamese History, Ho-Chi-Minh Museum, City Hall, Saigon Skydeck etc.

Cu Chi Tunnels

These tunnels were dug by the Vietcong insurgency group in 1948 and they served as the base, shelter and storage for the Vietnamese Army during their war with the US. They organized their offence against the US Army from these tunnels.

These tunnels are about 36 km northwest of Saigon and can be visited on a day trip that also includes other attractions like the Ceremony at the Cao Dai Great Temple (Tay Ninh), which is a place of worship of the Cao Dai religion. This religion originated in Vietnam in the late 20's and happens to be a mixture of Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Islam.

Da Lat

Dalat is one of the most pleasant cities to visit in all of Vietnam, not only for its climate but also for its tranquility and elegance. It has a cosmopolitan atmosphere because of its cafes, church, colonial buildings etc. The city is known for its French style villas and buildings. The main tourist attraction of Dalat is the Thien Vien Truc Lam Monastery, which is situated on the top of a hill. The view from the monastery is breathtaking and people can also travel to the monastery on a cable car.

Other attractions in Dalat include the Xuan Huong Lake, Ho Suoi Vang, Da Lat market, Lake of Sighs, Prenn Falls, Pongour Falls etc.

My Son

My Son is an UNESCO World Heritage Site situated in the region of Central Coast in Vietnam. The place is famous for the ruins of Hindu Temples, which were built during the 10th century AD. The temples were dedicated to Lord Vishnu, one of the 3 supreme gods in Hinduism.

Apart from the temples, you can also visit the Champa Museum which contains various relics unearthed in the region. These are few of the attractions that people can visit during their Vietnam tour.