Three Vietnam’s destinations named among 16 most favourite UNESCO heritage wonders in SE Asia

July 2023 | wanderlust.co.uk

Leading UK-based travel magazine Wanderlust — Vietnam's Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, and Phong Nha-Ke Bang have been named among the 16 most favourite UNESCO world heritage wonders in Southeast Asia

Packed with wild parks, natural wonders and ancient temples, it's amazing that South-East Asia has just 41 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We pick our favourites, plus other should-be sights...

Lying prostrate aboard an old wooden junker, peering out across the emerald waters as jungle-covered precipices rear out of nowhere isn’t the only way to experience Cat Ba Island’s Halong Bay – it remains among the best, though. These limestone karst pillars aren’t unique to Vietnam, but nowhere on Earth is their scale so dramatic, sprouting some 1,600 spines from the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin, birthing towering islands and islets out of bounds to all but the native seabirds that have made them home.

The site was first inscribed by UNESCO in 1994. Twenty-something years later, little has changed except how to see them and the increasing numbers of those who have. The slow-screw of erosion has notched hidden caves and dramatic arches into many of its rises.

Kayak out for a more intimate look at the likes of Thien Cung, famed for its impressive stalagmites and stalactites; or drift past oysters farms and floating villages – ramshackle constructions linked by trembling walkways – to seek out secret beaches away from the boat-going hordes.

Getting there: Buses connect Hanoi to Haiphong, where a ferry can take you the one hour, 15 minute journey to Cat Ba Island.

Nơi đây cũng là một trong những điểm đến hấp dẫn nhất tại Việt Nam, chiếm phần lớn trong tổng số hơn 8,5 triệu du khách đến Quảng Ninh nửa đầu năm. Không chỉ có vịnh Hạ Long – một trong những kỳ quan của thế giới, thành phố Hạ Long còn có nhiều địa điểm tham quan như công viên giải trí Sun World, Bảo tàng Quảng Ninh, công viên Tuần Châu, Phố đi bộ Bài Thơ mới khánh thành, chợ đêm, các bãi tắm đẹp.

Vietnam boasts stunning landscapes – the karst outcrops of Halong Bay and the hilltribe-settled mountains around Sapa spring to mind – as well as beaches, charming colonial towns, the fascinating villages of the Mekong Delta and lush national parks.

Windsurf at Mui Ne, chill on tropical Phu Quoc Island, roam the historic streets of Hoi An, delve into the Viet Cong tunnels at Cu Chi and settle in for a water-puppet show in capital Hanoi – and those are just the headline acts.

As infrastructure improves and hitherto-remote areas open up to travellers, more of Vietnam’s treasures come to light – explore the hills around Ninh Binh, visit the Cham temples of Quy Non or meet the tribes of Ba Be National Park – so be prepared to look beyond this page and the Vietnam guidebooks, and discover your own gems.

🌏 wanderlust.co.uk

Team Wanderlust | 05 July 2023

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