Central Vietnam promises unique allure in 2020

World Travel Magazine, Southeast Asia’s leading luxury travel magazine, says Vietnam mid-riff is among top 15 not-to-miss spots this year.

“Central Vietnam is a melody of unique terrain, grand, sandy beaches, delectable islets quirkily creating a mini archipelago, and majestic mountains hiding many unfathomable wonders,” the Singaporean magazine said Wednesday.

It urged readers to tour Dong Hoi, capital of Quang Binh Province, around 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Hanoi.

Quang Binh, dubbed Vietnam’s cave kingdom, is a rising star on the local tourism map and has been made various efforts to gain global recognition. It is home to UNESCO heritage site Phong Nha-Ke Bang and the world’s largest cave Son Doong.

My Son Sanctuary in Quang Nam Province is a must-visit destination on a tour of central Vietnam, World Travel Magazine stated.

“Once home to the Champa kingdom, My Son near Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, much loved for the romantic air resulting from its painting-worthy scenery of colorful lanes and cultural buildings lined up along canals and bay, a melting pot of cultures.”

The former imperial capital of Hue should not be skipped, it said. “Hue, once witness to the glories and collapse of Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), is lined with dazzling pagodas in sculptured splendor, complete with palaces, shrines, citadel, and statues of warriors and horses guarding the secrets of ancient tombs.”

Hue beef noodles, crab noodles, banh beo (steamed rice cake), banh ram it (fried dumpling), and banh bot loc (tapioca dumpling) are the most famous local dishes, it suggested.

The magazine advises travelers to explore Da Nang, Vietnam’s third largest city, famous for the annual international fireworks festival. “Da Nang is blessed with beaches, marble mountains, and a unique French flare in certain quarters.”

Other destinations included in the magazine were Patagonia between Argentina and Chile, Ladakh State in India, St. Petersburg in Russia, Dubai, Kyushu Island of Japan and Rijeka in Croatia.

Last year, U.K. travel magazine Lonely Planet listed central Vietnam among the top 10 must-go destinations in Asia-Pacific.

Source: vnexpress