7 Epic Places in Vietnam Every Local Is Proud of

The road to Ban Gioc Waterfall might be tricky, but that’s part of the fun! At the end of an epic motorbike road trip you’ll find Vietnam’s largest, most majestic cascade. At 30 metres high and 300 metres wide, it’s certainly impressive. Seeing Ban Gioc is simultaneously exhilarating — especially seeing the river reaches the ledge and pour over sharply — and restful, with the surrounding rice fields, wooden bridges, and limestone mountains.

Son Doong Cave is the world’s largest cave, big enough to fit an entire New York City block — skyscrapers and all! An expedition into the caves is definitely not a relaxing walk. You’re required to be physically and mentally fit, as you need to be lowered by rope into pitch-black chasms. The number of spots on expeditions are limited every year, and cost around $3000, but you’re guaranteed one of the most thrilling and enchanting adventures in Southeast Asia.

Nothing beats the peace you encounter Mu Cang Chai Rice Terrace, about 280km from Hanoi. The steep slopes and seemingly endless curves of the golden green rice terraces create a fascinating pattern across the hills and valleys. The best time to visit is during the harvest season, in September and October.

Just three to four hours drive from Ho Chi Minh City, Mui Ne’s red and white sand dunes are unmissable. A stroll onto the dunes at dusk will often be rewarded with a dazzling blaze of colour: amber, crimson and blue.

It’s easy to imagine yourself in a fairytale while standing at Ta Xua Mountain. Far less known than Fansipan Mountain, Ta Xua is the 10th highest mountain in Vietnam. It is an extremely challenging place to visit for its cliffs, tricky routes, and heavy wind, and has acquired a notoriety that means not many people visit. Yet the sea of clouds that float all around make this a truly amazing sight.

The Con Dao Islands were a prison colony during French rule and the American-backed period of Vietnam’s history. This knowledge casts a forbidding shadow over the quiet town, but the place that once, nobody wanted to go is now one of the most spectacular unspoiled destinations in Vietnam. There are numerous beautiful beaches and wild, untamed forests.

Tra Su is a beautiful place, a blend of the empty wilderness of the flooded cajuput forests and laid-back Mekong Delta communities. The area is quite rugged, with many wild birds, lotus, duckweed and water lilies.