Sapa and Ninh Binh located in the northern part of Vietnam remain top rank in terms of the number of visitors thanks to breathtaking views and unique culture. While Sapa is well-known for its mountainous scenery and ethnic groups custom, Ninh Binh attracts tourists with Trang An river which passes through the most beautiful and charming karst sceneries in Vietnam.
Sapa – the far north attraction
TripstoDiscover stated that “Sapa, which is located in the far north of the country, is one of the best places to visit in Viet Nam. It is surrounded by dramatic beauty with its world-famous terraced paddy fields”.
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| Sa Pa town is well – known for terraced fields. |
The US travel site also highlighted that “It sits high up in the Hoang Lien Son Mountains and makes a great base for trekking or mountain biking tours with routes that will bring you past magnificent waterfalls, through rice paddies, and around charming mountain villages which are home to families known for making fantastic local handicrafts.
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| Fansipan – the highest peak of Indochinese Peninsula. Photo: fantasea.vn |
Traveling to Sapa, visitors may also experience the highest peak of the Indochinese Peninsula (including Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia) in Fansipan mountain. The must-try places in Sapa suggested are Ta Phin village, Muong Hoa valley, terraced rice fields, Silver waterfall,…
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| Muong Hoa valley, where tourists prefer trekking tours |
The site recommended travelers to visit ethnic group villages where they can view firsthand how these items are made, in addition to purchasing products such as traditional weavings and carvings as souvenirs.
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| Ta Phin village. Photo: vietnamtour |
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| Silver Waterfall in Sapa |
Ninh Binh – hiden gem near the capital
TripstoDiscover also praises the picturesque Ninh Binh landscape, which is not as popular as Ha Long bay. It’s 93km far from Hanoi to the southeast, Ninh Binh is famous for its rich history and culture, the majesty, the pristine untouched beauty of mountains, rivers and stretching rice fields. In particular, Ninh Binh owns Trang An landscape complex – the World natural and cultural heritage recognized by Unesco.
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| Trang An from above. Photo: Viator |
“It possesses hundreds of limestone monoliths topped by vibrant greenery that rise from the ground scattered throughout the city with rivers flowing through”, the site noted.
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| Tam Coc – Bich Dong. Photo: Ninh Manh Thang |
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Top pagoda of Hang Mua temple, rice fields, Ninh Binh Vietnam. Photo: TripstoDiscove |
Trips to Discover recommend readers to take a boat trip through the caves in Trang An and visit Bai Dinh and Bich Dong, there area many Buddhist pagodas.
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| Bai Dinh Pagoda |
Ninh Binh was once chosen to be the setting for the Hollywood movie “Kong: Skull Island”. The film has contributed to helping Ninh Binh become a new destination for many international visitors.
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| The movie sets of “Kong: Skull Island” . Photo: @bregtv |
TripstoDiscover also suggests some activities when coming to Ninh Binh such as visiting caves by boat in Trang An, visiting many beautiful temples like Bai Dinh and Bich Dong, of which Bai Dinh pagoda is a Buddhist temple that holds many records of Vietnam and Asia.
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| Boating on Trang An. |
The other destinations in the list are Gifu of Japan, Okinawa Islands of Japan, Shōdoshima Island (Japan), Sarawak (Malaysia), Bagan (Myanmar), Sumba (Indonesia), Ella (Sri Lanka), Nusa Lembongan (Indonesia), Belitung (Indonesia), Hoh Xil (Tibet), Champasak (Laos), and Koh Kood (Thailand).
