Lonely Planet ranks Central Vietnam in top 10 Asia-Pacific destinations for 2019

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Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

Lonely Planet, the world’s biggest travel publisher, has named Central Vietnam one of this year’s top destinations in the Asia-Pacific region.

“Bookended by the kinetic energy of Ho Chi Minh City and the (slightly) more relaxed historic ambiance of Hanoi, central Vietnam is one of the country's most diverse regions”, Lonely Planet wrote.

 According to the world’s biggest travel publisher,  Hue's vibrant cuisine showcases the city's imperial legacy, while south in Hoi An's storied laneways, local dishes include fragrant cao lau noodles. Seafood stars in nearby Da Nang, and the city alongside the Han River, is becoming one of Vietnam's most exciting urban destinations.

International air links with many Asian cities provide easy access to attractions like the Golden Bridge at nearby Ba Na Hills, while exploring the world-beating caves and rugged river and jungle wilderness of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is essential for adventurous and intrepid travelers.

Margaret River and Southern WA in Australia tops the list, followed by Shikoku in Japan, Bay of Islands and Northland in New Zealand, Singapore, The Cook Islands, and others.

Foreign tourist arrivals to Vietnam in the first six months of 2019 are estimated at 8.5 million, up 7.5% year on year, according to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam (GSO).

Of the total, the number of arrivals from Asian countries continued to make up the lion's share of 77.4%. Among them, arrivals from Taiwan – China represent  27%, those from South Korea 21.3%, and Japan 12.8%.

Meanwhile, the number of holidaymakers from Europe and America was estimated to have picked up by 5.5% and 5.2% from the same period of 2018, respectively.