New York Times names Vietnam a place to travel in your 20s

A new travel check list by the New York Times has listed Vietnam among 20 places you should visit in your 20s, an age when people are eager to explore the world but do not have a lot of money or time off from work.

Vietnam is recommended as a country rich in cuisine, culture and natural beauty, as well as low prices. The country attracted 7.3 million foreign visitors in the first nine months of this year, up 25 percent on-year.

The magazine highlighted three particular destinations – Ha Long Bay, the ancient town Hoi An and the former capital Hue.

Ha Long Bay in northern Vietnam. Photo by Reuters/Kham

All three places are among the greenest tourist destinations in Vietnam and are much loved by both local and foreign visitors.

Ha Long is a natural marvel with more than 1,500 islands and inlets popping up from emerald waters that are perfect for a boat cruise.

The bay has become famous since UNESCO named it a natural heritage site and has made many travelers bucket lists.

Earlier this month, U.S. news site Business Insider also named a cruise trip through Ha Long Bay among the must-do travel experiences in Asia.

800km to the south of Ha Long is Hue, the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 until the end of feudal Vietnam in 1945.

The Perfume River in Hue. Photo by VnExpress/Thien Dinh Phan

The city known for its Imperial City and photogenic royal tombs on the outskirts, as well as its poetic beach, river, mountain sites and a wide range of special rice cakes.

The Trang Tien Bridge across the Perfume River. Photo by VnExpress/Thien Dinh Phan

Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue. Photo by VnExpress/Thien Dinh Phan

Hoi An is just a three-hour ride to the south of Hue. Once a popular trade port in the region, Hoi An now draws tourists to its picturesque wooden houses, pagodas, street-side eateries and hundreds of tailor shops.

Street lanterns win the hearts of many tourists to Hoi An. Photo by VnExpress/Tran Viet Anh

A travel forum run by U.S. magazine USA Today described Hoi An as one of the 10 most beautiful places in Southeast Asia, a place where one can find “tranquility and timelessness”.

“Best Day on Earth”, a new book by the U.K. travel publisher Rough Guide, listed Hoi An’s full-moon festival among the world’s most extraordinary travel experiences for the hundreds of lanterns that glow along alleys and river banks around town.

The New York Times list also includes Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, Cuba, Montreal, New Orleans, Oaxaca in Mexico, Patagonia in Argentina and Prague.