Vietnam a great place for good food, cheap beer

The Traveller, an Australian travel news magazine, asked 19 travel experts to draw up a list of “Best places to travel in 2019.”

James Thornton, chief executive of Intrepid Group travel agency, said, “Vietnam remains a favorite for Aussies.”

He said his company chose Vietnam for two reasons - stunning cycling tours and amazing food adventures.

Binh Tien beach on the border of Ninh Thuan and Khanh Hoa provinces, Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress

Besides, tourists can get 14 beers for just US$20 Australian dollars in Vietnam, against two in Japan and three in Turkey.

Anthony Laver, group general manager of Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours, predicted that luxury river cruises through Vietnam and Cambodia on the Mekong River would be a popular trend in 2019.

Norman Arundel, director of hotels and resorts at Event Hospitality and Entertainments, said that Morocco and Vietnam would become more mainstream in 2019 as “an adventurers’ delight.”

Other destinations picked by the travel experts included Africa and Canada for nature and wildlife and France and Germany for food, wine and beer.

The article also provided useful insights into travel trends next year such as meeting new and local people with great stories behind them and leveraging technologies such as navigation and check-in via apps to enhance a traveller’s experience.