25 Reasons To Visit The ‘New’ Vietnam

We love the diverse landscapes within this dynamic country: roll along idyllic beaches with the breeze in your hair, navigate the winding canal-side lanes of the Mekong Delta, or challenge yourself with the Hai Van (Ocean Cloud) Pass and its awe-inspiring views.

If you’d rather walk than cycle, Vietnam’s got you covered! Paths spiral up limestone mountains with temples tucked away in nooks and crannies; local farmers beckon you to try your hand at some chores; the dense tenement blocks of Saigon lead to hidden dwellings seemingly insulated from the passage of time. Vietnam is a place to wander and invite serendipity!

Naturally, Vietnamese design sense makes its way into the properties we stay at on the Expedition trip, and in glorious fashion. Whether it’s the hushed, tree-shaded pathways of our longtime friends at Pilgrimage Village Hue; the breezy beachfront of the luxuriant Four Seasons Nam Hai; or the Zannier Bai San Ho with its stunning views of a secluded cove; each hotel will leave you awestruck and enamoured of the natural and built beauty of Vietnam.

Vietnamese have long subscribed to the notion that food is medicine. Here, gardeners and cooks will hold forth at length about the therapeutic properties of numerous herbs, fruits, seeds and flowers. The early morning callisthenics at Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake are another aspect of this emphasis on clean living and health. These values carry through to the on-trip restaurants we visit, as well as the fabulous spas of our hotels, where you can relax and decompress with a massage or treatment in complete serenity after the day’s ride. Your epic journey through Vietnam will leave you feeling joyful, healthy and inspired!

Vietnam’s pandemic response was one of the most effective in the world, with relatively few lockdowns necessary in much of the country. This is in keeping with its reputation as one of the world’s safest countries, with very little crime and an excellent healthcare system. The reason? A solidarity among the people that they also extend to visitors from abroad, so that you’ll instantly feel accepted and welcomed on your journey.

If you love natural, locally grown fruit, produce and meat, you can’t do any better than Vietnam. Each town has not one but multiple markets bursting with all that this fertile land brings forth.

With a coastline of 3,260 km (2,025 mi.) Vietnam is very much intertwined with the fishing culture. You’ll witness small wooden boats head out to sea with distinctive eyes painted on their prows to watch for danger. They bring back fresh, delicious seafood of every variety you can imagine, all of it on display at the morning markets for our selection!

The Vietnamese are discerning chefs who know how to bring out the maximum flavour from their healthy ingredients! Whether it’s our friend Duc in Hoi An or Saigon’s Anan interpreting traditional cuisine in funky new ways, or the mom and pop serving the classic pho or banh xeo, Vietnam rolls out the red carpet for your tastebuds! Psst… we get to visit some of these chefs for exclusive cooking demos and meals at their homes on trip!

Every region in Vietnam is proud of its local dishes, from Huế city’s bánh khoái pancakes to Hội An’s scrumptious mì quảng noodles. In fact, McDonald’s completely flopped in Vietnam because the locals knew it couldn’t compare with their homegrown snacks!

It’s no surprise that Vietnam excels at manufacturing, the country has long produced crafts that require precision, patience and skill. Lacquerware, silver carving, silk weaving, lanterns, fans and pottery… artisan families often congregate in villages centred on their particular crafts, so you can wander from house to house to enjoy the many variations on time-honoured techniques.

With one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, Vietnam is a country on the rise. Enterprising young Vietnamese, heartily encouraged by the older generations, look to the dawn of new possibilities in this booming era. The positive energy is palpable from the moment you arrive.

Pristine beaches stretch for miles along the coast, from north to south Vietnam, inviting you to wade into the opalescent surf in the morning, grab your board catch some waves, or watch a glorious sunset over cocktails.

The Vietnamese gracefully integrate the newfangled with the traditional. As you ride, you’ll see farmers using centuries-old techniques, then pulling out their smartphones for a chat with a friend! With its highly skilled workforce, Vietnam is producing many sophisticated goods, including smartphones and its domestic brand of an electrical vehicle, VinFast!

There are a stunning 54 recognized ethnic groups in Vietnam. This richness of language and culture makes a trip here endlessly stimulating, with varied clothing, farming techniques, home construction, and cuisine. To read more on the many ethnic groups of Vietnam and its neighbours, check out James S. Scott’s fascinating overview, The Art of Not Being Governed: An Anarchist History of Upland Southeast Asia.

Through the influence of feng shui principles, geomancy and the realities of a tropical culture, Vietnamese architecture and the landscaping that goes with it have long induced feelings of openness, serenity and comfort. In ancient sites such as Hanoi’s Temple of Literature right through to their distinctive take on Modernism, Vietnam’s designers usher us in to revel in their creations.

Vietnam’s biodiverse ecosystems are home to many rare and beautiful species, including monkeys, bears, cats, otters, birds, and the saola, sometimes described as “the Asian unicorn.” Through B&R's Slow Fund, we support the World Land Trust, which does important work in Vietnam protecting the homes of such precious and threatened wildlife.

As the mighty Mekong, the longest river in Asia, approaches the sea, it splits into nine large distributaries called the Nine Heads of the Dragon. Here, husband-and-wife teams steer puttering barges along winding river highways, and the floating markets feature small crafts piled high with durian, pineapple, jackfruit and mangoes. As we pass by on our own boat, we can haggle with them and buy our snacks for the day. Cycling the roads and canal side lanes of the Mekong Delta, we encounter a landscape unlike anything we’ve seen before.

Vietnam is a garment-manufacturing hub, and it shows in the styles worn on the streets: vibrant colours and patterns, each chosen with a personal flair. You can join in the fun by visiting local tailor shops (we know the best in town); whether you’re on the hunt for a new bespoke suit or a comfortable shirt for the warm temperatures, you can have it made to measure and delivered to your hotel within a couple of days!

It’s more important than ever that we travel with the well-being of the planet in mind, and Vietnam is quickly moving to the forefront of the sustainable travel movement. The Six Senses Ninh Van Bay is one such example. Among many measures, they've drastically reduced the use of plastics, recycle all glass products into concrete used on-site, and help reduce poaching of sensitive species on their scenic peninsula by offering alternative opportunities.