I've been traveling across Vietnam for 10 years. These are 5 places to skip if you want to avoid crowds — and where to visit instead.
Hanoi-based travel writer Joshua Zukas has contributed to three guidebooks about Vietnam.
Tourist destinations like Sapa Town, Halong Bay, and Phu Quoc often get overrun with tourists.
Zukas recommends nearby alternatives to visit instead.
After contributing to three guidebooks and writing over a hundred travel stories about Vietnam, my conclusion is that there are no no-go destinations. Every town, city, and province has its merits. But I would question some of the must-see destinations that pop up on the typical travel itinerary. The highlights are popular for a reason, but with popularity comes over-tourism, and with over-tourism comes crowds, noise, and disruption.
Fortunately, there are viable alternatives to Vietnam's tourist hot spots. For those of us who would rather escape crowds than hunt highlights, there are five places I would suggest skipping — along with pointers on where to check out instead.
1. Skip: Sapa Town
Tourism in Sapa has a long history. The French colonized Northern Vietnam in 1883, and it remained part of French Indochina until 1954. During this time, when the colonists found the subtropical lowlands too hot to handle, Sapa — now a six-hour bus journey from Hanoi — turned into a popular European mountain retreat.
Perhaps because of the origin story, Sapa is often presented as a quant alpine town. This couldn't be further from the truth. While the countryside surrounding Sapa is glorious, the town itself is a perennial construction site.
Where to go instead: Parks and villages in the northern countryside
It's possible to skip the town and delve straight into the countryside by booking a multiday trekking tour with a Sapa-based company in advance. There are also over a dozen alternative destinations nestled in Vietnam's immense northern mountains to investigate.
Pu Luong Nature Reserve is home to some superb mountain lodges, Mu Cang Chai is famous for its cascading rice terraces, Ha Giang has some of Southeast Asia's best motorbiking, and Ba Be National Park offers kayaking, caves, and lakeside homestays.
2. Skip: Halong Bay
Halong Bay, a three-hour bus ride from Hanoi, is the star attraction of Quang Ninh Province. The hot spot has all the hallmarks of a tourism heavyweight: mythological intrigue, picturesque vistas, tasty local cuisine, and affordable cruises.
But at times, people can overwhelm the bay, prompting both UNESCO and IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, to express concerns about visitor numbers. In 2016, 8.3 million tourists visited Quang Ninh; by 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic, that number had jumped to 14 million, according to Vietnam News.
Where to go instead: Hai Phong Province
Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island in Hai Phong Province offer similar scenery, but far fewer cruise ships — and activities aimed at visitors have proliferated in recent years.
Lan Ha Bay cruises now rival those of Halong Bay, while Cat Ba Island combines aquatic activities like kayaking and swimming with terrestrial pursuits like climbing and hiking.
3. Skip: Hoi An
Bypassing Hoi An's lantern-strewn old town, central Vietnam's quintessential tourism darling, might take some guts. The restaurant scene is booming, the centenarian architecture is well-preserved, and there's a layered history to unearth.
However, local life has all but disappeared, tourist services have taken over, and some questionable construction policies make it difficult to distinguish between genuine heritage buildings and recent replicas. Overcrowding has even prompted the local authorities to propose a controversial entry fee to enter Hoi An's ancient core, according to VnExpress.
Where to go instead: Hue
The former imperial capital of Hue, another heritage city, is 87 miles north of Hoi An. Unlike Hoi An's old town, where sights are packed into just a handful of streets, Hue's historic quarter is vast. North of the Perfume River and speckled with palaces, pagodas, and temples, this walled city is unconcerned with tourists. Instead of burger bars and souvenir stores, the neighborhood offers a glimpse of ordinary Vietnamese life.
4. Skip: Danang
Central Vietnam's biggest city, with over a million people, Danang has a broad sandy metropolitan beach that gives Miami, Rio de Janeiro, and Barcelona a run for their money. However, finding a quiet spot by the sea, especially during national holidays and the sunny summer months, can be a challenge.
Where to go instead: Quy Nhon
Fortunately, central Vietnam's slender, sea-facing geography has incubated a handful of other lesser-known metropolitan beaches. South of Danang is Quy Nhon, a clean and quiet beach city surrounded by centuries-old Cham towers and labyrinthine fishing villages. North of Danang is Dong Hoi, another unhurried beach city and close to the inimitable caves of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.
5. Skip: Phu Quoc
Phu Quoc, an island in southern Vietnam off the coast of Cambodia, was once billed as the next Phuket or Bali. Then came the gaudy hotel properties, abandoned construction sites, and crass casinos. Phu Quoc will appeal to vacationers in search of a more traditional resort-based beach break— but it is not a pristine tropical refuge.
Where to go instead: Con Dao
Con Dao, also in southern Vietnam, has far fewer visitors. The island also appears to be learning from the mistakes of other destinations by limiting construction, regulating tourist arrivals, and enacting policies that protect the environment, according to the Vietnamese media network Voice of Vietnam. Hotel choice is limited and the island isn't as easy to get to, but when the scenery is this special, it's worth the effort.
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