11 Most Beautiful Places in Vietnam, According to The Times (P3: Southern Vietnam)
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11 Most Beautiful Places in Vietnam, According to The Times (P3: Southern Vietnam)
Cat Tien National Park – Vietnam’s Tropical Wilderness
Deep in southern Vietnam, Cat Tien National Park reveals a completely different kind of beauty from the mountains and coastlines found elsewhere on this list. Part of a UNESCO-recognized biosphere reserve, the park is a vast tropical wilderness where ancient forest, wetlands, grasslands and the Dong Nai River come together to create one of the richest natural landscapes in the country.
Step beneath the forest canopy and everything feels intensely alive. Giant tung and bang lang trees rise overhead, their enormous roots twisting across the forest floor, while bamboo, rare hardwoods, orchids and dense tropical vegetation fill almost every patch of green. After the first rains around May and June, butterflies begin to appear along forest trails in remarkable numbers, adding flashes of color to an already vivid landscape.
Hidden deeper inside the forest is Bau Sau, or Crocodile Lake, perhaps the most peaceful and atmospheric corner of Cat Tien. The vast wetland lies almost perfectly still beneath the open sky, fringed by forest and scattered with water grasses and lilies. It is also an important natural habitat for the rare Siamese crocodile, which can sometimes be seen gliding quietly through the water or resting along the shore. The contrast between the calm lake and the wild forest surrounding it makes Bau Sau feel wonderfully remote.
Wildlife gives Cat Tien another dimension entirely. More than 350 bird species have been recorded in the area, while deer, wild boar, gaur and many other animals inhabit its forests and grasslands. As darkness falls, the jungle changes character again, with nighttime wildlife excursions offering a glimpse of animals emerging beneath the cover of darkness.
With the Dong Nai River winding around its forests, waterfalls hidden among the trees and wildlife moving through the landscape, Cat Tien feels less like a place designed for sightseeing and more like a world you temporarily enter. Its beauty is raw, green and constantly moving, offering one of the closest encounters with Vietnam’s tropical wilderness.
Con Dao – Wild Nature and Island Escape
Far from the energy of Vietnam’s busy beach cities, Con Dao feels like an island escape in its purest form. Forest-covered hills tumble towards quiet beaches, the sea glows in brilliant shades of blue and long stretches of coastline remain wonderfully peaceful. There are no endless rows of beach clubs or crowded promenades here. Much of Con Dao’s charm comes from exactly what is missing: noise, crowds and the feeling that everything needs to move quickly.
Beneath the surface, the islands become even more extraordinary. Con Dao is home to one of Vietnam’s most important marine ecosystems, with more than 340 species of coral forming colorful reefs remarkably close to shore. On calm days, underwater visibility can reach around 20 to 30 meters, revealing coral gardens filled with tropical fish and other marine life. Green sea turtles, hawksbill turtles, giant clams, rays and even rare dugongs are among the species associated with these protected waters.
Yet perhaps the most unforgettable side of Con Dao appears after sunset. Between June and August, sea turtles return to protected beaches to lay their eggs, continuing a natural cycle that has unfolded here for generations. Joining a conservation-focused nighttime experience to quietly watch a turtle come ashore beneath the darkness offers a rare reminder of just how wild these islands still are.
That sense of untouched nature follows you everywhere in Con Dao, whether you are swimming above coral reefs, walking along an almost empty beach or simply watching the sea without another sound around you. Con Dao is beautiful because it still feels wonderfully removed from the outside world, a place where the greatest luxury is space, silence and nature left largely to itself.
The Many Faces of Vietnam’s Natural Beauty
Overall, what makes Vietnam extraordinary is not simply that it is beautiful, but how dramatically that beauty changes from one region to the next. Across a single country, mountains disappear beneath seas of clouds, rice terraces cascade down entire valleys, limestone cliffs rise above emerald rivers and enormous caves hide forests beneath the earth. Travel further south and the scenery transforms again, into sunlit coastlines, golden sand dunes, ancient tropical forests and islands surrounded by clear blue water and coral reefs.
These 11 destinations capture only a glimpse of that remarkable diversity. Some landscapes have been shaped by nature over millions of years, while others have been transformed by generations of people who learned to live alongside mountains, forests, rivers and the sea. Together, they reveal a country where nature is constantly changing in color, scale and character, yet remains deeply connected to the culture and everyday life around it.
Perhaps that is what makes the most beautiful places in Vietnam so unforgettable. There is no single landscape that defines the country. Instead, Vietnam feels like many worlds woven together, each journey revealing another side of its wild, diverse and endlessly surprising natural beauty.
Ready to discover your own side of Vietnam? ACT Travel Agent can help you create a journey shaped around the landscapes and experiences you want to see, from misty northern mountains and ancient heritage sites to tropical forests and peaceful islands. Start planning your Vietnam adventure with ACT Travel Agent and experience these remarkable places for yourself.
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Luxury Golf Tour in Da Nang, 5days
Hi Jimy, We returned home safely today. I would like to say a special thanks to you and your team ACT TRAVEL. We really loved and satisfied with your pro services. We do love these golf courses in Da Nang. They were amazing and fantastic quality and view. We will come back here soon. I am looking foward to working together with you soon! Best regards, Mr Clarence- Travel President, Philippines
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RAM Holidays from UK (Impressive of Vietnam 15 days)
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Australia | 10/13/2014
Mandarin Group from Australia (Charming Vietnam 10 Days)
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Mr. Ricardo - Program Manager said “Dear Kelvin, Thanks you very much for your well arrangement. Thank you for the updated weather information. I have traveled a lot as a geography professor and dealt with many tour operators. You are one of the best tour operators who can take so much concern and care about customers. I must congratulate you on your good organization and care to minute points. Thanks for the mobile phone you provided to us and SIM cards you provide to all of us (29 cards, I know they are not cheap), it was an excellent convenience for us. It was a brilliant idea and we really appreciated knowing there was someone we could contact at any time should we need to. We love your welcome dinner at Binh Quoi village, where we enjoyed rich traditional southern Vietnamese cuisine with musical accompaniment provided by local folk musicians. We were very interested in the traditional Vietnamese wedding in Binh Quoi and we never forget the “Gong show” in Buon Me Thuot. Once again, thank you very much for great job”.
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Orbiz Group from Australia (Discover Vietnam and Cambodia 15 Days)
Ms. Barbara Betts - Escorted guide from Australia said: " Dear Kelvin I want to take this opportunity to thanks you for providing us with superb guides in Vietnam and Cambodia. Well, Manh - tour guide in Vietnam is very professional and knowledegable and you can feel very safe in allowing him to guide your tours. The drivers you provided were also friendly, capable and they too did everything for the group to be happy Thanks you Kelvin so far for a fabulous tour.
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Malaysia | 10/13/2014
Teachers Group From Malaysia ( Hanoi – Halong bay – Ninh Binh 6 Days )
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United Kingdom | 10/13/2014
Ponila Group from UK (Higlight of Vietnam 16 Days).
Mr. Steven - Escorted guide from UK said: Our trip to Vietnam was overall a positive one. We were very happy with the level of accommodation and quality of the food at all times. We love Hanoi but Ha Long Bay is certainly one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen; the old city in Hoi An has great potential becoming a world-class tourist attraction; and citadel in Hue embodies a great deal of historic signifance, we have a lot of photos in Hue. Cruising on Mekong Delta river was so interesting and Dalat highland was very romantic. Finally, please give our thanks to the tour guides Mrs Phuong, Mr Ky and the drivers who accompanied us throughout, always accommodating to the group's requests and last minute changes in itinerary. We won't forget you!
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United States | 10/13/2014
Global Alliane Group From USA (Discover Vietnam – Cambodia 10 Days)
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