The best things to do range from ancient pagodas and war history sites in Vietnam to temple complexes and island-hopping in Thailand, and from Gardens by the Bay to Sentosa Island in Singapore — and what’s worth your time changes destination to destination. These guides rank the essential sights for each place, with honest notes on what’s overhyped and what’s worth skipping. Coverage spans major destinations across Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore.
Mai Chau and Pu Luong are built for slow, active days rather than a checklist of sights: cycling through rice paddies, trekking between villages, floating down a river on a bamboo raft, and — if you time it right — watching mist pour through the valley at sunrise. Nothing here requires technical skill, which is…
Mu Cang Chai’s main draw is its four signature terrace viewpoints — La Pan Tan, Mam Xoi, Mui Giay, and Mong Ngua — but trekking between H’mong villages, paragliding off Khau Pha Pass, and visiting the weekend market round out a well-spent 2-3 days. Most viewpoints are free or charge a small entry fee; trekking…
The single best way to experience Ba Be Lake is a half-day to full-day boat tour that strings together its main sights: Puong Cave, Dau Dang Waterfall, Ba Goa and An Ma Islands, and the Ao Tien “Fairy Pond.” Beyond the boat, trekking to Tay and Hmong villages, kayaking on quieter stretches of the lake,…
Ban Gioc Waterfall gets most of the attention, but Cao Bang has enough beyond it to fill a second and third day: a 36-lake alpine complex, a cave and stream tied to Ho Chi Minh’s return to Vietnam, a national park cool enough to see occasional winter frost, and a 400-year-old stone village. None of…
Ban Gioc Waterfall is a wide, multi-tiered waterfall on the Quay Son River that forms part of the natural border between Vietnam and China, and it is one of the largest transnational waterfalls in the world. Nguom Ngao Cave sits just a few kilometers away and is almost always visited on the same day. This…
The best things to do in Buon Ma Thuot split into three groups: coffee-culture sites in and around the city, nature and wildlife destinations that require a day trip, and Ede and M-nong cultural experiences that give the region its identity beyond coffee. Most visitors can cover the highlights of all three in two to…
The best things to do in Moc Chau, from tea plantations and the Bach Long Glass Bridge to waterfalls, dairy farms, and ethnic-minority villages.
Can Tho’s essential experiences are almost all water- or river-adjacent: an early boat trip to the Cai Rang floating market, a walk along Ninh Kieu wharf, a visit to the Binh Thuy Ancient House, and, if you have a second day, a trip out to the Bang Lang Stork Garden. None of these require more…
Hue’s essential experiences are the Imperial City, the royal tombs outside town, Thien Mu Pagoda on the Perfume River, and, for history-focused travelers, a day trip to the former DMZ. Together they make Hue the most history-dense stop on a typical Vietnam itinerary. The Imperial City Must-See #1 Khai Dinh + Tu Duc Tombs Must-See…
The best things to do in Phong Nha, Vietnam: Paradise Cave, the Phong Nha Cave boat tour, Dark Cave zipline and mud bath, and multi-day cave treks.
