Hoi An, Phong Nha, Ninh Binh top the list of 'most welcoming' destinations in Vietnam

By Lan Do, Thai Ha
Thu, February 22, 2024 | 8:14 am GMT+7

The ancient town of Hoi An tops the list of 10 most welcoming destinations in Vietnam, followed by Phong Nha and Ninh Binh, according to the 12th annual Traveller Review Awards of Booking.com.

Vietnam has 11,362 accommodation partners this year that are recognized by Booking.com for their excellent service and hospitality. They received over 1,244,000 reviews with an average review score of 8.9.

When the night falls in Hoi An city. Photo courtesy of Booking.com.

When the night falls in Hoi An city. Photo courtesy of Booking.com.

Most welcoming destinations

Hoi An, a UNESCO world heritage site, has been named as the most welcoming city in Vietnam. Phong Nha, known as an "adventurers' paradise", and Ninh Binh with its majestic natural wonders, took the second and third spots.

The ancient town of Hoi An is praised by UNESCO for being an “exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port".

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in the central province of Quang Binh features great geological diversity and offers spectacular phenomena while harboring a high level of biodiversity and many endemic species.

Phong Nha is home to Son Doong, the biggest natural cave on the planet, as well as the third largest Hang En.

The northern provine of Ninh Binh, home to the UNESCO world cultural and natural heritage site Trang An Landscape Complex, is one of 12 coolest Asian film locations to visit, according to Travel + Leisure. The U.S. travel site credits the listing to the northern province being a filming location for the 2017 blockbuster “Kong: Skull Island.”

Trang An Landscape Complex, a UNESCO cultural and natural heritage site in Ninh Binh, northern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of the province's portal.

Trang An Landscape Complex, a UNESCO cultural and natural heritage site in Ninh Binh, northern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of the province's portal.

2024’s Top 10 most welcoming destinations in Vietnam are Hoi An, Phong Nha, Ninh Binh, Cao Bang, Phu Quoc, Ha Giang, Ha Long, Da Lat, Tuy Hoa and Nha Trang.

Most welcoming accommodation types

In recent years, travelers have increasingly been looking for properties that offer an alternative to the traditional hotel experience, according to Booking.com.

In Vietnam, four out of the top five most awarded accommodations types for 2024 are unique places to stay. While hotels (5,270) remained the most-awarded accommodation type for 2024 with 4,671 partners being recognized for their efforts, apartments (2,199) came in second, followed by homestays (1,468), aparthotels (510) and guest houses (429).

Alternative accommodations in Vietnam have witnessed a notable surge in popularity in recent years demonstrating continued traveler appreciation for a broad range of different kinds of stays and the unique hospitality they can provide, the travel site added.

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