Sa Pa, Can Tho among Asia’s ‘most ideal’ autumn destinations

Canadian magazine The Travel has included Sa Pa town and Can Tho city in its list of “10 most ideal destinations” in Asia to visit this autumn.

Located at an altitude of over 1,500 meters above sea level in Vietnam’s northwest mountains, Sa Pa enjoys a cool climate all year round, making it ideal to visit at any time of the year.

“Visitors can explore the rice terraces, hike the available trails, and take in the amazing cultural scene,” The Travel says.

Sapa has some of the most stunning rice fields in Vietnam. The autumn season also coincides with the harvest season of ethnic minority groups in Sa Pa and the rice terrace fields get dyed in a golden yellow color.

For a bird’s eye view of terraced rice fields, visitors can take a cable car to reach Fansipan peak, which is often called “the Roof of Indochina” at a height of 3,143 m above sea level. The views are breathtaking.

Once a summer hideout for the French during colonial times, Sa Pa has managed to become one of the top tourist attractions in Vietnam with its year-round cool climate, rugged landscape and diverse culture.

Sa Pa is home to about 10,000 people, mainly ethnic minority communities like the Hmong, Dao, Giay, Xa Pho and Tay.

Located in the heart of the Mekong Delta, Can Tho city is an excellent spot to visit in autumn, The Travel said.

“One can enjoy boat riding along the Mekong Delta and, at sunrise, pay a visit to the Floating Market, which guarantees a memorable experience,” it says.

“This is a good place to connect to the amazing culture of the place, as travelers can see people exchanging products and services all day long.”

Known as the economic hub of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's most productive agriculture and aquaculture region, Can Tho lies at an intersection of canal and river networks that measure a total of 1,157 km.

The city is famous for its Cai Rang floating market, the biggest of its kind in the Mekong Delta where a 40-minute boat ride is the best way to explore life along the waterways.

The other top autumn destinations mentioned by The Travel are: Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park of Indonesia; Qingjing Farm of Taiwan; Korankei Valley of Japan; Nami Island of South Korea; Saiho-Ji Temple of Japan; Tereji National Park of Mongolia; Aowanda National Forest Recreation Area of Taiwan; and Karakol of Kyrgyzstan.