Vietnam among 'best slow travel holidays' for 2023

Vietnam has been named among 20 best slow travel holidays for 2023 with "a salubrious wellness journey" by leading Australian travel site Traveller.

"Go well by combining culture and sightseeing with activities designed to relax, rejuvenate and remind you that nothing is more important than your health," the site wrote.

"Inside Asia Tours has a wellness-oriented journey through the length of Vietnam that's active thanks to cycling and walking tours, and which involves the likes of sunrise yoga, organic cooking classes, an aromatherapy workshop, a stay in Alba Wellness Valley with daily spa treatments, and a kick-back beachside finale at Phu Quoc, Vietnam's hip resort island," it added.

Phu Quoc, Vietnam's largest island off the southern province of Kien Giang, became well-known globally after the government allowed 30-day visa-free entry to the island in 2014. The island received five million visitors in pre-pandemic 2019, 541,600 of them foreigners, according to official data.

"Kick back on a multi-day cruise on Lan Ha Bay, the quieter alternative to Ha Long Bay but with the same humped peaks. Sunrise tai chi on the deck is a good start to the day," Traveller noted.

Lan Ha Bay, around 30 kilometers from downtown Hai Phong city in northern Vietnam, is shaped like an arc adorned by 400 different large and small islands and 139 fine white sand beaches at the foot of mountains. It was singled out for its beauty by the Association of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World in 2020.

Northern Vietnam’s UNESCO-listed Halong Bay is one of the most beautiful places in the world, featuring 1,600 islands, blue-green water, and spectacular limestone karst landforms.

The bay was recognized by UNESCO in 1994 and in 2000 as a world natural heritage for the beauty of its landscape and its geological and geomorphological values.

Ha Long Bay, located in Quang Ninh province, is 165 kilometers from Hanoi. Covering an area of 43,400 hectares and including over 1,600 islands and islets, most of the bay is uninhabited and unaffected by humans, according to UNESCO.

Early this month, Vietnam had been named among the 10 best places for a budget honeymoon in 2023, where you can "expect to eat like royalty even when you're on a budget", according to the world's leading travel guide Lonely Planet.

Lonely Planet suggested "a mid-range trip won’t break the bank either, but will buy more characterful guesthouses, a better Halong Bay cruise, and memorable experiences (a cookery class, a cycle around Hoi An) with change left for a beach stay on beautiful Phu Quoc Island."

In January, Vietnam was labeled best culinary destination in Asia for 2023 by New York-based travel magazine Travel + Leisure.

"If there’s one cultural cuisine that bursts with umami goodness, it’s Vietnamese cuisine. The country, apart from its beautiful landscapes, is known for its food," the magazine wrote.

"Everywhere you go, you’ll be met with local, regional delicacies that will bowl you over, as you soak in new, exciting experiences and visit stunning destinations," it added.