10 Experiences for your Travel Bucket List

Would you like to spend your holiday in Vietnam? Read this article for 10 unique experiences to try in Vietnam and add more fun to your travel itinerary.

Vietnam is a beautiful country with a unique culture that is entirely different from other countries in the world. It is not the most technologically advanced place on the Earth, yet not quite rural you would expect either.

Being somewhere in between is what gives birth to a dynamic culture with daily life activities, places, and consumables of the modern world while retaining the essence of nature and traditions of the past.

This article will give you my list of 10 Unique Experiences to Try in Vietnam, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

10 Unique Experiences for Your Bucket list in Vietnam:

1. Cruise down the Mekong

As if refusing the passing of time and the evolution of mankind, Mekong remains one of the rivers with the most wildlife on the earth.

cruising through a canal in Caibe Mekong delta
Mekong Caibe

However, sightseeing is not the only value the cruise offers. A journey down Southeast Asia’s longest river is an adventure of its own pace. Your mind will relax, unwind, and perhaps see things differently in life too.

2. Saigon food tour on a scooter

Saigon is a city filled with food. Whether it is the excellent dining gourmet food or the little snacks from street vendors, Saigon street is filled with them.

Take a food tour on a scooter through Saigon and explore thousands of food from a culture completely different from your own. Who knows, you might even get inspiration for your own street food restaurant from this tour.

Xinchao Foodie Tour
A family on private food tour in Saigon

3. Riding motorbike from Sapa to Bac Ha

I am sure you already know Vietnam is a land of the motorbikes and riding them is incredibly fun. Of course, you can choose to travel from the two destinations by bus and still be able to appreciate the scenery. However, I am asking you to trust me. The feeling is way more relaxed when you ride a scooter.
There is no better to experience the culture and live like a local than a road trip with a scooter.

O Quy Ho pass from Heaven's gate in Sapa
O Quy Ho pass from Heaven’s gate in Sapa

4. Experience the Tunnel Cu Chi

As a person with mild claustrophobia, I didn’t quite like the idea of crawling through these remnants of the war times. Nevertheless, it was an excellent experience to discover what these people during the war went through.

Cuchi Tunnel Tour for a happy family with Xinchao Private Vietnam Tours
Memorable family photo on the M40 tank in Cuchi

It put things into perspective and made the trips much more meaningful.

5. Enjoy egg-coffee on the railway in Hanoi

Latte, frappuccino, mocha, and whatever, these are boring. They are everywhere. It’s about time you give egg-coffee a go. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about a potential diarrhea journey. Nonetheless, the first sip was enough to clear any doubt. The raw created a froth texture totally different from any latte you have ever tasted. Furthermore, enjoying that cup of egg-coffee on a railway in Hanoi added a more indescribable sensation to every sip.

Egg Coffee in Hanoi on Private Tour
Must-try Egg coffee in Hanoi

6. Light a lantern in Hoi An

If you manage to visit Da Nang city, which you should, be sure to check out Hoi An Ancient Town.

good morning Hoian
Early morning to see the best Hoian ancient town has to offer

Things to do would, of course, include sightseeing the ancient town, checking out vendors that sell local souvenirs, and many more. However, the one objective you should never miss is the lantern event. People in the town will hang up lanterns on their rooftops at night. In those moments, the town turns into the milky way. The sight is truly spectacular.

7. See Halong from the seaplane

Halong is an incredibly beautiful bay. The ocean view, the people, scenery are all fantastic. However, to truly appreciate it, you need to see the whole bay from a seaplane view. That would be when you will discover its beauty from another angle only visible when you are in the sky.

Halong Bay - Private Vietnam Tours
Halong Bay

8. Relax on the beach on Con Dao island

Relax on a beach is nothing strange nor new to anyone now, but to do so on the beach on Con Dao island is a different thing. Excuse me if I sound a bit cliche, but it truly is a unique experience different from other beaches I have been to. The tranquility there has a different vibe to it that neither the human language or camera cannot fully capture it.

9. Hiking in Pu Luong

Mostly doing any activities in Vietnam will be different to what you would generally experience, including hiking. Hiking in Pu Luong will let you see how life is like if civilization and mother nature co-exist. What you see wouldn’t just be a forest, there will be farms, crops with magnificent mountains and many more.

Pu Luong in September - private Vietnam tour

10. Explore the world’s biggest cave Son Doong

By now, you should have noticed how much I love exploring caves. However, Son Doong cave is by far the most incredible cave I have ever seen. The cave lives up to its reputation as the largest cave on the planet. The inside is so incredibly vast that you can probably build a small town in it. However, the one most unforgettable moment within the cave was when I woke up from my tent to find out pillars of light shining through the caves.

Overnight in Hang En - Private Vietnam Tours
Hang En on the way to Son Doong

That was perhaps the moment I found myself appreciating every factor that leads me to the cave. It was a sight mesmerizing enough for me to stare at it as I had never seen light before in my eyes. If I had to describe what looking at those pillars of light felt like, it would be divinity.

Wrapping up…

There you go folks, that’s my list of 10 unique experiences to try in Vietnam. I had loads of fun during my time in Vietnam, and these are the things that accounted for most of the joy I had. That’s why I highly recommend you to consider them during your trip to Vietnam

There were still so many things I wanted to do, but I didn’t have enough time. I will go back for a second round and explore the country more.

Stay tuned for the next article on a trip to Vietnam.

Related posts: