North Central Vietnam

North Central Vietnam is also known as the North Central Coast (Back Trung Bo in Vietnamese). It is one o the more tourist-friendly regions o the country with karst countryside and holds the mot historical importance with Hoa Lu, one of the earliest capitals of the country. The region features 3 UNESCO world heritage sites in Vietnam such as Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Historical Monuments of Hue and Royal Court Music of Hue, to name a few.

Getting there:

As far as traveling to the region, your best bets are to take a north-south rail route or the highway. There is also an airport in the city of Vinh.

Places to visit:

Hue – This capital city of Thua Thein was the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 – 1945. It was the national capital until 1945 when the Communist government established Hanoi as the capital in the North. It is generally hot and wet and receives the most rainfall during the monsoon season making it one of the wettest Asian cities. Along the Perfume River of there are numerous monuments including tombs of emperors and the famous Thien Mu Pagoda.

 

Phon Nha-Ke Bang National Park --- This national park is an official UNESCO World Heritage Site in the central Quang Binh Province and is located 500km south of Hanoi. It originally was created to protect a region of 300 caves, grottos, and an ecosystem of limestone. Only 20 of the caves and grottos have been surveyed by Vietnamese and British scientists. The Phon Na cave for which the park was aptly named contains very interesting rock formations as well as the Ke Bang forest, which is the second half of the national park name. It was recognized in 2003 to be a UNESCO World Heritage site for its Neolithic artifacts, Cham hieroglyphics and other natural archeological structures. If you are interested in a primary eco-tour, this would be the area for you with boat tours and expeditions of the National Park’s caves, discovering various flora and fauna in the Ke Bang Forest as well as hiking and mountain climbing for the truly adventurous.

Tay Bac --- Meaning northwest, this region is located in the most mountainous part of Vietnam and has one of the lowest GDP per capita.

Dong Ha --- Like Dong Ha in the south, Dong Hoi suffered a lot of damage and violence during the Vietnam War. After a number of years, it became an attractive city for tourist with locations such as the Nhat Le River and a lot of beaches. It’s also a great area to explore the DMZ.

Vinh --- This is a city known as the city that rebuilds itself because of the new parks and other landscaping to make it more attractive for the tourist. There are a few attractions such as Ho Chih Minh’s birthplace and the Cua Lo beach.

Tam Coc --- Tam Coc is famous for its rice paddies and rock formations that jut out into the sea. It is named after low caves that the Ngo Dong River flows through. It is a very serene and scenic area in which the traveler can kick back and relax. In addition, there is an area called the Van Lan village that’s famous for its embroidery work on napkins, tablecloths, pillowcases, etc. that can be bought from local artisans at a cheap price.

Phat Diem – This was a center for Catholicism during the French occupation. When Vietnam was divided, Catholics fled and the cathedral was closed for many years. Today, the impressive cathedral complex that was built in 1891 and combines Sino-Vietnamese architecture with a European flare serves at least 120,000 Catholics in the area. Not far from the cathedral, there is the Dong Huong Pagoda in which the monastery it is housed serves a Muong Buddhist community.