The ancient village of Duong Lam on the outskirts of Hanoi is also known as a museum of laterite, home to many houses built three or four centuries ago with lateritic bricks. It is also the birth village of two Vietnamese kings.

Buried in quiet surroundings, with yellow blossoms covering the wooden one-story condominiums looking out over the sea, Palm Garden, in the new Hoi An resort area, is nothing less than idyllic. Surrounding the resort is a palm garden bursting with over 400 palm trees, tilting and swaying over green grass.

A magnificent, mysterious realm of dry coral and shells distinguishes Tu Van Pagoda on the central coast from Vietnam’s many other pagodas. With its distinct origins, the pagoda, located in Cam Ranh Municipality of Khanh Hoa province, has become a popular stopover for many tours from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang, the capital of Khanh Hoa.

At 1,600m, the peak of Mau Son in Lang Son northern border province offers a bewitching view of the surrounding valleys. Through the clouds, visitors can see the rugged countryside of Lang Son, with China to the north, Na Duong to the east, and Dong Dang to the west.

Eight kilometres from Da Nang city is the picturesque rock outcropping of Ngu Hanh Son (Five Marble Mountains). Consisting of five large hills riddled with caves dedicated to Buddha and Budhistavas, the Marble Mountains were already serving as religious sanctuaries for the ancient Chams in the second century.

Ngan Ha villagers, both male and female, have got used to rowing the thuyen thung very early since childhood. Many still remember clearly the first day of learning how to row out from the shore without spinning around and around in a circle.

The Central Highlands province of Lam Dong offers plenty of opportunities for adventure. Coming here, visitors can choose from a wide variety of tours, from elephant riding, mountain biking, and trekking, to bird watching.

Located 130 kilometres from Hanoi in Duy Nhat commune in Vu Thu district, Keo Pagoda was built in the early days of the 17th century under the direction of Buddhist monk and renowned physician Duong Khong Lo.

The former imperial capital city of Hue is known not only for its ancient citadel and extravagant tombs, but also for its historic houses, with their beautiful gardens, or nha vuon. Each nha vuon boasts a rockwork and a lotus pond, and the whole garden area is arranged in line with eastern geomancy rules.

Those who take time to not only fleetingly glance over the landscapes and lives in the Central Highlands will discover that local people have many interesting and special customs.

Should you ever get tired of diving, swimming and sunbathing on Nha Trang’s beautiful shore, you can set out to explore the capital of the central province of Khanh Hoa in a different way, taking a horse-drawn carriage to rural villages on the outskirts of Nha Trang.

In the northwest of Ha Nam province there is a limestone mountain range along the banks of the soft flowing Day River. However, without a signpost saying it is a historical site, you might be forgiven for missing it.

Ngang Pass spans Hoanh Son Mountain, linking Quang Binh and Ha Tinh provinces in the central region. Many cultural and historical sites and natural scenery are located near the pass.

Cham Island, a group of eight islets off central Quang Nam province, is a romantic tourist spot. One of the islets is home to salanganes - the bird whose nests are nutritious and expensive. Of the seven other islets, two have residents and are named after Lang and Huong villages.

Maybe it is the flowers that make Dalat such a haven for lovers. Situated halfway between heaven and earth on a plateau that separates it from more mortal places, this honeymooner’s heaven is nestled amid immense pine forests and rolling hills.

In 1802, the ruling elite in Vietnam changed. Nguyen Anh came to the throne and became King Gia Long, the founder of the Nguyen Dynasty, which reigned from Hue until 1945.

Located 40 kilometres from Dong Hoi city and near the legendary Ho Chi Minh trail is Phong Nha-Ke Bang, one of the World’s Cultural Heritage Sites which is the pride of central Quang Binh province.

The island district of Phu Quy is located some 120 kilometres southeast of Phan Thiet, the capital of Binh Thuan Province on the central coast. The island is less popular than other attractions in Binh Thuan such as Mui Ne (Ne Cape) and Phan Thiet.

Bach Ma National Park protects a unique natural forest stretching from the East Sea to the Vietnam-Laos border. Located at the end of the North Truong Son Mountain Range, Bach Ma's highest mountain peak is 1,450 metres above sea level. Other mountains over 1,000 metres include Nom (1,259 metres) and Truoi (1,154 metres).

When the zoning plan for Dalat was mapped out in 1936, Doi Cu was designed as a "green lung" in the middle of the city, which is the capital of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

A weekend boat tour on the Red River (Song Hong) is a wonderful escape from the noise and dust of Hanoi. Visitors can choose to travel upstream or downstream on the river. Each direction reveals a piece of the history, geography, and people of the rural countryside in northern Vietnam. The upstream route offers fewer stops, but the landscape along the way is more picturesque.

Tram Chim National Park comprises 7,600 hectares of protected wetland in Tam Nong District, Dong Thap province, 240 kilometres southwest of Ho Chi Minh City. The Vietnamese Government recognised Tram Chim as a national park in December 1998, thus preserving one of the last extensive remnants of grasslands and freshwater swamp forests in the Mekong Delta.

Life Resort Quy Nhon seems on the right track to become a favourite among tourists travelling to central Binh Dinh Province, offering a variety of treats for the body and mind.

Da Lat city in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong is not just a pretty respite from Vietnam’s sweltering lowlands, it also has beautiful pagodas and churches. Here’s a brief rundown of two of the most visited Catholic churches.

Cat Ba Archipelago, off the northern port city of Hai Phong, has received UNESCO recognition as a World Biosphere Reserve. With the UNESCO special title received late last year, Cat Ba Archipelago becomes the fourth such reserve in Vietnam after Can Gio in Ho Chi Minh City, Cat Tien in Dong Nai Province and the Red River Delta.

Rising up from the green midlands of Vinh Phuc province, Binh Son Tower looks like a massive phoenix spreading its wings to fly south. It's also a bird within a bird: the tower makes up the eye of an even larger feathery figure, with nearby Vinh Khanh Pagoda acting as the animal's head.

Quan Thanh (Holy Mandarin) temple is an important historical and cultural place in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh district.

The Thung Lung Dao Hoa (valley of peach blossoms) nursery draws local visitors and even foreigners into its shaded enclosures and belongs to master grafter and hybridist Bui Van Loi.

The 710-metre Nui Cam is the highest peak in the mountainous region of That Son, or Bay Nui (seven mountains), in southern An Giang province.

The Meo Vac district of Ha Giang province is just 150 kilometres from Ha Giang town. High passes, deep abysses and razor sharp turns transform our coach into a cautious turtle as we creep up and up, at times touching or crawling through the clouds.