40 Photos That Prove Why Vietnam Is Simply Awesome

In case you didn’t already know, Vietnam is a pretty awesome country. After our 7 months backpacking and riding motorbikes around the country it cemented itself as our all-time favourite nation.

The people, the food, the beaches and the mountains, everything about this place is simply kick ass!

If you don’t believe us, just let our photos convince you that you need to drop everything you are doing and buy a one way plane ticket to Vietnam!

Check out our guide to help you Travel In Vietnam.

Hang En Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam Is Awesome
The massive exit of Hang En – the third largest cave in the world. Yea, it’s pretty big.
Ma Pi Leng
Vietnam has got the deepest canyon in all of Southeast Asia – Ma Pi Leng.
Dalat Canyoning
Vietnam is full of perfect places to sit and reflect on just how awesome life is. (Read more about motorbiking the road from Dalat to Nha Trang.)
My Son Ruins
It’s not just Cambodia that has ancient stone temples – Vietnam has the UNESCO World Heritage Listed My Son near Hoi An. (Read more about the temples.)
Mai Chau Lake
Gorgeous lakes are found just about everywhere, such as this one just outside of Mai Chau. (Read more about Mai Chau.)
Da Nang Photos
Even major cities have incredible views. This is overlooking Da Nang from the top of the Marble Mountains. (Read more about Da Nang.)
Halong Bay Photos
And who could forget Halong Bay? (Read more about Halong Bay.)
Da Nang Beach Photos
Vietnam has thousands of kilometres of coastline, meaning it is real easy to find a whole beach completely to yourself.
Sapa Mountains Photos
The mountains are big. Real big.
Dirt Road Photos
You can take a wrong turn and end up in the middle of nature in a matter of seconds.
Ganh Da Dia Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
Nope, this isn’t the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland. This is Ganh Da Dia in Vietnam. (Read more about this fascinating site.)
Smiling Kids Photos
The kids are just adorable!
Canyoning In Dalat Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
You can abseil down waterfalls in Dalat! (Read more about canyoning in Dalat.)
Waterfalls Photos
So many waterfalls!
Clouds Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
Vietnamese cloud porn!
Market Fruit Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
Delicious fresh fruit can be bought on nearly every street corner.
Hue Sunset Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
Those sunsets are to die for!
Hue Stars Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
And when the sun does set, the stars come out to play!
Hoi An Lanterns Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
Who could not love the lanterns in Hoi An?
Music Man Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
The city parks are filled with music, dancing and laughter.
Traditional Fishing Hoi An Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
Centuries old fishing techniques are still in use today.
Beaches Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
Yep, the beaches are still awesome!
Japanese Bridge Hoi An Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
Even the bridges are beautiful!
Ninh Binh Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
Ninh Binh – It’s like Halong Bay, but with rice fields!
Incense Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
There are so many interesting cultural traditions, such as the burning of incense and offerings for deceased ancestors.
Tractor Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
There is no limit to what you can fit on a vehicle!
Hang Son Doong Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
Vietnam has Hang Son Doong – the world’s biggest cave. It doesn’t get much more awesome than that! (Read more about Phong Nha.)
Small Cave Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
And even the small caves are beautiful.
Hanoi Sunset Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
Even in a bustling city like Hanoi, you can find tranquil spots to fall in love with the place even more.
Rice Fields Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
Rice fields and mountains. So good!
Motorbike Roads Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
Who couldn’t love riding a motorbike through Vietnam? The roads were made for it! (Read more about motorbiking in Northern Vietnam.)
Mui Ne Sand Dunes Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam Is Awesome
This isn’t the Sahara Desert – this is the sand dunes outside of Mui Ne in Southern Vietnam. Pretty damn cool.
Ha Giang Limestone Photos
Limestone mountains that resemble beehives near Ha Giang.
Lung Cu Photos
This is what the Northern-most point of Vietnam looks like. Impressive, huh?
Hai Van Pass Photos Make You Travel To Vietnam
The famous Hai Van Pass. Too lovely!
Hammock Photos
There are lots of places to hang a hammock and read a good book. (Read more about the Wild Boar Eco Farm.)
Scuba Diving Nha Trang Photos
Even beneath the surface is awesome. (Read more about scuba diving in Nha Trang.)
Minority Groups Photos
Vietnam is home to 54 ethnic minority groups.
Mr Vi People Photos
The Vietnamese people are amongst the kindest and welcoming you will find anywhere in the world.
Rice Fields Photos
So what are you waiting for? Go buy that plane ticket and come to Vietnam!
About the Author - Alesha and Jarryd

Hey! We are Alesha and Jarryd, the award-winning writers and professional photographers behind this blog. We have been travelling the world together since 2008, with a passion for adventure travel and sustainable tourism. Through our stories and images we promote exciting off-the-beaten-path destinations and fascinating cultures as we go. As one of the world's leading travel journalists, our content and adventures have been featured by National Geographic, Lonely Planet, CNN, BBC, Forbes, Business Insider, Washington Post, Yahoo!, BuzzFeed, Channel 7, Channel 10, ABC, The Guardian, and plenty other publications. Follow our journey in real time on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

95 thoughts on “40 Photos That Prove Why Vietnam Is Simply Awesome”

  1. Loved looking through these pictures, some amazing memories of an incredible trip there.

    • Thank you. Stoked you liked the post. When did you go to Vietnam? Glad you had a great trip. This country is so beautiful. We love it there. ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Wow, such beautiful photos! Love how colorful and full of life they are! Trying to improve my photography so this is an excellent inspirational post. Thanks!

    • Thank you so much. Glad you enjoyed them. Do head over to our article on improving your photography. We have photoventure tours in August and September if you want to take to a new level. Do check out You Tube also. There are some really great creators on there that share their tips for free. All the best
      https://www.nomadasaurus.com/travel-photography-tips-for-beginners/

  3. This is interesting Alesha. Should be a must destination for travelers.

    • It is a great destination for all travellers. ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. What a beautiful way of life guys! Reminds me of when i first set off on my travels. Traveled around until i found Vietnam and then never left! That was nearly 4 years ago now. Met a lovely Vietnamese woman, bought a bike and a tent and off we went together, now she is my wife! Your pictures are so inspiring and really do it justice! Congrats!

    • What an amazing story. Congratulations. Life is so beautiful and take you down these journeys that are meant to be. How long were you travelling on bikes for? We bet you saw a lot of amazing places and met many friendly people. We hope to return to Vietnam one day. It is still our favourite country we have travelled too.

      • It was amazing, we wild camped for a month in the north east of the country, starting from Hanoi on a circular route, just me, the wife our bike and tent! We are heading out for another month in Feb, again wild camping on the bike but this time we start in saigon! Its gonna be awesome! We are lucky though as its the country we live. If you guys manage to get back over you should look us up!

        • Sounds like a great start for the New Year, Have a great adventure. Depending we will get in touch when we return to Vietnam. ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Wow, amazing shots! ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Thank you so much

  6. Hi Jarryd and Alesha! I came across your site because I have been searching since forever on how to do SE-Asia. I started booking here and there last February, and now that I came across your blog I am kicking myself for not researching better. My husband and I will be travelling across countries for the first time at the end of this month and we don’t know where to start! What we did was just look at Google Map of SE Asia and saw that Vietnam-Cambodia-Thailand are interconnected by land and could be “easily backpacked” so there, backpacking through those three countries. Thank you for being generous with information, I am now sad that we’re doing Ho Chi Minh instead of Hanoi, haha.

    • Hi Jocelyn, it is all a bit overwhelming as every country is so big. HCMC is a beautiful place too. You are close to the Mekong Delta and can take a boat ride to see river life. Dalat is a gorgeous European style city. You can easily send a few days there.

      Where are you going? Maybe we can help you with some other suggestions that are not too far off your itinerary. Happy travels

  7. We have decided to head to Vietnam in April!! Base ourselves in Hoi An for a couple of months and do some exploring.

    We are looking forward to going back and your pictures are making us want to get of the beaten path a lot more than our list visit. We are hoping to head to Quang Binh so cannot wait.

    • So awesome guys. You will love it. Hoi An is an amazing place. So beautiful. Definitely check out Phong Nha. That is our favourite place in Vietnam. We miss it. Have an amazing time guys and enjoy. ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. These pictures are simply mind blowing. I am so inspired to visit Vietnam next on my list.

    • Thanks so much. Definitely check Vietnam out. It is a beautiful country.

  9. Currently living in Vietnam, deeply in love with that country your photos are stunning thank you for sharing

    • Thank you so much. It is a beautiful country. ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. Brings back so many memories. Vietnam is stunning and we’d love to go back again

    • Definitely is. Thank you for your comment. ๐Ÿ™‚

  11. Wow! I’ve read a lot of blogs about Vietnam and must say that yours is so far the best one! Incredible pictures. You’ve inspired me to explore more and more about my country. I actually read through almost all of your articles about Vietnam. How long were you there?
    ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks!

    • Thank you so much Hang. We really appreciate it. We spent a total of 7 months in Vietnam. 2.5 months settled in Phong Nha and 4.5 travelling around the country on our motorbikes. We can’t wait to return one day. Happy travels

  12. You two should start an adventure travel business if you havent already-and sign me up! Stunning photos and w/quick descriptions, makes it an easy read. I was on the fence about traveling to Vietnam this year and passed because I waited too late to plan my “wedding anniversary in another country” adventure that my husband and I have undertaken for the past 12 years. Because of your pix, I am planning already…to make #13 a Vietnam trip. Thanks a ton!

    • Thank you so much Steph. We really appreciate it. Sorry about the late reply. We are stoked you are planning and getting ready. Vietnam is a beautiful country and there is so much to do. The canyoning in Dalat is so much fun. Highly recommend it. We went with Dalat Passion Tours and they were so professional and we felt very safe. Enjoy and have a lot of fun. ๐Ÿ™‚

  13. Thank you guys for sharing those stunning photos and especially your feeling Vietnam in such a wonderful way. Our positive attitude is always the most important thing that makes us love anywhere we go to. I believe your photos have inspired a lot of travelers to visit Vietnam ๐Ÿ˜‰

    • We totally agree. We have a massive soft spot for Vietnam. Thank you for your comment. ๐Ÿ™‚

  14. Your topic is inspiring to any reader who is following reading your topic, all is the great experience that you made a picturesque Vietnam brief for traveler who are going to travel in Vietnam. Also, Pu Luong Nature park is one of best place should come.

    Nice, Catherine from Go Indochina Tours

  15. Thanks for amazing photos of Vietnam. But, it seems your missing Ba Be National Park ๐Ÿ™

  16. thank you guys for bringing Vietnam to the world, thank you very much.

  17. These photos looks exactly the same like I saw my Vietnam ๐Ÿ™‚ I felt in love with Vietnam from my first look ๐Ÿ™‚

  18. Wow!!! stunning photos. Thanks for capturing my heart with those beautiful photographs. Really looking forward to visiting.

    • Thanks! You’ll love it when you get there. Happy travels! ๐Ÿ™‚

  19. Great photos guys and you’re right, this is a wonderful country and the reason I stayed after travelling through for 3 months on my bike…been here nearly 4 years now and not regretted it one bit…even started a business too lol. Cheers

    • Wow 4 years eh! That’s awesome. Vietnam is still our favourite country ever. Will look you up when we come back to the country ๐Ÿ™‚

      • Yeah sure guys, come and see us, I’ll shout the beers. :p

  20. Wonderful photos! I had the pleasure of spending 6 weeks in Vietnam a couple of years ago. I’m heading back this summer with my boyfriend and can’t wait! Your photos reminded me of how many amazing places there are to see.

  21. God, those pictures are gorgeous! I’ve been living in Vietnam for 2 years but didn’t have the opportunity yet to see half of what you saw. Your article makes me want to catch up asap!
    Cheers
    Marine

  22. Before I read your blog I thought Mulu CAve in Sarawak Malaysia is the biggest size in the world.
    Are you sure this Vietnamese one is the biggest?

    • Positive ๐Ÿ™‚

  23. what did u do in Vietnam for so long except traveling?

    • Lived in Phong Nha for 2.5 months, adventuring around the place. But mostly just travelling. ๐Ÿ™‚

      • If I may ask, do you work while there? Exploring is fun, but also rather expensive, especially for such an extended period of time.

        • We worked hard in Australia and saved a lot of our money before leaving on our trip. Staying in the same place for a period of time works out cheaper than continuously travelling. When we were living in Phong Nha for 2.5 months we were only spending $20 USD for rent, food and a few beers now and then. We did have our own motorbikes for transport but also rode our bicycles around town a lot. Now we work full time as destination marketers.

  24. Your Viet Nam photos were beautiful and brought back great memories!! I spent 2015 New Years in Ha Long Bay. …stunning, to say the least!! Traveled another two weeks and completely fell in love with the county and the people. Can’t wait to go again.

    • Stoked to hear you loved Vietnam as much as we did! Happy travels Kerri ๐Ÿ™‚

  25. I have read this post over and over…. came home from one month in Vietnam on Saturday and saw many of these places! I miss it already!

    • Vietnam is incredible! Glad you loved the country as much as we did ๐Ÿ™‚

  26. Awesome photos! Vietnam has such variety & you guys captured about every aspect of it! Hope your travels are going well.

    • Thanks so much Lindsay. Vietnam is our favourite country. Hope everything is going well back in Hoi An ๐Ÿ™‚

  27. I had already read this post, but had to see it again! I can’t wait to go to Vietnam later this year!! ๐Ÿ™‚

    • You won’t regret it ๐Ÿ˜‰

  28. these are photos about my country.how do you feel? still many interesting things are waiting for you to discover. let’s travel a time to vietnam, you never forget it. i’m very happy to make friend with you .

    • We love Vietnam! It is our favourite country. Thanks for reading ๐Ÿ™‚

  29. We’re hoping to make it to Vietnam in another few months and your incredible pictures give us wanderlust to get there even sooner! Absolutely amazing. You guys really have a knack with capturing these awesome places.

    • Thanks very much John! Glad we could help with the wanderlust ๐Ÿ˜‰

  30. Thank you guys for posting these photos. It ‘s amazing but it actually could be more awesome than that if you reached those places at the right season.
    Whenever you want to update more photos, you can contact me. I will give all of them to you with pleasure.
    My best

    • Thanks Ngoc! We’ll just have to go back to Vietnam again one day ๐Ÿ™‚

  31. Wow, these photos are just awesome. I had never heard of Ninh Binh, but it looks gorgeous! I’m sure it’s a little less touristy than Halong Bay too.

    • Ninh Binh is amazing for sure. Still pretty touristy, but not as bad as Halong Bay, and it was easy to avoid the crowds – especially if you climbed up one of those mountains ๐Ÿ˜‰

  32. Awesome pictures as usual guys! Glad to see Vietnam getting some much deserved love in the travel blog world, as there are way too many negative posts. We loved our one month there and would love to get back and check out some of these places you posted that we had to skip over the first time round.

    • Thanks very much Sasha! You’ll have to swing it into another visa run one of these days. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  33. Such stunning photos! Reminds me why we loved Vietnam so much!

    We only spent 3 weeks there – which wasn’t nearly enough. So many more places that we want to visit! We definitely need to go back one day soon!

    • I hope you get the chance to go back soon. 7 months wasn’t long enough for us, haha. Thanks for reading Karianne.

  34. Thank you for such amazing photos. Thanks a lot! You probably spend so much time to get the understanding and knowledge of not only our culture but also people living style. Being a Vietnamese, I feel very proud when seeing your photos and feelings of my country.
    Always welcomes! Cheers!

    • Thank you very much Hong! We absolutely love Vietnam, and can’t wait until we come back one day. Maybe our paths will cross when we return ๐Ÿ™‚

  35. WOW! All of these pictures are breathtaking. Looks like you truly explored and fell in love with the country. And sounds like such a beautiful adventure. I’ve been seeing photographs from your time there and they’re all gorgeous. Wonderful ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Thanks very much Nita. We absolutely love Vietnam, and glad that our photos convey those feelings ๐Ÿ™‚

  36. The scenery in Vietnam is absolutely beautiful.The vegetation is just so rich. Thanks for sharing.

    • Cheers Brandon. Vietnam is an incredible place.

  37. We totally agree! We LOVED Vietnam – the land, the people, the culture, the horn honking…all of it. Fantastic photos ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Thanks very much Sarah. It really is a beautiful country ๐Ÿ™‚

  38. Waaao! Your photo are adorable! Usually, the photos will taken nearly the harvesting time with yellow paddy fields, you came there by the time the crop was finished so your pics bring us another beauty version of this land. I also love your portrait work a lot.

    K Ng. Vu

    • Thanks very much! The paddy fields are really beautiful. Happy travels ๐Ÿ™‚

  39. Seven months! Wow, super jealous — in a good way ๐Ÿ™‚ Where to next?

    • Off to China in a couple of days. The next adventure begins!

  40. Thank you for all the wonderful photos and sharing! You make me want to explore Phong Nha someday! Been following you two since your very first days in Vietnam and now you’re leaving. Happy travels and keep up the spirit! We’ll definitely miss you!

    • Thanks so much for following along on our journey Millie. Definitely get to Phong Nha whenever you can. One of the most beautiful places we have ever been to. Happy travels to you as well, and we’ll miss Vietnam!

  41. VietNam is really number one beautiful country of Southeast Asian and people very friendly too.So is my country welcome everybody come to Vietnam.

    • Thank you Anh! Your country and your people are truly beautiful in every sense of the word. Happy travels ๐Ÿ™‚

  42. Fantastic landscapes. Beautifully captured. Vietnam is one my list of places to visit.

    • Thanks Sandeep! I hope you get here soon ๐Ÿ™‚

  43. Amazing pictures! I really want to visit Vietnam, it looks like such a beautiful country.

    • It really is amazing. Thanks for reading Katrina.

  44. wow. These images are beautiful! A friend of mine travelled to Vietnam a couple years ago and he said the people we very friendly and welcoming.

    • Thanks Lisa! Yes the people really are friendly and welcoming. Some of the kindest we have ever met ๐Ÿ™‚

  45. Stunning photos that make me very excited about visiting for the first time in January! I am very intrigued by Vietnam because it seems to polarise opinion with some people hating it and saying the people are corrupt and agressive to people loving it and saying it’s their favourite country in Asia. I wonder what I will think

    • I know what you mean. We meet lots of travellers who absolutely hate Vietnam. It is such a shame because many people choose to focus on one or two bad experiences (such as getting ripped off on an item in Hanoi for example) rather than the hundreds of beautiful interactions that are possible. It definitely helps to get outside of the major tourist destinations as well. I am sure you will love Vietnam. Thanks for reading Katie ๐Ÿ™‚

  46. wow, great post and pics, thanks

    • Thanks Trevor!

  47. We have the same problem as Duncan. But love the photos we can see though, and really love the way you travel. Keep on, youโ€™re such an inspiration ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Hmm, interesting. They are loading fine for us in Vietnam, and our internet is pretty bad. I’ll look into it. Thanks so much for the kind words guys! Happy travels ๐Ÿ˜€

  48. Great photos Lesh!! Unfortunately I’m not getting half of them even though I keep reloading and I have a superfast connection?? Anyway you have both more than convinced me to go there, as I always wanted to, and I know who to get comprehensive advice from. Keep up the good photography Lesh. You need to have your own website for your photos now if you don’t already have one.

    • It must have been a caching issue on our end. It should be fixed now. Thanks for the compliment Duncan. It is definitely your advice back in Myanmar that improved Lesh’s photography! I definitely think she is getting better, but she is pretty humble about it. Perhaps a portfolio will be put together once we get a camera upgrade in the next month or so ๐Ÿ˜‰

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