268 cases, 198 healings, zero deaths. With this assessment, Vietnam, which borders on China, has become an example in the fight against the coronavirus. Since March 25, it has been impossible to get there, the country having suspended all international flights in order to stem the spread of the epidemic.
But the national company, Vietnam Airlines (which shares its codes with Air France), announced that it was ready to gradually resume in July. Connections with Paris will resume at the rate of a weekly flight. Here are our suggestions for exploring the many treasures of the country, from the captivating capital in the north to the bustling Hồ Chí Minh-Ville in the south.
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Replaying scenes from Indochina at Tam Cốc
World Heritage Treasure, classified by Unesco in 1993, Ha Long Bay nourishes all the fantasies of travelers to Vietnam with its 1,600 sugar loaves, amazing karst peaks of all shapes and sizes. stretch for hundreds of kilometers. But 160 km to the south is another marvel of nature and its print landscape: the land of Hạ Long Bay. Less crowded than its big sister, it reveals superb peaks covered with vegetation and rocky mountains dominating rice fields, temples and pagodas.
From the pier in the village of Tam Cốc, we go on an excursion aboard a rowing boat to explore the caves where scenes from the French romantic drama, Indochina , were filmed . Directed by Régis Wargnier, it tells the story of Indochina from the 1920s to the 1950s through the saga of a family of French settlers operating plantations and an incredible impossible love story.
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Taste street food in Hanoi
As surprising as it may seem, in Hanoi, the best food is eaten in the street. Monticello / AdobeStock
A veritable culinary laboratory, the Vietnamese capital has nothing to envy to its neighbors in Southeast Asia. Fine, balanced and very varied (almost 500 dishes), the local gastronomy is tasted with a half-buttock placed on a plastic stool on the sidewalk. From 11 am, wild kitchens gradually hatch in the alleys of the old town, to form improvised markets where bubbles and pots of all sizes boil. To find the best location, we rely on the length of the queue. The reputation of these family bouis-bouis spans decades and generations.
Gourmets will opt for a phô , broth decorated with rice noodles, meat and fresh herbs, or for a bánh mì , star sandwich of street cuisine topped with grilled pork, liver pate, grated carrots and cucumber slices. For coffee, we try cê phê trúng , based on raw egg yolk whipped with condensed milk and placed on a cup of black coffee. Strong liver health required!
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Climb up on the roof of ancient Indochina in Sapa
Opened in 2016, a cable car now facilitates access to the summit of Phan Xi Păng. Trescend / AdobeStock
The only place in Vietnam where a few centimeters of snow cover the landscape in winter, Mount Phan Xi Păng dominates the country at 3143 meters above sea level. It is the old highlight of ancient Indochina. Located 10 km from the village of Sapa (6 hours drive from Hanoi), it separates two provinces in the north of the country on the Chinese border, Lao Cao and Lai Chau. If the ascent can be done in one day, it is preferable to plan two days of trek to cross the 1600 meters of difference in height to the summit.
The fog is very frequent, the rains relatively strong and the paths often slippery and muddy. Botany enthusiasts will marvel at the 1,680 species of plants, some of which are very rare, which thrive on the wet slopes of Phan Xi Păng. For the less athletic, a cable car, opened in 2016, now facilitates access to the summit.
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Slipping into the shoes of an emperor in Huế
The tomb of Tu Duc, imbued with sweetness and poetry, is one of the favorites of visitors to the citadel. Mehdi / AdobeStock
Former capital of the country, Huế still holds a special place in the spirit of the Vietnamese. Its citadel, protected by ramparts, is the only example of an imperial city still existing in the country today. Built from 1804 to 1833 on the initiative of the founder of the Nguyễn dynasty (1802-1945), it is inspired by the architecture of the Forbidden City of Beijing with plans designed according to the rules of Feng Shui art.
It was here that the thirteen emperors of the last Vietnamese feudal dynasty lived. Among them, seven had designed their own tombs on the hills southwest of the citadel, reflecting their temperaments and their philosophies, but also national unification, military conquest and the cultural impact of French colonialism. That of Minh Mang, the most impressive or that of Tu Duc, the most romantic, both evoke the feeling of a forgotten world, almost mythological.
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Redo your wardrobe in Hội An
Tailor shops populate the busy streets of the historic district. Kien / AdobeStock
Located 135 km south of Huế, the city known for its multicolored lanterns that light up visitors after dark is also famous for making clothes. Nothing could be simpler: to change your look, just show the photo of a model to get a custom-made piece, produced in unbeatable deadlines (one or two days) and at unbeatable prices.
Tailors' shops are mainly located in the busy streets of the historic district, alongside old bourgeois residences whose wooden architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries has earned Hội An to be classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Buller on the paradise beaches of Phú Quốc
The beach of Bai Sao, its fine sand and its translucent waters, has largely contributed to the reputation of the island. Evgenydrablenkov / AdobeStock
Its wooded hills, its wild beaches bordered by palm trees and its transparent waters suitable for snorkeling give this island the look of a postcard. The largest in Vietnam by its area (585 km2), it is protected off the coast of Cambodia and accessible from Hồ Chí Minh in 50 minutes by flight. With a wide range of high-end accommodation and renowned restaurants, Phú Quốc is conducive to luxury and relaxation.
It is also known for its production of black pepper, one of the most flavored in the country, for its nước mắm sauce and for its cultured pearls, directly sold on the farms of Phú Quốc Pearls and Ngọc Hiển. If it is possible to go around the island in two days riding a motorbike, you might want to linger there…
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Dancing on the rooftops at Hồ Chí Minh-Ville
The Skyloft by Glow is one of the most select rooftops in the city, with a breathtaking view, good electro programming and excellent cocktails. Skyloft by Glow
The economic capital of the country, the one that everyone in Vietnam continues to call Saigon, its name until 1975, is an effervescent city where skyscrapers grow faster than it takes time to say. If it does not have the same charm as its neighbor to the North, in terms of atmosphere, the Saigonese are much more party animals than their distant cousins.
To get the pulse of the hectic nightlife, we end the day with a cocktail on one of the many rooftops, the Chill Sky Bar, the Skyloft by Glow and the Broma not a bar. Night owls will end the evening at Apocalypse Now, a club located in an old colonial house that has become one of the most famous in Hồ Chí Minh-Ville, or at Bar Eon, on the 51st floor of the Bitexco tower (262 m) for dance with the city at its feet.
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