UK-based travel publisher Rough Guides has described Việt Nam’s north-south rail link as one of the most scenic routes in Asia.

The trip of more than 1,700 kilometres offers beautiful views along the way. And while many passengers have complained about service quality, the globetrotters at Rough Guides have discovered only great things.

“Breakfast in the dining car is pot noodles in broth, served with fresh lime and chili. Enjoy it with a cup of instant black coffee, drunk as the train chugs its way past buffalos grazing in rice paddies,” according to Rough Guides.

“Watch fishermen cast their nets as you pass the sea, just metres away from the tracks, before curving around the coast past deserted white beaches and lush rainforest.”

Rough Guides also recommends train journeys through Sri Lanka, China, Malaysia, Japan, and Uzbekistan. — VNS