The ancient town of Hội An. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Đức

HÀ NỘI — The world’s largest travel site TripAdvisor has revealed that its Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best 2023 honours Hội An ancient city and HCM City in its “Trending Destinations” category.

Accordingly, the UNESCO heritage site of Hội An ancient city is ranked 2nd and HCM City 11th in the list of 25 trending destinations in the world.

In its description of Hội An, the site wrote: “This city on the central Vietnamese coast is a well-preserved example of the important Southeast Asian trading port it was from the 15th-19th centuries. Already a common stop for backpackers, it is becoming better known to tourists. On the 14th day of each lunar month, the town trades its electric lights for traditional coloured lanterns. Sights include the Japanese Covered Bridge and the Quan Công Temple.”

As for HCM City, TripAdvisor assessed Việt Nam's bustling largest city sets the cultural and economic pace for the country. “The former Saigon boasts charming French colonial architecture and wide boulevards, usually thronged and choked with traffic.”

It advised tourists to use taxi to tour the sprawling city, and visit the War Remnants Museum, the Jade Emperor Pagoda, and the Bến Thành Market, and take a tour through the Mekong Delta.

Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best is the annual award by Tripadvisor. The award is meant to be given to destinations whose hotels, restaurants and things-to-do received a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the community over a 12-month period.

Fewer than 1 per cent of Tripadvisor’s 8 million listings are awarded Best of the Best, signifying the highest level of excellence in travel. — VNS