Văn Miếu-Quốc Tử Giám (Temple of Literature) is one of famous attractions of Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Trung Hiếu

HÀ NỘI — The world's largest travel guidance platform TripAdvisor has recently announced winners of its Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best 2024, with various destinations in Việt Nam honoured.

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.

Specifically, in the “Top Destinations” category, the capital city of Hà Nội is ranked fourth, and Hội An ancient city in the central province of Quảng Nam gets the 10th position among 25 destinations around the world.

In its description of Hà Nội, the site noted that “the charming Vietnamese capital has aged well, preserving the Old Quarter, monuments and colonial architecture, while making room for modern developments alongside. Hà Nội may have shrugged off several former names, including Thăng Long, or ‘ascending dragon,’ but it hasn't forgotten its past, as sites such as Hồ Chí Minh's Mausoleum and Hoả Lò Prison attest. Lakes, parks, shady boulevards and more than 600 temples and pagodas add to the appeal of this city, which is easily explored by taxi”.

The capital city also tops the list of the 25 food destinations in the world.

As for 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.”

Meanwhile, Hạ Long Bay in the northern province of Quảng Ninh and Sa Pa town in the northern mountainous province of Lào Cai come third and fifth, respectively, in the “Trending Destinations” category.

“The northwest market town of Sa Pa is colourful and charming, providing the perfect oasis in the midst of a strenuous mountain trek or rice-paddy tour. The Gothic stone church at the centre of town is a bull’s-eye in the centre of shops and stalls, serving as a reminder of the town’s French missionary influence. Dine on Vietnamese or European-inspired cuisine downtown, and don’t miss the Saturday night "love market," one of the most potent- and strictest-single’s nights imaginable,” it said.

The world’s largest travel guidance platform wrote that travelers visit Hạ Long Bay for an up-close look at its amazing limestone islands, rock formations and caves. Whittled away over centuries by wind and water, they’re breath-taking. It advised visitors to rent a kayak or a junk boat, or take a tour to explore.

Hạ Long Bay is also ranked second among the world’s 25 nature destinations, while Hội An comes second in the list of the 25 destinations for honeymoon.

In the “Culture Destinations” category, Huế City in the central province of Thừa Thiên-Huế gets the eighth position.

“Huế is clustered around the Perfume River, which splits the capital of the Nguyễn Dynasty in two. There are endless must-see historic sites, especially those that are UNESCO World Heritage designated. Sightseeing can include the ornate Imperial Citadel, colourful Thanh Toàn Bridge, royal tombs and the Forbidden Purple City,” TripAdvisor said. — VNS