From coffee festivals to some exciting new openings in Vietnam, these are our top five reasons to visit Vietnam in 2019.
1. The world’s media love Vietnam
Vietnam has made it onto the top ten lists of places to visit in 2019 in a number of influential media outlets. Elle magazine says Hoi An is the place to visit in 2019, thanks to the combination of old Buddhist monasteries, riverside markets and food credentials. The Telegraph says Da Nang is the place to be in 2019 because of the combination of history and beaches.
2. Hanoi voted a world-leading destination
In 2018, the Vietnamese city of Hanoi was named a world leading city destination – one of just 17 cities short-listed in the whole world. Indeed, Hanoi has everything a traveller could want from a trip – an immense feeling of history and culture, a strong café culture scene where it’s possible to try innumerable Vietnamese coffee specialities, plus markets and winding streets to get lost in. It also makes the perfect springboard for those who want to explore the more remote regions of northern Vietnam.
3. A year of coffee
Vietnam is the second largest coffee exporter in the world, and 2019 will celebrate this fact with a couple of exciting coffee events. A coffee festival – the Buon Ma Thot Coffee Festival – will be taking place from 9 to 16 March 2019. Taking place in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak – one of the best coffee growing regions in the country – the festival will include everything from coffee tasting to street festivals. Prior to this, a new World of Coffee Museum will be opening in Buon Ma Thot too, showcasing Vietnam’s coffee-making history while offering opportunities for coffee tastings and workshops.
4. Top new hotels
Vietnam’s popularity is exemplified by a number of amazing new hotel openings across the country in 2019. The most talked-about new luxury opening is Anantara Quy Nhon Villas, opening in Quy Nhon in January 2019. With just 26 villas on the complex – some on the beach and others in the hillside – this offers luxury at its best. Each villa has its own pool, wine cellar and private butler – and that’s just for starters.
5. New beers for Tet
The Tet festival is Vietnam’s largest celebration. Marking the start of the Lunar New Year, Tet in 2019 falls on 5 February, although festivities can last for up to two weeks around this date. For Tet this year, a number of Vietnamese breweries and craft beer makers are designing new beers especially for the celebration, some with special limited edition packaging. This is the perfect reason to visit Vietnam for beer connoisseurs, or for anyone who likes to say ‘cheers!’
