If you are looking to visit a place that looks and feels something far and beyond the mundane and familiar, you only need to book a flight to Southeast Asia for some serious Vietnam travel adventures. Instead of a mere ‘vacation,’ traveling to Vietnam is a true adventure. This country has so many unexpected wonders and treats. From the captivating mix of indigenous, Chinese, and French influences on its cuisine, Vietnam also features lots of architecture and historic towns that literally take you through a long walk through the corridors of time. From the imperial city of Hue to the old historic city of Hanoi, Vietnamese landmarks testify to the evolution of Vietnam as it emerged from southern Chinese influence to establishing its own cultural identity and its struggles with colonial France and Japan.

Unlike neighboring Thailand, Vietnam’s attractions, by and large, have not been swallowed by over development, commercialism, and a heavy crush of tourists. As a result, Vietnam travel destinations are more laid back, simple, and complete with their natural unspoiled charms. For example, the Sa Pa terraces in Vietnam’s northwest border with China is simply stunning. There are no flashy neon signs or gaudy tourist trap hotels. Instead, visitors are treated to a hillside terrace cut perfectly to hold indigenous tribes’ rice paddies. Viewing these terraces wrapped in morning mist is a truly surreal view-it’s like climbing stairs to the clouds. If you love tropical forests, unspoiled coastlines, and clean beaches, you’d fall in love with Phu Quoc. This coastline area is Vietnam’s version of Phuket but less spoiled and less developed. Phu Quoc offers a simple, pure beach side experience. It has little of the trappings of typical resort areas with similar sand and beach quality. Finally, for a clean, unspoiled and wide-open beach side vacation experience, check out Nha Trang. This coastal town is right beside a magnificent bay. Clean, well-designed, and elegantly simple, Nha Trang treats visitors to an unspoiled and delightful beach experience. If you are burned out from typical beach side resort areas like Waikiki beach or Miami’s South Beach, try Nha Trang for a completely different experience.

In terms of historical and man-made Vietnam travel spots, Vietnam is packed with lots of amazing historical sights. For starters, you can try crawling in the Cu Chi Tunnels which are located several kilometers outside of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly called Saigon). These tunnels were used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. You can experience history first hand as you crawl through the tunnels and see how they were carved out and interconnected. If you want to peek into Vietnam’s rich fishing and commercial port history, you should head on over to Hoi An. Located on the coast of the South China Sea, this former fishing village and port has been restored to its former look. It truly brings visitors back in time when Hoi An was an international port. Long eclipsed by Da Nang, Hoi An remains as a quaint window to the past.

Vietnam packs a lot of surprises and offers many travelers many exotic memories. Vietnam travel spots are unspoiled, less commercialized, and more open to free exploration. If you’re looking for something new, you should experience Vietnam.