TripAdvisor recently announced the most trending travel destinations worldwide. Hạ Long Bay and Sa Pa in Việt Nam have proudly made it to the prestigious top five list.
TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel platform, connects travellers with service providers globally. With over a billion reviews and contributions from its community, TripAdvisor provides a near comprehensive reflection of the global travel landscape.
Standing out from a list of more than eight million destinations, Hạ Long Bay and Sa Pa recently have surpassed a series of world tourist paradises, including Bogota, Pattaya, Jeju and Viti Levu of Fiji Island. These destinations have become two bright names among the top five trending destinations in the world 'Trending Destinations' of 'Travellers' Choice Awards - Best of the Best Destinations.'
Alongside Hạ Long Bay and Sa Pa, the other top five destinations include Tokyo (Japan), Seoul (South Korea) and Palawan Island (the Philippines).
The Travellers' Choice Awards - Best of the Best Destinations only honours destinations that have achieved the highest levels of excellence in tourism, based on superior reviews from the TripAdvisor community over 12 months. Out of eight million listings, fewer than one per cent of them are awarded this prestigious mark.
According to reviews, what Hạ Long Bay and Sa Pa have in common is their unique natural beauty and cultural diversity, while summer is the ideal time to appreciate their majesty.
It is then that Hạ Long Bay receives sea breezes from the heritage bay, while Sa Pa enjoys a cool climate from the majestic Hoàng Liên Sơn mountain range and the peak of Fansipan, the highest mountain in Indochina.
Numerous cultural festivals and unique entertainment activities further enhance the appeal of Hạ Long Bay and Sa Pa, attracting millions of visitors from all around the world.
Hạ Long Bay - More than a heritage bay
According to TripAdvisor, Hạ Long Bay is stunningly beautiful. Being ranked third in the Best of the Best Destinations, its majestic nature is the key that has drawn over one million visitors since the beginning of 2024, with international tourists making up the majority of visitors.
The cool breeze from the sea, the unique cluster of thousands of islands and the numerous caves provide a refreshing escape from the summer heat and bring a fresh, relaxing experience for all visitors. However, Hạ Long Bay offers so much more.
Yoko Onsen Quang Hanh is located amidst the majestic natural landscape
International visitors to Hạ Long Bay can enjoy luxurious and comfortable stays at Oakwood Ha Long, relax in the hot springs and spas at Yoko Onsen Quang Hanh and visit the floating fishing village of Vung Viêng. They can swim and dive at Tuần Châu Island, explore the night market in Hạ Long and visit the Quảng Ninh Museum.
Visitors can also have fun at the Sun World Ha Long - an entertainment complex offering countless thrilling games and challenging and refreshing water slides.
Taking the Queen Cable Car across the heritage bay, viewing the panoramic view of Hạ Long from above and exploring Sun Hill, are must-try experiences.
At Ba Đèo Peak, besides checking in at the Zen Garden and Koi Bridge, visitors to Sun World Ha Long in the summer of 2024 can enjoy new attractions at the Mystic Castle area, including Fun Fest Game and DIY Zone - a paradise for creativity enthusiasts.
The 'Swordsmith Village' area has recently added many fun activities, including archery, Ninja skills, an Irezumi tattoo experience, making Watame candy floss and carving Katanuki sweets.
The Dragon Garden area, with its funny dragon statues and vibrant flower carpets, also promises delightful experiences for visitors this summer.
Sa Pa - The unique beauty of the highlands
Ranking fifth in TripAdvisor’s list of the world’s most trending destinations, Sa Pa offers the unique beauty of a miniature Northwest region with its natural landscapes, culture and highland people.
In 2020, during the global tourism industry crisis due to COVID-19, the small town of Sa Pa rose to prominence as one of the emerging destinations in Asia.
Sa Pa's prominent destination is the Sun World Fansipan Legend tourist area. It received two awards at the World Travel Awards 2020: World's Leading Cultural Tourist Attraction 2020 and World's Leading Natural Landscape Tourist Attraction 2020.
The sensory delight of 'the meeting place of heaven and earth' and standing on the ground but being surrounded by floating white clouds is a unique experience that can only be found on the roof of Indochina.
Beyond its majestic scenery, Sa Pa impresses with its magnificent cultural and spiritual complex on the sacred Fansipan peak, consisting of 12 structures at an altitude of over 3,000 metres above sea level.
Sa Pa captivates visitors year-round with its majestic, poetic beauty and rich highland cultural identity.
However, perhaps Sa Pa is especially stunning in summer with its pleasant climate, clear warm sunshine and the countless colours of blooming flowers across the mountains. Among them, the most prominent is the azalea forests on the Fansipan peak, with the bloom known as the 'queen of Northwest flowers.'
Right now it is the Fansipan Rose Festival 2024 with the theme 'Millions of Love Roses', being held in the largest rose valley in Việt Nam, on the Sun World Fansipan Legend campus. The festival has showcased more than 300,000 roses, coming into full bloom until the end of June.
The destination combines natural tourism with cultural highlights, including love markets, horse racing and Dao wedding performance activities at Bản Mây in Sun World Fansipan Legend. Sa Pa promises to attract millions of tourists from all over the world to visit and experience this summer.
