When your time is limited, it can be hard to know if you should travel to Taiwan or Vietnam. Both of these places are great to travel to.
If your time is limited and you can only travel to Vietnam or Taiwan, I recommend traveling to Vietnam. The reason is that Vietnam is more cost-effective, offers some great cultural experiences and, is a food lovers’ haven, offers great history, arts, and other things.
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Vietnam also offers you many great cities to travel to and various sites and places.
Taiwan Vs. Vietnam Recommended For Travel
If you cannot decide whether to travel to Taiwan or Vietnam, it is tough to answer which country is the best destination because both have a lot to offer their visitors. If I had to recommend only one place to travel, I would recommend Vietnam.
Here are my reasons why I would recommend you travel to Vietnam Vs. Taiwan:
- Cost -Travelling to Vietnam will be cheaper than traveling to Taiwan. You will get more for your dollar in Vietnam than in Taiwan. In Vietnam, you can find comfortable hotels within a budget range or very luxurious hotels, which would be comparatively inexpensive compared to many other parts of the world. The cost factor is a great advantage to traveling to Vietnam.
- Culture – Taiwan and Vietnam offer some rich cultural experiences, but I feel that Vietnam offers more cultural experiences than Taiwan. This is because Vietnam has many ethnic minority hill tribes that you can visit in North Vietnam. On the other hand, if you want to see some very fine Chinese artifacts, Taiwan has some fine museums.
- Variety – Taiwan and Vietnam can offer a lot of variety for your travels. Vietnam does have a lot of great beaches and also, at the same time, fantastic trekking, hiking, waterfalls, boat rides, kayaking, and a host of other things. Pretty much anything you could do in Taiwan you can also do in Vietnam.
- Food – Vietnam is a foodies’ paradise. This is one reason why they are tour companies that offer food tours where you go around to try all different types of food. Taiwan also has some great food, but I prefer the taste and variety of Vietnamese food. If you love to cook, Vietnam also has a lot of top-rated cooking schools or programs.
- History – One of the things that makes Vietnam so interesting is that Vietnam is rich with history. As a former French colony, many old French buildings and villas exist. This gives Vietnam a very rich history, especially if you enjoy colonial European architecture and history.
- The Arts – Taiwan, and Vietnam are rich in traditional and other arts. Hanoi has a fabulous Opera House, a replica of the Paris Opera House. If you are lucky, you see a performance of Vietnamese bamboo instruments. To learn more about Bamboo instruments you can read Vietnamese Bamboo Musical Instruments, What You Need to Know by clicking here.
I have lived in Taiwan and Vietnam, so I know firsthand that Taiwan and Vietnam have a lot to offer visitors, but I feel Vietnam has more to offer its visitors than Taiwan does. So if you only have one place to travel to, I recommend you travel to Vietnam.
5 Recommended Places To Travel In Vietnam
Vietnam has so many great places to travel to. There is so much that you can see a do when you visit Vietnam. If you want to learn more about Vietnam, you can read North Or South Vietnam? 1 Week In Vietnam by clicking here.
Here are our 5 top places that we recommend that you travel to in Vietnam
Hanoi
Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, but more than that, it is also the cultural and art center of Vietnam. Hanoi has lovely old French quarters, lakes, and many old French buildings and architecture.
Hanoi is a city of lakes that has 5 major lakes in the city. Hanoi offers you plenty of great things to see and do. There is some great shopping in Hanoi and many great restaurants to explore. The city offers you many areas to explore by motorbike, bicycle, golf cart, or walking.
To find out more about Hanoi and places to visit in Hanoi, read North Or South Vietnam? 1 Week In Vietnam by clicking here.
Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay is about two to five hours outside Hanoi; the travel time difference is if you take a private car and do not stop along the way or travel as most people do by a tour bus operator. Most tour bus operators will stop along the way, significantly adding to the travel time.
Thousands of islands come out of the ocean in different shapes and sizes. It is magnificent to see if you have never seen these natural mountain formations that rise out of the ocean.
You can take a day trip there or stay on a boat in Ha Long Bay for a few days. Most tours offer for you to kayak around and under all the mountains.
Find out more about Ha Long Bay by reading North Or South Vietnam? 1 Week In Vietnam by clicking here.
Sapa
Sapa is also another place that you can travel to outside of Hanoi. This area is filled with some high mountains and many Hill tribes, particularly Hmong, Red Dao, and others. In Sapa, you can really get a feel for some of the different Vietnamese ethnic minorities and their lives.
In Sapa, you can go trekking up into the mountains, take a batik class, stay the night at a hill tribe village, or even take a motorcycle ride up into the mountains. Sapa offers you many great things to do, which offers you many great cultural experiences.
Sapa is about 3 to 5 hours outside Hanoi; the time difference is if you go by a tour company or bus (which will stop along the way) or drive directly in a private car or van. There is a very good freeway between Hanoi and Lao Cai, which is outside Sapa.
If you are going to Sapa, we recommend you book a tour with Ethos. They offer some great tour options while at the same time working to help the local community. Tell Ethos that Anita sent you.
You can learn more about Sapa by reading North Or South Vietnam? 1 Week In Vietnam by clicking here.
Hoi An
Hoi An is a lovely beach town in the central part of Vietnam. It is near Danang, Vietnam, which was known as China Beach during the American-Vietnam war.
One of the things I love about Hoi An is its wonderful old town filled with lovely shops and restaurants. There are also cultural things that you can do nearby such as visiting some ancient Khmer-style monuments. Hoi An also offers you great beaches.
Ho Chi Minh Area
Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, is Vietnam’s business heart and soul. The city is always buzzing with excitement.
Ho Chi Minh is divided into many districts; the main downtown area is known as District 1. District 1 is the colorful city center of Ho Chi Minh that is filled with restaurants, bars, and shopping
Besides exploring life in Ho Chi Minh, I have also found plenty of fun things to do outside Ho Chi Minh City. Here are two of my favorite places to visit outside Ho Chi Minh City.
- Cu Chi Tunnels – Outside of Ho Chi Minh City is the Cu Chi tunnels; the Cu Chi Tunnels are the fascinating tunnel system built by the North Vietnamese during the American-Vietnam War. You can crawl into the Cu Chi tunnels and see the tunnel system. It gives you a feel for the tunnels during the war era. Historically I find this a fascinating place to visit.
- Mekong Delta -The Mekong Delta is also a day trip outside Ho Chi Minh City, but it is wonderful to go on a boat and ride around the Mekong Delta area. There is a lot of flora and fauna that you can see during your trip. Also, you can see life along the Mekong delta.
Though both Taiwan and Vietnam have a lot to offer their visitors, we suggest that you travel to Vietnam if you can not travel to both places. Vietnam has a lot to offer its visitors.
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