From mountain trekking with hill tribes to floating along underground rivers, surfing Apocalypse Now-style, exploring 1,200-year-old villages and learning traditional crafts, Vietnam offers countless unique tourist experiences.
These activities have been off limits to foreign travellers since 2020 owing to the country’s strict pandemic entry requirements. On March 15, however, Vietnam will finally reopen.
Visitors must show a Vietnam Tourist Visa, proof of vaccination against Covid-19, a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival and must have travel insurance covering $10,000 worth of Covid-19-related medical treatment. Upon arrival in the country, they must complete a one-night hotel quarantine, and can then roam Vietnam freely if they test negative for the virus.
These rules are similar to Thailand’s Test & Go system, which has been used by tens of thousands of tourists in the past few months.
Here are five compelling reasons to visit Vietnam.
Its long history
Peering out from beneath a conical hat, an elderly Vietnamese woman rides her bicycle past me, alongside a placid river that sits next to a rice paddy, and then through an arched stone gate. For centuries that structure has been the entry point to the 1,200-year-old Duong Lam, one of the country’s oldest intact villages.
Vietnam’s cities have modernised at a sprint over the past 20 years. But tourists need not venture too far beyond the urban sprawl to savour traditional communities. Only 60 kilometres west of the capital, Hanoi, Duong Lam’s weathered streets are decorated by historic temples, shrines and assembly halls that have been designated as national cultural assets.
It remains primarily a farming village, encircled by fields of rice, ground nuts, sweet potato and spinach. Duong Lam has no extraordinary sights — no giant pagodas or teeming markets. What it offers is simpler: an insight into Vietnam’s peaceful rural communities, where traditional customs flourish. Watch as locals weave scarecrows from straw, act out ancient fables during festivals or steer water buffalo through farm land.
Its underground river
As I float into the darkness, beneath an enormous karst mountain, I am surprised to not feel panicked. When I read about this underground river, which flows through three giant Vietnamese caves, it sounded daunting. Yet, I am so overwhelmed by the beauty of this setting and the sensation of rowing under the earth that fear finds no home.
This is Tam Coc, which in translates from Vietnamese to mean Three Caves. Curving through a valley embellished by farmland and hemmed by peaks, the Ngo Dong river passes through each cave, with tourists able to complete this mesmerising boat journey during day trips to Hanoi, 100 kilometres to the north.
Longer rides continue up river to Bich Dong Pagoda. This ancient temple clings to the mountainside and affords remarkable, sprawling views of the valley.
Its surf-friendly waters
More than 40 years ago, Apocalypse Now's surfing scene turned Vietnam into an unlikely new destination for tourists interested in riding waves. One particular strip of sand is still famous thanks to that movie.
China Beach, or My Khe beach as it is known locally, was the setting for that extraordinary Vietnam War scene, where two surfers rode waves while villages were bombed in the background.
In 2022, this majestic location on Vietnam’s central coast is blissfully peaceful. Waves roll off the South China Sea onto the long oceanfront of Da Nang, the country’s third largest city. The coastline is now embellished by many seaside resorts catering to domestic tourists and foreign surfers keen to ride the area’s consistent waves.
Even travellers who have never surfed before can join. That’s partly thanks to a Portuguese expat who stayed put in Vietnam during the pandemic. For almost a decade, veteran board rider Goncalo Cabrito has been running Da Nang Surf School. Now he’s finally welcoming back foreign visitors, who can learn the basics of surfing before paddling out into the swell at China Beach.
Its traditional crafts
In spite of my cumbersome fingers, I manage to eventually weave the dried-out palm leaves around a bamboo wood frame. Under the guidance of a veteran Vietnamese artisan, I handcraft one of the symbols of this country: a Non La, or conical hat.
This hardy headwear has been worn in Vietnam for more than 1,000 years. Although most Non La are now made in factories, it is still possible to learn the original method of their creation from experienced artisans who hold tourist workshops in Hanoi.
This is only one of many historic Vietnamese arts and crafts that travellers can learn. In Hanoi alone, there are dozens of workshops offering a step-by-step guide to pursuits such as Vietnamese calligraphy, watercolour painting and ceremonial mask moulding.
In Ho Chi Minh City, meanwhile, I learn the basics of shaping Vietnamese earthenware in a ceramics studio that’s open to tourists.
Its hill tribe villages
About 250km north-west of Hanoi, tiered rice paddies cascade down mountains, past ancient villages home to unique hill tribes. This is Sapa. An isolated, picturesque and wonderfully tranquil destination near the Vietnamese border with China, Sapa is tailor-made for washing away two years of pandemic-induced stress and anxiety.
When I last hiked its dirt trails, as fog obscured the peaks above me, the vigorous activity and stunning setting sent me into a meditative state. While the town of Sapa itself is quite touristy, follow any of the paths into its countryside and you’ll soon reach delightful hill tribe villages. The Hmong, Tay, Red Dao and Giay people have resided in this wild region for centuries. They continue to live off the land while wearing colourful and intricately decorated clothes unique to their tribe.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
F1 2020 calendar
March 15 - Australia, Melbourne; March 22 - Bahrain, Sakhir; April 5 - Vietnam, Hanoi; April 19 - China, Shanghai; May 3 - Netherlands, Zandvoort; May 20 - Spain, Barcelona; May 24 - Monaco, Monaco; June 7 - Azerbaijan, Baku; June 14 - Canada, Montreal; June 28 - France, Le Castellet; July 5 - Austria, Spielberg; July 19 - Great Britain, Silverstone; August 2 - Hungary, Budapest; August 30 - Belgium, Spa; September 6 - Italy, Monza; September 20 - Singapore, Singapore; September 27 - Russia, Sochi; October 11 - Japan, Suzuka; October 25 - United States, Austin; November 1 - Mexico City, Mexico City; November 15 - Brazil, Sao Paulo; November 29 - Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Read more from Mina Al-Oraibi
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
SPECS
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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WandaVision
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany
Directed by: Matt Shakman
Rating: Four stars
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
More on animal trafficking
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%3Cp%3EThe%20influx%20of%20talented%20young%20Afghan%20players%20to%20UAE%20cricket%20could%20have%20a%20big%20impact%20on%20the%20fortunes%20of%20both%20countries.%20Here%20are%20three%20Emirates-based%20players%20to%20watch%20out%20for.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EHassan%20Khan%20Eisakhil%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMohammed%20Nabi%20is%20still%20proving%20his%20worth%20at%20the%20top%20level%20but%20there%20is%20another%20reason%20he%20is%20raging%20against%20the%20idea%20of%20retirement.%20If%20the%20allrounder%20hangs%20on%20a%20little%20bit%20longer%2C%20he%20might%20be%20able%20to%20play%20in%20the%20same%20team%20as%20his%20son%2C%20Hassan%20Khan.%20The%20family%20live%20in%20Ajman%20and%20train%20in%20Sharjah.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMasood%20Gurbaz%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20opening%20batter%2C%20who%20trains%20at%20Sharjah%20Cricket%20Academy%2C%20is%20another%20player%20who%20is%20a%20part%20of%20a%20famous%20family.%20His%20brother%2C%20Rahmanullah%2C%20was%20an%20IPL%20winner%20with%20Kolkata%20Knight%20Riders%2C%20and%20opens%20the%20batting%20with%20distinction%20for%20Afghanistan.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOmid%20Rahman%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20fast%20bowler%20became%20a%20pioneer%20earlier%20this%20year%20when%20he%20became%20the%20first%20Afghan%20to%20represent%20the%20UAE.%20He%20showed%20great%20promise%20in%20doing%20so%2C%20too%2C%20playing%20a%20key%20role%20in%20the%20senior%20team%E2%80%99s%20qualification%20for%20the%20Asia%20Cup%20in%20Muscat%20recently.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
65
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
'Joker'
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix
Rating: Five out of five stars
