1. Street Food

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The best place to eat in Vietnam is on little, plastic stools on the sidewalk. Whether it’s noodle soups, like the iconic pho or bun ca (the fish and pork-based soup garnished with dill pictured here), or bun cha — char-grilled pork served over rice noodles with herbs and dipping sauces — the street food in Vietnam is nothing short of amazing. Eating on the street is by far the most exciting — and accessible — way to truly experience daily life in Vietnam, and it’s also where you’ll find the best food.

 

2. Motorbikes

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One of the first and more important things to learn when visiting Vietnam is how to cross the street. It may be intuitive at home, but the traffic in Vietnam’s major cities seems so chaotic and incessant, that getting from one side of the road to the other feels almost impossible at first. You’ll find cars and people in the street, but the preferred mode of transportation is motorbikes, and the stream of two-wheelers feels like unpredictable, roaring rapids when you’re standing on one sidewalk trying to get to the next

 

3. Coffee

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As the second biggest producer of coffee in the world, Vietnam knows a thing or two about coffee. Most importantly, coffee comes with sweetened condensed milk (a.k.a. the best stuff on Earth) pretty much without exception. It’s also an integral part of the culture, served in cafes and... drumroll... on the street, of course.

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4. Mekong Delta

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The Mekong Delta is an area in Southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River dumps into the sea. Visitors can go to Can Tho, the largest city in the area, and get a real taste of rural life in this region affectionately known as the “rice bowl.” Traveling up the backwaters, visitors will be wowed by the floating markets and above all else, the friendly people who live in the region.

 

5 .Caves

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Mammoth caves that hold entire jungles and lakes are still being discovered in Vietnam. Son Doong Cave, the biggest cave in the world, was only first explored in 2009, and didn’t open to tourists until 2012. Trips into Son Doong are still highly controlled, expensive and limited, but there’s a vast network of caves that are much more accessible. Paradise Cave, pictured here, in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, is 19 miles across and offers a variety of tours into its interior, including an easy walk on the boardwalk at the beginning of the cave and a trek past the boardwalk for the more adventurous. Headlamps and nerve are required. Visit before the sights become overrun with tourists.