Travel_Leisure_Southeast_Asia_August_2017

VIETNAM
Start your Vietnam odyssey in one of two cities: the
historic capital Hanoi, or Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s
steamy southern hub that moves fast and furiously.
Hanoi blooms with tranquil lakes and its legendary
Old Quarter, a trade center for centuries. Retail addicts
will love the night market, and the city is a launch point
for two of Vietnam’s best highlights: the karst-studded
maritime wonderland of Halong Bay, renowned for junk
trips and floating villages, and the charming hill town of
Sapa, where emerald rice terraces offer visual manna.
Ho Chi Minh City feels more modern, but it is dotted
with historic sites like Chinese temples. It’s also close to
Mui Ne, a laidback coastline with towering sand dunes.
In Central Vietnam, the emerging city of Da Nang
has one of the country’s best beaches. Close at hand is
beautiful Hoi An, a UNESCO-listed ancient port famous
for its lantern festival, heritage architecture, Japanese
Bridge, river cruises and cooking classes.

MYANMAR

The country’s biggest city, Yangon has many of the

most iconic sights. None are more striking than the

Shwedagon Pagoda, a gilded stupa that is a potent

symbol of national pride. The city is also home to

photogenic Sule Pagoda, and some of the best

preserved British colonial architecture in the world. In

historic Bogyoke Market, vendors sell everything from

tribal shoulder bags to handmade puppets.

Elsewhere, Bagan and Inle Lake offer contrasting

but equally enlivening experiences. Bagan boasts the

largest and densest concentration of Buddhist temples,

pagodas, stupas and ruins in the world. A balloon ride

over the complex showcases a grandstand view, as

does the sunset vista from Mount Popa.

Tranquil Inle Lake, meanwhile, is a prime spot to get

away from it all, with stilt house villages, lake markets,

a wide range of culture and local artisanal crafts such

as weaving and blacksmiths making it a place to linger.

Halong Bay,

in Vietnam.

Bagan, in Myanmar.

Snaking down from towering mountains

to tropical oceans, Vietnam

and Myanmar are two of Asia's most

charismatic nations

Twin Peaks

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