In September 2014, a well-known online magazine Business Insider issued an article on a theme of The 10 Best Countries for Traveling Alone in 2014. Accordingly, Vietnam took the sixth position in the list. In the article, Business Insider described: "Street life is colorful and safe in Vietnam’s largest cities, whether you’re exploring Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City or heading for Hanoi’s massive Dong Xuan Market. Do tai chi with hundreds of others by Hoan Kiem Lake before heading into the mountains of the Central Highlands, preferably on a trek with a local outfitter. Wind up with a stay on Phu Quoc Island for a taste of the classic Southeast Asian beach-bum lifestyle". The rankings are evaluated basing on the comparison of Global Peace Index among 162 countries for its peacefulness and Happy Planet Index among 151 countries for its environmental impact and human well-being. According to the article, Vietnam safety ranking is 45/161 countries, meanwhile, Vietnam happiness ranking holds the second position among 151 nations in the world.
In November 2014, a global hotel booking site Agoda.com published the results of its Travel Smart Study. Accordingly, Hoi An Ancient Town (Vietnam) ranked the 10th position in list of 25 global destinations with the best hotels. Hoi An is a famous tourism city in Vietnam which has captivated millions of both domestic and international tourists because of its ancient and shimmering beauty, especially in night time. With reasonable room rates and prime location in which travelers can easily travel to other Vietnam tourist destinations such as Da Nang City or My Son Sanctuary, Hoi An has received the trust of many international travelers. The list was depending on reviews of nearly 7 million worldwide travelers.
Also in November 2014, Business Insider put Vietnam in 16th position on top 20 best places to live overseas because of its high rankings in fields of delicious local foods, social life, making friends, great public transportations, and cheap costs from transportation to entertainment, economics, and disposable income. In this rankings, Vietnam was rated higher than other Asian countries such as Japan (18th position) or Malaysia (19th position).
On November 12, 2014, Bun Cha, a typical dish of Hanoi street foods, was listed in top the world's best street food by National Geographic. With the sweet and sour sauce, fresh vegetables, and fatty portion of grilling pork, Bun Cha has brought foreign travelers a wonderful experience about Vietnamese cuisine. This signature dish imbued with the soul of Vietnam cuisine has satisfied even if the most discerning guests.
In addition to Bun Cha, recently, world-wide travelers are captivated by Banh Mi Vietnam. According to a tourism website Canada.com, Banh Mi is considered one of five the world most worthy street foods that tourists should try. This is also not the first time Vietnam bread appeared and praised by foreign press.
November 2014 is probably a golden time of Vietnam when the countries scenic, foods, hotels, and other tourism services often praised by international magazines. In November 10th, 2014, Business Insider once again contributed to the fame of Vietnam travel by releasing an article on a subject of 43 meals everyone should eat in their lifetime. In the article, Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) - a signature dish creating the soul of Vietnam cuisine - was honored to put in the first position of the list. No need to describe anymore because Vietnam Noodle Soup is very popular in the world.
In an article issued on July 24th, 2014 with a title "This Is Where You'll Go On Vacation In 20 Years", HuffingtonPost listed "hotpots" in the next two decades. Son Doong Cave of Vietnam also had presence in the list. Son Doong Cave is the world's known biggest cave until now having impressive and magnificent sceneries inside. This attraction has captivated a lot of expeditions as well as adventurous travelers visiting and exploring.
Halong Bay was listed in "26 Real Places That Look Like They’ve BeenTaken Out Of Fairy Tales" by Buzzfeed. This was not the first time Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, entering into the world rankings. With "turquoise waters, limestone karts, and isles of all shapes and sizes", Halong Bay is an attractive destination of many international tourists. Recently, Halong Bay and Son Doong Cave also had the presence on 10 most breathtakingly beautiful places to visit on the planet suggested by Globalgrasshopper.
A tourism website Viralnova carried out a poll for its readers to vote for the most beautiful and favorite bridges in the world. Dragon Bridge Da Nang took the 19th position in the list. Dragon Bridge Da Nang was put into operation on March 29th, 2013. This is considered as the proud of Da Nang locals in particular and Vietnam citizens in general. In every Saturday and Sunday's evening, Dragon Bridge under multi-colored light will blow fire, which will bring travelers very impressive experience when traveling Da Nang.
Travelers' Choice Destinations on the Rise – World
On December 2nd, 2014, An American prestigious tourism website TripAdvisor revealed Travelers' Choice Destinations on the Rise for 2015. Accordingly, Da Nang City was standing at the top of the list. The rankings were basing on positive feedbacks of TripAdvisor members. According to the statistics of TripAdvisor, Da Nang has 122 Hotels, 203 Restaurants, and 74 Attractions, which are quite favorable for international travelers. Also in 2014, Da Nang was voted as one of 20 cleanest cities in the world In APERC Presentations at the 44th Meeting of the APEC Energy Working Group in Washington, United States.
Top 10 Coolest Places to Visit In 2015
Forbes Magazine – one of the world's leading travel magazine - annually releases its own list of should-visit-world-wide destinations. Basing on some criteria including "newly safe", "newly uncovered", "developed destination", "must see right now before it changes forever”, Forbes issued 10 coolest destinations in 2015. Accordingly, Vietnam ranks the third position, after Iceland and Morocco. In the introduction about Vietnam, Ann Abel, the author of the article described: "From sleepy fishing villages to the rooftop discos of Saigon, age-old tradition meets cosmopolitan modernity in today’s Vietnam. Luxe new ways to explore what’s been a hip Asian destination for a decade-plus now".