UNESCO Heritage Site Phong Nha - Ke Bang in the central province of Quang Binh
is home to over 300 caves and grottoes that date back 400 million years. Photo by Ryan Deboodt

The site, on digital publication Daily Hive, compliments the two places for retaining their “authentic character.”

It says Hong Kong will offer a more modern experience while Viet Nam will provide a more true and authentic taste of the Asian lifestyle.

Viet Nam and Hong Kong are both safe destinations and full of friendly and welcoming locals, which make travelers “not want to leave.”

To get the true taste of Vietnamese cuisine, Mapped says food lovers and anyone who is not afraid to give everything a try should visit Dong Xuan Market in Ha Noi. The market offers a variety of food from a bowl of pho (a kind of rice noodle served with beef or chicken slices) to something like snail soup.

Visitors are also advised to take a cruise through Ha Long Bay, where globetrotters can see jaw-dropping limestone sceneries and take fairytale-like pictures of the Gulf of Tonkin.

The country is also an action-packed destination where visitors can trek around Sapa to explore the vast golden rice fields, spend time beach bumming or try out the scooter experience.

Viet Nam’s rising star in the global tourism firmament over the last decade has been affirmed by its consistent ranking in global top lists by big-name travel and other publications like The Guardian, CNN, Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor, and Rough Guides.

In the first nine months of this year the number of foreign visitors to Viet Nam surged by 22.9 percent year-on-year to a record 11.6 million, according to the General Statistics Office.

Last year it received 12.8 million visitors.