The northern port city of Hai Phong is home to a well preserved "French Quarter," a UNESCO-recognized biosphere reserve, beaches, caves and exceptional cuisine.
Hai Phong boasts a subtropical climate typical of northern Vietnam: hot and humid with heavy rains in summer, dry and cold in winter.
The best time to visit the city is from March to April and from September to October when exploration of its historical vestiges can be combined with outdoor enjoyment at the beach and some boat tours.
Between July and August, storms and rains are likely, but that allows visitors to see the place in a completely different light.
WHAT TO SEE IN HAI PHONG
In regard to Hai Phong attractions, this historical attraction might be among be the most well-known. It was the summer palace of Bao Dai, the last emperor of Vietnam. Situated on top of Vung Hill, this villa was built in 1928 by the French Governor-General of Indochina who later offered it to Bao Dai later in 1949. Nowadays, this villa is a destination for tourists to visit and also a hotel. Guests could enjoy not only the beautiful views of Do Son Peninsula, but also be able to admire the vintage photos of the royal family and their living quarters. The main attraction in Bao Dai Villa is the throne. You should not miss the opportunity of trying on the costumes which is royal-like and suitable for the aim of taking photos.
Situated about 50 km to the east of Hai Phong, Cat Ba is the most well-known and also the largest of total 336 islands in Lan Ha(Lan Hạ) and Halong Bays. Tropical green forests and beaches are some key Hai Phong attractions, in general, and Cat Ba Island, in particular, which draw a large number of people, both international and domestic, to Cat Ba. It has also been named by UNESCO as the “World biosphere reserve”. Half of Cat Ba Island’s area is covered by a National Park. Kinds of natural habitats found the Cat Ba Archipelago contain limestone forests, limestone karsts, mangrove, coral reefs, beaches, lagoons, caves as well as willow swamp forests. The large number of the population found in Cat Ba Town is located at the southern tip of the Island. This is also the commercial center of this island.
This island, among some of island Hai Phong attractions, is mysterious and charming with fresh air, clear water, friendly residents, and lots of fresh, tasty seafood along with fun outdoor activities. The majority of islanders still maintain a simple way of life that harmonizes with Nature. They were farmers and fishermen long before newer industries like tourism, shrimp farming arrived.
What are the next well-worth Hai Phong attractions? Go for Cat Ba National Park, then. This is an important national park of Vietnam, in general, and northern Vietnam, in particular. Located in Halong Bay, the park is administered by Hai Phong city, and belongs to Cat Hai district.
This park covers about 263 km2, including 173 km2 land and 90 km2 of the inshore water. It is a special-use forest, one of the world’s biosphere reserves, and also one of the most popular Hai Phong attractions tourists should not skip.
Also called as “Royal Berth”, Ben Ngu is a crucial end of Hoang Van Thu street at Hai Phon g post office. This place is where the exquisite talented musician of Vietnam – Van Cao (Văn Cao) – was born and grown up.
Among many Hai Phong attractions, Do Son Beach might be the most famous. Everyone who loves to play with water will find Do Son Beach an ideal destination. Located between the Lach Tray (Lạch Tray) and Van Uc (Văn Úc) rivers and about 22 km away from the southwest of the city, Do Son Beach was well-known resort town for influential Vietnamese and French during those colonial days. There are 3 main beaches which are popular for swimming, sunbathing, kite flying, among many other fun beach activities. As it just takes a two-and-a-half hour drive from the capital Hanoi, in summer, Do Son receives a large number of Hanoians during the weekends.
Built in the 17 century, under the Ly Dynasty (Triều đại nhà Lý), Du Hang Buddhist temple went through a few reconstructions over many years. It has a pagoda, and a bell tower along with sophisticated carvings of the guardians, lovely gardens with beautiful bonsai collection and some crucial vintage objects. When visiting here, you could feed the fishes and turtles in the pond, so if possible, being along some bread. As recommendations, the saying of “dress with respect” is always applied when going to any religious sites of Vietnam.
Haiphong has no real “tourist” restaurant scene. So this is a good place to eat as the locals do. Street food is everywhere.
Here are some of the places we visited
Nam Giao
A local artist who now divides his time between Haiphong and Canada is behind Nam Giao. It’s a mix of restaurant and cafe. Nice place to chill.
Address: 20 Le Dai Hanh St Haiphong
Com Gia My
Friendly family run eatery serving simple local eats and familiar favourites like fried rice and noodles.
Address: 20 Tran Quang Khai Haiphong
Banh Mi Tam
My hotel didn’t include breakfast so I popped down here a couple of times. It was a good start to the day. Lovely people and a tasty banh mi trung op la - banh mi with egg and pate to get the cracking.
Address: 26 Tran Hung Dao St, Haiphong
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