A bird’s-eye view highlights the diverse landscapes of this Southeast Asian country.
Vietnam stretches over a thousand miles from north to south and measures only 31 miles wide at the narrowest point. Long and skinny, this J-shaped Southeast Asian country holds three distinct climate zones to lure travelers.
Tea plantations stripe the mountains of the northern provinces near the border with China, beaches edge the East Sea (South China Sea) to the east, and in the south, the Mekong Delta creates a maze of rivers, swamps, and islands, dotted by floating markets and rice paddies just waiting to be explored.
Women wash and bundle water lilies for sale in the market of Tân An. PHOTOGRAPH BY PHAN KHANH, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT
Green tea islands dot an irrigation lake near Vietnam’s border with Laos. PHOTOGRAPH BY TRUNG PHAM, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT
Farmers sell lychees, harvested every June in Vietnam. PHOTOGRAPH BY TUAN TRAN, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT
Boats prepare to carry tourists on a three-hour ride through the grottoes of Trang An, near the ancient capital of Ninh Binh. PHOTOGRAPH BY OLIVIER APICELLA, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT
In Hanoi, a woman dries incense for people to pay respect to their ancestors. PHOTOGRAPH BY THẠCH PHẠM NGỌC, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT
Fishermen swim to connect new lobster cages with rope in the southern Phu Yen province of Vietnam. PHOTOGRAPH BY TRAN TUAN VIET, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT
Dishes are arranged for a local festival in the southern port city of Vũng Tàu. PHOTOGRAPH BY HUU TAM, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT
Three women share a moped through the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. PHOTOGRAPH BY KHAI NGUYEN TUAN, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT
Buildings and roads resemble an electronic circuit board in Ho Chi Minh City, populated by nine million people. PHOTOGRAPH BY TRUNG PHAM, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT
Workers harvest sea salt from Hon Khoi Salt Field in Nha Trang during the dry season. PHOTOGRAPH BY THIEN NGUYEN, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT
Yoga practitioners pattern a square in Nha Trang, a coastal city in southern Vietnam. PHOTOGRAPH BY HƯNG PHẠM, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT
– by NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC