Roughly 30km from Phan Rang City in the southern province of Binh Thuan, Binh Tien beach is a hidden gem for tourists who want to discover new experiences and rejuvenate.

The US Tour Operators Association (USTOA) has forecast that Vietnam will be second-most favoured destination among new emerging ones of international tourists in 2013.

The UK-based travel website iWantSun listed Vietnam among the top 10 countries to visit this year, while the Luxpresso paper of India also rated Vietnam as one of the places to discover in 2013.

The number of foreign arrivals is predicted to surpass the set target of 6.5 million this year due to the current robust growth in the sector, the Sai gon Giai Phong daily cited a report from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism on November 28.

The mountainous district of Tay Giang, 190km west of Tam Ky City in the central province of Quang Nam, is increasingly becoming known as a prime destination for motorbike adventures. The area offers amazing scenery and the opportunity to glimpse the lifestyle of members of the ethnic minority group Co Tu, who make up the majority of the district's population of 13,000.

The central province of Thua Thien Hue saw a large increase in the number of Thai tourists in the first ten months of this year, accounting for 16 percent of all foreign arrivals in the locality.

Visitors to Ta Phin Commune in the the northern province of Lao Cai's Sa Pa Town can now enjoy medicinal baths, a practice of the Red Dao ethnic minority.

How do the Vietnamese enjoy their food? Many of my expat friends often ask this question on their first visit to Vietnam. It’s hard to accurately explain all the regional culinary styles and nuances. But, in brief, common to all Vietnamese cuisine are three main fundamentals: completeness, symmetry and free-n’-easy.

The Kate Festival celebration of the ethnic Cham people will take place at Po Sah Inu Tower in Binh Thuan Province's Phan Thiet City on October 15-16 with a series of traditional rituals and festivities.

The fourth national then singing festival is being held in Lang Son Province as part of the country's efforts to honour and preserve the traditional art of the Tay, Nung and Thai ethnic groups in north-western Viet Nam.