Italian newspapers praise the beauty of Vietnam.

The travel section of Italy's leading daily newspaper, La Repubblica, recently published a lengthy article introducing its readers to the beauty of Vietnam, from "Ha Long Bay to the Mekong Delta, amidst rice paddies and memories, between diverse and abundant nature and the aspiration for modernization."

Golden ripe rice fields line the road leading to the Tam Coc-Bich Dong area. (Photo: Dinh Cong Hoan/Vietnam Photo News)

The article takes the reader on a journey to what the author highlights as noteworthy aspects of a country "with over 3,000 kilometers of coastline, UNESCO World Heritage sites, and an economic boom among the emerging Asian tigers."

Hanoi appears with its temples and lakes; Sa Pa is a weekend getaway after an overnight train journey, with its ethnic minority communities, terraced rice fields, and, if lucky, Italian tourists might spend the night with a H'mong family; Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO heritage site, with its thousands of islands and "legendary beauty," is a must-visit; while Tam Coc, with its caves nestled in the mountains, "where the only sound is the water dripping from stalactites," is also an essential stop on any trip to Northern Vietnam.

The author also takes the reader to Hoi An, another UNESCO World Heritage site in Vietnam, with its centuries-old streets undamaged by war, including "restaurants, grocery stores, and handicraft shops," but not far away are "rice fields with farmers at work."

After Hoi An, the article writes about Mui Ne, "famous for its red sand dunes and a coastline stretching for kilometers," and about the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's rice granary.

The author advises Italian tourists to spend more time in the area visiting Can Tho and the Cai Rang floating market.

The article concludes with a description of Ho Chi Minh City, the final destination on the trip to Vietnam.

According to the author, this city is a large metropolis with 8 million inhabitants, a blend of ancient temples, multi-story shopping malls, shops selling all kinds of goods, and a world of motorbikes on bustling streets in a life of constant movement.

According to Vietnam+