Holiday in Haiphong

What makes Haiphong special as a destination?

Haiphong is the third largest city in Vietnam and the most important port in the north, located in the Red River Delta by the Gulf of Tonkin. The city serves as a gateway to the legendary Cat Ba Island and the Lan Ha Bay, a less crowded alternative to the famous Halong Bay. The colonial architecture of Haiphong reflects French rule: The grand opera house (Nha Hat Lon), built in 1912 in neoclassical style, stands in the central square and resembles the opera house in Hanoi. Along the wide boulevards, pastel-colored colonial villas line the streets, giving the city a French flair. Cat Ba Island, the largest island in Halong Bay, can be reached by speedboat in about 45 minutes from Haiphong. The Cat Ba National Park protects dense rainforests with the rare Cat Ba langur, one of the rarest primates in the world with fewer than 70 remaining individuals. The Lan Ha Bay south of Cat Ba offers over 300 limestone karst formations, emerald green water, and significantly fewer tourists than Halong. Do Son Beach, 20 km southeast of the city, is a popular seaside resort with miles of sandy beaches and French colonial villas. The annual buffalo fighting festival in Do Son, a centuries-old ritual, takes place every September. Haiphong's flower markets are legendary: The city is famous for its flamboyant tree avenues (Phuong), which bathe the streets in bright red during May and June, earning Haiphong the nickname City of Red Flamboyant Flowers.