There’s a never-ending list of unusual sites to visit in Vietnam, some of them you may already have seen. Like those bathrooms where you have to scoop water out of a bucket to clean yourself – or the side streets where motorbikes force the folks to leap out of the way.
It’s actually nothing compared to the places in this article that I’m going to share with you, though. So, let me prepare you for a fascinating journey of the most unusual places in Vietnam.
Thuy Tien Lake
The former water park at Thuy Tien Lake is as weird a place as you’ll find in the whole world, let alone Vietnam. The park was initially conceived as a family-friendly getaway for nearby Hue, but the owners gave up on the project when the park faltered. Now this failed dream brings in more graffiti artists than families.
Thuy Tien Lake, Thủy Bằng, Hue Province, Vietnam
Wax statue museum at Ba Na Hills
Have you ever wondered what John Travolta and Barack Obama would look like if they had creepy, vacant eyes and bodies as stiff as boards? Well, at the Ba Na Hills Mountaintop resort, you can see them and many other lifeless celebrities up close and… NO TOUCHING! It’s no Madame Tussaud’s, but the cable car ride up is pretty cool.
An Son Village, Hoa Ninh Commune, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang City, Vietnam
Crazy House in Dalat
Crazy House – or Biệt thự Hằng Nga – is one part of innovative architecture and psychedelic experience. But with all the tight stairways and steep drops, you probably shouldn’t ingest anything illicit beforehand. Trust us, there’s enough weirdness going on there already. There’s even the option of staying overnight in one of their themed rooms – and they’re just as odd.
03 Huynh Thuc Khang St, Ward 4, Đà Lạt, VN +84633822070
Hell Cave
The marble mountains between Danang and Hoi An are famous because of the unique cave formations and the pagodas carved into them. One cave stands out in particular, though: Hell Cave. Located in Water Mountain, the largest of the five marble mountains, visitors must work their way past statues of demons and crocodiles before ascending into the light to escape.
Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark in Ha Giang Province.
Suoi Tien Cultural Theme Park
There are some pretty strange Christian theme parks around the world, but what about Buddhists? In Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll discover a place where many Buddhists go to show their devotion – and where you can feed 1,500 live crocodiles with meat slung from fishing poles.
Suoi Tien Theme Park, Tân Phú Ward, District 9, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam +84 28 3896 0260
Bui Vien Street
This whole street is a testament to human weirdness. Those of the lower echelons from all walks of life show their true colors in the seedier, predawn hours – junkies, drunks, prostitutes, lewd backpackers, jaded ex-pats, gangsters and curious onlookers out to see why the name Bui Vien carries so much baggage for a lot of people. This street is changing quickly – with the old school places getting bought out by big beer clubs – but it’s still a weird magnet. Spend enough time on Bui Vien, and you’ll get a crash course on the darker side of human psychology.
Bùi Viện Street, Phạm Ngũ Lão Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Snake Village
Ever had a shot of snake liquor? How about the stir-fried snake? If you’re into weird meals, then head to Le Mat village near Hanoi, and for an extra dose of unusual, ask to swallow a still-beating snake heart.
Lệ Mật, Long Biên district, Hanoi, Vietnam
Phu Quoc Prison
Captured Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers were held in this terrible prison from 1950 until Saigon’s fall in 1975, where they were routinely tortured and starved to death. It’s horrible what happened here. The mannequins used to show these atrocities are also the stuff of nightmares.
Phú Quốc Prison Landmark, 350 ĐT46, Phú Quốc Island, Vietnam +84 822600009
Lang Biang Mountain
Climbing to the summit of Lang Biang mountain near Dalat is actually quite an enjoyable experience – tiring, but still a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. The weird part is down in the parking lot, where some enterprising folks have painted their horses to look like zebras. Apparently, the logic is that people are less intimidated by fake zebras than a real horse…
Langbian View Point, Đường bộ lên Langbian, Lạc Dương District, Dalat, Vietnam
Hanoi’s Train Street
How would you like it if you had a train rumbling by your front door twice a day? For hundreds of families in Hanoi, this is just part of their daily life. To get the full experience, we recommend trying to be around when the train goes by, which only happens twice a day. You feel the vibrations inside your sternum.
Train Street, Ngõ 224 Lê Duẩn, Hanoi
Christ the King Statue in Vung Tau
There’s a sizable Catholic population in Vietnam, but you still don’t expect to come across a mammoth Jesus statue. We always remember the first time we drove into Vung Tau, a beach town two hours south of Ho Chi Minh City, and found a 32 meter (105 feet) cement Christ with arms spread out to the sea. It’s an odd sight, that’s for sure. For those curious about the height, it’s taller than Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.
Mount Nhỏ in Vũng Tàu, Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province, Đông Nam Bộ, Vietnam
