My first stop in Vietnam was the small town of Hà Tiên, right across the border with Cambodia. The town is a nice introduction to Vietnam, with no traffic, lots of sidewalk cafes, some colonial architecture, and a scenic location on a river.
There may not really be any specific sites to see, but I thought it was a nice place to spend a couple days. I’d rather just experience places than chase down tourist sites anyways.
But there are a few things to see in Hà Tiên. There are quite a few interesting modern temples in town. They all seem to be new and still under construction. There is a hill covered with tombs, which also has nice views of town.
One could easily kill a day here just relaxing in various cafes. Strolling along the river is nice in the evening. There is a good night market serving all sorts of seafood.
Hà Tiên is set in scenic countryside, and is near a beach, so there are some sightseeing opportunities. And it’s a jumping-off point for Phú Quốc Island. But just using it as a quick stop on the way to the island would be missing out on this Mekong Delta gem of a town.
