Traveling cannot lack night experiences because there is no place that does not want to captivate visitors from morning to night and leave unforgettable impressions that make them come back many times. Personally, every time I travel far away, I always take advantage of all the time to "live" and understand more about the place I am going to. If you are a travel enthusiast, you will sympathize with the scene of saving up holidays and days off every year to have the longest and most enjoyable trips possible.
Night out abroad
The last time I traveled to Taiwan (China) for 6 days, I took the train from Taipei to Taichung in the morning. After leaving my luggage at the hostel, I walked straight out to the street to find something to eat. While eating, I opened the map to find a gentle walking route to get to a point where I could see the whole city from above. By chance, the hostel reception desk had information about a night walking tour to learn about the ancient architecture of Taichung. My curiosity urged me to book a trip for that day. There were many options, but I booked a 1-1 tour. The English tour guide was a young girl who knew many languages, from English, Japanese, Chinese to sign language for the deaf.
The whole day of hiking up the mountains made my legs tired, the enthusiastic tour guide picked me up at the station and took me to each of the most prominent places in downtown Taichung. Each place has fascinating historical stories such as: the 100-year-old Sun Cake Museum with the fragrant smell of cakes; ASEAN Plaza - a multicultural complex with the unique features of Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai restaurants and shops; Chenggong Medicine Street as if soaked in the smell of medicine and herbs...
Surprisingly, the night walking tour is simple but the itinerary is reasonable, the tour guide leads guests like taking them on a treasure hunt from one place to another.
Taiwan (China) is also a top culinary destination in Asia and that attraction lies in the colorful and flavorful night markets that take place every day in almost every city, big and small. I must confess that I am fascinated by the bustling life of the night markets. My host in Taipei told me that he does not often cook at home because buying food outside is easy, very delicious and diverse, and most of the cost of eating at the night market is much cheaper than cooking for himself. That shows how rich the culinary and lifestyle of the night market is that the locals are also fascinated.
Thailand, China, Japan, Laos, Cambodia... night markets also attract many tourists from far away. The diversity and popularity of night markets in tourist cities really make tourists fascinated and tired. Even the peaceful ancient capital of Luang Prabang (Laos) today has crowded food courts regardless of the week or weekend.
Night travel in Vietnam
If in the past, most of the night tourism activities in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang... were spontaneous, now they have developed richly with many different types, from walking street spaces, historical relic experiences, museums, river cruises, traditional shows... Although the communication for night tours is not really prominent, these experiences are gradually known to tourists and locals. Among them, there are paid activities that still attract a large number of visitors such as: Night tour of Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Hoa Lo Prison, Temple of Literature...
I had the opportunity to visit Thang Long Imperial Citadel when the night tour was just launched to see the beauty of history not only shining during the day but also sparkling under the lights. I have watched live shows in Hanoi, Hoi An and realized that nightlife in Vietnam is not just about going to the market, shopping and eating.
According to Booking.com’s annual Travel Trend Forecast report, 74% of Vietnamese travelers share their desire to explore destinations that are suitable for nighttime activities. And the upcoming 2025 travel trends will also witness a strong shift from traditional tourism activities to more natural and quiet experiences. One of the most prominent trends is noctourism.
These night tours are not simply to avoid the sunlight but also an opportunity for tourists to experience astronomical moments, to learn more about the nocturnal life of plants and animals. If going to mountainous areas, mountain climbing tours will bring the experience of stargazing at night, to national parks there will be tours to see animals at night, "forest bathing, star bathing", to coastal areas there will be night squid fishing trips...
Night trips are also a way for us to see other faces of everyday life. Night travel is not just a temporary trend but can gradually become a new lifestyle, especially for those who seek a balance between modern life and nature.
