This Asian City Is The World’s Top Solo Travel Destination, Here’s Why
#SoloTravel is trending on most social media platforms and videos with that hashtag have collectively garnered billions of views. Explore Worldwide, an adventure travel platform was quick to ride on this trend and analyse global search data to reveal the top trending destinations for solo travellers.
Tracking and analysing two years’ worth of Google search data, the adventure travel platform determined the places that showed the most significant uplift in solo travel online searches. The city that topped the list was the capital city of Vietnam, Hanoi. The report read that Hanoi saw a 946% rise in year-on-year solo travel searches, followed by Bangkok with an 816% rise and Taipei in Taiwan with a rise of 700%.
Hanoi City
The report attributed reasons for Hanoi’s popularity as the city’s “aesthetically pleasing” ancient architecture, its rich cultural heritage and “plenty of activities for solo travellers to enjoy, from browsing food markets and visiting historic temples, to simply wandering the colourful streets.” We would add, on the safety index Hanoi reportedly ranks high at 62 on a scale of 100 points. Statistics site Numbeo recently ranked Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) fifth and 14th, respectively, in the safety index among 20 cities in Southeast Asia. What’s more, Hanoi offers affordable options for travel, sight-seeing and dining out.
Top Activites In Hanoi
The capital of Vietnam is renowned for its architecture and culture. Being the most popular destination for solo travellers, these are the things you definitely cannot miss!
1. Try The Local Cuisine
Go café-hopping, visit the markets and make sure you get the pulse of the city by trying the staple food of the locals. The cafés found here are known to have a mixture of tradition as well as modernity.The city also offers a variety of multinational coffee shop chains.
2. Appreciate The Art
Hanoi is also called the art capital of Vietnam, with architectural beauty and museums aplenty all revealing the rich Asian culture. The shows for the water puppet theatre in Hanoi cannot be missed and another must-visit is the Hanoi Opera House to make the most of the culture the place has to offer,
3. Stop By The Perfume Pagoda
Considered to be built as early as the 15th century, the Perfume Pagoda is an incredibly remarkable Buddhist temple in Hanoi. One would have to travel by road and then take a boat to reach the place.
4. Hoan Kiem Lake
This lake in Hanoi is where the youth hangs out. Apart from being a picturesque spot, there’s also a temple here that can be visited. You can simply admire the beauty of the city and have a chill time.
5. Shop At The Local Markets
Dong Xuan Market is a 4-storey building with local merchandise. It has the cheapest rates one can find. So if you want to get back gifts and souvenirs, this is the place for you.
Evidently, there are plenty of reasons why Hanoi makes a popular tourist spot for solo travellers. The report also shows that solo travellers are showing interest and a genuine desire to explore Asia and the world’s top five trending solo cities are all located in Asia. Other popular destinations according to the study are, in this order, Hanoi, Bangkok, Taipei, Seoul, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur, Perth, Singapore, and Sydney. Plenty of options for solo travellers to choose from.