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Hanoi är den självklara utgångspunkten om du vill upptäcka norra Vietnams historiska städer och sköna stränder. Rolf Larsson bor i staden, och tipsar här om vilka platser du bör besöka på en rundresa i området.

Established as a hill station by the French colonialists in 1922, Sapa today is the tourism centre of the northwest.

Northern Vietnam's most appealing city has a distinctly laid-back air with its tree-lined boulevards host to a bundle of colonial-era buildings. Caffeine-aficionado heaven, the central area buzzes with dinky cafes where tables spill out onto the pavements – perfect for people watching.

Tra Vinh, one of the prettiest towns in the Mekong Delta, is a peaceful place to explore the region's little-touted Cambodian connection. Around 300,000 ethnic Khmer live in the surrounding province and the area is dotted with more than 140 Khmer pagodas. With wide boulevards shaded by lines of trees, the town itself is more symbolic of the French colonialist era, but get beyond the outskirts and you'll soon discover that Khmer culture is still alive and well in these parts of Vietnam. Tra Vinh also has a small but active Chinese community, one of the few such communities that remain in the Mekong Delta region.

Isolated from the mainland, the Con Dao islands are one of Vietnam's star attractions. Long the preserve of political prisoners and undesirables, they now turn heads thanks to their striking natural beauty. Con Son, the largest of this chain of 15 islands and islets, is ringed with lovely beaches, coral reefs and scenic bays, and remains partially covered in tropical forests. In addition to hiking, diving and exploring deserted coastal roads there are excellent wildlife-watching opportunities, such as the black giant squirrel and endemic bow-fingered gecko.

With limestone outcrops amid serene rice paddies, Tam Coc is best appreciated on a languorous rowing-boat ride, with the soundtrack of the river lapping against the oars.

Ancient Hanoi preserves the best parts of French and Chinese culture and architecture, and weaves it all into the modern world with youthful Vietnamese verve. If that gets too boisterous, two nearby national parks offer clean mountain air, rare plant life and animal-spotting opportunities. At Tam Dao Hill Station the weather is cool year round, while Ba Vi National Park offers hiking through atmospheric mist to a mountaintop temple.

Dong Van is the Ha Giang region's most popular overnight stop and, not coincidentally, is home to some solid accommodation and food. But the real reason to come is for the Sunday market, one of the region's biggest and most colourful. The town is also a good base for day treks around nearby minority villages and nearby sights such as the Lung Cu flag tower and the Lung Cam Cultural Tourist Village.

Draped along the banks of the Hau Giang River (Bassac River), Chau Doc sees plenty of travelers washing through on the river route between Cambodia and Vietnam. A likeable little town with significant Chinese, Cham and Khmer communities, Chau Doc's cultural diversity – apparent in the mosques, temples, churches and nearby pilgrimage sites – makes it fascinating to explore even if you're not Cambodia-bound. Taking a boat trip to the Cham communities across the river or heading to nearby Sam Mountain and Tra Su Bird Sanctuary are other highlights, while the bustling market and intriguing waterfront provide fine backdrops to a few days of relaxation.

Heading east of Hoi An, new housing and hotels mix with older rice paddies, and the riverbank meanders for around 5km to sandy beaches. This palm-fringed coastline extends north to Danang, and despite the development, there are still a few quieter stretches; it's a good area to explore independently on two wheels.