Top-ads

The Latest

Showing posts with label Slider. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Slider. Show all posts

Dalat was established as a hill resort at the beginning of the last century by homesick French colonials who were attracted to its cool, spring-like weather, pine forests, waterfalls and lakes.
Many reminders of Dalat’s colonial past can be seen in the hundreds of European style villas, chalets and other buildings still standing around town One fine example is the cream-colored art deco villa that was once the summer home of Vietnam’s last emperor, Bao Dai.

Summer Palace of the King Bao Dai
Another slightly grander example of Dalat’s colonial architecture is the superbly restored Dalat Palace Hotel overlooking the central Xuan Huong Lake.
Dalat Palace Hotel
On the opposite side of Xuan Huong Lake is Vietnam’s first golf course, originally built for Emperor Bao Dai and recently restored, it is now one of the top courses in the region.
Xuan Huong Lake
Dalat Golf Course
Apart from its colonial heritage Dalat is known in Vietnam for its market gardens growing everything from carrots and cauliflowers to avocados and bananas as well as many varieties of flowers. For Vietnamese, Dalat means romance, and with attractions like the Valley of Love. It is the destination of choice for local honeymooners.
Dalat Market
A few kilometers from Dalat, at the base of Mount Langbian is the village of the Lat ethnic minority from whom Dalat takes part of its name. The rugged country around Mount Langbian offers some good opportunities for outdoor activities like hiking and rock climbing.
Lang Biang Highland
More photos of Dalat

Hai Phong is northern Vietnam's main port, and an important industrial and commercial center. 105km from Hanoi, Hai Phong is a beautiful city with much of the central colonial quarter still preserved. Many streets are bordered by flame flower trees, giving the city its other name 'city of flame flowers'. Hai Phong is also a good base for exploring other areas in the northeast such as Cat Ba and Halong bay

In Hai Phong itself, the Du Hang temple, Hang Kenh communal house and the old quarter are worth visiting. Nearby Do Son beach is northern Vietnam's most popular seaside retreat. It even boasts a casino!

The Du Hang Pagoda

Since being established in the 17th century, worshippers at this pagoda reconstructed it many times. There is a 2 storey gate, statue of the Goddess of Mercy in the courtyard, many statues of Bodhisattvas, guardians and the wooden goddesses, and a lot of ancient furniture. The bells out the front are interesting.

The Hang Kenh Communal House

The boat shaped house has a beautiful facade, carved frames and pillars of precious wood. It was built in the 17th century. The central section is dedicated to King Ngo Quyen and his generals, who defeated the army of the great Kublai Khan no less, in the battle of the Bach Dang River in 938AD. This battle ended over 1,000 years of foreign rule in Vietnam.

Catba Island

A trip to Cat Ba island can be separated or combined with a visit to Halong Bay. This is the largest island in the Cat Ba Archipelago that consists of 350 limestone outcrops adjacent to Halong.
This is also an oasis where you can be apart for one or a few days during a long voyage. If starting from Halong Wharf it will take you 4 hours by a tourist boat, with stopovers for swimming, visiting spectacular karst and having fresh seafoods. In a single word, you can contemplate the beautiful scenery of Halong before reaching the island.
You can also buy a ticket of the hydrofoil departing from Hai Phong Seaport to reach Cat Ba if your itinerary saves Halong for another visit. With an area of 356 square km wide, Cat Ba encompasses forested zones, coastal mangrove and freshwater swamps, beaches, caves, and waterfalls. In 1986, the Northeast side of the island was designated a National Park, including a protected marine zone.
Cat Ba Island supports a population of over 20,000, most of whom live off fishing or farming in the South, in and around Cat Ba Town. The town is small and ancient, with clusters of fishing boats and inspiring sunsets across the harbor. You can check out the catch of the day in the early morning, see cuttlefish dried over hot charcoals, or stroll around the old town.
It's a short hike from Cat Ba town through a tunnel to Cat Co Beach, whose mountains look like a throne holding a marvelous sandy coast, or if you hike further along, you will reach the rockier Cat Vang Beach. As transportation on the town is not so well-developed, motorbikes is the most helpful means to get you to the larger Trung Trang Cave with many chambers, or to the National Park, or to discover other beaches around the island.
A tourguide is necessary to help you communicate with the local drivers and introduce these viewpoints. The national park contains stringy trees, thick undergrowth and slippery vines. There is a great view that includes a French, now Vietnamese, farming village from the top of the mountain and a lake in the middle of the park that takes a half day to reach.

More photos of Hai Phong

Halong Bay which has been designated as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994, is one of the most beautiful places on earth which abounds with natural beauty.
Halong means Bay of the Descending Dragons. The proud Vietnamese are claiming this place as an eight wonder- such is its beauty. This bay is very calm and there are 3000 islands in all shapes and sizes in the bay.

Halong Bay is one of the main tourist attractions in Vietnam. The islands in the bay contain grottos and caves which lead to fresh water lakes and amazing and spectacular formation of stalactites and stalagmites inside. Almost any traveler and tourist will make it a point to visit Halong Bay Vietnam at least once in their life!
To reach Halong Bay one has to drive along the Bai Chay beach or scorched beach as it is referred to due to the sands in the beach being dark colored. Once the tourists reach Halong Bay then they can do lots of things here. They would be simply amazed to see spectacular land and seascape around them once they venture out in to the bay on boats. The waters in the bay are so calm and crystal clear that you will want to jump in and go for a swim. You can hire boats both big and small - such as the Halong Junky or even the Halong Luxury Junky and go on tours to visit the grottos, caves freshwater swamps, and sandy beaches. If you take a tour that lasts you for more than 2 days you get to stay in one of the caves for the night which is really a thrilling experience. It is best that you go on tours in the bay for at least 3 days as this will give you the opportunity of experiencing a night out in the bay in a sail boat which is entirely unique to this region.
The white sandy beaches and calm water around the grottos make for a lovely swimming place. Because the waters are clear you will be able to see the coral reefs clearly too. Virgin Cave and Mid Gate caves are some of the great places to visit and explore as you will surprised to find tunnels deep inside the caves. The stone formations inside all the caves and grottos are very peculiar and resemble animals and plants. The mountains around these caves are great places to go hiking. You can even try your hand at kayaking and snorkeling here. May be you can even do some fishing as the area abounds in fish and sea food varieties.
A Halong cruise is another great thing that Halong Vietnam has to offer for its tourists and guests. Be sure to include a Luxury Halong Bay Cruise or a less heavy Halong Bay Cruise to your itinerary on your package to Halong Bay.
Remember to carry your camera along because you can get some amazing pictures of the natural scenery found abounding here. If you are prepared to paddle then there is no greater way to look around the islands. There are night excursions being arranged for tourists who want to experience the caves and grottos at night.
At Halong city there are plenty of shops which sell locally made handicrafts which can be bought and taken back as souvenirs for family and friends. You can even try out some local fare in any of the restaurants here and it will truly be an amazing culinary experience.
Written by John Penmark from www.thingsasian.com

Although I used to have an aversion to particularly resorty destinations, over the years I came to love Mui Ne for the escape it offered from Saigon. Although it could take six hours by bus or train to get there it was always worth the wait as you truely felt you had left the city, the noise and the bustle far behind.

The bus that left Saigon at 8 on a Friday night would get in between 1 and 2 am, and we would always head straight down to the beach to hear the waves crash, watch the stars and feel the stresses of the week melt away. Mui Ne is a great destination for all budgets; for volunteers like us there were budget rooms availible for less than $10, for families high quality resorts were availible for $50 and for those with more cash to flash there are also some high end hotels and resorts.
Over the years we visited we saw the strip along the bay develop more on every trip, yet as all the developments were low-rise and well spaced out it never once felt too crowded, retaining its peaceful, laid back feel. When on the beach most resorts would be hidden by the trees that lined the coast, so even then the beach didn't feel overcrowded.
I never took the opportunity to try watersports on the beach but ate more than my fair share of seafood, sipped plenty of cocktails and made sure every trip was as relaxing as the last. We'd often hire a motorbike - or bring ours from Saigon on the train - and explore up and down the coast, eating local banh xeo, heading up to the sanddunes or visiting the fishing village of Mui Ne. Despite visting so many times over the years it has never lost its charm - and I'm very pleased to say I will be back again in a months time.
by Jonny Platt from thingsasian.com
Jonny Platt lived in Saigon, Vietnam for two years and is about to head back for more. In the meantime he plays with Vietnam Travel, a guide to exploring Vietnam.

Despite its commercialization during the last seven years, Sapa is still a must-see on any northern Vietnam itinerary. On a clear day you will treated to views of steeply terraced rice fields, towering verdant ridgelines, primitive mud-thatched villages, raging rivers and astounding waterfalls.

Nestled high in the Tonkinese Alps near the Chinese border, Sapa was built as a hill station during French colonial days, to serve as a respite from stifling Hanoi summers. These days, weekends are still the biggest draw in this crumbling hill-tribe center. Visitors from the capital flock to Sapa for a glimpse of the famed "Love Market," a trek to local hill tribe villages, or an ascent of Vietnam's highest peak, FanSiPan.
Some eight ethnic groups inhabit Lao Cai province: Hmong, Dao, White Thai, Giay, Tay, Muong, Hao and Xa Pho. The most prominent in town are the Red Dao, easily identified by the coin-dangling red headdresses and intricately embroidered waistcoats worn by the women, and the Hmong, distinguished by their somewhat less elaborately embroidered royal blue attire. Groups of ethnic Hmong youngsters and women can be seen hauling impossibly heavy, awkward baskets of wood, stakes, bamboo, bricks, mud and produce.
Deep in the valleys surrounding Sapa, the Muong Hoa River sluices a wild, jagged course among Giay, Red Dao and White Thai settlements, their tiny dwellings poking out of the neon rice fields like diamonds on a putting green. One- to four-day treks are offered by a handful of outfitters. Guests sleep in tents or in the homes of villagers, their gear hauled by Hmong porters. Be warned: Despite what the local innkeepers will tell you, both the Hmong and the Dao really do not enjoy having their photographs taken unless they're paid for it. It's a certainty that any brochure you see of smiling, care-free ethnic hill people was shot under a Screen Actors Guild contract.
Sapa is famed for its "Love Market" – sort of a cross between a peacock mating ritual, a Middle Eastern arms bazaar, an Amish square dance, a bad Pavarotti concert and Bangkok's Patpong (except here the people wear clothes). On Saturday nights, Red Dao hill tribe youths of both sexes congregate in a weekly courting rite, singing tribal versions of Loretta Lynn love songs to woo the opposite sex. The songs are highly personalized and boast of the composer's physical attributes, domestic abilities and strong work ethic. While Dao women are indeed highly industrious, the men, it seems, prefer to spend most of their time drinking, smoking opium or sleeping, only occasionally slapping the rump of a lethargic bovine moving more slowly than they are. Few of their songs, though, are about drinking, smoking opium, sleeping or slapping rumps.
Topping out at 3,143 meters, Fan Si Pan has become the Mount Everest of Vietnam, with queues of yuppie trekkers in their latest TravelSmith "totally-packable" rainwear forming mountaineering traffic jams at base camps.
Sapa itself is a somewhat bedraggled village meshing crumbling, mildewed French colonial architecture with the pencil-thin, brick-and-concrete mini-hotels that have become so ubiquitous in recent years all across Vietnam. This neglected, cultural mishmash would be an eyesore in any place less spectacularly scenic than Sapa. Because of its Shangri-la-like setting, Sapa actually seems quaint – a tranquil, restful village. Which is, of course, what the French originally intended the place to be. Amenities are limited unless you choose to stay at Sapa Golden Sea Hotel, one of the most famous hotels in Sapa Town.
The best times of the year to visit Sapa are in the spring and fall. Summers tend to be rainy and muddy, while winter temperatures can drop to the freezing mark. Weather really does make a difference here, because the spectacular scenery is all but blotted out when there is cloud cover and rain. Ignore the other Nikon-toting tourists in the villages and get out into the countryside, where you just may still catch a glimpse into hill-tribe life of a couple of centuries ago.
By Tracy Vu from www.thingsasian.com

On April 30, 2009 at 8am, I was one of the 12 passengers packed into a van heading towards the highway to the scenic spot--- Perfume Pagoda near Hanoi, Vietnam. Today was the national holiday--- the Liberation Day. So everybody was out going somewhere. There were millions of motorbikes and big buses overflowing with people and the communing in the cities was impossibly crowded.

After 2 and a half hours of crazy traffic and constant horning, we finally arrived at the pier to board the flat boat up perfume river. I was asked to disguise as Vietnamese from the south, along with a real vietnamese family of 6 and the tour guide, we boarded one larger boat rowed by 2 young girls with conical hats. I was sure our other non-vietnamese passengers must have paid a much higher price for the same boat ride. It was a typical cloudy day of Spring, with a light drizzle. The scenery was very nice. There were rounded limestone hills along the calm river where taro plants, cat tails and water morning glories grew wild. Dragonflies hovered around and laid pinkish red eggs on water reeds. Occasionally troups of ducks interrupted the calm water. We took photos and ate candies. The vietnamese talked non-stop and I just soakedup the beautiful landscape.
When we arrived to the area before going up to the Perfume Pagoda Complex, there were several eateries hanging exotic meat available for the hungry travellers. I saw a wild fox with a very long tail, a small wild pig and a couple rats. For the vegetarians, there were morning glories and wild pumpkin leaves. we climbed up some steps through stalls selling incense sticks, prayer decorations and flowers (brunches of palm flowers with q blossoms). I eyed a stall selling traditional jungle medicine and plant roots. but we were on the way up first, taking the cable car to the top of the mountain. There are only 2 girls opting for a trek up the thousands of steps which would take them an hour. Either way, you could see the lush jungle wetted by the Spring drizzle.
The main pagoda was inside a limestone cave down by about a hundred steps made of uneven stones. It was called the most beautiful cave under the southern sky. Inside, the statue of Goddess of mercy was housed in an alter in a natural setting among stalatiles and stalamites. Some of these limestone features were being worshipped for different reasons. There were the "boy" stone and the "girl" stone, and also the"gold" and "silver" stones where worshippers rubbed money on the smooth surface. We all went back down by cable car. It was important to mention that at the waiting area before getting into the cable car, the passageway was constructed like a maze ( I guess to control the crowd) so a mere 3 meter distance took almost 3 minutes to meander through and it was quite funny.
Back downhill, we had lunch in one of the eateries. Thank goodness, there were no exotic meat on the table. We were sharing a soup of wild leaves, fried onion and leeks with pork, deep-fried chicken, omlette, water morning glories wth garlic, grilled fish and rice. I bought my own bottle of passionfruit juice.
Between lunch and the time to view the second pagoda, I looked at the different roots at the medicinal store. There were unidentified roots, lots of ginger, tree barks and I recognized lots of tubers of Stephania sp. which were used to treat hyperactiveness. It has a good sedative effect when used onpatients. The tubers ranged from fist-sized to huge ones. I bought the smallest one for a dollar.
When it was the time to go back to the boat, it was really pouring. I got my unbrella and others had plastic raincoats. But it did not matter. We all got drenched as the boat is roofless. We guided downstream in the pouring rain for a solid hour. The scenery was nethertheless breathtaking. Hills from a distance were enveloped by mist and we heard nothing but the sound of rain falling onto the river.
Written by Victor wong