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Top Festivals to Be Suggested for Vietnam Adventure Tours

Festivals in Vietnam offer visitors the best opportunity for getting up close and personal with the myths, customs and fun-loving spirit of this proud nation. There are also plenty of cultural events that are only celebrated during certain times of the year (or years), so you’ll never know when one decides to pop up during Vietnam adventure tours.

Tet Nguyen Dan (Lunar New Year)

January/February

Lunar New Year, locally called Tet, is the biggest festival of the year with the whole country downing tools for family get-togethers. Principally a religious celebration, don’t expect too much of a wild party for Vietnam adventure activities, but it’s still a fascinating time to visit Vietnam and you’ll certainly find locals lighting fireworks, visiting temples with their families, and the interesting sight of many flower stalls set up as giving flowers is customary during Tet.

Tet is celebrated throughout Vietnam, but it’s best to join it in the larger cities, as smaller towns really do shut down, making it difficult to find food and transport. Hanoi is the best place to enjoy this festivity. Quan Su Pagoda or Ngoc Son Temple is where you can see locals lighting incenses and praying to their ancestors in the morning while Hanoi Opera House often organizes vibrant parties and fireworks displays.

Hue Festival

April/May/June every two years

Hue Festival is a biannual celebration that takes place in UNESCO-listed Hue City, where you can enjoy an array of cultural events, games, and performances held over a week during your adventure activities in Vietnam. Founded in 2000, the festival was held to preserve traditional customs that were practiced during the Nguyen Dynasty. If you’re visiting Hue in April, May or June, expect unique showcases such as the Hue Poetry Festival, Dialogue of Drums and Percussions, and Ao Dai Fashion Shows, sporting activities like kite flying, boat racing, and human chess, as well as street performances, film screenings, and art exhibitions.

Hue Festival is only celebrated in Hue City, which is the capital of Thua Thien Hue province in Central Vietnam.

Perfume Festival

Mid-February/March

Perfume Festival draws throngs of local pilgrims from all over Vietnam to Hanoi’s iconic Perfume Pagoda, where they to pray for a prosperous year and pay their respects to Buddha. The pilgrimage starts with a dragon dance at Den Trinh Pagoda on the 6th day of the 1st Lunar, where pilgrims (and even travelers) travel by boat along the Yen River to the base of Huong Mountain, passing by limestone caves and rice fields. The Vietnam adventure tours continue on foot by climbing hundreds of stone steps towards Huong Tich Cave, offering a colorful display of food offerings, statues of deities, lit incenses, and praying locals.

Perfume Festival takes place at the Perfume Pagoda in Hanoi, from the 6th day of the 1st lunar month until the end of the 3rd lunar month.

Mid-Autumn Festival

Mid-September

Mid-Autumn Festival, held on the 14th and 15th day of the lunar month, features a wide range of activities such as children carrying paper lanterns, lion dances, and food booths selling mooncakes, sticky rice, fruits, and various sweets. Also known as the harvest festival, households set up an altar during the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, on which they display offerings in honor of the full moon.

Mid-Autumn Festival is best enjoyed in Hoi An, where you’ll get to see plenty of street performances, lantern processions and art exhibitions throughout UNESCO-listed Ancient Town during Vietnam adventure holidays. Children also get to participate in essays, drawing and coloring contests during Mid-Autumn Festival, while visitors can enjoy breathtaking sights of colorful paper lanterns lining the Thu Bon Riverside and Japanese Covered Bridge.

Hung King Temple Festival

Early April

Hung King Temple Festival is held in commemoration of Kinh Duong Vuong, who became Vietnam’s first king in 2879BC. While the main worship event takes place at the Hung Temple, which is perched atop Nghia Linh Mountain in Phu Tho Province, 100 lanterns are released into the sky on the eve of the festival. The next morning, a flower ceremony is held at Den Thuong (Upper Temple), where the Hung Kings used to worship deities during their reign. Lastly, a huge procession starts at the foot of the mountain, consisting of pilgrims, xoan classical song performances, and ca tru classical operas at several temples of Vietnam along the way towards the main Hung Temple, which makes your adventure tours more memorable.

Hung King Temple Festival is celebrated at the Hung Temple on Nghia Linh Mountain in Phong Chau District, Phu Tho Province.

Lim Festival

Mid-February

Lim Festival is where you can enjoy UNESCO-listed quan ho folk singing performances and a wide range of traditional games during your adventure Vietnam. Held on the 12th and 13th day of the first lunar month, several stages are built within the village where you get to see locals performing in traditional costumes. We highly recommend heading over to the lake outside the Lim Communal House to catch quan ho singing performance on a dragon boat. Lim Festival also hosts folk games such as danh du (bamboo swings), cockfighting, tug-of-war, wrestling, human chess, and blind man’s bluff.

Lim Festival is celebrated in Lim Village, which is located within the Tien Du District, Bac Ninh Province. Located 18km from Hanoi, You can easily make your way to this traditional village by bus or rental car.

Wandering Souls Day

The annual Wandering Souls Day takes place on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, which locals believe is the day when spirits of their ancestors are able to visit their homes. On the eve of the festival, families flock to Buddhist temples and graves of their departed loved ones to offer prayers, flowers, sticky rice cakes, sugarcane, and fruits. Paper money and clothes are also burned during this time of the year.

While Wandering Souls Day celebrated by Buddhist population across Vietnam, the best place to enjoy Vietnam adventure tours is in Hue, where numerous Buddhist shrines and pagodas are flooded with locals and monks performing ceremonies and prayers. The festival is also known as the Cold Food Festival (Tet Han Thuc) as chilled dishes such as banh troi (floating rice cake) and banh chay (glutinous rice balls with mung bean paste) are typically eaten.

The Legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail Getting Popular for Vietnam Adventure Tours

If relentless American bombing didn’t get him, it would take a North Vietnamese soldier as long as six months to make the grueling trek down the jungle Ho Chi Minh Trail. Today, you speed along the same route at 60 mph, past peaceful hamlets and stunning mountain scenery during Vietnam adventure tours.

The trail, which played an important role in the Vietnam War, has been added to itineraries of the country’s booming tourist industry which attracts many people who love adventure activities in Vietnam. Promoters cash in on its history, landmarks and the novelty of being able to motor, bike or even walk down the length of the country in the footsteps of bygone communist guerrillas.

Many sections of the old trail, actually a 9,940-mile web of tracks, roads, and waterways, have been reclaimed by tropical growth. But a main artery has now become the Ho Chi Minh National Highway, probably the country’s best and the largest public works project since Vietnam War ended 30 years ago.

The highway, more than 745 miles of which are already open to traffic, begins at the gates of Hanoi, the capital, and ends at the doorsteps of Ho Chi Minh City, which was known as Saigon when it was the former capital of South Vietnam.

In your adventure Vietnam, you will see the route passing battlefields like Khe Sanh and the Ia Drang Valley, skirts tribal villages of the rugged Central Highlands and offers easy access to some of the country’s top attractions – the ancient royal seat of Hue, the picturesque trading port of Hoi An and the South China Sea beaches.

You can begin your Vietnam adventure tours in the newly rebuilt city of Vinh, along one of the trail’s main branches. Here in “Vietnam’s Dresden,” every building but one is obliterated by U.S. bombing, which attempted to stop the flow of foreign military aid through the city’s port. American pilots also suffered their greatest losses of the war over its skies.

Nearby, in the rice-farming village of Kim Lien, is the humble hut where Vietnam’s revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh was born and a museum dedicated to his turbulent life. Given Ho’s standing as a national icon, the village draws an average of 1.5 million domestic visitors and a smattering of foreigners each year.

It was on one of Ho’s birthdays, on May 9, 1959, that construction of the trail began with the establishment of Military Transport Division 559, made up of 440 young men and women. Over the next 16 years, the trail, which also wound through neighboring Laos and Cambodia, carried more than a million North Vietnamese soldiers and vast quantities of supplies to battlefields in South Vietnam despite ferocious American air strikes. At Dong Loc, 18 miles south of Vinh, there are many memorials to the thousands who didn’t complete that hike – a hillside shrine with the tombs of 10 women, aged 17 to 24, killed in bombing raids. Joss sticks, flowers and the articles of female youth – pink combs and little round mirrors – lay on each of the last resting places.

Although it’s still a trail of tears three decades after the guns fell silent, Ho’s road looks decidedly to the future and has attracted tons of tourists coming to Vietnam for adventure tours. The government says the highway will stimulate the economy in some of Vietnam’s poorest, most remote regions, relieve congestion on the only other north-south road, National Highway 1, and increase tourism revenue. Besides conventional tours, several companies offer mountain biking along sections of the trail and expeditions on Russian-made Minsk motorcycles out of the 1950s.

At some places like the A Shau valley town of A Luoi, just a few shacks and farm houses when seen five years ago, a mini-boom is clearly afoot. There’s a bustling market selling baskets of fruit, Japanese watches and delicious French bread, and newly built houses abound so that it can make Vietnam adventure holidays more interesting.

From the highway, which expands to four lanes as it runs through the crossroads town, Dong Ap Bia looms in the hazy distance. American soldiers called it Hamburger Hill because of the number of lives ground up in the 1969 battle on its ridges. If you want to explore more about the historic trail, you can find and ask the old people who can point out the helicopter landing field, now a school playground with a decrepit merry-go-round featuring three little airplanes. Knowing more about historic events will make the Vietnam adventure tours unforgettable.

Unique Traditional Villages in Hoi an – Suggestions for Vietnam Adventure Tours

Mentioning Hoi An, many people often think of the peaceful Hoai River or houses bearing time stamps. In addition to the beauty of the ancient town, this place also attracts visitors in Vietnam adventure tours to traditional handicraft villages, which are culturally preserved for a long time.
At present, Hoi An still has about 12 traditional handicraft villages, such as carpentry, fine art, lantern … villages. Here are some most famous villages you should not miss when vi adventure activities in Vietnam sitting this ancient town.

Kim Bong traditional carpentry village

Located in Cam Kim commune, Kim Bong carpentry village has a history of up to 600 years. Under the reign of the Nguyen dynasty, Kim Bong was famous for its exquisite rustic work with boats and houses. Not only that, the architecture of houses or pagodas in Hoi An ancient town is also designed by the skillful hand of Kim Bong carpenters.

To get here and try some adventure activities in Vietnam, you only need to take a ferry from the ancient town in about 10 minutes. From the moment of setting foot on this piece of land, the sound of chiseling or drill cutting will make tourists excited about an attractive tourist destination.

The carpentry products from this village are assessed to be rustic but also sophisticated. You can find lacquered pictures, wooden statues, chairs or even small toys that are nicely polished to keep the natural color in such Vietnam adventure tours.

Currently, Kim Bong carpentry village is no longer building boats, building houses as before, instead, it only produces handicraft products. However, the essence and dexterity still imprint strongly on each product.

Tra Que traditional vegetable village

Tra Que is a famous land of Hoi An with delicious vegetables grown on fertile soil. The village is located in Cam Ha commune, more than 3km northwest of the city center so you can also get there in every normal cycling Vietnam tour. At present, there are 220 families working in agriculture, of which 130 are specializing in growing rotational vegetables, intercropping on 40ha.

Visiting Tra Que, you will be introduced to over 20 spices of leafy vegetables and herbal vegetables. Many spices are considered more delicious than other places such as basils, perillas … Not only that, visitors coming here also experience the feeling of becoming real farmers, which is really valuable for such Vietnam adventure tours. Tra Que people prepare a lot of farm clothes with slippers, conical hats and set up houses dedicated to tourism. Visitors are guided about how to hoe, plant, water and fertilize vegetables.

After the practice of being farmers, tourists will enjoy many delicious dishes made from green vegetables and specialties of Quang Nam such as a cauldron, mussels, prawn, Quang noodles, Hoi An Cao Lau, etc.

Thanh Ha traditional pottery village

About 3 km to the west of Hoi An is the Thanh Ha pottery village, dating from the end of the 15th century. This village is located near the Thu Bon River in Cam Ha commune, which you can get to after the previous destination in a cycling Vietnam route. Previously, Thanh Ha provided bowls, jars, tiles, floor tiles for ancient houses in Hoi An and surrounding areas. Today, the products are more abundant and diverse, including soulless souvenirs with various designs and colors.

One special feature in this village is that the households still preserve the pottery making technique on tables. All rely on the craftsmanship of each artist without the use of mold, glaze or chemicals. Therefore, although the same material is used clay, the products here are lighter than which from other regions. Visiting this traditional pottery village in Vietnam, in addition to buying beautiful souvenirs, visitors also take part in some outdoor activities here and learn about the traditional pottery of Vietnam from experienced artists.

Phuoc Kieu traditional Copper Casting Village

With the age of up to 400 years, Phuoc Kieu Copper Casting Village is a famous tourist destination in Vietnam adventure tours to Hoi An in particular and the whole country in general. You can find copper products for festive occasions such as gongs, lounges, etc., and daily necessities including pots, saucepans, bowls, etc.

The reason why the products here are impressive is because of the special manipulation techniques that tourists can witness through outdoor activities in this place of Vietnam. Artisans in the village always have the secret of mixing many different metals as well as maintaining a stable temperature. In the past, the kings of the Nguyen Dynasty had invited artisans from the village to Hue to produce works of art, household goods, and even mining.

Indeed, Vietnam adventure tours to Hoi An will be the most memorable experience in your life with unique beauty and attraction. For more detailed guides, come to this article as reference.

After finishing the journey to visit the ancient town, you can stop at Phuoc Kieu. In addition to buying products and visiting, you can also see artists performing songs instruments made by themselves.

Exception for Your Vietnam Adventure Tours- Water Festival New Year

The Water Festival is held to celebrate New Year in some countries in East and South-East countries such as China, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand. Besides, we cannot ignore a country well known all over the world for this: Laos. You are wondering when and why people celebrate this occasion and what they do during this festival, which is outside from Vietnam adventure tours, aren’t you? This article is going to provide you all needed information you may want to know.

In Laos, people call it Songkran, which last 4 days (from 12th to 15th April). Songkran was originally considered as Buddhist ritual to welcome the New Year with purification, and that has not changed yet. Monks and believers attend to the temples, sprinkling Buddha statues and altars with scented water, in a symbolic gesture of washing away the bad luck from the previous year and welcoming in good fortune, health, and happiness for the New Year. That is so similar to Vietnam adventure activities in the New Year. The water was saved and sprinkled on loved ones as well, which is still done today.

The first day is the last day of the old year when houses and villages are carefully cleaned. Perfume, water, and flowers are also prepared for the Lao New Year. The second day of the festival is called the “day of no day”, as it falls in neither the old year nor the New Year. The last day of the festival marks the beginnings of the New Year.
Because of Laos’ religion: Buddhism, Lao New Year is observed with many Buddha-related traditions and celebratory activities, which are hardly seen in Vietnam adventure tours. First of all is Sand Decorations. As a way of bringing luckiness, Lao people often bring sand to temples for the monks. At the temples, the monks create mounds of sand. These mounds of sand are decorated with patterns of flowers and intricate carvings. Otherwise, they possibly go to beaches to create their own stupas.

Other activities hold on the second day is cleansing with water – the most important one during the festival. And somewhat like Vietnam adventure holidays in Tet, school-age children are supposed to clean their homes and loved ones with water. After they soak their elders with water, students go to temples to cleanse monks. The cleansing water is often perfumed with flowers or cologne. According to traditional Lao beliefs, this promotes longevity, cleans all dirt and purifies people. Then, the students have some fun by dousing their friends with water. Playful fights with water guns and balloons are also common. Along with water cleansing, homes are cleaned by families. This helps eliminate the bad fortune from the past year.

It comes to the most humanity action in this festival: release animals. Since most Lao people are Buddhists, giving freedom to animals is a common practice during Lao New Year. In addition to freeing birds and other animals from cages, monks will pray for the release of captive humans.

Like many other holidays, decorations are an important aspect of Lao New Year- Flower arrangement. To show respect for Buddha, monks in Lao temples will decorate images and statues of Buddha with flowers. These flowers are always freshly picked and washed before they are placed on a representation of Buddha. This practice shares the similarity with Vietnamese on Tet holiday, which you can experience in Vietnam adventure tours.
One more activity which draws much attention from a gorgeous woman is pageants. This contest consists of seven female contestants who compete for the title of Miss Pii Mai Lao. Other areas of Laos also host beauty pageants during Lao New Year.

And, an inevitable thing in almost every festival for tourists loving it just like Vietnam outdoor activities: dancing and music. In small towns and villages, communities gather to sing traditional songs. These songs are often accompanied by instrumental music and circle dances.

The unique thing here: food. In contrast to most holidays in East and Southeast Asia which are not oriented around food, Lao people enjoy traditional meals on the final day of the festival, which is often compared to Vietnam outdoor specialty for those once visited: Chung cake. One of the most popular dishes consists of sticky rice with padauk. Padaek is a fermented fish sauce that is commonly eaten by Lao families. This dish is usually served with roasted mushrooms. Fish stews are also popular in Laos during New Year celebrations. However, it is said that not everyone can eat and enjoy those kinds of food at the first time.

Lastly, you also need to know about ritual greetings here to avoid an awkward situation. One of the most commonly heard greetings during Lao New Year is sok di pai mai (means Happy New Year in English).

Lao New Year festival like that of many countries is a vibrant holiday that allows the people of Laos to practice traditions and enjoy some time off from work with friends and family members. If you have a chance, except for the choice of Vietnam adventure tours, just visit Laos once at least on this occasion and you will experience these hilarious things at your first hand.

Choosing Best Motorbike to Enjoy Unforgettable Vietnam Adventure Tours

When you travel around Vietnam adventure tours with motorbikes are worth trying at least once during your lifetime. Regarding buying a right motorbike in Vietnam, we would like to share with you some hints, tips, and information.

1. Get all necessary licenses and documentation ready

Riding legally in Vietnam means that you must get a valid Vietnam motorcycle license. Besides, you must be in the ownership of other papers for the motorcycle so that you can ride on it legally during your adventure activities in Vietnam, and buy insurance which is quite cheap from the same agent where you got your license.

2. Finding out a suitable motorbike

To achieve this seemingly difficult task, it is a good idea to check online at such websites as Craigslist or Travelswop. They give you a lot of information about most popular bikes available in Vietnam. Also, choosing the ones with a good online reputation can save you gambling and buying the wrong bike from a backpacker.

What is more, roadside mechanics can be a good source to help you choose the right scooter for your Vietnam adventure tours. However, you might have to pay them an amount of commission. And you are advised not to buy secondhand bikes from a dealer, which doesn’t guarantee anything. Make sure you check the bike thoroughly before buying even from someone who appears honest and reputable.

3. Know what your budget is

Regarding budget, getting a suitable steed of $300 US is advisable for your motorcycling Vietnam tours. You really had better not spend much more on something secondhand because it will generally be overpriced. If you have the appropriate Vietnamese motorbike license, you can take bikes of larger capacity bikes or else ones in the 50 to a 125cc range is suitable.

4. Inspect carefully

You may be suggested a lot of motorbikes. At that time, to make a decision, you have to take a general but careful look over the bike: Does it look clean? Is anything hanging off?

In details, you should check every single part of the motorbike before buying it for cycle tours in Vietnam:

The frame: Is it straight? Any suspicious looking welding? It is acceptable if there is a small amount of surface rust is OK but have a good poke at areas but the pen going through anywhere means it is not meant for your adventure tours around Vietnam.
The tires: What are the tires like? Do they have tread on them? Are they inflated? You should look out closely at the sides of the tire for any cracks or bits missing.

The electronics: It is advisable to check everything twice, front light (dipped and main beam), backlight (headlight on and brake light), indicators, horn, starter motor (if fitted).

The suspension: Bounce the bike to check whether there are any strange noises and press down to check whether or not the suspension returns to the extended position.

5. But wait, take a try!

The result might be good after your thorough check, but you have to take a trying ride on that motorbike. In this way, you can make sure that all the gears work smoothly, brakes work, there are no strange noises, the acceleration is smooth and progressive.

If you find any minor issues then politely tell the seller about them and factor them into your offer price. Here is a small price guide you should remember while taking your Vietnam adventure tours (in VND).

Front tire – 120,000
Rear tire – 150,000
Oil change – 80,000
Small wiring fix e.g. headlight not working – 20,000
Rear wheel hub – 250,000
Wheel bearings (per wheel) – 50,000
Indicator – 30,000
Inline fuel filter and carb clean – 70,000

Last but not least, to make your purchase of a bike before Vietnam adventure holidays, you have to make sure you get the appropriate paperwork with the bike. You should receive a blue ownership card (usually laminated) when you hand over the cash, ask to see it beforehand and make sure all the details match the bike in question. Otherwise, you might be stopped by the police and charged with a hefty bribe, not mention the fact that your bike will be confiscated.

Vietnam adventure tours might be fantastic, but before that, you have to pay attention to steps of choosing the right motorbike. That process can be time and energy-consuming but somehow it can be another interesting journey.

Top Beaches for Your Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam Adventure Tours

Across South East Asia mainland, there is a variety of exotic beaches for an enjoyable summer vacation. Here are some of the best choices if you are taking Myanmar, Thailand or Vietnam adventure tours.

1. Ngapali (Myanmar)

After Thailand or Vietnam, you can go on to visit Ngapali – one of the most worthwhile beaches in Myanmar. It lies on the coast of Bay Bengal, Rakhine State. White sand and palm trees along the coast and numerable resorts are most memorable sights on this beach.

If you visit Ngapali, all you can do is relaxing and enjoying a good time during your Myanmar adventure tours. You can take part in such other activities as going on a trip to local fishing boats; kayaking; snorkeling or scuba diving amongst the brightly colored fish. You can also spend time on cycling or ride down the beach and around local villages. If you like luxury sports, the 18-hole golf course can be found between the main beach resorts and the airport. In traveling during the monsoon season, you can surf because this is the quietest time of year in Ngapali.

A hot air balloon is the best choice for you to get the best possible views of Ngapali and the surrounding coastline (Each person has to pay the price of US$275). Half-day and full-day rafting tours and cycling tours on good quality mountain bikes are also available in the Ngapali area.

For some hours away from the beach, Thandwe Town with a lot of pagodas and a busy market is an advisable visit. You will travel seven kilometres inland from Ngapali to reach this site.

2. Phuket (Thailand)

Again and again, visitors to Thailand are always eager to know the best beaches in Phuket. Here are there beaches that offer you all of wonders across the world.

Freedom Beach (Patong)

Despite being least accessible, Freedom Beach is worth spending with. You can enjoy sunny weather, relaxing on a lounger. To get there, you can take one- kilometer trekking through thick jungle over private land, and then continue the trip on a boat.

Banana Beach (Laguna)

For a long time, Banana Beach used to be an unspoilt Phuket beach. Recently, that secret has spread out and the tourists from many directions have travelled to visit this beach. Luckily, the beach still remains its tunning beauty.

Kata Noi Beach (Kata)

Lying on the south of Kata Beach, this is considered as one of the most beautiful Phuket beaches. Due to being undeveloped, Kata Noi Beach offers tourists more private feelings. No beach vendors are seen but a handful of loungers to bask in the sun.

3. Phu Quoc (Vietnam)

There are so many wild idyllic On Phu Quoc Island, you will find many wild beaches to enjoy your Vietnam adventure tours.

Truong Beach

This beach lies on the west side of the island and is the centre of many hotels and resorts. It covers over 5 miles, from Doung Dong Town to the south. Some areas on this beach are totally deserted, while others are full of hotels.

Ganh Dau

Ganh Dau lies at the top of the island on the north west coast from Duong Dong. It is among the most quiet and peaceful beaches in Vietnam that you can’t miss during your adventure tours. In here, tourists will be served with a wide range of seafood.

Bai Sao

Bai Sao – on the east side of Phu Quoc – is also considered as one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. You will find it difficult to reach the beach but friendly locals will help you. Despite being a little bit isolated, there are a couple of restaurants with basic accommodation, which surely makes you feel comfortable with your Vietnam adventure holidays.

4. My Khe (Vietnam)

My Khe Beach is worth visiting when you take Vietnam adventure tours. It is located about 6km east of Da Nang and about 24km north of Hoi An. This beach spreads nine kilometres, full of smooth sand and gentle gradient. You can enjoy a dark green poplar forest behind the beach and crystal water of the Kinh River. Coral, abundant plants and creatures along bankside and under sea make the beauty of this beach.

There are a lot of hotels, pleasure-houses and various abundant services, offering you relaxation during your trip. It is also an ideal place to take seafood like shrimps, crabs, fish, cuttles and many kinds of drinks.
Besides, the safeguard team of Da Nang seashore work from 5 a.m to 8 p.m every day so that tourists can feel safe while joining Vietnam adventure activities on the beach.

Decide Among Various Accommodation Options for Vietnam Adventure Tours

Accommodations in Vietnam are at a wide range of budget and taste, from bare-bones backpacker lodging to luxe resorts and everything in between for tourists to enjoy their Vietnam adventure tours. There are international chains, hostels, and small boutique hotels, too. And it is common to hear about “Hotels vs Homestay”.

So, what’s the best Vietnam lodging option for your Vietnam adventure holidays? If this is the first time you travel around Vietnam, then you may want to join in well-reviewed independent hotels. And if you’re more adventurous and on a budget, a village homestay might be your ideal choice… In short, Vietnam is an exciting destination with a lot to offer. Just kick off your dream trip by following the below tips of where to stay in Vietnam.

Hotels in Vietnam

Hotels which are mainly located in the southern and central Vietnam have improved a lot with an upgrade of properties. One state-owned hotel which is now managed by Sheraton is the outstanding example. Some are colonial grand dames like the Hotel Continental Saigon while others are newer like the Caravelle. Tourists can find the 50-plus state hotels to enjoy their Vietnam adventure activities from the state-owned Saigon-Tourist.com.

When it comes to international chains, they are well represented in larger cities, particularly the French group Accor, which owns one of the country’s most stunning colonial hotels, the renovated Sofitel Legend Metropole in Hanoi. Accor offers brands in multiple price ranges, including MGallery, Pullman, Novotel, Mercure and Ibis in big and famous cities. InterContinental and Crowne Plaza properties feature the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), while Sheraton and Hyatt also have a few properties. Luxury brands like Aman Resorts, Banyan Tree, and Six Senses have also opened resorts in Vietnam. They are all ideal for your adventure Vietnam.

A bounty of hotel options, from upscale to basic Vietnamese, are also offered by companies and local entrepreneurs. These are often referred to as “mini-hotels,” but the term “boutique” is starting to get popular. In there, newer properties are upgrading and you can feel comfortable with the availability of air conditioning, hot water, and continuous electricity, even in rural areas during your Vietnam adventure tours. Victoria Hotels and Elegance Hotels are small hotel groups with good reputations.

Here are some sources to look out for Vietnam Hotels:

AccorHotels.com
AmanResorts.com
BanyanTree.com
EleganceHospitality.com
Hyatt.com
IHG.com
Saigon-Tourist.com
Sheraton.com
SixSenses.com
TripAdvisor.com
VictoriaHotels.asia

Vietnamese homestays

To some foreign tourists who desire to take part in adventure activities in Vietnam, especially Americans, “homestays” in Vietnam are usually considered to be B&Bs. This type of lodging can range on the upper end from charming spots like An Bang Seaside Village Homestay – where the ensuite accommodations have amenities like TV, Wi-Fi, refrigerators and air conditioning – to a mattress on the floor of a communal room.

The more popular tourist areas, the more comfortable Vietnamese homestays. That means you can get a bit discomfort if you choose to stay in a remote village homestay. In some parts of the Mekong Delta, the term “homestay” might refer to a dormitory out back from the family house. You had better come up with a clear idea of accommodation for your adventure tours in Vietnam will actually be like before making up your mind. Discussing with a tour company if homestays are on your wish list is advisable, too.

Here are some sources to look out for Vietnam homestays:

AnBangSeasideVillage.com
BhoHoongBungalows.com

Other options: Vietnam Historic Lodging

If you desire to have a deep insight into Vietnamese history and join Vietnam outdoor activities, then a historic lodging can provide you a truly valuable opportunity. Options include a renovated French villa in the mountain town of Dalat (Ana Mandara Villas), an ancient shophouse in Hoi An (such as Vinh Hung Heritage Hotel) or a former French administration building in Hue (La Residence by MGallery). Metropole, Rex, and Continental are also fantastic choices.

Here are some sources to look out for Vietnam Historic Lodging:

AnaMandara-Resort.com
La-Residence-Hue.com
VinhHungHeritageHotel.com

Vietnam Hostels

Hostelling International in Vietnam offers another choice of accommodation. However, you should know that whether or not fans, Wi-Fi and hot water are necessities you really need. You are also advised to keep an eye on your belongings because in here, safety is put the first priority. Just like “homestay”, the term “hostel” can mean a dormitory out back from the family house. Unless you’re staying at an accredited hostel, always check out where you’ll be sleeping before committing.

Here are some sources to look out for Vietnam Hostels:

HIHostels.com

Hotels and homestays are among common choices of stay while tourists take a tour around Vietnam. Besides, hostels and historic lodgings are also worth considering. Follow our guide and find out the best options for your Vietnam adventure tours.

Right Choice of Accommodation Paid Off in Your Vietnam Adventure Tours

A slight obsession with finding the perfect accommodation for your adventure tours is reasonable when you travel in Vietnam. You had better spend much time searching for places to stay before your arrival, with your own factors in deciding where to stay like price and review score. Across Vietnam, it is believed that many hotels and homestays can satisfy both national and foreign tourists.

In Hanoi Capital

Hanoi Serenity Hotel

Hanoi Serenity Hotel is a nice place in the middle of the Old Quarter. You will be warmly welcome by the friendly staff here, not mention being given a convenient little city map and told a lot about Hanoi. Moreover, a bigger room with a bathroom and a bath are always ready to serve you during your Vietnam adventure holidays.

Paid price per night: €10, breakfast included.

The Golden Orchid hotel

Again, you will meet super friendly staff was super and fantastic the shower in the bathroom. More interestingly, we can cook in the room and server yourselves beautiful breakfast.

Paid price per night: €12,90, breakfast included.

Tam Coc, Ninh Binh

Not a big one but Tuan Ngoc Hotel can give tourists a nice change of pace during their Vietnam adventure tours. The family who runs the hotel is incredibly friendly and really makes you feel at home. All the food is delicious and fresh. Good Wi-Fi, tea, and coffee make you happy during the day.

Paid price per night: €16,77, breakfast included

In Hue

Hue Charming Hotel is another a warm welcome in your adventure Vietnam! You can find a cold towel, fresh fruit, juice and all information about Hue and the places of interest in the city. This place also offers tourists bicycle rental for $2 a day. Great breakfast and cold fresh juice should be forgotten each time you step into the hotel.

Paid price per night: €10,10, breakfast included

In Hoi An

Jolie Villa Homestay

Jolie Villa Homestay, a brand new building, a spacious room with a huge comfortable bed and the bathroom, is very large, clean and modern. Nothing is better than good Wi-Fi (each room has its own router), free bicycles available to explore Vietnam outdoor, free use of the swimming pool at the Kiman hotel (also run by this lovely family) and a free cooking class at the Kiman hotel in here. The most memorable thing is a friendly and helpful family who will call every guest by name from the moment you arrive so you really feel welcome and at home.

Paid price per night: €10,72, breakfast not included

Sac Xanh homestay

This is another great homestay with another lovely family! You will find that rooms basic but spotless, the bed (with mosquito net) super comfortable and free bicycles available for your adventure activities in Vietnam.

The family is very friendly, smiling, welcoming and very helpful. They will not only arrange transport for you to Da Nang train station but also help to make a reservation for bus tickets from Nha Trang to Dalat. Also, you might never forget their delicious Vietnamese breakfast each morning and a special going away lunch on the day of your departure which is among the best food we had in Vietnam.

Paid price per night: €11,19, breakfast included

In Dalat

When you reach Dalat in Vietnam, Cam Ly homestay is a great choice for the next part of your adventure tours. You will be shown to a room which has a nice view into Cam Ly stream and a small balcony. You might be invited to the BBQ, a great way to meet other travelers and exchange stories. Good food, a mountain of homemade spring rolls, cheap beer and great atmosphere are just the best of life!

Paid price per night: €8,58, breakfast included

In Ho Chi Minh city

Thao Nhi Hotel in Ho Chi Minh city might be your place to stay. You can book a really spacious room and the hotel is run by very friendly staff. The hotel serves delicious and affordable food.

Paid price per night: €12,50, breakfast not included

At Phu Quoc island

Kinh Bac Hotel on Phu Quoc Island is a brand new on and the rooms are large and clean. Each morning you will be greeted by the lovely staff who ask whether you have a good time.

Scooters are also available for you to join Vietnam outdoor activities with a rent of 200,000VND per day. It takes you only 20 minutes to ride to Duong Dong, the main town.

Paid price per night: €14,67, breakfast included

There are still other ideal places to stay during your Vietnam adventure tours. Spend time searching for a hotel or homestay carefully, then you will have a chance to experience a good time of your lives.

Ha Long Bay Stopped Kayak Service in Vietnam Adventure Tours

The Kayak rowing service on Ha Long Bay is going to be closed due to its signals of ripping off tourists, which badly affects the business environment on the bay. This has been an aching problem for tourism services in Quang Ninh province so far. Being affected by that, tourists can hardly find the interesting experiences during such adventurous tour in Vietnam.

On the March 29th, Ha Long People’s Committee announced to cease all the service of kayak rowing activities on Ha Long Bay since April 1st.

According to Ha Long People’s Committee, the number of kayaks working on Ha Long Bay is increasing quickly to meet the demand of the adventurous holidays in Vietnam, whereas the organizations and individuals registering to run the service have not got any approved detailed operation plan. The fact that the organizations running the kayak rowing service do not have a list price or ignore the list price of an adventurous tour in Vietnam and show their signals to rip off tourists has badly affected the business travel environment on the bay.

Before the announcement, there was also a meeting for the urgent solutions for fire and other risks prevention on cruise ships to ensure the safety of tourists coming to visit and stay on Ha Long Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay to enjoy their holidays with adventure activities like kayak rowing in a Vietnam tour. In this meeting, Mr. Nguyen Duc Long, the chairman of the People’s Committee of Quang Ninh Province also said that the service of kayak rowing is also excluded in the Quang Ninh People’s Committee Decision no. 1139 on April 27th in 2015. The Decision is a detailed plan on heritage values preservation and promotion in Ha Long Bay until 2020.

On the other hand, Ha Long province also requires cruise ship owners to implement the announcement of the People’s Committee in Quang Ninh Province. According to the required commitment, they are not allowed to arbitrarily carry on the Vietnam outdoor activities for any business related to kayak rowing service, which directly leads to the possibility to decrease the number of fixed regular sailors on board. If there is any violation on adventurous activities in the area of Vietnam, Ha Long City will request the Port of Inland Waterway to stop the licensing to leave port for at least 30 days.

As reactions to the announcement of the City, some members of Ha Long kayak rowing club expressed their disappointments for an adventurous tour in Vietnam. According to them, kayak rowing has become one of the most outstanding services in Ha Long Bay for a long time. Tourists can both experience and explore the stunningly beautiful place during the very interesting moments of their lives for Vietnam outdoor. Many foreign tourists also considered kayak service their most exciting activity when coming to visit Ha Long Bay. An enterprise representative said: “The prevention makes us unable to offer various products and services to tourists on the bay, except for the solely simplistic journey to sightsee and visit caves before going to sleep.”

However, it should be considered a tough decision of Quang Ninh province to control the activities in Ha Long bay and ensure the rights of tourists to come here to visit. Moreover, Ha Long Bay has become the World Natural Heritage not only for its unique service of kayak rowing. Therefore, tourists also have a lot of other options to fulfill their exciting adventurous tour to Ha Long Bay in Vietnam.

Trekking in Sapa

It can be said that trekking is one of the most popular hits around Sapa with all types of difficulties, all types of trekking. Join those treks, you will get a local guide from one of the minorities here (often a Hmong or Dao guide and you will not believe how good his/ her English is).

And if you are looking for a trekking tour with guide, you can try contact companies like Active Travel Asia and Active Travel Vietnam. They are very responsible and experience in providing active travel tours in Vietnam for both domestic and international travelers.

Often, you will have a homestay in local houses, which brings you the truly experience on daily activities of local people here. It’s not necessary to worry about comfort and hygiene, with local homestay, they follow strict regulations and the only problem you might have is the lack of privacy.

In case you are not bothered by the all trekking, you’d better join motorcycling or cycling tours to explore breathtaking landscapes around town.

tartiflette — Tartiflette in Sapa restaurants

Sapa is the town that reminds you of some in French Alps. Why? Perhaps, you already know that the town used to be owned by the French which gave it the all spirit. Even, you can still find French cuisine here: Tartiflette (the dish composing of mash potatoes cooked in red wine, onions, ham and smothered with cheese on top) is a usual meal in Sapa!

However, you should not miss traditional dishes of Vietnamese local people here like Thang Co (includes meat, organs of horse, vegetables and special kinds of spices), “Cap nach” Pigs and hot fructus crataegi wine just to warm you up.

At Sapa, you will never be bored with numerous spas offering Red Dzao Medicine Herbs Bath. Their traditional herb remedies for bathing can include from ten to 120 kinds of herbs, which help bathers refresh their bodies, make their skin smooth, and can cure some kinds of diseases like rheumatism, pain in the bones, colds.

Hotels in Sapa also will not make you disappointed with services and attitude. You can opt for Cat Cat Twilight with a fire place. As soon as the grey sky gets off the view is gorgeous. And a fire place… You can’t make that less romantic for a mountain town hotel room!

Besides trekking, what the Lao Cai province is famous for is mainly treks widely available. From a 2 days walk in the province to climbing the mount Fansipan, everything is possible for everybody. On the market side you have one almost everyday. Don’t expect to be able to buy much from them, as they are mainly orientated to locals and have food and livestock available. The most famous markets of the area are the Bac Ha market and Coc Ly market.

Bac Ha Market is a beautiful place full of life. You will be fascinated by the lively costumes of ethnic people here. If you are here to take pictures of people be aware they are here to work mainly so don’t go pushing your camera in their face and opt for a zoom lens, they will let you know quickly if they don’t mind you taking their picture and you won’t bother them doing their job. Bac Ha is the largest and most accessible of the weekly markets, but because of this you can expect to see more tourists and more souvenir stalls than you might at one of the others. If you just want to buy souvenirs, Sapa has got most of them so don’t worry about it and just look around you, discover the price of a buffalo (20 – 50 million dong, for an adult) , check out the chicken for sale or the donkey and let yourself be hit by the cuteness of the puppies for sale.

As said before, you can also rent a motorcycle and tour around the mountains, rice paddies and villages. As it is almost everywhere in Vietnam, getting around on a motorbike is the easiest, cheapest and most enjoyable way to see many things, without being tied to the schedule of an organized tour.

Also if you are in the area and have time donation are welcomed by many places that connect to school and villages. Minority villages are usually quite poor, so warm clothes, gloves, scarfs are welcome for the winter month. So if you are interested in these things in Sapa trekking, you can consider following recommendations for your Sapa trip:

– Sapa travel guide and tours

– Sapa Trek & Topas Eco Lodge

– Sapa Trek and Homestay

Paragliding in Vietnam

A Vietnam paragliding holiday is all about views!

Vietnam is often seen as a country in the fast lane. It is known for its busy cities, speeding bikes, beautiful landscapes and unique cuisine. Paragliding is a new adventure activity in Vietnam for adventurous travelers. Getting up in the air, and you’ll see a very different side to Vietnam. This is a country of incredible natural beauty, with mountains, river valleys and beautiful coastal bays to fly over. A Vietnam paragliding holiday is all about views!

Vietnam paragliding holidays are becoming increasingly popular, and it’s easy to see why. You get fantastic landscapes to fly over, and you’ll be visiting an ancient and fascinating country full of interesting sights and welcoming people. Here comes some paragliding sites in Vietnam: Bac Son, Hanoi, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Binh Thuan, etc.

Below are some incredible pictures of Vietwings Hanoi Paragliding Club in Tu Le rice terraces, Yen Bai Province:

Ravishing Beauty of Bac Son Valley in Coming Harvest Season

July, it’s the time rice fields in Bắc Sơn Valley, Lang Son Province start to change color, attracting hundreds travelers and photographers from all over the world to record one of the most beautiful moment in year.

Known as the Green Paradise on Earth, Bac Son Valley is situated 250 miles south of Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital city, and it is an ideal place for agriculture.

One interesting aspect about this valley is its incredibly high mountains which are about 500-1200 meters high. From the high peak of mountains, the valley’s paddy fields become such a great scenic landscape that you can never see anywhere else.

It can be said that early morning and the sunset is the two most beautiful moment of Bac Son Valley. In Bac Son, different paddy fields have different harvest seasons, which brings visitors a good chance to see the harmonious beauty of green and yellow rice fields.

>> Start a trekking trip in Vietnam to admire glorious rice terrace fields now:
http://www.activetravel.asia/trekking-hiking-tours-tl340.html

Top 10 Charming Flower Seasons in Vietnam

Vietnam’s nature is highly abundant and various. Thanks to diverse climate, each region has a peculiar flower season. From January to September, you can start away to Vietnam in any time to discover marvelous wonderland of flowers.

1. Sua flower, Hanoi

Sua tree is also called as blackboard tree, Indian devil tree, ditabark, milkwood pine, etc.

In each season, Honoi has a private flower but one makes people away from home remember the most is maybe passionate sua-flower fragrance. Therefore, in autumn (about in September and October), when tiny clusters of sua-flower emit fragrance over streets and roads, it is the best time to return Hanoi. Then all of a sudden in an afternoon of rolling wind or a slightly cold autumn night, you will unexpectedly realize that gone streets adhere firmly to the gently sweet scent of this flower.

2. Flamboyant flower, Hai Phong

This city is designated as “The city of red flamboyant flowers”. When summer comes, all over streets in Hai Phong become radiant by scarlet of this flower. With thousands of flamboyant trees grown everywhere, a whole of the city is bright up like in Tet holiday. Coming to Hai Phong city, you can take a trek in Cat Ba national park, kayak in Lan Ha bay (near Halong bay, still untouched) and admire gorgeous beauty of flamboyant flowers.

3. White cauliflowers, Moc Chau

That is an elegant and romantic beauty of this vast plateau. White cauliflower season in Moc Chau (Son La province) starts in last of a year. This flower blooms just in a pretty short time, but as fully blooming, elegant cauliflowers cover all hills and valleys in Moc Chau by an immense white. Along with fanciful mist spreading out and slightly chilly air, this stunning scenery will make you surprised like losing in a fairy-land.

4. “Tam giac mach” flower, Ha Giang

From late October to early November is “tam giac mach” flower season in Ha Giang. “Tam giac mach” tree is grown to get grains, which are used for making cakes. When blowing, this flower has a white-light-pink color really beautiful, inadvertently creating a specially lovely and scenic scenery. Thus, this is an expected time in this rock plateau.

5. Peach blossom, Sapa

When freezing winds of winter is gone and warm spring sunbeam comes, peach petals begin blowing boomingly all over backs of mountains and hillsides. Just by wild beauty of forest peach petals inspire many travel groups to reach here. Although forest peach blossoms are common over Northwestern Vietnam, but ones in Sapa make travelers eager more a lot. That’s because Sapa peach blossom is big, has thick petals and blooms strongly even in piercingly cold weather. From December to February is the time Sapa peach blossoms open out profusely. Trekking in Sapa at that time will be absolutely memorable. If lucky, you will see snow falling.

6. Pinkster flower, Mount Fanxipan

This flower blooms perennially along roads to Fansipan, but the best beautiful in April. Growing naturally and wildly, but pinkster flower has a radiant beauty thank to its big size, effulgent and copious color like red, pink, yellow and white. To admire pinkster flower, you can travel to Hoang Lien (Lao Cai) national park, where is dubbed as “the kingdom of pinkster flowers”. The flower blooms sharply when the weather is dry, which is convenient for Fansipan hiking tours. Therefore, conquering the roof of Indochina combining with watching pinkster flowers will be a wonderful choice for adventurers.

7. “Ban” flowers, Northwest

Ban flower has its English name as Bauhinia Variegata.

This flower blows dramatically in March, when drizzle has stopped and warm sunshine has been up. With pristine white, “ban” petals create a limpid beauty for northwestern forests and mountains. Over Hoa Binh, Son La, Dien Bien, scenes become poetic, flutter souls and hearts of anyone.

8. Coffee flowers, Central Highlands

March is the best time to travel to Central Highlands of Vietnam. This is not just the season that bees fly out to get honey and elephants go down rivers to absorb water, but also the season that coffee flowers bloom whitely in branches. In the slightly cold weather of the early season, lovely and snow-white little flowers overlay farms and fields as bringing an atmosphere of white spring. Along basalt soil ways, two sides are filled of white flowers, you will feel faintly aroma of coffee blending in breezes.

9. Tree marigold flower, Dalat

Keeping on December, Dalat is pulsating by footsteps of travelers everywhere reaching here to contemplate tree marigold flower. This flower grows in two sides of roads, rising up high to catch sunlight, spreading sprigs and leaves like welcoming. Although not radiant like sunflower, but when blooming profusely, tree marigold flower creates a fascinating yellow carpet on over roads leading to the highland city. You can admire tree marigold flower on routes from D’ran and Lien Khuong to Dalat.

10. Lotus flower, Dong Thap

Lotus in the northern Vietnam just blooms in summer while in Dong Thap, this flower blows perennially. Lotus is present everywhere in Dong Thap. Keeping on the flood season (about October to September annually), sweet and delicate fragrance of lotus, along with abundance of indigenous products and attractively immense scenery, attract travelers to this low-lying marshland. Not just only immersing in the poetic and romantic scenery of innumerous and extensive lotus ponds, you can row yourself, go fishing and gather lotus flowers with the residents.

Characteristics Of Floating Markets In Vietnam

Floating market is a original feature of deltas of Mainland Southeast Asia, where has thousands of rivers and canals in various sizes. In Vietnam, floating market is a specific cultural part of the Southwest. If you tend to explore Mekong delta, you should not skip a cruise to floating markets. The market is held in rivers, among a vast waterway with hundreds of boat, junk and canoe of residents.

A floating market in Vietnam The floating market opens up a whole day, but it is usually the most bustling in the morning, when it is cool. The more it turns to noon, the hottest the weather is, the fewer customers are. So you should visit floating markets in early morning.

Boats are loaded fully of goods. Fruits are the most popular kind of merchandise. The peculiar point of boats is that in each one has several poles. People dangle products which they sell on these poles. Therefore, customers just only look at the poles, they can know whether the boat has things they need or not. By this original marketing way, customers from a far distance can see clearly items.

Residents hang products they sell on poles. These are general characteristics of Vietnam floating markets.
– Market is the place where trade and exchange actually local produce of local inhabitants, comprising agricultural products and foodstuff.

– Stores or boats normally do not have any sign. Sellers hang products which they sell on poles or over prows; sell oranges hang oranges, sell mangoes hang mangoes, sell coconut hang coconut, etc. People call these poles as “cay beo”. These “cay beo” are erected on prows or hang horizontally on boats.

“Cay beo” is erected on the prow.

“Cay beo” is hang horirzontally – If wanting to know the area which a boat belongs to, just regard into a side of the boat, which is written a province code abbreviated by two first letters. For instance, “Tien Giang” province is written as “TG”.

Vinh Long province wass abbreviated as “VL” on this boat However, there are still three circumstances:
1. “Hanging things which are not for sale.” They are just clothes. Residents of the floating market commonly live in boats, so their clothes are also dried in sun on boats.

2. “Things are for sale but not hung.” These boats are food or beverage stalls. That goods cannot be hung.

3. “Hang one thing but sell another thing.” If you see only a few pineapples hung on a boat, this means that the owner want to sell this boat. So, hang pineapples, but sell the boat.

Hang pineapples, but sell boats Some famous floating markets you can visit are Cai Be (Tien Giang province), Phung Hiep (Hau Giang province), Chau Doc (An Giang province), Can Tho and Phong Dien (Can Tho city).

Any Mekong delta tour also set an excursion to floating markets for you. You can choose biking around Mekong countryside to discover the cultural life of local residents.

Stunning Caves Beside Son Doong

Thanks to karst topography in many regions and tropical monsoon climate, nature awarded Vietnam many beautiful caves. Beside Son Doong – the natural biggest cave in the world and Phong Nha – one of the most world’s beautiful caves, there are also many amazing ones over Vietnam.

1. Tam Coc – Ninh Binh Province

This cave system consists of limestone grottoes and historical vestiges concerning Tran dynasty, located in Hoa Lu District of Ninh Binh. “Tam Coc” means “three caves”, including Ca (First), Hai (Second) and Ba (Third). They are all erosional caves. Over many thousands of years, Ngo Dong River has flowed through mountains and created these caves.

Ca is 127 m long, which is the crossing-part of the big mountain. The cave’s entrance is 20 m long. Its ceiling has countless limestone stalactites hanging down with very various shapes. Inside Ca, the climate is so cool. Hai is 1 km from Ca, 60 m in length. Its ceiling has numerous uncanny stalactites. Ba is near Hai, has a length of 50 m, with the ceiling like a stone arch, lower than that of the others.

Admiring Tam Coc, travelers embark boat from the central wharf. Boats will go down stream along winding Ngo Dong River, drifting through cliffs, erosional caves, karst towers and rice fields. Along the two sides, rice changes colors according to seasons, green then yellow, beside sliver color of water above paddies.

On the boat trip, travelers can visit Thai Vi temple, where worships Tran Kings, and Thien Huong Cave (its peak is empty so it is called as “Sky Cave”), inside which has the temple of Tran Thi Dung, the wife of King Ly Hue Tong, who taught embroidery for Ninh Hai ward’s residents.This enchanting beauty spot is a harmony combination between the majesty of caves and rugged mountains, the poetry of streams and rice fields, and the refined talent of people. All create a unified ensemble.

2. Sung Sot – Ha Long Bay – Quang Ninh province

Sung Sot means “amazing”. Travelers kayak in Halong bay usually drop in this cave. It is situated in Bo Hon island, and is one of the greatest caves in Halong.

When going into Sung Sot, people will find it small. But once worming a strait stone crevice, everyone also utter with full of admiration to its beauty: awesome, amazing. This is why it was named as “Sung Sot” (amazing). The road leading to the cave is a line of steep stone steps under jungle canopies. This makes travelers have both relish of mountain climbing and eagerness of feeling like walking to paradise.

3. Nguom Ngao Cave – Cao Bang Province

The cave is divided into two main compartments, the first one looks like an immense theatre. The ceiling is covered by a “silky velvet carpet” layer with innumerous glistening stalactites that have diverse shapes such as fairy, elephant, sea-dog, horse, dinosaur, raspberry, flower, leaves, sword … Scenery inside likes an illusory dream. Stepping into the second compartment via a small path, then an effulgent light jet flows into and another different scene discloses, really cosmic.The more going into, the more marvelous things unfold. There are some luxuriant ancient banyan trees. Reaching the peak of the cave, a royal garden appears before eyes, along with a pure lake. Charming scenery, all tree like ficus stricta, banyan, cycas revolute and many birds live together.

Found in 1921, the cave is located in the heart of a mountain, which belongs to Gun village, Trung Khanh District, Cao Bang Province of northern Vietnam. It is 5km from Ban Gioc waterfall. Nguom Ngao in Tay language means “Tiger cave” (ngườm: cave, ngao: tiger). According to an indigenous legend, formerly there were many tigers living on this cave. Other people believed that this name derived from stream sound inside the cave, which like tiger roar.The interior temperature is from 18 to 25ºC. So the cave is warm in winter and cool in summer. Nguom Ngao is 2144 long, including 3 entrances: Ngườm Ngao, Ngườm Lồm (Wind Cave) and Ngườm Bản Thuôn. Scientists suppose this limestone cave was formed 300 million years ago.

Nguom Ngao has many karst stalactites and stalagmites with diverse shapes that create vivid, exciting and amazing scenes. It is divided many zones, comprising “Tứ trụ thiên đỉnh” (Four pillars prop the sky) with many stone columns like pillars propping the sky, the central zone with large space, the “treasure” zone with many stalactites sparkling gold and silver light… Due to its calcium mixing with impurities, stalactites of Nguom Ngao is different to that of other caves.Three caves above are in northern Vietnam.

4. Thach Dong – Kien Giang Province

This is one of 10 beauty spots of Ha Tien town, Kien Giang province, southern Vietnam. The cave is a giant Permian limestone block remaining, which stands majestically on a sandstone hill of Devonian-Early Carbon, right in the road from Ha Tien to Cambodia. Thanks to the high entrance, the inner climate is always cool.At an altitude of 50 m, the cave is also called as “Thạch Động Thôn Vân”, which means “the stone cave swallows cloud”. In early morning, clouds fly to the cave’s peak then being blocked. They stop and spread around the entrance’s cave that makes the cave like being swallow them.

Regarding from the south, Thach Dong looks like a general weaning fur hat so the French call it as ““Bonnet à Poil”.

The rocky road leading to Thach Dong is so adventurous. Climbing to the final stair, there will be a high and wide cave opening before eyes, with a lot of fancy-shaped limestone stalactites. The cave’s interior has an ancient wooden pagoda – Tien Son, which was constructed in 1790. Before having this pagoda, the cave had been the cloister of Huynh Phong monk.

Specially, Thach Dong has two famous crevices. One is deep abysmally and no bottom, which created the popular fairy story of Vietnam – “Thach Sanh slashed the giant demon boa”. No one knows how much it deep. Several curious people went down this crevice but not came back. Subsequently, a person dropped down an inscribed dry coconut. The coconut after that was found on sea. So maybe the cave connects to the ocean. This crevice is called as “road to hell”. There is another crevice called as “road to heaven”, which leads to sky and like a skylight. But now, only “road to heaven” remains, because “road to hell” was filled up to assure safety.

>> See Amazing Caving Adventures in Vietnam

Photos of Famous Markets

Perhaps nowhere is life more vivid and does space have imbue Hanoi’s peculiar colors than at bustling markets in late afternoon.

If you want to discover culinary culture of a region, where will you go? To me, the answer is local markets, always. A crowded market in late afternoon has full tastes of a city or a country. In Vietnam, particularly Hanoi, the more accurate the answer is. Wandering over markets, you can see partly the life of Hanoi’s families, as well as Vietnam culture.

Butcher’s stalls and fish areas are the most crowded. At butcher’s stalls, fresh, greasy pieces of meat are arranged neatly on wooden tables. Mothers and grandmothers pick up then put down; point out, examine and select carefully to sellers cut meat quickly as lightning. Plump fish with sparkle scales and argent body struggle strongly in basins. Strong fishy smell make everyone be more carefully to avoid being splashed whenever going through fish stalls.Nicest ones are still vegetable and fruit areas, which are always bright by its fresh and cool green. Ripe red tomatoes, well-rounded potatoes covered a thin layer of soil, tender white of lemongrass’s trunks, violet garlic bunches, along with green vegetable clusters and red chili peppers, all create lively and tranquil daily life’s pictures.

Thinking, all family meals of Hanoi people begin from markets. Recipes, sophisticated and subtle points, and secrets on dishes will have the answers here. Market, where is the busiest, most animated and exciting in late afternoon, contains full of tastes of Hanoi people.

Let’s immerse in picturesque markets in Hanoi.

1. Hom market

As one of the most well-known market in this thousand-year capital, you can find everything in Hom. The market is divided into many sections, including areas of meat, fish, vegetables, sweets and groceries. There is a large part for trading footwear and bags. A whole the second floor is for cloth. Not only the interior market, even in the outside, there are many hawkers. Sometimes, do not need to go the inside, you can also buy sufficient food for your dinner.

2. Hang Be market

This market is located in the Old quarter. Therefore, many people believe that food and other goods at here are greater than others. But definitely food in Hang Be is truly nice. Housewives living on ancient streets are well-known as gourmets, who are really fastidious and picky. So meat and fish at Hang Be need to be always fresh. Dried food, fish sauce, or even cooked food and ready meals also have to be delicious, spicy and aromatic.

3. Thanh Cong market

If Hom market is the hot hub of Hai Ba Trung district and Hang Be is the “boss” of all markets at the Old quarter, Thanh Cong is the most famous one at the La Thanh and Giang Vo area. Although being far away from the Old quarter and wholesale markets, Thanh Cong is not less than others about bustling and animation. Coming the market in rush hours, you will be overwhelmed by the crowded scene with full of buyers and a lot of fresh, attractive aliments displayed for sale. Thanks to being far from the centre, the prices at here are pretty cheap.

4. Dong Xuan market

This ancient market is the most bustling in Hanoi, where you buy everything, from all kinds of fabric, to candy, cake, and even notebook, stationery. Truly, entering Dong Xuan market is not only to go shopping. That is to contemplate colorful grocery stalls or radiant textile stalls full of vignettes; to listen to noisy talk sound from sales people, who are capricious and impulsive in a likeable way; and to feel the safe and sound rhythm of life of roseate workers.

5. Long Bien market

Maybe there is no place in Hanoi that you can feel an animated night life as Long Bien market. This night market is not exciting with many gaieties like Dong Xuan night market. It is a wholesale market running from mid-night. Long Bien is the market of silent laborers, who work hard to prepare food and other aliments for the day’s demand of all the city. Pigs having just been slaughtered still emit heat. Fresh fish have just been unloaded from boxes. Ripe fruits have just been put into capes. All merchandises then distribute everywhere in the city. Whether it is hot or cold rainy, the market does not rest any day. Silent, busy and full tastes of life, this is Long Bien market.

6. Quang Ba flower market

To see another stunning and animate perspective of Hanoi, you can visit Quang Ba market, but should be at night or early morning. You may come here at 4-5a.m, or even earlier, at 2-3 a.m, if possible, and better if it is winter. At this time, you will be lost in a busy market with numerous basins and buckets containing colorful fresh flowers that are sold with wholesale prices. Contemplating radiant flowers at freezing winter night, you will experience the most beautiful moments that Hanoi specially gives for you.

Source: Kenh14.vn; Photo by Kien Tran & Dau Tron

Why You Need to Visit Vietnam

If you only have time to explore one country in Southeast Asia, choose VIETNAM!

Let’s admit it, when it comes to travel, Vietnam gets a bit of a bad rep. Before coming here all I heard were stories of travel scams, robberies, aggressive touts, and warnings that I’d be treated like a walking dollar sign. I was beginning to wonder whether I even wanted to spend a full month in this country, but 31 days later as my Vietnamese visa is about to expire, I am sad to leave Vietnam behind.

I’ll admit I’m relatively new to Southeast Asia, and have only covered three countries in the past three months, but Vietnam has left the strongest impression on me by far.

So what makes Vietnam so special?

A woman carried a yoke basket down the street in Hoi An, Vietnam

The People

The people are warm, kind, and love to laugh and smile. It is in this country where I have met some of the most caring locals.

The central market in Hoi An, Vietnam

When I was sick in Hoi An, it was the woman who runs the Green Moss restaurant who took it upon herself to get me all better. She prepared ginger tea with honey for me, gifted me with a mint balm to rub on my neck and my chest, urged me to wear a scarf to bed, and then checked up on me daily whenever she saw me cycling around town or eating at her restaurant.

In Vietnam people have helped me when I looked lost, locals I met on a train have offered to show me around their hometowns (for free! Further proof that I’m not just a walking ATM), and business owners have been courteous to me even when I didn’t eat at their restaurant or didn’t take their tour.

The Food

Vietnam has been an explosion of flavours! Most dinners Sam and I have eaten in this country have been silent because we’ve both been gorging on local delicacies like the food in front of our plates is about to disappear. We’ve been known to order four different dishes in one go because there’s just so much new food to sample.

Spring rolls, food in Vietnam

Whether I was learning to cook Vietnamese food in a dim lit kitchen with no ventilation (picture beads of sweat running down my back and hopefully not onto my food), or enjoying a meal at a local farm in the outskirts of Hoi An, the food was spectacular.

Some of my favourite dishes in this country have been bánh xèo (a rice flour pancake stuffed with pork, shrimp, onions and bean sprouts) and fresh spring rolls. Fresh, flavourful, healthy, filling – what else do you need in a meal?

The Options

Then there is the diversity that comes with traveling in such a big country. I can guarantee that Vietnam will not bore you with its possibilities!

Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Want to travel down the banks of the Mekong Delta and experience the chaos of vendors at work in a floating market? Do you want to get lost in Saigon’s back alleys as you go in search of the best pho? How about getting clothes custom made in Hoi An? Or can I interest you with a cruise of Ha Long Bay where you’ll be waking up to jagged karst mountains outside your boat? You could also spend your time in Hanoi drinking bia hoi at a little street side bar equipped with plastic children’s furniture? Or if you’re feeling a bit more culturally inclined, go for a hill trek in Sapa where you can do a home stay with the ethnic tribes that call this place home?

If any of this sounds interesting, then you need to come to Vietnam already!

Halong Bay, Vietnam

I’ve spent the entire month in Vietnam saying things like,

“I could totally live in Saigon. Sam, how would you like to come back to Saigon?”

“I could totally stay in Hoi An longer. Sam, wanna stay in Hoi An longer?” (We extended our stay.)

“Sam, wouldn’t it be fun to spend more time in Sapa? I think living here might be fun. No?”

I can’t sing Vietnam’s praises high enough!

I’m not saying that this country won’t pose its own set of challenges – you’ll encounter that wherever you go. However, if you’re glossing over Vietnam because of the negative things you’ve heard in the past, then you’re doing yourself a huge disfavour.

Give Vietnam a chance, and it may just blow your mind.

Find out more information about a travel agency offering adventure tours explore Vietnam: http://www.activetravel.asia/vietnam-adventure-tours-tl347.html

By AUDREY

6 Tips for Riding Safely A Motorbike In Vietnam

1. Forget What Road Rules You Already Know

Riding a motorbike in Vietnam (or any vehicle in South East Asia for that matter!) is very different to what you may be used back at home. The first thing you should know is that while road rules do exist, when on the road they cease to exist-if you get my drift! Forget trying to indicate, using your mirrors or going the speed limit-it just doesn’t happen. At first this may take some getting used to but after a while it works. So many times we would see Vietnamese on their Moto’s pulling out of a road onto a major highway without even looking! It’s just a given that everyone moves around them or out of their way. Now while I’m not saying you should never look when pulling out (a lot of things you’ll still do instinctively) but rather you need to flex your rules to how the Vietnamese do things. For example, while Anthony was riding, if we needed to cross lanes, merge, turn or even slow down I would just stick my hand out (either left or right depending which way) and give it a little shake. Who needs indicators when you have a good old hand wiggle! The thing is, it worked. People knew where we were trying to go. It might seem a little awkward at first, trying to adapt but after a while their driving becomes second nature.

2. Keep Up With The Flow Of Traffic

This is probably one of the most important things you can do whilst on a bike. When you first get on, you make feel like you want to go slow (because it feels safer) but in all honesty, doing that will get you into an accident. In larger cities-because there are so many motorbikes-there is an ebb and flow to the traffic. Keeping up with this so called ‘pulse’ makes it easier to move on the road. If you’re travelling on major highways, always keep to the very edge of the road and try and go about 60km/h. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to go any faster and going slower is likely to cause more accidents.

3. Have Tea Breaks

If you’re on the road for most of the day, it is important to stop for tea breaks. Along both main and country roads there are countless tea houses that will offer you an ice-cold cup of ‘tra da’ (iced tea) for less than a dollar. Many of these places will also serve a soup or a rice dish too if you’re hungry. These stops are important so you can stretch your legs and have a bit of a break from riding, but they are also a great place to meet locals, have a chat with them and get a view into their daily life.

4. Get A Decent Road Map

Now while it may sound adventurous and rather ‘Bear Grylls’ of you to travel without a map, it is smarter idea to carry one with you on your trip. Not only can you decide where you want to ride to next, you can also pick and choose places a little more easily. We bought maps (from a bookstore near Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi) that were detailed, had how many km’s there was between towns and also had tourist sites for some places.

Road signs are actually pretty good in Vietnam and many places/roads were labelled and corresponded to our map. On the off chance they didn’t or we weren’t sure where we were going, we just pulled up somewhere and asked the locals for some help. We would show them the town on the map and then they would point us in the right direction. Everyone we met was willing and happy to help (so boys, don’t worry about asking for directions!) Not only will a map help keep you safe it is also great to keep check of everywhere you visited in Vietnam.

5. Take Back Roads

When you can, take the back roads to your next stop. Not only will they allow you travel slower and be less crowded, but more often than not the sights are breathtaking and the people very friendly.

Running pretty much the entire length of the country is Highway 1. It’s busy, dusty and very fumy. However, to get to coastal towns, there are times when you’ll have to travel on this. Otherwise opt for the scenic and beautiful, Ho Chi Minh Trail. This road is very quiet, smooth and much more pleasant. Take your time and travel these smaller quieter roads, wherever possible.

6. Don’t Ride At Night For Long Periods

Riding at night is ok if you’re just going out to eat or visit markets etc, but try not to travel at night on your bike. Many of the roads have no street lights, so at night it is more difficult to see what may be ahead of you. There are many dogs, chickens, cows they are constantly on the road, so running into one of them on the road wouldn’t be pleasant or safe. Also, some Vietnamese don’t travel with their headlights on which makes them harder to see. The bottom line-don’t travel at night for a long period of time.

Now Enjoy The Freedom!

With these tips in mind, get out there are enjoy riding through Vietnam! You now have the freedom to go wherever and whenever you’d want. Stumbling upon little towns you never thought existed or meeting some of the friendliest people in the world, will surely be an amazing experience. Hopefully you’ll enjoy it just as much as we did!

Source: positiveworldtravel

Recommended Vietnam motorcycling tours by ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA

Taste of Ho Chi Minh Trail

This trip offers a stunning motorcycling route with great exploration of nature and culture of northern Vietnam. The trip is organized for first time rider and easy adventure.

Highlight:

– Awesome scenery

– Homestay in villages

– Beautiful quiet road

– All inclusive

Details program are available here

ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA offers new cycling tours in Vietnam for 2013

ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA (ATA), one of the leading adventure travel companies in Indochina, announces to offers new cycling tours in Vietnam for 2013. These cycling tours will focus on itineraries of Ba Khan Rustic – Mai Chau Valley, Pu Luong Nature Reserve, Cuc Phuong National Park, Hoa Binh Lake & Moc Chau… Travelers who are looking for a budget scenic tour of Southeast Asia combined with greater mobility and adventure, a mountain bike tour may be right up travelers alley because “Bike touring is the perfect holiday: cheap, fun, and good for your health and kind to the environment.”, as Mark Hodson from the Sunday Times said.

Following are the three new cycling tours:

Cycling & Home-stay in Ba Khan Rustic 2-days (Hanoi – Ba Khan Rustic – Mai Chau Valley – Hanoi) is a 2 days tour depart from Hanoi, the beautiful capital of Vietnam, to Ba Khan Rustic then to Mai Chau Valley. Tourists will be overnight in home stay in a stilt house that looks over Hoa Binh Reservoir, lying in a green valley of paddy fields dotted. The rest of the day travelers can swim in the lake, walk around the village or relax in the garden of the house.

Highlight: Ba Khan Rustic _ A new and unique destination of ATA, travelers have opportunity to interact with Thai, Muong ethnic minority who’re very warm, friendly and have unique culture.

Cycling Hoa Binh Lake & Moc Chau – 3 days (Hanoi – Ba Khan Rustic – Moc Chau – Hanoi )

This is a 3 days 2 nights tour departs from Hanoi, pass Ba Khan rustic to Moc Chau and back to Ha Noi, stay overnight in Ba Khan Rustic and Moc Chau. Moc Chau is known as not only the land of greenery but also the paradise of fog, smog and cloud. Tourists will spend some time to visit a tea farm and tea tasting, learning how the Vietnamese cultivate tea, cycling routes about 125km/3 days. The tour includes support vehicle, home stay permission, meals, sightseeing fees & entrance fees…

Great Cycling Adventure Northern Vietnam (Hanoi – Ba Khan Rustic – Mai Chau Valley – Pu Luong Nature Reserve – Cuc Phuong National Park – “Halong Bay on rice field” – Hanoi)

This is a 4 days tour, different from 2 above tours that travelers will have chance to explore Pu Luong Nature Reserve – Cuc Phuong National Park – “Halong Bay on rice field”. The Pu Luong Nature Reserve is an area of outstanding beauty, cultural interest and biodiversity, stretching from Mai Chau in the northwest and to Cuc Phuong National Park in the southeast. The region is blessed with rich forest, Limestone Mountains, magnificent rice terraces and breathtaking scenery. Biking in Pu Luong is one of the best ways to discover the natural beauty of the region and exotic culture of minority groups. Travelers will stay overnight in Ba Khan rustic, Hang Village and Hin Village in Pu Luong.

About ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA (ATA): launched in Vietnam in 2006, one of the Indochina’s leading adventure travel companies, offers a wide selection of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia adventure tours, including hiking and trekking, biking, motorcycling, kayaking, overland touring and family travel packages. ATA’s packages and tailor-made private itineraries will take travelers through exotic destinations to really experience the culture, history and nature of Asia.

Supported by ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA – Explore the hidden land!

Vietnam in top 10 cycle routes recommended by National Geographic

The road from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam is recently listed as one of the best cycle routes in the world by the National Geographic.

The prestigious National Geographic travel guide, Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Greatest Trips, cataloguing the most famous and lesser known trips of a lifetime picked the World’s Top 10 bike trails on the planet, chosen for their beauty, length and excitement.

According to this list, Vietnam ranked fifth in the list, follow by Canada, Chile and Australia. It is described as suitable for who want to mix the bikes and beaches. Traveler will be passing through the 746 mile- (1,200 kilometer) route, between the country’s two biggest cities, taking along vast stretches of sandy coastline; it’s no picnic, as road surfaces vary considerably and there are many natural obstacles like the Hai Van Pass, the historical division point between North and South Vietnam.

Recommended cycling tour by Active Travel Asia

With 8 Years of local travel Expert’s experience, Active Travel Asia (ATA) has a deserved reputation for innovation, for quality of service and for providing once-in-a-lifetime active holidays including hiking and trekking, biking, motorcycling, kayaking, overland tours and family travel packages in Indochina. ATA’s accumulated expertise allows travelers to maximize traveler’s precious holiday time and to experience the very best of traveler’s chosen destination. The tour packages and custom itineraries will take travelers through exotic destinations to really experience the culture, history and nature of Asia.

ATA would like to suggest the most impressive cycling tour for travelers who want to explore Vietnam by bicycle. The Biking Ho Chi Minh trail tour brings travelers a great chance to learn about the Vietnamese modern history and see it beautiful nature.

The so-called Ho Chi Minh Trail is one of the most renowned legends of the American War. The complicated road system winds along the Truong Son Range, which that facilitated movement of soldiers and war supplies from North Vietnam to battlefields in South Vietnam. Now the historic trail is being turned into a highway and hotels and towns are springing up speedily beside it. The route is incredibly beautiful with new mountain views around every corner, very little traffic, and virtually no tourists.

On the way, traveler will have chance to explore Pu Luong nature reserve, or amazing caves at Phong Nha Nation Park. The trip concludes in Hoian, a charming ancient town in centre Vietnam.

When to travel: The custom trip is offered weekly year-round. But the best time to travel is from Sep to May. This trip is private and travelers can start any time they want.

Price: Starting at $1,425 per person for the group of seven. It includes AC bus for the whole trip, bike truck for the biking section, mountain bikes with helmet and biking gloved, boats in Phong Nha & Hue, hotels based on twin shared, mechanic for the biking section, English speaking guide for the whole trip, meals as indicated in the itinerary, water and snacks every day, sightseeing fees and entrance fees.

More information at: http://www.activetravel.asia/biking-ho-chi-minh-trails-t294.html

Supported by Active Travel Asia – Explore the hidden land!

Hanoi Office:

Add: Floor 12 Building 45 Nguyen Son Street, Long Bien district, Hanoi, Vietnam

Tel: +844 3573 8569

Fax: +844 3573 8570

Email: info@activetravel.asia

Website: http://www.activetravel.asia/

Report on RTC inspection trip to Pu Hu Nature Reserve, Thanh Hoa province

From May 11 to May 13, The Responsible Travel Club of Vietnam (RTC) launched an interesting inspection trip to Pu Hu Nature Reserve, which is situated in the North – West of Thanh Hoa province.

Pu Hu Nature Reserve has a big diversity of plants and animals with 508 plants species and 266 animal species. Pu Hu offers great potential for adventure and nature lovers. RTC’ members have committed to promote Pu Hu in coming years.

Pu Hu has a plentiful floristic composition which creates interesting trekking routes. Tourist may see waterfalls from height of 50m-100m flowing down at any time on the way. The green of trees, the eco of forest bring the fresh experience for explorers during the trip.

ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA (ATA), as a founding member of RTC, has gone fast in promoting and supporting Pu Hu by designing and selling an interesting itinerary with motorcycling, trekking and camping combined. “We strongly believed that Pu Hu will be popular in coming years”, Product Manager of ATA, Tony said.

EXPERIENCE SAPA

Attractive eco-friendly valleys, terraced slope attributes as well as tribes nevertheless subsequent their own historic customs — encouraged in order to Sapa.

Situated 350kms north-west associated with Hanoi, simply timid from the Chinese language edge may be the Lao Cai Land exactly where you’ll discover Sapa. It’s environment as well as amazing scenery tend to be about the reduce inclines from the Hoang Lien Boy hill variety, that additionally features Vietnam’s greatest hill Fansipan, having a elevation associated with 3142 metre distances.

Sapa is actually filled with a varied number of cultural minorities like the Hmong, Yao, Tay as well as Giay organizations. Considered to possess lived on the region because the 1800′s, these types of Sapa slope tribes continue to be close to these days ongoing their own life-style as well as customs because they did for hundreds of years.

The elements is extremely periodic, throughout the summer time it is very reasonable as well as wet. Throughout the winter season it may be chilly, misty as well as obtain the unusual compacted snow. Suggested occasions to visit tend to be 03 via Might as well as middle Sept in order to earlier Dec to obtain a hotter as well as better encounter.

Arranging your own go Sapa ahead of time via a journey professional is actually recommended. The easiest method to reach Sapa is actually through immediately teach, exactly where vacationers may rest the actual trip aside. Through Hanoi the actual trip requires around 10 several hours and also the locomotives go away every day. You will find 14 locomotives that offer the actual come back trip in between Hanoi as well as Lao Cai, just about all supplying air-conditioning as well as comfy cabins along with several berth choices. You will awaken rejuvenated as well as prepared for the Sapa experience to start whenever you appear in to Lao Cai earlier the following early morning.

Place your own strolling footwear upon as well as discover the actual valleys providing breathless surroundings top you to definitely nearby towns. The actual closest town associated with Kitty Kitty is just 3kms through Sapa, an additional choice is actually Ta Phin town house in order to Red-colored Dzao around 10kms aside. The majority of vacationers looks for helpful information as well as has a Xe Om (motorcycle) to some starting place 8kms through Sapa, after that journey the 14km cycle round the region going to towns on the way. There is lots of walking as well as hiking choices in the region for those health and fitness amounts, going to slope group towns as well as waterfalls. For that severe mountaineer why don’t you undertake the actual 19km trip towards the peak associated with Fansipan, Vietnam’s greatest maximum?

An additional appeal associated with any kind of Sapa journey may be the marketplaces. You will find several marketplaces kept round the region usually about the weekend break upon whether Sunday or even Weekend. The well-known marketplace may be the Back ‘Weekend marketplace, the industry buying and selling center as well as conference location with regard to family and friends. You will discover the neighborhood minorities putting on their own conventional clothes, the actual Hmong tend to be recognized through their own indigo stitched garb and also the Red-colored Dao through their own red-colored headdresses along with hanging cash as well as waistcoats which are intricately stitched as well as put on through the ladies. The actual Adore Marketplace is actually an additional famous marketplace — typically it had been a location in which the youths from the nearby slope tribes might arrive to locate a partner.

If you have fulfilled the actual local people, trekked the actual valleys as well as marvelled the actual sights associated with significantly terraced grain areas, shopped in the marketplaces and also have your own cherished times taken, you’ll return in order to Lao Cai train station for the immediately teach to Hanoi. The Sapa journey experience is really a particular emphasize associated with any kind of day at Vietnam.

Source: wannawatch.info

Amazing rocky walls in Cham Islet

When touring Cham Islet, or Cu Lao Cham in the ancient city of Hoi An in Quang Nam Province you are bewitched by splendid landscapes with wonderful sandy beaches, forested hills and the glorious clear, blue sea.

A view of Cham islet in Hoi An ancient town, Quang Nam Province

The location is a popular spot for tourists to go camping, swimming and scuba-diving to explore coral reefs and beautiful marine life.
However, with a small boat you can take a cruise around the islet and travelers will discover it is enhanced due to its rocky mountain walls.

Forested hills and the glorious clear, blue sea

Cham Islet, 20 kilometres offshore of Hoi An, has been named a global biosphere reserve by UNESCO’s International Coordination Council of Man and the Biosphere Program.

It takes about twenty minutes by boat or canoe but it is worth the short wait as you drift amidst the sky and sea and then as if by magic the islets appear in all their glory.

Cham Islands consists of eight islets with a total surface area of 40,000 hectares. Lao, Dai, Mo, Kho Me, Kho Con, La, Tai and Ong islets are home to only about 3,000 residents leaving the landscapes largely in pristine condition. The islet has 1,549 hectares of tropical forest and nearly 1,000 species of marine life.The islets are cool and fresh all-year round, so tourists can come there anytime. The immense green of the forests harmonize with the blue of the sea to create an endless green airspace. White sand beaches and peaceful fishing villages make the islet more poetic and fanciful.

Cham Islet’s Huong and Ong beaches are popular options for tourists because of the smooth sand and the small waves. Cham Islet is also home to diverse flora and fauna, especially abalone and sanglaganes, birds which have long been considered a delicacy by aristocrats and the wealthy. The islet also boasts 135 species of coral which are exciting discoveries for tourists.

However, the islet is especially impressive with vertical mountain walls covered by rocks in varied and weird shapes. Small and large waves crash on them and toss white sponges and create interesting sounds. Rocky mounts change their shapes as you travel on your cruising boat. Sometimes the water is clear, sometimes vaporous as it lets travelers indulge into the vastness of this beautiful location.

Source: SGT

Vietnam – A cultural feast

I envisioned hiking to remote villages to find mountain hill tribes; people living in indigenous villages, untouched by outside influences.

Instead, as we pulled into Sapa, in the northern part of Vietnam, a group of Black Hmong women gathered on the side of the road as our shuttle pulled into the center of town. A welcoming committee, perhaps?

As the van came to a stop, my jaw dropped as the entire group charged at our vehicle screaming “You buy from me!”

This was not the authentic Vietnamese experience I had in mind.

Returning to Southeast Asia was a dream of mine since my last trip to Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia eight years ago. So when the time finally came for my boyfriend and I to head out for a three-week romp around Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia this past September, I went with a backpack full of expectations, hoping to get off the beaten path and discover the “authentic” cultures of Southeast Asia.

Expectations and reality are hardly ever one in the same, as I was soon reminded. As a tourist, I had as much to do with the cultural changes taking place in the places I visited as the people who live there. The fact is that with tourism spreading rapidly throughout Third World countries, “off the beaten path” is now the most-sought after destination.

East meets West
We began our trip with two days in Hanoi, a city well known for its organized chaos. Hanoi is a perfect blend of Eastern mystery and Western old world charm dating back to the early French colonialists.

The narrow streets were choked with a million scooters driving alongside street-hawkers selling their wares. All the while, the constant smell of delicious Vietnamese food wafted out from the thousands of restaurants and sidewalk food stands. Vietnamese women wearing traditional woven cone hats sold everything from T-shirts and balloons to exotic fruits and chickens (both living and dead) from their yoke-slung baskets. Spend a morning sipping Vietnamese coffee and eating tiramisu at a cafe on the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake and watch the world go by and you could be in an Asian-style Paris.

To dive into Hanoi’s culture headfirst is to master the art of crossing the road and bartering. It’s also a commitment to eating anything and everything cooked on the street, in spite of any Western health warnings. So this is what we did.

In a city where traffic lights mean nothing and the only road rule seems to be to keep moving, we began our road-crossing lesson by subtly tagging along with locals as they crossed. The key is to cross slowly and steadily and trust that the one million scooters, cyclists, cars and other pedestrians that share the road will flow around you — a belief that contradicts all western road-crossing training.

The art of bartering was our next cultural lesson and my boyfriend approached it with game and gusto while I, recognizing his strength and my relative weakness, timidly left all negotiations to him. He proved his mastery after intense, extensive negotiations for a .25 cent Zippo lighter. Eventually, the sales person shoved the lighter in his hands, refused his money and said “go away.”

While haggling was his fortay, eating was my greatest strength. I attacked the street cuisine, inhaling delicious pho noodle soups, rich French pastries and baguettes, and any street-side delicacy set in front of me. I was never disappointed. Hanoi proved to be a foodies paradise, not just for the amazing flavors, but for the whole experience. Eating on the street is a must as, for one, it is usually the cheapest option and two, it will give you the most authentic Vietnamese food experience.

Our last day in Hanoi, we were enticed away from shopping to a street cafe where we were the only non-Asian diners. We sat on plastic child-sized chairs and watched as eight small dishes of food, some recognizable, most not, were immediately placed in front of us in dim sum style. Delicious! Next to us a family of servers/cooks rushed around, dishing up trays of food for our fellow enthusiastic diners as they loudly slurped and chatted.

Ha Long Bay-Sapa-Hanoi
From Hanoi we headed east for a two night stay on a traditional junk boat in Ha Long Bay. This UNESCO World Heritage site on the Northeastern coast covers an area of 1,553 km (965 miles) and is made up of almost 2,000 stunning, mainly limestone islets rising from the Tonkin Gulf. Scattered throughout the islets are small floating fishing villages whose inhabitants farm oysters, mussels and fish for food and trade.

It is possible at times to be distracted from the allure of the area by the amount and effects of tourism there. The 450 boats anchored in the crowded bay host thousands of tourists a day. The amount of trash floating in the otherwise emerald waters is a sad reminder of how the desire for tourist dollars can become more important than protecting tourist destinations. However as the sun sets on the limestone karst and the last of the water traders ply their goods to colorful tourist filled junk boats, of which you are a part of, it is impossible not to appreciate the obvious beauty and cultural significance of Ha Long Bay.

Next stop, Sapa, a small French colonial town in the misty northern mountains of the Lao Cai provence. Located near the Chinese boarder, it is home to several different ethnic minority groups whose villages are scattered among the rice terrace-covered mountains and valleys. We took a night train to get from Hanoi to Sapa, sleeping in quaint bunk beds that conjured up historic images of an Orient Express experience, to Lao Cai and from there, took a shuttle to Sapa.

Our initial surprise and fear of the welcoming committee was replaced with curiosity on our hikes to nearby Black Hmong villages with our guide, Quong. Traditionally dressed Black Hmong ladies casually followed along, asking a series of basic questions over and over again: “What’s your name?” “Where you from?” “How many children you have?” and inevitably “You my friend?… You buy from me?” as they dug into their woven baskets for both handmade, and Chinese-made goods. The question of why we were hiking to meet the Black H’mong when they had already made the hike to meet us was ever present. Ever the entertainer and salesman himself, my boyfriend asked them to buy his handmade fly fishing flies and individual pieces of chewing gum. He did eventually manage a trade, a piece of gum for a hand-made bracelet, much to the frustration of the Hmong lady who soon realized she didn’t like the taste of the gum.

Despite the never-ending sales pitch, it was impossible to ignore the magnificent scenery surrounding us: waterfalls, rivers and terraced rice paddies in mist-covered mountains.

Our home-stay was a fun-filled night of amazing food and home-brewed “happy water,” which broke down all cultural and social walls and had us convinced we were fluent in local dialects. Our morning headaches reminded us otherwise. Waking before the rest of our group, my boyfriend and I spent the morning with our host, who spoke no English, and her outgoing five-year-old grandson. We got a glimpse into their everyday life, as our host’s son and daughter-in-law puttered around doing morning chores.

We returned to Hanoi from Sapa the same way we arrived, by sleeper train, and spent one more night in the energetic city, surprised to see capitalism thriving so well in this still communist country. The next morning we headed off to our next stop, a whirlwind two days in Bangkok.

Source: vaildaily

How to Find Safe Travel in Halong Bay Vietnam

Having read the news about tourist boat sunk in Halong Bay, Vietnam some days ago, killing 12 tourists from 9 countries, ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA would like to give out some advices about how to travel safely and enjoyably in Halong Bay. There are some something you should concern about as you plan your trip there.

Halong Bay, Vietnam

1. Overnight junk (vessel) or hotel?

When you travel you can stay in hotel anywhere, anytime and that is just so normal. If you want to have a unique travel experience in Halong Bay it worth spending a night aboard of an overnight vessel amongst thousands of islands and islets. Though the recently tragedy incident happened to an overnight vessel I still vote for it. The question now is how to minimize the risk.

2. How to choose a reliable overnight vessel?

Stick to popular names like Indochina Sails, Huong Hai Junk, Bai Tho Junk, Hai Long Junk,… there are many boat fleets recommended or not recommended on TripAdvisor by travelers. We all know that the big brand is likely a guarantee for the quality. In this case, it is so true. A wooden vessel of a big fleet after some year in operation would be sold to smaller fleet who is targeting at cheap services. These old wooden vessels are not reliable especially in bad weather.

When you book overnight vessel ask your travel consultant or reservation license of the vessel for doing its business. That can tell a lot how reliable your overnight vessel is.

3. What else a popular big vessel fleet can offer?

Their crew are better trained and more discipline. They concentrate on what they do better than crew of a small and unorganized fleet. The vessels are well maintained and safety equipments aboard are better equipped. There are many more things about quality and safety that a small and cheap fleet can not offer traveler since they just target at cheap services.

4. Already aboard, what you should concern?

There should be a hummer in your cabin which can be used to break the glass window in case of emergency. The hummer should be hang right on either sides of the window and you have locate it so you can have it when you need (hope not). If you do not find the hummer you should ask for one from the crew or you make something yourself for that purpose.

There should also be life-vest in your cabin. You have to be sure that you have them ready in case.

Scan the whole vessel for emergency escape way, fire extinguisher,… that would be useful in case of emergency.

Travel to Dong Van plateau, Explore Global Geo-parks Network in Vietnam

During the traditional Tet holiday 2011, there were nearly 4.000 Domestic and foreign tourists to Dong Van karst plateau Geopark to excursion and travel. With total tourism revenue reached over 3 billion.

Under the instruction of Ha Giang province People’s Committee, all relevant districts has implemented well-organized culture, sports, entertainment and travel activities to meet local people and travellers’ needs. Performing the external politics very well, Vietnamese national visit to their homeland during Tet holiday.

Numerous travellers visit to Vuong palace, Ha Giang, Vietnam

In particular, after nearly 3 years to prepare, Dong Van karst plateau has been recognized as a member of the Global Geoparks Network. Creating an important premise for tourism development of the province, Development of cultural community tourism villages as well as concerned about the investment and development of tourism infrastructure.

Ha Giang has promoted powerful of tourism forms such as Eco tourism, adventure discovery travel, cultural tourism and so on. Ha Giang have alot of tourism sites has attracted numerous visitors to the city in the New Rabbit Year, namely, Dong Van karst plateau Geopark, Lung Cu flag tower, Dong Van Old street, Vuong Dynasty’s artistic architecture monument (Dong Van district), Co Tien double mountain (Quan Ba district); Ma Pi Leng Pass.

Ma Pi Leng Pass, Ha Giang, Vietnam

Come to Ha Giang, tourists enjoy not only the traditional food of all tribes but also yourself in the life of the highlanders. Especially, they will have opportunity to attend the traditional festival of ethnic minorities of the province such as Long Tong Festival of Tay ethnic group, the crop-praying festival of Dao ethnic minority, fighting buffalo ceremony, fighting chicken festival. They also have chance to participate in traditional games like pushing stick, throwing con, walking on stilts, jumping .etc. It’s cultural identity of the ethnic groups.

About Dong Van karst plateau Geopark:

Dong Van karst plateau Geopark consists of four districts, namely, Meo Vac, Dong Van, Yen Minh, Quan Ba. Located in the North of Ha Giang province, Viet Nam. The karst plateau is created by at least 80 percent limestone and many fossils of ancient creatures species from 400 – 600 million years ago. Its average elevation is 1400 -1600 meters above sea level.

Dong Van Plateau, Vietnam

Dong Van karst plateau Geopark is situated in a temperate climate and divided into two seasons: Rainy and dry seasons. The annual mean temperature is 24 -28 degree Celsius, while the winter temperatures may be down to 5 degree Celsius.

Dong Van rocky highland Geopark was official 77th member of the Global Geopark Network on 3/10/2010. It became the first global Geopark in Viet Nam, the second in Southeast Asia.

Source: en.dongvangeopark

Vietnam: A Land of Beauty Rises Among Memories of War

Tea and English

Sometimes I remember the story beginning as we stepped out of the airport, greeted by a wave of oppressive humidity and hundreds of Vietnamese holding signs for someone named “Nguyen.” Getting into a Vietnamese taxi that wove its way through a sea of cars and bikes and motorbikes that would’ve terrified us had we not been too tired to care after the 17-hour flight.

But in reality, we spent our first two hours in Vietnam trying to leave the airport. Trying to convince the customs officers that, although we did attend a Baptist university, we weren’t there to convert the defenseless masses. Our first encounter with a communist nation.

The entrance to Tan Son Nhat airport, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Most visitors to Vietnam have come to experience what they imagine is a culture about as foreign to their own as any still in existence. But what most Vietnamese are anxious to show visitors is how well they can speak English.

As we walked into an English class at a university in Ho Chi Minh City, the topic for the day was the impending threat of helmet laws for motorbike riders. Riders who maneuver traffic everyday that makes New York or even Rome look like the Disney’s Autotopia.

Most Vietnamese couldn’t afford a helmet if they wanted to buy one, let alone pay the fines imposed if this law passed and they didn’t. Still, the conversation took a strange turn. “Helmets look funny,” one boy complained. “Yes,” another girl chimed in, “When you get to your date, your hair not look pretty.” Consensus was that the law shouldn’t pass.

After class, students migrate to the nearby “Tea & English.” If you appear foreign or let slip a word of English, expect to make new friends. For them, learning the language means they can get a job at a hotel or restaurant or shop — and maybe, one day, get to America.

The other side of the war

Visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels is often on the list of things to do for the first-time visitor to Vietnam. Before going down into the tunnels, government employees acting as tour guides lead you into a room where you sit in neat rows, staring at the ever- close- of Ho Chi Minh’s head floating on a backdrop of red until the video begins. The video gives the history of the Trail, explaining how it was built and the decisive role it played in the war.

Next, visitors stop to pose for photos on top of a rusty American tank; meanwhile, the tour guide explains how the Vietnamese stopped this tank in its tracks, killing the soldiers inside. Adding to the feeling of being in a war zone is the constant gunfire from the nearby shooting range — open to tourists for an additional fee — and the sound of mock land mines detonating if your foot trips one of the wires strung across the path.

You then get a taste of travel down in the tunnels, which were clearly not sized for American frames. As you bend and squat and scrape your elbows on the jagged rock walls, you imagine Vietcong plots being hatched in the underground meeting room. Be sure to visit the souvenir/snack shop that finishes off the tour.

Chance encounter in a college town

Two lakes, a famous pagoda and one large waterfall draw many tourists to Dalat, six hours northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. There, in spite of its renown as the honeymoon Mecca of the nation, one feels a bit more as though they’re in their imagined Vietnam.

Tiny women with brown, wrinkled skin waddle down the dirt roads balancing a stick with baskets of bread and vegetables on either side. Conical hats are everywhere and fewer people speak English, though enough to help the steady stream of tourists get by.

Xuan Huong Lake, Dalat, Vietnam

The street market in Dalat is an experience unlike any other. Thousands of people pack the street so tightly that, when looking down on the scene from the balcony of a nearby restaurant, the ground is hardly visible. When you are in the middle of the throng, you are being called in every direction: “Flowers!” “Pigs’ feet!” “Baskets!” “Fish!”

The vendors lines the road, further excited by the sight of what they can only assume are wealthy foreigners. The meat market can be a bit overwhelming for the faint of heart. Nevertheless, this singular experience is worth getting up at 6 a.m. to witness (and hear and smell…).

A 15-minute drive and 20-minute boat ride from Dalat, you can climb into a make shift seat atop an elephant and begin a bumpy and pleasant ride into the jungle, guided by a tiny, barefooted man who straddles the elephant’s head with ease. Plastic sheets are provided to protect you from the rain that comes without warning and exposes the surrounding jungle for its most vibrant of greens.

After a 45-minute ride, with only a brief interruption to adjust the seat that’s begun to slide around to the belly of the beast, you’ll arrive at scattered bamboo homes lining a creek that swells by the minute with the falling rains. There, you may choose from one of several one-room “cabins” planted firmly on the ground, or you can bravely venture into the “tree house” towering 30 feet in the air.

Saying goodbye

Throughout the trip, the fact that you are in a Communist country is difficult to forget. And with that farewell, I said a regretful goodbye to the nation of Vietnam.

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