Travel Halong Bay, Halong Bay Tours, Halong Vietnam

Vietnam tops list of world's most attractive tourist destinations

2012-01-12T20:50:00.000-08:00

Vietnam is now at the top of the list of the world's emerging tourist attractions, as selected by international visitors in 2012, according to a recent report by the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA).

The Southeast Asian country was closely followed by India, Ecuador and China on the list of destinations that USTOA members consider increasingly popular in the year.

The Association announced the list at an annual conference held recently on Marco Island, Florida. It is an occupational association, through which travel agents organize tours and provide tourism services in countries around the world.

Recently, Smart Travel Asia, a prestigious online travel magazine, also highlighted Vietnamese tourism by listing Hanoi and Hoi An among the top ten most attractive tourist destinations in Asia in 2011.

Smart Travel Asia's list was based on votes cast online by more than one million readers worldwide from May to July 2011.

(Source: VOV)

Expects over 5 million travelers to Vietnam tour in 2011

2011-11-01T21:11:00.000-07:00

A total of 4.8 million foreign travelers to Vietnam tour during the first ten months of the year, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

Although the number of foreign visitors declined by 25 percent in September compared to the same period last year, Vietnam is optimistic of welcoming 5.3-5.5 million foreign visitors in 2011.

This year, the country hosted many political and cultural events such as ‘ASEAN’, ‘1,000th anniversary of Thanh Long’ in Hanoi, which made it interesting for foreign visitors to visit the country.

The number of foreign tourists to Ho Chi Minh City is estimated to reach 2.9 million this year, an increase of 10 percent compared to the same period last year.

Source: Dtinews

Halong – a wonder of the creator

2011-10-24T23:59:00.000-07:00

Located in Quang Ninh Province, Halong Bay includes the sea areas of Halong City, Cam Pha Town and a part of Van Don island district. With the admirable natural beauty and multiform, special values, Halong has become famous destination of Vietnam tour for domestic and international visitors.

The legend has it that, once upon a time, soon after the Viet people established their country, invaders came. The Jade Emperor sent Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons down to the earth to help the Viet people fight against their enemy. When the dragons landed down on the earth, invaders’ boats were rushing to the shore. The dragons immediately turned into thousands of stone islands emerging in the sea like great walls challenging the invaders’ boats. The fast boats couldn’t manage to stop and crashed into the islands and broke into pieces. After the victory, Mother Dragon and Child Dragons didn’t return the heaven but stayed on the earth at the place where the battle had occurred. The location Mother Dragon landed is present Halong Bay and Child Dragons landed is present Bai Tu Long Bay. The dragons’ tails waving the water created Bach Long Vi (present Tra Co Peninsula).

Halong Bay covers the area of 1,553km² and encompasses 1,969 islands of various sizes which are mainly limestone islands with tectonic age from 250 million to 280 million years. The process of long geological evolution created the unique Halong Bay in the world with thousands of islands which look like fantastic sculptural and artistic works of various graceful shapes such as Canh Buom (Sail) Islet, Trong Mai (Cock and Hen) Islet, Lu Huong (Incense Burner) Islet… All of them are vivid and soulful.

Inside the stone islands in Halong are various caves considered as magnificent palaces on the earth such as Thien Cung (Heaven Palace), Dau Go (Driftwood), Sung Sot (Surprise), Trinh Nu (Virgin)… Many people from all over the world to Halong have felt puzzled as their vocabulary is not rich enough to depict the splendor of this place.

Halong is also home to great biodiversity with typical eco-systems like mangrove forest, tropical forest, coral… These eco-systems are where thousands of fauna and flora species concentrates. Some species are particularly rare and can’t be found at any where else.

In addition, Halong Bay is also attached to glorious historical pages of Vietnam country with famous sites such as Van Don – the busy trade port in the 12th century, Bai Tho Mountain – where preserve autography of kings and celebrities and Bach Dang River – witness for two famous naval battles of Vietnamese people against invaders. Also, Halong is considered as one of the cradles of human kind with the glorious Halong culture in the late Neolithic age through archeological sites as Dong Mang, Xich Tho, Soi Nhu and Thoi Gieng…

Up to this time, some floating fishing villages have still existed in the sea area of Halong Bay such as Ba Hang, Cua Van, Vong Vieng, Cap La. Many special tangible and intangible culture values of the coastal area have been preserved in these fishing villages, especially Cua Van fishermen’s dual love songs, dum songs, wedding songs … Visiting these fishing villages, visitors will have chance to study the fishermen’s daily activities as well as typical traditional culture in Halong Bay.

In 1994 and 2000, Halong Bay has recognized by UNESCO as world natural heritage for its outstanding aesthetic and geographical, geomorphologic values. The UNESCO-recognized zone has the area of 434km². It looks like a giant triangle with Dau Go Island (in the west), Ba Ham Lake (in the south) and Cong Tay Island (in the east) as its three angle points.

In the global vote for new 7 wonders of nature mobilized by New Open World organization, Halong Bay has been listed in 28 official finalist candidates. Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism; provinces and cities nationwide have carried out many activities to promote Halong Bay, especially voting campaigns which have attracted participations of individuals, organizations as well as international visitors.

The vote for new 7 wonders of nature will last until November 11, 2011 and the New Open World organization will officially announce 7 place-names with the highest number of votes. Hoping that with incessant promotion endeavours and supports of the people nationwide and the international visitors, Halong Bay will be one of new 7 wonders of nature.

Source: TITC

“Ho Chi Minh City – 100 interesting things”

2011-10-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism has announced the City People’s Committee implementation of the programme “Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) – 100 interesting things”.

Accordingly, in 2011, the programme will expand its voting norms to 20 categories but narrow the number of candidates of each category from 10 to 5 in order to improve the quality of the vote.

The programme aims to improve and standardise tourism service quality in Ho Chi Minh City to become more competitive with regional countries, introduce tourists to attractive products and destinations of Vietnam tour and reveal investment opportunities to potential investors.

The 20 categories include:

1. Five most luxury hotels in the City

2. Five best business hotels

3. Five outstanding places to organise meetings and exhibitions

4. Five special restaurants

5. Five restaurants serving the best Vietnamese food

6. Five luxury shopping centres

7. Five typical traditional markets

8. Five typical museums

9. Five typical architectural projects

10. Five typical historical and cultural relics

11. Five ecological tourist sites

12. Five typical places for art performances

13. Five perfect places for night entertainment

14. Five places for health care and spa treatments

15. Five typical souvenir trademarks

16. Five favourite fruits

17. Five favourite Southern dishes

18. Five typical tourism types

19. Five special cultural, sport and tourism events

20. Five special transport trademarks (one airline, one trademark for waterway and three trademarks for road)

The results of the vote will be announced in early 2012.

Source: BTA

Quang Ninh accelerates votes for Halong Bay

2011-09-21T21:20:00.001-07:00

Quang Ninh Province’s Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union launched a new campaign “50 days to gather votes for Halong Bay as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World” in Halong City on September 20th.

Accordingly, the campaign will last until November 10th, 2011 with the motto “Each Provincial Union member and teenager, one vote for Halong Bay”.

The program’s launching ceremonies were held at the same time in all localities of the Province, to train and guide local people on how to vote, asking them to vote directly for the Bay, disseminating the campaign on mass media, setting up the youth-managed polling stations at communes cultural houses, schools, factories, bus stops and tourist areas to create more convenient conditions for local residents and domestic and foreign visitors to vote.

The “50 days to vote for Halong Bay” campaign plays an important role in the final critical period, showing the responsibility of Quang Ninh’s people in making contributions to the campaign to decide on Halong Bay as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Source: QDND

Hanoi flower festival 2012 to open in December

2011-09-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

The Hanoi Flower Festival 2012 will open in the capital city of Hanoi from December 30, 2011 to January 2, 2012.

According to Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Khac Loi, the festival aims to honour the cultural heritage sites and values that were recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), especially those of Hanoi through the means of flower.

It is part of activities to promote cultural tourism in the capital city and respond to the National Tourism Year 2012, which takes the theme of “Heritage Tourism”

This year’s festival will be held in streets of Dinh Tien Hoang, Le Thai To, Le Lai, Le Thach, the downtown, on the surface of Hoan Kiem lake and in popular sites of Ngoc Son temple, Tran Ba temple, The Huc bridge and But and Hoa Phong towers.

In the framework of the event, a wide range of activities such as flower arranging competitions, traditional games, exhibitions of ornamental plants, handicraft and tourism products will be also organised.

Source: VNA

Unique colour in Hanoi’s pavements

2011-09-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

Travel to Hanoi, foreign visitor are impressed by the capital’s pavements where they can chat, drink tea or coffee, and even have something to eat.

Mayu Takeda, a Vietnamese Japanese student, says she loves Hanoi’s pavements, through which she can learn more about the city’s in-depth stories.

Mayu often goes around the old quarter of Hanoi to get to know about people’s lives and daily activities. “Sitting on the pavement, looking around and listening to different voices, you will know what is happening in Hanoi,” she says.

Traveling to Vietnam to visit relatives and friends, the 21-year student takes every opportunity to enjoy life here in Hanoi. She left the country when she was just four years old, but the country is always in her heart.

Michael, a tourist from the US, first visited Vietnam five years ago. This time he has brought his friends, who are very eager to explore Hanoi. “You can get everything you need on the pavements,” Michel says, adding that the prices are much cheaper than in the shops.“There is no place like Hanoi, where you can see, either poor or rich people, interacting with each other. And, it’s undeniable that the ‘motorbike civilization’ has contributed to the ‘pavement economy’ which helps thousands of people earn their living,” he says.

Strolling around Hoan Kiem (Returned Sword) Lake, Andreas, a journalist from Germany, feels very excited to see people on the move.

Andreas says he likes sitting on the pavement, listening to the mixed sounds, drinking tea or coffee and seeing what’s happening around him. “In the evening, the streets are less busy but more quiet. It’s time for me to go out and enjoy the atmosphere of open air-living. Life on the streets is something new and special, like a piece of documentary film about Hanoi and Hanoians.”

With the last rays of the sun disappearing and less noise echoing from transport vehicles, Hanoi is closing its day to enter a paradise filled with joy and excitement.

Soaking up the life of the streets which look both old and new, traditional and modern, you will see that nothing is more refreshing to enjoy after long working hours than a cup of coffee near Hoan Kiem Lake.

There are many famous coffee shops in the city, from Nang Cafe (6 Hang Bac), Nhan Cafe (39D1 Hang Hanh), and Cafe Mai (Nguyen Du) to Cafe Giang (Hang Gai), and Cafe Lam (60, 91 Nguyen Huu Huan), which are ideal for old friends to meet and chat in the romantic atmosphere of the city.

Source: Dtinews

Vietnam’s Mid-Autumn Festival

2011-09-07T21:07:00.000-07:00

The Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the most traditional and popular family holidays in Vietnam, is enjoyed by people throughout the country, regardless of their background or economic status.
The festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar, which falls in mid September in the Western calendar. It has evolved into an event with both cultural and commercial value.

The Mid-Autumn or ‘Trung Thu’ Festival is associated with the legend of Cuoi, a popular Vietnamese fairy tale that explains the origin of the festival.

According to the legend, a man named Cuoi was very famous because he owned a magic banyan tree that could cure any illness. Cuoi’s wife got angry because Cuoi seemed to love the tree more than her so one day when Cuoi was out treating a sick neighbour, she poured dirty water on the roots of the tree, which made it leave the ground. Cuoi suddenly returned at that very moment to see the tree fly up to the sky. He tried to grab it but failed to pin it down and was taken up to the moon, where he lives together with his tree to this day. That’s why every year children light lanterns and take part in processions on the day of the festival to show Cuoi the way back to Earth!

The Vietnamese version of the Mid-Autumn Festival is similar to the one in China, except for its legend, the food and some traditional activities. Both the Han and minority nationalities in China celebrate the mid-autumn festival, though there are some additional special customs in different parts of the country, such as burning incense, planting mid-autumn trees, and lighting lanterns on towers.

In Vietnam, there are many traditional activities for both adults and children during the festival including lion dances performed by both trained professional children’s groups and amateurs. Lion dance groups perform on the streets and go to houses asking for permission to perform for the people living there. If they are accepted by the hosts, the ‘lion’ will go in and start dancing to wish the household good luck and fortune. The Earth Lord, ‘Ong Dia’, dances around the dragon, urging it on. Ong Dia, who has a smiling moon-shaped face, represents the prosperity and wealth of the earth.

On the occasion of the festival, parents buy their children rattles, drums and star lanterns. Many children also take great interest in traditional paper toys, lion heads and masks of animals from old tales, as well as modern battery-run plastic ships or tanks with remote controls.

The tradition of the Mid-Autumn festival is reflected in the way the children play games. They carry beautifully ornate lanterns while singing and parading along the streets in a candlelight procession at dawn. The candles represent brightness and the procession symbolizes success in school. The lanterns come in different sizes and shapes such as fish and butterflies. There are also spinning lanterns in which candles can be inserted to represent the sun surrounded by the earth.

Mid-Autumn Festival parties in the evening are a good opportunity for children to enjoy the festive food and also learn things from their parents such as how to make the party attractive. The whole family will enjoy the feast in a cozy, sacred atmosphere.

Quite a few foreign visitors to Vietnam are also interested in the mid-autumn festival and some even bring mooncakes back to their home countries as special gifts for their friends.

“I find it quite interesting when I see people selling mooncakes everywhere. I hope to experience my first Mid-Autumn festival with some local families,” said Spiller, a 40-year-old English teacher from the UK.

Mooncakes are an indispensable delicacy for this festival. For generations, mooncakes have been made with sweet fillings of nuts, mashed red beans, lotus seed paste or sweet bean paste, depending on the region. Sometimes a cooked egg yolk can be found in the middle of the rich tasting dessert. People compare mooncakes to the plum pudding and fruit cakes served during the English Christmas holidays.

Vietnamese mooncakes are typically square rather than round, although round ones do exist. They are offered among friends or at family gatherings during this festival. The cakes are usually cut into small wedges and eaten accompanied by green tea because they are so sweet.

Cherry, a young Australian woman who is teaching English in Hanoi, told VOV that she has tried mooncakes several times and found them quite delicious but too sweet. ”I’m a little bit worried about my weight because I couldn’t resist the tempting taste,” she said smiling.

“We try to make mooncakes gifts that are special to Vietnam… Foreigners enjoy our cakes with the green tea filling very much,” said Pham Ly, a seller at a shop that specializes in the well-known Kinh Do brand confectionaries.
Another seller at a Long Dinh shop, Quynh Anh, also said that her shop has been visited by many foreign customers, all of whom are keen on the taste of Vietnamese mooncakes.

Nowadays, many kinds of mooncakes are on sale for a month before the Moon Festival. It has become customary for businessmen and families to present these cakes to their clients or relatives as an expression of their sentiments.

Source: VOV

Moon cake: from an autumn tradition

2011-09-06T21:57:00.000-07:00

Moon cake: from an autumn tradition Moon Cakes (banh Trung Thu) are a sweet specialty found throught Vietnam in mid-autumn.

Just a few decades ago, moon cakes were only a small part of the Vietnam’s festival. Then, they were mostly hand-made with plain ingredients. ‘Banh deo’, the white cake was made with green beans and lotus seeds. ‘Banh nuong’, the brown one, was made with meat, melon seeds, sesame, egg yolk, lemon leaves and kumquat peels. Both kinds can be square or round, and have a bright yoke inside to represent the moon.

They are often given to children to celebrate the festival.

Nowadays, however, the cakes are becoming more sophisticated. A number of manufacturers add exotic ingredients, such as shark fin, abalone.

A chef from Metropole Hotel Hanoi, which has had some eight years producing moon cakes, said that besides traditional ingredients like green bean, lotus seed or salted egg they are creating new flavours with ingredients like carmel and walnut. They are also making large cakes in the shape of fish and moon. This year the hotel produces some 3,000 boxes of cake against 2,000 boxes last year.

Some new hotels are also following their predecessors like Metropole, Daewoo, Hilton, etc. to take advantage from this festival. Silk Path Hotel on Hang Bong Street has also set up a swanky moon cake stall at the lobby to display their first batch. According to the hotel manager, Cesar M.Castro, they are just making 1,000 boxes for this season. “We hire a good Hanoi chef with over ten years of experiences in making moon cakes to make our first products,” he revealed. “We apply just traditional methods and ingredients into our cakes but invest more on the cover and pack so as to make it a nice piece for people to give one another on this special occasion.”

Newly-established Crowne Plaza Hotel on Le Duc Tho Street has just cooperated with two Chinese chefs to produce their own products for the festival. Their chef Can Hong Huang boasts that he has been working in Vietnam for many years and understands people’s taste very well. So he is confident that their four kinds of ‘Banh nuong’ with both traditional and new flavours will please customers’ taste.

Still, many people prefer the taste of traditionally-made cakes.

Therefore, some bakeries are still following traditional methods and employing just traditional ingredients into their cakes. Gia Thinh Shop on Hang Duong, Ninh Huong on Hang Dieu or Do The Gia on Dong Tac and Thanh Cong Street are still popular places for those who love the traditional flavours.

A customer at Do The Gia stall says that her family are always fond of the natural flavours and unique taste of traditional cakes. “We cannot take the cakes with new ingredients and strange flavours even though they are said to be precious and expensive,” she expresses. “Therefore traditional cakes are usually the best choice for us to enjoy or give to our friends or relatives who live far away from Hanoi.

People’s loyalty to traditional cakes is attributed to its special taste and the taste comes from the fresh ingredients and complicated process of making. Do Nang Ty, who has had more than 60 years making moon cake and is now owner of Do The Gia, says that Hanoi people are very meticulous in cooking and a ‘Banh nuong’ must have fat meat, chicken, Chinese sausages, melon seeds, seasame, almond in its content and fresh lemon leaves, young kumquat fruits, and a kind of scented wine called Mai Que Lo to make its flavour.

“And this is why traditional cakes have special and unique flavours that the others aromatized with artificial scent cannot compare,” he explained.

The price for a full moon

In the past, they also used to be quite cheap. The real price of one is around VND30,000-50,000. But these days, they are often considered a luxury gift, and packaged with elaborate boxes, and maybe a bottle of wine.

The “Montes Alpha M” from Daewoo Hanoi Hotel, is priced at VND 6.06 million.

Tips for choosing a moon cake:

- Moon cake manufacturers all have their stalls on many streets in Hanoi. To avoid fake products you should buy here or at big shops or supermarkets but not at small general stores.

- Moon cakes all have very short expiry date, so you should check it before buying.

Source: VNA

Rice Harvest in Sapa, Vietnam

2011-08-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

This morning we called Ly Man May, a homestay owner in Taphin village, in Sapa, to ask her about her, her family, and the rice. In only a week the infamous terraced landscape in Sapa will turn from green to gold marking the rice harvest season. For tourists wanting to experience this extra special time of year, booking a trip to Sapa needs to be done soon.

From the telephone call this morning all is good in Taphin and Sapa. The weather is great and the rice is tall and healthy. The villagers at a resting period just finished the harvesting of the corn. For now, a daily venture out into the rice terraces to check the maturity of the rice, is a part of some of the most critical decision making they will make all year.

The rice will need to be timed just perfect according to its readiness, the weather, and what the ancestors say is good day for harvesting. Then the water will be drained from the paddies and the rice let to dry. During this period Sapa becomes a patchwork of greens, yellows, and golds - a photographer’s mecca. The slurry of activity during this time is invigorating.

It is a lot of work to harvest the rice. The stocks need to be cut, then the rice needs to be separated from the stocks, bagged and transported. Everyone is at work. Families team up to ensure that each family’s yield is collected in the two or three days it needs to be finished. There is usually a big celebration marking each family’s completion. Nevertheless, it is up early the next morning to start the same process in a neighbor’s nearby plot.

Tourists are more than welcome! In our conversation with Ly Man May this morning she agreed that having tourists join in the work would be helpful. Footprint’s relationship with the village of Taphin and the villagers that live there ensure an experence that will not soon be forgotten by both tourists nor the villagers.

If you are interested in this type of trip a 3-4 night Sapa trekking tour is highly recommended with two days (that means adding an extra day) of working in the fields. Please make your bookings a soon as possible to guarantee space. Being flexible while in Hanoi will also help in making sure you are there on the right day. Remember, it is only about a week away from harvest time!

Source: ocvit-Footprint Travel

Ethnic Love Market in Moc Chau

2011-08-29T21:50:00.000-07:00

Ethnic Love Market in Moc ChauThe beginning of September is all celebration in Vietnam. Independence day is September 2nd and everyone is in preparation lining the streets with red banners and flags. From the major cities to the countryside villages everyone will be in full party mode with an extended weekend. But, in Moc Chau - near Mai Chau and about 190 km away from Hanoi - the theme of the festivities will differ greatly from that of nationalism and victory.

Starting yesterday and ending in about a week, ethnic minorities from all over Vietnam’s Northwest and Laos’ Northeast have made their way to Moc Chau. A true mosaic of culture the Blue, Green, White, Black, and Flower Hmong, as well as the Thai, Dao, Muong, and others make up a steady stream of thousands of people. Most of the people are young, and the vast majority are single. This is the annual Moc Chau Love Market. To find love is everyone’s top priority.

Groups of girls are seen gossiping and giggling. Just outside of the crowds two or three might be helping another making sure her hair is perfect. Boys are spotted teasing each other and shyly trying to gain the attention of gossiping girls. New-found lovers are caught holding hands and walking off to a secret spot to steal a first a kiss.

The Moc Chau Love Market is one of the best opportunities to see all of the minorities in their best traditional clothes. There is more than ample ways to take part in the festivities. Everyone is welcome to join in the food and drink, as well as the singing and dancing.

Over the last five years the popularity of the love market with domestic tourists is apparent. Foreign tourists have also found their way to the Moc Chau love market but they easily drowned out by all of the locals. The Vietnam holiday makes it challenging to get around in Vietnam.

If you do plan on attending the Moc Chau love market, Footprint Travel would like to remind you to please remember to use your camera responsibly.

Source: ocvit-Footprint Travel

Japanese Television to promote Vietnam tourism

2011-08-22T21:47:00.001-07:00

A Japanese film crew from Kansai Television is shooting a documentary from August 19th to 25th to promote Vietnamese tourism.

The crew will film famous tourism destinations of Vietnam tour as Hanoi, Thua Thien–Hue, Quang Binh and Quang Nam and special cultural features in these areas. Besides, the crew will also introduce old hotels and dishes important to Vietnamese culture.

The documentary will help promote the image of Vietnam tourism and its people to Japanese tourists.

Source: HNM

Halong Bay to collect more votes in China

2011-08-14T21:53:00.000-07:00

To promote and call for more votes for Halong Bay as one of the Seven New Natural Wonders of the World, various activities have been held in Nanning City, Guangxi Province, China.

The opening ceremony of these activities took place on August 12th by the Halong Bay Management Board.

Hundreds of delegates and international and Chinese visitors found out about Halong Bay and cast their votes for the Bay right on the first day of the program.

During the program, scheduled to end on October 30th, several publications, video clips and related materials on Halong Bay will be showcased and shown.

Halong Bay is on the list of 28 wonders and advances to the decisive third round of the vote.

The Seven New Natural Wonders of the World will be announced on November 11th.

Source: HNM

Vietnam’s pho, spring roll listed in top world foods

2011-07-27T23:56:00.001-07:00

Vietnam’s pho, spring roll listed in top world foodsVietnam’s “pho” and “goi cuon” (fresh spring roll) have been added to the list of the world’s 50 most delicious foods by the CNN GO website of the US CNN television channel.

In an article introducing the world’s 50 most delicious foods, CNN recognised that many dishes were worth travelling around the world to enjoy.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Thailand and Vietnam saw the largest number of dishes honoured in the list. Among them, Vietnam’s pho and fresh spring roll were described as comparable to Japan’s sushi, Italy’s pizza, Thailand’s som tam and Iran’s kebab.

Originated in Vietnam’s southern region, spring roll includes lean and fat pork, shrimp and fresh herbs wrapped in rice paper. For this reason, many foreigners described the spring roll as a ‘fast food’ of Vietnam.

As a symbol of the Vietnamese cuisine culture, pho is present anywhere around the world where Vietnamese people live. In addition to rice noodles, thinly-sliced beef or chicken meat and broth as the main ingredients, a slice of fresh lemon and a splash of chilli sauce are indispensable to a delicious bowl of pho.

Major US newspapers such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and the Boston Globe ran articles praising pho.

(Source: VNA)

Quang Binh-advantages for developing tourism

2011-07-11T22:25:00.001-07:00

Recently, Quang Binh is also destinations attract foreign to Vietnam tour. Quang Binh is just like an imposing picture with beautiful forest, sea and many other landscapes that are very famous as Ngang pass, Ly Hoa pass, Nhat Le seaport, Hac Hai, Cong Troi lagoon and Phong Nha – Ke Bang national park.

Quang Binh is a coastal province in North Central part. It places in the narrowest land of Vietnam. To the north, Quang Binh borders Ha Tinh province by Hoanh Son mountain chain and borders Quang Tri province to the south.

Towards the east, Quang Binh borders the East Sea and towards the west, it borders Kham Muon province of Lao by Truong Son mountain chain.

There are not many places in Vietnam that has such advantages for developing tourism like Quang Binh province. With an area of 8,065 square kilometers, Quang Binh has three kinds of geographical terrains, including forests, hills and mountains, and coastal areas.

Quang Binh has a very long beautiful seashore of about 116, 04 kilometers with white sand and blue seawater. It definitely has a stable foundation to develop a tourism resort.

This beautiful coastal land features the particularity of the North Central part, where there are various ethnic groups reside. Therefore, it has plenty of traditional cultures.

Not only that, Quang Binh is also located in a diversified biology area – where there is a system of many plants and animals and especially, most of these species are from valuable and rare genes. These factors can absolutely help Quang Binh develop the ecotourism.

In January 2009, Dong Hoi and Phong Nha – Ke Bang of Quang Binh were listed in 29 tourist attractions by Los Angeles Times newspaper. Phong Nha – Ke Bang national park is also listed as one of the world’s natural wonders by UNESCO.

Quang Binh has some important transportation routes such as highway 1A, Ho Chi Minh road, railway line North – South. In addition, this province also has maritime traffic (Hon La and Gianh port) and air traffic (Dong Hoi airport). These strong points also help to make Quang Binh become more popular.

Source: danangexplorer.com

Da Nang travel targets four million visitors in 2015

2011-07-07T22:05:00.000-07:00

Da Nang is one of the famous destination of Vietnam tour. Da Nang City’s government has approved a tourism development program for the next five years with an aim to receive four million holidaymakers in 2015.

To meet the target, the central city will develop three main categories of tourism, namely sea, resort and ecological tourism; culture, history, landscape, countryside and trade village holidays; and business, seminar and shopping tours.

The number of visitors is projected to grow by 18% annually while tourism revenue is expected at over VND3.4 trillion in 2015. The tourism sector is expected to make up 7% of the city’s gross domestic product (GDP) instead of 5.12% currently.

Local government plans to set aside nearly VND3.2 trillion for the program with VND167 billion coming from the State budget.

The city’s government has asked related agencies to carry out tourism projects in Son Tra Peninsula, Ngu Hanh Son cultural park, Lang Van, Hai Van Pass and Bach Dang tourist street.

It will focus on high-class sea tourism services and waterway, shopping, leisure and business projects, speed up promotion programs and human resources training.

Da Nang aims to receive three million domestic and one million international visitors in 2015.

Source: The Saigon times

Rong house-attractive destination for travelers to Vietnam tour

2011-06-22T00:15:00.000-07:00

A jubilant ceremony was held on June 19 to inaugurate a Rong house in Kon Klor Village in Kon Tum City, one of the biggest traditional communal houses of ethnic minority people in the Central Highlands.

The house was rebuilt on the foundation of an old one, which was burnt down in May 2010. The house is measured at 22m in height, 17m in length, and 6.5m in width, on a total area of 100m². It is built using traditional materials such as iron wood, bamboo and leaves.

Local people contributed materials and working days to build the house which is expected to be an attractive destination for travelers to Vietnam tour.

(Source: VNA)

Change in Product Department at Footprint Travel

2011-05-10T20:43:00.001-07:00

Footprint sets our first foot in 2001, it has been almost 10 years of operations, we have built our company, not big, but very stable, due to our unique offers of Vietnam tour to clients world wide. The success is for everyone at the Footprint family but we have to reserve our big appreciation to the product department who are creative in different innovative travel products.

Today is Hien last day as the role of the product executive, our first setting for her was a travel consultant, tour guide and she was appointed to be the product executive in 2008.

After Thuc, it has been more than 3 years of Hien’s great efforts to travel to learn from you - our travel clients, from our tour guide, tour operators and even our drivers on how to better our products to make it best for you - the travelers.

We thank you Hien for your all her dedication to make it easy for all the travel consultant at Footprint and good luck to her, Hien will be taking even more important role - as
Also it’s Dien first day on his role of the product executive and tour operation manager, he has been almost 7 years working as the tour operators and travel consultants. His passion and enthusiasm on tourism makes him travel to lots of places in Vietnam, "Ha Giang his love and if you ask him what is the best way to get there, he won't hesitate to tell you to jump on a motorbike! You can travel to the remote mountainous areas to see the unusual lifestyle of local people, and impossible scenery on unbelievable roads.

Footprint management board can not express of our all words for Dien’s dedications on work and travel, the whole Footprint team wishing Dien with the best and good luck with his new position.

If I just visit Phu Quoc island, can I have visa exemption?

2011-05-05T22:06:00.001-07:00

When we offer Vietnam tour to friends and travelers, some friends ask if we just want to travel and be lazy there in Phu Quoc island, can they have a visa exemption.

In regard of this, in late 2005 the government passed regulations specifically in relation Phu Quoc Island entry, exit and residence of foreigners or Vietnamese holding foreign passports. These regulations are provided below with more details.

Under this Decision, foreigners and Vietnamese holding foreign passports who are, entering, exiting from, and residing in Phu Quoc Island for a stay period not exceeding 15 days are exempt from visas. The following section provides a summary of those regulations.

International flight arrivals

Foreigners who enter via another international border-gate of Vietnam and stay in its transit lounge before travelling to Phu Quoc Island shall also be exempt from visas. With the opening of the new airport international terminal in Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat) foreigners will soon be able to transit from international flights directly to Phu Quoc, exempt from visa requirements for up to 15 days. Passports must be valid for at least 45 days. After arriving in Phu Quoc Island, if visitors want to travel other localities or stay in the island for more than 15 days, visitors are required to visit the immigration department who is responsible for issuing visas.

Arriving by ship via the East Sea?

Foreign-tourist ships can arrive or leave Duong Dong harbour in accordance with agreements signed with Vietnamese tourist companies. Foreign tourist ships which visit Duong Dong area & other areas (except restricted areas) must comply with Vietnamese immigration laws and Phu Quoc regulations, i.e. 15 day stay allowed exempt from Visa. Citizens of south-east Asian countries listed above, do not need certification when entering Duong Dong Town for up to 15 days. If visitors want to travel outside Phu Quoc Island and/or more than 15days, they will be required to obtain visa clearance provided by immigration in Duong Dong town.

Who can have visa exemption for Vietnam?

2011-04-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

Footprint is pleased to offer the following information for travelers to Vietnam tour with the following visa exemption.

The Vietnamese people that hold foreign passports and foreigners who are their husbands, wives and children are exempt from visa requirements to enter Vietnam and are allowed to stay for not more than 90 days. In order to be granted visa exemption certificates at Vietnamese representative offices abroad, Vietnamese overseas need the following conditions;

- PRC - Foreign-issued Permanent Residence certificate with the validity of at least six months since the date of entrance.

- VEP - Visa Exemption Paper is granted by Vietnamese appropriate authorities.

For those who want stay more than 90 days must apply for visa according to current stipulations before their entrance.

Bilateral visa exemption:

- The citizens of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Laos holding valid ordinary passports are exempt from visa requirements and are allowed to stay for not more than 30 days; Philippines is allowed to stay for not more than 21 days.

- The citizens of China, Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, North Korea, and Rumania holding valid ordinary passports for official mission and citizens of 52 countries holding valid diplomatic or official passports are exempt from visa requirements. The duration of staying is stipulated in certain cases. For more information, please visit the website of Ministry of Foreign Affaires.

Unilateral visa exemption:

- The visa with 30-day validity is exempted for officials from ASEAN countries secretariat holding different kinds of passports.

- The citizens of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Japan and South Korea holding different kinds of passports are exempt from visa requirements and are allowed to stay for not more than 15 days.

Hope our information is of good for you, please feel free to ask us any questions at info @ footprint.vn.

Footprint team
Footprint Vietnam Travel !

Questions and answers about visa to Vietnam (1)

2011-04-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

Footprint is pleased to provide some our our frequently asked questions from our travelers regarding their tour to Vietnam:

Can I apply for a longer stay in Vietnam, more than one month?

Yes you normally can apply this if you are sure about your travel last for more than one month. You can also do it visa extension when you are travelling here, which is also easy to do.

Can I apply for a tourist visa when I’m aboard?

Check with the countries you are now in and call the embassy, it’s normally ok that you can do it oversea.
The simple way to do is to have a travel company in Vietnam do it for you a pre-approved letter of invitation, all you have to do is to book your flights and go.

More coming on our next post.

Footprint team.

Vietnam travel firms have organized caravan tours

2011-04-01T00:38:00.000-07:00

More Vietnam travel agencies are working on plans to develop caravan services in the ASEAN region, according to a latest report by the Ho Chi Minh City tourism authority.

For the first time, Huong Giang Travel has organized caravan tours to Thailand, which will depart from Hue next month. The first journey will start on the anniversary of Hung King’s Death on April 12. Guests will pass by Laos before going to Thailand.

The price for the package tour is US$364 per person for six days if tourists have their own cars.

In January, Vung Tau-based VTTours announced its first caravan tours to Madagui in Lam Dong Province for three days with the price at almost VND2 million per person.

Director of VTTours Tran Van Dung said this year his company would push caravan tours to places across the country and in Southeast Asia to satisfy the needs of tourists who own cars and have an adventurous spirit.

Meanwhile, TST Tourist aims to use caravan services for MICE tourism (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) in connection with charity activities. The company last year cooperated with the 2030 Businessmen Club under the Saigon Times Group to organize tours for the club’s members to Lam Dong and Binh Thuan provinces.

Nguyen Van My, Director of Lua Viet Travel, said “Caravan holidays require professional organizers because the group of cars need a team of motorbikes to guide them, a group of technicians to ensure the walkie-talkie system for members of the tours to listen to the guide, and a group of doctors who are responsible for taking care of the members’ health.”

My said this kind of tourism would develop in Vietnam as there is an increase in car ownership due to high incomes.

Recently, companies of Vietnam tour have organized caravan tours to remote areas such as highland regions in the north of Vietnam and in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.

(Source: SGT)

Snow falls in Sapa

2011-03-17T00:47:00.001-07:00

Up to 15cm of snow fell for nearly three hours in Sapa and surrounding hill districts early this morning.

Le Minh Hai, deputy director of Lao Cai's Hydrometeorology Centre, said it was unusual for Vietnam for snow to fall at this time of year, which is classed as late spring or early summer.

"Snow falls normally occur from December to February," he said.

Hai said the snowflakes stirred excitement among locals and tourists.

The last time snow was recorded in Sapa, which is 2,000m above sea level, was in January 2003, but it was only a light fall.

Hai said a strong cold spell that had hit the north had brought the snow.

A Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Sapa said tourists were heading to the hills to watch the event, creating congestion on several roads.

Source: VNS

Putting the north of Vietnam on the tourism map

2011-02-25T18:54:00.000-08:00

Deputy chairwoman of Yen Bai People’s Committee Pham Thi Thanh Tra said in the past six years the ‘Back to the Origin’ tourism programme in three northern provinces of Yen Bai, Phu Tho and Lao Cai has captured visitors’ special attention while stimulating investment into local tourism infrastructure development.

The statement was made during the launching of ‘Back to the Origin’ tourism programme 2011 which was jointly held by the three northern locations. Tra was also the head of these locations’ tourism cooperation board.

There are nearly 1,000 tourism residences, 500 hotels, 260 big restaurants and over 20 ecological and entertainment sites in these three locations currently. However, tourism infrastructure in these areas is backward.

Despite an abundance of state classified historical relics, biodiversity and picturesque landscapes, the tourism sector’s revenue in these areas is low due to the lack of quality tourism accommodations.

As with Yen Bai, the province licenced 277 investment projects in the past five years, however the tourism sector only lured in several dozens of projects. The province’s leadership hopes the ‘Back to the Origin’ tourism programme 2011 would help bring more visitors to the province.

“Yen Bai is accelerating the construction of major tourism venues and strives to turn Thac Ba into a national standard resort,” Tra said.

Similar to Yen Bai, Phu Tho also remains unknown to many local and foreign visitors due to poor infrastructure. The province is concentrating efforts into bringing about a face-lifting to provincial hotel and restaurant system and popularising the homestay model to catch up visitors’ needs.

Deputy chairwoman of Phu Tho People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Kim Hai said the province would prioritise investment into tourism growth in the coming period.

Hai said tourism investment figures were upbeat. Particularly, the Viet Han Real Estate Company has joined hands with South Korea-based Samsung Group to engage in a big $5 billion resort which covers 2,500 hectares in Tam Nong district’s six communes. Site clearance will start from the second quarter of 2011 and the project will be put into use from 2018.

Besides, Xuan Truong Company Limited has worked on a building a road running from Hung Kings Temple to Xuan Son National Park and upgrading five stilt-houses of local people into tourism residences.

Phu Tho is calling investment for some major tourism projects such as those associated with Ao Chau resort or Thanh Thuy hot spring resort.

Of the three above locations, Lao Cai scores best in luring visitors travel to Vietnam. The province authorities recently licenced 11 projects by domestic investors worth more than $17 million.

Accommodating Sapa, a famous tourism site for its splendid beauty and special cultural diversity, Lao Cai is attracting many investors, including foreign ones.

Some effective foreign direct investment projects in the province currently are the Victoria Sapa hotel, a hotel and foreigner-oriented electronic gaming project by Lao Cai International Hotel Joint Venture Company, or the Topas Ecolodge Sapa resort.

Footprint showing their true value in travel Vietnam at ITB Berlin 2011.

2011-02-18T20:29:00.000-08:00

Footprint Vietnam is a local travel company, locally owned by the Vietnam tour operators, they will be showing their new and innovative products of Vietnam at the biggest travel show - ITB Berlin, from March 9th to March 13rd. Stand 26A/106.

It’s time to travel Vietnam as the country is not only beautiful with friendly people and it’s very safe. Vietnam is no longer a country of war and has opened its doors to foreigners for almost 25 years now.

With 10th years in the travel business and the team has more than 35 years of experience, these experts are making every efforts to offer range of eco-friendly travel products, they can take you or your clients on a custom-made tour or a group tours to most of the destinations thoughout Vietnam.

Alan William - an English tour leader said “Their tour products are not for the common travelers, they travel off the beaten tracks, offer our customers with travel to learn and experience the culture and differences of Vietnam”

Footprint’s mission is to bring true value to your trips. They have worked tirelessly over the past years on every aspect of their company and products to make sure that your clients experience that True Value in Travel.

Come to the show to learn more about them, their unique offers and discuss your possible fam trips to Vietnam with them to have their great support. Here are their details for your appointment;

Mr. Son D
Footprint Vietnam
Stand 106, Hall 26A | Messe Berlin
Email: son [at] footprint.vn
Website: www.footprintsvietnam.com

Hoa Lu - Van Long 1 day

2010-09-22T02:03:00.000-07:00

Routes: Hannoi - NinhBinh - Hanoi

Duration: 1
Feature:
It is always worthwhile to take a day trip to Hanoi's surroundings for refreshment away from the city noise. Ninh Binh is an outstanding destination that has many attractions and stunning landscapes. First, tour the area by rowboat, a perfect venue for you to relax and let your mind wander amongst the diverse limestone features of Van Long nature reserve. Then, journey back to the 10th century and visit the ancient capital.

Day 1: Hanoi - Van Long - Hoa Lu
8:00 am to leave your hotel for our day trip to Ninh Binh, we arrive to the Nature Reserve of Van Long after two hours drive (110km), we board the bamboo rowboat as soon as we arrive for our 2 hours row along this beautiful nature area, senjoying spectacular scenery surrounded by rice paddies and towering limestone mountain peaks. After lunch served at a local riverside restaurant we make a short transfer (4 km) down a peaceful country road to Hoa Lu, Vietnam's ancient capital eleven centuries ago. Here, there are two temples dedicated to King Dinh and King Le, the founders of the ancient capital during the 10th century. Return to Hanoi late in the afternoon.
Inclusion :transfer, guide, entrances fee, lunch, local boat.

More info Vietnam tour.

Sapa Medium Trek 3 days

2010-09-22T01:59:00.000-07:00

Routes: Sapa - Ta Phin - Y Linh Ho - Lao Chai - Sapa

Duration: 3
Feature:
This 3-day, 4-night tour is a perfect combination of trek and culture while visiting the Dao and Black Hmong hill tribe villages at a pace and style that compliments you. This is an unforgettable soft adventure to Sapa that should be part of everyone's time in Vietnam, yet probably only offered by Footprint.

Day 1: Hanoi - Lao Cai - Sapa, trek to Ta Phin ( ~ 14km)
The night before: 8:00 pm transfer to the Hanoi train station for boarding at 9:15 pm. You will be in shared AC soft sleeper cabins to travel North to Lao Cai town.) Today's morning: The train arrives at about 6:00 am; look for the "Footprint Travel" sign when you exit the train station, as our guide will pick you up. Then take a morning drive through the clouds by car / van to Sapa (~ 1.5 hours). When you arrive in Sapa you will be taken to a local restaurant for a morning shower & breakfast. We will then take short ride from Sapa to our trekking base where we start our trek up and down hills (~ 5 - 6 hrs) through terraced rice fields, bamboo ranges and many minority villages. Lunch break before we keep hitting the road to Ta Phin village. Our Dao host family will welcome you to their traditional home where we will share in an ethnic style dinner and stay the night.
Inclusion :transfer, guide, homestay, train ticket, entrances fee, breakfast, all meals,

Day 2: More in Ta Phin and back to Sapa
At the first gleam of daylight, you will see and hear the sounds of morning village life. You can join your host family in some of their activities like feeding the animals, cleaning the houses, gardening or preparing breakfast. After breakfast, we could take a short morning wander around the village or resulting in more time spent with the host family. You will be then supported by our car / van back to Sapa (30 minutes). When we arrive back in Sapa, check in to the hotel, shower, and pause for lunch on your own. At 2:30 pm we will take an easy walk (~ 5km) to Cat Cat village, homeland of Black H'mong hill tribe and to take part in a traditional ethnic music performance put on by the ethnic minority people. Your own dinner and evening, sleep in the hotel in Sapa. Note: The music show in CatCat is closed on Wed afternoon, an alternative will be arranged.
Inclusion :transfer, guide, hotel, entrances fee, breakfast, music show ticket

Day 3: A wonderful trek to Hmong village (~ 6 km), then Lao Cai for night train to Hanoi
Wake up in Sapa town, breakfast at the hotel then enjoy the morning with some of your new friends that you may have met the afternoon before. You have the entire morning and lunch for free time and visiting the lively markets. At around 2:00 pm, travel by car/van down to the south of Sapa town then we will do a mix of wonderful trek & hike along the terraced paddy fields, streams and villages (~ 2- 3 hrs) to visit the peaceful Hmong village of Y Linh Ho to learn more about the Black Hmong. You will return to Sapa by van. A refreshing shower will be arranged before your train in Sapa or Lao Cai. Dinner on your own well before the train leaves for Hanoi and arrives to Hanoi at about 5:00 am. Please find your own way back to your hotel (a taxi normally costs you a set of about 50,000 dong to the hotel in the city center)
Inclusion :transfer, guide, train ticket, entrances fee, breakfast.

click here for more detail.

Cycling Tour Mekong 2 days

2010-09-22T01:55:00.000-07:00

Routes: Sai Gon - Cai Be - Vinh Long - Can Tho - Sai Gon

Duration: 2
Feature:
Cycling is a great way to see the countryside and life of the locals. Visiting the Mekong with a bike and this gives you a great chance to explore the hidden parts of the countryside, people and their culture.

Day 1: SaiGon - CaiBe - VinhLong - Can Tho
8.00 am departure for Cai Be (2.5 hrs), on arrival, we board on boat for visiting the floating market and cruise over the mighty mekong river (~ 1.5km wide) to Dong Phu island. We start cycling one hour under the green canopy; explore the orchards and daily life of farmers. Lunch break on island & more cruise to Vinh Long. In the afternoon we have 2 hours riding on immense rice fields, cycling through numerous rural riverside villages before our bus picks us up to Can Tho city. Evening free time for a promenade along city quay. Stay overnight in Can Tho.
Inclusion :transfer, guide, hotel, entrances fee, lunch, bicycle, , seasonal fruits

Day 2: Can Tho - SaiGon
Morning boat trip to the most chaos Cai Rang Floating Market and up a quiet canal for more cruise on winding arroyos. Then bike backcountry roads 2 hrs to enjoy the beautiful Delta scenery and meet the locals (many on bicycle too). After lunch, we head back to Saigon.
Inclusion :transfer, hotel, entrances fee, breakfast, lunch, local boat.

More info Vietnam tour.

Cycling Through Hanoi's Traditional Village 1 day

2010-09-22T01:52:00.000-07:00

Routes: Hanoi

Duration: 1
Feature:
Ride through typical Vietnamese villages, enjoying picturesque landscapes, meeting and chatting with local farmers. Get a different impression from a different point of view. This is an adventure with freedom on two wheels. Beautiful, emotional, simple and truly unspoiled.

Day 1: Our day trip
Leave your hotel at 8 am. Just a short drive from the city center and we will quickly be on the outskirts of the city and into the Vietnamese countryside. Stop to visit one local market and a temple before we pedal along country roads, though the traditional villages, paddy fields, small-scale local brick kiln makers, meet and talk to the locals. Another stop before lunch is But Thap Pagoda;one of the finest pagodas in the country's north and known as Vietnam's first Buddhist center. After lunch, we will be back on the bikes, crossing the ferry and along the country dike from where you will enjoy the spectacular views of the villages, rivers, and mulberry fields. Our final stop on bike will be at a temple complex filled with stories and legends of ancient times. Upload the bikes on our van, then ride back to town for about 5 pm. Tour ends at your hotel well excersised and ready for dinner or a nap.
Inclusion :transfer, guide, entrances fee, lunch, , pro. bikes & hat.

More info Vietnam travel.

Halong Bay travel FAQs

2008-10-31T17:39:00.001-07:00

* When is the best time to visit Halong? * How far is that from Hanoi to Halong Bay? * Can we travel from Hai Phong to Halong? * What about seasick on boat? * What if the weather turns very bad? * Do you have life jackets on boat? * Is one day trip to Halong Bay worth to visit? * How many caves in Halong will we visit? * What kind of boat do you use? * Can we sleep outside on the top deck of the boat? * Where does the boat anchor at night time? * Do we have to bring passport for sleeping aboard? * What do we have to bring with us to the boat? * What kind of food on boat in Halong Bay?

Halong Bay Natural Beauty

2008-10-27T04:58:00.001-07:00

Speaking of Hạ Long, one must above all talk of the beauty of its water and sky. In a relatively small area (1,553 sq. km), there are 1,969 islands rising from the sea.Seen from above, Hạ Long Bay resembles a light blue handkerchief dotted with emerald gems; sometimes clustered together, sometimes isolated. The clever artistic hand of creation has made thousands of stone islands simulating familiar personages or animals. Like the constellations of the night sky, it’s possible to find a familiar form in every island of Hạ Long Bay: one brings to mind a pair of chickens bobbing on the spacious water (Trống Mái Islet); another is like a giant tortoise with half-closed and sleepy eyes (Rùa Islet); another is like an old monk joining his hands in prayer to Buddha, with his face turned to the sea (Ông Sư Islet); yet another is like a giant incense-burner standing in the middle of the sea which used to pray heaven and earth (Ðinh Hương Islet). It is a safe bet that many other islands bearing familiar forms remain undiscovered in the mysterious bay.The sea of Hạ Long is deep blue water throughout all four seasons. In spring, sailing amidst the waves, the stone islands look to be bobbing on the water. As summer approaches and the sun is setting on the far horizon, they appear to awake in unison and rise from the blue depths. The whole bay is bright red, and then turns to blue as the crests of the waves run together towards the shore. Orchids and fig trees, growing from fissures in the stone, bloom with snowy flowers.As a boat makes its way through this forest of islands by ways of meandering channels, sometimes stone seems to be spread in front of you; forming a wall heeding further progress. Once nearer, the wall appears to crack open as if letting your boat pass. The scenery disappears behind you as yet another panorama opens to your view.The winding route seems to be endless, but the beauty of Hạ Long Bay does not consist only in the forms of it’s mountains, islands and the colour of its waters, but also in its infinitely rich system of grottoes and caves; concentrated mostly in the middle of the UNESCO-protected area. Thiên Cung (Heavenly Palace Grotto) bears a modern and refined trait, while Đầu Gỗ (Driftwood Grotto) is ample and grandiose and Sửng Sốt (Surprise Grotto) appears deeply secretive. There are many beautiful examples, closely linked with legends and popular tales, such as: Trinh Nữ and Trống Grottoes (Virgin and Male Grottoes) and the Fairy Grotto Lake (Ðộng Tiên Lake). Each is a grandiose and refined natural architectural creation.At sunset, when the mountains’ shadows stretch out long across the bay, the water turns grey-blue, before suddenly transforming to a crimson red as the last of the sun’s rays reach the far away islands. For one short instant, the whole scene mingles into one colour, and then all light is extinguished. After the moon climbs into the sky, the sea seems to be coated with silver, with the lights of Hạ Long City reflected on the surface of the water.It seemed that every islands, caves and beaches in Hạ Long closely linked with the legend and popular tale of love, of the heroic song for safeguarding country... Visiting Hạ Long Bay is a good chance to witness the romantic and attractive love story, which happened only in the legend. The 18th meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in Thailand on December 17th, 1994), officially recognized Hạ Long Bay as a natural heritage of worldwide importance. And Hạ Long Bay is honorly recognized as a world natural heritage once again for its geological value.

Indochina Junk Halong

2008-10-24T22:31:00.001-07:00

Indochina Junk - a brother company of Footprint, we focus on small and luxury junks, and the idea comes from talking with return clientele and the demand for a more intimate tour of the World Heritage Site.Red dragon on Halong bayThe new style junks are designed to accommodate both the romantic getaway for your honeymooners and the fun filled atmosphere with all the amenities for families and small groups.The size of the new vessel will allow the passengers to get much closer to Halong Bay’s natural wonders, pocket lagoons, and its small fishing communities.Other differences from the classic junk include large bedroom windows and a covered outdoor deck for meals, which includes a small bar. Keen attention to detail has been put into all aspects of comfort and viewing pleasure.Booking can be made directly with Footprint in Hanoi.The Red Dragon (2 junks)Daily departure group cruise, 2 day 1 night aboard. Charter is available upon request.The Princess (4 junks)For private / charter cruise only, perfect for couple and honeymoon.The Prince (3 junks)For private / charter cruise only, the Prince is a great choice for family.Why Footprint Indochina Junks? * Our Junks are at international standard and are designed in oriental decoration style. * No other company cruises "off the beaten path" to the areas within Bai Tu Long. * We are the first fleet of two cabin junks in Vietnam, * Well-trained crew, enthusiastic to exceed all of your expectations, in true Vietnamese style. * A chance to meet the locals who live on the floating fishing villages. Learn about their daily life and how they strive to keep their home, Ha Long Bay, beautiful. For more information, you can visit the official site of our Indochina JunkBooking can be made directly with Footprint or our office at # 25 Ta Hien street, Hanoi.

Halong Bay travel FAQs

2008-10-22T06:23:00.001-07:00

Halong Bay Overview

2008-10-20T20:59:00.001-07:00

The legend of Hạ Long has it that, “Once upon a time, soon after the Việt people established their country, invaders came. The Jade Emperor sent Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons down to earth to help the Việt people fight against their enemy. Right at the time invaders’ boats were rushing to the shore, the dragons landed down on earth. The dragons immediately sent out from their mouths a lot of pearls, which then turned into thousands of stone islands emerging in the sea like great walls challenging the invaders’ boats. The fast boats couldn’t manage to stop and crashed into the islands and into each other and broke into pieces.After the victory, Mother Dragon and Child Dragons didn’t return Heaven but stayed on earth at the place where the battle had occurred. The location Mother Dragon landed is nowadays Hạ Long Bay and where Child Dragons descended is now Bái Tử Long. The dragons’ tails waving the water created Long Vĩ (present Trà Cổ peninsula) and formed a fine sand beach over ten kilometers long”.Hạ Long Bay is located in the northeastern part of Vietnam and constitutes part of the western bank of Bắc Bộ Gulf, including the sea area of Hạ Long City and Cẩm Phả Town and part of Vân Ðồn island district. It abuts Cát Bà Island in the southwest. Toward the west is the shore with a 120 km-long coastline. It is located within 106o58’-107o22’ east longitude and within 20o45’- 20o50’ north latitude. The site is 1553 sq. km with 1969 islands of various sizes, of which 989 have been named.The islands in Hạ Long Bay are mainly limestone and schist islands most lying in the two main areas: the southeastern part of Bái Tử Long Bay and southwestern part of Hạ Long Bay. These islands represent the most ancient images of a geographical site having a tectonic age of from 250 million to 280 million years. They are the result of many times of rising and lowering processes of the continent to form a karst. The process of nearly full erosion and weathering of the karst created the unique Hạ Long Bay in the world. In a not very large area, thousands of islands with different forms look like glittering emeralds attached to the blue scarf of a virgin. The area where many stone islands concentrate has spectacular scenes and world-famous caves and is the center of Hạ Long Bay Natural Heritage, including Ha Long Bay and a part of Bái Tu Long Bay.The area is recognized as the World Natural Heritage that is the area of 434 sq. km with 775 islands. It looks like a giant triangle with Ðầu Gỗ Island (in the west), Ba Hầm Lake (in the south) and Cống Tây Island (in the east) as its three angle points. The nearby area is the buffer area and areas classified as national beauty spots in 1962 by the Ministry of Culture and Information.Viewed from above, Hạ Long Bay looks like an extremely vivid huge drawing. This is a wonderful and skilful masterpiece of the Creation and of nature that turns thousands of dumb soulless stone islands into fantastic sculptural and artistic works of various graceful shapes, both familiar and strange to human beings. Thousands of islands emerging uneven in the fanciful waves look strong and magnificent but also mild and vivid. Amidst these islands we feel as if we were astray in a petrified legendary world. There are many names given to islands according to their shapes and forms. This one looks like somebody heading toward the shore: Hòn Ðầu Người (Human Head Island); that one looks like a dragon hovering above the sea surface: Hòn Rông (Dragon Island); another looks like an old man sitting fishing: Hòn Lã Vọng; some look like big sails struggling amidst the wind to set off for the sea: Hòn Cánh Buồm (Sail Island); then two islands look like a pair of chicken lovingly playing with each other above the sea: Hòn Trống Mái (Male and Female Chicken Island); and amid the vast sea stands an island like a big incense burner like a ritual offering to Heaven: Hòn Lư Hương (Incense Burner Island). All are so real that people are taken aback by them. Those stone islands have experienced unpredictable changes over time and they take different shapes from different angles of view. Here, we come to realize that they are not dumb inanimate things but are vivid and soulful.Inside the stone islands are various breath-taking caves, such as Thiên Cung, Ðầu Gỗ, Sửng Sốt, Trinh Nữ, Tam Cung and others. These are really magnificent palaces of the Creation on earth. Long ago, Hạ Long Bay has been called by the great national poet Nguyễn Trãi:“a wonder of the earth erected towards the high sky”. Many men of letters from all over the world have been taken aback at the grandiose scenery of Hạ Long. They seem to get puzzled and incompetent as their treasure of vocabulary is not rich enough to depict the splendor of this place.Hạ Long Bay is also attached to glorious pages of Vietnamese history, with famous sites such as Vân Ðồn, a bustling trade port in the 12th century, charming Bài Thơ Mountain, and not very far away from here is the Bạch Đằng River which witnessed two famous naval battles of the Viêt’s ancestors against invaders. Also, Hạ Long is one of the cradles of human kind with the glorious Hạ Long culture in the late Neolithic age, discovered at such archeological sites as Ðộng Mang, Xích Thổ, Soi Nhụ and Thoi Giếng.Hạ Long is also home to great biodiversity with typical eco-systems like mangrove forest, coral and tropical forest. It is also home to thousands of plants and animals of numerous species, for example shrimp, fish and squid. Some species are particularly rare and can be found no where else.With such special values, at the 18th Session of UNESCO’s Council of World Heritage held on 17 December 1994 in Thailand, Hạ Long Bay was officially placed on the list of the World Natural Heritage. In 2000, UNESCO recognized it as the World Heritage for the second time for its geographical and geomorphologic values. This confirms the global premier value of Hạ Long Bay.Wherever you come from, whosoever you are and however old you are, you will certainly experience the same emotion and feeling when admiring this wonder of stone and water. And great experiences will always remain even when you leave the place. The legend of Mother Dragon and Child Dragons sending out pearls to form thousands of stone islands to stop invaders still serve as the soul of this invaluable heritage of the world.Have you ever come to Hạ Long, the unique wonder of the world of its kind, to admire and explore secretes implicit in the place?

Ha Long Bay -Catba cruise 3 days - 2 nights on Junk and Catba island

2008-10-20T03:28:00.001-07:00

Day 1 Hanoi -Halong ( L,D)- 8h00 Pick up from your hotel in Hanoi.- 12h30 : Board Anh duong junk, check-in registration- 13h00 : Have lunch with welcome wine.- 13h30 : A fantastic cruise in Ha Long bay to visit Thien Cung cave , Dau Go cave, round over Tuan Chau island, Dinh Huong island, Ga Choi island, Dog island, Sail island and a swim at Titov beach. Enjoy dinner on board while watching sunset. Fishing with seine, drinking Vietnamese wine, and spending a night on Anh duong junk.Day2 Visit Halong Bay - Catba island ( B,L,D)- 7h00 : Have breakfast.- 7h30 : Free at leisure or swimming.- 8h00 : Stop at Catba island. Transfer to Hotel .- 9h00 : Transfer by minibus to visit Catba national Park. Short trek to the to KimGiao forest and top of mountain.- 12h30 : rerturn to Catba town and lunch at the restaurant.- 14: 00 Free leisure for swimming at the Catco beach .- 18:00 Have dinner and overnight at hotel in Catba island.Day 3 Catba - Haiphong - Hanoi ( B,L )- 7h00 : Have breakfast.- 7h30 : Free time at the beach.- 11h00 : have lunch at the restaurant.- 13h30 : transfer to Haiphong City by hydrofoil to Binh whart. Pick up and transfer to Hanoi.- 17h00 arrive Hanoi. End the trip.Currency Converter Number of Persons 2- 3 4-5 6-9 Book nowTour cost in USD per person 288 198 159Extra cost for air- con cabin in USD per person 25 10 7Tour cost Including : * Welcome drink,Transport by private car or minibus from Hanoi, 5 main meals, 2 breakfasts, one beer or mineral water from second meal, fresh fruit, free tea and coffee. * Visit ticket, * Travel insurance * Professtional English speaking guide * 1 nights accommodation on cabin in the private junk with boat cruise. * 1 night accomodation of 3 stars hotel in Catba island, * Transfer by Hydrofoil from Catba Island to Haiphong CityExcluding: Drinks, Telephone , Laundry, Personal Expense.

Halong Bay travel FAQs

2008-10-14T17:47:00.001-07:00

Halong Cruise & Kayak 3 days

2008-10-10T21:03:00.001-07:00

Routes: Hanoi – Halong – Hanoi (175km one-way)Duration: 3 days 2 nights, sleep aboardFeature: Halong Bay is spectacular! The best way to visit all the hidden inlets and islands is via kayak. You will have 3 days on the water to explore this World Heritage Site with the support of our helpful experts and an authentic liveaboard Chinese Junk. Sleep on board under the stars and endulge in selections of the freshest seafood seved at lunch and dinner. On your kayak discover the magic as you paddle your way through narrow caves and secret interior lakes. Touch the untouched, name the unnamed, make your own magic, find your own route. Travel your way, the way travel should be!Difficulty: (3/5)Itinerary in Detail:Day 1: Hanoi – HalongHalong Cruise tour, travel to halongDepart 8:00 am to Halong. After a 3.5 hours drive we will board our private vessel, an authentic Chinese Junk, for a relaxing cruise to the bay. After lunch on the boat we will stop at a small floating fishing village where our kayaks will be waiting. Then take advantage of the afternoon (2-3 hours) by kayaking amidst the magic of Halong. Tonight's dinner will include a selection of the freshest sea food. Retire to your quarters on the boat or sleep under the stars on the top deck.(L,D)Day 2: Lost, let's sea what happens...book Halong kayaking tours in VietnamA full day of kayaking follows breakfast on the boat. This is the day to discover the hidden Halong and uncover the secrets of this World Heritage Site. Paddle through the emerald water to magnificent caves and deserted lagoons. Explore every nook and cranny of this specticle of towering limestone and ocean, kayak to places some have never been to.The day we will be fully supported by our boat. We will not have any designated route, we just paddle to the places you wish to go. Our only concern will be the weather's possible heavy rain or too much sun. If this is the case, we can easily go back to the boat for lunch, a short rest, more water or swimming. For those who are not feeling up to a full day of kayaking, cruising on the boat capturing photograph after photograph or sun bathing are some alternatives. As the sun sets, take pleasure in knowing that our second night will be spent on the water as well. (B,L,D)Day 3: More kayaking then onto HanoiHalong kayaking tour, travel to Halong VietnamBreakfast, then more cruising and kayaking. Then we return to Halong City. We will see a little bit of the town as we will have lunch at a local restaurant here, then we will begin our return to Hanoi. You should be back in your hotel around 5:00 pm where your smile, tan and stories of adventure on the water will be the envy of others. (B,L)

Mekong Delta (Vietnam & Caombodia) - Toum Tiou Cruise

2008-09-30T22:18:00.001-07:00

TOUM TIOU CRUISE: SAIGON to SIEM REAP10 Days/9 NightsINTRODUCTIONSiem Reap, Phnom Penh and Saigon are the key destinations that we use to offer you trips into lands of disconcerting beauty, with an incomparable historical heritage and legendary traditions. Cambodia's waterways are more than a convenient way of getting around; they are the country's lifeblood. Take a trip on them and you get an unparalleled in-depth look at the real country, becoming totally immersed in something both gentle and spectacular that cannot be experienced by any other mode of transportation. The shallow draught of the Toum Tiou makes it possible to reach the very heart of the remotest of villages where the sense of discovery is often reciprocal. Is it the travelers or the Khmers who are most surprised by the encounter ? ITINERARYDay 1 - Monday: Saigon – My ThoAt 7:45, in the Saigon Port at Dock No. 1 (in front if Ho Chi Minh Museum), Toum Tiou is open for embarking, together with clearance of departure formalities. Then at at 8:30, the cruise depart for My Tho. Lunch and leisure on board during navigation. At about 17h, when arrival at My Tho – Toum Tiou drops anchor on river in the proximity of Thoi Son Island. Local musician band embarks to play traditional music for 45 minutes. Follow is welcome drink and info meeting about cruise, crew introduction. Welcome dinner. Overnight onboardDay 2 - Thursday: My Tho – Cai BeAt 8h in the morning, local boats are coming alongside Toum Tiou to pick up passengers and transfer to the mainland. Departure for Vinh Trang Pagoda by car - Short panoramic tour of My Tho town on the way. Continuing for Dong Tam Snake Farm and My Tho Market. On the banks of a northern arm of the Mekong, My Tho, which translates as "fragrant herb", where tourists come to discover the beauty of the delta. It's a quiet, prosperous city of about 100,000 inhabitants, famous for its many fruit orchards, gardens and the huge rice fields that surround it. The climate is warm and pleasant year round. The surrounding countryside is home to one of the most luxuriant gardens of Vietnam, with its coconut palms, banana and mango trees. When return at the pier - Passengers cruise on the river to Thoi Son Island by local boat to visit the island, explore local people’s daily life and enjoy locally seasonal fruits. At 13:00 passengers re-embark Toum Tiou and leaves My Tho for Cai Be. Lunch and leisure on board. Late afternoon, Toum Tiou at anchor on river on the proximity of Cai Be. Dinner and overnight on board.Day 3 - Wednesday: Cai Be – Vinh Long – Sa DecAt 8h, local boats are coming alongside Toum Tiou, picking up the passengers and cruise around Cai Be FloatingMarket. Continuing for Vinh Long - a brick and pottery factory, the Binh Hoa Phuoc Islet Nursery of Fruit Trees as well a typical house and a show room of traditional farming tools. Vinh Long, which translates as "Majestic Dragon", is right in the middle of the delta, between two arms of the Mekong. The soil of Vinh Long is enriched by silt deposits, making it ideal for growing mandarins and other citrus fruits. Life is organized around the water. Houses on stilts, hawkers in boats, hundreds of small craft crisscross in all directions. The hospitality of the locals makes it a tourist destination par excellence. Return on the Toum Tiou, departure for Sa Dec.Lunch on board during the navigation. Arrival at Sa Dec at about 15.00. Short panoramic tour of Sa Dec and transfer to Trung Vuong primary school. Continuing to Kien An Cung Pagoda. Stroll around Sa Dec Market along Sa Dec River bank. This small city of 30,000 inhabitants is fascinating in its unspoiled authenticity and undisturbed by tourists. It provides a glimpse of the delta where a few colonial houses still remain, including the "Chinaman's house" (from Duras' novel "The Lover", also made into a movie). Return to the boat with stopover at a nursery of flower and bonsai trees. Famous for its horticulture (it has many varieties of fabulously exotic flowers) Sa Dec was known as the "Garden of Cochin Chine" during colonial times. At about 18:30 passengers re-embark, Toum Tiou leaves Sa Dec port and drop anchor few miles away. Dinner and overnight on the river.Day 4 - Thursday: Chau DocEarly departure for Chau Doc. Breakfast during navigation. Leisure and relax onboard. Arrival after lunch at Victoria Hotel Chau Doc jetty. Located to the north at the beginning of Mekong's famous delta, Chau Doc straddles both banks of the Mekong which fans out to the dimensions of a river mouth here. Floating fish farms have sprung up everywhere. Bamboo fish drying racks are set up a meter above the water's surface. The bourgeoning downtown area features some charmingly rustic colonial buildings, squeezed in by the marketplace - the colorful, vibrant heart of the city. As always, these busy parts of town, despite their sometimes strong odors, offer wonderful photo opportunities... At 14:30 departure for fish raising rafts and Cham minority village by local boat. Return to the Victoria hotel for a walk to Chau Doc market. Visit of Sam Mountain which peaks at 237 meters. Its well-known Buddhist sanctuaries offer an unobstructed view over the mosaic of glistening rice paddies below. To the left is Cambodia, the flow of the Mekong on the horizon breaks into an infinity of silver ribbons. Visit on the way of the Lady Chua Xu temple and Tay An Pagoda. Return to the boat after sunset. Dinner at the Victoria Hotel’s restaurant. Overnight onboard at the jetty of the hotel; passengers are free to enjoy the hotel facilities (swimming pool, sauna, bar) or stroll in Chau Doc.Day 5 - Friday: Chau Doc – Kôh Dek ChauIn early morning, Toum Tiou leaves for Vinh Xuong (Vietnamese border). Arrival at Vinh Xuong check-point – Formalities clearance for Toum Tiou to cross the border. At 13:30 Toum Tiou leaves Vinh Xuong check point for Cambodia. Lunch during the navigation. 14:00 arrival at Kaam Samnaar check-point – Formalities clearance for crossing the border. Toum Tiou leaves Kaam Samnaar check point for Kôh Dek Chau Island. Arrival at Kôh Dek Chau island, at 16.30. A short break along the way, it allows to get a fascinating, close-up look at daily life in Cambodia. On the fringes of civilization, the 600 people who live on Kôh Dek Chau will receive your visit with some surprise. School children will escort you along your way. You will go through the village that occupies the full length of the island, walking along a trail shaded by date palms. Toum Tiou leaves for Phnom Penh and drops anchor few miles away. Dinner and overnight on board.Day 6 - Saturday: Kôh Dek Chau – Phnom PenhDeparture of Toum Tiou for Phnom Penh. Lunch during the navigation. Arrival at Phnom Penh, formalities clearance. At 14:30 departure for the “KILLING FIELDS” – return to the boat around 18:30. Dinner on board.Local group performs on board “APSARA” show. Overnight onboard.Day 7 - Sunday: Phnom PenhHalf day city sightseeing tour including the Royal Palace and the National Museum. At 12:30 return to the ship for the lunch on board. Afternoon is the day free exploration on own. Suggestions can be made up on the interest of passengers. (FCC, Russian market, other boutiques (antiques), etc.) Diner and overnight on board.Day 8 - Monday: Phnom Penh – Kôh Chen / Oudong – Kampong TralachDeparture of the Toum Tiou for Kôh Chen (Chinese Island). Breakfast during navigation. Arrival to Kôh Chen, small village of whose inhabitants specialize in silver and copper smiting. They make ornamental items, including delicately engraved tropical fruits, used in traditional ceremonies at the pagoda or for marriages. The distant hills of Cambodia's old capital, Oudong, and its royal stupas can be seen a few kilometers away from the ferry. At the top of the hill, the ruins of Anthareu temple. Passengers re-embark the Toum Tiou at 14.45. Lunch on board on the way to Kampong Tralach. Arrival at Kampong Tralach to visit its wonderful Vihara belonging to Wat Kampong Tralach Leu pagoda. To get to it, we cross Kampong Tralach Krom village along a small road perpendicular to the river, crossing some gorgeous stretches of emerald rice paddy as we leave the river behind. The Vihara dates back to early last century. It was probably built on an older site, as indicated by thelatérite foundations, and is home to some outstanding mural paintings. These, however, are starting tosuffer from weathering. They remain one of the last survivors of cultural destruction that continuesunabated due to widespread indifference. Standing by itself in the middle of rice fields, it is a modest pagoda that receives very few visitors. Its isolation may well be its undoing, as was the case for Wat Tani Pagoda in the province of Kampot. Passengers re-embark. The Toum Tiou drops anchor few miles away.Diner and overnight on board.Day 9 - Tuesday: Kampong Tralach - Kampong Chnang – Chnok TruDeparture of the Toum Tiou early in the morning. Sail to Kampong Chnang. Breakfast during navigation. Arrival to Kampong Chnang at about 9.00. Located some 56 miles from Phnom Penh, the town of Kampong Chnang is one of the largest fishing ports on the Tonlé Sap. Fish farming is also widely practiced in the area. The area is famous for its pottery ware, unchanged in style for centuries, which is produced in sufficient quantities to supply the entire country. And not to be overlooked are the products of the Thnot tree (sugar palm – a real national symbol) that abounds in the area: a mellow tasting, caramel-colored sugar sold in large cakes and palm wine. At noon, passengers re-embark the Toum Tiou. Lunch on board on the way to Chnok Tru. Arrival at Chnok Tru at 15.00. Local boats are coming along the Toum Tiou and picking passengers for the visit of thebiggest floating village on the Tonlé Sap River. Passengers re-embark. The Toum Tiou stays overnight in the proximity of Chnok Tru. Farewell cocktail (1 glass of local liquor or juice) with Master of Ship & Cruise ManagerCaptain’s farewell dinner (Enriched menu + 1 glass of wine). Overnight on board.Day 10 - Wednesday: Chnok Tru – Siem Reap1. High water, July - January.Departure of the Toum Tiou early in the morning. Time to pack and relax a half a day by crossing the TonléSap Lake. At 13:00, enjoy the last lunch on board, then passengers disembark.2. Low water, approximately February - June.Breakfast and relaxing morning on the boat, time to pack. Daily speedboat is coming along the boat and picks up passengers for crossing the Lake. At 13:30 arrival at Phnom Krom pier. Enjoy the last lunch in a restaurant in Siem Reap.

Boat trip to Ha long Bay

2008-09-29T17:38:00.001-07:00

After a few days in Hanoi, we decided to take a break from the hustle and bustle and took a trip to Ha long bay. The bay is basically made up of about 3000 (didn’t have time to count them all) limestone islands, all dotted around the place. We decided to do a two day one night trip, which basically involved going out on a boat into the bay, to a few of the islands and then anchoring for the night, before returning back the following day. There was quite a lot of sea mist around, which reduced visibility quite a bit, but it was still a good trip.There were not many people on our boat, which was a bit unfortunate, as this made the evening’s entertainment somewhat none existent. Still a few of us had a few drinks up on the stop of the boat and were relaxing nicely until someone come up top and announced that they had just seen a cockroach running around down stairs. Did not think much of it, until someone else came back and said they had just seen it run into my cabin. I went down to find it, and he took a bit of tracking down. Then all I had to do was catch the thing and kill it….I never knew they could run so fast. Anyway, eventually I managed to kill the thing and give it a proper sea burial…and tossed it over the side. On my way back up top, I passed and killed one or two more, but when I got up top I was greeted with the girls and Jeff, stood on chairs on the top deck…there were a few little baby roaches running around.It was decided to go to the cabins and block every little crack and cranny to stop the roaches from returning. So after about half an hour, we had the cabins secure and myself and Jeff decided to go on operation roach hunt. There by this point were a fair few roaches running around, which we duly trod on (the big ones make a really good crunching sound when you stand on them). I then happened to shine a torch through the kitchen window and lets just say…I didn’t eat breakfast the following morning, apart from fired eggs, which I hope they could not crawl all over!The next day we made it back to dry land without any further problems and all in all the trip was great fun and well worth doing…the views are scenery are incredible.

Hoi An

2008-09-28T17:34:00.001-07:00

Due to the miserable weather we have been having over the last few days, we were unable to catch the overnight bus to Hoi An as planned (a landslide, apparently) and so changed our plans to take the overnight train instead. What a great way to travel! Not only did we get our own beds to sleep on (I struggled a bit to get up onto the top bunk - a little bit high for me), but we also got sheets, duvets and pillows. We both slept really well, until the announcements on the train started, after which there was no more sleep to be had.

The Lagoon Explorer Junk in Halong Bay Vietnam

2008-09-27T03:57:00.001-07:00

The Lagoon Explorer Junk is designed with sophistication and the utmost attention to detail of a Traditional Sailing Boat. Whether you are dining in the restaurant, lounging on the sun deck or relaxing in the comfort of your cabin, you will be surrounded by the handcrafted woodworld of Teak and Oak which make the Lagoon Explorer Junk a true masterpiece. The Junk with 3 deluxe rooms & 1 Studio room, a fine dining restaurant & bar, a outdoor lounge, a swim platform, a well-trained Crew, 24-hour electricity supply and a host of activities to make your stay memorable.Lagoon Explorer Junk is pride of it’s stylest & the first Junk which is able to run by sails, to go fishing at night time and to bring you to any beauty sites of Halong Bay and run the tour as your choice. Travel with your own new, personalized itineraries.

Boat trip to Ha long Bay

2008-09-24T17:52:00.001-07:00

The Lagoon Explorer Junk in Halong Bay Vietnam

2008-09-24T05:32:00.000-07:00

Festivals and Holidays in Vietnam

2008-09-23T22:13:00.001-07:00

Vietnam has a huge number of festivals. Listing all of them under one group is not possible. Many festivals (in different areas) are the same as other festivals in other areas, but are known by different names and/or are celebrated at different times. Below you will find some of the more important ones.Festivals are good places to learn about various crafts and customs of the area in which they are held. For example, the Master Pagoda Festival (HaTay) has puppet shows, the Hung Temple Festival (Vinh Phu) features Xoan folk songs, the Phu Giay Festival has Chau Van folk songs and the Lim Festival has Quan Ho folk songs.Other festivals feature games and contests, such as rowing, rope pulling or climbing, wrestling, rice cooking or chess. There are also competitions between animals such as buffalo and cockfights or pigeon races.Note: Some events are linked to the Western calendar, but others follow the lunar calendar.Main Holidays & Festivals (Official Public Holidays) 1 January: New Year. 1 January L.M: Lunar New Year. 3 February: The Foundation of the Communist Party of Vietnam. 30 April: The Liberation of South Vietnam. 1 May: International Labor. 14 May: Buddha’s Birthday 19 May: Ho Chi Minh’s Birthday 2 September: National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam 25 December: Christmas Day. Popular Culture Festivals 2 January L.M: Lieu Doi Festival (Ha Nam Ninh). 5 January L.M: Dong Da Festival (Hanoi). 10 January L.M: Elephant Race Day, M’nong Ethnic Minority’s help in central highland. 13 January L.M: Lim Festival (Ha Bac) “Quan Ho” Folk song contest. 15 January L.M: Spring Festival on Ba Den Mountain (Tay Ninh). 10 March L.M: “Hung” Temple Festival (Vinh Phu). 9 April L.M: “Giong” Festival Performing Day (Hanoi). 26 April L.M: “Chua Xu” Festival “Chau Doc”. 16 June L.M: Greeting “Mr. Whale” Festival (Tien Giang & Ben Tre). 26 August L.M: Greeting “Mr. Whale” Festival (Can Gio & Duyen Hai). 30 July L.M: “Lang Ong” Festival (HCMC), Le Van Duyet’s Anniversary old-age Worshipping. 9 August L.M: Buffalo fighting festival (Do Son & Hai Phong) and “Tran Hung Dao” Festival at Tran Hung Dao Temple. DESCRIPTION OF SOME HOLIDAYS CELEBRATED THROUGHOUT VIETNAM(Western) NEW YEAR'S DAY January 1 Fireworks, dancing, feasting and general revelry abound in this colourful New Year celebration. TET (TET NGUYEN DAN) Late January/early February is the most important Vietnamese annual festival. This marks the new lunar year and the advent of spring. This is a three-day holiday, usually at the end of January or the beginning of February (according to the solar calendar).Preparations include clay trees to ward off evil spirits and lime dust spread around the house to gain additional protection from Buddha. People prepare food, a robe and boots to appease the Tao Quan, the gods of the earth. On the evening of New Year, fireworks, drums and gongs frighten away the devil Na A and his wife.The following lunar New Years are: 12 Feb 2002, 1 Feb 2003, 22 Jan 2004, 9 Feb 2005, 29 Jan 2006ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY IN VIETNAM February 3 THANH MINH (worship and renovation of the dwellings of the dead) April 5 and 20 LIBERATION DAY April 30th is the day on which Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) fell to Hanoi in 1975. This holiday is commemorated nationwide.MAY DAY May 1 (Labour Day) Celebrated throughout the country, parades, feasts and fireworks go hand in hand.BIRTHDAY OF PRESIDENT HO CHI MINH May 19th This is another good time to party.TRUNG NGUYEN (Feast of the Wandering Souls and Hungry Ghosts) August/September (Full-moon of the seventh lunar month) Vietnamese All-Souls' Day. Food is laid out in temples to feed the hungry ghosts that wander the earth for one day. Burning paper money supports the praying for absolution.NATIONAL DAY OF VIETNAM September 2 Celebrated with parades, dances, fireworks and music. This is a photographers delight.MID AUTUMN FESTIVAL September/October (15th day of the eighth lunar month) This festival is especially dedicated to children, but adults also take part. The children sing, dance and parade with lanterns shaped as stars, the moon or animals.CALENDAR OF SOME FESTIVALS OF ETHNICAL MINORITIES IN VIETNAMTHE LONG TONG FESTIVAL third day of the Lunar New Year until the end of January is celebrated by the Tay ethnic group. It involves religious ceremonies in honour of Geniuses and of persons credited with building their first settlements and various games, including the "luon" song performances and the lion dance.THE "SEC BUA" FESTIVAL prior to the Lunar New Year's Day It is a time-honoured custom of the Muong ethnic group to organise. "Phuong bua" teams visit households in the village and sing congratulatory songs on the occasion of the New Year's Day. The songs, which are accompanied by gongs and cymbals, later shift from congratulations to "rang" songs and "bo meng" songs (dialogue songs).THE SEN BAN, SEN MUONG FESTIVAL Is usually held by the Thai ethnic group in February (lunar calendar) to express best wishes to their own villages and districts. The festival involves processions, religious ceremonies, a contest in shooting firearms and crossbows and a contest in "con" ball throwing.THE "CA TE" FESTIVAL July Is held by the Cham ethnic group. The festival involves visiting and taking care of tombs and visiting pagodas and stoops to express thanks to the Geniuses with song and dance performances.THE BUFFALO SLAUGHTERING FESTIVAL Early Spring The Bahnar ethnic group thank the Geniuses for good harvests and good health. Buffaloes are slaughtered as offerings to the latter. The festival also involves a shield dance, javelin throwing, slick fights, dances and feasts of roasted buffalo meat with liquor drunk through bamboo tubes from a jar.THE "LEAVING THE TOMB" FESTIVAL Ethnic groups dwelling in the High Plateaux do not observe the anniversary of the death of their parents and relatives but visit the tombs frequently and hold ceremonies there for a period of 4-5 years and thereafter leave them forever. The "Leaving the tomb" festival is a big festival, involving mainly dances and songs.THE "CHOM CHO NAN THO MAY" OR KHMER NEW YEAR DAY FESTIVAL April Usually held by the Khmer ethnic group of South Vietnam at the beginning of the New Year's Day of the Khmer calendar. It involves visits to and ceremonies in pagodas, kite flying, dance and song performances as well as "du-ke" theatrical plays.THE KHMER "THANKS GIVING TO THE MOON AND BOAT COMPETITION" FESTIVAL 15th of October This festival is held by the Khmer ethnic group in South Vietnam and involves ceremonies with fried rice as offerings and a boating competition. THE "KIM KHAU MO" FESTIVAL October (also called the Lau phua, Lau Man) Held by the Kho Mu and Xinh Mun ethnic groups, Son La province is to welcome newly produced rice and involves arts performances.CHRISTMAS DAY December Held throughout the country wherever Christianity is practiced. There are literally hundreds of festivals throughout Vietnam therefore to list each and every one of them would be a mammoth task. It is therefore advised that you ask your hotel concierge or at the local tourism office on arrival for more details.

Toum Tiou Cruise: Saigon to Siem Reap

2008-09-22T17:41:00.001-07:00

Legend Toum and Tiou * The Toum Tiou derives its name from a traditional Khmer tale of star-crossed lovers, the Cambodian equivalent of Romeo and Juliet, Toum being the boy and Tiou, the girl. * This beautiful love story turned tragedy features Tiou's mother, an ambitious woman who wants to marry her daughter off to the king and Toum as the awkward lover. The king, good-hearted and understanding, eventually gives up on the marriage to make Tiou happy. It ends tragically when a frame-up involving the mother and the governor leads to the death of one of the two lovers, the other committing suice to follow suit. * This story is taught from primary to high school. Many songs and pieces of traditional music allude to the pair of ill-fated lovers.Construction * This traditional locally built boat started out as a freighter with a metal hull and a capacity of 150 tons, with two large but low-ceiling decks in order to maximize storage space. Like all boats of this type, it went up and down the Tonle Sap and Mekong, stopping at Siem Reap, Kompong Cham, Kratie and Stung Treng. * We stayed as close as we could to the original line of the boat, because we wanted to retain its slightly curved and elegant lines. * The Toum Tiou is 38 meters long and 6.5 meters we in the mdle. It has 10 rooms in all (3.3 m x 2.5 m), 4 on the first deck and 6 on the second, each air-conditioned and with a bathroom (2.5 m x 1.4 m) including toilet, shower and sink. The water on board is taken from the river, passed through a powerful filtration system and chlorinated in the final step of the treatment. * In order to make the best possible use of the common areas from the standpoint of both size and variety we have installed a library-reading room on the lower deck. There is also a covered space at the front of the mdle deck, a restaurant to the rear anda half-covered sundeck on top. INTRODUCTIONSiem Reap, Phnom Penh and Saigon are the key destinations that we use to offer you trips into lands of disconcerting beauty, with an incomparable historical heritage and legendary traditions. Cambodia's waterways are more than a convenient way of getting around; they are the country's lifeblood. Take a trip on them and you get an unparalleled in-depth look at the real country, becoming totally immersed in something both gentle and spectacular that cannot be experienced by any other mode of transportation. The shallow draught of the Toum Tiou makes it possible to reach the very heart of the remotest of villages where the sense of discovery is often reciprocal. Is it the travelers or the Khmers who are most surprised by the encounter ?

Natural Trails Vietnam 5 days

2008-09-16T22:12:00.001-07:00

Day 1: Hanoi arrival (D)PagodaPagodaOur guide will meet you at Noi Bai airport and escort you to a hotel in the center of Hanoi. Start the tour early in the afternoon to visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, Quan Thanh temple, Hoan Kiem lake, Ngoc Son temple and 36 Old streets. Enjoy welcome dinner and over night in Hanoi.Day 2: Hanoi - Perfume pagoda - Cuc Phuong (B/L/D)Depart at 07:30 A.M. for about 2 hours drive to Perfume Pagoda (75km). Enjoy a 1.30 hours boat trip on Yen (Swallow Bird) stream and visit Trinh temple. Follow is 2 hours trekking up the mountain to visit pagoda inside grotto Huong Tich, where people often come to pray for health, luck, ... etc. After lunch, visit Thien Tru pagoda and scenery of Holiest in the country. After 1.30 hours boat trip back to the Wharf, we will ride to Cuc Phuong National Park and arrive there around 18.30 pm. Overnight in hotel at Cuc Phuong National Park.Day 3: Cuc Phuong - Kenh Ga - Ninh Binh (B/L/D)Tam CocTam CocIn the morning, walking to visit flora, fauna and one-thousand-year-old sequoia tree and visit the cave of Prehistoric man. Back to restaurant for lunch. In the afternoon , visit the Endangered Primates Rescue Center then drive to Ninh Binh town. On the way, visit Kenh Ga village (floating village) and arrive at Ninh Binh about 18.00 pm. Overnight in a hotel at Ninh Binh town.Day 4: Ninh Binh - Hoa Lu - Tam Coc - Hanoi (B/L)8:00 A.M. drive to visit Hoa Lu - the Ancient Capital and the remaining two temples of Dinh King & Le King. Continue trip to Tam Coc – the "'Halong bay" inland. After lunch, sit back and relax whilst the a local villager rows a small boat through the rice fields and mountain ranges, visit 3 caves and contemplate the beauty of the natural landscapes. Return to Hanoi and arrive in Hanoi about 17.00 pm. Overnight in Hanoi.Day 5: Hanoi (B)Chua Huong Perfume Pagoda tourPerfume PagodaAfter breakfast, time for relax or shopping before going to airport for departure home or more visit the South of Vietnam.

Traditional Village & pagoda, Vietnam tours

2008-09-16T17:26:00.001-07:00

Traditional Village & pagoda in Hanoi: Regarded as a cradle of Vietnam's culture, The Red River delta is best known for its handicraft villages and traditional seasonal festivals. We offer you the unique opportunity to see the real rural life of Vietnamese peasants living in these handicraft villages. This tour is also interesting for those who are interested in Buddies philosophy.Price: 55 USD/person (Minimum: 2 persons )Includes: Transport, entrance fee and guide.Itinerary :PRG-1 : BAT TRANG, ceramic village or an old pottery village & COLOA - an old citadel of Vietnam.PRG-2 : VAN PHUC, a silk village is a great place to silk cloth being produced on the loom .There is a showroom where you can buy silk by the meter, much more exciting that buying it in the shops! TRAM pagoda & TRAM GIAN pagodas.PRG-3 : BAT TRANG - an old pottery village DONG HO - a painting village, here they make 'Giay do' paper and paint them with traditional designs .All of paper is made by hand and some, still in the traditional way with all natural products BUT THAP pagoda DONG KY - carpentry village .Here they made furniture inlaid with mother of pearl and finished off with layer of clear lacquer In laying the mother of pearl is highly labour intensive, see how it is delicately sawed info fine fish-bone sliver and paints takingly set into wood .PRG-4 : THAY (master pagoda) & TAY PHUONG pagoda .The price in USDLow Season (5th May - 31st August)Size of Group 1 2 3 4 - 5 6 - 7 8 pax upCost/pax (USD) 140 80 65 50 45 35High Season (1st Sep - 4th May)Size of Group 1 2 3 4 - 5 6 - 7 8 pax upCost/pax (USD) 154 88 72 55 50 39Departure: Every dayInclusive: Transportation (private car/mini van), Entrance fees, Speaking guide (English or French), LunchExclusive: Drinks, Insurance, Personal expenses, Tips

Vietnam Sightseeing

2008-09-15T17:16:00.001-07:00

Vietnam is still opening up to tourists on an almost daily basis. I have listed some of the more popular local attractions throughout Vietnam below, which will then give you some idea as to how to plan your holiday in this fascinating country.CanthoCantho is the political, economic, cultural and transportation centre of the Mekong Delta. Rice husking mills provide the main source of income and the area is linked to most other main centers in the Mekong Delta via the waterways and road/rail systems.Boat Trips are available that take you across the water or through the local canals on many interesting sightseeing excursions that definitely require a camera. Larger boats venture up the Mekong River and this is a definite MUST DO if you are in the area.Cantonese Congregation Pagoda was built on a different site originally but now stands where it is today. The pagoda occupies a splendid location facing the Cantho River.Central Market is where you should go to stock up on fresh produce either direct from the farms or the fishing grounds nearby.Floating markets are the Delta's prime attractions. Unlike those found in Bangkok, these markets aren't for the benefit of camcorder-toting tourists. Early each morning the Bassac River and its tributaries swell with vendors in sampans, houseboats and longtails jammed with fresh Delta produce: jackfruit, mangosteen, durian, papaya, mango, bananas, pineapple, guava, fresh vegetables and smuggled sundries from cigarettes to shampoo. The best market to visit is about 30 km south of Can Tho in Phung Hiep.Ho Chi Minh Museum is the only museum in the Mekong Delta devoted to this ruler. It is a large museum, if you haven't been to a similar one elsewhere, is worth a visit. Chau DocChau Doc is a riverine commercial centre and is not that far from the Cambodian border. Once known for it's dug-out canoe races it is now better known for it's Cham and Khmer temples in its environs.Chau Doc Church was constructed in 1920 and although small is interesting and for those of the Christian faith they hold mass here seven days a week.Chau Phu Temple was built in 1926 and is decorated with both Vietnamese and Chinese motifs. Inside are funeral tablets with the names and biographical information on the dead.Floating Houses, are well worth a few photos and it's worth it to hire a boat to see them better. Mosques in the area consist of the Chau Giang Mosque and the Murbank Mosque. There are others in the area but those mentioned are the largest,. Visitors are permitted but please respect the faith and do not enter them during 'calls of prayer' which occur 5 times a day unless you are of the Islamic faith. Sam Mountain is the place to go if you want to see dozens of temples, pagodas and the like and is well worth visiting. Located about 6 km from the city. Not only do temples abound but the trek to the top of the mountain is also popular though one can go by motorised vehicle if you so desire. Tay Anh Pagoda is renowned for its fine carvings of hundreds of religious figures most of which are wooden. The building reflects both Hindu and Islamic influences and outside stand a black elephant (with 2 tusks) and a white elephant (with 6 tusks) as well as various monks tombs etc.Temple of Lady Chua Xu faces Sam Mountain not far from the Tay An Pagoda and was founded in the 1820's. The original was built of bamboo, but this has been replaced over the years and the last reconstruction took place in 1972.Tomb of Thoai Ngoc Hau who was a high ranking officer that served the Ngyen lords and later the Nguyen Dynasty is buried here. Nearby are several other tombs of similar officials serving under Thoai Ngoc Hau.Cavern Pagoda also known as Phuoc Dien Tu is about halfway up Sam Mountain and is well worth a visit.DalatThe city of Dalat is the main centre of the Southern Highlands region. In the past it was renowned as a cool, green city with a park-like environment. This is changing fast, as the economy booms and life speeds up. Still, Dalat is definitely worth a visit and it's a good base for trips into the surrounding highlands, which remain tranquil. In Dalat, make sure you visit the Hang Nga Guesthouse & Art Gallery, nicknamed by locals the Crazy House. It's created by artist and architect Mrs Dang Viet Nga (known as Hang Nga).Dalat is famous for its coffee shops, and is extremely popular with domestic tourists and honeymooners. You can fly to Dalat from Ho Chi Minh City. The airport is 30km from town; express buses also link the two cities.The Emperor Bao Dai's Summer Palace is stuffed with interesting art and everyday objects, and is well worth a look. It's also interesting to stroll around the old French Quarter.The Valley of Love, 5km north of the city centre, is a bizarre place where you can hire a paddle boat on the lake or a horse from one of the Dalat Cowboys (no relation to the Dallas Cowboys), who are, indeed, dressed as cowboys. There are some pleasant walks or rides (on horseback or bike) in the countryside around the city, but be aware that areas signposted with a C-sign are off-limits to foreigners.Prenn Falls are worth a visit and are located at the foot of Prenn Mountain Pass. The 10km long pass is on the route from Dalat to Ho Chi Minh City.Further out, you can visit the villages of some of the hill tribes, such as Lat Village and the Chicken Village (with a huge statue of a chicken).

Vietnam Travel Directory

2008-09-10T17:32:00.001-07:00

Vietnam Travel Directory

Vietnam travel directory, provides you Vietnam travel links, hotels Directory, directory listings, add travel url! Vietnam Travel Directory You can add to more sub directory for free at: DestinationsHalong Bay Destination, Sapa Destination,... Hotelshalong_hotels, Hanoi Hotels, SaPa Hotels, ... ToursCycling Tours, Trekking Tours, Kayaking Tours, ... Tour OperatorsHalong Tour Operators, Sapa Tour Operators, ... TransportationHanoi Transportation, Ho Chi Minh Transportation, ... Travel AgentsHanoi Travel Agents, Ho Chi Minh Travel Agents, Hoi An Travel Agents, ... Travel GuidesMaps, Weather Travel HealthHanoi Travel Health, Ho Chi Minh Travel Health

Vietnam Travel Directory and Resources - DirectRooms

Vietnam travel directory compiled by DirectRooms. A comprehensive resource centre of the best travel websites for Vietnam, all graded by our human editorslink: http://www.directrooms.com/travel-directory/asia/vietnam/index.htm

Halong Bay Tours

2008-09-09T22:12:00.001-07:00

Bai Tu Long Cruise 2 daysBai Tu Long Cruise tour 2 days On Footprint Red Dragon traditional junk, we aim to get off the beaten track but still at as leisurely pace. The size of the new vessel will allow the passengers to get much closer to Halong Bay’s natural wonders, pocket lagoons, and its small fishing communities.Depart, 8:00 am, from your hotel to Halong city. After 3.5 hours driving and viewing simple, country side, rice paddy life, we arrive at the at port. At 12.00, the junk crews welcome guests on board at Hon Gai WharfHalong Tours
Halong Cruise 2 days Halong Bay tours, Halong Cruise 2 days A great way to see spectacular Halong Bay is on a slow cruise through the seemingly never-ending bay of islands. Lay in the sun, enjoy a selection of the freshest seafood, and capture photograph after photograph.Later take a more intense look of one of the islands, "get off the beaten track” at a more leisurely pace. Finish the day with an amazing night's swim in the phosphorescent water. On board the Chinese Junk take part in boat-watching, sunset and sunrise. Actually be a part of the magic
Halong Cruise & Kayak 3 daysTravel to Halong Bay, Halong Cruise & Kayak 3 daysHaLong Bay is spectacular! The best way to visit all the hidden inlets and islands is via kayak. You will have 3 days on the water to explore this World Heritage Site with the support of our helpful experts and an authentic liveaboard Chinese Junk. Sleep on board under the stars and endulge in selections of the freshest seafood seved at lunch and dinner. On your kayak discover the magic as you paddle your way through narrow caves and secret interior lakes. Touch the untouched, name the unnamed
Day 1: Hanoi – HalongHalong Cruise tour, travel to halongDepart 8:00 am to Halong. After a 3.5 hours drive we will board our private vessel, an authentic Chinese Junk, for a relaxing cruise to the bay. After lunch on the boat we will stop at a small floating fishing village where our kayaks will be waiting. Then take advantage of the afternoon (2-3 hours) by kayaking amidst the magic of Halong. Tonight's dinner will include a selection of the freshest sea food. Retire to your quarters on the boat or sleep under the stars on the top deck.(L,D)Day 2: Lost, let's sea what happens...book Halong kayaking tours in VietnamA full day of kayaking follows breakfast on the boat. This is the day to discover the hidden Halong and uncover the secrets of this World Heritage Site. Paddle through the emerald water to magnificent caves and deserted lagoons. Explore every nook and cranny of this specticle of towering limestone and ocean, kayak to places some have never been to.
The day we will be fully supported by our boat. We will not have any designated route, we just paddle to the places you wish to go. Our only concern will be the weather's possible heavy rain or too much sun. If this is the case, we can easily go back to the boat for lunch, a short rest, more water or swimming. For those who are not feeling up to a full day of kayaking, cruising on the boat capturing photograph after photograph or sun bathing are some alternatives. As the sun sets, take pleasure in knowing that our second night will be spent on the water as well. (B,L,D)Day 3: More kayaking then onto HanoiHalong kayaking tour, travel to Halong VietnamBreakfast, then more cruising and kayaking. Then we return to Halong City. We will see a little bit of the town as we will have lunch at a local restaurant here, then we will begin our return to Hanoi. You should be back in your hotel around 5:00 pm where your smile, tan and stories of adventure on the water will be the envy of others. (B,L)

Sapa Tours in Vietnam

2008-09-08T17:14:00.001-07:00

Sapa Tours
Sapa Trek & Bac Ha Sunday Market
Sapa Trek with Sunday Market Bac Ha - 3 daysSapa Trek with Sunday Market Bac HaThis 3-day 4-night tour is a wonderful offer from Footprint. Including not only trekking to the hidden villages and staying at their home, but also a visit to one of the most colorful tribal markets in Vietnam. Bac Ha is a rainbow of culture and local trading activities. Different tribes and villages all congregate here only on Sunday to do their business. Please schedule your departure from Hanoi on Thursday night so you too can participate in this renowned market...

Sapa Easy Trek - 3 days
Sapa Easy Trek tour - Vietnam trekkingThis is a perfect combination of trek and culture while visiting the hill tribes’ villages at a pace and style that compliments you. Journey away from the crowds and homestay a traditional Dao home. Learn and participate in village life and truly feel the warmth and hospitality of these incredible people. This is an unforgettable soft adventure to Sapa that should be part of everyone’s time in Vietnam, yet probably only offered by Footprint.
Sapa is a special place with an energy like no other. Take advantage of the secret spots we take you to, and make this an adventure you will never forget. This is the way travel truly should be...

Conquer the top of Mt. Fansipan - 4 days
Fansipan Sapa adventure trek in VietnamSapa is a beautiful former French hill-station. At an altitude of 1,650 m Sapa boasts warm days and cool evenings and all day fresh air. Nowadays, Sapa has become a favorite destination due to its inspiring scenery of mounatin ranges and terraced valley floors dotted with small ethnic villages. Sapa is home to several of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minority groups, each with their own distinctive dress, customs and dialects making it a colorful mosaic of culture.
Sapa is also renowned for its trekking. With South East Asia's highest peak, Mt. Fansipan (3,143 m) providing the perfect backdrop for some great trekking routes. This 3 day trek with outdoor camping offers all of the challenges and rewards of any hike. And, at the summit you be one of the few to have reached up and touched the clouds marking the roof of Indochina...

Sapa Moderate Trek - 4 daysSapa Moderate Trek Tour - trekking in VietnamCombing a mix of adventure and culture in this multi-day trek suites those who have a little extra time, are willing to get a little dirty, and want to explore . We will travel South of Sapa along the inspiring Muong Hoa valley and mountain streams, visiting villages of Hmong, Zay, Dao and Tay ethnic minorities.
Sources: Sapa Tours
http://www.footprintsvietnam.com/Tours/Sapa/

This trek can be difficult at times but is worth the effort as you will be taken off the beaten path, away from the crowds, and into the unspoiled Vietnam. Visit and stay with a Zay and Tay family and learn about village life. We promise that this trip will be unforgettable, educational, rewarding with a healthy dose of fun...

Vietnam tours listing

2008-09-07T17:44:00.000-07:00

NORTHERN PRIVATE TOURS ( NPT )
NPT 01: Hanoi City Tour ( Full day )
NPT 02: Perfume Pagoda ( Full day )
NPT 03: Hoa Lu- Tam Coc ( Full day )
NPT 04: Cuc Phuong National Park ( Full day )
NPT 05: Halong Bay ( Full day )
NPT 06: Cuc Phuong- Van Long Area- Kenh Ga Geyser ( 02 days/ 01 night )
NPT 07: Halong Bay ( 02 days/ 01 night )
NPT 08: Halong Bay- Cat Ba island- Hai Phong ( 02 days/ 01 night )
NPT 09: Mai Chau ( 2 days/ 1 night )
NPT 10: Hai Phong- Cat Ba- Halong ( 03 days/ 02 nights )
NPT 11: Traditional Villages and Pagoda around Hanoi ( Full day )
NPT 12: Mai Chau Trekking ( 3 days )
NPT 13: Ninh Binh- Hoa Lu- Tam Coc- Mai Chau- Xa Linh (3 days/ 2 nights)
NPT 14: Phong Tho Trekking ( 3 days/ 2 nights )
NPT 15: Ninh Binh- Cuc Phuong National Park- Mai Chau (3 days/ 2 nights)
NPT 16: Hanoi- Ha Long- Ninh Binh ( 5 days/ 4 nights )
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CENTRAL PRIVATE TOURS ( CPT )
CPT 01: Hue Tours
CPT 02: Hoi An Tours
CPT 03: Nha Trang Tours
CPT 04: Nha Trang- Dak Lak Highland- Buon Me Thuot- Lak Lake- Dalat- Lang Biang Highland ( 4 days / 3 nights )
CPT 05: Dalat- Tuyen Lam Lake- Fairy Rock- Mount Elephant ( 02 days )
CPT 06: Hoi An- Qui Nhon- Nha Trang- Dak Lak- Buon Me Thuot- Lak Lake- Dalat- Lang Biang ( 7 days )
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOUTHERN PRIVATE TOURS ( SPT )
SPT 01: Ho Chi Minh City Tour ( Full day )
SPT 02: Ho Chi Minh City Tour- Cu Chi Tunnel ( Full day )
SPT 03: Cu Chi Tunnel- Cao Dai Temple ( Full day )
SPT 04: Cu Chi Tunnel ( Half day )
SPT 05: Mekong Delta: Saigon- My Tho- Ben Tre ( Full day )
SPT 06: Mekong Delta: Sai Gon- Cai Be- Vinh Long- Can Tho- Cai Rang- Phong Dien- My Tho ( 2 days/ 1 night )
SPT 07: Mekong Delta: Sai Gon- Cai Be- Vinh Long- Can Tho- Cai Rang- Phong Dien- Long Xuyen- Chau Doc ( 3 days/ 2 nights )
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPECIAL TOURS ( ST )
ST 01: Sapa Trekking Tours
ST 02: Kayaking Tours on Halong Bay
ST 03: Adventure Tours
ST 04: Beach Breaks
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRANS- VIETNAM TOURS ( T-VT )
T-VT 01: Beaches along Vietnam ( 8 days )
T-VT 02: Hanoi- Saigon Discovery ( 10 days/ 09 nights )
T-VT 03: Trans- Vietnam Open Tour ( 12 days )
T-VT 04: Trans- Vietnam Open Tour ( 13 days )
T-VT 05: Hanoi- Saigon ( 14 days )
T-VT 06: Saigon- Hanoi by train ( 13 days )
T-VT 07: 17 Days Vietnam Discovery
T-VT 08: Trans- Vietnam Open Tour ( 18 days )
T-VT 09: Trans- Vietnam Open Tour ( 22 days )
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NORTHERN BUDGET TOURS ( NBT )
NBT 01: Hanoi City Tour ( Full day )
NBT 02: Perfume Pagoda ( Full day )
NBT 03: Hoa Lu- Tam Coc ( Full day )
NBT 04: Cuc Phuong National Park ( Full day )
NBT 05: Mai Chau ( 2 days/ 1 night )
NBT 06: Halong Bay ( Full day )
NBT 07: Halong- Catba ( 2 days/ 1 night )
NBT 08: Halong- Catba ( 3 days/ 2 nights )
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CENTRAL BUDGET TOURS ( CBT )
CBT 01: Hue Tours
CBT 02: Hoi An City Tours
CBT 03: Nha Trang
CBT 04: Da Lat
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOUTHERN BUDGET TOURS ( SBT )
SBT 01: Ho Chi Minh City Tours
SBT 02: Mekong Delta Tours

Travel Information of Vietnam

2008-09-02T22:09:00.001-07:00

1. GENERAL INFORMATION
Vietnam borders with China in the north, Laos and Kampuchea in the West, and the Pacific Ocean in the east. Its lies in the centre of South-East Asia. Vietnam's territory stretches from Lung Cu village (Ha Tuyen province) in the north to Rach Tau hamlet (Minh Hai province) in the south. It is a S-shaped pennisula, with thousands of off-shore islands and archipelagoes; the biggest of which are the Hoang SA (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelagoes. Vietnam's mainland covers 331,689 square kilometres .
According to archaeological discoveries made at Do Mountain, it is believed that life in Vietnam began as far back as 300,000 years ago. Officially, the history of Vietnam stretches back 4,000 years when it was founded by the Hung Kings. It was then named Van Lang.
When speaking upon the history of Vietnam, it is important to note the large role played by the French in Vietnam. It began in 1858, when the French took over Danang in southern Vietnam. Over time, more and more territory was won over by the French. It wasn't until 1954, when the French surrendered to to the Viet Minh, ending the French Indochina War, that the French colonial control in Vietnam ended.
The immediate image in the minds of most people at the mention of Vietnam is that of the war fought against the United States some twenty years ago. Most people think of the country only in terms of the American conflict in Indochina. The war ended nearly twenty years ago, and today, despite lingering signs of past American involvement, the situation in Vietnam is markedly different. People have finally begun to look at the country from another perspective, now that travelers and tourists from the West are being welcomed into what was once a forbidden country. It may take a bit more effort and tenacity to plan an excursion into Vietnam than it would for another Southeast Asian country, but Vietnam has much to offer in terms of culture and sights.
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2. WEATHER CONDITIONS
The weather in the southern part of Vietnam is tropical. It is monsoonal in the north, bringing a hot, rainy season from mid-May to mid-September and a warm, dry season from mid-October to mid-March. Occasional typhoons from May to January bring extensive flooding to the middle regions of Vietnam.
Top3. PEOPLE AND CULTURE
The vast majority of the population is Vietnamese with minute percentages of Chinese. The Viet culture originated on the delta of the Red River and the Ma River where the Viet people cultivated paddy fields. They led a simple farming life in small villages, usually living around a communal house. Today the people living in the countryside follow this lifestyle. The Viet people are influenced by Confucianism, in particular the principle of respect for their elders.
In spite of the immense suffering of the Vietnamese and the somewhat ruined state of the country, they are generally warm and friendly, and surprisingly, the Vietnamese bear little if any resentment or bitterness toward Americans. Children in the streets will commonly greet visitors with the name Lien Xo, which means Russian, but they will easily be corrected if you respond, "Hello!" or "Good morning" and explain you are an American, European or Australian, etc.
Ethnic Groups: The country is predominantly 85-90% Vietnamese, 3% Chinese, ethnic minorities include Muong, Thai, Meo, Khmer, Man, Cham, and other mountain tribes.
Languages: Vietnamese is the official language; French, Chinese, English, Khmer and tribal dialects (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian) are also spoken.
Religion: Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Roman Catholic, indigenous beliefs, Islamic and Protestant.
Top4. LOCAL CUSTOMS
Be firm, yet diplomatic when dealing with officials who will often be very rigid. In the case of misunderstanding, patience is the best policy.
Small gifts such as cigarette lighters, pens, foreign cigarettes, liquor, perfume and even shampoo are greatly appreciated by anyone you wish to make friends with in Vietnam.
Out of politeness, always ask permission before taking photos of people. The same rule of thumb also applies to photos taken in places of worship. Permission will almost always be granted.
A gentle handshake is the most appropriate manner of greeting.
Be very discrete about giving anything to beggars frequently encountered in Ho Chi Minh City. If anyone is seen giving handouts to a beggar, he or she may end up being pursued by a mob of other beggars. This does not help create a good image for foreigners; it gives them instead the reputation of being easy to hit up for money.
Beware of pickpockets. Keep your ID and passport in a safe place and carry only photocopies of those items.
Remove your shoes before entering Buddhist pagodas. Small donations placed in the boxes found in temples are appreciated. It is acceptable to keep your shoes on within Chinese pagodas.
Never let the soles of your feet face other people or any sacred monument, such as a statue of Buddha.
Top5. CURRENCY
The Dong (D) is the official currency in Vietnam. Exchange rate is approximatley 1 USD = 15,000 Dong (Sep 01)
Bank notes currently in circulation are in denominations of 100 / 200 / 500 / 1,000 / 2,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 / 20,000 and 50,000 Dong
Notes under 200 Dong have little value and are rarely used.
The U.S. dollar is more or less a second currency in Vietnam. Other foreign currencies are not readily accepted. A large supply of US$1, US$5 and US$10 are almost essential for tipping, for small expenses and for hotel bills. U.S. money is so common that change will frequently be given in dollars.
You may bring in an unlimited amount of foreign currency as long as it is declared on the forms provided by customs officers. Foreign currency can be exchanged for dong at your hotel or at the State Bank of Vietnam.
Top6. THINGS TO KNOW
Population: About 78 Million People Capital: Hanoi Flag: The flag of Vietman is red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center. Shop Hours: Shops run from 7 or 8am to 11 or 11:30pm. Some are open from 1 or 2pm to 4 or 5pm. Bank Hours: Most banks are opened from 7am or 8am to 11am or 11:30am Some are open from 1pm or 2pm to 4pm or 5pm. Holidays January 1 Solar New Year's Day January/February Tet (Tet Nguyen Dan). The most important Vietnamese annual festival. This marks the new lunar year and the advent of spring. This is a three-day holiday, usually at the end of January or the beginning of February (according to the solar calendar) February 3 Anniversary of the Foundation of the Communist Party of Vietnam April 30 Liberation Day, the day on which Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) fell to Hanoi in 1975. This holiday is commemorated nationwide. May 1 Labour Day May 19 Birthday of President Ho Chi Minh September 2 National Day of Vietnam
Time: +7:00, Vietnam is 11 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and 14 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time.
Tipping: Tipping is not customary in Vietnam, but it is enormously appreciated. A 5-10% tip for a meal is a very small amount of money, but to the average Vietnamese, it could easily equal a day's wages. Avoid tipping too much, as it will set a precedent for others.
Restaurants: Government-run restaurants catering to tourists add a 10% service charge to the bill.
Porters: Porters, if they are available, can be tipped with American coins.
Hotel maids: Government-run hotels catering to tourists charge an automatic 10% service fee.
Taxis: Generous tips are not necessary. A small gratuity, however, is expected by cab drivers.
Top7. VISAS AND PASSPORT
Passports and visas are required for entry into Vietnam. The best place to obtain a visa for Vietnam is Bangkok. The visa will specify where you will be arriving and where you will be leaving, in addition to how long you can stay.
Formerly, tours had to be booked to obtain a visa, but this is no longer the situation. Potential visitors to Vietnam must fill out three applications for entry and exit visas, accompanied by three passport photos 4cm x 6cm. One of the applications must be sent to the most convenient diplomatic or consular mission of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The other two applications/photos are carried with you and handed in at the first point of entry.
If you require Asia Travel to assist you in the application, please send an email with the following information to:asiatrav@asiatravel.com:
Surname and first name Date and place of birth Nationality Present place of residence Profession Time and point of entry and exit
Some Embassies of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam:
Australia 6 Timbarra Crescent O'Malley ACT 2603 Tel (062) 866059
France 62, rue Boileau 75016 Paris Tel 4524-5063 or 4527-6255
Mexico Sierra Ventana 255 11000 Mexico, DF Tel 540-1612
Thailand 83/1 Wireless Road Bankok Tel (02) 251-7201
United Kingdom 12-14 Victoria Road London W8 5RD Tel 937-1912
Top8. CUSTOMS REGULATIONS
Duty-Free Items Visitors may import 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco, 1 liter of wine, 1 liter of liquor and an unlimited amount of film. Commercial goods and items of high value being taken out of Vietnam require export permits from the Customs Service. Antiques may be confiscated permanently. No local currency may be taken out of the country.
The Customs Service Headquarters 21 Ton Duc Thang St. Ho Chi Minh City Tel 90095
Top9. TRAVEL TO THE COUNTRY
Airports Noi Bai International Airport Hanoi Tan Son Nhat Airport Ho Chi Minh City Fares are significantly lower for those flying to Ho Chi Minh City. Although flights are available from the capitals of most Southeast Asian countries as well as from Sydney and Melbourne, the best place is from Bangkok as visas are easiest to obtain there.
Airlines Vietnam Airlines (International) 116-118 Nguyen Hue Blvd. Ho Chi Minh City Tel (08) 292118 Vietnam Airlines (Domestic) 27b Nguyen Dinh Chieu St. Ho Chi Minh City Tel (08) 299980 Air France Dong Khoi and Le Loi St. (Caravelle Hotel) Ho Chi Minh City Tel (08) 241278 Aeroflot 4H Le Loi St. Ho Chi Minh City Tel (08) 93489 Thai Airways 116 Nguyen Hue Blvd. Ho Chi Minh City Tel (08) 292118 Philippine Airlines Ho Chi Minh City Tel (08) 292200 MAS 116 Nguyen Hue Blvd. Ho Chi Minh City Tel (08) 30695
Trains There are currently no train lines running between Vietnam and its neighboring countries.
Buses Traveling by road from Cambodia is a slow and expensive alternative to flying. It is highly advisable that travelers fly in instead.
Ships and Ferries There are no official passenger services. Travelers may be able to ride on a cargo ship to Ho Chi Minh City, Danang or Haiphong from Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Singapore and France. Check with the local shipping and travel agencies for rates and availability. A ferry service runs from Cambodia to Chau Doc in the Mekong Delta.
Top10. TRAVEL WITHIN THE COUNTRY
Cars Car rentals are currently not in existence. Cabs, which are unmarked cars without meters, can typically be rented for the day for US$30 to US$40. Trains The Vietnamese railway system runs from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi along the coast and links with Haiphong and the regions further north. Odd-numbered trains travel South, and even-numbered trains travel north. The fastest trains take at least 36 hours from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. Reservations should be made a day or more in advance. The major setback to the railways is that tourists are charged many times more than Vietnamese people in the form of an outrageously high surcharge. For long distance traveling, it is best to fly. Buses The bus system runs almost everywhere within the country, with stations built around the country dividing the territory into regions. Buses tend to be slow and unreliable.
Top11. SIGHTSEEING
Ho Chi Minh City This is the largest city in Vietnam. It is the industrial, commercial and cultural center of the country. The central city area is still called Saigon.
WAR CRIME MUSEUM This museum exhibit crimes committed by the Americans during the war. Photographs of the famous My Lai massacre, human embryos, genetically deformed babies and innocent civilians being tortured can be seen on display. An array of US armored vehicles, artillery pieces, bombs and infantry weapons are displayed in the courtyard. You can also see a guillotine used by the French to de itate troublemakers in the riots of the 1920s and a model of the famous tiger cages used by the South Vietnamese to house VC prisoners on Con Son island. The War Crime Museum basically reveals a different side of the stories about wars - the innocent victims of modern warfare. HISTORICAL MUSEUM Built in 1929 by the Societe des Etudes Indochinioses, it was formerly named Blanchard dels Brosse. A big statute of President HoChiMinh stands in the main lounge of the museum. The museum has an excellent collection of artifacts illustrating the primitive age, bronze age, the Tran dynasty and the Le Dynasty. Take a look at the array of musical instrument especially the special monocord of the one string musical instruments. There are many valuable relics taken from Cambodia's Angkor Wat. REUNIFICATION PALACE In 1868, the Norodom Palace (original name) was built for the French Governor-General of Indochina. A striking modern architecture was built when the original buildings were damaged by bombs. Rebuilt in 1962, it comprises of a ground floor, 3 main floors, two mezzanines and a terrace for helicopter landing. The palace includes many tastefully decorated rooms such as the reception room, the cabinet reference room, the study rooms, the credentials presentation room and the banquet room. It also has a basement with a network of tunnels connecting to the telecom centre and war room and one of the longest tunnels which stretch all the way to the Revolutionary Museum. The grounds outside contain one of the first tanks to burst through the gates of the palace to signify the end of the Vietnam War as well as the fighter plane which dropped further bombs towards the end of the war. Independence Palace was renamed the Unification Palace to denote the spirit and strong will for national independence and reunification Ben Thanh Market The Ben Thanh Market, formerly the main railway terminal, is the largest of the markets scattered throughout the city. A wide variety of goods are available, from imported electronics to imported perfumes. Notre Dame Cathedral This Catholic church was constructed in 1883 and is located near the Tu Do (Dong Khoi) Street, the former red-light district. Presidential Palace This building is now called the Reunification Hall. The center was built as a modern administration center and is where the war and the American involvement in Vietnam ended in April 1975, with tanks invading the compound. Guided tours will take visitors through the various rooms within the complex. Cholon Ho Chi Minh City's Chinatown. Sights include the Binh Tay Market, the An Quang Pagoda (District 5) and the scenic Thien Hau Temple. Vinh Nghiem Pagoda A modern Japanese-style Buddhist temple, easily one of the largest and most impressive in Ho Chi Minh City.
Tay Ninh
Cu Chi Tunnels An extensive network of nearly 200 miles (322mi) of Viet Cong tunnels used in the French Indochina war and American war. The tunnels have complete facilities, from kitchens to printing presses and even street signs, all of which were used to aid the NLF (National Liberation Front) military. Tours involve a description of the tunnels, after which tourists are allowed to crawl about the maze. Located in Tay Ninh (suburb of Ho Chi Minh City), 24 miles (39km) northwest of central Ho Chi Minh City. CAO DAI TEMPLE Cao Daism seeks to create the ultimate religion by fusing Buddhist, Taoist, Confucianist and Catholic beliefs into a synthesis of its own. Witness the solemn ceremony of the unique religion - Caodaism at Caodai Holly See at its noon tide prayer service with followers dressed in red, blue, yellow and white robes. There is the divine eye above the altar, the religion's official symbol. The temple has nine levels which signify the nine steps to heaven, each level marked by a pair of multicoloured dragons.
MEKONG DELTA One of the world's largest delta, the Delta Region is formed by the various tributaries of the mighty Mekong River which begins its journey to the sea in Tibet and winds its way for 4500 km through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Southern Vietnam. The vietnamese name for the Mekong is Cuu Long which means "nine dragons" and this is represented by the nine exit points of the Mekong River as it flows into the sea. The land of the Mekong Delta is renowned for its richness. Known as Vietnam's breadbasket, it produces enough rice to feed the entire country with a sizeable surplus leftover. Take a sampan ride that meanders through small villages and experience the simple lives of the Mekong people
Vung Tau Beach Located at the mouth of the Saigon River is the popular Vung Tau beach resort. Pineapple Beach is probably the most pleasant, with its villas and generally tranquil atmosphere. The temples are a definite must-see. The Niet Ban Tinh Xa is the largest temple in Vietnam. Tourist accommodations are available at the Hoa Binh Hotel, as well as the Thang Loi, Thang Thai and Tho Nguyet.
Nha Trang The central region near Nha Trang features some of the most beautiful beaches in Asia. The ocean waters are transparent, and the sands immaculate, attracting more and more visitors in recent times. Tours cover the Cham Ponagar complex, the north tower of which was built in 817 A.D. Ruins of the long-deceased Champa still stand as a testament to this once prominent kingdom.
Dalat The mountain resort among the Central Highlands has scenic surroundings as well as remnants of the French colonial era. The Ethnic Minority Museum is certainly worth visiting for those interested in the costumes, gongs, ornaments and other artifacts collected by locals from the Lam Dong province. As another point of interest, there is even an old abandoned nuclear power plant.
Danang City Known as Tourane under the French, Danang is a seaport of endless stretches of unspoiled sandy beach midway between Ha Noi to the north and Ho Chi Minh City to the South. The city was also the center of civilization of the Champa Kingdom, a kingdom which flourished In the area as early as the 2nd century A.D. Appealing stone sculptures (from the 4th-14th centuries) of Vishnu , Shiva and other Gods of this Kingdom can still be found in the Cham museum located in the center of the city Towards the coast south of Danang are five large hills known as the Marble Mountain. Mysterious caves within the mountains shelter altars delicated to Buddha, Bodhisattvas and The different genies arising from the popular beliefs of the area's inhabitants. With its own international and domestic airport, Danang provides an ideal stopover based for excursions to the ancient town of Hoi An, the imperial city of Hue and My Son-site of the Ruins from the Cham civilization.
Cham Ruins For those interested in seeing all that these fifteen towers have to offer, plan on spending a minimum of one day. These towers are located at My Son in the Duy Xuyen district. Cham Museum The Cham Museum built in 1915, expanded in 1935 , completed in 1936, is in a lovely setting And has large, open well lighted rooms with around 296 statues and artifacts of the Cham People dated back to the 7th century. Marble Mountains Consisting of five limestone peaks, about five (8km) miles south of town. They can be explored by following the paths leading to the peaks. Non Nuoc Beach China Beach, one the most wonderful beaches of Vietnam , was once an in country rest and Recreation centre for the US military during the Vietnam War.
Hoi An Ancient Town Forty-five minutes by land south-east of Da Nang is the ancient town of Hoi An, which was one of the most important trading ports in Southeast Asia for merchants from China, Japan and afar for a couple of centuries ago. Originally a seaport in the Champa Kingdom, by the 15th century It had become a coastal town under the Tran dynasty. Also served as the hub of East-West c ultural exchange, Hoi An's ancient past is superbly preserved in its fascinating temples, pagoda, shop houses and home which make up the town's old quarter. Walking in the streets of this ancient town, one can observe the influence of the architecture, Sculpture and decorative styles of China and Japan and the skill of former Vietnamese architects Who have absorbed their influences and created something similar yet somehow uniquely different.
HUE Hue, the imperial city, the citadel-city of Phu Xuan was originally built up during the end of 17th Century and became a political capital as well as the Imperial City of Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 till 2nd September 1945 when the Communist Party, leaded by President Ho Chi Minh had declared the Independent of the Nation and took over the power from the defeated Japanese Governor. Nowadays, this small & poetical city of 280.000 habitants becomes one of the main tourism site of Vietnam destination by its splendid tombs of the Nguyen emperors, several notable pagodas especially the Thien Mu Pagoda, the remains of Citadel as well as the romantic Perfume River where a cruise tour with Hue music performance in the moonlight was always provided since long time ago. Normally, visiting Hue within a day is a bit rush but still enough time to cover the main attractive sites such as The Citadel, The museum of antique, the tombs of Khai Dinh and Tu Duc emperors and a 02 hours cruise with stop over at Thien Mu pagoda.
Citadel & Forbidden City This forbidden city of 10km. perimeter has 4 main entrance gates and well defended by kilometers of rampart was built in 1804 by the first emperor Nguyen Anh on a site chosen by geomancers and look likes a Chinese forbidden city in Beijin. Some parts of this forbidden city were totally destroyed during the war where now are under reconstruction providing UNESCO & Japanese non-government associations' fund. Lucky thing is most of the main area such as the citadel (the Imperial Enclosure), Flag Tower were remain intact where received hundred of visitors daily. The Museum of Antique (Imperial museum) This beautiful hall which house the Imperial Museum was built in 1845. The most precious artefacts were lost during the war (1954-1973) and the liberation day (1975) but ceramics, furniture and royal relics are remain until the present time. Khai Dinh Emperor's Tomb This is the final monument of the Nguyen Dynasty. The complex features ceiling murals, frescoes and a dragon staircase. Located on the slopes of the Chau E Mountain, six miles (10km) south of town. It takes almost 10 years (1920-1931) to finish this grandiose concrete tomb which is completely unlike the others tombs where there was a mixture of typical Vietnamese & French colonial architecture. After climbing 36 steps passing by rows of elephants, horses, civil & military mandarin you will be reached the main building where a full original artefacts are displayed to the public. Tu Duc Emperor's Tomb The most impressive of the tombs and pagodas at Hue. Located at the tributaries of the Perfume River, seven miles (11km) south of Hue, this complex has beautiful architecture, intricate decor and military statues. This majestic and serene tomb with lake view, grove of pines, temples, living house area is the most expensive tomb which was completely terminated after 5 years by thousands of labor-worker (1863-1868) for this intellectual-poet emperor. Minh Mang Emperor's Tomb The most impressive of the tombs and pagodas at Hue. Located at the tributaries of the Perfume River, seven miles (11km) south of Hue, this complex has beautiful architecture, intricate decor and military statues. Thien Mu Pagoda & Perfume River Cruise Unlike the typical boat used to provide in the past the present Hue cruise is providing a motorized boat which carry a 2 hours cruise along Perfume River including a 30 min stop over Thien Mu pagoda. This pagoda located on the hillock overlooking the Perfume River, built in 1844 by Thieu Tri emperor, 21m-high octagonal tower with seven-storey is one of the most famous structures in all over the country and become an unofficial symbol of Hue until now.
Hanoi
One Pillar Pagoda Built in the 11th century, this pagoda sits on a stone pillar in the middle of a pond. This is one of the more unusual structures in Vietnam. Lenin Park (Thong Nhat Park) Built over a former marsh, this park surrounds a large lake containing a statue of Lenin, often the object of jokes among the locals. The park itself is quite beautiful. Tran Nhan Tong Street. National Preserve of Cuc Phuong This national park is one of the last tropical primeval forest reserves on Earth. There are 64 species of fauna and thousands of species of flora, many of which are extinct everywhere else in the world. Bizarre and fascinating species of animals from flying lizards to monkeys dwell within the park's 61,000 acres. Caves and grottoes, where various artifacts have been discovered, are located in the mountains within. Ha Nam Ninh Province. It is located approximately 62 miles (100 Km.) southwest of Hanoi. Thu Le Park Located northwest of Hanoi in the Thu Le village.
Haiphong
Cat Ba This island is the largest in the Cat Ba archipelago. It is potentially one of the major beach destinations in Southeast Asia. This region has beautiful beaches and pristine waters. Within the mountains are caves and grottos. Located 36 miles (58km) east of Haiphong.
Halong Bay One of Vietnam's most beautiful areas, Halong Bay has fascinating limestone formations, coves for nighttime excursions, sheer cliffs, grottoes, arches and scores of small islets.
Top12. DINING AND DRINKING
Vietnamese food varies from region to region. Almost 500 traditional dishes have been recorded! Rice and noodles are staple foods, served with nearly all meals. The most popular dishes are nema rán (spring rolls), bún thang (noodles with sliced pork, eggs, shredded chicken and shrimp), shellfish steamed with ginger and sea crabs fried with salt. Among common ingredients used are: shark fin, duck, pork paste, fish, spices, fruits, vegetables, crab meat, lobster and oysters.
Imported beer is available in Vietnam, although a number of domestic beers are brewed. Rice wine is very popular, and there are many brands available. There is a variety of fruit wines such as apricot, orange or lemon. Soft drinks are processed from the many varieties of tropical fruits available. Water from the tap should be avoided, even though it has already been filtered and sterilized at 10ºC. If you must drink it, boil the water first.
Top13. ENTERTAINMENT
Vietnam is not the place to go for the latest in nightspots, but a number of large hotels have nightclubs and dance halls. Bars are fairly easy to find, even in smaller hotels. Try asking the locals for the current popular spots.
Top14. EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Police: 03 Ho Chi Minh City Police Station 161 Nguyen Du, Quan 1 Tel 99398 or 97107 Open from 8am-11am and 1pm-4pm Hanoi Police Office for the Registration of Foreign Visitors 63 Tran Hung Dao, Hanoi All visitors must register with the police within 48 hours of arrival. If you are on a tour, this should have been taken care of (but check anyway). Fire Department: 08 First Aid: 05 International Dialing Access: Available at major tourist hotels and post offices Country Code: 84 City Codes: Hanoi: 04 / Ho Chi Minh: 08 When calling from within the same city, delete the city code from the number. When calling to another city from within Vietnam, use the entire city code. When calling from outside Vietnam, delete the first digit (0) from the city code.
Top16. USEFUL PHRASES
* Greetings - Chao ong (ba) * How are you? - Ong (ba) co khoe khong? * Fine, thanks - Cam on rat tot * My name is ... - Tên tôi là ... * I don't understand - Tôi không hiêú * Restaruant - nhà hàng * Telephone - diên thoai * Hotel - khách san

Interesting things about my Journey in Vietnam

2008-08-27T03:11:00.001-07:00

Hello Friends,I've been recently inspired by the depth of Elisha's travel journals and would like to practice writing interesting travel entries for all of you about my experience in Vietnam.I'd like to write freely so my thougts can flow. Thus, there will be no chronological order nor an order of importance. I'd like to just focus on what I have found interesting on my travels and things I've learned.Here we go...1. My great grandmother just died two days ago. It's been a trip. I came here before new years, and luckily met her before she died. She chanted to Elisha and I a beautiful sutra about the 84 famous Bodhisattvas. It was quite powerful as it sent shivers throughout my body. At the time, I thought that it was great she had the ability to chant the sutra while laying paralyzed on the bed at the ripe old age of 96. I felt she was more or less ready.So, three days ago, I call my aunt and she tells me that my great grandmother was very ill, no longer eating. I curtailed my plans to visit an island and took a train to Da Nang. That night before going to the train station, Elisha and I spotted an owl while riding on a motorcylce. This big owl with a white belly flew right above us, along the bike, and perched ontop a lampost. Elisha shared with me that Native Americans believe that owls are the messengers of death. Elisha and I figured that my great grandmother was about to die. Surely enough, as soon as we arrived in Da Nang, our family tells us that the grandmother died that night at 3:00am. The universe works in mysterious ways. And it just so happens that we made it right on time, off the train, to attend her funeral service, and to give our love and peaceful energy to my great grandmother's transformation. I felt very good with the whole service for everyone was very focused and strong to help my grandmother continue her journey. My dad, in Texas, was very happy that we made it to share our energy for my great grandmother to be liberated. I tried my best to give love and light as my aikido sensei has taught. It felt very good. Glancing over my great grandmother's corpse, I remembered a line from Lord of the Rings, spoken by Liv tyler, the elvish princess, as she was trying to save frodo, she prayed and cried, "Whatever grace within me, let it pass onto him." As I remembered these lines in my mind,opened palmed and mind focused on my great grandmother, my body shivered and tears welled up in my eyes, I was made to believe that she was going to be ok.2. We are such conditioned beings. The conditioning runs deep. I realize this when I observe my little cousins here in Vietnam. When they speak to me, they speak just like there parents do. They have similiar reactions, comments, hand gestures, facial expressions, and etc. just like their parents. It is insane. They even sometimes have the same walk. It is such a trip to witness and to observe it in them and also within myself. I must ask in what ways I have been conditioned by my parents and of which qualities do I keep and which I must ardently remove. I recommend you to do the same. For myself, one such conditioning which has become more apparent to me is my anger. This particular kind of anger I recognize, is the kind of anger I have learned from my mother. And while travelling, it has the ripe conditions to arise and for me to practice with. But, it seems that as I come to understand it more, I've discovered that this style of anger has been passed on through generations. While discussing this issue with my cousin, she shares too that she gets angry in the same way. I then asked if her mother does it too, who is my mother's sister, She says yes. And I asked if my grandfather does it too, and she says yes. It is a trip to see that some mental habits within me have been passed down. It gives a sense of compassion, especially for my mother, because she was treated with in such a way and is only reacting to the way she has been taught, as is everyone else. It is scary as I look out into the world and see how much people influence each other in their ways of being and consciousness, such unenlightened ways. Thus, I wish for everyone to surround themselves in good environments and to find truly good friends, and great teachers to show us how to think, behave, act, ad love, in enlightening ways. I am thankful to all my teachers who have helped me to remove all the conditioning and the egotistical ways of thinking that has helped me to lead a life with a bit of truth, humility, compassion, love, true happiness, and peace. I am also thankful for the dharma that teaches us the way and how to practice skillfuly to change ourselves- to discover the purity within. There is much more practice to be done, but I am hopeful.

Until Next Time Vietnam...

2008-08-26T22:10:00.001-07:00

The cycling part of my last journal entry finished on somewhat of a sour note due to the fact that I had ingested more mountain dirt than food over the previous three days. However, I said that I would look forward to better days and fortunately they arrived sooner rather than later.When I hit the road again, the sensation of the super smooth surface beneath my wheels felt so unfamiliar that I thought that something was wrong with the King Brown. The sight of three lanes in each direction plus a shoulder wide enough to be another lane was equally unfamiliar, so much so that I thought that I must still be fast asleep and dreaming in my hotel bed. However, as per usual, the King Brown was running to perfection and I was well and truly awake with a feeling akin to that which a baseballer gets when he warms up with three bats and then goes out to bat with one; my legs felt lighter and the road passed beneath me with ease. Cycling had become enjoyable again.After a few days of these much improved conditions, I rolled into Mai Chau on the back of a 20km downhill. A town much like any other in rural Vietnam, Mai Chau sees its fair share of visitors due to the fact that the local White Thai tribes have opened their homes up to tourists as guesthouses. I found myself in a beautiful wooden and bamboo home complete with a balcony overlooking the vast rice fields in the valley below where local villagers toiled beneath the huge mountains towering above. The accommodation was authentic, meaning basic. My bed consisted of a mat on the floor of a large communal bamboo-floored room, but it came with all the creature comforts one needs including electricity and cold beer. In any case, I spent the majority of my time there lounging in the balcony hammock, which is the most under-utilised piece of furniture in the world, particularly in Oz where the climate just screams for them.For anyone feeling a bit stressed or suffering from anxiety, my suggestion would be to forget shrinks and prescription drugs and to buy a hammock and stretch out for half an hour a day because once snug in that cocoon, it is impossible to do anything but relax.I could have spent quite some time in such a chilled-out, slow-paced and downright beautiful environment, but i wanted to be in Hanoi for Christmas where I was to meet cousin Luke. Besides, I would be passing through this way again in not too long.Seeing Luke step out of his airport taxi after fumbling with all of his dong as he paid the driver, was fantastic. We gave eachother a typical awkward, manly, half-handshake, half-hug that put our inhibitions on display, went for some noodle soup and a much-needed chat and a laugh (it's ok, I made him give me a decent embrace a couple of days later in the street).With Luke just finishing another year at uni and me having been on the road for six months, we felt the need to celebrate and soon became creatures of the night, returning to our hotel at 7, 8, 9am and sleeping until dusk. This meant seeking out the pubs and clubs that remained open late, either defying local law or simply paying off those who enforced it. These establishments gave the outward appearance of being closed, but upon opening the door, one would find groups of rowdy, drunken backpackers playing jenga, seasoned travellers with blackened feet laying on cushions smoking sheesha while listening to Bob Marley or a bunch of baby boomer expats rocking out to a DVD of a live concert by The Who.Whatever the crowd, there was always a good night to be had.Christmas in Hanoi was somewhat of a non-event with a few decorations placed on shopfronts to gratify the tourists, so it was good to see that New Years was widely celebrated and done so in style. Luke and I ended up at Titanic, a floating nightclub in a beautiful setting on the Red River. In saying that, not much time was spent enjoying the scenery, at least not the type that didn't shake their stuff on the dance floor. It turned out to be a fantastic party; the music was pumping, there was plenty of dancing to be had and the crowd was a very friendly mix of Hanoians and Westerners. It was a great way to bring in the massive year of 2008!It also marked a turning point for Luke and I whereby we decided to try and get back to some kind of normality and see Hanoi during the light of day. This meant engaging in some slightly more tame, though no less enjoyable, activites such as visiting the botanical gardens and hiring a giant swan in which we pedalled around West Lake, something we both agreed was very romantic.I also used this recovery time to do something I haven't done in two years; get a haircut. So in true Vietnamese style, I sat out on the footpath looking into a mirror that leant against a concrete wall while my barber/bia hoi drinking buddy, Cuong, removed the locks I had worked so hard for. By the time it was over I looked like a cross between a paedophile on crimestoppers, a teenage goth and Prince Valiant, but what do you expect for $1?Finally, we decided it was time to take our leave from Hanoi where the weather over the previous two weeks had been overcast, grey and often downright cold, in search of sunshine and open spaces. Luke signed up for a tour of Halong Bay while I pedalled off in the direction of the Laos border. We met again 10kms from Mai Chau when I saw Luke hanging out of a bus window as it crawled past me on the steep incline of a mountain. I whizzed by it 15 minutes later going down the other side.Luke took to Mai Chau as much as I had, for this was his first sight of rural Vietnam, which is in total contrast to the urban parts of the country. As we sat on the patio enjoying a cold Tiger, he decided that we should climb one of the mountains that stood over us in the distance. He assured me that he could see a path leading to the top, though try as I might, I could see no such path, only dense jungle on steep mountain slopes.Regardless, the following day we set out under the midday sun and proceeded to climb Luke's path, that was in fact a dried creek bed. It ended up being a challenging though rewarding hike that provided great views over the plains below and the rolling hills beyond. We did have aspirations to reach the summit, but no matter how many times we walked for "just 15 more minutes" amongst foliage that was getting thicker and thicker, it never appeared to get any closer. So eventually, satisfied and buggered, we began the slippery descent.We parted ways again the next day as Luke stayed behind to attempt to buy a motorbike so that he could follow his dream of riding in front of me while I choked on his exhaust. We are still yet to meet up again and I'm not sure exactly where he is, but I know he successfully crossed the border on a moto because the Lao immigration officer had no problem with me going through his documents.After a couple of days of tough riding through the scorching hot mountainside where the jungle was as dense as anywhere I've been, I arrived at the tiny, little-used border town of Nam Xoi. The following morning, after four months or two-thirds of my entire time on tour, I farewelled Vietnam......................just as I was starting to get used to being constantly felt-up aswell.Perhaps it's the close living quarters or the tight family and community ties, but something I have noticed throughout my travels is that the people within these asian cultures are far more affectionate towards one another than those of us in the West. It is not uncommon to see two male friends walking down the street with their arms around one another or five crammed onto a bench that should really only seat three or two girls holding hands while riding their bicycles home from school. It is only in Vietnam however, that this physical affection has been extended to me, usually from men who have just had their daily quota of rice wine.It would start when they noticed my hairy arms, which they would all take turns to stroke and compare to their own hairless limbs. They would then move down to my calves and thighs, which would be cause for particular excitement if they knew I was a cyclist. They would give them a firm, tight squeeze and make strange grunting noises. If I was lucky, that would be the extent of the encounter that left me feeling like some exotic animal in a petting zoo. If not, I would soon find hands reaching down my shirt to caress the curls of my hairy chest.Even after the initial excitement, hands would linger and it would not be uncommon for me to be sitting around a table, being practically forced to down shots of rice wine (just what I needed at 9am to wash down my breakfast before a big ride) while the man next to me stroked my thigh beneath my shorts.There will be things I will miss about Vietnam and there will definitely be things I won't, this experience encompasses both sides of that spectrum.Most notably, what I will miss is the amazingly diverse scenery and the equally diverse inhabitants of these places, from beautiful, white-sand beaches to lush, thick, green jungle to vast rice plains to enormously overbearing mountains to the absolutely unique characteristics of The Gulf of Tonkin. It truly has been second to none for the tour and I am so thankful that I've had the opportunity to experience it all on such an intimate level.Goodbye Vietnam.

Vietnam Sightseeing

2008-08-21T22:29:00.001-07:00

Nha Trang

2008-08-20T22:17:00.001-07:00

We caught the overnight bus from Saigon to Nha Trang, which turned out to be quite an experience. Besides the fact that the bus was not the most comfortable of buses ever, we had a very dodgy character on the bus who deprived us of most of our sleep. He had been acting really strangely the whole way on the bus, changing seats a number of times, lying down on the back seats and even lying in the aisle. Luckily South America taught me a thing or two about guarding your possessions on a bus, so I had one foot on Warren's bag, and the other one on my bag. So when he pulled Warren's bag backwards, I immediately felt it and moved it back towards the front. It didn't take long for him to try again, but we caught him at it again and moved Warren's bag right to the front, out of harm's way and facing forwards. A few minutes later, he was fishing around at my bag, but as I felt my bag moving, I kicked really hard backwards, and caught him on the hand. Realising that he had been caught out, he tried to cover up by pretending to look for something that he had dropped on the floor, and even had the cheek to ask us if he could borrow our torch so that he could have a look! Anyway, when he had no luck with our bags, he changed seats yet again. Even though we were both keeping an eye on him, neither of us noticed when he finally hit the jackpot. About 5 minutes after he got off the bus, the girl that was sitting in the seat in front of the last seat he had sat in noticed that 150 Euros was missing out of her wallet...The weather in Nha Trang was miserable. Rainy, and really windy. As it is a coastal resort, there was not much else for us to do, so we decided to spend only one night there, and head out on the overnight bus the next night. There was a huge storm on the first night that we spent there. The wind was so strong that it was blowing potplants over, and our windows rattled so badly all night that we didn't manage to get much sleep. When we wanted to leave the next day, we were told that there were no buses as there had been a landslide, so we decided to take the overnight train instead.

Vietnam Travel Directory

2008-08-19T22:37:00.001-07:00

Vietnam travel directory, provides you Vietnam travel links, hotels Directory, directory listings, add travel url,Vietnam Travel index, Vietnam Travel agents, Vietnam Tour operators ... Vietnam Hotel Guide, Vietnam Hotel Directory, Vietnam Hotel BookingVietnam Hotel
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Exploring Hanoi

2008-08-17T22:17:00.001-07:00

As promised a more detailed overview of our recent tour, starting off with Hanoi city in Vietnam.Hanoi, 26th-28th of FebruaryWe arrived in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, in the evening on the 26th of February with a day to kill before our tour started on the 28th. The first thing we noticed on our drive from the airport to the Victory hotel was the amount of traffic on the roads (most of it motorbikes) and the fact that the horn was an integral part of driving in Vietnam.In fact, the next day one of the first things we had to learn, and nervously put into practice was crossing the road. Due to the huge volume of motorbikes coming from all directions it is just unsafe to look for a gap in the traffic and run across the road. In fact running is the most dangerous thing you could do. Instead, you have to step into the road and slowly walk acoss, this way the motorbikes have time to spot you and move around you as you cross the road. It took a bit of getting used to but it did work and surprisingly well.During our first morning we explored the city on foot and made our way to the temple on the lake and browsed some of the many goods on offer in the shops. In the afternoon we jumped into cyclos for a tour of the city taking in the major sites such as the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. We also stopped off to watch a water puppet show, a speciality of Hanoi, this was very entertaining and done well with puppeteers standing in four feet of water moving puppets on basically two bits of wood. I haven't done it justice in my description but take our word for it, it was entertaining to watch.The next day we explored more of Hanoi of foot and tried to get into the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum to catch a glimpse of the now preserved, former, leader. Unfortunately, we were just too late when we arrived (this can be blamed on a cyclo drvier who chased us down a street) and could not get in so instead walked around the Museum next door which talked about and displayed some of the recent history of Vietnam and the life history of Ho Chi Minh. That evening we met our tour group and leader and all went out for dinner at the Cyclo restaurant to get to know each other. Our tour group was made up of a good mix of nationalities and ages with the youngest at 23 and the oldest at 62.The next day we all jumped on board a mini bus and headed to Halong Bay.....

Vietnam Travel Information

2008-08-14T22:11:00.001-07:00

Vietnam Information Most visitors to Vietnam are overwhelmed by the sublime beauty of the country's natural setting: the Red River Delta in the north, the Mekong Delta in the south and almost the entire coastal strip are a patchwork of brilliant green rice paddies tended by women in conical hats.There are some divine beaches along the coast, while inland there are soaring mountains, some of which are cloaked by dense, misty forests. Vietnam also offers an opportunity to see a country of traditional charm and rare beauty rapidly opening up to the outside world.href=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/vietnam/
Vietnam Travel Vietnam ToursAs a local tour operator, Footprint can take you on a custom-made tour to destinations throughout Vietnam. From small group tours of historical Vietnam; to eco-adventures in Halong Bay; to cultural community-based tourism products in Ha Giang.We have been a Vietnam ambassador to thousands of travelers Worldwide, we pride ourselves as being your guide to experiencing the real Vietnam at your own pace and stylehttp://www.footprintsvietnam.com
Tong cuc Du lich Viet Nam - Vietnam National Administration of TourismOfficial Website of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, includes information about Vietnam people and country and tourism.www.vietnamtourism.com
Wikipedia VietnamVietnam was under Chinese control for a thousand years before becoming a nation-state in the 10th century. Successive dynasties flourished along with.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam

Hoi An

2008-08-10T17:47:00.001-07:00

Brokedown Mekong Travel

2008-08-07T22:28:00.001-07:00

We stared the day super duper early and caught our bus to take a tour of the Mekong Delta. Neither Tara or I had much idea what to expect as she was fourced to use our tour brouchure as tissue paper in a dicey bathroom before we actually got on the bus! One thing we knew we were planning on seeing was the famous Vietnamese Floating Markets!!We drove about an hour and a half with the rest of our group- a great German couple, a Danish couple, two elderly American sisters, a British guy who was enroute to becoming an English teacher and a French guy who wasn't very personable. Our guide was this kooky little Vietnamese girl was our guide- she was cute, but kinda flaky!We drove to this little town where we boarded traditional Vietnamese boats (with the eyes on the front to scare the "Rockadiles") and traveled along the Mekong till we got to Unicorn Island. The Mekong had an amazing amount of activity. It's honestly like a highway- tons of boats carrying all different types of cargo (clothes, food, sand, gravel, people, etc.) going all different speeds. There was also tons activity happening along the riverbanks. Native homes and businesses are set up right along the banks and people are buying, selling, swimming, cooking and sleeping everywhere!Unicorn Island was an island where we got a glimpse of traditional life in the Mekong. We hiked along little winding pathways, stopped and sampled many goods (primarily beverages...hehe) created by local people- honey tea (I got past my mortal fear of bees and held part of a hive!), banana wine, rice wine, and my favorite- snake wine! I also held a python! We hiked some more, and stopeed to listen to traditional music and have tea and fruit. Next we hiked to a little cannal and hopped in little two-man boats and were poled through the water by some ilanders...the water level was low so it was a bit hectic at times! We got back to open water, hopped on our big boats and tarvelled to another island where we obsereved the making of cocunut candy (yummmy!)had lunch, and biked through the coutryside! Over lunch we had some interesting chats with the Europeans about the Danish comic scandal.Finally, at the end of the day we hopped on speedy boat for our two-hour ride up the Mekong to Siagon harbour. The sun was setting and we saw beautiful sights including hundreds of kites flying along the bank (popular hobby here) and I was really enjoying the trip when our boat broke down...We waited for a while with our emotions going up and down...at one point we thought we were going to get rescued by a big ship passing by- no dice!Everyone was pretty light hearted, by as time passed, things got a bit tense. I for one was getting worried as I drank a ton of water after our bike ride and the possibility of having to pee over the side of the boat in front of an audience of 12 was not looking appealing! Additionally, after about 30 mins, we had drifted clear across the river into the brush on the other side!Finally, with some type of magic, our mechanic managed to get the old boat going and received a huge round of applause! What a hero!We travelled into Siagon harbour, where there were huge container ships and tons of crazy stuff going on! After the cab dropped us off in the backpacker viallge, we did some shopping, grabbed supper at a little Italian place and then had an awkward encounter with Christian (one of the African guys that we met our first night) who was pretty angry that we didn't meet them the night before (a plan that had been discussed)!All in all, we were happy we didn't as Tara and I both received weird e-mails from them that indicated they were a little intense!Now onto the bus for our trip to Mui Ne and some fun in the sun!!

Treasure of Mekong tours in Vietnam

2008-07-24T20:29:00.001-07:00

16 days -15 nights: Luang Prabang - Hanoi - Halong Bay - Hue - Hoi An - Ho Chi Minh City - Phnom Penh - Siem ReapDay 1: Luang Prabang - Arrival (D)Upon arrival at the airport, you are met and transferred to the hotel. Luang Prabang is perhaps the best-preserved traditional city in Southeast Asia. The tranquility and charm of this town with its splendid natural scenery and cultural sights make it one of the most delightful places to visit in Laos . After a short rest, we visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham, Wat Mai; we then climb up to the top of Phousi Mount for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a beautiful sunset view of the city and the Mekong River. From there, we explore Street Night Bazaar, where you can find the lovely collection and handmade textile by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. Overnight in Luang Prabang.Day 2: Luang Prabang - Pak Ou Cave - Kuangsi Water Fall (B/L)After breakfast, we enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city's oldest temple of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represent the classical architecture of Luang Prabang temple. We then board a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a beautiful view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mysterious of Pak Ou Caves, crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes.In the afternoon, drive to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfall where you can splash around in the pools or walk along the forest paths, return to Luang Prabang by late afternoon and continue to Ban Phanom, a well known weaving village, return to the city by late evening, for observing the sunset at Wat Siphouthabath. Overnight in Luang Prabang.Day 3: Luang Prabang - Hanoi (B/L)Free time for relax until time for transfering to airport for flight to Hanoi. Once again our guide will meet you and transfer you to Hanoi city. Lunch at local restaurant before check-in at hotel. After two or more hours relax, our cyclo tour do not make you more tired but more relax. After one hour ride around the trading area in Hanoi Old Quarter, the cyclo will stop you at Ngoc Son Temple for a short visit, then take one minute walk to Thang Long theatre for Water Puppet show. Overnight in hotel in Hanoi.Day 4: Hanoi (B/L)In the morning to visit Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, House on Stilt, One Pillar Pagoda, Tran Quoc pagoda, Quan Thanh temple, Army Museum and Hanoi Flag Tower. Time for lunch and check-out. In the afternoon, visit Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (The First National University established in 1076). The next visiting place should be the Museum of Vietnam Ethnology in Cau Giay District or just go shopping around Silk shops and Art shops in Hang Gai street. Overnight in hotel in Hanoi.Day 5: Hanoi - Halong Bay (B/L/D)Today we leave Hanoi to Halong Bay, "Dragon Descending to the Sea". Upon arrival, we will embark to a junk /boat for a cruise around Ha Long Bay. While the junk cruising caves, grottoes, floating villages and beaches on Ha Long bay, having fresh seafood lunch on boat. Stop for a while for an excursing to Surprise Caves, (Grotto of Surprises) and Swimming, Kayaking (kayak cost is not include in this package) if weather permitted. Have dinner on board. In the evening, enjoy the night fishing (if weather permitted). Overnight on board.Day 6: Ha Long Bay - Hanoi (B/L)In the morning, cruising more in the Halong bay before return to the Halong pier. Having lunch in Halong before return back Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.Day 7: Hanoi - Hue (B/L)Free time in the morning before transfer to the airport of Hanoi for noon flight to Hue. Transfer to a local restaurant in the city for lunch before check in. In the afternoon we pay a visit to the Imperial Citadel, constituted from the Real Fortress and the Forbidden City, and the market of Dong Ba. Overnight in Hue.Day 8: Hue - Hoi An (B/L)In morning we embark on a dragon boat sail along the Huong River to visit the Thien Mu Pagoda, and the tomb of Khai Dinh Kinh. Lunch at local restaurant. In the afternoon transfer to Hoi An through the famous of Hai Van Pass. Passing Danang, the car will stop for the visit to Cham Museum. Cham Museum is the open air collection of Cham sculpture. Overnight in Hoi An.Day 9: Hoi An - Ho Chi Minh City B/L)In the morning, you will walk to visit ancient tiny town Hoi An. The visit will includes Japanese covered bridge, some Chinese Assembly Halls, and some typical Vietnamese houses of 18 century. In the afternoon, transfer to Danang Airport for evening flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City - Cu Chi (B/L)In the morning drive to Cu Chi, one incredible city basement constituted from one series of tightened tunnel, used from the Vietcong during the war with the Americans. Lunch at local restaurant. In the afternoon pause to the colonial buildings of Saigon like the Independent Palace, Post Office and the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Ben Thanh market. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City - Vinh Long - Can Tho (L)Our car will pick up at your hotel in early morning. Upon arrival at Cai Be, embark a private boat to cruise around Cai Be Floating Market to see local people being selling, buying, exchanging goods from their boats. Visit local garden and house to see orchard, rice crisped producing process, .. After lunch taking a cruise along river to see peaceful tranquil life of villagers, admire marvelous natural natural setting of Mekong Delta region. About 3 pm, the boat will arrival at Vinh Long, walking around to explore Vinh Long Market. Then transfer to Can Tho City. Over night in Can Tho. Day 12: Can Tho - Cai Rang - Chau Doc (B/L)Cruising along the small and picturesque tributaries by boat, we will see the Cai Rang floating market (the nicest one with heaps of rowing boats). Take in the beautiful scenery and the daily activities of the locals who lives along the Mekong canals and you will roam through the village to visit a rice husking mill and a rice noodles making shop. Then continue going to Chau Doc via Long Xuyen. Check in on arrival. Visit the Sam mountain to enjoy the a breath-taking view on the Vietnamese-Cambodian border with flat rice fields and nice canals, visit caved pagoda. Over night in Chau Doc.Day 13: Chau Doc - Phnom Penh (B/L)In morning departure in boat to Phnom Penh going back one of the arms of the Mekong. Arrival and lunch. In the afternoon, visits of the city, in particular of the National Museum, rich art of Khmer, of the Silver Pagoda, inserted in the fencing of the Royal Palace, Preahkeo Morokot & Central Market. Overnight in Phnom Penh.Day 14: Phnom Penh - Siem Reap (B/L)In morning departure by flight to Siem Reap and transfer your hotel in the city. Angkor, luminous understood them of the great reign Khmer, is one of more important testimonies that the human genius knew to create in the field of the limbs, the architecture and the urban planning. Lunch at local restaurant. Then start tour to visit famous temple Angkor Wat with enjoying sunset from top of Bakheng Hill. Overnight in Siem Reap.Day 15: Siem Reap - Angkor Complex (B/L/D)Breakfast at hotel, then visit the Angkor Thom: South Gate, Bayon, Baphoun, Terrace of Elephants, Terrace of Leper King and Phimean Akas temple. Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon, transfer to visit Angkor Ruins: Thommanom, chao Say Tevoda, Takeo, Ta Prom, Banteay Kdey and Sras Srang until Sunset. Dinner at local restaurant with Apsaras show & overnight in Siem Reap.Day 16: Siem Reap - Departure (B)After breakfast, transfer to take the Tonlé Sap for a cruise on the lake with the visiting to floating village to explore the fish man life. Then visit Chantier Ecole-Artisant d’Angkor. Free time for shopping before departure home.Type of tour: - Private tour. (This is the sample tour, you may go with all details above or we can modify to fix your way of travel) - Easy tourDeparture: Any dayFeature of tour: This Indochina vacation tour organize for travelers, who want to know the charmng of Angkor - Siem Reap and charming of Vietnam. You will understand Cambodia and Vietnam with:- Our history- Our literature- Our religious

Mekong Delta (Vietnam & Caombodia) - Toum Tiou Cruise

2008-06-29T23:24:00.001-07:00