Posted by admin on November 24, 2010 under Vietnam Overviews, Vietnam Travel Info, Vietnam Travel Tips | 
No longer held down by its past (or its politics), the slender nation of Vietnam makes for easy itineraries, book-ended as it is with two very different cities: poetic, tight-lipped Hanoi and zestful, go-go-go Ho Chi Minh City.
You can fly into one and out from the other, seeing the dialect, temperament and diet change as you move from the south’s rice paddy fields to the centre’s white-sand beaches and the north’s hill-tribe villages and limestone cliffs. It’s still cheap, but has increasingly become a mini China, with a growing nose of business, yet push-cart vendors amid the sports cars.
Despite the surge in attention, there are undiscovered pockets everywhere; to find them, you usually just need to walk a couple of blocks from the main street.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
March and April, September to November
TOP THINGS TO SEE
• Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake, particularly when lined with morning exercisers at 5am
• Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in the capital, Hanoi
• Dragon-shaped mountains and blue-green water of Halong Bay
• The citadel and royal tombs along the Perfume River in Hué
• Terraced rice fields, mountains and traditional homes in Sapa
TOP THINGS TO DO
• Eat pho (noodle soup) from a tiny plastic stool at a sidewalk eatery
• Pick one of the many Hoi An tailors to make a shirt, suit or dress
• Boat through the Mekong Delta
• Escape tourist ghettos, where it’s easier to mix with friendly locals
GETTING UNDER THE SKIN
Read Dumb Luck by Vu Trong Phung, a fun 1936 tale of Red-Haired Xuan, a Charlie Chaplin–type character
Listen to the motorbike engines, beeps and street vendor calls from a street cafe in Ho Chi Minh City
Watch a film having little to do with war, Tran Anh Hung’s The Vertical Ray of the Sun, showing life in modern Hanoi
Eat as much local food as you can; the pho, banh cuon (steamed rice rolls with minced pork) and goi cuon (summer spring rolls) are fresher, better and cheaper than Vietnamese restaurants abroad
Drink bia hoi (draught beer), particularly at Hanoi’s infamous ‘bia hoi’ corner in the Old Quarter: a hundred stools, 101 drinkers and cheap beer
IN A WORD
Troi oi! (Oh my!)
TRADEMARKS
Conical hats; cyclos; ao dai (traditional dresses); scooter gridlocks
RANDOM FACT
Hanoi turned 1000 in 2010.
(Source: Lonelyplanet)
Posted by admin on November 23, 2010 under Vietnam Beaches, Vietnam Destinations, Vietnam Travel Info, Vietnam attractions |
Looking for a romantic spot that’s (almost) all yours? Here’s a list from our brand new Best in Travel 2011 guide to reignite your love affair with desert islands, with picks from across the globe.
1. Socotra, Yemen
You just have to be intrigued by a destination that describes itself as ‘the most alien-looking place on earth’. Ripped from the coast of Gondwanaland by plate tectonics, the four desert islands that form the Socotra group are a treasure-house of biodiversity, with thousands of plant and animal species found nowhere else on earth. Topping the weird list are the barrel-trunked cucumber tree and the dragon’s blood tree, which oozes blood-red sap. Despite being closer to Africa than the Arabian Peninsula, Socotra is administered by Yemen, which keeps the islands off the tourist radar.
Modern-day Sinbads can fly to the tiny capital, Hadibu, from Sana’a and Aden with Yemenia Airlines.
2. Torres Strait Islands, Australia
As far as you can go in Oz without falling off the map, the Torres Strait Islands are Australia as it might have been if Europeans had never arrived. Spilling north from the tip of Cape York, the 274 islands in the Torres Strait preserve a unique tribal culture that bridges the divide between Aboriginal Australia and Papua New Guinea. The Great Barrier Reef is right on the doorstop and there are airstrips and hotels on Thursday Island and Horn Island, but access to other islands is at the discretion of local tribal councils.
Permits to visit outlying islands must be obtained at least one month in advance from the Torres Strait Regional Authority.
3. Yaeyama Islands, Japan
If Godzilla should ever rise from the sea to destroy Tokyo and Osaka, there’s only one place to ride out the storm – the idyllic Yaeyama Islands, tucked away at the very southern tip of the Japanese archipelago. Looking more like the Caribbean, the islands of Iriomote, Taketomi and Ishigaki serve up generous portions of sun, sea, sand and sushi. Ishigaki has the best of the beaches, while Taketomi is famous for its traditional Ryukyuan houses and Iriomote is a jungle playground with an open-air onsen (hot springs).
Japan Transocean Air flies daily from Tokyo to Ishigaki, which is connected to the other islands by regular ferries.
4. Îles du Salut, French Guiana
Most people have heard of Devil’s Island, but few would be able to stick a pin on a map. The smallest of the three Îles du Salut, this infamous former penal colony is separated from the coast of French Guiana by 11km of treacherous, shark-infested waters. Steve McQueen tried to escape the islands repeatedly in Papillon, but most modern visitors are willing castaways, lured here by waving palms, chattering macaws and spooky ruins from the penal colony days.
Access to the Îles du Salut is by catamaran from Kourou and the only place to stay is the clubhouse-style Auberge des Iles.
5. Ulleungdo, South Korea
It’s easy to see the appeal of tiny Ulleungdo. Midway between South Korea and Japan, this rugged volcanic island is said to have no pollution, no thieves and no snakes – in other words, this is perfect hiking country. Ferries run daily from the mainland to the tiny port at Dodong-ri, where trails climb to the rocky summit of Seonginbong Peak (984m). If you want to really push the boat out, continue to the Dokdo islands – a tiny collection of outcrops that are hotly disputed between Japan and South Korea.
Perched beneath a towering cliff wall, Chusan Ilga Pension offers comfortable but satisfyingly rustic accommodation on the rugged north coast.
6. San Blás Archipelago, Panama
Panama probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of the Caribbean, but this Central American nation has coral cays to rival anything in the Caymans or the Virgin Islands. Run as an autonomous province by the Kuna people, the San Blás Archipelago is a crescent of 365 tiny islands basking in the warm waters of the southern Caribbean. Forget luxury resorts – the only hotels are homestays in village houses and dinner is whatever the fishermen bring home in their canoes each evening.
Air Panama has regular flights to several San Blás islands, including the capital, El Porvenir.
7. Penghu Islands, Taiwan
If Taiwan is the other China, then the Penghu islands are the other Taiwan. Administered from Taipei, the 90 islands of the Penghu archipelago are – within Taiwan at least – for their glorious scenery and ‘touching nostalgia’, which translates to unspoiled traditional Taiwanese culture. Away from the capital, Makung, this is a land of ox-carts, fish-traps, stone-walled fields, basalt cliffs and ancient temples dedicated to the sea goddess Matsu. If sun and sand are more your cup of shochu, the beaches and windsurfing are pretty impressive too.
From May to October, Penghu’s beaches are a nesting ground for endangered green turtles – locals leave turtle-shaped offerings at temples across Penghu as part of the Lantern Festival, 14 days after the New Year.
8. Bay Islands & Hog Islands, Honduras
Forget Pirates of the Caribbean – the sand-dusted islands that float off the coast of Honduras are the real deal. In their heyday, the islands of Roatán, Utila and Guanaja were home to 5000 cutthroats, brigands and buccaneers, including the infamous Henry Morgan (aka Blackbeard). These days, the Bay Islands are better known for their beaches, diving and laid-back tropical vibe. You can turn the volume down ever further at the nearby Cayos Cochinos (Hog Islands) – 13 languorous coral cays and one secluded resort in a sea of brilliant blue.
The driftwood Plantation Beach Resort is the Hog Islands’ only accommodation, but camping can be arranged on uninhabited islands.
9. Con Dao Islands, Vietnam
Another prison-turned-paradise, the Con Dao islands were home to the most notorious penal colony in Indochina, and continued its grim work until the end of the Vietnam War. Now preserved as Con Dao National Park, the 16 islands are a natural wonderland of dense jungles, jade-coloured waters and white-sand beaches, home to dugongs, dolphins, turtles and spectacular coral reefs. For now, tourist developments on the islands are limited to a single dive shop and a handful of resorts in Con Son township.
Timing is everything with Con Dao – the islands are lashed by squalls from the west from June to September and squalls from the east from September to January.
10. Ssese Islands, Uganda
Why would a landlocked African nation appear on a list of desert islands? Thank Lake Victoria. The Ssese Islands tick all the right boxes for an island paradise – golden beaches, whispering palm trees, exotic flora and fauna – they just happen to be in the middle of Africa’s largest lake. Most of the 84 islands in the Ssese group are undeveloped, but a handful of resorts and beach camps grace the sands of Buggala, Bukasa and Banda. Aside from basking in the sun, the main activities are combing the jungle for exotic creatures and canoeing across the lake.
Boats run daily to Kalangala on Buggala island from Entebbe, Kasenyi and Bukakata on the mainland.
Posted by admin on November 22, 2010 under Vietnam Destinations, Vietnam Travel Info, Vietnam attractions, Vietnam beauty |
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 Lauded by The New York Times as “one of Southeast Asia’s most untouched and breathtaking getaways”, Viet Nam’s Con Dao archipelago has begun to welcome a growing number of tourists who wish to experience its pristine natural landscape.
The New York Times recently featured a photo essay of the archipelago in its Travel section which followed a previously published online article about the 16 islands on its website in May.
We took a 45-minute flight to travel the 230km distance from HCM City to Con Dao Airport, located on the archipelago’s largest island Con Son, which is commonly called Con Dao Island in the southern province of Ba Ria- Vung Tau.
One of the guy’s in our group, who has a fear of flying, quickly recovered after stepping off a Fokker aircraft and taking a deep breath of fresh, ocean air.
Far away from noise, pollution and crowds of the city, the islands offer an escape into the great outdoors – a world of deserted beaches and peaceful seaside towns.
On the way from the airport to our hotel, which offers seaside wooden bungalows, the kind driver told us about some of the must-see spots on the island.
Although many say the best times to travel to Con Dao are February, June and October, we had perfect weather during our five-day vacation in August except for a bit of rain on our second day. However, the shower brought a beautiful surprise along with it: a big bright rainbow. I never knew that a rainbow could bring such joy! We jumped and yelled like children in happiness.
I still remember how relaxed I felt when I sat in a beach chair on my bungalow’s balcony, listening to the sound of the waves crash onto the shore and watching black squirrels swing on tree branches overhead.
Don’t expect to find a taxi on the island. The only way to get around is to rent a motorbike, which will give you access to every single corner of this little bit of paradise.
We started our journey of discovery on motorbikes hired from the hotel. Bai Nhat Beach, a white sand stretch surrounded by a shark-shaped mountain range, was our first stop. Except for another group of young people who were preparing seafood BBQ the rocks, we had the beach to ourselves. We made friends quickly and were invited to join their feast. All of the seafood was fresh, purchased at the island’s only market.
Our seafood extravaganza didn’t stop there! We had dinner at a nearby seafood restaurant, which was highly recommended by our taxi driver. We were not disappointed, as it offers an abundant menu featuring local seafood specialities at very reasonable prices. Connoisseurs can have a look at the tanks filled with different kinds of live seafood, some of which I’ve never seen in my life, to decide what looks good for dinner.
The next day, we visited Dam Trau, another pristine beach, which we were able to access after following a 2km slushy and bumpy path. We were the only human presence in that dramatic landscape, where blue sky and water meet in harmony.
“Maybe the feeling of being in paradise is the exact same feeling we have when lying here on the smooth sand beach,” said my friend, Duy Tung.
Our driver also recommended we visit Ong Dung Beach. To get to the beach, you have to drive up a mountain, then leave your motorbike and follow a trail through the jungle. You will be impressed when you see the ocean so close to the jungle. However in my opinion, Ong Dung is not an ideal place for swimming because there are many rough rocks under the water.
 If you want to learn more about the wildlife, you can book a “Turtle Tour” at the national park office. You will have to travel to another island for the tour, and you may even get to see a turtle laying eggs. Any trip to Con Dao Island should include a visit to its historical sites. It is infamous for a cruel prison network, which was first run by French colonists. Due to its remoteness, the French used the main island to jail anti-colonial protesters. During the American War, the US-backed Sai Gon regime continued the tradition, sending revolutionaries and activists to the more than 10 prisons on the island.
Nowadays, a visit to any of the prisons, including the oldest Phu Hai Prison, which was built in 1862, most people have a visceral response and actually feel the cruelty of “Hell on Earth”. Examples of “tiger cages” and “cow cages”, the infamous cells and punishment areas used to incarcerate several leading Vietnamese revolutionaries, are on display.
About 200,000 prisoners were incarcerated in the prisons and 20,000 died in atrocious conditions. The Hang Duong Cemetery holds the remains of the many prisoners who perished here, including heroine Vo Thi Sau. A revolutionary activist, Sau was caught by the French and imprisoned in Con Dao Prison before being sentenced to death in 1952 at the age of 19.
For many years, the only way to get to the island was either by boat from the coastal city of Vung Tau or a flight from HCM City. The first-ever direct flight from Ha Noi to Con Dao recently launched by the new airline Mekong Air, which is expected to contribute significantly to the island’s development.
As tourism on the island has yet to fully develop, you can count on your fingers the number of accommodation options for tourists. The opening of the eco-luxury Six Senses resort from the Bangkok-based company next month suggests that Con Dao might soon become part of the international travel scene.
Every year, between 30,000 and 50,000 tourists visit Con Dao Island.
Source: vietnamnet.vn |
Posted by admin on under Vietnam Travel Stories, Vietnam hotels |
October’s events pushed Hanoi hotels to the forefront of Vietnam’s tourism industry and David Cornish tells you if one of them, the Elegance 5, made the cut.
Hotels, particularly of the boutique variety, have been blossoming around the city in recent years. While larger, international chains have a presence, Hanoi’s pride in this industry probably exists in the boutique market. As upper-end tourists begin traveling Southeast Asia more and more, they learn to expect quite a big bang for their buck.
One of the Hotels that has prospered recently, opening their sixth in the city, is the Hanoi Elegance Hotel group. In question for this review is their fifth location, aptly named Hanoi Elegance 5.
Admittedly, the hotel lives up to its name upon first impressions. Three friends, visiting from the U.S. were all pleasantly surprised at the quality upon check-in. The room actually looked identical to that advertised on the website, not always a given from previous experience in the city. The hotel had provided airport pick-up service putting my guests and myself at ease. The staff is remarkably friendly and really go out of their way for the customers. They take the time to learn each guests name and greet them using it whether coming or going. They even learned mine as I became a regular in the lobby while waiting to meet my visitors.
Does the elegance live up to its name?
The good:
First of all, the hotel is conveniently located and has some of the best customer service I’ve seen in Hanoi. Much more than I would expect, or at least that was my initial impression. The rooms are excellent, particularly the larger ones. They even provide a lap top for guests to use the internet free of charge. Cleanliness is astounding and fresh fruit is brought to the room daily. “I think they went completely out of their way for us,” shared one of my friends.
The staff taking the time to know each guest makes it feel cozy. They are very conversational and even sent people out on the streets to show my visitors where to go when they were looking for something. However, it can be a little overbearing at times. While walking, my three friends stumbled upon the Elegance 6, the newest of the Elegance hotels in Hanoi. They went inside to have a look, and the staff at this hotel knew all of their names as well. This seemed a bit strange and one friend asked, “What is this a spy movie? Did they hand out our pictures and info to all of their hotels around the city?”
Food at the hotel is fairly good. The breakfast (included with the room) is excellent. Not your standard “continental” breakfast but a real, hearty and filling breakfast with options of pho, eggs, cereals and more. The dinner food is a bit pricey and not authentic as far as their Vietnamese cuisine is concerned.
Perhaps one of the nicest features of the Elegance 5 is its rooftop bar. Situated on the 12th floor and overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake, the 360 degree views are amazing and by far the best I’ve seen in Hanoi. It is high enough to muffle the sounds and catch a refreshing breeze while relaxing for a drink. The drinks are, as expected, a bit more expensive than usual (3 dollars for Heineken, 5 dollars for whiskey, and a range for cocktails) but it is certainly worth it to soak in the views. They have a happy hour but it can be a bit confusing and it seems they forget to mention it to most who are on the rooftop when it’s happening. They are determined to bring all of the drinks at the same time so sometimes receiving your order can be a bit delayed. We waited more than 10 minutes for 3 beers once and we were the only customers in the bar.
The bad:
As my friends prepared to leave after spending ten days at the hotel, they checked out. They’d spent well over a thousand dollars on the room and their bill for food, drinks, etc. was about 1,000 dollars. Because of a late flight, they paid for the room an extra day so they could relax until they departed at 9pm, but the room was paid for until check out the next morning. They also chose to pay for the room the night they didn’t use it when I took them to Halong Bay so that they could store their things. Since the room had already been paid for, my friends kindly invited me to relax and enjoy the room for the night and explained to management that I’d be staying there. The staff kindly agreed and assured us that it was no problem. I said goodbye to my friends who had traveled very far to see me, they paid their bill, we gave each other hugs in the lobby and the time came for them to go, shuttle to the airport thanks to the hotel (and 15 dollars).
When I walked back into the hotel, the friendly greetings seemed nervous and quiet. I noticed, my bag, which had been put in the room, was now sitting by the front desk. I explained to the staff what they already knew, that I’d be staying.
“Excuse me sir. Yes. I need your understanding,” came a voice from behind the desk.
He explained that in fact, he had sold the room although my friends had just, minutes before, paid for it through the morning. Sure, I used to work in the hotel business, I know how it goes, plus, I live here and I’m not a tourist so I have a place to sleep. I explained to him that it was fine, he could just let me have the room some other night when they weren’t busy.
“I need your understanding,” was the only response. After explaining to the sales manager (the hotel manager unfortunately wasn’t there) that my friends had indeed paid for two nights in which they didn’t use the room and that they had just spent well over 2,000 dollars, that he can’t just expect me to understand. He kept quiet when my friends were checking out but knew he had indeed already sold the room. Again, “I need your understanding.”
The man began raising his voice as if I had done something wrong. This really bothered me after the amount of time and money that had just been spent but even worse, it made all the excellent customer service before it seem like it had been flushed down the toilet. After I told him to calm down and that it was his mistake, he offered me a free breakfast. I politely declined. It was the lack of foresight that baffled me. I wasn’t worried about the room, but surely, for a business eying longevity, you offer some form of compensation. Needless to say, if it weren’t for this totally irrational thinking, mismanagement and unprofessional handling of the situation, I’d probably suggest the hotel to others. However, they knew very well that I lived here, worked here, and in the long term, had they taken care of me, they would have had a plethora of potential guests staying at the hotel.
The conclusion:
I hate to let one bad situation ruin all the good, but in this business that’s the way it goes. To me, the service ended when the bill was paid. When I informed my friends, they were furious. They too, have nothing but good things to say about the quality but when they return, they won’t be staying there again.
The Elegance is a splendid hotel, but in the end, they elegantly missed the point.
Posted by admin on November 19, 2010 under Vietnam Travel Info |
The Long Bien Bridge Festival opens on November 20 with more events and performers than ever, according to festival founder and organiser Nguyen Nga. Nga, an overseas Vietnamese living in France , is busy completing final preparations for the festival, to be entitled Dragon Bridge.
The festival will be closed to motor vehicle traffic and will become an outdoor art gallery, featuring an exhibition of contemporary arts, including paintings by disabled children and children affected by Agent Orange, as well as woodblock art and a collection of kites by artisans from Hanoi and the northern province of Hai Duong.
The festival will also feature an exhibition of photographs, documents and other artefacts depicting national defence over the past 10 centuries. Throughout the length of the 1,682m bridge, it will be divided into ten sections representing the 10 centuries (1010-2010) of Hanoi , each section brought to life by diverse art forms, antiquities and costumes, representing the lifestyles of the people of the time.
” Long Bien Bridge is alive,” said Nga. “It’s not only in the memory of Hanoians, but it is also the bridge of the resistance, the bridge of pains and sufferings, the bridge of happiness, the bridge of loves, and the bridge of peace and freedom.
“It’s the flesh and the blood of the Hanoians, an umbilical cord between past and present, between Hanoi , the country, and the world.”
For the festival, the bridge will be divided into three areas. The eastbound side of the bridge (the northern span) will become the Bridge of Memories and will symbolise people of courage. The eastbound side (the southern span) will be decorated with the flags of 70 countries and territories and animated by street performers. Symbolising peace and friendship, this side will be called “The Bridge of Dreams”.
The highlight of the festival will be a concert and light show on the bridge on November 21, to be broadcast live on television. Two musical pieces composed by French musicians as gifts for the Long Bien Festival – On the Long Bien Bridge and See Hanoi – will be presented by artists from Vietnam National Academy of Music and the Flonflons troupe from France and Belgium.
The festival’s general director, People’s Artist Le Hung, said, “The designer of Long Bien Bridge is also the designer of the Eiffel Tower , which is a world-famous tourist attraction, so why we can’t turn Long Bien Bridge into a bridge for tourism? The festival was initiated with that goal in mind, so I agreed to be the general director of the event.”
During the event, the organising board will also raise funds for flood victims in the central region.
(Collected by Vietnamhotels.net)
Posted by admin on under Vietnam Travel Info, Vietnam attractions, Vietnam beauty |
VietNamNet Bridge – The Sa Pa terraced fields in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai are expected to attract more tourists since a local tour company designed a new itinerary.
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| Sa Pa’s terraced fields. |
The tour will offer visitors the chance to absorb the poetic landscape and learn about the difference between terraced fields among different ethnic groups.
Sa Pa’s terraced fields were named last year among the top seven most magnificent terraced fields in the world by Travel & Leisure magazine.
The Lao Cai authority plans to submit to UNESCO a request to recognise the Sa Pa terraced field together with the Muong Hoa ancient rocks and Hoang Lien National Park as the World’s Cultural Heritage complex.
* Travellers lured by cheap Viet Nam
International travellers have identified Viet Nam as the destination that has a special culture, beautiful landscapes and affordable prices.
The findings are revealed in the latest survey by the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism and the Asian Pacific for Tourism Association of 7,000 travellers from 13 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Viet Nam was particularly attractive to tourists from Thailand, Australia, Japan and Singapore.
VietNamNet/Viet Nam News
Posted by admin on November 18, 2010 under Vietnam attractions, Vietnam beauty |
By Pham Ngoc Bang – Dtinews
Collected by Vietnamhotels.net
Bat Xat District in the northern Lao Cai Province lies along the Red River. Its quiet communes of Ban Qua, Ban Vuoc, Ban Vai, Ban Ven, etc. are recently having their skies filled with hundreds of storks arriving to nest.
According to 78-year-old Vang A Pao in Ban Qua Commune, they used to be familiar with just some kinds of birds here but storks started to come two or three years ago.
“We take the arrival of the storks as a good omen,” Pao said. “And we always tell one another to protect them. Therefore, we are welcoming more and more storks now.”
For that reason, at some markets in Bat Xat District, you will not see locals selling stork meat as people do in other places.
DTiNews captured some beautiful pictures of the storks flying over the mountains of Ban Qua, Ban Vuoc.
For any further information related to Vietnam travel, please visit our website http://Vietnamhotels.net/.
Posted by admin on under Vietnam Destinations, Vietnam attractions, Vietnam beauty |
By Nguyen Thanh Chung | dtinews.vn |
Travelling on a bendy road linking Nha Trang City in Khanh Hoa province and Da Lat City in Lam Dong Central Highlands stuns visitors and leaves them in awe.
Driving along the road reflecting the sunlight, wooden-made houses are seen looming among the hills and mountains.
The road connecting the coastal city of Nha Trang and the flower city of Da Lat.
It used to be that to travel from Nha Trang to Da Lat, visitors had to follow the 228-km route Nha Trang – Phan Rang (Ninh Thuan Province)-Da Lat.
In 2002, leaders of Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong provinces agreed to open a new route which shortened the distance between these two famous tourism cities by nearly 90km.
The Nha Trang-Dat Lat route, with its breathtaking scenery of mountains and immense forests, also contributes to the socio-economic development of the two provinces.
At this time of year, it’s easy to feel the distinct weather differences with sunlight in Nha Trang City, coolness at the 1000-metre altitude and white spaces of fog in the boundary between Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong provinces. Passers had their clothes got wet or hair covered with a thin layer of fog, which brought them a feeling of coldness. The scenery is a natural painting. Travelling for an additional 10km, the weather got warmer under the sun.
The 140km Nha Trang-Dat Lat road has become a choice for people who like exploring.
The road has a romantic feeling as it is still deserted
Suspension bridge among mountains
Surrounded by fog
A sight similar to northwestern Vietnam
Seeping in through the mist, the sun starts to appear
Many streams and waterfalls just several metres from the road
On the road, visitors can learn about the life of locals. Raglai ethnic minority people mostly live in Khanh Vinh District, Khanh Hoa Province
A dreamlike villa in the middle of pipe tree hill
Posted by admin on November 17, 2010 under Vietnam Travel Info, Vietnam attractions, Vietnam tours |
With its battlefields, monuments and museums, it is one place I will never be able to forget.
Vinh Linh District’s Hien Luong Bridge linking North and South Viet Nam is situated on the 17th parallel and was the temporary military border after the Geneva Peace Agreement on Indochina in 1954, following the French defeat in Dien Bien Phu battle.
The wooden footway supported by huge iron girders was built in 1928 for pedestrians. Improvements were added in 1931 and again in 1943 by the French to allow vehicles to cross the Ben Hai River. Seven years later, they further upgraded the bridge to serve their military purposes but it was badly damaged two years later during the war.
In later conflicts, it was bombed on numerous occasions, but it was rebuilt and restored, and stands as monument to the bloody struggles it witnessed.
The 178m long bridge that can be seen now is made from reinforced concrete with seven spans and steel girders.
Nguyen Van Tuy, an 80-year-old from Bac Ninh Province, asked his children to take him to Quang Tri to see with his own eyes the sites that have become well known across the world and to visit his younger brother who died there in 1972 and is now buried in the National Truong Son Martyrs’ Cemetery.
“I am here today, maybe my last journey, to view the victorious history of our people. The Hien Luong Bridge and its surroundings have become holy to us. It now stands for our thirst for peace and the reunification of Viet Nam,” Tuy said.
After the national victory in 1975, the military border was eliminated. In 1996, the Ministry of Transport decided to build a new bridge which is located just a few metres away from the old one to the west.
The old bridge that carried thousands of Vietnamese soldiers across to the South has become recognised as a national symbol and now attracts thousands of visitors per year.
From Hien Luong Bridge, you can take a 20km drive to the Old Citadel in Quang Tri Town.
The second must-see venue in the province was used as a military fort under the Nguyen dynasty. During the French and American occupation, it was used as a prison to hold Vietnamese patriots.
The citadel was built in 1802 in Trieu Phong District then moved to today’s location seven years later.
The first citadel was made of soil and rebuilt using bricks with towers at each corner that were used as sentry boxes.
With a perimeter of 2,080m, walls of 4m high, and a deep moat surrounding the complex, the citadel was an ideal base for the army.
During its 146 years (1809-1945) under feudalism, the citadel was the centre of politics, economics and military operations for the province and a tactical stronghold for Hue to the north.
The town was liberated on May 1, 1972 but the Sai Gon and American troops were hell-bent on recapturing the citadel, and it suffered the devastating effects of the ensuing battle.
During the 81-day siege, they dropped all kinds of ordnance including high explosive, napalm, 7-tonne and cluster bombs onto the town, concentrated on the citadel.
In total, an estimated 328,000 tonnes of explosives were dropped on the area, the equivalent of seven Hiroshima atomic bombs. During that time, the Vietnamese soldiers had to endure more than 100 bombs and 200 shells per day.
Today, there is almost nothing left of the old citadel.
The gate has been restored at the historic site and there is a small museum where visitors can learn more about those horrific days through objects and pictures that are on display. There is also a memorial temple dedicated to the heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for national reunification.
In the future, restoration work will be carried out to comprehensively restore the citadel and return it to its former importance and stature.
Further north from Dong Ha, the provincial capital of Quang Tri, it takes just 20 minutes by car to the Vinh Moc Tunnels.
The tunnels were part of Vinh Linh District’s system of underground villages during the war.
To minimise casualties, people from the district were forced to live underground to avoid the bombing.
They dug trenches so they could travel in relative safety and tunnelled even further underground to develop living spaces.
There are 114 tunnels with a total length of 40km and more than 2,000km of trenches and ditches in the district. Vinh Moc is the most famous because of its position and function during that time.
The tunnels used to be thousands of metres long but now only 1,700m remain. This underground network has 13 exits, seven opening to the sea and six to the hills while it is divided into three layers, the deepest of which is 23m deep.
They are connectedly by a 768m main axis that is 1.6 to 1.8m high and 1.2 to 1.5m wide, along both sides of which are housing chambers where families ate, slept and co-existed.
There is also a large underground meeting hall with a seating capacity of 50 to 80 people, which was used for meetings, movies, artistic performances, surgery and even a maternity ward, where 17 babies were delivered.
“It is an incredible feat of labour. I find it hard to squeeze through these tunnels. I really admire the people who not only lived but also fought in such uncomfortable conditions for years,” said Tuy’s son Nguyen Tien Hoan.
“It’s hard to believe that 17 babies were born here, a symbol of the immortality of the people of this land,” said Hoan who emerged from the tunnels after spending just a few minutes underground.
The National Truong Son Martyrs’ Cemetery was the last venue that Tuy and his family visited to view his brother’s grave.
The cemetery is located on the top of a hill surrounded by eight smaller hills, like an eight-petal flower, in Vinh Truong Commune, 25km northwest of Dong Ha.
The 106ha cemetery is home to more than 10,200 fallen soldiers and is divided into five sections according to where each soldier was from, with a memorial monument situated at the top.
The Memorial of the Nation to Soldiers’ Sacrifices has three sides representing the three Indochinese countries, leaning on each for support during their fight against their common enemy. Between sections four and five is a group of monuments dedicated to the heroism of Battalion 559 and the Viet Nam-Laos solidarity. The cemetery is the resting-place of many soldiers who fell on the Ho Chi Minh Trail and on battlefields across the central part of the country.
It is the largest memorial site in the country, reflecting the people’s deep sorrow, gratitude and respect for those who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the nation.
Every year, it welcomes more than 20,000 visitors from around the country.
Source: english.vietnamnet.vn
Posted by admin on under Vietnam Travel Info, Vietnam attractions |
With its distinctive culture, beautiful natural scenery and affordable attractions, Viet Nam has emerged as one of the top destinations for travellers in the next two years from Thailand, Australia, Japan and Singapore, according to a survey.
Results of the Asia – Pacific Travel Intentions Survey were shared by two conductors – Visa and the Pacific – Asia Travel Association (PATA) at a seminar in Ha Noi yesterday.
Among travellers who were most likely to visit Viet Nam in the next two years, 17 per cent were from Thailand, 16 per cent from Australia, and 11 per cent from Japan and Singapore, the survey reported.
Nielsen conducted the online survey in May. The survey asked 6,714 respondents from 13 key Asia – Pacific travel source markets about past and future travel plans. The markets included Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, mainland China, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK, and the US.
In each market, respondents were internet users, aged 18 years or older, had travelled internationally for holidays in the past two years and had the intention to do so again in the next two years.
Travellers most likely to visit Viet Nam in the next two years ranked natural scenery, a new place and affordability as top attractions. They are also likely to be single and prefer to stay at four-star hotels compared with other types of accommodation. They will budget more than US$1,200 for their next vacation and pay more for good food and the opportunity to experience new cultures.
International tourist stays in Viet Nam averaging at 3-5 days, according to survey results.
About 40 per cent of respondents said they preferred to pay with credit cards because it allowed them to avoid carrying large wads of cash which can be cumbersome and risky.
Truong Minh Ha, Visa country manager for Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos, said: “With tourism emerging as one of Viet Nam’s key economic drivers, this survey is timely as it shows us where visitors to Viet Nam are coming from, their plans and what motivates them. This information is very useful for the Vietnamese tourism industry to help identify opportunities and create promotional activities based on their preferences to attract more tourists.”
Using these survey findings, Visa would continue to work with the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), local tourism operators and retail merchants in its efforts to draw more visitors to Viet Nam, she said.
To lure more the tourists to the country, Viet Nam would make bold investments in infrastructure remodelling, tour guide training, service quality improvement and environmental protection towards sustainable development under the industry’s development strategies by 2020-30, said Nguyen Manh Cuong, Deputy Director General of VNAT.
“Viet Nam welcomed 4.2 million foreign visitors in the first 10 months of this year, up 40 per cent against the same period last year and Viet Nam posted one of the highest tourist growth rates in the region,” he added.
“With an estimated 420,000-450,000 inbound tourists expected each month in November and December, it is completely possible for the tourism industry to reach 5 million by the end of the year, 1.2 million higher than last year.”
Based on this, the number of international visitors to Viet Nam was estimated to climb to 5.1-5.5 million next year.
“However, entry visa procedures into Viet Nam are still complicated and we need to promulgate more online information because the internet is one of the most effective tools for the visitors to learn more about us,” Ha said.
Source: VNS
