Posted by admin on February 22, 2011 under Food and Drinks, Vietnam Travel Tips | 
Grilled Cu Chi beef is among the delicacies of Ho Chi Minh City
Saigon’s famed picnic destination has been through a lot, but it’s still the best place for barbecued beef
Cu Chi was once known as the ideal picnic spot for Ho Chi Minh City office workers. Rich fruit orchards and fecund farms offered a wonderful gastronomical day trip for stressed out city folk.
During the war, the people of Cu Chi were harried by one of the most vicious campaigns of the entire war.
The Americans never could beat the tunnel-dwelling freedom fighters. But they did ruin Cu Chi as a dining destination, for a time.
Today, it’s back.
Families looking to survive after the victory invested in cattle and it has paid off, big time.
Now Cu Chi is the city’s prime source for cheap and tasty veal and beef.
Barbeque joints, catering to HCMC tourists now dot the district. Places like Bo To (young beef) Xuan Dao Restaurant serve the following local delicacies:
Boiled beef
Though it may sound bland, boiled beef makes for an ideal appetizer at the Xuan Dao. This isn’t your English grandmother’s boiled meat. This one is cooked in pure flavor.
| Consider a trip to the following restaurants:
Bo To Xuan Dao
Nguyen Giao Street, Highway 22, Cu Chi Town, Cu Chi District
Bo To Cu Chi
38B Dinh Tien Hoang Street, District 1
Bay Quyt
9B Le Quy Don Street, Phu Nhuan District |
Makers of the dish start by creating a base broth flavored with boiled bones, black cardamom, ginger and onion.
The bubbling liquid is served with tender beef slices and diners are invited to boil them to perfection.
The meat is then rolled with fresh herbs and rice paper and dipped into a special sauce.
Fried beef skin with fresh turmeric
In Vietnam, beef skin fried with fresh turmeric is often prescribed for those suffering from a weak stomach. Whether or not this prescription works for you, the appetizer makes for a delicious accompaniment to a cold beer.
Thinly sliced beef is fried up with battered bits of turmeric, onion, celery, roasted peanut and chili.
The crisp meat slices are wrapped up in vermicelli, cucumber, bean sprouts and herbs and dunked into a flavored fish sauce. Voila!
Grilled beef
One of the joys of dining at a place like Bo To Xuan Dao is the pleasure of grilling up your own meat.
A whole cut of raw beef is placed on the table accompanied by a knife and cutting board. After cutting the meat to their liking, customers are invited to marinate the strips in a bowl of fish sauce, chili, garlic and lemon juice.
Traditionally, the meat is cut thin and thrown on the fire for a couple of minutes. To each his own.
Porridge with beef shin
Perhaps the most renowned Cu Chi District is porridge with beef shin.
The sinewy meat is partially stir-fried in flavorful spices and then simmered in coconut juice. Finally, the leg is boiled in bone broth.
Once tender and tasty, the beef is served with a rice porridge flavored with green bean, white bean, taro, cassava, green papaya and turmeric.
All of the items combine to create wonderful textures and a host of competing flavors.
The delicacy is so popular that it has spread throughout HCMC. Customers who can’t make it to Cu Chi can enjoy the delicacy in downtown Saigon.
Reported by Nguyet Anh (Thanh nien news)
Posted by admin on under Vietnam Travel Info |
By Lam Van Son in An Giang
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| Teams compete every year in a dragon boat race – Photo: Lam Van Son |
Bung Binh Thien (Peaceful Lake of Heaven), is a fresh-water lake in An Giang Province that is popular for weekend getaways.
Located in An Phu District, in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang, the lake links the communes of Khanh Binh, Nhon Hoi and Quoc Thai. Fed by Binh Di River and Hau River, the natural lake is tranquil all year round.
It covers about 200-300 hectares and is four meters deep in the dry season. As it is connected to the Mekong River system its width triples in the rainy season, with the depth increasing up to seven meters. It is the largest fresh water lake in the southwest.
The stillness of Bung Binh Thien reflects the sky while water-lilies and lotus sway in the wind.
Bung Binh Thien is home to many ethnic Cham people who have maintained their amazing culture and traditional festivals such as Roya Phik Trok and Ramadan. On full-moon nights, young couples often take a boat and sing love songs.
The lake plays host to local boat races and water games in August. Tourists are welcome.
Collected by Vietnam hotel
Posted by admin on under Vietnam Destinations, Vietnam Festivals, Vietnam Travel Info |
In Hanoi, the Tourism Promotion Center (Danang’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism) introduced tourism promotion program and new tourist products of the city on Feb 18th.
The event attracted the attendance of more than 150 travel companies of Hanoi and Danang who want to share experience and look for chances in travel business as well as contribute to promote the tourism images of the 2 cities.
The event’s theme is “Sparkling Han river”. It is also the name of the international fireworks contest which will be held on April 30th 2011.
Vice Director of Danang’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr. Nguyen Minh Nhon said in 2011, the city will develop many new special tourist products to satisfy the demands of domestic and oversea visitors. He also mentioned the most modern and biggest museum of Central Vietnam- Danang museum which has just opened on Tet holiday. The museum is a place to keep and develop special cultural values, promisingly an attractive destination of the city.
Many tourist products will be developed to welcome visitors such as traveling by helicopter, “Tourist Heaven” tour, visiting Son Tra peninsula, diving, fishing tours…ect.
In addition, visitors will have a chance to experience adventure games on the sea, enjoy local special foods as well as learn more traditional culture through performances of art…
Danang is one of the biggest tourism centers of Vietnam, having many potentials and advantages to develop and promote tourism to the world.
Further information about danang hotel, please visit the website http://Vietnamhotels.net/.
Source: TITC
Posted by admin on February 21, 2011 under Vietnam Destinations, Vietnam Travel Info, Vietnam attractions |
Bai Dinh Pagoda, the largest pagoda in Vietnam, is famous not only for its size but also for housing a 100-ton bronze Sakyamuni Buddha statue and 500 stone Arhat statues
Roughly 90 kilometers south of Hanoi, Trang An sits nestled amid the glorious limestone cliffs, forested mountains, and lakes of Ninh Binh Province.
We took a rowboat through the area to discover Trang An’s stunning scenery. The huge green mountains shone back up at us from the clear blue water below. As we paddled, we couldn’t help but feel taken in by the romantic chorus of songbirds and oars gently stirring the water.
The boat carried us through many lakes, studded on all sides by inviting cave grottos.
We must have passed through 50 caves, each one a grinning maw of bright stalactites.
| HOW TO GET THERE |
| * Trang An Tourist Site covers a total of nearly 2,000 hectares in Truong Yen, Ninh Van, and Ninh Hai communes of Hoa Lu District, Gia Sinh Commune in Gia Vien District, and Ninh Nhat Commune in Ninh Binh Town in Ninh Binh Province.
* From the center of Hanoi, travel south along National Highway 1A for 80 kilometers to get to Ninh Binh Town. Turn right and go for another 12 kilometers to reach Trang An.
* Tourists can also take a bus from Giap Bat or My Dinh bus stations to go to Ninh Binh Town. They then take another bus or taxi to get to the tourist site. |
Toi (Dark) Cave stretches 315 meters back into the mountain – the deepest in Trang An. Large limestone outcrops looming at the entrance and exit give the cave a surreal, mystical feel.
Other grottoes like Sang (Light), Ba Giot (Three Drops) and Son Duong (Chamois) are also famous attractions.
In fact, the 2,000-hectare Trang An Tourist Site is endowed with nearly 100 caves. While half of them can be visited by boat, the rest must be accessed on land.
After cruising through the caves, we climbed mountains to visit temples that held relics dating back to the eleventh century.
We also stopped in at Bai Dinh Pagoda, the largest in Vietnam.
The 107-hectare pagoda is famous for housing a 100-ton bronze Sakyamuni Buddha statue, the heaviest of its kind in Southeast Asia, and 500 stone Arhat statues (spiritual practitioners who have realized the goal of Nirvana).
Thanks to its majestic architecture and solemn atmosphere, Bai Dinh Pagoda attracts many pilgrims every day, especially during the first lunar month.
Tourists take rowboats to take in Trang An’s stunning scenery
Reported by Ngoc Minh (thanhnien news)
Posted by admin on under Vietnam Destinations, Vietnam Travel Info, Vietnam attractions, Vietnam beauty |
What do you think of when you read the fol-lowing lines about Viet Nam by the famous Vietnamese poet To Huu:
How amazing my country is!
Lean against Truong Son Mountain Range
Reach to Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands
From north-eastern most Tra Co with populous forest
To southernmost Ca Mau with mangroves
If you are a traveller cherishing your exploration of the country, you will most likely share the same impressions with your family and friends when you talk about your experience enjoying the beauty of Viet Nam.
Let’s start the journey from Tra Co, a beautiful beach in the country’s northeastern most province, Quang Ninh.
The winding road to Tra Co doesn’t dissuade visitors from continuing the journey thanks to sweeping views of the beautiful landscape. Travellers can also go to Tra Co by boat from Hai Phong or from Bai Chay, another coastal city in Quang Ninh Province.
The locality is endowed with a 17km-long coast line and beautiful beaches from Sa Vy to Mui Ngoc. The full length is one of the most attractive beaches in Viet Nam.
While Nha Trang Beach attracts visitors with its beauty reminiscent of a chic modern girl, Tra Co beach looks like a country girl because its beauty has not been altered from its natural state by development.
The wild beauty of Tra Co allows people to enjoy the peaceful and slow flow of life in the province. Taking a stroll along the white-sand beach, listening to the sound of waves crashing, and freeing your mind as you look up at the immense blue sky and the never-ending sea is a simple and enjoyable way to pass the day.
There are four seasons in Tra Co with comfortable temperatures throughout, neither too hot in the summer nor too cold in the winter. The average temperature is about 220C, going up to about 26-280C in summer. In the moderate heat of summer, the cool and clean sea water beckons to would-be swimmers and waters sports enthusiasts.
Visitors are recommended to wake early one morning to travel the 6km to Con Mang to watch the immense red flame of the sun slowly rising to welcome the day. Likewise, as the day wanes they can find a place to relax along the beach to enjoy the sunset. Lovers and groups of friends alike will find enjoyment as they share in the quiet beauty of the pristine sands and feel their souls mesh in harmony with nature and escape from the troubles and sounds of daily life.
Not far from Con Mang is Sa Vy, the country’s northeastern most point, where people can look out across neighbouring China. At Sa Vy point, visitors can pose for a photo next to three popular tree-shaped sculptures. Lines from the poem by To Huu are posted on it.
Another worthy stopping point is Tra Co Church, an old piece of architecture built in 1880. It is a massive structure decorated with beautiful reliefs and an 80-year-old bell. In 1995, the damaged reliefs were restored, returning the structure to its original glory.
The nearby Tra Co Temple is another popular destination which is the pride of the local people. It was built in the 15th century but has gone through some changes over time. However, its typical architectural and decorative features have been maintained.
Villagers worship their ancestors at the temple. According to legend, the ancestors were originally from the northern coastal town of Do Son (Hai Phong City now) and migrated to Tra Co more than 600 years ago. Six ancestors in particular are still worshipped here for their great contributions to the establishment of the village.
Vietnamese style
Tra Co Temple features typical Vietnamese artchitectural style. Although it was built in a border area with China and could easily have included features from the country’s northern neighbour, the style is distinctly Vietnamese, confirming that the Vietnamese people have long respected their national cultural identity.
After nearly 600 years, the temple still sits as the witness to the country’s ups and downs and acts as a vivid story teller who helps generations of Vietnamese learn more about their traditions.
Tra Co Temple is similar in style to many others in the Hong (Red) River Delta. Decorations include various patterns of four supernatural creatures including dragons, unicorns, tortoises and phoenixes, along with God and humans.
The temple inspired Vietnamese composer Nguyen Cuong to write the song Mai Dinh Lang Bien (Temple Roof in Coastal Village) that has left a deep impression in the souls of many Vietnamese people.
Historian Do Van Ninh said that Tra Co Temple proves the territorial expansion process of the Vietnamese and the connection between the border coastal area with other areas of the country.
Annual festival
People visiting Tra Co during late lunar May and early June can take the opportunity to join in the village’s annual festival. From May 30 to June 6 a variety of activities are held to celebrate the village.
Prior to the festival, on May 25, a festive procession from Tra Co begins a return journey to the original hometown of Do Son to honour the ancestors there. It takes them about three days by boat to make the trip to the hometown but only two days to return. They belive that the festive procession can travel faster thanks to support from the ancestors.
On the night of May 30, the temple is bright with candles, lights and smells of burning incense. Locals come to pray for health, wealth and a properous year.
The following morning, a ceremony to escort the King to sea takes place. Dozens of people donned in traditional attire join the procession, some playing musical instruments and others holding colourful flags or weapons. A crowd of people follow creating an exciting atmosphere.
During the festival, the village also hosts activities such as a cooking competition where people can enjoy local specialities, and dancing competitions.
The ritual has been preserved for hundreds of years, consistently enriching the spiritual life of the coastal village residents.
One tourist from Ha Noi, who enjoyed the festival during a holiday to Tra Co, said that she was very impressed by the way the locals preserved their traditions.
“Their performance at the festival helped me learn more about Vietnamese culture, especially the culture in a coastal areas,” she said.
Source: VNS
Collected by Vietnam hotel
Posted by admin on February 17, 2011 under Vietnam Travel Tips, Vietnam hotels |
Danang is described as Vietnam’s appeal as a relaxing beach destination; a bustling, lively city, with ample opportunities to shop and play in the waves and a reputation for great food.
Below is the list of some luxury resorts in danang:
5 star resort
Furama resort danang
- Location : Central
- Address : 68 Ho Xuan Huong Street China Beach Danang, Vietnam
- Number of rooms : 198
- Price from : 195 USD
The Furama Resort Danang one of luxurious danang hotels, is a true icon of Vietnam tourism. This world class resort on China Beach is Vietnam’s most prestigious with royalty, celebrities, and politicians among past guests. Furama Resort is much more than an idyllic tropical retreat, it is also a premier base for exploring one of Asia’s most exciting new destinations – in the early days of being “discovered” by international tourism.
Son Tra resort and spa
- Location: Near Beaches
- Address: Bai Con, Bai Nam, Tho Quang Ward, Danang, Vietnam
- Number of rooms: 23
- Price from: 157 USD
Son Tra Resort danang is the biggest resort in Danang city, just twenty minutes away from the Danang International Airport. It is located on a peninsula amidst a beautiful land with the magnificent beach at its doorstep.
Fusion Maia Danang Resort
- Location: Near Beaches
- Address: Truong Sa Street, Khue My Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District, Danang, Vietnam
- Number of rooms: 87
- Price from: 335 USD
This newest addition to Central Vietnam’s beach resorts has 80 spacious, stylishly decorated pool villas, 4 spa villas (2 bed rooms) and 3 luxurious beachfront villas (2/3 bedrooms) that ensure an intimate yet contemporary atmosphere.
Fusion Maia is located close to both the International airport of Da Nang (12 min) and the heritage town of Hoi an (15 min). The new and exciting Fusion Maia resort is surely one of the best new choices in Asia for a getaway.
4 star resort
Sandy beach resort
- Location: Central
- Address: 255 Huyen Tran Cong Chua, Danang, Vietnam
- Number of rooms: 123
- Price from: 61 USD
The Sandy Beach Resort danang, a danang hotel is set amidst a garden on a stretch of Non Nuoc Beach a famous beauty spot of Danang City with blue water & white sand, just 15 minutes drive from Danang International Airport,conveniently located for excursions to World Heritages Sites in Vietnam: Hoi An Ancient Town, Hue Imperial City and My Son Holy Land.
Red beach resort and spa
- Location: Central
- Address: Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, Hoa Hiep Nam ward, Lien Chieu District, Danang, Vietnam
- Number of rooms: 48
- Price from: 57 USD
Located in the most beautiful beach area on Danang Bay, Red Beach Resort and Spa has 48 standard rooms, where each Bungalow is designed to overlook the garden creating a new feeling, but friendly for guests who travel to one of the most beautiful cities of Vietnam, Danang city.
Posted by admin on under Vietnam Travel Info |
By Dang Hoang Tham in Ca Mau
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| A tourist poses for a photo beside the marker for Vietnam’s southernmost point in Ca Mau – Photo: Dang Hoang Tham |
Ca Mau at the southern tip of Vietnam has more than 300-kilometers of coastline where the forest meets the sea.
About 350 kilometers from HCMC, the Mekong Delta province is famous for mangrove forests and a bird sanctuary.
We visited the province during the Tet holiday on the recently upgraded National Highway 1A, which made the journey much more comfortable than in the past. Ca Mau City is a proud young city with busy streets and industrial and trade centers.
The Ca Mau Gas – Electricity – Nitrogenous fertilizer IZ in the U Minh Ha Forest is one of the large-scale projects there.
We continued our journey to the southern tip of the country on a cruise to Tan An Commune in Ngoc Hien District, which was where tau khong so (army ships with no numbers) were stationed during the war.
At the tip there is a marker with the coordinates of 8.37.30 North and 104.43 East to mark the southernmost point of Vietnam. The area has been declared nature reserve there and there’s a tourist park.
An interesting fact is that each year, Ca Mau expands another 100m out into the sea.
From a 21-meter-high watchtower, the panoramic view filled us with love for the country, gratitude for the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the nation’s freedom and pride for the beauty of the motherland.
The point at Ca Mau is the only place in the country where people can see the sun rise and set on the ocean.
Collected by Vietnam hotel
Posted by admin on February 16, 2011 under Vietnam Travel Info |
Six locations – Thua Thien Hue, Khanh Hoa, Quang Ninh, Lam Dong, Binh Thuan and Danang – were listed in 2011’s inspection plan by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) due to “careless investment licencing” and “low efficiency”.
As with Thua Thien Hue, many property developers registered to invest in tourism property projects in this central province from 2001-2004. However, just a few of the licenced projects got rolling.
According to statistics by Chan May-Lang Co Economic Zone (EZ) Authority the EZ is currently home to 35 tourism property projects, however, only nine projects are underway while many others remain on the drawing board, such as the Lap An Lagoon golf course tourism complex and Bai Chuoi resort.
Some other projects have seen little progress. For example, the Diana Resort, which was licenced in 2007 is now an empty space except for a hedge and a guard’s house.
Meanwhile the Lang Co Coastal Resort, licenced in 2006, has only constructed the project’s breakwater and the Xanh Lang resort, licenced in 2008, has only just built its foundation.
Deputy head of the Chan May-Lang Co EZ Authority Nguyen Hue attributed project delays to developers’ capital shortages and high bank lending rates.
Nevertheless at a recent Ho Chi Minh City-based meeting on tourism property projects, central provinces were still eagerly calling for investment.
In the Central Highlands’ province of Lam Dong, according to the provincial People’s Committee, there were 236 tourism property projects in Dalat city planned from 2006-2010 worth VND46.5 trillion ($2.32 billion) with a total registered capital of which 142 projects were licenced However, just 65 projects are now in progress and only 19 projects were put into operation.
Around 30 projects worth more than VND7.5 trillion ($375 million) registered to invest in the Dalat-based Tuyen Lam Lake resort, however only 14 projects are in the development pipeline.
In mid-October 2010, Lam Dong People’s Committee made public a list of projects seeking investment from 2011-2020. However, a big tourism property project – the Prenn Lake resort, which covers up to 1,000 hectares – carved its name among 29 major prioritised investment projects.
Danang, also in the central region, takes the lead across the country in terms of villa and hotel density. Statistics show that there are more than 20 high-end resorts along Danang coast such as Furama Villas, Olalani and Vinpearl Danang. Of them, 14 projects will soon market 650 villas while around 9,300 apartments from other 20 projects will be launched within the next five to seven years.
Another central province, Khanh Hoa, is currently home to more than 80 tourism projects worth around VND30 trillion ($1.5 billion) in total investment capital. One mega-project, the 2,300ha North Cam Ranh Peninsula resort, which was expected to boost the province’s development, is causing a headache for the local government.
At this point of time, 30 projects have registered to invest in North Cam Ranh Peninsula resort with total investment of VND17 trillion ($850 million). Only five projects were given the go-ahead while the remainder is in the legal setup process. Earlier in 2007, the province withdrew licences of 20 tourism projects due to delays.
Northern Quang Ninh province has also popped up on MPI’s 2011 inspection plan with 64 holiday home and tourism property projects. Of which, 26 projects include sports and entertainment facilities, eco-resorts, food, cultural and historical sites and 38 projects pump capital into hotels, villas and holiday homes.
The southern province of Binh Thuan appeared on MPI’s inspection radar in 2011 and despite being a remote location with a low level of per capita income it has licenced as many as 12 golf course projects.
Statistics of the province’s Department of Planning and Investment indicate that only two golf courses are now operational while other projects are either on the drawing board or have seen little progress.
For example, South Fork golf course, which was licenced in 2004, Hon Rom, licenced in 2007 and Son My, licenced in 2006, saw delays because they were positioned in “black sand” areas. They will now have to wait until the black sand deposits are extracted.
Source: VIR
Collected by Vietnam hotel
Posted by admin on under Vietnam Beaches, Vietnam Travel Info |
By Thanh Hai in Danang
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| People at release of 1,000 doves at the East Sea Park in Danang City – Photo: Thanh Hai |
Nearly 1,000 doves were released last week for the launch of the “Bird garden for peace” in East Sea Park on Pham Van Dong Street, Danang City.
The project by the management board of Son Tra Peninsula and tourism beaches in Danang will be used by local residents, and foreign and local tourists.
The event last week was also to raise public awareness about protecting doves and condemned the action of killing birds in Danang.
The management board has also organized sightseeing tours to Son Tra Peninsula such as a cruise around Son Tra Peninsula, fishing with fishermen and other interesting activities for both visitors and local residents.
Posted by admin on February 15, 2011 under Vietnam Festivals, Vietnam Travel Info, Vietnam attractions |
The annual Yen Tu Festival in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh opened with a ceremony on Feb. 12 (tenth day of the first lunar month).
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan beat the drum to launch the start of the festival. Prominent guests at the ceremony were Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan, the Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Council, Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nuns, followers and visitors. All joined in offering incense to King Tran Nhan Tong, who reigned over the country from 1279 to 1293 and then renounced the throne to devote his life to Buddhism. All present also joined another ceremony to pray for peace for the country and the citizens.
According to the organizing committee, the weather this year has been so pleasantly conducive that a large number of visitors are being drawn to the Festival.
The Tung lam tour Company is making use of the cable car system to serve tourists who want to visit the Dong pagoda on Bach Van Son Mountain. Unfortunately, the 70 cable cars are still unable to meet the tourist rush and hundreds of tourists have to walk up to the Dong pagoda.
Yen Tu has so far welcomed over 20,000 visitors since the first day of the lunar year and the festival will last through spring for three months. Last year the festival recorded over 2.1 million visitors according to Vu Van Khoan, Vice Director of the Managing Board of Yen Tu pagoda.
Yen Tu Mountain is located about 50km from Ha Long City. The winding route of the pilgrimage from the foot of the mountain to its peak is almost 30km. On the highest peak sits the Dong Pagoda, which is more than a kilometer above sea level.
The area’s natural beauty and awe-inspiring landscape in its surrounding setting of ancient pagodas and hermitages is said to be the reason that King Tran Nhan Tong renounced his throne to devote his life to Buddhism on this majestic Mountain. He crowned his son as heir to his empire and after becoming a monk he founded the Truc Lam meditation sect which later gave Yen Tu the recognition as the country’s leading centre for Buddhism.
Source: SGGP
