Posted by admin on August 16, 2011 under Vietnam Destinations, Vietnam Travel Tips, Vietnam tours | 
Like Can Gio or Giang Dien Waterfall, Vuon Xoai Ecotourism Park in Dong Nai Province is a peaceful oasis for Saigonese to visit for a picnic or sightseeing trip on a short weekend break.
Some visitors take a bamboo boat cruise along a lake in Vuon Xoai Ecotourism Park in Dong Nai Province
Located 30 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh city in Tan Cang Village, Phuoc Tan Commune, Long Thanh District, and covering over 30 hectares, Vuon Xoai is a fun place where visitors can enjoy some outdoor games such as go-karting, swimming, tennis, fishing and ostrich riding. Visiting a crocodile swamp and tramping around a bamboo garden and orchard is also on offer to tourists.
If you are sitting at home having a quiet weekend, eating food or watching movies all day, why not get yourself out there to Vuon Xoai.
It’s not far from the city and for those who love a long walk on a weekend break, strolling around the bamboo garden or orchard, viewing cottages or the many bonsai trees and flowers is a good way to get some nice fresh air into your lungs and fresh local food is also good for your health.
If you like to contemplate or ponder life while you relax, a spot of fishing is a great choice as you take in the tranquil surroundings with the still water surface under the shade of trees, bamboo bridge and some small floating cottages on the lake.
If you like to just float on the still water and take it all in, there are tours around lakes or canals in the Mekong Delta on bamboo boats. However, tourists should make sure they put on life vests as a safety precaution.
Adventurous visitors can also try go-karting or ostrich riding.
Taking an electronic car at VND10,000 to go around the park is also good for those who are too tired to go the extra distance. Along the road, visitors have the chance to see crocodiles, caged bears, snakes, wild pigs, birds and peacocks.
There is no need to worry about getting thirsty or hungry as restaurants serve various Vietnamese dishes and drinks.
Visitors, who have plenty of time to spare, can stay overnight at some guest houses in the area and make a camp fire at night to top off an unforgettable trip.
Go-karting is popular with young visitors in Vuon Xoai – Photos: My Tran
(Source: SGT)
Posted by admin on May 9, 2011 under Vietnam Travel Tips, Vietnam attractions |
A life-sized replica of a Jarai burial ground in the outdoor viewing area at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi.
Many foreigners make the mistake of thinking about Vietnam as a homogenous nation, comprised of a single race of people.
In fact, it is home to a variegated tapestry of cultures—54 ethnic minorities live within its borders.
These tribal communities are scattered throughout the country and some are isolated by rugged terrain.
Those looking to get a rudimentary grasp on these various cultures should head to the Museum of Ethnology on Nguyen Van Huyen Street in Hanoi.
On May 18, in celebration of International Museum Day, the institution will give away gifts to the first 100 visitors. Special tours have been organized on the day as well as a series of reports on the institution’s cultural preservation efforts
A foreign favorite
Director Vo Quang Trong said the museum sees about half a million visitors, every year. Lately, he said, it’s getting a bit crowded.
More than thirty foreigners have posted comments on www.travel.yahoo.com and www.tripadvisor.com calling the museum an excellent first stop in Vietnam.
“The museum really gives you great insight into [Vietnam’s] 54 ethnic groups […] and a sense of the country you’re in,” wrote Nadja Ring and Kevin Madigan on the yahoo website.
French President Jaques Chirac inaugurated the building during his visit in 1997.
Since then, the museum has continued to showcase exhibits created by local and foreign photographers and ethnologists.
The façade was designed by the Tay architect Ha Duc Linh and modeled after an ancient Dong Son Drum. The interior was designed by the French architect Véronique Dollfus.
Fourteen years later, the museum serves as a center for the exhibition, preservation and research of these groups’ cultural legacies in Vietnam.
Today the museum’s collection includes 30,000 artifacts, 2,190 slides, 42,000 photographs, 237 audiotapes, 373 videotapes and 25 audio and video CDs.
The exhibits also include interactive video displays that chronicle the process of making non la (palm-leaf conical hats), the funeral rights of the Muong people and a Bahnar buffalo-slaughtering ceremony.
The director said that 30,000 artifacts collected in Vietnam and abroad are not divided equally among the ethnics due to difficulties in studying and collecting subjects especially in underdeveloped and shrinking ethnic groups.
Green museum
A sizeable portion of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is situated in a well-manicured outdoor space.
During regular visiting hours, ethnic artisans hold craft demonstrations as well as traditional food preparations.
Children have the chance to watch water puppet shows, enjoy to he (edible toy figurines), and participate in traditional games.
The museum’s “living” displays are probably the largest of their kind and cover an area of roughly 3.3 hectares.
Most of these exhibits are located in the meticulously-landscaped garden. So far, these exhibits are divided into ten plots, some of which house up to seven life-sized traditional structures.
Trong laments that only ten ethnic groups are represented in this outdoor space.
Last year, the 830-hectare Vietnam Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village opened 37 kilometers west of Hanoi. Trong claims that the village does not adequately represent any ethnic groups since the organizers invited some private companies to built tourist attractions – mostly out of concrete.
Trong said his museum invited members of each ethnic community to build traditional structures for visitors to see and enter. These builders periodically return to maintain the structures.
The model structures include a Dao home, a Tay stilt home and a long stilt-home (45m) associated with the matriarchal Ede.
The latest additions to the display garden include traditional Ha Nhi homes of the Bahnar and Cham people.
The structures are presented alongside information about the tools and techniques used as well as information about the builders themselves.
“Few museums have such an outstanding green space,” said Doan Thanh, a Vietnamese-German painter, who held an exhibition at the museum in 2008. “As a result, it provides an ideal place to study Vietnam’s various cultures as well as providing a space for picnicking, taking wedding photos, and allowing children to play.”
Some of the capital’s urban residents consider it a place to go back in time.
Nguyen Dang Tuan Minh often heads to the museum on his bicycle. Once there, he enjoys the cool breezes and open space.
“Whenever I think of my late grandmother and my hometown in the province, I spend time in the museum garden and visit the model northern home,” said Minh. “It brings back memories of my childhood.”
Address: Nguyen Van Huyen Street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi (about 8km from downtown)
Open from 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Tours take at least three hours.
Ticket: VND25,000 (US$1.25)
Reported by Minh Ngoc – Priscilla Aquilla – Thanh nien news
Posted by admin on March 28, 2011 under Food and Drinks, Vietnam Travel Tips |
With its rich culinary heritage and an exciting street food scene, Hanoi is a wonderful city for many delicious dishes.
They say that the way to man’s heart is through his stomach; cook him a good meal and he’s putty in your hands. I’d argue that somewhat similarly, residents of Hanoi are happiest at mealtimes, and many visitors fall in love with the city because of its incredible food. It’s a place that gets to you through the stomach!
For foreign guests and residents, if you want to understand Hanoi and its people, I’d argue that you have to understand the cuisine and enjoy discovering new foods. If you love food, you will love Hanoi; understand how people eat, and you’ll understand their nature.
Vietnamese people love to share a meal. Solitude is equated to loneliness. Anyone dining alone will be told “an mot minh dau tuc”, literally, you’ll hurt yourself by eating alone. But for the solo diners amongst you, fear not, you can always slip into the busiest restaurant and enjoy the buzz of jostling with your fellow diners over a bowl of pho or a plate of sticky rice. You’re alone, yes, but alone in a crowd.
The first rule for discovering Vietnamese food in Hanoi, is make sure you follow the crowds; the busier the restaurant, the better it probably is. Certain family run establishments are considered the place to eat certain foods. At peak hours, it should be hard to find a space at Hanoi’s best restaurants.
The second rule is that the best restaurants serve one basic staple – it’s often a one-dish-joint serving a ‘gia truyen’-specialty, a recipe passed on from one generation to the next.
Many of these dishes were originally created elsewhere. As a thousand-year old capital, people from the provinces have always been drawn to Hanoi, so the city has absorbed recipes and cooking techniques from all over the country.
One can loosely define Hanoian cuisine – generally the capital’s residents don’t care for sweet or spicy savoury food; there is a preference for fresh ingredients and subtle, pure flavours, and the fish sauce is served less diluted.
Certain dishes are year-round staples, such as pho (the nation’s signature noodle dish served with chicken or beef), bun cha (noodles served with slivers and patties of charcoal-grilled pork) or banh cuon (rice crepes filled with pork and woodear mushrooms). Other dishes are seasonal, perhaps, tied in with a festival, for example, banh chung (glutinous rice cakes stuffed with mung bean paste and pork and wrapped in a green banana leaf) is mostly served at Lunar New Year. During Mid-Autumn Festival (Tet Trung Thu), you will see mooncakes, sweet and savoury cakes filled with various things, including bean paste, salted egg, or preserved fruits and meats.
Other foods are associated with the lunar calendar. Eating dog meat – served in seven different ways at dog restaurants – at the end of the lunar month is considered a good way to wash away any lingering bad luck that might have been affecting you. The dog restaurants on Au Co road are often heaving with customers, mostly men, as this protein-rich meat is also considered to be “good for a man”.
On the full moon of the first and the seventh lunar months, Hanoians often cook xoi vo (steamed sticky rice with split peas) and che duong (green bean and sugar compote). When worshipping ancestors, boiled chicken with lemon leaves is a must. For a wedding, you cannot be without banh com (Sticky rice cakes with green bean paste) or xu xe/ phu the (Husband and wife sticky rice cakes).
Hanoi people love seafood, too. The city’s favourite fish dish is probably cha ca, which is famously served by a gruff family at Cha ca La Vong restaurant on Cha ca street in the Old Quarter. It is featured in every guidebook ever written about Hanoi. However, cha ca is now available in other restaurants and locals in the know complain that the quality of food at Cha ca La Vong has waned.
Bun oc (noodles and snails), banh tom (prawn fritters), ca kho to (caramelised fish cooked and served in a claypot), and mien luon or mien cua (glass noodles served with eel or crab meat) are also much loved in Hanoi. You can find seafood restaurants serving all kinds of shellfish – crabs, lobsters, oysters, clams and scallops, which are often simply steamed or grilled and served with a mixture of lime, pepper, salt and an optional diced chili for dipping.
New dishes are constantly surfacing, too. In recent years pho cuon, sheets of banh pho, wrapped around either beef or shrimp, has suddenly emerged as one of the city’s most popular meals. However, the ultimate communal dish is perhaps lau (hotpot), always popular in wintertime. Friends and families gather around a steaming pot filled with a vegetable or meaty broth and toss in fish, meat, eggs, vegetables, squid, or prawns – just about anything at all!
It’s hard to write about food in Hanoi without feeling like you’re only scratching the surface. As the city celebrates 1,000 years since its birth, you could probably name a 1,000 dishes to honour the capital’s millennium.
The city’s culinary heritage has been noticeably influenced by a few old foes over the years. Some people argue that pho is the product of both French and Chinese influences. From the former came the notion of using beef stock and beef in the style of pot-au-feu; from the latter perhaps the noodles and the use of star anise and ginger. Using beef would have been quite extravagant 100 years ago, so one theory is that the Vietnamese only started putting beef in their noodle soup to please the French colonists.
The French certainly left their fingerprints in the Vietnamese pantry and beverage department – you can find banh my (crusty baguette) served with pâté. The words for butter (bo, pronounced ‘buh’), coffee (ca phe), beer (bia) and cheese (pho mat) are clearly derived from the French language.
Today, many French chefs are inspired by Vietnam’s indigenous ingredients and recipes. Restaurants such as La Badiane, Green Tangerine and La Verticale are creating a vibrant amalgam of French haute cuisine infused with local flavours and ingredients. These restaurants are something of a sub-genre but they are also encouraging some high-end travelers to venture further and discover more about Vietnam’s culinary arts.
As Vietnam’s reputation grows, more and more people are discovering the country’s incredible cuisine, much of which is exceedingly healthy. Visitors to Hanoi are enthusiastically signing up for cookery classes, in the hope of learning how to create a local dish or two. Rather than buying a conical hat or a silk ao dai as a souvenir that will be stashed away and never worn back home, tourists can now pick up some noodles and fish sauce in the local Asian market and whip up a delicious bowl of bun cha, they learned to make on their holiday.
That way they’ll remember Hanoi as they first experienced it – right in the stomach.
Timeout/VOVNews
Posted by admin on March 11, 2011 under Vietnam Travel Tips |
Hoi An was my favorite destination in Vietnam. I loved spending time by the river, watching the sunset, and drinking an inexpensive beer. The town is packed with picturesque historical homes, pagodas and street-side cafes. The place is extremely popular for buying clothes. You can get anything made here- from suits to sneakers. But even if you don’t want to go shopping, Hoi An makes for a relaxing destination in an otherwise frenetic country.
Costs in Hoi An
- Hostel Prices: There aren’t many hostels as such in Hoi An but there are plenty of cheap hotels in hoian to make up for this.
- Budget Hotel Prices: Accommodation is inexpensive here with a night in a budget hotel costing from 135,000VND.
- Average Cost of Food: A meal in most restaurants costs from 20,000VND.
- Cost of Internet: Most internet cafes cost 300VND per minute.
- Transportation Costs: Everywhere in Hoi An is within walking distance so it’s unlikely you’ll spend much on transportation here.
Things to do in Hoi an
- Central Market. Hoi An’s Central Market is probably one of the best in Vietnam. The market sits on the riverside and is packed full of excellent food at rock bottom prices. This is the place to pick up spices, souvenirs, try local food and have your tailoring done. There is also a great fish market which is worth visiting.
- Quan Cong Temple. The temple was built in the early 17th century to honor the Chin dynasty but nowadays it serves as one of Hoi An’s most spectacular architectural accomplishments and a thriving tourist attraction. Inside there are two huge wooden statues, one of Quan Kong’s protector, Chau Xuong and one of his adopted son and of course the gilt statue of Quan Cong himself.
- Japanese Covered Bridge. The bridge is thought to have been built by Hoi An’s Japanese community in the late sixteenth century and roughly translated from Vietnamese, its name means “Pagoda in Japan.” It makes for great photographs.
- Cooking lessons. If tasting local food isn’t enough for you and you’d like to bring a like bit of Vietnamese cuisine home with you then consider enrolling yourself for cooking lessons. Many restaurants offer lessons where you’ll first start off picking the raw ingredients then learn how to prepare the food.
- Full Moon Festival. Hoi An’s Full Moon Festival is held on the 14th day of the lunar cycle each month and is probably the best time to visit the city. The streets are shut down to all traffic and are lined with brightly colored lanterns. This is a great time to party with locals as the streets come alive with folk music, plays and dancing.
- Beaches. An Bang and Cua Dai beaches are both within close proximity to Hoi An and are a great place to spend an afternoon. Cua Dai is designated as one of Vietnam’s five UNESCO World Heritage sites but both beaches offer soft white sand and excellent beach side restaurants.
- Cham Island. Many tourists take a day trip out to Cham Island which lies just 21km from Hoi An in the South China Sea. The diving here is great and as you’re in Vietnam, it’s very cheap. Most tours include lunch and it’s also possible to include a night dive in your excursion.
- My Son. My Son is one of the most important sites relating to the ancient Kingdom of Champa and is said to have been Vietnam’s religious and intellectual center. Even in their ruined state, the remaining structures are impressive. The My Son ruins were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
- Fukian Assembly Hall. Built in 1697, Fukian is the grandest of the Chinese assembly halls and is a fine example of Chinese architecture. The main temple is dedicated to the goddess of the sea, Thien Hau, while the statues of Thuan Phong Nhi and Thien Ly Nhan are said to protect sailors in distress. There is a scale model of a sailboat inside too.
Budget Tips for Hoi An
- Central Market. Don’t just buy from the first stall you come across, prices get cheaper the further in to the market you go.
- Cooking Lessons. If you enjoy the food at a certain restaurant, ask for cooking lessons. These are often cheaper than the cooking schools.
- Cham Island. If you’re heading to Cham Island on a diving trip, it’s possible to save money on accommodation by camping on the beach.
- Bikes. Hoi An is small enough to walk around but if you want to save on the cost of the shuttle to nearby attractions like the Cua Dai beach then you can rent a bike for 15,000VND.
Source: nomadicmatt
Posted by admin on March 2, 2011 under Vietnam Travel Tips |
You’ve probably seen it in the background of countless war movies, but nothing can prepare you for the epic beauty of Vietnam. While it isn’t one of my favorite countries, it is very beautiful. From the natural beauty of Sam Mountain and Halong Bay to the man-made artistry of the sacred temples and pagodas, is very beautiful. Many travelers either love or hate it here as it’s a hard country to travel though but despite the challenges, you will find a very interesting and changing place.
Typical Costs in Vietnam
- Accommodation: Lodging is extremely cheap in Vietnam; a budget hotel will cost from 240,000 VND per night with a hostel coming in at 195,000 VND. Check out hotels in vietnam at http://Vietnamhotels.net
- Food: By eating at street stalls and markets you can get a meal for 19,000VND. Sit down restaurants are also inexpensive at around 75,000 VND.
- Transportation: Bus travel is very cheap in Vietnam. As an example, the public bus around Ho Chi Min City will cost a maximum of 3000 VND. The train is also another inexpensive way to travel with the 791mk long train journey from Danang and to Hanoi costing from 150,000VND.
- Activities: Many of Vietnam’s attractions are based around its natural beauty and as such, cost very little. For organized excursions such as touring the Cu Chi tunnels you can expect to pay 80,000 VND.
Money Saving Tips for Vietnam
- Street Food. The food is usually excellent, really cheap and you can watch it being cooked in front of you. Stick to the local food and you’ll save money.
- Late night travel. If traveling long journeys, try to take the late night bus or train as this will save you the cost of a night’s accommodation.
- Take the tourist bus. It is actually cheaper to take the tourist bus around the country than taking local transportation because of the “tourist” price you get at the bus station.
Top Things to See in Vietnam
- Pagodas. Vietnam’s most distinctive architecture can be been in the pagodas which are found all over the country. They are notable for their beautiful and intricate carvings. Pagodas are used as shrines and temples and are treasured by the Vietnamese people.
- Hanoi. Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi combines French colonialism with Eastern influences. Enjoy an afternoon exploring the narrow streets of the Old Quarter or visit the countless temples and galleries dotted around this bustling city. Don’t miss the History Museum which showcases artifacts from Vietnam’s colorful history and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.
- Dalat. Dalat is nestled in the hills of the Central Highlands and is popular with tourists and locals alike. People flock here to enjoy its serene atmosphere and natural beauty. The hills around Dalat are filled with traditional tribal villages which you can tour but there is plenty to do within the city itself too. Visit the imaginatively titled Palace 1, Palace 2 and Place 3 or visit the amazingly photogenic Linh Son Pagoda.
- Mekong Delta. The delta is a 60,000km long web of inter-connecting waterways which spans across three Vietnamese provinces. The area is filled with small craft villages, Khmer Pagodas, mangroves, orchards and the trademark floating markets. The best way to experience delta life is to go on one of the many boat or bike tours. Spend a view days exploring the region.
- Cu Chi Tunnels. Crawl through the extensive network of nearly 500 km of tunnels utilized by the Viet Cong in the war with the USA in the 1960s. Tours involve a description of the tunnels, after which tourists are allowed to crawl about the maze and fire AK47s at shooting targets.
- Cuc Phuong National Park. 120km southwest of Hanoi lies Vietnam’s first National Park, Cuc Phuong. Covering 61,000, this place is home to over 2000 species of trees and some truly rare wildlife including the Clouded leopard, Delacour’s Langur and Owston’s Civet.
- Hoi An. Hoi An is one of the most popular destinations for tourists traveling to the country. The place is packed with historical homes and buildings and quaint cafes. It’s also perfect for exploring on foot. Try to be here for one of the full moon festivals as the city streets are emptied of traffic and lit by lanterns as a candlelit procession goes by.
- Ho Chi Minh City. Also known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh is Vietnam’s largest city and is definitely worth exploring. Like most cities in Vietnam, you’ll be met with the roar of motorbikes speeding through colonial streets. Ben Thanh market is a must-see for amazing food and there is a great buzz of activity within the place.
- Halong Bay. More than 3000 islands sit within the emerald green waters of Halong Bay, one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. Cat Ba National Park is great for hiking and many tourists find themselves taking one of the cave tours. This place is possibly the most beautiful part of Vietnam.
Posted by admin on February 26, 2011 under Vietnam Beaches, Vietnam Destinations, Vietnam Travel Info, Vietnam Travel Tips, Vietnam attractions, Vietnam beauty |
Lay down beside the Buddha
On top of Ta Cu — a mountainous plateau accessed by an Austrian cablecar system 1.6 miles long, and 505 meters high — resides the region’s renowned recumbent Buddha. Some 49m long and 10m high, this reclining Buddha is reputed to be the largest in SE Asia. An additional climb through woods droning with cicadas leads you to the fissured and graffiti-splattered Buddha, a cement statue whose serenity and gravitas still manages to shine through, even with forest growth encroaching from all quarters.
Ride the Wind
Who says Charlie don’t surf. Okay, the breaks in Phan Thiet might not satisfy Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore, Robert Duvall’s surf-obsessed character in Apocalypse Now. But this perch on the South China Sea is supremely windy, which has proved the draw for in-the-know adventure sport mavens who make regular pilgrimages here for killer wind- and kite-surfing. Pascal Lefebvre, owner of Jibe’s Beach Club — one of a dozen establishments which can make this experience happen for you — says that Phan Thiet’s popularity is due to the quality of its wind, usually between 20-25 knots during the season, and sometimes as high as 40. “It’s nearly guaranteed every day of the season,” he said. “Great wind and warm water.”
Hit the Road
Unlike traffic-choked Saigon, this part of Binh Thuan Province is a motorbiker’s dream. While most moped-enabled tourists are drawn north of Phan Thiet (to the famed Red Sands of Mui Ne), the coastal road leading south is, if anything, even more alluring. Great swathes of empty sand back onto quaint Vietnamese fishing villages untouched by the hand of development. Rent a motorbike from a local for a few hours (about $5) and head south to Ke Ga Lighthouse. Once past the small downtown of Phan Thiet, you’ll feel as though you’ve got the road all to yourself — and the road is never more than 50 yards from the ocean. Note the secluded resorts along that stretch that seem like ghost towns but are actually great places to stop and have a drink with a view.
Eat & Drink
Quan Bo Ke — Situated at the north end of the Mui Ne strip this al-fresco joint offers some of the cheapest and best seafood in town. Lobsters go down well with the Russian tourists who flock here, but a better bet are the generous platters of grilled scallops with spring onions and peanuts – a steal at around VND90, 000 or $5 a pop.
Joe’s The Art Cafe — Strangely bohemian for a 24-hour bar in an Asian seaside resort, Joe’s offers an imaginative menu, a decent wine list and nightly live music. Perfect for a sandwich or snack after a night out. It also shows movies, sports comfy couches, and stays open till the wee hours of morning.
Cay Bang — Get into some seafood here at the south end of Mui Ne’s strip. Right on the water, it’s popular among locals and tourists alike and offers the rare (and raw) experience of picking your own fish. Upon arrival, you are escorted into a room/garage full of dozens of tanks, swimming with squid, rockfish, grouper, etc) You can tell them to fry it, steam it, grill it, whatever.
Shree Ganesh — Run by the same crew responsible for Saigon’s popular Ganesh restaurant, this particular spice emporium offers a flawless selection of north and south Indian dishes.
Three more fine venues on the strip in Mui Ne: Sankara Beach Bar & Restaurant, The Indian Restaurant, and Mia. For drinks in a more upscale setting, hard to beat The Sailing Club.
Visit Van Thuy Tu Temple
Two hundred years ago, Van Thuy Tu had three separate repositories of whale skeletons. Today, the Temple site is famous mainly as home to Ong Nam Hai, a 100-foot whale skeleton moved inside, in tact, in 1893. The actually found it washed ashore in 1890, and buried the whale in a spot close to the ocean. After three years, the body eroded, they dug up the skeleton and built a temple for it. They still keep more than 100 skeletons here, as with tradition, still burying the whale where they found them or in a sandy cemetery beside the temple — thus offering respectful offerings to the spirits who look after fishermen and bring the bountiful catch. The plants in the cemetery are grown in pots, so the root systems don’t bind up the soil, making exhumation more difficult.
Behold, Bamboo Basket Boats
At night, gazing out onto the East Sea, lines of illuminated squid boats bob gently on the horizon. During the day, the bamboo basket coracle is the more familiar sight — here and all along the south central coast of Vietnam. It takes about a week to weave the strands of a basket boat and seal the bamboo lattice with a pitch derived from the dau trai tree. The boats sell for about 400,000 dong, or $27 each. Fishermen frequently make boats in the grounds of the Van Thuy Tu Temple, and surrounding streets, but they are ubiquitous all along the beaches of Binh Thuan Province. Fishermen propel these boats by churning a single oar, like a milkmaid at butter.
Check out the Cham Towers
The Cham people are thought to have arrived on these shores from the island of Borneo and, at its 9th century peak, the Cham culture controlled coastal lands from Hue in central Vietnam all the way south to the Mekong Delta. The Cham Kingdom fell before the encroaching Vietnamese in the 16th century, but some 100,000 ethnic Chams still reside in Vietnam, and they are particularly prominent in Phan Thiet/Mui Ne. A grouping of impressive Poshanu Cham towers can be found just off the road from Phan Thiet north to Mui Ne. The government repaired and restored these architecturally significant temples from 1990 to 2000. Just beyond the ruins — in a coupling of empires both long gone — are the ruins of a French playboy’s seaside bungalow.
Book resort in mui ne now to get good prices at http://Vietnamhotels.net/
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 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 February 15, 2011 under Vietnam Beaches, Vietnam Destinations, Vietnam Travel Tips, Vietnam beauty |
Phu Quoc, mostly called Pearl Island, is the largest island and most unspoiled island of Vietnam. Being fashioned as the “next Phuket”, Phu quoc has many reasons for both domestic and foreign travelers to check out this beautiful paradise. Nevertheless, there are five main reasons for those choosing Phu Quoc as an ideal getaway in Vietnam and Asia including tranquil beaches, untouched forests, big volume of hotels and resorts, delicious specialties and convenience of getting entry Vietnam visa.
Beaches
Phu Quoc is well-known for one of the five hidden beaches (Long Bank) in the world has many picturesque beaches along 150 km namely romantic Ong Lang Beach, irresistible Bai Sao, sophisticated Bai Dai beach (Long Bank) stretching to the horizon. It is so rare to find an uncrowded and off-the-beaten track island with calm and transparent sea as Phu Quoc. Coral reefs swarming with tropical fish, of every possible color and design. Swimming, sun bathing, boat-sailing, scuba-diving, etc. are all the exciting and relaxing seaside activities, healthful for every individual tourist.
Forest
Phu Quoc national park is one of World Biosphere reserves and among the Parks where the primitive forest is still remained in its original state. The beauty of this National Park is the combination of the forest, the ocean, stream, waterfall and mountain and hill. Phu Quoc island is located in the northwest of Kien Giang province where you can found a complex of beauty spots, historical relics – one of which is Phu Quoc National Park where you should not miss.
Hotels and resorts
Phu Quoc has 75 resorts and hotel, almost 2,000 rooms. Phu Quoc welcomes 200,000 visitors/year. Hotel room rates are much more expensive than other places in Vietnam.
Need help about Phu quoc hotels, please check out at the website http://Vietnamhotels.net/.
Specialties
Should you ever have a vacation in Vietnam, you must have heard about Phu Quoc fermented fish sauce (nước mắm), the best one in the nation!
In addition, Phu Quoc’s seafood is also fantastic. Numerous fish, dried fish, lobsters, crabs, squid, oyster, arca, etc. are available at your enjoyment. Just come and taste Coi Bien mai Gỏi Cá Trích (dish made of herring fish and vegetables), Rượu Sim Phú Quốc (a kind of wine made from a Myrtaceous fruit), you will feel the very tasty and fragrant Island zone!
Visa exemption
Under regulation on foreign entry into, exit from, and residence in Phu Quoc Island, Foreigners and Vietnamese nationals bearing foreign passports who enter Vietnam through an international border gate and then travel to Phu Quoc Island and stay in Phu Quoc less than 15 days will also be granted Vietnam visa exemption. After arriving in Phu Quoc Island, if visitors want to travel to other localities or stay in the island for more than 15 days, the immigration department will be responsible for issuing visas right on the spot.
How to get here?
Just under an hour by plane from Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Quoc can also be reached by boat, ship or catamaran. Construction of an international airport on the island is planned next year. But while there are ample connections from mainland Vietnam, access from Cambodia is more complicated.
When to go?
November to March (Dry Season) is the best time to visit but hotels book out fast, especially around Christmas, western New Year and Tet (Vietnamese New Year). Tet is in fact the busiest time of the year on Phu Quoc and some hotels double their rates for the season. If you visit at Tet (late January to early February, depending on the moon) book well in advance.
For now, Phu Quoc remains something of a secret, known only to the enlightened few. Little by little, however, the secret is getting out. Discover it yourself, before it is too late!
Tags: bai sao, hotel in phu quoc, hotels in phu quoc, hotels phu quoc, long beach, Ong Lang beach, Phu Quoc, Phu quoc hotel, Phu quoc hotels, Phu Quoc Island, Phu quoc Vietnam
Posted by admin on January 11, 2011 under Vietnam Travel Tips, Visa to Vietnam |
To apply for visa on arrival (visa picked up at arrival airport, ONLY for those traveling by air), please kindly read carefully the below for instructions of visa application via our service before clicking to apply:
There are 4 easy steps of getting a Vietnam visa on arrival:
STEP 1: Fill in your personal information as follows:
Full name (as shown in your passport)
Gender
Date of birth
Nationality
Passport No. (Valid at least six months)
Date of arrival
Length of stay: 1 month (stay up to 30 days) or 3 months (stay up to 90 days).
Number of entries: single (exit and enter one time) or multiple (exit and enter Vietnam more than one) (during the mentioned period of time)
Type of visa: visa on arrival (pick up visa at arrival airport/ for traveling by air ONLY)
Rush service: Urgent (1 working day to process your visa approval letter) or Normal (2 or 3 working days to process visa approval letter)
Flight reference: Booked (noted your flight time and number if any) or Not booked yet
Port of arrival: Noi Bai (Hanoi), Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City) or Danang to pick up your visa
Or, you can download the application form here , then fill in this form and send to us via email.
STEP 2: Confirm and pay
Confirm the information for processing your visa and pay the service fee;
You will receive a confirmation email stating that we have received your Vietnam visa request. If you don’t receive our email, please contact us by live support or email.
Please read the payment guidelines before paying the service fee. Please kindly note that the guidelines are for service fee only.
We will submit the information to the Vietnam Immigration Department in Vietnam to get the approval letter for you after receiving your payment confirmation.
STEP 3: Get your visa approval letter
For visa on arrival (pick up visa at arrival airport / for traveling by air ONLY), you will receive a visa approval letter via email (3b).
After one (1) (urgent service ) or two or three (2-3) working days (normal service)), Vietnam Immigration Department will issue a visa approval letter for you. This original visa approval letter will be sent to us and the information simultaneously forward to the Immigration Database on your arrival at the airport in Vietnam. Then we will send a copy of the Visa Approval letter (via email or fax) to you right after receiving your original visa approval letter from Vietnam Immigration Department. You just have to print it out and bring it with you to Vietnam arrival airport.
STEP 4: Get the stamp (for your visa)
You need to show the Visa Approval letter TWICE: To the airlines in your country when you check in and to the Immigration officer at the Vietnam’s airport upon arrival to get the visa stamped onto your passport. You are then required to fill out the entry and exit form, attach photos and pay the visa stamping fee (see the visa stamping fee) to directly the Immigration officer.
Note: Please remember to bring along two (2) photos. Following is the list of regulations regarding passport-style photographs:
Photographs must be passport-sized, identical, taken within the past 6 months.
The image size from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head should be between 1 inch and 13/8 inches.
The photographs may be in color or black and white.
They must be full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background.
Photographs should be taken in normal street attire, without a hat or headgear that obscures the hair or hairline.
Uniforms should not be worn in photographs with the exception of religious attire which is worn daily.
If prescription glasses, a hearing device, wig or similar articles are normally and consistently worn, they should be worn when the picture is taken.
Dark glasses or nonprescription glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable unless required for medical reasons. A medical certificate may be required to support the wearing of such glasses in the photographs.
