Dam Da Trach Crab Hotpot Restaurant, Restaurants, Hanoi

While such names as Hoa Tien cave, Tien Phi cave, Mai Chau valley, Hoa Binh hydroelectric dam are tourists highlights, Dam Da seem to be an obscure historical site. Dam Da is located in Phu Lao commune, Lac Thuy district, Hoa Binh province.

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Dam Da

Dam Da is actually a vast complex of temples, pagodas and caves in the district, including Trinh temple (also known as Quan Trinh), Mau temple, Tien pagoda and etc. The temples and pagodas here are closely related to legendary characters in Viet Nam’s history such as Au Co mother, Lac Long Quan Father, Hoang Bay Mandarin and Tam Toa Thanh Mau. In Tien cave and Ho cave (other name: Nguoi xua cave), archaeologists have found traces of ancient people, contributing a great deal to the historical study. Now Tien pagoda has received national recognition as a historical cultural site and it is attracting many visitors to come here for sightseeing or worship.

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Apart from historical and cultural values, Dam Da is marked by its natural spec

tacular caves. There are Tam Toa cave, Thuy Tien cave, Cung Tien cave, Hoang Muoi cave, Co Chin cave etc. One will find it extremely difficult to list all the caves here. When coming into each cave, tourists will be totally taken by surprised at the gigantic and illusory stalagmites and stalactites.

Dam Da is most crowded in spring, particularly from January to March when there is Chua Tien festival. It is also convenient for tourists to visit Huong pagoda nearby – a famous attraction in My Duc district, Ha Noi.

Vietnam Military History Museum is one of seven museums

Vietnam History Museum lies silently on the back of the renowned Hanoi Opera House, at No.1 Pham Ngu Lao Street, Hoan Kiem District. This museum was built in 1926 under the name Louis Finot Museum by the Ecole Française d’Extreme-Orient and finish in 1932. After being taken over by Vietnamese Government, the museum changed its official name to Museum of Vietnam History and opened to the public on 3 September 1958.

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Vietnam History Museum

Although the museum is only 2,000m2 in total, it provides a great overview of the history of Vietnam thanks to chronological sequence. The site has two floors, among which Vietnam’s history is divided into 10 different sections, from the prehistoric era to the day when President Ho Chi Minh read out the Declaration of Independence giving birth to Vietnam.

In here preserving more than 7,000 precious objects, some aged thousand years old which represent the cultural diversity of the country. Historic objects exhibited here are not only Vietnamese origin but also consists other culture like China, Japan, Thailand and especially Champ with more than 50 stone-engraved back to 7th-13th centuries.

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Visitors may have to make full use of imagination as well as sensitivity to understand artifacts and relics exhibited in the museum. This is good chance for you to test your ability to perceive art because the descriptions of the objects are quite sparse that most of them are in Vietnamese and only indentify what the object is rather than what is its meaning.

The stone carving work that has made Non Nuoc Village

After a 15-minute ride from the centre of Danang, the biggest city on the Central Coast of Vietnam, I reached its renowned stone carving village, Non Nuoc, which lies at the foot of the picturesque Marble Mountain.

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Non Nuoc village

In the village, there are thousands of craftsmen working day and night to turn stone into works of art.

Speaking with 89-year-old Le Ben, one of the oldest artisans in the village, I found out that about 400 years ago, this village was established by Thanh Hoa resident Huynh Ba Quat, an expert in carving.

Le Ben shared that in the first half of the 17th century, Huynh Ba Quat left his hometown and went to Marble Mountain. Realsing that the area was abundant in marble, he decided to take some home and turned it into epitaphs and millstones. After receiving complements from villagers, Huynh Ba Quat passed his skills on to the younger generation.

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“At that time, the most popular marble products were stone blocks to anchor boats, a variety of millstones, and tombstones. Besides, sculpture of sacred dragons, phoenix, turtles for pagoda, temples, and mausoleums were also in high demand,” says Le Ben.

Almost every tombstone in Quang Nam-Danang area from the 17th century to now has been made by Non Nuoc artisans. The Non Nuoc villages now also carve historical figures, spiritual characters and international celebrities.

Walking along Huyen Tran Cong Chua street, which features about one third of the stone art producing houses in Non Nuoc village, I was taken aback by thousands of stone artifacts of many sizes. The majority are spiritual, such as statues of Buddha, Maitreya, and Guanyin. There are also scared animals such as the dragon, phoenix, lion and elephant.

According to Tran An, the owner of Tran An Stone, the village’s leading sellers are statues of Vietnamese spiritual characters: “In order to meet the need of foreign visitors, we also make Christian characters like Jesus and Saint Mary.”

Love and dedication is needed to produce each piece and some take an artisan weeks or even months to finish. “If you are hardworking, you can create a miniature after a few months of learning. However in order to carve a more complicated statue, you have to study for years,” Tran An explains.

No easy task

On the trip, I met a young craftsman named Tuan who has been studying carving for two years. “Before carving, we have to make a sketch on a stone block first. When I started learning, I made a lot of mistakes such as chiseling too hard or too soft. As a result, it took me months to finish my first product, which was only 20-centimeters high,” Tuan shared.

One of the hardships that Non Nuoc artisans have to face is breathing dusty air everyday. As a result, many people have to resign because of lung diseases even though their love for carving is still burning. Instead, they move to the sales teams so that they can contribute to their traditional profession.

Attracting tourists

American tourist, Alena, told me that she heard about this village from a friend. “When I saw the miniature sculpture he brought home, I knew that I would visit Vietnam someday.”

My taxi driver, Luong, told me that an Australian came and spent over US$200,000 on marble here. “They don’t have this type of art in other countries, so people are willing to spend thousands of dollars,” he said. “Yesterday a lady bought a 1.3 meter high Guanyin statue for about VND80 million (US$3,700).”

Currently, Non Nuoc village is home to around 500 manufacturers providing over 4,000 jobs with an average wage of VND2-3 million (US$92-134), which can give a Danang family a decent life.

Say goodbye to Non Nuoc village, I could see a bright future for Danang city and Ngu Hanh Son district in particular.

hanoi travel guide

Hanoi is Vietnam's capital, lies on the banks of the Red River. It is cosy with tree-lines, boulevards, lakes, parks, French colonial buildings, elegant squares..

As the capital of Vietnam for almost a thousand years, Hanoi is considered to be the cultural centre of Vietnam, where every dynasty has left behind their imprint. Even though some relics have not survived through wars and time, the city still has many interesting cultural and historic monuments for visitors and residents alike.

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The Architecture of Hanoi

tuantaFor starters, the boxy, concrete architectural design trends that swept through much of the world in the 1970s and 1980s mostly skipped right over Hanoi. As a result, Hanoi maintains a charming blend of French colonial architecture, mixed in with traditional Vietnamese designs, and now with very western-looking skyscrapers.

The Old Quarter is one of the first places you'll want to visit in Hanoi if you love looking at old buildings. It's in this popular tourist spot that you'll find the famous Temple of Literature and other landmarks.

Adam63Many of the French buildings from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries remain in Hanoi, such as the Grand Opera House, the Presidential Palace, the National Museum of Vietnamese History, and St. Joseph Cathedral. The outsides of these buildings harken back to a previous chapter in Vietnam's history, while the insides are filled with relics of Vietnam's history and culture. Inside the National Museum of Vietnamese History, for example, you'll find antiques and displays that document the thousand years between the tenth century and the twentieth.

Lakes of Hanoi

Besides its buildings, Hanoi is especially well-known for its many lakes. In fact, there are so many lakes in Hanoi that it is sometimes referred to by its nickname, 'city of lakes'. The most famous lake is probably the West Lake, known in Vietnamese as Ho Tay. With its banks dotted by Buddhist temples, the West Lake is a great place to tour.

Alexis Le-QuocHoan Kiem Lake is another popular lake amongst tourists. With a curious pagoda in the centre of the lake known as the Turtle Tower, and a legendary history that involves an emperor and a magic sword, Hoan Kiem Lake is one of those places in Hanoi that takes visitors back to another time.

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Shopping and Dining in Hanoi

If history and urban green spaces aren't your sort of thing, you might be pleased to know that Hanoi is also home to many modern shopping centres. Though you might still find a traditional, open-air market in Hanoi's Old Quarter, these days the young and hip in Hanoi visit places like the Trang Tien Plaza and the Vincom City Towers.

At the end of a long day of touring, walking, and shopping, you'll be ready to relax in one of Hanoi's restaurants. If you like Vietnamese food, you'll be sure to be delighted by the variety of food available in Hanoi. Be sure to ask what words on the menu mean before you; in North Vietnam diners do have somewhat more eclectic tastes than in the rest of Vietnam

Cai Rang floating market the biggest floating market in the Mekong Delta

Cai Rang Floating Market is around 6km from Can Tho City, this floating market is the biggest and most famous floating market as well as it is also the most popular destination in Can Tho. Cai Rang Floating Market is taken place from 5am to the noon everyday.

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Exploring Cai Rang Floating Market, you have a chance to get the most beautiful photographs in the Mekong River. This is a place where exchange the different products such as the fresh fruits, food….almost of the local people come here to do their business everyday.

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Cai Rang Floating Market is the famous place with the hundred of small boats cruise in the Mekong River, these small boats not only exchange the food but also it is the main transfer vehicle in this river area. On your trip at here, you are also rowed on a small wooden boat inside the small canals so you could see very clearly the daily life of the local at here.

Travel to Cai Rang Floating Market you also should not miss the local food at here, the most you also should try and enjoy the boat cafe it means that they serve the cafe on a small boat so that you could drink directly a cup of coffee right on your boat.

Ninh Binh - famous destination in Vietnam

Ninh Binh is located in the northern Vietnam, it is far from Hanoi around 100km by bus. Ninh Binh is one of the city where has many types of traveling from trekking in the great park as Cuc Phuong National Park to rowing the wooden boat in the river and caves in Trang An and Tam Coc Bich Dong, from visiting the famous pagoda such as Bai Dinh Pagoda which is the biggest pagoda in Vietnam to exploring the authentic stone church such as Phat Diem….

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If you travel to the north of Vietnam, Ninh Binh should be one of your highlight because Ninh Binh is encompassed all kinds of tours with many type of traveling such as for the adventurous tourists with trekking in the Cuc Phuong National Park, for the families with rowing on the wooden boat in Trang An and Tam Coc Bich Dong, for the cultural tourists with Phat Diem Church …

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Cuc Phuong National Park is the first choice for the adventurers, you could explore this park by trekking or take bus going inside the forest, then you also stay at the hotel inside this park one night to explore more about this mighty park if you have more time on your trip.

For tourists who like a boat trip is Trang An or Tam Coc Bich Dong is the first choice, you also row on the wooden small boat by your own in the river and in the caves, they are very fun and interested.

For clients who prefer to know the famous churches in Vietnam, Phat Diem church is their first choice.

Phong Nha cave, previously considered the biggest cave in Vietnam

Belong to Ke Bang’s limestone mountainous area of Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam. It takes around 50km from Dong Hoi City, Phong Nha Caves is considered as the most beautiful cave of Vietnam, it is protected by the tropical forest.

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From the Son River, the tourist take a boat around 30 minutes to cruise to Phong Nha Caves, arrival to the front of cave you will see the charming mountainous landscape and the mighty nature with a lot of the particularly interesting images to be appeared to excite the tourists’ imagination.

With 7.729m length, 83m deep, 50m high and there are a lot of the big and small caves’ limb, it makes Phong Nha Caves become a very special and impression landscape.

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Phong Nha Caves is the most typical ones about the aesthetics value and unique in Phong Nha – Ke Bang Heritage which is considered as one of the most beautiful cave in the world.

All information about attractive destinations in Dong Van old quarter-100 years old

Located at the center of Dong Van town. The vestige consists of the market and two villages (Quyet Tien, Dong Tam) of Dong Van commune. It was built on early years of the 20th Century. At first, the Old Quarter only has Tay and Hoa people. During years 1940, 1950 of the 20th Century, there are some ethnics like Kinh, Dao and Nung also settled in these area. It has distinct identities of local people.

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Nowadays, Dong Van old street has more than 40 old house. Of which, the oldest is the house of Luong family which was built since 1890. the Ancient Quarter is a consistent architectural community including, market and opposite to market is the row of the house of the local people which are very unique and suitable with Feng Shui of the rocky highland area.

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The architecture of the houses in the Old Street have quite similar appearance but contains unique architectural feature of each ethnic minority:

    - The houses frame is 2-storey, made of wooden.

All columns and pillars are made from iron wood without jointing and fussy carving, which remain rigid even at present;

    - The wall is compacted clay (adobe) with an average thickness of about half meters while the roof is is covered with yin and yang tile, a fashion very typical for ethnic minority people in the Northern boundary;

    - The yard and the three-step staircase are hand-made from bluish limestone while pillar footing stones are carefully carved.

In general, Dong van old street is combination between architectural style of local people with people from Hoa Nam – china.

Hanoi, Vietnam travel guide

The oldest and one of the most attractive capital cities in Southeast Asia, Hanoi exudes a rare sense of gracious charm and timelessness. At its core exists a 600-year-old ancient quarter, augmented by a century-old colonial city. Today, the rich cultural heritage of both blends in perfect harmony with growing modernization, as Hanoi claims its position as the heart of Vietnam.

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Hanoi, the “City within the River’s Bend,” was founded by Emperor Ly Thai To in AD 1010, near Co Loa, the ancient capital of the first Viet state dating back to the 3rd century BC. Ly Thai To structured this city, then known as Thang Long, around the massive citadel. To the east of this, a settlement of guilds was established to serve the needs of the royal court. By the 16th century, this area had developed into Hanoi’s celebrated Old Quarter.

The arrival of the French in the 19th century marked a period of reconstruction, as they tore down parts of the citadel and some ancient temples to make way for the new European quarter. However, this cultural vandalism was compensated for, to a large extent, by the magnificent colonial architecture they bequeathed the city. During the first Indochina War, the city’s central districts escaped largely unharmed, and subsequently, in 1954, Hanoi was proclaimed the capital of independent Vietnam. Sadly, this was not the end of its violent history as it was then plunged into the conflict-ridden years against the US. Hanoi entered the 21st century a little run down yet structurally sound despite the years of warfare. The Opera House is still grand, as is the Sofitel Metropole Hotel.

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Today, Hanoi is emerging as an elegant, cultured, and affluent city, where museums and galleries coexist with chic shops and fashionable restaurants. One can wander, in a few minutes, from the narrow streets of the Old Quarter to the imposing mansions and buildings lining the leafy boulevards of the former French Quarter. Hanoi’s past has also ensured a superb culinary legacy, where French and Chinese cuisines blend marvelously with the Viet traditions. The same is true of Hanoi’s lively arts scene, which is among the most sophisticated in Southeast Asia.

Nha Trang, a university town at the mouth of a beautiful bay with a huge sweeping beach

With over 250 days of sunshine each year, some of the best hotels in Vietnam, miles of sandy beach and an ever increasing range of sports facilities, entertainment venues and nightlife, Nha Trang has plenty to offer all visitors.

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Beach: 

The 6km-long (4 miles) sandy beach, fringed by palms and casuarina trees, is one of the best in Vietnam with clean water, making it a perfect place for swimming. Visitors can rent a sunbed and vendors regularly pass by selling soft drinks and fresh fruit. The offshore islands and coral reefs are ideal for snorkelling and scuba-diving and watersports centres rent out windsurfers.

Beyond the beach: 

Pride of place are the Po Nagar Cham Towers (in the north of Nha Trang on Cu Lao overlooking the Cai River), built by the Cham people between the 7th and 12th centuries. They are still a place of worship, and Vietnamese come here to pray and make offerings. A gleaming white Buddha, visible from all over Nha Trang, sits on top of a hill reached from the Long Son Pagoda below. To the south of the town, on a promontory jutting out into the South China Sea, are Bao Dai's villas (just north of Cau Da Dock), a holiday retreat for Bao Dai, the last emperor of Vietnam, where you can explore the grounds. Once you have had enough culture, escape by boat to the islands for some cooling swimming and snorkelling in pristine seas or relax in the hot waters and mud baths of Thap Ba Hot Spring.

Family fun: 

If the kids find the beach too tame for them the Phu Dong Water and Amusement Park on Tran Phu Street can provide hours of entertainment. There is even a night market for souvenir shopping and food stalls to end the day with a delicious meal of fresh seafood and local specialities. Children will love the opportunity to see the colourful marine life in the South China Sea on a glass bottomed boat tour. For a thrill and a day of fun take the kids on the cable car across the sea to the Vinpearl Resort on Hon Tre Island where there is an amusement park, food village and shopping. Take a boat excursion to the aptly named Monkey Island and feed the resident troop of monkeys.

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Exploring further:

Two hours from Nha Trang is Whale Island, a resort where you can really get away from it all. Stay in beach bungalows and explore the unspoilt island with its impressive array of birdlife or you can sail, canoe, windsurf or go diving and see colourful fishes and coral and even whales and whale sharks on their annual visit from April to July. Explore the highland areas with an overnight excursion to Buon Ma Thuot passing rubber and coffee plantations en route and stopping at a waterfall for a refreshing swim. In Buon Ma Thuot visit an ethnic minority village and ride an elephant.

Buon Ma Thuot, the capital of the Central Highlands

Buon Ma Thuot lies about 190 km inland from Nha Trang and around 200km north of Dalat. A large town in a coffee plantation area, it’s the provincial capital of Dak Lak province but its main interest for visitors are the natural surroundings and the thirty or so ethnic groups in the area. Dak Lak is warmer and more humid than Dalat, with a rainy season from April to November.

The town itself is nondescript apart from the Kha Doan Pagoda, an unusual combination of the features of an Ede long house with a roof designed in accordance with Hue imperial architecture. It was built to commemorate the wife of Emperor Khai Dinh – her son was Emperor Bao Dai, the last of the dynasty.

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Gia Long WaterfallMost of Buon Ma Thuot’s attractions lie well away from the town. They include the excellent Gia Long and Dray Nur waterfalls, both little visited. Gia Long is adjacent to ancient forest – Emperor Bao Dai used to hunt there.

The forest is spectacular – enormous trees, vines, and a profusion of insects. Nearby is a natural swimming pool, an almost rectangular basin with a sandy bottom.

On the other bank are the remains of a bridge and lake built by Bao Dai, now being slowly strangled by the lush vegetation.

Dray Nur is a complete contrast. Set in dry, arid land, its waters thunder over black volcanic rock. Its comparatively barren surroundings enhance the impact of the falls – standing at the bottom among the swirling mist, the noise is deafening.

Serene Lak Lake offers travel in a dugout canoe across the lake to ride working elephants and meet their mahouts through ethnic villages, some with homestay facilities.

About thirteen miles from the town there is a settlement of Ede people who live in distinctive longhouses on stilts. It's a good starting point for a hike through Nam Kha Forest.

Further away to the northwest is Yok Don, Vietnam’s largest national park. Several ethnic groups live within it, notably the M’nong people who traditionally specialised in hunting and domesticating the wild elephants that roamed in the area.

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However, the effects of US bombing and defoliation, together with loss of habitat from agricultural encroachment have drastically reduced their numbers. The journey to Yok Don is quite taxing, but the forests are striking and there are many species of flora and fauna, some very rare.

Although depleted, there are still plenty left, both wild and domesticated. Elephant riding in Yok Don is the real McCoy rather than the gentler tourist version at Lak Lake. During the dry season, two-day safari-style forays into the deep forest can be arranged. Homestays are possible, and there’s a few bedrooms available in the park’s headquarters – either way, don’t expect anything other than the most basic accommodation.

Everything you need to know about Da Nang

Originally known as Cua Han, it gradually developed into a commercial port replacing Hoi An in the early 18th century, when European shipbuilding was improved and large deep-draught vessels could easily enter Danang Bay. The city was associated with the French colonialists who, after establishing their domination of the whole of Vietnam in 1889, separated Danang from Quang Nam Province and renamed the city Tourane under the control of the Governor General of Indochina. After the defeat of the French in 1954, it was given its present name under the authority of the Saigon government.

Its international fame arose from its role during the American War. In March 1965, American marine units landed and started to set up a major military complex to support the combat bases and operations in and near the De-Militarised Zone, about 220km to the north. American troops and the Saigon government expanded Danang into a political and military centre with an airport, ports, warehouses, roads, and other infrastructure. Industry flourished, and the population grew.

In March 1975, the advancing North Vietnam Army (NVA) captured Hue, and by the end of the month, panic spread through Danang and order collapsed. In early April, with NVA tanks advancing on the city, the chaotic evacuation and airlift began. The human story of the event was documented in the 1997 film ‘Daughter from Danang’ featuring a child and mother separated at that time.

Today, Danang is an important port and Vietnam’s fourth largest city but, despite its substantial business travel potential, there's a dearth of decent hotels with only the upmarket Furama Resort above a three-star standard.

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Nevertheless, its a pleasant place but without a great deal of interest for the traveller apart from its ancient association with the Cham Kingdom, represented by its famous Cham Museum, and a Cao Dai temple second only to the Cao Dai Holy See in importance. However, not counting the DMZ, Hue, My Son and Hoi An, there are places worth visiting not far away.

My Khe Beach

Made famous by the American War, the actual location of the GI’s rest and relaxation area is a small section of My Khe beach, part of the long stretch of sand that runs south alongside the coast for hundreds of kilometres. Nearby, is the Furama, Vietnam’s premier first class resort hotel, the only First Class hotel within reasonable reach of Hue.

My Khe Beach is down the sand from the Furama - it’s easy enough to spot. You can still see the old aircraft hangers at the back of the beach. The American forces used them to house bombers, unwittingly in full view of the Vietcong who maintained a spectacular network of tunnels in the Marble Mountains.

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The Marble Mountains

The Marble Mountains are a popular spot for Vietnamese visitors, about ten kilometres from Danang.

Also known by their Vietnamese name of Ngu Hanh Son (Five Mountains Range), they face the East Sea and contain some of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam. The colour of the marble in the five peaks differs: the Thuy Son mountain has pink marble, while the Moc Son mountain’s is white and the Hoa Son mountain’s is brown.

It’s a commercialised site, but the shrines and pagodas built into the caves in the limestone hills are interesting if not too crowded. At its base is Non Nuoc, a stone carving village with more than a thousand people involved in making fine art works and Buddha statues from high-grade limestone, mostly for export worldwide.

Go to Da Lat, The Romantic Travel Destination of Vietnam

The Facts

At the southern extremity of the Central Highlands is the city of Dalat. Originally built by the French colonists, Dalat still bears a passing resemblance to a French town, an impression that is diminishing as Vietnamese-style buildings proliferate.

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Dalat can be reached by air, but only from Ho Chi Minh City. However the drive from the south is quite satisfying, especially as you climb up through rubber, mulberry, coffee and tea plantations. The road from Dalat to Highway 1 and Nha Trang is also gratifying with plenty to see on way.

There are some good hotels, the crown going to the excellent Sofitel Dalat Palace, arguably one of Vietnam’s best, but there are very few restaurants serving anything other than Vietnamese food.

‘Discovered’ by Dr. Alexandre Yersin at the end of the 19th century, Dalat grew into a large hill station attracting French civil servants, administrators and military personnel seeking a refuge from the heat and humidity of the Mekong and the coastal plain.

Dalar marketLocated high in the mountains nearly 1500m above sea level, Dalat is now popular with Vietnamese visitors because it has a cool and equable climate usually remaining between 10º C and 20º C throughout the year. This ‘eternal spring’ is responsible for its increasing importance as a fruit and flower growing area. First class blooms, soft fruits and vegetables are grown for export and airlifted all over Asia.

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The ‘Romantic City’ or a Mecca for eccentrics?

You’ll come across the first label quite frequently, but don’t be misled. It’s equable temperatures make Dalat a popular choice for Vietnamese summer newly-weds who don’t want to consummate their union in a pool of sweat. If you are hoping to find peaceful seclusion with tucked-away bijou restaurants, the gentle refrains of violins or classic guitar, and secluded strolls by the light of the moon – forget it!

In reality, the most accurate description of Dalat’s ‘romantic’ features is ‘off the wall’. Forget about the much-touted, and mostly tacky and over-commercialised, attractions and look upon Dalat as an expedition in to the bizarre.

Dalat’s real attractions

Approached in a different way, Dalat has a lot to offer. Here’s a few examples, not in any particular order.

The Ugly Duckling

Most cities would yearn for a large water area with plenty of space as a central feature. Dalat has Xuan Huong, a splendid artificial lake with a seven kilometre perimeter. However, the local tourism authority has ‘enhanced’ it by the addition of a fleet of two person plastic ‘pedaloes’ shaped as huge swans. It’s an introduction the kitsch that is to come!

Welcome to wonderland.

The quintessence of counter-culture, Hang Nga’s ‘Crazy House’ is a truly memorable guest house if you don’t mind being uncomfortable. It defies description – seeing is believing!

The attractive tourist destination Sapa

Getting there

Two main roads wend their way into the north western mountain area: the latter part of the trip offers good views, but the roads are poor and the twelve-hour journey is tiring. For most visitors, overnight train travel to Lao Cai and by road to Sapa is the best option.

The original Lao Cai town was destroyed during the 1979 invasion of Vietnam by the Chinese Army. As none of the present buildings predate the event, the only attractions for visitors is the road to Sapa and the border gate with China

Sapa’s history

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Sapa came into existence as a hill station during the French occupation. Previously a Black H’mong village, it was ‘discovered’ early in the twentieth century and developed as a resort for French military officers, civil servants and business people. Its marked similarity to alpine areas in France and its temperate climate made it a haven from Hanoi's clammy winter dampness and sultry humid summer. By 1940, it was a sizeable town populated almost entirely by French citizens.

As France’s grip on the country weakened, the buildings emptied. After their victory at Dien Bien Phu, the Viet Minh demolished most of the buildings. One that escaped was the summer residence of the Governor General of Indochina, which was commandeered by the Secretary General of the Vietnamese Communist Party as his holiday retreat. That was also flattened during the 1979 Chinese invasion.

Sa Pa today

Today, a few buildings have been restored, notably the church, shelled by the French as the Viet Minh began to advance through the northern mountains. Several of the new buildings are vaguely based on the long gone French villas – the Auberge Hotel is a good example. Apart from that, the only enduring memento of the French presence is the inclusion of open fires and chimneys in many buildings – a welcome addition as the temperature often slips below zero in winter.

Sapa has several reasonable local hotels, and one of international standard. A recent arrival is a small four-room guest house owned and managed by the Hoa Sua organisation. It’s comfortable, friendly and puts money into the local economy.

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The ethnic minority groups

The main attraction of this area, apart from its superlative natural beauty, is Vietnam’s largest concentration of ethnic groups. Many distinct groups live in this area and, apart from those living around the tourist centre of Sapa, their dress, buildings, traditions and lifestyles have changed little over the last hundred years.

Visiting markets

We always recommended visits to the more remote markets that have so far escaped the attention of the package tour companies. It’s usually a long drive, but what you see is far closer to the traditional culture than those in the tourist areas. However, they don't sell products designed for tourists, unless you want pigs, agricultural implements and so on.

For souvenirs, buy from the markets in Sapa or Bac Ha. Both are already commercialised, but by making your purchases there, you'll be dealing direct with the producer, not giving the profits to a wealthy shop owner. Bear in mind that very few of the souvenir shops, restaurants and hotels in the tourist areas are owned by local people.

Things to do in Dannang, vietnam

Previously occupied by both the French and the Americans, Da Nang marks the halfway point between the capital in the north, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City in the south. It’s the fourth largest city in Vietnam. Apart from some shopping highlights and historical sights, the main reason for most travellers staying here is its proximity to the well-known China Beach, Lang Co Beach, Hoi An and My Son.

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Lang Co Beach is lined with palm trees, the water of the nearby ocean crystal-clear and enticing, lapping onto white sand. It is a peninsula with a sparkling lagoon on one side, and the beach on the other. The area is fairly under-developed, although recent years have seen many new hotels opening.

China Beach is more developed, since it was a popular spot for American soldiers seeking R&R during the Vietnam-US War. Water sport activities here are in abundance, and it can get very crowded over weekends and holidays. Da Nang’s coastline stretches 30 kilometres, renowned for calm, cool waters and also popular for fishing, water-skiing, diving, and yachting.

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With an airport with daily flights from across cities in Vietnam and a train station, Da Nang is easily accessible. It is just over 760km from Hanoi, and almost 950km from Ho Chi Minh City. There are many good hotels to choose from, no matter the type of accommodation you’re looking for. 

Vietnam’s internet is a fickle and confusing thing.

Vietnam offers travellers the best and the worst of the internet – very often at the same time.

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On a good day, Vietnam offers world class and inexpensive 3G mobile and broadband internet services to travellers. And the internet’s easy to access too. Mobile data and call plans for travellers are available for sale at Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi airports. Ubiquitous cafes, restaurants and bars offer free wifi.

But there are bad days.  And they seem to be occurring more frequently and with increased severity.

On a bad day, travellers get to take an involuntary journey back to the pre-internet era, or the dial-up days of the 1990s.

Vietnam’s internet is a fickle and confusing thing. It’s pervasive – from 3G mobile services that reach to some of the most remote areas of the country, to fibre broadband services that, at their best, shame the far more expensive services I use in Australia.

You’ll struggle to find a cafe, bar or restaurant anywhere in Vietnam that doesn’t provide complimentary, easily accessed wifi.

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With the exception of one or two international hotel chains, free wifi is standard at Vietnam’s hotels and resorts.

So far so good. Vietnam’s sounding like one of the world’s most internet friendly places for travellers – far better in fact than many more developed travel destinations.

And the Vietnamese people love the internet. There are more than 40 million internet users in this nation of 90 million. That’s a lot of customers for the country’s telcos. Vietnam’s internet penetration is very high in relation to its economic development too.

So what’s the problem? Well there are a few.

Social Networks

Vietnam has frequently been listed as one of Facebook’s fastest growing markets. But there’s an official ambivalence about the US social network. Access to Facebook can require a little finessing – at least on a desktop.

Vietnam runs a low level block on Facebook that can require DNS setting changes or a VPN to circumvent. As I say though, it’s a low level block and it’s easy to get around.

It’s nothing like the severe block China’s Great Firewall imposes on Facebook, YouTube, Google and other US tech giants. And curiously, mobile services are exempt from Vietnam’s blocks. If you’re using your mobile, you can usually expect stable access to Facebook.

Twitter’s situation is also a little complicated. Some local ISPs seem to block it occasionally. Like Facebook, these blocks only seem to hit desktops. I’ve never had a problem accessing Twitter on mobile.

Unlike Facebook, Twitter has very low user penetration in Vietnam.

Other social networks including YouTube, are popular and accessible in Vietnam. International news, current affairs and other English language sites enjoy reasonably clear access in Vietnam as well. That’s as long as you don’t want to read about Vietnam while you’re in Vietnam. Sometimes individual news pieces from the BBC and other international news and current affairs broadcasters are blocked. But most news coverage seems to make it through.

Vietnam is listed by Reporters Without Borders as an “enemy of the internet”. This is because of the harsh way the country treats its dissenting bloggers and journalists – rather than anything likely to impact on the internet experience of travellers. Vietnam’s more heavy-handed internet censorship applies mainly to Vietnamese language sites and so isn’t likely to impact travellers either.

Cable crises

Probably the biggest internet headache travellers face in Vietnam is frequent disruption to the country’s perilously fragile international marine fiber cable. Over the past few years, these disruptions have become increasingly frequent and can render access to international sites slow or impossible.

Much to the amusement of locals and foreigners, sharks are often blamed for these ocean cable ruptures. Information on the failures tends to be incorrect or contradictory, leaving plenty of space for Vietnam’s hyperactive legion of conspiracy theorists to speculate on what is really happening.

Whatever the cause, the inconvenience to travellers is trivial compared to the brake these outages put on Vietnam’s productivity. They usually last for several weeks. And Saigon’s just come out of the worst outage I’ve experienced.

The official line is that new cables will be connected in 2016 removing this over-dependence on a single cable. Given that Vietnam is located in one of the busiest internet corridors in the world, many have asked how this vulnerability could have been allowed to plague the country for so long?

So if you’re travelling to Vietnam, expect pretty good, inexpensive, internet access – unless you’re here during one of the country’s infamous and all too frequent outages.

Tips for getting a local SIM card in Vietnam

Local prepaid SIM cards are available at Saigon and Hanoi airports and are also widely available in cities and towns if you’re arriving overland.

Viettel, which is owned by the military, seems to have the most extensive network and is the country’s biggest mobile provider. Vinaphone and Mobifone are also popular and have good national coverage.

Some of the major companies have SIM card plans tailored to the data and call needs of travellers. At time of writing, 3GB of mobile data can be purchased for around 200,000VND

Visiting Hanoi - Vietnam

Hanoi's location

This beautiful capital strategically lies at the center of the triangular basin of the Red River. With around 5 million people year 2012, and an area of 920 square km, Hanoi is now the country’s center of economy, politics, culture, and society.

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Hanoi's natural conditions

Hanoi is famous for numerous rivers, lakes, and mountains alongside and in the surroundings. Scattered around are places of sight-seeing, which are so much attractive thanks to green lands full of streams, rivers, and mountain, such as Tam Dao, Con Son, Kiem Bac..etc. Hanoi is also well known for typical tropical seasoned place of South East Asia with four seasons: fresh, green and cool in Spring, a bit hot in Summer, fine in Autumn, and cold in Winter. Yet the most interesting thing is that all those take place in most sites of the capital. “Leisure around the rivers in the suburbs or walking down the green mountains like Soc Temple in Soc Mount, Ve Linh Mount, Phuc Tuong Mount, etc, in autumn brings in such a great feeling.

Hanoi's history

Before being named “Hanoi” as present, the capital had had several names throughout history. In 1010, Ly Thai To, the first ruler of the King Ly, Ly Dynasty, moved the capital of Đại Việt (the Great Viet) to the site of the Đại La Citadel. Claiming to have seen a dragon ascending the Red River, he renamed it Thăng Long (Ascending Dragon) - a name still used poetically to this day with the belief that this was good omen of the country’s future. It remained the capital of Vietnam until 1397, when the capital was moved to Thanh Hoa, also known as Tây Đô (Western Capital). Thăng Long then became Đông Đô (Eastern Capital). King Minh Mang, under the Nguyen Dynasty, has laid the name “Hanoi” on the capital since 1831. This means “a city lying between Rivers or River Interior”, which are Red rivers. Hanoi became the capital of Vietnam when North and South Vietnam were reunited on July 2, 1976. 

Many historians reckon that the city was established more than 1,500 years ago. Therefore, with the length of living, Hanoi is very rich of cultural, historical and traditional values.

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Hanoi's historical places visiting

Within the “River Interior City”, there are a number of historical and beautiful places to get by. Mentioning about Hanoi, what comes first to tourists’ mind is the ever first historical University of the capital and also the nation – Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (Translated as “The Literature Temple”). Besides its foremost meaning, Van Mieu is also the place to worship Confucius, setting doctor steles. Youngsters and youth always come here to pray for success by touching the rock tortoises’ head before any examinations, cause it is believed to be very sacred.

Since Vietnam is a Buddhism-oriented nation, its capital has been the Buddhism center for centuries. As a result, it is not surprising that there are as many as about 600 temples and pagodas in Hanoi. For Buddhist tourists, among many great pagodas, Tran Quoc Pagoda should be the first to pay a visit. It is not only the oldest one among those 600, (6 century years old), but also one of the most gorgeous and sacred. The second that is worth visiting is Mot Cot Pagoda (One-Pillar pagoda), another symbol of the capital. Its special architecture is similar to a lotus on the top of water.

Located near the two symbolic pagodas and right in the middle of the capital it is the historical Lake – Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of Returned Sword), and Ngoc Son Temple with 100% natural beauty. Related to the Lake, Vietnam has a classic story telling about King Le Loi after winning over Minh invader, returned the magic Sword to the Tortoise down in the Lake. Since then, the Lake was named “Hoan Kiem”. It is more surprising that up to now, the historical Tortoise still sometimes appear up the Lake surface for a moment.

As for Catholics coming to Hanoi, there are also great Churches to come for praying or visiting. From 19th century, many Catholic churches were built in here. The biggest one is Cathedral. And Cua Bac church is a beautiful original typical French architect.

As you may have found out, Hanoi is more an antique and peaceful city than a modern one. This might be seen quite clearly when you take a walk around the 36 Old Quarter. This is a typical characteristic of Hanoi with small old streets, tube houses which still remain their shape from 19th century. Additionally, the beauty of Hanoi in the past is also found in the ancient citadel, right nearby.

Historical places that worth to pay a visit cannot be without Ba Dinh Square, the political area where President Ho Chi Minh read the Independent Declaration on the September 2nd, 1945. As famous as this is the House of Parliament, Presidential Palace, President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, etc.

To know more about Vietnam in general and Hanoi in particular, both in terms of history, tourists should spend one or two days on visiting the nation’s Ethnology, Military, History, Ho Chi Minh,... museums. These will open a huge detailed picture of this antique and beautiful historical city.

Top Things To Do in Vietnam

1. Halong Bay

Halong Bay is situated in north Vietnam round a 120km-long coast line and is literally translated as “Bay of Descending Dragons”. The top tourist attraction in Vietnam, Halong Bay features thousands of islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves, others islands include lakes and some support floating villages of fishermen.

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2. Thien Mu Pagoda (Hue)

With seven stories, the Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue is the tallest pagoda in Vietnam. The pagoda overlooks the Perfume River and is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the former imperial capital. The temple was built in 1601 during the rule of the Nguyễn Lords. The initial temple was very simply constructed, but over time it was redeveloped and expanded with more intricate features.

3. Hoan Kiem Lake (Hanoi)

Located in the historical heart of Hanoi, Hoan Kiem Lake is one of the major scenic spots in the city and serves as the locals’ favourite leisure spot. Hoan Kiem means “returned sword”, and the name comes from a legend in which King Le Loi was given a magical sword by the gods, which he used to drive out the invading Chinese. Later he returned the sword to the Golden Turtle God in the lake.

4. Hoi An

This fishing-village-turned tourist attraction is situated on the coast of the East Sea. Hoi An has been an international port from the 16th century although the serious shipping business has long since moved to the city of Da Nang. The heart of the city is still the Old Town, full of winding lanes and Chinese-styled shops. It is sometimes called the “Venice of Vietnam” because of the narrow canals that cut through part of the town.

5. Phu Quoc Island

Located in front of the Cambodia coast, Phu Quoc is the largest island in Vietnam. Phu Quoc is what Phuket would be if it hadn’t been overrun by development. The island features pristine tropical forests, undamaged coral reefs and great beaches. One of its beaches, named Bai Dai (Long Beach), was chosen by the ABC News as one of five beautiful and clean beaches. Phu Quoc is famous for producing the best nuoc mam or fermented fish sauce in the world.

6. Sapa Terraces

Sapa is a town in northwest Vietnam not far from the Chinese border. Rice terraces can be found in the Muong Hoa valley between Sa Pa town and the Fansipan Mountain, on a backdrop of thick bamboo woodlands. Local mountain people, the Hmong, Giay, Dao, Tay, and Giay, grow rice on these paddy terraces, along with vegetables.

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7. Mui Ne

The formerly little-inhabited beach south of the fishing village of Mui Ne has seen some serious development in the last 15 years. Due to strong sea breezes it is a popular destination in Vietnam for kite and windsurfing. No trip to Mui Ne is complete without a trip to the famous sand dunes located a short distance north of the town. The vast sandy expanse provide some great panoramic views especially during sunset.

8. Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta is the region in southern Vietnam where the river approaches and empties into the sea. It is a very rich and lush area, covered with rice fields, that produces about half of the total of Vietnam’s agricultural output. Subsequently, life in the Mekong Delta revolves much around the river, and all the villages are often accessible by river rather than by road.

9. Cu Chi Tunnels

The Cu Chi Tunnels are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located about 70km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City centre. The tunnels, measuring 200km in total length, were used by liberation soldiers as hiding spots during the Vietnam War, and were the base of operations for the Tet Offensive in 1968. The tunnels have become a popular tourist attraction, and visitors are invited to crawl around in the safer parts of the tunnel system.

10. Nha Trang

Nha Trang is Vietnam’s most popular seaside resort town located along the second most beautiful bays in the country. It features beautiful beaches with fine and clean sand and clear ocean water with mild temperatures. The city has about 300,000 inhabitants and is more lively and urban in character than other beach destinations like Mui Ne and Phu Quoc. It’s also a major scuba diving centre of Vietnam