>> Sapa - city in the mist

Sapa is like the pretty girl hiding in the morning when earth sleeping also, with lashes on the cool dreamy eyes still are young and fresh. In recent years, this renowned venue is ideal for honeymoon couples .


City in the mist

Someone has said that, not to Sapa with love, but only up with friends, with family. By, the cold earth of Sa Pa, charming scenery which will make people desire to mix with each other, will hardly resist the attraction of love, and if you’re apart will be another unforgettable !

Located in the northwest of the Vietnam country, Sapa is a mountainous district of Lao Cai province, is also a popular tourist destination with many beautiful scenic spots. With many tourists have come once, Sapa is a land of modest, quietly but hides many wonders of the natural scene, there are many interesting discoveries.



Engulfed in heavy clouds floating, Sapa as a magical city in the mist, paint a natural scenery picture


The natural scenery of Sapa is combined with human creativity with the topography of the mountains, green forests, the paintings are arranged in a harmonious composition form a land of many scene romantic appeal. Who may once more, then the farm poetry, music and pictures are subject Sapa desire is enough to stop where land and the sun will kiss .

Sa Pa is one of the rare places in Vietnam with snow. There are the time, snow fall consecutive than 12 hours, a thick gloves. Engulfed in heavy clouds floating, Sapa as a magical city in the mist, paint a picture charming natural scenery landscape. Here, things are invaluable resources that cool fresh air, bringing many diverse nuances. So besides the rich fruit, tourists are satisfied watching mountain girls with pink skin, thinner in the sun and wind of Sapa.



Stone church in Sapa


Sapa coloring climate temperate and subtropical as well as Da Lat, Ba na … Weather in town one day four seasons, but have felt the season where there are clearly other places. In the morning, you can garden, up the mountain to feel the weather is like spring with flowers blooming forests.At noon the weather like in summer, sunlight is gentle enough to make girls pink cheeks. Afternoon clouds and mist falling feels fresh and cold for the night sky as the cold of winter. At this time, next to a kitchen fire odor corn, potatoes, and you will feel warm most of Sapa.

Sa Pa origin of name: “Sa” is the sand, “P? ” is the bank. Old days no Sa Pa, inhabitants of this land is for the “sand” . Therefore, local people who also say “Sa P? shopping.” Two words “Sa P?” Westerners pronounce no sign, so the Sa Pa. Also Sapa today, before a circuit module to the muddy red water, the locals called “Hung Hu”, “Hung” is red, “Ho” is the streams, red streams.

Venue for climbers

Go Sapa, many young people are eager to once again look at and above the conquered Phan Si Pang mount high 3.143m on Hoang Lien Son range. Phan Si Pang was dubbed the roof of Indochina. Call Hoang Lien Son, because only on this mountain Hoang Lien(celandine), a precious medicinal herbs, rare.

Also, Hoang Lien also focused a lot of valuable wood species, precious and rare birds such as partridges, bears, monkeys, chamois. There are nearly 900 species of plants, including medicinal plants and 173 species and 37 mammal species recorded in the “Red Book of Vietnam” to be present at this famous forest.



Hoang Lien Son range


If tourists want a trip hiking time interesting, climbing is appropriate in September from the previous year to March next year. But Phan Si Pang is the most beautiful late February, when the mountain flowers begin to bloom. You will clearly feel the fragrance of mountain flowers such as peach, plum… weaving in the wind sweeping in, in the mist.
Total time climbing mount of only about 2-3 days , even with the expertise and good health can make in a day. A provision for the climbers here are not litter in the forest, to protect the environment. If you forget, could be fined heavily or be reminded of other visitors immediately.

Conquer a mountain is much easier than the Hoang Lien Son Mountain in Ham Rong adjacent Sapa. Any visitor can also up to the panoramic view of the town, the Muong Hoa valley, Sapa, Ta Phin is hidden in the smog. Located at an altitude of nearly 2000m, Ham Rong mountain from center about ten minutes the walk. From here you will see four towns spring cloud, the prototype of many paintings, photographs have won international awards.



Terraced fields in Sapa

Beyond the terraced fields is a harvest of golden color, swirling the endless circle, full of life. Left side, the Ho village as a mirror of the sun, dark red that afternoon. Besides the natural beauty of nature, beautiful place thanks to the hard man’s restoration. Up Ham Rong, travelers lost in the garden, clouds rushed tight body, flowers bright surface.
You will touch on the “kingdom” of flowers and fruits with special products such as peach flowers, peach to yellow, small yellow peach, purple plum, plum flowers, pear flowering, chrysanthemums, roses … especially with live flowers immortal time. The couple loved each other would be hard to forget those beautiful moments in arms between heaven and earth to grace this place.

In March, you will clearly feel the fragrance of mountain flowers such as peach, plum … weaving in the wind sweeping in, in the fog

Not far from Ham Rong mountain, visitors can find your heart again compiled minutes before settling old church right in town and goes from town to the northeast on the road to Ta Phin cave is a monastery was built near full stone, in a hillside clear, cool. Walk through the monastery three miles to our north Ta Phin cave, stalactites make a lot more interesting shapes like the fairy dance, the fairy seated, far fields, sparkle woods.

It seems from the church to the monastery and the cave is an experience in the real space and time to forget the worries, permanent fatigue. If you want this to feel better, you can reach the famous ancient rock. 8km2 rocks extending nearly 200 blocks is a sequela of the presence of history here. The stone carvings of the many strange inhabitants of ancient wedge ago thousands year that many archaeologists have not been decoded.





There appear strange patterns on the rocks with different shapes: the ladder, the people, the road and written … concentric rings are quite similar to the sun symbol, featuring male and female mating – the proliferation symbol and many of the strange markings. October 1994 Sapa ancient rock is the Van eager recognition information is historical and current national state is being proposed as UNESCO world cultural heritage.

Discover the beauty of ethnic

Speaking to Sapa is said to have more floor area rich cultural diversity, but very personal with festival festival as “Roong poc” of Giay Ta Van people. Festival “Sai San” – the mountain bike of Mong people, festival “Tet nhay” of the Red Dao people, all of which took place in January, February lunar year.



The colourful market of Sapa


Sa Pa’s fair, a meeting point of many ethnic groups meet on Sunday in the town of Sa Pa has been a most interesting visitors here. A bold but fair beyond national identity that tourists often visit to the Bac Ha market which is known for are still kept intact, and ticket bearing the features of the highland peoples of Vietnam.Bac Ha market is not just a place to buy and sell the other markets where exchange and local exchange of goods with goods from other provinces, and where the exchange of cultural encounter between the local peoples. Tourists come to see very clearly this market culture of the ethnic market.

Once down the mountain, the girls, the grandmother, mother and child are blooming with the new colorful dresses of all colors, they see this as the festival down the mountain. Bac Ha market is a special place for men dating young girls of Highlander meet every week hard working.

People in remote areas go grocery must from a two days before the fair, so on Saturday night with fun people together by the folk songs of the Mong boys and girls, the Dao, by the sound lips musical instrument, flute, pan-pipe of Mong people, with the bowl filled wine of older people … All both sweet ferment but very fervid of the Sa Pa mountains. Here, everyone was so charming, had missed each other, so it also called “Cho Tinh” (Love market).






Sapa town about 12km on the road to Lai Chau, we will meet the Thac Bac (Silver waterfall) with poured water from a height of 200 m form the mighty bass jungle sounds. All are contributing to a Sapa as romantic and fanciful. For many years away forever Sapa, you still remember a quiet Sapa, a lyrical Sapa as a dream deeply in nostalgia …

>> Yen Tu Festival

A popular saying goes: "Even after 100 years of virtuous religious life, if you don't come to Yen Tu you cannot be called a true religious person". Pilgrimage to Yen Tu Festival in respect of Buddha and sightseeing is so meaningful...

Situated within the immense arched mountain range of north-eastern Vietnam, Yen Tu Mountain in northern coastal Quang Ninh Province bears at its peak the Dong Pagoda: at an altitude of 1,068m above sea level. The beauty of Yen Tu consists in the majesty of its mountains mingling with the ancient and solemn quietness of its pagodas, shrines and towers. Yen Tu has been a centre of Buddhism for many centuries, and is the starting point of the Buddhist sect of Truc Lam. Travellers to Yen Tu Festival to stay away from the mundane and go on a religion pilgrimage in the midst of the mighty nature.





The history...

Under the Ly Dynasty, Yen Tu held the Phu Van Pagoda, with Yen Ky Sinh as its warden. But Yen Tu only really became a Buddhism centre when Emperor Tran Nhan Tong surrendered his throne to establish a Buddhist sect called Thien Truc Lam and became the first progenitor with the religious name Dieu Ngu Giac Hoang Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308). He ordered building hundreds of constructions, large and small on Yen Tu Mountain for leading a religious life, sermonizing. After his death, his successor, Phap Loa Dong Kien Cuong (1284 - 1330) the second progenitor of Thien Truc Lam, compiled a set of book “Thach that ngon ngu” and ordered the building of 800 pagodas, shrines and towers with thousands of value statues throughout 19 years of religious life. Some famous pagodas are Quynh Lam, Ho Thien. There is the third progenitor of Thien Truc Lam, Huyen Quang Ly Dao Tai (1254 - 1334), in the sermonizing centre of Phap Loa.

Passing through to the Le and Nguyen Dynasties, Yen Tu became the focal point of Vietnamese Buddhism, and was often subject to restorations. It is a meeting place of different styles from various historic periods: visible in the many different designs and decorations that ornate its constructions.

The mountain scenery and beautiful pagodas and hermitages, inspired King Tran Nhan Tong, who reigned over the country from 1279 to 1293, to pass the throne to his son to lead the life of a Buddhist monk at Yen Tu. There, he founded the Truc Lam medication sect, making Yen Tu the country’s leading Buddhist center.





... and the festival

Yen Tu Festival commences annually on the 10th day of the first lunar month and lasts for three months. Tens of thousands of pilgrims begin their journey to the uppermost shrine after a solemn ritual held at the base of Yen Tu Mountain.

During the festival, the people near and far flock to Yen Tu which was regarded as the Buddhist land to show their belief and aspiration or to get rid of all sorrows and sadness. Other go to Yen Tu to do sightseeing and to enjoy the pure atmosphere of a mountain region. Foreign visitors come to Yen Tu to witness a famous beauty spot, a mysterious tourist attraction. Many cultural and historical values are carefully preserved in Yen Tu, where is also home to a rare ecosystem in Vietnam.

In the wide ensemble of vestiges in Yen Tu, there are 11 pagodas and hundreds of shrines and towers. One form of entertainment is to climb the peak to where the Dong Pagoda was built (1,068m above the sea). On the way, you will see pagodas, a tower, a stream and a forest. At the top, after having burned joss-sticks, you seem to be lost in nature somewhere between the sky and the earth. When clear, you can perceive almost all of the northeast area from here.

Dong Pagoda

The route of the pilgrimage from the foot of the mountain to the pagoda is nearly 30 km. The highest point of Yen Tu is Dong Pagoda, which is located 1,068 m above sea level. You can get to Hoa Yen Pagoda at the altitude of 534m by the cable car system recently put into operation and will see on this peak two 700-year-old frangipane trees. From there, you will continue walking up stairs to pagodas of minor note lined up along the path leading to Dong Pagoda. There you will feel like walking on clouds. If the weather is agreeable, from this summit you can admire the dramatic landscape of the northeast of Vietnam.





The complex of historical sites and beauty spots in Yen Tu features various pagodas, shrines or stupas now appearing now disappearing under the thick foliage of the primary show their belief, or doing away with all sorrow and sadness. Others go to Yen Tu to do sightseeing and to enjoy the pure atmosphere of a mountain region.

Foreign visitors come to Yen Tu to witness a famous beauty spot, a mysterious tourist attraction. Anyone who makes all the way to the Bronze Pagoda feels the magnificence of Yen Tu and forests. Atop Yen Tu Mountain, one feels like standing by the Heave Gate shrouded in white cloud. On clear days one can have a partial view of the northeastern region...

>> Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City?

"I have only 5 days to spare for Vietnam. Now ... Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City?"


This puzzle has hassled numerous visitors to Vietnam, many of whom write to us hoping to get some advice. If only Vietnam Online staff were not so diverse in perspective, style and places of origins. So the debates start spreading into our lunch times, phone conversations, emails and even into our heads while we prepare other parts of this website.

Enough rivalry and competition said - here we present to you the debates between Duong Nguyen - one of our Hanoi senior editors and Thu Ngo - our most recent addition to the Ho Chi Minh City team. Expect some heaps of aggression underlain by love and pride.

The motion is clear enough: Ho Chi Minh City deserves your precious holiday more than Hanoi.
Thu Ngo - the proposer of the motion - tells you why it is so.

1. Favourable Weather:


Ho Chi Minh City 

Adjacent to the Mekong Delta in the South, the Southern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City has much more comfortable weather in comparison with Hanoi’s. Unlike Hanoi with the extreme four seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter), Ho Chi Minh City has only 2 seasons: dry season and rainy season. And on the side note, Hanoi summer is unbearable while its winter is, well, notorious even for those from Northern Europe or North America. In Ho Chi Minh City, dry season starts in December and lasts till April and rainy season is from May to November. The average temperature all year round is just 32 degree Celsius (90 degree Fahrenheit) much lower than Hanoi’s.

2. Convenient Transportation:

Ho Chi Minh City has better transportation system of which new roads are being built and put into operation, such as Vo Van Kiet Boulevard and Dong Tay Boulevard that shortens time and effort travelling among district 1, 5,8 and outer districts like Binh Chanh). This is not to mention the fact that Tan Son Nhat Airport welcomes a lot more international flights than Noi Bai. Traffic jam is not uncommon in Hanoi, neither is Ho Chi Minh City. However, due to the bigger roads, traffic jams in Ho Chi Minh City are somehow less severe than in Hanoi. Beside, public transportation, bus, is so convenient and affordable that you can reach almost anywhere you want. With only 20-25 cents, you can travel over 70 km (43.5 miles) from the city center to outer districts like Cu Chi.

3. Various kinds of entertainment:

Influenced by French culture during the French occupation and American culture from 1960s-1970s, Ho Chi Minh City has much to offer in terms of entertainment, from live concerts to latest movies. All of the entertainment facilities are modern and well-equipped with the advent of technology which surely brings visitors relaxing time at affordable price.
There are also a lot of amusement parks where family and friends can take a thrilling ride or have a picnic together. Three largest theme parks are Dam Sen Park (District 11), Suoi Tien ( Thu Duc District) and Dai Nam (Binh Duong Province), which do not have a single equivalence in Hanoi. From Ben Thanh Market, you can take bus no.11 to Dam Sen Park, no. 19 to Suoi Tien Park or no. 616 to Dai Nam Park. If you want something active and sporty, you can try ice-skating at the Youth Cultural House (04 Pham Ngoc Thach, District 1) or check out one of the major basket ball courts in the city stadiums.

4. International food and restaurants:


 Ha Noi City


Nowhere in Vietnam can you find such a diverse range of food from all over the world like Ho Chi Minh City. Italian, German, English, Hungarian, Indian, Chinese restaurants are omnipresent, serving authentic and quality meals that can meet the needs of any craving. Just stop by a restaurant without any booking in advance needed.
If you want a combination of food from many countries, you can visit food courts at some shopping malls such as: Diamond Plaza ( Le Duan, District 1), Vincom Center (Le Thanh Ton, District 1). You can have a pizza, sushi or Chinese dishes all at the same time.

5. Active and direct lifestyles:

One of the youngest cities (over 300 years ago) and affected by foreign culture from French and American troops, Ho Chi Minh City has more modern and active lifestyle than any other places in Vietnam, including Hanoi. People are so friendly and willing to help you. They are outgoing, frank and direct. Therefore, it will be easy for you to make friends and be close friends with them. This is extremely beneficial if you are doing business, or, well, dating, a Vietnamese partner. If they invite you out for dinner, they really mean so. Be ready to go if invited or else you make them upset of not coming.

>> Sapa, the fanciful town in fog

“Well, Sapa brings in peace in a fine, rugged scenery and cultural diversity… a very sweet time for us!” remarked a young couple after their honeymoon in Sa Pa.






Location

Sa Pa District is located in Lao Cai Province, north-west Vietnam, and 350 km north-west of Hanoi, close to the border with China. Sapa is famous both for its fine, rugged scenery and for its rich cultural diversity. French used to consider Sapa as Summer Capital of Northern Vietnam in the early decades of the 20th century. Its naturally gifted beauty keeps attracting more and more people to spend their vacation there since then. Particularly, the place is the foremost choice for honeymoon couples!

Geography & Weather


Geographically, Sapa is exactly a mountainous area of Northwest Vietnam. The whole Sapa District is dominated by the Hoang Lien Son mountain range which is at the Eastern extremity of the Himalayas, being famous with the Vietnam’s highest mountain of Fa si pan at a height of 3,142 m above sea level. The town of Sa Pa lies at an altitude of about 1,600 m, bringing in a cool and foggy site of Sa Pa.

Let’s join a fancy trip to this romantic town!

Taking a night train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, and then 45 minutes more from Lao Cai City by bus, Sapa appears in fanciful fog. Thanks to the height of 1,600 m above the sea level, the average temperature of the area is always 15-18°C, cool in summer, but a bit cold in winter.

Sapa takes its pride in its unique climate in Vietnam. It is highly seasonal, with a subtropical climate in the summer and a temperate climate during the winter. Mean annual temperature for Sa Pa town is 15.4°C, with a maximum of 29.4°C and a minimum of 1°C. The warmest months are July and August, and the coldest months are December and January. Snow falls in some years on the highest peaks. In the morning and afternoon, it is as cool as in spring and autumn. Yet, at noon, it is as sunny and cloudless as in summer. In the evening, it drastically changes into coldness just as in winter. This is actually a unique advantage, making Sapa different from anywhere else in the nation. However, travelers should be noticed that there might be sudden thunderstorm and heavy rains at noon in summer. Yet, subsequently, a rainbow appears turning Sapa into a beautifully magic land with seven colors! So, remember to bring your best camera so as not to miss this magnificent view!

April and May are the best time for tourists to watch the most scenic beauties of Sapa, or else it might be cold and foggy before that and rainy after that. During these two peak months, the town is blossoming with pink and white flowers, and green pastures in valleys. The clouds that settle in the valley in early morning would quickly disappear.

Beauty Spots and Resorts

The scenery of the Sapa region in large part reflects the relationship between the ethnic minority people and nature. This is seen especially in the paddy fields carpeting the rolling lower slopes of the Hoang Lien Mountains. The impressive physical landscape, which underlies this, has resulted from the work of the elements over thousands of years, wearing away the underlying rock.

Most tourists agree that it would be regretful if the leisure and relaxation time in cool and fresh weather is not accompanied by visiting trips to Sapa’s prideful natural beauty spots, such as Ham Rong Mountain, Silver Waterfall, Rattan Bridge, Bamboo Forest and Ta Phin Cave. The town is also the starting point for many mountain climbers and scientists who would like to discover the Fansipan Mount, the highest mountain in Vietnam with 3,143 m height. Can you imagine that Hoang Lien Mountain Range is called “the Alps of the North Sea area” since Fansipan Mount also marks its greatest height among others in the Indochina Peninsula as well. The pyramid-shaped mountain is covered with clouds all the year round. On top of the mountain is filled with frequent below zero temperature, especially at high altitudes.

On approaching the town, the very first thing tourists may find is the detached wooden mansions and villas perched on top or side of the hills, behind thick pine forests, hided by fog in the morning. Old and new villas with red roofs now appear and then disappear in the green rows of pomu trees, bringing in the beauty of European towns.

Flowers



Sapa-the land of love
Sapa is home to various families of flowers of captivating colours, unique in the vast country. When Tet, the Lunar New Year Festival, comes, the whole township of Sapa is filled with the pink colour of peach blossom brought from the vast forests of peach just outside the town. Sapa is regarded as the kingdom of orchids. Here, orchid lovers are even amazed by the choice, when trekking in the forest filled with several hundred kinds of orchids of brilliant colours and fantastic shapes, such as Orchid Princess, Orchid of My Fair Lady's Shoe. Some orchids are named after lovely singing birds such as the canary, salangane's nest, and more.

Specialties

Foreign tourists are actually fond of scarce and precious specialties of Sapa, such as forest’s product, handicrafts, delicacies (smoked meat, “thang co”, “cai meo”, san lung wine, corn wine, etc.), typical of ethnic minority people.

Most travellers do like to bring some of the local fresh vegetables back home for presents. Thanks to the fresh and cool air, Sapa is the ideal land for fresh temperate vegetables such as cabbage, chayote, precious medical herbs, fruit trees (plum, pear), and so on.

Cultural diversity



Sapa is famous for its special cultural diversity in a combination of ethnic minority groups’ culture. Visitors to Sapa will have opportunities to discover the unique customs of the local residents. Local markets are the town’s typically cultural element, which are always crowded and joyful, attracting hundreds of visitors. This is the common place for minority groups to gather and exchange goods.

Market sessions are also a chance for local people to promenade. No foreign visitor could help joining such a market session, a typical cultural element of Sapa. What is more, tourists coming to Sapa at weekends have the great chance to learn about local ethnic people's courtship and martial life, through the Sapa love market and wife kidnapping ceremony of the H’Mong group. The ceremony will begin on April 29th. This is part of a five-day festival, titled Festival on the Cloud, to mark the beginning of the Sapa 2006 tourism year, in the northern mountain township of Sapa, in Lao Cai Province.

If ever asked to drop a quick comment, even the toughest person must admit the romance and peace of a magnificently cool and beautiful Sapa! I hope you should spend a short summer here, and you will soon share the idea!

Close to Hoi An town, Cu Lao Cham really cherishes high potential for tourism development.

>> “South second nicest grotto” : Tam Coc-Bich Dong

Tam Coc – Bich Dong is also called “A terrestrial Ha Long Bay”, or the “Vietnam’s second nicest grotto” (to Huong Tich) for its poetic and inspirational natural scenery.



Briefings

Located in the Ngu Nhac Son Mountains, Hoa Lu District, Ninh Binh Province, it is a grandiose complex of Bich Dong pagoda and Tam Coc grotto which is one among the 21 crucial tourism destinations of Vietnam.

The zone is featured with a tropical climate, with 2 seasons. The cold and rainy season lasts from May to October, and the dry and hot season from Novermber to April. Its annual average temperature is 23.5oC. As situated at the base side of the Red River Delta Triangle, it is a half-mountain half-plain area, with a coastline of 18 kilometers.

King Le Canh Hung ever said: “This is Vietnam’s second nicest grotto, after the Huong Tich Grotto in Ha Tay province”. Its pristine natural beauty together with a simple but nice countryside landscape, and a sacred spiritual life have converged into a fascinating and attractive Tam Coc-Bich Dong to numerous tourists.
These days, more and more people in the world have been coming here in various types of tours: ecological tours, culture, history, and festival tours. No one could deny that Tam Coc-Bich Dong has become a legend of rivers and mountains, a green, pure, and safe destination for every traveler.

Historical name

Bich Dong is a beautiful pagoda on the nearby Ngu Nhac Mountain dated to 1428 under the Le Dynasty, comprising three structures: Ha, Trung, and Thuong Pagodas, in ascending order. In 1773, Mr. Nguyen Nghiem (the father of the great writer Nguyen Du) visited this cave. He was much impressed by the whole magnificent scenery of mountains, waterways, fields, and sky covered in green mist. Thus he gave it a very beautiful and romantic name, Bich Dong, which literally means “Green Pearl Grotto”. This picturesque landscape is added by Tam Coc portion. It derives its name from its consisting of 3 caves (Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba); “Tam” means 3, “Coc” means cave. Tam Coc or “Three Caves” portion is of great enchanting charm and mystery, inviting tourists to come and explore!

Join a round trip!

Tam Coc Wharf – starting point of journeys

To begin the journey, tourists have to queue at Tam Coc Wharf to take a boat to travel along rivers. The pier is crowded with tourists from morning till afternoon. People coming here share the same pleasant feeling about such a nice picture with the classical communal house, ancient banian tree, mossgrown well, marble rock, and friendly locals.

Tam Coc – a mysterious grotto

Visiting Tam Coc Grotto, tourists may feel like they had just disappeared from the real world to get lost in such a hidden fairy site, which is located approximately 2km from the pagoda. Tam Coc is 3 kilometers from Van Lam Wharf. Now just take a boat from Van Lam Wharf to reach the Tam Coc Grotto, which consists of the Hang Ca, Hang Hai and Hang Ba caves. This might take you three hours on your small boat along the Ngo Dong river, beginning at the village of Van Lam and proceeding through a scenic landscape dominated by rice fields and karst towers. The largest of the grotto is 125m long with its ceiling about 2m high above the water. This grotto is adorned with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites of different shapes and colours that sparkle like gemstones. Now when drifting along the gentle Ngo Dong River under the Grotto, you can feel the deeply pure atmosphere with special smell of fresh rivers water and cool air from karst mountains when reaching each of the 3 caves in turns.

Among the three caves, Hang Ca is considered the most picturesque one since it is the longest and contains most fascinating natural arts deep inside. It is around 127m long, with a cave mouth of 20m wide. When leaving Hang Ca, just turn back to see it once again, you will feel that it were like a very old white-haired man sitting down for fishing. A Vietnamese legendary tells that this was a Heaven Land where that fishing man – a considered fairy one – lived, and flying above within the Heaven was a flock of fairies in graceful white dresses! You may be so much seduced by the beautiful fairy landscape that you do not even think of coming back at that time!

Hang Hai is nearly 1 kilometers far from Hang Ca. This is the second stop-over on your waterway journey, where can be found a series of colorful sparkling stalactites falling from the cave ceiling. This cave is about 60m long. The last but not least cave is Hang Ba, just nearby, is about 50m long, with lower ceiling than the above two, looking like a plutonic cupola.

Now getting out the whole grotto, looking out the vast landscape, you can see that a mighty mountainous and waterways are covering the limitless land. If moving further 4 kilometers, there comes “Fairy Stream”, a pure mirror-like stream where you can even see through to the stream-bed to contemplate flocks of fish swimming and looming in the moss layers. It is said in a fairy tale that fairies used to land on here to swim, thus it was named “Fairy Stream”.



Bich Dong

Bich Dong Grotto

Now turning in the opposite position, you will soon reach Bich Dong pagoda, which is situated at the grandiose Ngu Nhac Mountain. The Pagoda is divided into three levels: Ha Pagoda (lower pagoda), Trung Pagoda (middle pagoda), and Thuong Pagoda (upper pagoda). On the mountain peak stands the statue of a scholar Mandarin looking at the horizon with the hope of viewing the spectacular landscapes of Hoa Lu. Visiting Bich Dong grotto, tourists have a great chance to turn back to the Post Le Dynasty’s legends.
From the upper pagoda, one has the most magnificent view of Bich Dong, which is romantically charming in terms of architecture and history. The location for this pagoda was chosen in 1428 after two monks were charmed by the view of the river and the mountains. Later, King Le Canh Hung wrote a poem in honour of the beautiful pagoda and landscape.

Bich Dong means “Green Grotto” or “Pearl Grotto”, which reveals its magnificient natural beauties. Colors, shapes, and sounds of the shining stalactites converges in such a captivating miracle that no one could refuse to touch, knock and contemplate them in deed. Honorably, amongst the most fascinating caves in Vietnam, “Fairy Grotto”, part of Bich Dong, is regarded as an “Elysium on Earth”.

"Surrounding mountains full of water during 4 seasons,
Rattan boat lightly drifting,
Covered with mist and clouds, is Pagoda landscape”
are beautiful lines of verse offered to Bich Dong pagoda grotto, a rare natural work of Art.

”Sun Valley” – attractive ecological tourism

Here comes the final destination in your meaningful waterway journey – “Sun Valley” (Thung Nắng), an ideal ecological tourism spot for lovers of nature. Inside the valley, there is an ancient limestone temple with rock-style architecture shown in delicate carvings. Visiting this valley, you can relax in your small boat, with sun-bathing and sun playing in a quiet and pure atmosphere.

“Marvellous landscape, considerate service!”, said Ms Mery Luit, a German tourist, “if possible, I will soon come back to Tam Coc-Bich Dong”.

Tourist activities

Taking a boat journey to: Tam Coc (from Van Lam Wharf on Ngo Dong River), Crossing Thuy Dong (through Ngu Nhac Sown Mountain range), Thach Bich-Thung Nang, Thung Nham-Vuon Chim, Linh Coc-Hai Nham, etc.
Walking and mountain climbing: Bich Dong Mount and Pagoda, Tien Grotto, Thien Huong Grotto, Co Vien Lau ancient houses

Close to Hoi An town, Cu Lao Cham really cherishes high potential for tourism development.

>> Ghenh Da Dia

With natural stones, strangely structured rocks, columns or obliques of frozen mineral flows, Ghenh Da Dia (Rapids of Stone Plates) is considered as a masterpiece of stone gifted by the nature.






Located in An Ninh Dong Commune , Tuy An District, Phu Yen Province, Ghenh Da Dia is strangely structured rocks include large upright stones equally arranged in a star pattern. Being a riddle of nature, like a giant jigsaw, the rapids is irritatingly made of the same shaped pieces, and forms a solidified structure that has proved more than just a curiosity for thousands.

A strange geological phenomenon

Millions of years ago, during volcano eruption, mineral flows melting will be frozen when they encounter water and then the solid breaks into columns or obliques. That created the beautiful landscape of Ghenh Da Dia for the present time. Time over time, the landscape is rearranged as an artistic work by the hand of nature. Ghenh Da Dia is about 1km2 large, half in the sea and half above sea level.

Looking down on it, visitors often liken it to a gigantic beehive, others as a pile of stone plates. For despite a lengthy series of historical, archeological and scientific probes of the cliff’s square kilometer, its formation remains a mystery.

The stones in Ghenh Da Dia are bazan stones of dark black and light yellow. There exists large stones of tons and small stones with different shapes: round, pentagon, polygon and so on. The stones take the right column or a settlement close to each other like disks arranged on couples together. Even counting the stone columns has failed to yield an exact figure as exhausted researchers usually call a halt at around 35,000. The stones are 60-80cm in visible height and 20-30cm across and cluster round a small fresh water pond that is fed by underground rivers and never dries up.

And a wild beauty...

In Ghenh Da Dia, there only remains the unique scenery of the sea and stones, so everything is still primary, environment is so pure, air is fresh and comfortable.





Besides Ghenh Da Dia is Bang beach, with rocks “lie” quiet under the shadow of trees. This is quite ideal for relaxation, camping and extra activities. Ghenh Da Dia and the beach are closed with a famous tourist attraction which is "Hòn đá lực lượng" - a deep and wide grotto that saves the legendary people in a war period. In the war, our main force sheltered in the cave at night, waiting to the day to go on a sortie and dealt enemy thunderstruck blows.

Visiting Ghenh Da Dia, you have a chance to view many species of marine creatures, especially “Mứt” seaweed - a type of kelp which is salty and sticks to the stones, looking like a network.

Have been listed as a National Heritage Site by the Ministry of Culture and Information, Ghenh Da Dia is a potential tourist attraction to both domestic and foreign visitors. And a visit to the rapids, you will be certainly worth it...
Close to Hoi An town, Cu Lao Cham really cherishes high potential for tourism development.

>> Ha Long Bay – a magnificent magical destination

Ha Long Bay is said to be a magic land of natural sea bay beauty, attracting more and more tourists ever since UNESCO’s recognition of its nature !







Location & Climate

Halong Bay is located in the Northeast of Vietnam, belonging to Ha Long city, Quang Ninh Province, in the Gulf of Tonkin. On the world map, it has borders to China in the North and adjacent to the East Sea in the East .

The Bay has a medium size of 1,553 square kilometers. It is accomodation of many fishing communities, including the 4 communes of Cua Van, Cong Tau, Vong Vieng and Ba Hang with a population of more than 1,600 people. The residents live on floating houses and boats, making their own lives by fishing and aquaculture.

The bay is a sea islands in tropical wet with 2 seasons: hot and moist summer, dry and cold winter. Average temperature is from 15°C- 25°C. Annual rainfall is between 2,000mm and 2,200mm. Halong Bay has the typical diurnal tide system (tide amplitude ranges from 3.5-4m). The salinity is from 31 to 34.5MT in dry season and lower in rainy season.

Historical name

Literally, “Ha Long” means "Bay of Descending Dragons." Before the 19th century, this name was not recorded in any document or archive. In this term, there is a mysteriously legendary tale as follows
“Long ago, in the first founding days, the Viet people were attacked by foreign aggressors. The Jade Emperor sent the Mother Dragon and her band of Child Dragons to help the Viet people fight the invaders. While the enemy vessels were launching massive attacks against the mainland, the dragons descended in flocks from the sky.

They spat out innumerable pearls which changed into jade stone islands the moment they touched the water. These islands linked together to form firm citadels that checked the enemy’s advance and smashed their vessels to pieces. After the invaders were driven out, Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons did not return to Heaven but stayed on earth, right at the place where the battle occurred. The spot where the Mother Dragon landed was Ha Long, and where the Child Dragons came down was Bai Tu Long. The place where their tails violently wagged was called Long Vi, the today’s Tra Co Peninsula with its soft sandy beach stretching a series of kilometers.”

Gifted Beauty & top sightseeings

In 1962, the Ministry of Culture and Information classified Halong Bay as a National Landscape Site, covering an area of 1,553 km2 with 1,969 islands. Halong Bay has been recognized twice by UNESCO as a World Heritage Area for its universal values of landscape, geology and geomorphology, respectively in 1994 and 2000, an area of 434 sq. km. including 775 islands.

The dense cluster of 1,969 limestone monolithic islands within the bay is topped with thick jungle vegetation, which rise spectacularly from the ocean. Most of the islands were formed over 500 million years ago, and massed in the Southeast and Southwest. Those in the Southeast have an average height of 50-200m, covering lots of flora. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. Hang Đầu Gỗ (Wooden stakes Cave) is the largest grotto in the Ha Long area. French tourists visited in the late 19th century, and named the cave Grotte des Merveilles.

Its three large chambers contain large numerous stalactites and stalagmites (as well as 19th century French graffiti). There are two bigger islands, Tuan Chau and Cat Ba, that have permanent inhabitants. Both of them have tourist facilities, including hotels and beaches. There are a number of wonderful beaches on the smaller islands. The others are Bai Chay, Ti Top, Minh Chau, Quan Lan and so forth.

Viewed from above, Ha Long Bay looks like an extremely vivid huge drawing, and sailing beneath the bay is like leisuring in between a huge valey on water. Ha Long bay is exactly a wonderfully skillful masterpiece of Nature that turns thousands of dumb soulless stone islands into fantastic sculptural and artistic works of various graceful shapes, both familiar and strange to human beings. Thousands of islands emerging in the fanciful waves look strong and magnificent but also mild and vivid. Amidst these islands tourists may feel as if they were astrayed in a petrified legendary world.

The names given to the islands were based on their shapes and forms, such as, Human head Island, Sail island, Fighting cocks islands… Inside the stone islands are various breath-taking caves like Thien Cung, Dau Go, Sung Sot, and others. These are really magnificent palace of many huge stalactites hanging poised in mid air and stalagmites growing majestically upwards. Ha Long’s sea is always the same, blue, smooth and still.







What is more, the bay has its own seasoned beauty. In Spring, buds of trees burst on limestone islands. In Summer, it is cool and clean with many sparkling sun rays reflecting from the sea’s surface. In Autumn, especially at night, moonlight illuminates the mountains, making them like gold, inlaid into the earth. In Winter, with pervasive frost, Ha Long is glamorous as “a floating flower basket on smooth wave” (by writer Nguyen Tuan). All of them, stone, water and sky, make the Aesthetic value of Ha Long Bay.

The Bay’s Geological value is evaluated in two ways: by the history of its formation and its karst geomorphology. It is also home to the ancient Viet people beginning from 7,000 to 18,000 years ago, Ha Long’s Cultural − Historical value. Besides, Bio-diversity is an important natural resource, to be well-conserved so as to maintain the ecological balance of the whole region.

Ha Long Bay is undoubtedly not only a national but also a world nature, a magnificient work of Natural Creator. People who are admirers of natural beauty should stand up, pack their luggages, and right away pick up a flight to Ha Long, or else they will soon feel regretful !

>> Cu Lao Cham, the beautiful offshore island

Cu Lao Cham is known as a beautiful island with various wild animals and legendary landscapes.





The large island consists of eight islets, 20 kilometres off the coast from Hoi An Ancient Town in Quang Nam Province. Cu Lao Cham Island has wonderful sand beaches, forested hills and the sea. With primitive landscape, the island is ideal for camping, swimming and scuba diving to enjoy the corals and beautiful marine life.

At the summer, if you reach for the island by normal boat, it takes 2 and half hour, but only 30 minutes by speed boat. There are 10 guesthouses for tourists who don’t want to spend the night in a tent on the beach. Transport from the mainland to the islet is quite comfortable.

History

Cham islands are supposed to be the first place where Cham people landed, coming to Quang Nam Province from Indonesia (small monuments, dikes and basin to grow up rice on terraces are hidden in the forest, 17th century pagodas and small temples in the two villages). Therefore, being well-known since earlier Cham domination (from 4th to 14th century), the island became one of the main port of Champa Kingdom. Situated some eight miles offshore Hoi An, it was also part of Hoi An historical international trading. From 15th century till the beginning of 20th century, the old city was a meeting point for international vessels and junks.

According to archaeologists, Cu Lao Cham first settled there 3,000 years ago and established business contacts with external countries some 1,000 years ago. Up to now, Cu Lao Cham has preserved many architectural constructions which date back to the 18th and 20th century. They include the shrine dedicated to Than Yen Sao, built in 1843 at Bai Huong and Hai Tang Pagoda, built in 1753 on the western hillside of Hon Lao. Still, Cu Lao Cham has more to offer. After a three-hour canoe trip, one may hop over to the famed Well of the Cham people.

Topography

The island comprises an archipelago of one large island and seven smaller islands. The largest island - Hon Lao, covering 1,317 ha, is circle shape at the high of 500m. There are nice beaches at Bim and Ong beach. The topography of Cu Lao Cham Island is dominated by two peaks: a 517m peak in the centre of the island and a 326m peak at the western end. Natural forest here covers 532 ha of the nature reserve, equivalent to 35% of the total area, while plantation forest covers a further 30 ha.

Biodiversity values

The island is a place where shelter for value swallow birds. The natural vegetation of the islands is lowland evergreen forest, that is natural with a lot of woods and rare animals.

Scientists report the occurrence of macaques Macaca sp., monitor lizards Varanus sp. and pythons Python sp. To date, 265 vascular plant species have been reported from the nature reserve. Furthermore, a species of swiftlet Collocalia sp. is reported to nest on Hon Kho within the nature reserve.

Cu Lao Cham is also home to salanganes, birds whose nests have long been considered a delicacy by aristocrats and the wealthy. The nests may cost as much as US $4,000 per kilogram. In a beautiful day, tourists are able to see cliffs where salanganes build their nests and talk with salangane-nest takers.

Around the island has a lots of color corals under the water. Situated in a salty-water area, this square-bottom well, amazingly, provides clear fresh water all year round. Enjoyable extras include white-sand, pristine beaches and captivating attractions evocatively named Bai Ong, Bai Bim, Bai Chong, Bai Bac, Suoi Tinh, Cau Mo, Suoi Ong and so on, where tourists can relax, go hunting, fishing even fishing octopuses.

Visiting Cu Lao Cham, you also have chances to view the sea swallows' nests clinging to the towering cliff. Cu Lao Cham wins kudos for its seafood and delicacies (octopuses, lobsters, fish's fin, abalone, kaki, hind, cholonia's eggs, bird's nests) and fascinating souvenirs (pearls, conches, tortoise-shells).

Moreover, you can take a tour to Lang beach for seeing some interest places as such Au Thuyen-a shelter for boats at bad weather, a 100-year Tay Tang Pagoda remarking the Puddhism that came here for long time ago, Ong temple - a place worshipping a big fish burried here.

Close to Hoi An town, Cu Lao Cham really cherishes high potential for tourism development.

>> Five Places to go on 30 April and May 1

Ho Chi Minh City will have two spectacular firework displays in celebration of the National Reunification Day. The fireworks will be set off at Thu Thiem tunnel in District 2 and at Dam Sen Cultural Park in District 11 and last from 9:00 – 9:15 pm on 30 April ...




Fireworks in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City will have two spectacular firework displays in celebration of the National Reunification Day. The fireworks will be set off at Thu Thiem tunnel in District 2 and at Dam Sen Cultural Park in District 11 and last from 9:00 – 9:15 pm on 30 April. Visitors can gather at Bach Dang quay to enjoy the fireworks at Thu Thiem, while entrance fee to Dam Sen Park is charged at VND 180,000 per adult and VND 120,000 per child. Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTC) will also air the firework displays live.

Da Nang International Fireworks Competition

The central city of Da Nang will host the highly-anticipated 2012 International Fireworks Competition on 29 and 30 April along Han river. This year the four former winners, namely team Canada, team China, tem France and team Italy will compete with team Vietnam. 30,000 tickets for the spectacular event are now on sale in Da Nang, Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City. Prices are fixed at VND 200,000, VND 250,000 and VND 300,000 per night. Tickets can be bought at many travel agencies in those cities.
Film and photography installation Jo Ha Kyu

A film and photography installation “Jo Ha Kyu” by Nguyen Trinh Thi and Jamie Maxtone-Graham is opening from 25 April to 24 May, 9:30 am to 6:00 pm at Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange , 27 Quang Trung, Hoan Kiem, Ha Noi. Jo Ha Kyu is a concept of modulation and movement applied in a wide variety of traditional Japanese arts, which essentially means that all actions or efforts should begin slowly, speed up, and then end swiftly. Visitors to the exhibition will get to see abstract moving images of Tokyo directed by Trinh Thi and LED lighted-up photography of common people framed by Jamie. Even those who have lived in Tokyo for a long time could also experience the new angle of Tokyo recreated beautifully by the two artists. Admission is free.

Exhibition ‘Riverscapes in Flux’

Treat yourself this weekend with an excellent multimedia art exhibition entitled “Riverscapes in Flux”. It’s a marvelous visual venture conceived and organized by Goethe Institute in Ha Noi and involves young and competent artists from Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar and Indonesia who all seek to reflect on the ecological, socio-economic and cultural changes that riverscapes in their countries are experiencing. The exhibition is opening from 13 to 29 April at Goethe Institute and Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ha Noi. Admission is free.

Vietnam International Balloon Fiesta

The first balloon festival in Vietnam is set to take place from April 26 to May 1 at the Hoa Thang sand dune, 10km away from the tourist city of Phan Thiet in Binh Thuan province. This spectacular event will be attended by 50 pilots from Germany, Japan, Indonesia, Belgium and France who will operate 20-30 colorful balloons with the height from 20 to 25 meters and diameters from 16 to 18 meters. The balloons will fly from 6:00 to 10:00 am and 4:00 to 7:00 pm. Admission is free.

>> Vietnam’s Cyclos

The cyclo is a three-wheel bicycle taxi that appeared in Vietnam during the French colonial period after a failed attempt to introduce rickshaws. A double seat (for Vietnamese – an average foreigner would find riding with a companion a bit of a squeeze) is supported by the two front wheels, with the driver sitting behind. The design in Ho Chi Minh City differs from the Hanoi variety in that the driver sits much higher (as do the prices!)




The cyclo is a three-wheel bicycle taxi that appeared in Vietnam during the French colonial period after a failed attempt to introduce rickshaws. A double seat (for Vietnamese – an average foreigner would find riding with a companion a bit of a squeeze) is supported by the two front wheels, with the driver sitting behind. The design in Ho Chi Minh City differs from the Hanoi variety in that the driver sits much higher (as do the prices!).

In the big cities, their use as a means of passenger transport has all but vanished over the last two or three years. Taxi fares have dropped, and fleets of buses with low fixed fares have greatly undercut the market - a journey from one side of either of the major cities to the other cost less than half a kilometre in a cyclo.

Nevertheless, they remain as a popular tourism attraction, but are not generally useful for city tours because they are banned from many major roads as traffic hazards.

They still reign supreme in carrying awkward loads along city roads, sometimes much to the annoyance of other road users. For visitors, it’s a good idea to have a camera to hand to snap the unlikely loads they carry – complete bedroom suites, live pigs, ten-metre scaffold poles and much more.

If you want to hire a cyclo, always negotiate the fare in advance. If you fail to do so, the driver will often ask for an exorbitant price and then blackmail you into paying it by making a major fuss in the street that will immediately attract a crowd. This is particularly so in Ho Chi Minh City.




Generally speaking, you should offer about a third of the sum quoted, and haggle up to no more than a half. Walking away will often turn an unacceptable price into an agreed sum.

However, it’s likely that the driver will not drop to the Vietnamese price, though – dual pricing has only recently been phased out, and cyclo drivers still stick to their belief that all foreigners are rich and can therefore afford to be more generous. Mostly, they’re right!

If you're planning a trip to Vietnam and need an expedited Vietnam visa, look into making arrangements for a visa on arrival. It's easier and quicker than other options for a travel visa for Vietnam.

To learn more about subjects like Vietnam Visa please visit the web site at: http://getvietnamvisa.org

>> Vietnam Today

For us, and for visitors returning to the country after a period of absence, Vietnam is changing at breakneck speed. The potential bottled up by the war and the restrictions that followed as the painful process of reunification and reconciliation proceeded, is now being unleashed.





Emerging from the shadows



The pace of change
For us, and for visitors returning to the country after a period of absence, Vietnam is changing at breakneck speed. The potential bottled up by the war and the restrictions that followed as the painful process of reunification and reconciliation proceeded, is now being unleashed.

In the cities, practically every street has a building site, slum dwellings are being demolished and replaced by modern high and low-rise dwellings, and new districts are being created in the suburbs to house the swelling urban population.

Country areas are being provided with a clean water supply, electricity and new services and facilities. Reservoirs are being built to ease water shortages and new coal and gas fuelled power stations are being opened.

Transport and communications are improving daily. Entertainment facilities are expanding, supermarkets are appearing, and tourism infrastructure is opening up new areas and locations to visitors.

No aspect of Vietnam’s daily life escapes attention, and no-one is unaffected by the changes that are taking place.

The social aspect
Change is never neutral – it always creates winners and losers. Our government treads a narrow path in balancing the benefits of change with the social disruption that it causes. Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of our people understand the problems and support the measures introduced to deal with them.

Working together
Our nation has a long tradition of communalism. In the 21st century, communalism is manifested in ‘mass movements’ – national campaigns to overcome social problems such as poverty, drug abuse, pollution, health issues and so on. Involvement comes in many forms, attending meetings, donating money and goods and so on, but the main form is volunteering time to assist. The Ho Chi Minh Youth Union, the Women’s Union and other large national organisations can mobilise millions of people to assist in building bridges, working with handicapped people, cleaning up dirty beaches and a host of other activities.

Challenges and successes
Vietnam’s problems are shared by all developing counties. Each has its own approach, and each has its success and failures. No approach, system or model fits all – each country has a different context, so each has to find its own way. By trial and error, and with help from our neighbours and the international community, we are learning lessons and working out solutions in ways that fit our national culture and beliefs.

Successes
We are now beginning to see the fruits of our labour. Poverty is falling, the economy is sound, industry is modernising and tourism is expanding, for example. Vietnam has had several notable achievements in the health field – it led the world in containing SARS, is attracting international attention by treating tuberculosis successfully, and is well on the way to controlling malaria.

The future
Despite our progress so far, we are only at the beginning of the road that leads to our eventual goal of ‘Independence, Freedom and Happiness’ – a vision laid out by Ho Chi Minh in his Declaration of Independence in 1954. We have yet to come to terms with the major issues of wealth distribution, universal free health care, full employment and all the other conditions necessary for his dream to become our reality.

Every so often, the views and attitudes of Asian people in relation to their quality of life are surveyed. Overall, Vietnam is usually ranked somewhere in the middle (an achievement in itself considering the country’s starting point). However, in one category Vietnam is always at or near the top – optimism about the future. We know the going will be tough, but we’re determined to get there!

Why don't you come to Vietnam, a beautiful country and friendly, for tourist or bussiness ?
We will help you about Vietnam Visa requirements and get Vietnam visa on arrival in simple, fast and reliable but cheapest way !

>> Common Travel Scams and How to Avoid Them

TAXI TRICKS

Scam scenarios:
In Vietnam, illegal taxi drivers have so many tricks up their sleeve, especially when it comes to foreigners being the customers. The easiest way is to use a modified meter, which runs faster than normal ones; thus allows unscrupulous taxi drivers to rapidly increase the fare.

The longer the trip is, the more money they can rip off travelers. In addition, they usually take longer paths, which they call “shortcuts” but in fact are circling around to maximize the fare. Sometimes, taxi drivers can offer tourists some good places to go, just to later on ask for tips. However most of this information can easily be found through post office, maps or from the internet.

How to avoid:

In order to avoid this scam, you should get a cab of trustworthy brands, like Mai Linh (the Green Taxi), Vinasun or Taxi Group. Better yet, ask a receptionist at your hotel to help.

XE OM TRICKS



Scam scenarios: 
Taking Motorcycle-taxi (xe om) trip is quite adventurous in Vietnam, even for the locals. Since there is no need for certification or training to become a motorcycle-taxi driver, anyone with a motorbike can use it for this job. Therefore, many drivers are deceitful and they have so many scams to use.

The most popular one is “go first, money later. It’s cheaper compared to taxi”, and after the trip, they offer a very high fee, sometimes even higher than a taxi trip. Their reason is high petrol cost. But comparing with the price they offer, petrol cost is so much lower. Like illegal taxi drivers, they usually go around to raise the fee. And in some small town, drivers even take tourists to some uncommon places and threaten guests to give them money and belongings.

How to avoid:

To protect yourselves, trust your gut and stay away from dubious motorcycle-taxi service, especially when you are by yourself or traveling late at night.

HOTELS

Scam scenarios: 
Many foreigners just know a few things about the country when they enter Vietnam. Therefore, some local hotels have very cunning plans to trap them. They call their hotels attractive names, like Prince, Paradise, Queen, and Crown and hire some websites to write good articles to advertise for them. They gain their “fake” reputation this way.

 Inexperienced tourists can easily be trapped. Moreover, they usually offer lower room fee, but when tourists come, they will say that the fee is just for standard rooms, which are full already; tourists must pay higher for deluxe rooms. And at that time, tourists have no choice. Nevertheless, when guests check out, they add some unreasonable fees to bills, or even double the price: “You stay alone in a double room. That’s why you must pay double”.

They threaten to keep tourists’ passports if they do not pay the extra fee. When it comes to this situation, no one could help the poor tourists. They must pay a large amount of money as the price for an unforgettably painful experience.

How to avoid:

Book in advance through one of the trusted booking sites and bring the confirmation email or voucher with you. It may be worth spending the extra buck at first than to waste it reluctantly later.

TRAPS AT AIRPORT



Scam scenarios:

Sometimes, taxi drivers and hotels listed above join together to trap tourists, and this trade agreement is sometimes way too sophisticated that tourist can not find out until they pay bills. At the airport, taxi drivers pay attention to tourism companies’ tables, which show full name and nationality of incoming tourists. They copy it immediately and act like they have responsibility to pick up tourists. When tourists follow them, they will lead the poor guy to “evil” hotels that they work for.

Even if tourists have already chosen a hotel, taxi drivers still can trick them. On the way to the real hotel, drivers call for the help from their hotel. The “evil” hotel will send some well dressed people acting like receptionists of the hotel chosen by tourists. This taxi will stop at about 10m from the real hotel, and these fake receptionists will come to apologize the tourists because the hotel is full already, and invite them to a “branch” of this hotel. The “branch” hotel, of course is the “evil” hotel they work for.

If tourists agree, the “preys” are successfully trapped. Taxi drivers, besides the large amount of money earned by the trip to city center, can gain money from the room fees, which “evil” hotels pay for them. And what tourists receive is clearly shown in the above section.

How to avoid:

Arrange for a pick-up service from your own hotel where possible. You can also walk out of the airport, get on a taxi and call your hotel on the way and let them talk to the taxi driver to make sure he knows where you need to go. Also, read our Guide to Airport in Vietnam for an idea about how to get to the city center from the airport.

LONG HAUL BUS

Scam scenario:
Long trip buses, especially in the small towns of the South, are nightmares even with local people. These buses are notorious with their arrogant assistants, who can easily beat tourists if they do not listen to them - no that it happens that often but think again - we are trying to give you a sense what the worst case would be like. These buses usually go around bus stop stations, forcing tourists to their buses with a high fare, and then going to the suburb and “selling” these tourists to another bus. After that, the buses will return to the city to “hunt” new victims.

Buses are usually overloaded, for example a 45 seats bus normally contains 60 people, or even more. Tourists can be challenged seriously if they do not go to the bus, or do not pay the money that the bus assistants require. Moreover, when the bus “sells” tourists to another bus, the new bus also asks for additional fares. If tourists deny paying, the assistants have works to do. And the story will continue until the buses are satisfied with the amount of money they earned, or the day is over.

How to avoid:

Among the few trusted bus brands are Hoang Long, Mai Linh and Phuong Trang which offer good services with reasonable prices. You can also book an open tour bus. Knowing that the fellow travellers are all foreign tourists might be a bit more comforting than getting lost on a local bus without knowing any Vietnamese.

KARAOKE

Scam scenario:
Karaoke, one of the most popular entertainment forms in Vietnam, also hides some threats to careless people. This scam is usually applied to men, especially single ones. Unlike Thailand, prostitution in Vietnam is illegal; thus far many male tourists are in need of a “call girl”, but they cannot find one openly.

Taking advantages of this, some karaoke restaurants hire motorcycle-taxi drivers, cyclo-drivers or even taxi drivers to lead male tourists to restaurants with an attractive invitation: “To go to chat with some beautiful girls, if you want, you can go and have fun with them; if you do not want, you just pay for your drinks and leave”. Inexperienced tourists often fall for this and follow the drivers to those restaurants. Hookers will appear, seducing tourists to go overnight with them. If tourists agree, they will ask for some money to book a room, and then disappear.

After that, the restaurant gives them bills, and it is usually around 2 million VND (approximately 100 USD) for some drinks and fruits, along with made-up fees, like foods, beers, safety fees for the police. Tourists are unable to deny paying because bodyguards - or more like mafia gang - are ready to threaten them, and can not call the police since prostitution is illegal. The only thing they can do is to leave their money and go.

How to avoid:

Do not seek prostitution service in any kind. It is illegal in Vietnam anyway. And if you are really a good singer, always be accompanied by a group of Vietnamese friends before coming to any Karaoke bar.

STREET VENDORS



Scam scenario:

These friendly-looking people do not always act as the way they look. Sometimes they can cause so much trouble and annoyance for tourists when they are walking. Tourists, especially western people, are quite interested in street vendors, since they have not seen such things in their culture.

Understanding this convention, many street vendors invite tourists to take a photograph with their hangers and bamboo hats, and after that force tourists to buy their goods or ask for some tips. If tourists do not want to pay, they will follow and disturb until tourists give them some money. Moreover, vendor children also have their own tricks. They usually pretend to be the disabled or orphans, and together they follow tourists to ask for mercy. These children also wait at pavement restaurants and sell chewing gums for tourist when they have meals.

Beggars also join this force to disturb tourists, even in their lunch or dinner. Cannot stand these distractions, and do not know how to speak Vietnamese, many tourists buy their goods in order to chase them away. Acting in this way, such people can earn quite much money, but they certainly ruin the image of Vietnam in tourists’ eyes.

How to avoid: A firm but polite "No" will do their jobs. In certain circumstances, just pretend you do not listen and walk away. Read our Guide to Street Vendors in Hanoi and know where to go.

RESTAURANTS

Scam scenario:
Besides many good restaurants which can please even the most demanding guests, Vietnam still has terrible restaurants that care about nothing but profit, and these ones are real threats to foreign tourists. These restaurants usually do not list their price along with the menu, so that at first they welcome guests warmly to gain the trust. If guests have any question about the price, they often avoid answering, or answer vaguely.

When meals end, bills are issued, that is the time they shows their real face. The price is usually unacceptable, so much expensive compared to the quality of food and the market price. Tourists can not argue with them; moreover, they ate the food already so they must pay the bills to leave. Another trick is that the restaurant issue prices in one currency (for example, USD) first and after the meal they ask for another currency with higher exchange rate (for example, 10USD = 300,000VND) as “restaurant exchange rate”. Tourists can not deny this, and most of them are afraid of trouble, paying the amount and leave. Of course, they never come back again. But these restaurants do not care. They have new victims every day.

How to avoid:

Go with recommendations on our restaurants page. And help us identify which one should be put on the blacklist of restaurant scams.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Scam scenario:

Street photographers may act friendly, but they can trap you if you are not careful. These photographers are wandering around beautiful places, aiming at small groups of tourists, usually seniors, teenagers or female ones. They are very friendly at first, say nice words and ask tourists if they want to take photos with a very cheap price and quick return service.

 If tourists agree with the deal, they will take photos, but often doubles or even triples the number that tourists required before with a reason :“your pose are so amazing that I cannot stop taking photos. I will discount for you”.

After that, they will politely ask for all the fees (usually 10,000-15,000 VND/photo) along with tourists’ address, and promise to deliver the photos to tourists in 2-3 days. And of course, they will never show up again. Even if one meets them again, they will pretend not to recognize the victim, and others photographers will come into the rescue of their colleagues. Tourists must pay money for something they can never have.

How to avoid:

Bring your own camera and have some other friendly-looking people nearby take photos for you. You can have it developed in Vietnam for as low as 20 cents per photo.

"PRISON" RESTAURANTS


Scam scenario:

This statement is quite unfamiliar with tourists, especially foreign tourists, but it actually happened and is still happening in Vietnam. Among travel scams, this is the most terrible one. Prison restaurants located on highways’ sides, bus stop stations, or between towns. They have agreements with bus drivers (nightmare bus listed above) to deliver the tourists to their restaurants. When all tourists enter, they close the door and lock it.

Tourists are forced to buy foods with very high prices, sometimes 10 times compared to market prices. If tourists dare to deny, their people will beat them until they agree to pay the fees. Some restaurants even ask for additional fees for tourists to get out, otherwise they will have to stay in.

Tourists can not do anything to fight against, since restaurants have bodyguards with clubs, sticks and even knifes. This is quite rare nowadays, but if you encounter one, the wisest choice is to pay money and escape. A number of people are seriously beaten in many cases.

How to avoid:

this scam is not so popular for foreign tourists. The only advice if you want to completely eliminate the chance of getting trapped is to go with the trusted brands of bus service.

>> How much money do I need for Vietnam?

Vietnam is a promising land to the foreigner travelers because of the unique attractions of the country in terms of nature, culture or history, not to mention cheap and diverse tourism services.

Basically, the amount of money on average that has to be paid out of tourists ‘pocket is around USD50-70 in exchange for mid-range tourism services, including standard accommodation, meal fees, transportations fees and other fees. However, the expense is significantly diverse among different tourist-attracting destinations, and normally the price in the North of Vietnam is more expensive than the South counterpart.

Below are some tips and estimates for tight budget travelers to enjoy a cracking trip in Vietnam.




Accommodation:



Like other tourism destinations in the world, Vietnam has two main types of accommodation: budget and luxurious. Generally, the room price of the budget hotel fluctuates around USD 25- 35 per night, while the luxurious one is more various with the average price higher than USD 60 per night. Should travelers choose to stay at more modest accommodations like motels and guesthouse, the price is much cheaper, roughly USD15 – 25 per night.

Transportation:

There is a ton of ways to travel around and between destinations in Vietnam. The recommended transportation methods for foreigners are taxies with the average price of VND 8,000-10,000 per km (USD 0.4 – 0.48 per km). Another way is to use motorbike taxi (Xe Om) with lower price around VND 6, 000-8,000 (USD 0.28-0.38), in case you know how to bargain and get the deal. For interprovincial travelling, you have more options to pick up, namely buses, train and air. Domestic air fare in Vietnam is approximately USD 60-150 per flight based on the airlines and distances. Train fare is from USD 5 – 60 while bus fare is a little lower with USD 4 to 50.

Food:



In Vietnam, the fee for a meal in local restaurant is very reasonable. With common Vietnamese dishes, the price is pretty low at around USD 1 – 5 per dish, and if tourists want to try special foods of some specific destinations, it is certain that they will be charged higher based on the rareness and availability of the cuisine. Generally, average expense for main meals (lunch and dinner) in Vietnam is roughly USD 8 – 15 per person, whilst the breakfast is more or less USD 3-4 per person.

Other expenses:

 They are access fees to local attractions, souvenir expense and other extra costs. It is truly difficult to estimate the amount of money to spend on this dimension, however, normally the access fee to local attractions is less than 5 USD per person (except the high class playground), and souvenirs are just worth about USD 2 – 10 per objects (depend on your bargaining talent).

The bottom line:

You can get by in Vietnam for $25 a day with basic food and stay. A suggested budget for a 10 day trip to Vietnam, excluding return air ticket, is $600, at the minimum.

>> The Royal Refined Music of Hue

On 7th, November 2003, the Royal Refined Vietnam has ever Music was proclaimed by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, the first title of this kind received





The UNESCO Council appraised Vietnamese royal music in the following terms: “Vietnamese royal music represents an elegant and refined music. It deals with the music performed in the imperial courts and on different anniversaries, religious festivals, and on such particular occasions. Of the different categories developed in Vietnam, only the royal music was national.”

The Royal Refined Music was first introduced in the 13th century, but only reached its peak under the Nguyen Dynasty. The Royal Refined Music had long enjoyed a preference as an official form of royal music. It was recognized as the symbol of a powerful and long-lasting monarchy and as an indispensable part of all ceremonies. Each year, the Royal Refined Music was played in nearly 100 different ceremonies.

Varied in its themes, the Royal Refined Music is considered a means of communication to express the respect to gods and kings.

Compared to other forms of art, the Royal Refined Music boasted high artistic value, first and foremost because the court had enough political power and finance to bring together talented composers and players from around the country.

 Given favourable conditions to practice and improve performance skills, they became professional artists in composing and performance.

After being recognized as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, the Royal Refined Music performances have been held in France and Belgium, etc. and was highly valued by the audience and art-culture researchers.

>> More about Viet Nam country and people

Before a plan to VietNam, to getting Vietnam visa or Vietnam visa on Arrival, this information will be useful for you: 

Vietnam is located on the Eastern part of the Indochina peninsula, bordering China to the North, Laos and Cambodia to the West with a long land border of 4,550 km and facing the Eastern Sea (South China Sea) and the Pacific to the East and the South. Territorial map of mainland Vietnam resembles an S shape, stretching from 23°23' to 8°27' North latitude. Territorial area is estimated to be 331.689 square kilometers and its total length is 1,650 km from the northernmost point to the southernmost point. Its width, stretching from the East coast to the Western border, is about 500 km at the widest part and about 50 km at the narrowest part.




Vietnam is capped by two delta regions at either end of the country - the Red River in the North and Mekong (Cuu Long) in the South, connected by a fertile strip of Central Highlands and the extensive Truong Son Range. Its capital, Hanoi, is situated on the Red River delta. The second largest administrative city, Ho Chi Minh City, is located on the banks of Saigon River in the south.

The total population of Vietnam is over 83 million (as of 2005), of which Vietnamese (Kinh) ethnicity makes up more than 85 per cent, along with 53 ethnic minority groups. Buddhism and Catholicism are Vietnam’s dominant religions, along with other religions, such as Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Protestantism and Muslim.

Climate and Resources

The climate is characterized by strong monsoons, a considerable number of sunny days, high level of rainfall, and high humidity. Although the country lies in the tropics and subtropics, its varying altitudes and latitudes create a diversity of climates. Winter can be quite cold in the north, while the south has equatorial climate all year-round. Vietnam is rich with a variety of mineral resources. Located beneath the subsoil are precious stones, coal, and valuable minerals such as tin, zinc, silver, gold, and antimony. Large deposits of oil and gas are found on both the mainland and offshore islands.

Economy

The important Doi moi (reform) of 1986 provided for major success and significant improvements in our economy. Economic growth and quality of life of the Vietnamese people has been noticeably enhanced. In July 1995 Vietnam was officially admitted to the Association of the South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). The country is also a member of many international organizations - the UN, ARF, ASEM, APEC and the Non-Aligned Movement. Vietnam had gained full membership of World Trade Organization (WTO) on Jan. 11, 2007, and became a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council on Oct. 16, 2007. The new role of Vietnam has brought about an important opportunity for economic development and integration into the region and the world.

 Performing Art 

The Vietnamese performing arts include various types, such as Cheo (popular theatre), Tuong (classical theatre), Cai Luong (reformed theatre), Water Puppet, court music and dancing, Quan Ho (Folk-song or Love duet of Bac Ninh), Chau Van (Worshipping Ceremonial Songs), Ca Tru (literally "singing for reward"), "Then" singing of the Thai, "Ly" singing of the Southern region people, etc. Among them, the most commonly performed are Cheo, Cai Luong, Water Puppet, "ly" singing and Nha Nhac (refined music), one kind of Court Music.





Fine-art handicraft

Traditional Vietnamese handicraft has a long history and a diverse range of products, which have become well-known at home and abroad. Today, some handicraft industries are still preserved and developed, offering jobs and incomes to many laborers and contributing to exports, like ceramics, silk weaving, lacquer making, rattan & bamboo weaving, conical hat making, bronze casting and woodworking etc.

Amongst traditional crafts, the most salient are Ceramics, Silk, Rattan and bamboo weaving. Vietnam is especially renowned for its finely crafted lacquer objects. Both beautiful and durable, they include wall paintings, vases, jewelry boxes, trays, chessboards, and folding screens. Along with our fine ceramics and delicately embroidered fabrics, these products have captured the imagination of our visitors from abroad.



Tourism

Travel opportunities within Vietnam are plentiful.
Within Hanoi itself, cultural and historical remnants reveal a rich past replete with heroic legacies. World famous Halong Bay in Quang Ninh province is a short 2 hours from the city; its jade-like waters hold 1,969 islands. Halong Bay and Phong Nha-Ke Bang national park have been recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage site. Hue Imperial City, Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Sanctuary in Quang Nam province have each been declared by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage sites. Nha nhac (the Royal Refined Music) of Hue and the Central Highland gong culture were recognized by UNESCO as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”.