Vung Tau – Place for people love beach and history

Posted by admin on August 28, 2010 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel Guide | 4 Comments to Read

Escape and explore Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam

Posted by admin on August 27, 2010 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel Guide | 4 Comments to Read

Notre Dame Cathedral front side, Ho Chi Minh (Sai Gon), Vietnam

An intoxicating mix of colonial past, ancient civilisation rich in tradition and culture, architectural splendour, exotic food and friendly locals makes Ho Chi Minh City (HCM) an ideal getaway.
On the banks of the Saigon River, the Khmer people established a civilisation extraordinaire — having warded off invasions, won a war against a superpower and constructed a city of commerce. It’s a tale of courage under fire, a saga of people prevailing against the odds.

Earthly beauty

From old colonial wonders to gleaming skyscrapers, HCM gleams at night. Home to almost seven million people, the city is the financial and economic hub of the country. During the day, HCM grips you with its heady scents and stupefying sights. A lingering aroma of jackfruit and coffee fill the air everywhere you go.

It’s a city of gaiety; you can inevitably sense its soulful presence everywhere you wander — in the various lanes, cafés, and markets and in the eyes of its smiling people.

The best place to stay is in District One. It is dotted with prominent tourist attractions Some famous hotels here include Hotel Continental, Rex Hotel, Hotel Majestic, Grand Hotel, Park Hyatt Saigon, Riverside, New World and Sheraton Saigon.

City highlights

There are many ways to commute here, but a good way to see HCM is on foot.

The Vietnamese are very amicable and hospitable. Asking for directions is never too hard. With its wide boulevards and magnificent French villas, HCM is truly the Paris of the Orient. Some examples of splendid French architecture include the General Post Office, Reunification Palace, City Hall, the Municipal Theatre and the Notre-Dame Basilica.

Begin your tour around the city by visiting the History Museum. It houses an incredible collection of artifacts from Vietnam’s 2000-year history.

The museum also houses a water puppet theatre. The show about mythical goddesses, dragons and talking fish goes on for about an hour and will enchant the kid in you.
Outside, hop on a colourful cyclo. The ride is sure to bring peals of laughter and excitement as you go sightseeing.

Architectural beauty

One of the most interesting spots is the General Post Office, the biggest in Vietnam.

Built in the early 20th century when Vietnam was part of French Indochina, its interior is a sight to behold. Resembling a European railway station with a huge clock in its central pavilion, this fascinating building is an outstanding display of design influenced by the Renaissance era. The elegant interior with its glass canopy and huge ceilings will charm your senses.

General Post Office, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Attracting tourists to its neo-Romanesque style architecture, the Notre-Dame Basilica was anointed by the Vatican in the 1960s when an archbishop was assigned to Saigon. Its red bricks were imported from Marseilles which still glow bright until today. Do not fail to walk around this magnificent structure that has survived WWII.

Chinese influence

Next, stop by Cho Lon, HCM’s Chinatown. Built by Chinese immigrants in 1778, Cho Lon meaning “big market” is a riot of colours where Ben Thanh Market is situated. This shopaholics’ paradise needs haggling skills. Patience will find you great buys in footwear, bags and accessories.

For a dash of “fabulosity”, walk along Dong Khoi Street; a paradise of high-end fashion stores like Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

Apart from the Roof Top Garden Restaurant at the Rex Hotel, one of the best places to dine is at Ben Thanh. Numerous sidewalk restaurants serve authentic Vietnamese food; deep-fried fish and spring rolls are some of their specialties. Also, try the dragon-boat dinner cruise and enjoy glittering views and scrumptious seafood.

A few kilometres out is the revered Emperor Jade Pagoda, known for its symbiosis of Tao-Buddhist traditions.

Although entrance is free, a donation will be appreciated. Whilst there, don’t forget to purchase a few birds to be released as offering to the Gods.

Explore & excite

If you have kids, escape to Suoi Tien Amusement Park. The park that includes a zoo and a man-made beach features a beautiful waterfall. It displays the spiritual imagery of the Vietnamese people through sculptures of dragons, lions, turtles and the phoenix.

No trip to HCM is complete without experiencing the Cu Chi tunnels; a labyrinth of underground tunnels leading all the way to Cambodia. Built by the Viet Cong, these tunnels played a vital role in the Vietnam War.

Only a 30-minute drive from the city, the 121km complex network of tunnels is a war memorial park. If you are up to it, crawl through the tunnels and sample the simple food of the Viet Cong fighters.

Also, fire off an assault rifle at the shooting range for an adrenaline rush.

Visit this captivating city — pleasant surprises await around the bend.

(Source: the star)

HO CHI MINH CITY – A HOT TOURIST DESTINATION

Posted by admin on August 26, 2010 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel Guide | Read the First Comment

Vietnam’s commercial hub has become a very hot tourist destination; the attractions range from the colonial past to the horrors of Vietnam War or today’s economic success. Ho Chi Minh City is all about diversity and charm.

For a significant period after the war in Vietnam, tourists were reluctant to come here for a visit. However, decades have passed and the Vietnamese managed to turn their luck around and use the past to their advantage.

Ho Chi Minh City was formerly known as Saigon. In 1976, the city merged with the neighboring province and was renamed after the national hero, who fought for the country’s independence. During the 1960s, the city was swarming with the Viet Cong fighters and became the centre of resistance. Not 75 km north of Ho Chi Minh City are the Cu Chi Tunnels. Definitely a challenge for all visitors, these 70 cm wide and 90 cm high underground routes offered refuge to thousands of Vietnamese in times of war. Many spent years living down here.

Ho Chi Minh today features some charming colonial architecture as well as museums dedicated to retelling the country’s past. The War Remnants Museum is an eye-opener, as it presents a rather vivid account of the Vietnam War. Even here visitors may enter a network of underground tunnels, one of which leads to the Revolutionary Museum, where visitors learn about the Vietnamese struggle against French colonialism and the American invasion.

Even today, the French influence is very visible in the wide boulevards and colonial buildings. The most beautiful are now the Reunification Palace, City Hall, Municipal Theater and the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Visiting the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, which date back to 1865 is a great family day out. Ho Chi Minh City is now the commercial hub, a blend of cultures and a vibrant tourist magnet which embraces all with an amazingly sparkling spirit.

(Source: http://www.tourism-review.com)

Shopping Right in Vietnam

Posted by admin on August 25, 2010 under Shopping In Vietnam, Vietnam Travel Guide | Read the First Comment

My guide, Huong Lan picked me up at Le Residence Hotel where I was staying in Hue. “I’m sorry, I only have a motorbike,” she said. “But I have a helmet for you. I hope you don’t mind touring Hue this way.” Mind? I was thrilled. This was the primary mode of travel in Vietnam. I hopped on the back and we drove past a large building. “This is where I went to high school,” Lan said. “And so did Ho Chi Minh. That’s him.” She pointed out a large statue in the courtyard. We drove along the perfume river and turned onto a dirt path. Lan parked the bike and we boarded a small wooden boat which ferried people across the river to the Dong Ba Market. I anticipated the market would be a great place to shop for gifts. We walked through stall after stall selling every type of fruit including dorian, jack, dragon fruit and coconuts. We passed slabs of beef and pig and chickens and fish, then plastic housewares. We went upstairs and I looked at cheap T-shirts, kimonos and shoes. “Here, you can by everything from a needle to an elephant,” Lan said.But there was nothing I wanted to buy. We went backdownstairs where a gaggle of women fought over a large pile of conical hats. I thought the hats looked identical, but Lan said they were looking for a hat with no flaws. “The hat has to be perfect,” Lan said. We made our way through the endless rows of stalls, moving aside when a woman squeezed by carrying a stick across her shoulders from which dangled with two heavy hanging baskets. We stopped for me to take a photo of a group of women on their haunches, eating what looked like raw eggs. “That’s baby duck,” Lan said, “It’s delicious. Want to try some? I’d been warned about street food. So I passed, but Lan bought one. “The best part is the head and the feet,” she grinned as she cracked open the egg. It looked like a fetus to me. We took the little wooden boat back across the river. “I’ll take you to a special shop, Lan said as she parked in front of a storefront with a sign, “Healing the Wounded Heart Shop” which sells handicraft items produced by local artists. The proceeds go to fund health care, medical, and educational projects. So far, they’ve been able to pay for 250 heart surgeries for children of Hue, Lan said. I looked at colorful baskets woven from recycled telephone wires, stationary with Cham and Hmong pieces of embroidery, and gorgeous bags made from recycled plastic products. Each had a tiny red cloth heart which said “healing the wounded heart.” Everything was so exquisitely made I barely knew what to buy. And the best thing about it was that for the first time in Vietnam, even though I’d been used to bargaining, this time I happily paid full price.

4 Great day trips from Saigon

Posted by admin on August 20, 2010 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel Guide | 5 Comments to Read

by Adam

Many travelers have precious little time to spend in Ho Chi Minh City or even Vietnam as a whole, and wish to see as much as possible within a matter of days. Fortunately, beyond the sights the city itself has to offer there are a number of day trips from Saigon that will give a short term visitor the opportunity to sample a bit more of what Vietnam has to offer, and more often than not to tempt them back.

1 – Beach life – Vung Tau

Vung tau can be visited with ease in the space of a day – it only takes one hour on the hydrofoil from downtown Saigon, and is small enough to get a feel for the town and the coast within a day. Although the beach may not be the prettiest in Vietnam as its location at the mouth of several major rivers affects the clarity of the water, the hills surrounding Vung Tau are very picturesque, and there are numerous attractions to visit like as the statue of Jesus Christ overlooking the bay, a scene reminiscent of Rio de Janeiro which offers great views of the coast from the top.

2 – History and Culture – Cu Chi + Tay Ninh

One of the most popular day trips from Saigon is to the famous Cu Chi tunnels, where the Viet Cong resistance forces tunneled underground to hide from the US forces and to launch surprise attacks, with families spending months or even years living beneath the earth. It a remarkable example of the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the Vietnamese people.

On the way most tours make a stop at the Cao Dai temple in Tay Ninh, a religion unique to Vietnam that brings together elements of Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism, Confucianism and Islam.  It has had an eventful history in its short existence; during occupations by foreign powers the religion formed its own nationalist struggles against colonialism. The temples are brightly colored and very distinctive, and the monks are very happy to sit with you and explain more about their religion.

3 – Life on the Water – My Tho in the Mekong Delta

Wherever you are in Vietnam you are never far from the coast or a river, and so water forms an integral part of life in Vietnam. The Mekong Delta is known as the rice bowl of Vietnam due to the extremely fertile flood plains, and is responsible for growing massive quantities of fruit as well as being one of the major sources of Vietnam’s rice exports.

A day trip to the Mekong Delta will normally only take you as far as My Tho, the closest city to Saigon that is within the delta, and although a boat trip through the canals may be brief and not explore as deeply as other trips further into the delta, it certainly offers you the chance to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery as you gently row between the palms and bamboo.

4 – Rural Vietnam – Can Gio and Thu Thiem

Although amongst the hustle and bustle of central Saigon it can feel like the concrete goes on forever there are two places that allow a complete escape from noise, concrete and chaos of the inner city, and they are surprisingly close to the center.

Thu Thiem is literally just across the water from downtown Saigon and can be accessed by ferry. As soon as you land on the other side it is like being in  a small village rather than a bustling metropolis, and it’s a great place to explore on a bicycle, stopping off at small coffee shops and stretching out in hammocks. Be quick though – the area is changing fast and within a few years this place will be redeveloped beyond recognition into the new central business district of Saigon.

Can Gio is a province thick with dense mangrove forests that is best explored by boat. Full of wildlife and known as the lungs of the city, a trip to Can Gio can convince you that Ho Chi Minh City could be a million miles away. The few villages here are small and quiet, and the forest that was near destroyed during the war is making a considerable comeback, teeming with bird life.

( Source: http://vietnamtravelnotes.com)

Hanoi listed among world's top tourist destinations in 2010

Posted by admin on August 19, 2010 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel Guide | 5 Comments to Read

Hanoi is ranked third among 12 most attractive destinations in the world in 2010, announced a US prestigious tourist publisher.

Frommer with the most best-selling guidebooks in the US advised travellers to choose Hanoi for their destinations as the city will celebrate its 1,000th birthday and the National Tourism Year 2010.

“Hanoi also happens to be Asia’s most Asian city”, said Ron Emmons, author Frommer’s Thailand and co-author Frommer’s Southeast Asia.

A cultural centre littered with pagodas, temples and historic monuments, Hanoi offers plenty for traveller to seek an authentic experience with excellent meals available at both street-side stalls and fine eateries, the labyrinthine Old Quarter, the area around Hoan Kiem Lake that houses water puppetry theatre and art galleries, said the publisher.

Hanoi will restore important beautiful landscapes, including Bat Trang tourism port, Duong Lam ancient village and Huong Pagoda to mark the National Tourism Year 2010.

Deep-rooted meaning in Vietnam’s cultural markets

Posted by admin on August 17, 2010 under Vietnam Travel Guide | Be the First to Comment

For many Vietnamese, the village market plays a central role in daily life.

Baby ducks and chicks for sale at a village market.

Home produces.

Local artisans trading mats in Dinh Yen Mat Market in the southern Dong Thap Province.

It is a place to meet to swap goods, ideas, gossip and it forms the social and economic hub of every village.

With some 70% of the population living in the countryside, Vietnamese life is centered on the village, with village markets a familiar picture in the minds of all Vietnamese.

Village markets are usually small and formed by a group of local people as a place to exchange their products. They choose a place where many people will pass and gradually, these exchange places become bigger and bigger to make a real market.

Markets often gather 3-5 times a week and are divided into main and sub-gatherings. For the main gatherings, the atmosphere is always more exciting and the market lasts longer. Each village will sell one kind of special good such as bamboo baskets, iron hoes, knives, etc. By looking at what’s on sale at a village’s market, we can easily guess the local trade. If we see a lot of conical hats on sale, then those living in the area are likely hat makers. The sub-gatherings are less crowded and tend to sell only essential foods.

Chuong Market in Thanh Oai District, Hanoi is a typical village market. Villagers here gather 6 times a month, on the 4th, 10th, 14th, 20th, 24th and 30th, and sell only one product: conical hats and the materials to make them.

Like Chuong Hat Village in Hanoi, Dong Bang Mat Market in Thai Binh Province, Ba Ren Pig market in the central Quang Nam or Cai Rang Floating Market in the southern Can Tho Province, are also some famous ones among thousands of village markets in Vietnam.

Village markets in Vietnam, which are said to have existed for thousands of years, are not only a mere goods-exchanging place but also a special cultural feature that highlights the traits and lifestyle of people living in the countryside. They are farmers and artisans who usually have to struggle to make ends meet. However, unlike the situation at markets in the big city, there is little need to bargain for the products sold because at the village markets, buyers and sellers are all relatives, neighbors or know one another very well.

“We all know one another very well here in our village’s market,” said my friend who is living in Voc Village in northern Nam Dinh Province, “Things are sold and purchased very quickly so we can come home early to get to the rice fields.”

The foods being sold at village markets are fresh but not carefully chosen or beautifully arranged like those in the city markets. A basket of crab or shellfish would have been caught during the previous night or the day before. Vegetables are also very fresh. These products are all collected from the sellers’ crop after putting aside enough for their family’s needs.

As most Vietnamese people have grown up in a village, village markets have become a comforting picture of home. Many people have left their quiet villages for the exciting cities, but the memories of the old days remain forever. As in the case of Truong Ngoc Binh, who is now living and working in San Jose, America. Binh was born and grew up in Bac Ninh, a northern province with a long and rich culture.

“In my memory, our village’s Buu Market represents the most carefree and peaceful time in life,” Binh revealed. “I remember getting up early and going with my younger sister and brother to a small bridge to wait for my mother’s return from the market. We would sit there, trying to guess if my mother was in the group of women approaching us. When the familiar figure of mother appeared from far away, we all rushed out to greet her and help her carry something if we could.”

When Tet holiday nears, village markets suddenly become much busier. After a year working hard, it’s time for people to relax, and Vietnamese people find the market a good place to gather and meet one another. The markets are bigger than normal and besides a bigger range of foods being offered for sale, people often hold a small fair featuring traditional games such as ferris wheels, lottery, dragon dancing, etc. These markets usually last from December 29 to January 3rd of the lunar year.

Village’s markets have played the role of a cultural and entertainment centre for the farmers and are a vital part of every village.

(Collected by www.Vietnamhotels.net)

Thang Long Royal Citadel named World Heritage site

Posted by admin on August 2, 2010 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel Guide, Vietnam travel News, Vietnam's World Heritage | 2 Comments to Read

A dragon sculpture in the Thang Long Royal Citadel that has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO

The Thang Long Royal Citadel has been named a World Heritage site by UNESCO, the UN cultural and scientific body, according to a statement on the government website Sunday.

The decision was made Sunday morning (Vietnam time) during a 10-day meeting in Brasilia where the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization revised its list of environmentally or culturally unique sites.

“This is an invaluable and meaningful gift for Vietnamese and the people of Hanoi just ahead of the millennium anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi,” the statement said.

The Thang Long Royal Citadel met three out of six selection criteria, including exhibiting an important interchange of human values over a span of time; bearing a unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization; and being associated with events or living traditions.

Nearly 900 environmentally or culturally unique sites have been named in the World Heritage list so far.

Vietnamese entries in the list prior to the latest recognition are: the Complex of Monuments in the old imperial capital of Hue; Ha Long Bay; Hoi An Ancient Town; My Son Sanctuary and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

(Source: Thanh Nien News)