Posted by admin on April 28, 2011 under Vietnam Travel Guide | 
Even though Vietnam is a third world country they have a literacy rate of 94%. The life expectancy rate of the Vietnamese is 75 years. Potbelly pigs are used as pets in Vietnam. At the schools, children are not called by bells instead they are called by gongs. The Dong is their form of currency and the capital city of Vietnam is Hanoi. The narrowest point of the country measures a mere 40 kilometers that is less than 25 miles across. The length of the country from north to south measures 1,000 km. Learn more about Vietnam by reading on.
In Vietnam
Vietnam is thought to be a beautiful place to visit especially its capital, Hanoi. The capital is located on the Red River banks. There is a mix of French elegance and Vietnam flavor. It is also known for being the city of lakes. There are more bikes and mopeds than there are cars in this country. Due to the lack of vehicles there is very little pollution.
Middle of Hanoi
In the middle of the capital there is a lake that is called Lake of Restored Sword. There is an island in the middle of this lake with a bridge that will carry you there. On this island, in the center, there is the Jade Mountain Temple. It was built in the 18th century. If you travel north from the lake you will stumble upon the Old Quarter. It is an antiquated little village that has restaurants, markets and cafes linning the streets.
Mekong Delta
On the Mekong Delta there is a floating market! Vegetables and fruits are peddled all day. The delta is surrounded by picturesque views of rice patties stretching off into the distance with the patches of water buffalo and the conical-hatted peasants. And beyond the fields of rice patties, in the distance the silhouette of soaring mountains tower over the land beneath them.
Interesting
To the south of Vietnam, in the Halong Bay are over 3000 chalk islands. Much of the country has flares of French architecture. The Phong Nha Ke Bang national park is about of the World Heritage Sites, as well as the Ha Long Bay. In the West Lake, which is about 9 miles in circumference, there is the wreckage of a B52 American Bomber.
(Source: yukozimo)
Collected by Vietnam hotel
Posted by admin on April 27, 2011 under Vietnam Travel in the North, Vietnam festival, Vietnam travel News, Vietnam's World Heritage |
A laser, sound and water performance lasting up to 90 minutes will be at the heart of the annual Ha Long Carnival held in the northern province of Quang Ninh from April 29 to May 5.
The provincial authorities have invested a record sum of more than VND138 billion (US$6.57 million) in preparation for the performance, titled Mysterious Ha Long By Night, to be held on Bai Chay Beach on May 2.
The Ha Long Sparkling with Colours street festival will hit the town on May 1, along with a series of cultural events including a poetry – music show, a competition for MCs, a culinary festival, a tennis tournament, a bonsai exhibition and a cock fighting festival.
“The carnival is even more important than usual, with the vote for Halong bay as one of the New7Wonders of Nature at its peak,” said Ha Quang Long, director of the Quang Ninh Culture, Sports and Tourism Department.
The local authorities have prepared facilities for tourists to vote for Ha Long during the week by telephone. Tourists can dial +2 392 201 055; +1 869 760 5990; +1 649 339 8080 and +44 758 900 1290. After hearing the introduction, tourists can press 7712 to vote for Ha Long Bay.
The bay is currently second in the polling behind South Korea’s Jeju Island. In total, there are 28 finalists on the New7Wonders list.
The New Open World Corporation will end voting and announce the seven new wonders on November 11 this year.
The tourism week is expected to attract around 500,000 tourists to the bay, accounting for eight to ten per cent of the average annual visitors to the province.
Source: VNS
Posted by admin on April 25, 2011 under Vietnam Travel in the South, Vietnam travel News, vietnam hotel |
Many hotels, restaurants and resorts of Saigontourist, welcome clients with gastronomic programs on the occasion of the upcoming public holidays, Liberation Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1).
Hotel Majestic Saigon (1 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1. Tel: 08.38295517)
On April 30, the Serenade Restaurant on the hotel’s seventh floor will launch a special service from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Customers will be served with Heineken beer, white or red wine, soft drinks or mineral water and enjoy the firework display. The service costs an adult VND429,000 and a child VND215,000.
At the same time, M. Bar on the eighth floor will also offer a similar service. Clients will get a drink— white or red wine, cocktail, Heineken beer, mineral water or soft drinks—as well as enjoy a firework display and a music show. The service prices are VND499,000 for an adult and VND250,000 for a child.
First Hotel ho chi minh (18 Hoang Viet St., Tan Binh Dist. Tel: 08.38441199)
Hoa Su 1 Restaurant will serve a buffet with more than 40 typical Vietnamese dishes of northern, central and southern regions on the night of April 30. During the buffet, diners will enjoy a variety show, join a lucky draw with prizes from Nescafé as the sponsor, and see the hotel’s chefs perform the culinary art. The buffet tickets cost an adult VND300,000 and a child VND180,000.
The First Grill Restaurant will hold a music show with a buffet. The buffet includes delicious dishes that previously won gold medals at national gastronomic competitions. Diners will also join a lucky draw in the end.
The First Hot Pot Restaurant will offer a 10% discount for diners who pay on April 30 and May 1. Clients will also be invited a glass of champagne.
Dong Khanh Hotel (2 Tran Hung Dao B St., Dist. 5. Tel: 08.39236404)
A buffet with more than 30 dishes, including hot pots, will be served from 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m. The hotel will give a 10% discount voucher to those clients who buy 5-10 tickets. Any client that buys 11-15 tickets will be eligible for a Dong Khanh silver card, and a Dong Khanh gold card will go to those who buy more than 16 tickets. The hotel also has special prices for groups of clients.
The buffet costs an adult VND199,000 and a child VND139,000.
Bat Dat Hotel (238 Tran Hung Dao St., Dist. 5. Tel: 08.38551662)
Buffets with selected Vietnamese and Chinese dishes will be served from 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m. on April 30 and May 1. The buffets go with a music show and a sing-together program (clients can sing songs on the stage at their wish). Buffet prices are ND200,000 for an adult and VND120,000 for a child, including drinks, ice-cream and a glass of cocktail. The hotel donates one free ticket to any customer that buys five tickets before April 30.
Que Huong-Liberty 4 Hotel (265 Pham Ngu Lao St., Dist. 1. Tel: 08.38364556)
The hotel will serve buffets with grilled fresh seafood on April 30 and May 1, from 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m. The cocktail and draft beef are complimentary. Buffet prices are VND269,000 for an adult and VND139,000 for a child.
Diners that join a lucky draw will possibly win a voucher for two people to spend a vacation at Madagui Resort in Lam Dong Province. Those that book tickets before April 25 are given a 10% discount.
Liberty Central Hotel (179 Le Thanh Ton St., Dist. 1. Tel: 08.62917977)
The Central Restaurant will serve lunch and dinner buffets with more than 30 dishes on April 30, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
At the dinner buffet, the 120-seat restaurant will give diners a lunch voucher and free soft drinks. Lunch and dinner buffets cost an adult VND199,000 and VND299,000, and VND109,000 and VND199,000 for a child.
Binh Quoi 1 Tourist Area (1147 Binh Quoi St., Binh Thanh Dist. Tel: 08.35565891)
Buffets with more than 70 southern dishes and traditional southern music will be served from April 29-May 3. On April 29, there will be one buffet from 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m. On the other days, two buffets will be held from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
The buffets cost an adult VND200,000 and a child VND110,000.
Van Thanh Tourist Area (48/10 Dien Bien Phu St., Binh Thanh Dist. Tel: 8.35123025)
There will be dinner buffets with over 40 dishes on April 30 and May 1. Diners will also play folk games for prizes and children can entertain themselves with games such as painting statues, making flour objects and making sand pictures. Buffet prices are VND190,000 for an adult and VND120,000 for a child.
Oscar Hotel (68A Nguyen Hue Blvd., Dist. 1. Tel: 08.38292959)
From April 26 to May 1, the hotel will serve dinner buffets with more than 45 selected Vietnamese dishes, especially seafood. Drinks are complimentary. Buffets on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday cost an adult VND240,000 and a child VND110,000. Buffet prices on Friday, Saturday and Sunday are VND270,000 for an adult and VND130,000 for a child.
Grand Hotel saigon (8 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1, Tel: 08. 3823 0163)
Chez-Nous restaurant launches a buffet program ‘Tastes of countries’ on April 30 and May 1 from 6.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. featuring French style lobster cream soup, baked turkey American style, Russian style barbecue, Korean roll rice and sushi. Customers will get a complimentary drink of Chilean wine or Russian draught beer, soft drink and mineral water. Classical music will be played during the buffet. The price is VND499,000 per adult and VND399,000 per child.
Continental Hotel (132 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1, Tel: 08 3825 7679)
Next weekend a gala buffet featuring 30 European style dishes will be held at La Fayette restaurant. Free drinks are served to guests. Buffet prices are VND450,000 per adult and VND230,000 per child.
Tan Cang Tourist Area (A100 Ung Van Khiem St., Binh Thanh Dist., Tel: 08 3512 8775)
A buffet featuring 80 grilled dishes and hot pots will take place at the garden space next to Saigon River for the holiday weekend. Guests will be offered a free glass of Fifth Ocean draught beer for every ticket. The buffet will be scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The prices are VND250,000 per adult and VND140,000 per child. Tickets can be delivered to customers.
Saigon Ship Restaurant (Bach Dang Wharf, Nguyen Hue Blvd., Dist. 1, Tel: 08 3823 0393)
A lunch buffet with more than 48 dishes will be held from 11 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. next weekend. The ship departs at 11:30 a.m. and follows the round turn of Bach Dang Wharf and Thanh Da Peninsula. Tickets are priced at VND190,000 per adult and VND120,000 per child.
A dinner buffet will be scheduled from 5.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. (boarding time is 5 p.m.) and from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. (boarding time is 7 p.m.). The ship will follow the Bach Dang Wharf – Ben Nghe Wharf – Bach Dang Wharf route.
Posted by admin on April 23, 2011 under Attractions, Vietnam travel News |
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 Hanoi is piloting the preservation of the Old Quarter through a project to restore Ta Hien Street. |
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The VND15-billion (USD717,703) will restore 52-metre Ta Hien Street, where most structures were built early 20th century, using French and traditional Vietnamese architectural styles.
The project will be a sort of trial run for a larger programme to restore the Old Quarter. The programme is a joint effort between Hanoi and the city of Toulouse, France.
The Hanoi Old Quarter Management Board will restore building facades as well as public infrastructure on the street. Residents on this street will even get new furniture. To date, restoration on three homes has been completed.
The restoration project to cost VND15 billion
A loft is set up at Ta Hien-Luong Ngoc Quyen
10 houses with sloping roofs, in the french style
The opposite side of the street, buildings in traditional Vietnamese style
Main doors, roofs and windows will be upgraded, along with the street, water and lighting systems
Restoration agreements
Intersection of Ta Hien-Luong Ngoc Luyen
Loft gives access to upper floors
Restoration takes into account original design
Ta Hien Street
Life goes on as usual
Windows have same design, but with new Inox locks
Trial run for a programme of cooperation
Soon to be upgraded
Visitors drink beer underneath the construction site
New sign for a shop
Source: dtinews
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Posted by admin on April 21, 2011 under Vietnam Travel in the South, Vietnam travel News |
After living in the nation which founded the ancient sport, you would have thought that by now I would have gone at least a dozen times.
But no, for some reason I had maybe gone to the dogs literally but not physically. Greyhound racing is a great spectacle and even inspired Damon Albarn of English BritPop band Blur to feature his favorite pastime, away from music, on the front cover of the award-winning Parklife album.
So a trip to Vung Tau with a group of friends didn’t see me believing I had much chance of fulfilling my ambition. Greyhounds in Vietnam? Not likely.
We checked into the Petro Hotel and when I was coming down the lift I looked out the window and in my amazement saw a greyhound track. Double-take time but yes at reception they confirmed that races were taking place as they do every Saturday evening at the 5,000-capacity Lam Son stadium in 15 Le Loi Street.
I grabbed my friends quickly and dragged them along and what a great experience it was. A seat close to the finish-line and the chance to have a beer as you put a few bets on, what more can a man wish for? A winner, perhaps and with two races to go it duly arrived but not a big lift as it was second favorite. I was unfortunate with my forecasts of 1-2-3. Three times having 1-2-4. I then did a spot of digging and found out this is the only greyhound racing track in the country.
It was the brainchild of Aussie Bevan Williamson in 2002 with the initial investment to finance the air-conditioned 400-meter track coming from Australia but the sand, of course, comes from Vung Tau beach.
Sunday and time to go home but not before we got down to the real business of the trip – the beach and the seafood. The beach I was warned was not great but as it is the closest to Saigon, it is popular but I thought it was nice and everyone I met seemed to be loving being away from the city.
On our way home my friends told me we would be missing the chance of a lifetime if we didn’t go to seafood restaurant Ganh Hao, and boy were they right – it was out of this world.
Honestly, I’d eaten seafood almost daily since relocating to Vietnam but nothing prepared me for the crab and prawn delights of this piece of heaven. Wow. Even thinking about it now makes my mouth water and it was so cheap.
It’s worth going to Vung Tau just to dine at Ganh Hao on 3 Tran Phu Street alone. What’s a three-hour drive or 90 minute ferry journey to this little gem of a restaurant. It’s fair to say my first visit to the Ba Ria–Vung Tau region won’t be my last.
(Source: Saigon Times)
Collected by Vietnam hotel
Posted by admin on under Vietnam Travel in the Central, Vietnam travel News |
Ngu Hanh Son Mountain elevator will be operational just in time for Reunification Day on April 30 to take advantage of the national holiday.
The management board of Ngu Hanh Son tourist area in Ngu Hanh Son District, Danang City confirmed the news that will make it easier for tourists to visit Linh Ung Pagoda at the top of the mountain.
The unique elevator system is 50 meters high and has two cabins. It was built in seven months and is in a vertical direction alongside the mountain. The elevator can carry about 20 guests at a time at a price of VND30,000 per person. The price is double the current entrance ticket to visit the pagoda but is worth it for the convenience.
Ngu Hanh Son (The Marble Mountains) is about eight kilometers southeast of Danang City. It’s a cluster of five marble mountains lying close to the sea. An interesting journey to Ngu Hanh Son will be one of the most relaxing times for visitors as it is like a fairytale land with a dreamlike scenery, pagodas, mysteries and grottos.
In the early 19th century, King Gia Long, the founder of the Nguyen Dynasty, passed the area and named the five mountains as Ngu Hanh Son.
He also named each of them according to one of the five elements of the universe: Kim Son (metal of gold), Moc Son (wood), Thuy Son (water), Hoa Son (fire), and Tho Son (earth). And thus, the five mountains that compose the Marble Mountains are not ordinary creations but are filled with history and folklore.
The area attracts about 60,000 tourists every year.
Posted by admin on April 16, 2011 under Vietnam Travel in the Central, Vietnam festival, Vietnam travel News |
The Danang International Fireworks Competition 2011 will be held on April 29-30 on the banks of the Han River.
It is the fourth such competition and will attract five teams: the Jubilee Fireworks Company (England), the Hanwha Company (South Korea), Parente Fireworks A&C SNC Company (Italy), Panda Fireworks Company (China) and the host team Da Nang (Viet Nam).
Many foreign and domestic tourists are expected to watch the displays on Reunification Day, April 30, and International Labour Day, May 1.
Da Nang has planned its own design and artistry to be set off in harmony with music by composer Tran Ai Nghia.
With the theme Sparkling Han River, the 21-minute performance will have four parts featuring the beautiful landscape and people of the central province.
Da Nang has hosted the competition every year since 2008.
International teams are selected on quality, capacity and ranking in world fireworks competitions. Their displays are bound to be unique and colourful.
Collected by Vietnam hotel
Posted by admin on under Vietnam Travel in the South, Vietnam travel News |
It’s Tourism Year 2011, so where else can you visit to mark the occasion than the central province of Phu Yen.Sea tourism has such a huge potential in Phu Yen with its 189 kilometers of coastline including popular resorts like Cu Mong, O Loan lagoons, Vung Ro, Xuan Dai bay, Bai Mon Beach or Mui Dien Cape. Of which, Da Dia Cliffs is one of the most striking locations with its huge pile of hexagonal and pentagonal shaped basaltic rocks with part of the area under sea.
Due to the sea crashing onto the cliffs all year round, the black and yellow rocks look very smooth and shiny. In the center of the cliffs is a depression filled with still water.
Moreover, there are many stunning beaches that tourists should not miss such as Bai bang, Bai Bau and Bai Rang.
Phu Yen is also a land of long tradition, enriched culture and home to many historical relics and events. Coming to Phu Yen, tourists have the chance to listen to a Tuy An dan da (stone musical instruments) performance, a fish worshipping ceremony or gongs festival with mountainous ethnic groups.
Phu Yen beach
The Saigon Phu Yen hotel, under management of Saigontourist, is an ideal site for tourists’ accommodation. Opened last August, the hotel has 87 rooms, 10 villas, a hall with a capacity of 300 people and a restaurant serving Vietnamese, Western and Asian food and a bar.
The hotel has introduced two new food programs including a buffet on weekend evenings, featuring more than 30 dishes and priced at VND59,000 per adult and VND49,000 per child with a discount room rate at VND400,000 per night.
For tours around the province, tourists can book at Saigon Phu Yen Tourist Joint Stock Co. with tours to Da Dia Cliffs, sunset and dawn at Dai Lanh lighthouse, discovering Vung Ro Bay, beach games, trekking to primeval forests or visiting craft villages.
Posted by admin on April 15, 2011 under Vietnam Travel Guide, Vietnam Travel in the South, vietnam beauty |
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Clean and primitive, Mui Ke Ga (Ke Ga Cape) is the most favorite destination for visitors to the central province of Binh Thuan.
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Over 20 kilometers from the city of Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan Province, tourists can travel by bus or motorbike along the coastline to Ke Ga Island. At Ke Ga Cape, visitors are able to wander around and clamber over cliffs and boulders piled up all over the place.
There are many international and domestic ships and fishing boats coming and going in the area. As there are reefs in the area, French and local people decided to erect Ke Ga lighthouse to warn ships of the danger.
Visitors can also stay on the island overnight to go fishing. Fishing during the full moon is another unforgettable experience. People can taste the baked sea fish they have caught themselves and then stay up to see the first sunlight.
At Ke Ga Cape stands a lighthouse, built in 1899, it is considered as the tallest and oldest existing lighthouse in Vietnam.
The lighthouse is called Ke Ga by local people. Ke Ga Lighthouse was built on the top of Ke Ga Island, which has a total area of about 5ha in the coastal area of Tan Thanh Ward, Ham Thuan Nam District, about 30km away from Phan Thiet City to the South East.
This lighthouse was designed by a French architect named Chnavat to guide ships to go back and forth. The construction started in February 1897 and was completed by the end of 1898, and the lighthouse was put in operation in 1900. To mark the construction period, local people put a big granite panel carved the number 1899 at the lighthouse entry gate. The lighthouse has now been operating for 108 years.
The light house with its unique architecture is about 60m tall. From that height, visitors are able to see a vast expanse of sea and sky, as well as enjoy cool ocean winds. The most beautiful moment to visit the lighthouse is at sunset. People can see a fantastic sight with splendid colors. Sometimes they can not distinguish the boundary of the sky and sea. Only 500m from the coast, people can walk to the island when the tide is low.
Ke Ga Lighthouse was built grandiosely and is classified as Vietnam’s tallest lighthouse. It was built from granite stones brought from France. A unique character of this lighthouse is that the granite stones were carved out of different cells, shapes, sides that are well-fit. So in building, they were put together and stuck by mortar.
On the lighthouse, there is a big light of 2000W, which was brought from France and used to give signals ships back and forth. Presently, Ke Ga Lighthouse has become a tourist attraction, not only for its art and architecture, but also for its beautiful natural landscape.
Besides the beautiful landscapes, Mui Ke Ga is an interesting experience for visitors, from tours to the seafood market in the early morning, to fishing in the sea, catching crabs at night, and seeing the sunset on the mountain top.
The beauty of Mui Ke Ga:
The early-morning fish market:
Source: Vietnam-beauty/VNE
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Posted by admin on April 14, 2011 under Vietnam Travel in the North, vietnam beauty |
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What goes on behind the bland-looking shops in Hanoi’s Old Quarter? To find out, you need to sign up for a tour with Hidden Hanoi.
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The Old Quarter of Hanoi, Vietnam, is every tourist’s destination. The narrow streets offer a slight refuge from the throbbing traffic of the city’s main thoroughfares but the main attractions are the craft shops that line the sides of every lane.
Here you can find the city’s oldest goldsmiths and silversmiths, and traces of other crafts that have almost died out now. Nowadays, there is little call for the work of traditional ironmongers, and the sugar trade largely takes place elsewhere. Instead there are small shops selling beautiful paper, bamboo bowls, posters from the Vietnam war and elegant lacquerware.
The Old Quarter
There are also workshops that will copy for you, with immense skill, almost any work of art — Picassos, Warhols and a dozen versions of the Mona Lisa (one with Jennifer Aniston’s face) jump out at you from small courtyards and the long narrow shops that characterise the Quarter. Provide these artists with a photograph or picture, and they will copy it for you for the price of a few dollars.
The Old Quarter is the heart of Hanoi, bustling, noisy and endlessly fascinating, its picturesque buildings containing treasure troves of handicrafts and providing chic little cafés to rest limbs weary from too much sightseeing. It is the oldest, continuously developed area of Vietnam, with some estimating settlement here to date two thousand years back.
But even if that is a little optimistic, there is no disputing that the Old Quarter celebrated its 1,000 year anniversary in 2010. When King Ly Thai To moved his capital to the area, he wrote in a royal proclamation, “The land here is spacious and flat, such a fresh spot and a hub of commerce for the whole country.”
I doubt that he would describe it as a “fresh spot” today but as with most successful commercial areas of the time, it was trade that made the city thrive and its inhabitants rich. But to find this richness, you have to go behind the scenes.
It’s difficult to exaggerate the change that occurs when you get behind the shopfronts on the busy main streets and start to explore the alleyways behind them. The shop fronts themselves are narrow because storekeepers were taxed according to the width of their storefront. The financially astute solution, therefore, was to have buildings that were narrow but went back a long way.
The passages are so narrow, shoulders touch both walls.
Alongside them are alleyways to gain access to the rooms that lie furthest back from the road. Often the entrances to these are so tiny that you will find your shoulders touching the walls on either side. Some are poor, almost derelict; others contain surprising richness. Almost all take you past tiny cramped dwellings, often single rooms, and under the strings of washing that festoon the tiny courtyards.
Many of the families of the Old Quarter live around these tiny courtyards and in these tiny rooms, which is odd when you consider that property prices here are extremely high. Prices, I was told, are as high here as in Tokyo and New York. This is seriously expensive real estate.
So why the apparent overcrowding and poverty?
The answer lies in the politics of succession. Over generations, these properties have been handed down, and each time they have been passed on, they have been divided between more and more people. Each person’s share has got smaller and smaller. But no-one wants to give up their share or to leave. So the density of population gets higher and there is less and less to go round.
Your chances of finding the world behind the shopfronts is small if you leave it to chance, but there are now small businesses that are in love with their heritage and culture that will take you to sights that you would never find on your own.
Some alleyways lead to rich temples. — MARTIN SPICE
Our tour with Hidden Hanoi started inauspiciously outside a very ordinary-looking shop selling small tourist items. But down the side of the shop was a very tight alleyway, and within a few steps we were in an entirely different world.
After walking the not-inconsiderable length of the building, we went under an arch and through a fine wooden doorway to emerge in a brightly painted yellow courtyard, at the end of which was a flight of steps. Up the steps we climbed, only to find ourselves in a chic little rooftop café with stunning views over the Old Quarter. From the street outside, there was no indication that this little jewel even existed.
This was truly refreshment for those in the know. On the way back down the same steps, we stopped to look at the family’s chapel, full of intricate sculptures and treasures handed down from heaven knows how many years ago. Despite the inheritance divisions, this was clearly an affluent family home.
Over the next hour, the pattern was repeated. We would turn off the main streets into little alleyways and find ourselves in labyrinths of tiny lanes leading to who knew what?
We found more resplendent chapels but also stumbled across an old woman living in a sparsely furnished single room, betel juice seared like a red scar across her face. These lanes were nothing if not varied.
Our tour finished with a traditional cyclo ride around the main streets of the Old Quarter, but my appetite had been whetted for the scenes and the life that lay tantalisingly behind the bland shopfronts.
The next day, we tried to retrace our steps but much of what we had earlier discovered now eluded us. Hidden Hanoi had clearly decided to live up to its name.
By Martin Spice
Source: thestar
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Even though Vietnam is a third world country they have a literacy rate of 94%. The life expectancy rate of the Vietnamese is 75 years. Potbelly pigs are used as pets in Vietnam. At the schools, children are not called by bells instead they are called by gongs. The Dong is their form of currency and the capital city of Vietnam is Hanoi. The narrowest point of the country measures a mere 40 kilometers that is less than 25 miles across. The length of the country from north to south measures 1,000 km. Learn more about Vietnam by reading on.
