Posted by admin on July 29, 2011 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel Guide | 
Quiet yellow-sand beaches and historical sites may lure visitors to Con Dao but it’s the old tropical trees that protect them from the scorching sunshine in the archipelago off the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
There are a number of cay bang trees which are over 100 years old and hang over Ton Duc Thang and other roads in Con Dao to provide respite from the heat for tourists, who ride past on their motorbikes or stroll around.
Strong winds and sunshine may be not be your idea of a nice break but these noticeable characteristics have turned out to contribute to shaping the trees into distinctive bonsais. The trees are spread out over two lanes of the seaside roads and they shield pedestrians taking a leisurely stroll on the pavement between the tree lines and mossy yellow walls of the old prisons, from the sun.
From tourists resorts, beyond the lines of tropical trees in the esplanade, you can witness the calm of the sea, with fishing boats bobbing on the water and the distant mountains.
At a little coffee shop called Con Son, you can sip a cup of coffee and rest after a long trek at the seaside or in the forests.
Breaths of wind blow in from the ocean sending red leaves of the tropical trees down onto your table as drops of coffee are slowly seeping through the filter, and whet traveler’s appetite for more adventure in the quiet town of Con Dao.
Inside and outside this small town there are other types of ancient trees including the banyan whose roots cover the ruins of historical sites. Underneath these roots contain untold stories about the bravery of revolutionary fighters who shed blood for the independence of Vietnam.
Source: SGT
Posted by admin on July 25, 2011 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel Guide, Vietnam Travel in the Central, vietnam beauty |
Admiring the bay from the Hai Van Pass, going fishing in the bay or swimming in the blue water are among pleasures of tourists at the Lang Co Bay in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue, one of the most beautiful bays in the world.
Lying between Da Nang and Hue cities, Lang Co is the third bay in Vietnam being admitted to the World’s Most Beautiful Bays Club (Worldbays Club) following Ha Long Bay and Nha Trang Bay.
The bay was selected for its preserved natural beauty, which harmonizes with local people and attracts a lot of tourists.
Lang Co Bay has a 13-kilometer long beach with white sand and blue water. It has Lap An lagoon, a brackish water lagoon extended to 1,500 hectares with rich natural resources.
The bay adjacent to Hai Van Pass lies in the central area, where visitors can reach four world cultural heritages in Vietnam, namely Hue relics, royal court music, Hoi An ancient town and My Son relics, within a radius of 70 kilometers.
The bay is also included in many travel tours and is the nucleus of four national tourism complexes as well as one of the three main points of Thua Thien-Hue Province’s tourism.
Let’s discover the bay through photos:
On July 9-10, the Lang Co – World’s Beautiful Bay Festival took place, with various activities like painting exhibition…
… Kite flying
Beach volleyball
Swimming
The afternoon in Lang Co
Lang Co at sunset.
VNE
Posted by admin on July 21, 2011 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel in the Central, vietnam beauty |
When the sun is about to cast its last beams over ranges of mountains and hills surrounding Nha Trang Bay and the central coastal city, the Altitude Bar has soft music mixed with the sound of gentle waves slapping against the ocean shore beneath.
Nha Trang Bay at sunset taken from the Altitude Bar
Then as the afternoon breezes from the world-recognized bay come in, they awaken and breathe new life into the Altitude on the five-star Sheraton Nha Trang’s 28th floor.
Considered the highest bar in Nha Trang, it offers an incomparable spot for visitors to have a bird’s-eye view of Nha Trang bay and the city.
The Altitude is open to both hotel guests and visitors from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily, but the hotel’s director of food and beverage Michiel de Kleer says the best time to visit the bar is from around 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. when the sun is going down behind the mountain ranges and hills in the west, leaving a lot of beautiful colors in the sky as dusk settles.
As darkness comes, we see the city at night. From the Altitude, guests can spot the Ponagar tower, the giant statue of Buddha and other city attractions lit up in all their glory.
The neon lights along the seaside street of Tran Phu point hungry travelers towards the restaurants that serve a wide selection of seafood and specialties of the city and the central region as a whole.
The moon appears in the clear, summer night, radiating its light all over Nha Trang Bay, which has been called one of the most beautiful bays in the world.
Under the moonlight, tourists and locals swim in the calm sea of summer, stroll hand in hand or chat in groups along the arch-shaped beach with some sitting down on the white sand to take it all in.
And you can see it all from the Altitude Bar. Guests can order a cocktail, mocktail, fruit juice, wine, champagne, beer, coffee and other drinks as they look onto the bay. Or they can sit indoors and immerse themselves in the music and enjoy their beverages. For more information and reservations, call (058) 388 0000.
Source: SGT
Posted by admin on June 23, 2011 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel in the Central, Vietnam travel News, vietnam beauty |
Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park has come to be well-known for the Phong Nha Cave and its natural beauty. Starting in June, the park’s management board launched a tour from the Chay River to Hang Toi (Dark Cave).
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Boat trips along Chay River
The tour is environmentally friendly, and offers visitors a chance to try out the local cuisine of Quang Binh Province.
The Chay River begins at the limestone plateau of Ka Bang, with the clear and blue waters of the Son River’s tributary.
The stone peaks provide a lovely foil to the surrounding corn fields, making unique and picturesque scenery.
Hang Toi or “The Dark Cave” is 5,258 metres in long, and 80 metres in high. It is also the home of a number of animals, from bats to swallows.
Hang Toi
Underwater lime stone caves of Hang Toi
Grandiosity puts human life in perspective
Soure: Dtinews
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Posted by admin on May 30, 2011 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel in the South, vietnam beauty |
The plan on developing the Bai Dai tourist area kicked off seven years ago in 2004, when 50 investors registered investment projects. However, it is surprising that the wonderful tourist area remains deserted.
The tourist area in the north of Cam Ranh peninsula, or Bai Dai, with its wonderful charm, is considered the ideal place to develop tourism. That explains why tens of investors come here to seek business opportunities. However, licensed investors have still been slow in implementing projects.
Why hasn’t the wonderful tourist area woken up?
In 2004, the Khanh Hoa provincial authorities approved the plan to develop Bai Dai tourist area which covers an area of 2300 hectares. More than 50 investors immediately registered to make investment in the area.
In order to help investors to speed up their projects, the provincial authorities requested local relevant agencies to build infrastructure items, including the 110KV transformer station, the water supply and drainage system and the waste water treatment system.
However, investors have been very slow in implementing the registered projects. In 2007, the provincial people’s committee revoked the investment licenses from the investors of 20 projects who had bad financial capability.
In an effort to force investors to take more responsibility for the projects’ implementation, the provincial authorities requested investors to advance the money for land leasing. Nearly 30 investors paid 560 billion dong in rents. However, the projects’ implementation speed has not been improved.
There are 30 valid projects in Bai Dai tourist area. Of these, only projects have got the permission for construction, and six projects have completed the procedures relating to the land leasing. Meanwhile, other projects are still following legal procedures: some investors are still projecting the construction, while others are trying to complete legal procedures.
To date, only three projects have been officially started, while others have not taken any move.
The Khanh Hoa provincial authorities have pointed out that all the tourism projects in Bai Dai area have been implemented at a snail’s speed. Some projects got the permission for construction three years ago, but they have not fulfilled any commitments made to the provincial authorities.
At the meeting between the Khanh Hoa provincial authorities and investors on May 18; investors blamed the delay in the projects implementation on the legal procedures. Some said they met difficulties in the site clearance work, while others said they still have not fulfilled necessary procedures due to the changes in the planning and investment capital.
The investor of Bai Rong project said that the investor has decided to make some changes with the project. Since the project now has a bigger investment scale, the investor needs to wait for the decision from the central agencies; because this is beyond the jurisdiction of the provincial authorities. The investor also blamed the changes in the regulations on ranking resorts for the delay.
Stronger sanctions to be applied to speed up projects’ implementation
The Khanh Hoa Construction Department has denied the reasons; stressing that the projects have been slow in implementation not because of the changes in the investment capital. The department’s representative affirmed that the reasons cited by investors were not reasonable.
Vo Tan Tai, Director of the Khanh Hoa Planning and Investment Department, also said: “There is no problem in the investment procedures. The projects’ implementation has been slow because of the problems in the investors’ capability”.
Chair of Khanh Hoa People’s Committee, has stated that if investors do not speed up the projects’ implementation, the provincial authorities will revoke the investment licenses and allocate the projects to more capable investors.
Thang said an inspection team will be set up which will supervise the implementation of the projects in Bai Dai, and that stronger sanctions will be applied to speed up the projects. He wants to see the projects become operational by 2014 at the latest, and promises to give preferences to the projects which can begin operation in 2013.
Source: SGTT
Posted by admin on May 16, 2011 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel in the South, Vietnam travel News |
Thirty to forty percent of foreign tourists to the southern province of Binh Thuan are Russian, and 95 percent of them go to Ham Tien – Mui Ne water area.
In recent years, people always use the nick name “Russian village”, instead of “resort capital” when talking about Ham Tien – Mui Ne in Phan Thiet City of Binh Thuan province, a famous tourism destination of Vietnam. If someone goes to resorts, guest houses, bars, restaurants, shops drug stores in Ham Tien and Mui Ne, he would hear Russian words among visitors.
Russian travelers – who are they?
First arrived in Ham Tien – Mui Ne three years ago, Polina from Saint-Petersburg loves the sea there and decided to work as a sailing coach, the job which allows her to stay there for nine months a year.
She said Russians like traveling to the places where there are beautiful, sunny, windy and quiet beaches. Therefore, Ham Tien – Mui Ne is the ideal destination for Russian travelers with mild weather, sunny but not too hot, with much wind and long seashores suitable to play windsurfing and parasailing – the hobbies of many Russians. Local residents are peaceful and friendly, streets are not noisy, while security is good.
According to the Binh Thuan provincial authorities, in the last three years, every day, Ham Tien – Mui Ne receives 400-500 new Russian travelers. Suggested that every Russian traveler stays there for 15 days; then, there are at least 5000-6000 Russian people every day at the sea village.
A lot of Russian travelers stay there for a long time, from one to three months. Some others stay for six months. While local newspapers complain that many foreign tourists do not return to Vietnam for the second time, many Russian travelers return to Ham Tien many times.
The owner of the Chau Linh Guest House said that he knows a Russian family with six people, who come to Vietnam in the last four consecutive years and stay there for 3-6 months each time. The family has introduced Ham Tien – Mui Ne to other Russian families, who also travel to Vietnam and stay for long periods.
“Staying for long time and spending much money” is the comment by local residents about Russian travelers. The hotel room occupancy level is always stable at 80-100 percent. A man, the owner of pearl shop, said that Russian travelers spend 2-3 times more than European travelers on shopping. Restaurants also like to serve Russian travelers because the guests always order delicious meals and they are ready to pay for expensive seafood.
Golden opportunities for local businessmen
A lot of shops and restaurants can be seen on the long 10 kilometer road of Nguyen Dinh Chieu – Huynh Thuc Khang. Especially, the words in the signboards hung over the shops and restaurants, are written in Russian. Menus at restaurants, service fee quotations and advertisement leaflets all provide information in Russian. Even vendors, who cannot speak Russian, also have introduction papers in Russian to give to travelers.
Nearly 40 resorts in the region have opened windsurfing, parasailing clubs to serve the demand of Russian travelers. To date, ½ of the Mui ne resort provide the training for the kinds of sports.
Having realized the high demand, local residents have decided to upgrade small guest houses to receive Russian travelers who stay for long time. Chau Linh guest house, for example, which has eight rooms equipped with modern facilities and mini playing field, is the choice of Russian families. Duy An guest house has a large garden, where Russian travelers can pick up fruits, and sleep on hammocks.
The owner of Thanh Oanh restaurant related that Russians began traveling to Mui Ne – Ham Thuan in 2006, and the locality has become a Russian village. Even the drug stores, which once only served local residents, now also serve Russian travelers, who like the herbs that help beautify skin, functional foods, cordials, or massage drug extracted from snake venom.
Source: SGTT
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 March 3, 2011 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel Guide, Vietnam Travel in the North |
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Black H’mong women sell tho cam (ethnic fabrics) in Sapa. One of the most wonderful highlands in Asia, Sapa is a magical combination of landscapes, ethnic cultures and fresh mountain air.
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It was too early. I struggled to peel my eyes open, wondering what the commotion outside was all about. The clock pointed to somewhere between 4 and 5 a.m.
It was Sunday, and I was at a hotel in Sapa. Cursing the thin walls of the hotel, I walked to the window to peer into the dawning light outside.
I had expected to see a few people milling about their morning business. Instead, I saw the streets flooded with hundreds of H’mong and Red Dao people in colourful ethnic attire heading to the Sapa market.
It was an exotic orchestra of people speaking foreign tongues, children running, babies whimpering, chickens clucking and pigs snorting.
It was impossible to sleep with all the noise, so I decided to get out and experience the traditional Sunday market myself.
Black H’mong women sell tho cam (ethnic fabrics) in Sapa. One of the most wonderful highlands in Asia, Sapa is a magical combination of landscapes, ethnic cultures and fresh mountain air.
Love in the marketplace
The sights, sounds and smells of Sapa’s market are as distinctive as the ethnic tribes jostling about. Locals go to the market not just to buy and sell but also to unwind after a long, hard week.
I had been watching H’mong girls wearing garlands of dried mushrooms on strings around their necks, when suddenly, a H’mong man caught the arm of one of the girls and tried to pull her away.
I was alarmed, but a shopkeeper explained, “It is cướp vợ custom. When a H’mong man finds the girl of his dreams, he and his friends try to pull her away. If they succeed, they take her to the man’s house for a few days before visiting the girl’s family to ask for her hand in marriage.”
Rustic grub
Just inside the market gates were stalls full of mountain fruits such as peaches, plums, chestnuts, and Indian taro.
But the locals were eating hearty breakfasts of mèn mén (corn wheat cake), and thắng cố (horse meat soup). The better off leaned over steaming bowls of ph^, an expensive treat in these mountainous regions.
To the right are stalls full of trinkets and local products. Here you can find everything from ethnic silver jewelry to mushrooms, tam thất (notoginseng), honey, and linh chi fungus.
I bought a kilo of dried buds of the tam thất to gift friends back home. The tam thất bud tea is believed to aid good sleep.
Fabrics in Sapa
Next, I headed to the second floor of the Sapa market, which is known as the heart of the market. This is the arena of women selling brocades from their little workshops.
Many of these local artisans have been working in dimly-lit, cramped shops for decades, weaving yards of intricately designed brocades. Owing to the fabric’s popularity among tourists, a lot of the women here can converse quite well in English.
Heavily embroidered colorful blankets, pillow shams, table covers beckoned from all around. I found myself attracted to the more esoteric designs of the H’mong people.
A Sapa native told me that H’mong girls are taught to weave, sew and dye fabrics from a very young age. When they grow up, they are entrusted with the responsibility of making clothes for her family. The better her needle work, the better a girl’s prospects for marriage.
The market continues bustling until late afternoon, when locals begin to pack up their goods and head back to their homes in the terraced hills of Sapa.
Though tourism is growing rapidly in this region, mercifully, the H’mongs and Red Daos have preserved their colorful culture. In the Sapa market, the ethnic people and their cultures come alive every weekend, fusing together the simple times of the past in a traditional, but evolving market.
Source: thanhniennews
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Posted by admin on under Attractions, Vietnam Travel Guide, Vietnam travel News |
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| Tourists take a boat trip along Ham Ho River in Binh Dinh Province |
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| Ham Ho is home to many giant rocks in diverse shapes – Photos: Thuy Trieu |
Everyone who visits Binh Dinh Province should visit Ham Ho ecotourism area.
Ham Ho is a 3-kilometer-long river section through an old forest in Tay Phu, Tay Son Districts, about 55 km from Quy Nhon.
Over millenniums the water has carved the rocks in the river into bizarre shapes.
Many precious trees grow in the forests around Ham Ho. An interesting time to visit is when the Loc Vung ornamental trees (lecythidales) flower. There are sturdy stilt houses on the banks of the spring for tourists to enjoy some refreshments and take in the natural beauty around them such as the bridges and rock pools. Adventurers can kayak on the spring, take a ride in a small canoe or trek to the mountain. You can set up a camp among the giant rocks near the lake and swim.
Staying overnight is a good way to get closer to nature and listen to insects, the murmuring streams and waterfalls.
Collected by Vietnam hotel
Posted by admin on February 26, 2011 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel in the Central, vietnam beauty, vietnam hotel |
Ninh Van Bay, Nha Trang, Vietnam
Visitors who want to escape from city life when they visit the coastal city of Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa Province often go to Ninh Van Bay on Hon Heo Peninsula.
Ninh Van Bay is remote and untouched, yet easily accessible by boat from Nha Trang in about 20 minutes. Its known for its fabulous coral reefs, white sand beach and impressive mountain backdrop.
The natural setting is not disrupted by any large resort structures. Only a few small bungalows covered by leafy roofs are observable from the bay. The sea, mountains, streams and forest all combine to create picturesque landscape. From a distance, Hon Heo Mountain looks like a dragon lying in a pine forest, with its head directed out towards the ocean.
The facilities strive to protect the environment, with tree branches salvaged to cover structures, and organic rubbish composted for trees. Electric cars and bicycles are the primary transportation on the peninsula. Visitors can enjoy the setting by trekking in the forests and up the mountain, with vendors along the way serving drinks and snacks. Jungle fowl, squirrels, dormouse, monkeys and other wildlife are abundant. Investors in the Six Senses Ninh van bay have received many awards for environmental protection. The bungalows are built in traditional Vietnamese style, close to nature, with wood and stone than blends with the environment, making it an ideal hideaway from the noises of modern life. A short walk from the bungalows, tourists can touch to the water or view the coral reef.
Six Senses Ninh Van Bay presents the reality of the destination, with an architectural style reflecting the traditions of Vietnam. This is very evident in the reception champa and dining pavilion, which are classic Vietnam structures transported across the water and assembled at the site. The emphasis here is on privacy, space and luxury making this as a most luxurious nha trang hotel without doubt.
Alyssa Landon from California spent her honeymoon at Ninh Van Bay, saying that she and her husband had an amazing experience that they didn’t want to end and will never forget.
“From the spectacular lush green mountains to the sparkling blue bay waters, the natural setting and views from our rustic yet luxurious poolside villa and from the dining on the bay were absolutely breathtaking,” Landon said. “Ninh Van Bay gave us a sense of peace and total relaxation. It let us really unwind and just have a great time with each other.”
Ninh Van Bay not only offers the perfect location for relaxation, but its proximity to the popular destination of Nha Trang and its prime position in a calm and sheltered bay means that visitors can enjoy a multitude of activities and excursions, including windsurfing, hobiecat sailing, kayaking, snorkelling, waterskiing, fishing trips and boat charters, as well as scuba diving lessons.
Sheltered from winds, Ninh Van Bay area is usually calm from March to October. The rainy season sets in in November and December, when diving is not always possible. Most local diving takes place on the coral reefs, so the majority of dives are between 12-16m in depth.
Just a short boat ride from the resort, the surrounding islands and coral reef offer the chance to explore different and interesting sites. An inviting water temperature averaging 26-30oC throughout the year adds to the pleasure of diving in the bay.
After a relaxing day, tourists can visit Ninh Hoa District’s centre to enjoy nem chua (fermented pork roll), the speciality of the region. It’s grilled, served with vegetables and pineapple, wrapped in rice paper and eaten with sauce.
The road connecting Ninh Van to the land is still rough and under construction, so the bay remains only accessible by boat, said Tra Thai Lam, chairman of Ninh Van Commune’s People’s Committee. He expected that the road would be completed soon to bring more tourists to the site.
Source: VNS
