Posted by admin on March 3, 2011 under Vietnam Travel in the South, Vietnam travel News | 
The Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Day 2011 will be held on the 23/9 (September 23rd) Park from April 7 to 10.
According to the Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism the annual event is an opportunity for travel companies to publicize their brands and offer their products to consumers.
Various activities including a singing contest, a photo exhibition of beautiful landscapes and hot tourist spots in the country and a food fair will take place during the festival.
A special parade honoring Vietnamese brand names will be broadcast live on HTV9 channel in the closing ceremony of the festival.
Last years event saw hundreds of thousands of visitors arriving for travel information and to book tours from travel agents.
Book hcmc hotels today to enjoy this great festival in ho chi minh city!
See best Saigon hotel: Caravelle Saigon, New World Hotel Saigon, Windsor saigon plaza, Equatorial saigon hotel, Renaissance Riverside saigon.
Source: SGGP
Posted by admin on March 1, 2011 under Vietnam Travel in the South, Vietnam festival, Vietnam travel News |
Grand slam in mui ne
Boasting a long coastline, which is favourable for sea sports, Mui Ne bay in the central province of Binh Thuan’s Phan Thiet city, is selected to be the first destination of the 2011 PWA Grand Slam, to take place from Feb. 25-March 5.
According to the organising board, 12 members of the Professional Windsurfers Association (PWA), 116 professional windsurfers, including 20 female athletes have registered to attend the competition, the first of its kind in Vietnam.
Windsurfers will compete in men’s and women’s slalom and freestyle categories.
The Vietnam 2011 PWA Grand Slam is one of the most four important competitions of PWA in rating windsurfers, which are held annually.
Apart from the competition in Vietnam, the rest three tournaments will beheld in Aruba from June 19-26, Spain from July 27-1 and in Germany from Sept. 23-Oct. 3.
More information about phan thiet hotel can be found at http://vietnamhotels.net.
Source: VNA
Posted by admin on February 25, 2011 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel Guide, Vietnam Travel in the South |
Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon as it was once known, is Vietnam’s largest city and most chaotic. I love the chaos, though you need to be careful walking across the street! Connections to Vietnam’s turbulent history are visible all over the city, from the War Remnants Museum to the Cu Chi Tunnels. The city has a lot to offer, great shops, fantastic nightlife, and delicious food. After Hoi An, it is my next favorite city in Vietnam.
Costs in Ho Chi Minh City
- Hostel Prices: A private room costs from 140,000 VND per night.
- Budget Hotel Prices: A night in a budget hotels costs from 150,000 VND.
- Average Cost of Food: By eating at street stalls and markets you can get a meal for 19,000VND. Sit down restaurants are also inexpensive at around 75,000VND.
- Cost of Internet: Internet access is extremely cheap in the city at around 100VND per minute.
- Transportation Costs: Public buses around the city will cost 3,000 VND, taxis are more expensive at 12,000VND for the first kilometer then 10,000VND per kilometer thereafter.
Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City
- Cu Chi Tunnels. Crawl through the extensive network of nearly 500 km of tunnels utilized by the Viet Cong in the 1960s. Tours involve a description of the tunnels, after which tourists are allowed to crawl about the maze and fire AK47s at shooting targets.
- Chinatown. Chinatown is the predominately Chinese district of Saigon. A hive of activity, it is a maze of temples, restaurants, jade ornaments, and medicine shops. Aside from the sprawling Binh Tay market, you’ll find some fascinating temples in the area including the Chinese Chua Quan Am Temple and Cha Tam, which is a Catholic cathedral.
- Museum of Ho Chi Minh City. Not to be confused with the “Ho Chi Minh Museum”, the city museum’s history has included a Governor’s Palace, committee building and Revolutionary Museum. Nowadays its picturesque grounds attract newlyweds posing for photographs. You’ll find a collection of weaponry and memorabilia from the country’s revolutionary struggle and captured U.S fighter planes and tanks.
- Vietnam History Museum. The History Museum is a great place to learn about the colorful events of Vietnam’s past. The museum houses a fantastic collection of ceramics, weaponry and cannons. For your cultural fix, there are photographs, clothes and household objects dating back as far as the 1700s.
- Emperor Jade Pagoda. Emperor Jade is one of the most impressive pagodas in Vietnam. The intricate carvings and depictions of deities including the Emperor Jade himself are hugely photogenic and it’s no wonder this pagoda is as popular with tourists as worshipers.
- Notre Dame Cathedral. The Notre Dame Cathedral is an imposing red brick building built between 1877 and 1883. The two towers that front the cathedral tower over visitors at nearly 200 feet tall while the neon lit statue of the Virgin Mary is also an arresting site.
- War Remnants Museum. The War Remnants Museum is a must see for anyone with an interest in Vietnam’s history of combat with both the French and the Americans. Inside you’ll find hugely informative exhibits focusing on biological warfare, weaponry and in depth statistics of Vietnam’s armies during the conflicts. The museum’s best exhibit is the collection of bombs, tanks, planes and war machinery which can be found in the courtyard.
- Cao Dai Holy See Temple. The Cao Dai religion is relatively new at less than 100 years old. The temples are distinguished by the “all seeing eye” which dominates its architecture and as the Cao Dai temple is the central to the religion, it is hugely ornate and impressive. Many people combine a trip to the temple with the Cu Chi Tunnels excursion.
- Ben Thanh Market. Though the market is crowded and rife with pickpockets, it is the ideal place to pick up a bargain or try some traditional (and inexpensive) Vietnamese food. Vietnamese traders drive a hard bargain but you’ll be hard pushed to find a better selection of souvenirs!
- Can Gio Island. The Can Gio island is popular with tourists and Ho Chi Minh locals attempting to get out of the rat race. The beaches here aren’t mind blowing but it’s a great place to relax and enjoy a meal at one of the many seafood restaurants. The island’s monkey sanctuary and mangroves are great for wildlife fans.
Budget Tips for Ho Chi Minh City
- Taxis. Taxi drivers will rip you off so agree to a price ahead of time.
- ATMs. These offer the best exchange rates and there are plenty dotted round the city.
- Markets. When shopping in any of the city’s markets you may feel like a wallet on legs as the traders call out to you. Be firm and be ready to walk away.
(Source: nomadic matt travel site)
Posted by admin on under Attractions, Vietnam Travel Guide, Vietnam Travel in the South, vietnam beauty |
The economic centre of Southeast Asia’s rising economic star, Ho Chi Minh City is one of the planet’s most exciting cities, where influences from France collide with the Orient, and where the Vietnam War is remembered like it was yesterday. And with skyscrapers, landmarks and fashion cenres galore, never has there been a better time to head to a place that, despite the global recession, is still very much alive and kicking.
Photo credits – Colin Purrington
Authentic Vietnamese
Vietnamese cuisine is taking off around the world, but there is still no better place to find it than in the country’s gourmet capital. Join the likes of Bill Clinton at Pho2000 near Ben Thanh Market, which proudly proclaimed “Pho for the President” along with various photos of the then President of the United States enjoying a bowl of pho at the iconic restaurant. The menu here is long and varied, and is packed with locals and tourists alike. Those looking for something a little more fusion should head to Xu Bar, which is not only one of the cornerstones of night life in the city, but is also the place where the celebrated Chef Nguyen is attempting to revamp traditional Vietnamese cuisine.
Photo credits – Kirk Siang
Coffee & Cafe
The Ho Chi Minh City is brighten up by various lights at night, giving it a laid-back atmosphere that give rise to the prevalence of cafes dotted along the streets. Vietnam is one of the world’s most renowned producers of coffee, and caffeine lovers will find themselves in aromatic heaven trying out the varied local brews here. For a sure-fire way to refresh and relax, pick a random cafe at a bustling street corner and order a local brew. Sit back and enjoy as you laze yourself and watch the various pedestrians passing by.
Photo credits – alex.ch
Hitting the Town
Other than a pick of bustling cafes to relax and sip your time away, the Ho Chi Minh City also plays host to numerous trendy bars that is a favorite of both locals and expats. The Q Bar, Saigon Saigon Bar, Xu Bar, Lush and Velvet are but a few in the long list of popular hangout spots for the party crowd, each with their own distinct trendiness and appeal.
Photo credits – Wilson Loo
Iconic Landmarks
It’s pretty easy to navigate the sprawling metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City on foot, particularly since most of the places of interest is located in District One. Start with the Notre Dame Cathedral, an outstanding red-brick building adorned with staiend glass, then move on to Saigon Central Post office, a French colonial building with a classic interior. This also operates all postal services from the city and is the best place to buy a phone card. The Opera House typifies the city, showing both western operas and traditional Vietnamese performances. The Reunification Palace was the home of the former Viet Cong leader who the city is named after and is a grand colonial building overlooking the city centre.
Photo credits – Lynt
Bikers Gang
After exploring the iconic landmarks of District One by foot, rent a motorbike and cruise along the streets for a way of transportation that has become ingrained into the fabric of society. Throngs of Vietnamese commuters travel by motorbike, and although it may not be one of the safest way to travel, it is certainly one of the most authentic.
Photo credits – nerdcoregirl
War Remnants
One of Vietnam’s biggest tourist attractions, the Cu Chi Tunnels are a network of underground caverns built during the Vietnam War. About 121 kms long in total, visitors can take a tour of the tunnels and see for themselves the conditions in which the Vietcong waged a bloody war against the machineries of US. The War Remnant Museum, also known as the Museum of American Atrocities, is another tourist attraction worth visiting. It’s extremely biased and one sided, but still an important insight nevertheless into the Vietcong’s reaction to the war.
Photo credits – martywindle
Shopping Seasons
Aside from eating most visitors to Vietnam’s number one city find themselves spending most of their time here shopping. Ben Thanh Market is a major market in Ho Chi Minh City and is the place to find souvenirs. There is a wide selection of t-shirts sporting the likes of “Good Morning Vietnam” and “Miss Saigon” to lacquerware and embroidery, and for those that love a good brew, some of the best coffee beans in the region. Ladies will want to try out the Ao Dai, the Vietnamese national dress, which is one of the most exquisite in the region, combining trousers and a dress.
Find hotels ho chi minh city, vietnam hotel, please visit the website http://Vietnamhotels.net/
(Source:unearthingasia.com)
Tags: ao dai, Ben Thanh market, Cu Chi tunnel, Cu Chi tunnels, Ho Chi Minh City, ho chi minh hotels, ho chi minh tour, ho chi minh vietnam, hotels ho chi minh, Notre Dame Cathedral, saigon attractions, things to do in saigon, travel to ho chi minh, travel vietnam
Posted by admin on January 30, 2011 under Vietnam Travel in the South, Vietnam travel News, vietnam hotel |
Hotels and tourist sites under Saigontourist in HCMC are preparing food programs for the traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year.
Rex Saigon (141 Nguyen Hue Boulevard, District 1)
The hotel will host a Tet welcoming buffet party on Lunar New Year’s Eve on February 2, accompanied with entertainment, lion dance, music performances and fashion shows.
Rex hotel is an ideal place for tourists to see the fireworks. Tickets are US$89 per adult and US$44 per child.
Continental Hotel Saigon (132 Dong Khoi Street, District 1)
The hotel will offer a set menu with typical Tet dishes priced from VND500,000 per person and VND800,000 for two. The program runs from January 30 to February 6.
First Hotel ho chi minh (18 Hoang Viet Street, Tan Binh District)
The program “Spring comes knocking” will be hosted every night of the first four days of the New Year (February from 3 to 6). Enjoy music shows, lucky draw and unicorn dances by Nhan Nghia Duong lion dance troupe.
Que Huong Liberty 4 (256 Pham Ngu Lao, District 1)
The hotel’s Gio Noi Restaurant will prepare a buffet with more than 60 dishes on weekend nights from Fridays to Sundays. Tickets are VND198,000 per adult and VND98,000 per child.
Liberty Central Hotel (179 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1)
The hotel introduces new dishes made of ostrich including spring rolls, stir-fry, grilled with herbs or chilly salt. The hotel also serves buffet breakfast priced at VND199,000 per guest and lunch for office workers at VND59,000.
Thien Hong Hotel (52 Tan Da Street, District 5)
On Lunar New Year’s Eve, the hotel will prepare a buffet program with more than 30 dishes made in Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine, accompanied with music show and lucky draw. Tickets are priced at VND229,000 per adult and VND149,000 per child. Buy 10 tickets, get one free.
Bong Sen Saigon Hotel (117 Dong Khoi Street, District 1)
The hotel’s Buffe Ganh Restaurant will hold “New Year lucky buffet” program with an ethnic music show. The buffet lunch is priced at VND220,000 per adult and VND110,000 per child and buffet dinner is priced at VND320,000 per adult and VND160,000 per child.
On the seventh and twelfth floor, there will be buffets with lucky New Year traditional Tet dishes.
Van Thanh Tourist Area (48/10 Dien Bien Phu Street, Binh Thanh District)
The buffet called “Back to hometown for Tet” will run from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. from February 4 to 6 with traditional dishes. Guests can join folk games to win prizes and enjoy a piano performance. Tickets are priced at VND190,000 per adult and VND120,000 per child.
Binh Quoi 2 Tourist Area (At the end of Binh Quoi Street in Binh Thanh District)
The buffet called “Great dishes from the coast” will have over 70 seafood and barbecue dishes. Buffet lunch is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and buffet dinner is from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., along with flamenco music show, juggling and circus performances. Tickets are priced from VND170,000 per adult, inclusive of a jug of Russian beer and VND100,000 per child. Guests can take a cruise around Thanh Da Peninsula for VND50,000 per adult and VND30,000 per child. Buy 10 tickets on the cruise, get one free.
Saigon Ship Restaurant (Bach Dang Wharf, District 1)
The buffet named “Spring cruise on Saigon River” will be on for lunch from February 4 to 6, with more than 50 Tet dishes. Enjoy live music, juggling and circus performances. Tickets are VND190,000 per adult and VND120,000 per child. At night, the cruise leaves the wharf twice – 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Tan Cang Tourist Area (A100 Ung Van Khiem, Binh Thanh District)
The area will host a program “Back to hometown for Tet celebrations” from February 6 to 8” and “Tan Cang grilled hotpot” with more than 80 dishes and seafood hotpots. Tickets are priced from VND250,000 per adult and VND140,000 per child, inclusive of a jug of Russian beer, fresh ice-cream and fruit juices.
Tickets will be discounted 30% on February 8.
Binh Quoi 1 Tourist Area (1147 Binh Quoi Street, Binh Thanh District)
From February 4 to 7, the tourist area will hold buffet lunches and dinners with more than 70 selected dishes in the garden area, along with ethnic artistic performances. Tickets are VND180,000 per adult and VND100,000 per child.
The area’s restaurant will serve Vietnamese dishes, accompanied with juggling and music show.
Saigon Hotel (41 Dong Du Street, District 1)
The hotel will prepare a buffet for Lunar New Year’s Eve with about 40 Western and Asian dishes on the ninth floor overlooking the Saigon River and fireworks display. Tickets are VND399,000 per adult and VND199,000 per child, inclusive of one jug of beer, and free for children under 3.
Saigon Phu Quoc Resort and Spa (1 Tran Hung Dao Street, Phu Quoc District, Kien Giang Province)
On Lunar New Year’s Eve, the resort will put a 6m-high yellow apricot tree on the floating sea stage. There will be a Tet party with traditional food, folk games, showmanship and a cruise along the beach. Tickets are US$69 per adult, US$35 per child.
Palace Hotel Saigon (56-66 Nguyen Hue, Dist. 1, HCMC)
The Golden Palace on level five of the four-star hotel will launch its buffet program named “Luck, Prosperity & Longevity” featuring fine seafood including abalone, oyster, shrimp, crab, caviar and salmon. The buffet will also serve Tet specialties, golden carp, royal meat roll and pork pies, golden roasted goose with a free flow of wine, beer, soft drink, fruit juice, tea and coffee.
The restaurant will be decorated with colorful fish and three deities of Luck, Prosperity and Longevity will welcome guests at the door.
It runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Lunar New Year’s Eve (Feb. 2) until the forth of the first lunar month (Feb. 6). The price on Feb. 2 is VND550,000++ per adult and VND350,000 from Feb. 3 to Feb. 6.
Lemongrass Restaurant (level 14, Palace Hotel Saigon, 56-66 Nguyen Hue Blvd., Dist. 1, HCMC)
On the New Year’s Eve (Feb. 2), the Lemongrass Restaurant on the 14th floor of the Palace Hotel Saigon will hold a Lunar New Year’s Eve Party featuring mouthwatering dishes made from sea food like grilled shrimp paste, grilled squid paste, shark fin & crab soup, tuna salad with Wasabi sauce, grilled tuna served with ginger sauce among others. There’s a free flow of drinks like Tiger draught beer, Heineken and soft drinks.
Enjoy folk music performance and folk dances. The hotel’s roof top on level 15 & 16 is an ideal place for watching fireworks and Nguyen Hue Flower Street. The buffet which is available from 7:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. on Feb 2 is priced at VND1.3 million ++ /adult, and VND830,000++/child.
Calibre Charner (level 1, Palace Hotel Saigon, 56-66 Nguyen Hue Blvd., Dist. 1, HCMC)
The restaurant offers two luxury set menus for New Year’s Eve. The first menu consists of Russian salad, potato soup with smoked salmon, grilled lobster, dessert and Palace flan. The second one includes salmon salad, abalone soup, American beef with baked potatoes and cakes for dessert. The buffet which is available from 7:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 2 is priced at US$59++.
If you need further information about Vietnam hotel, saigon hotel, please visit the website vietnamhotels.net.
Source: thesaigontimes.vn
Posted by admin on January 28, 2011 under Vietnam Travel in the South, Vietnam travel News |
Ho chi minh City’s residents, travel firms and local authorities all have agreed that it is necessary to develop waterway tourism. However, they still do not know what and how to develop.
New tour opened
About 50 travellers on Dong Duong (Indochina) sailing ship officially opened the short-distance waterway tourism route along Saigon River, departing from Bach Dang station to the Ham Long craftsmen’s village in Thanh My Loi in district 2. Phan Xuan Anh, Chair of Du Ngoan Viet Travel Firm said happily: “Now travel firms have one more new tourism product to introduce to travellers when they come to the city”.
Painter Ho Huu Thu, Chair of the Ham Long Craftsmen’s Joint Stock Company, said that the craftsmen’s village, located humbly on the Saigon riverbank and not well known, has welcomed many tourists just seven months after the HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism decided to develop waterway tourism. For the last 10 years, the who painters have gathered in this quiet and charming landscape, set up a village to invite people to come here to visit original models in the village exhibit the painting style of southern painters. Now they feel satisfied that their vision is being realised.
The only thing Thu is worried about is that only 1/5 of the works in the village have been fulfilled and the village still is not as perfect as hoped.
Being one of the first visitors to the craftsmen’s village, Ly Ngoc Bach, General Director of Cuong Phat Company said that it is a wonderful idea to present opportunities for tourists to travel on the river and visit such a beautiful village. “The landscapes here are wonderful and travellers also have the opportunity to admire the paintings of famous painters.
Bach went on to say that the Ham Long craftsmen’s village is relatively large, and if tours can be well organised to allow travellers to admire, behold and relax at the same time, they will not only spend a morning or afternoon here, but the whole day.
Bach also thinks that only one destination for waterway tourism is too little, and that it is necessary to develop more tourism sites along the river.
A ship but no wharf
The thing that may surprise many people is that such a big scale tour still has many problems. According to An Son Lam, Chair of Dong Duong Sailing Ship Company, Tthe biggest problem is that there is still no wharf for tourists to go ashore. Lam said he is not satisfied when servicemen have to lift and carry travellers in their arms ashore. The current ship is a medium sized ship that can contain only 50 travellers, but there is still no room for it to dock. Larger vessels would have even more difficulties. In general, Lam said, the basic conditions of a tourism wharf are still not good. Lam fears that the lack of the basic conditions will discourage tourists and hinder the development of waterway tourism.
Phan Xuan Anh, who spent time inviting people to take the tour, said he was so happy when the tour caught the attention of Du Ngoan Viet, APEX, Ben Thanh Tourism and Ngoc Phong Enterprise. Anh said that though it takes people only 15 minutes to driver cars from the centre of the city to the Ham Long village, tourists would prefer travelling on river because they have the opportunity to enjoy beautiful landscapes on the riverbank.
Anh said that if a wharf can be built, the waterway tour will be able to attract more tourists and enterprises will also be ready to build more ships.
Anh has also cited that another inconveniences is that foreigners cannot pay by credit cards when they want to purchase paintings in the village. He has also suggested that there are many things that the craftsmen in the village can do to attract more tourists. For example, painters can open calligraphy classes to, or invite tourists to have lunches with painters’ families. In summer, travel firms can bring boys and girls to the village to stay and learn to paint.
Source: Saigon tiep thi
Posted by admin on January 24, 2011 under Vietnam Travel in the South, Vietnam travel News, vietnam beauty |
The Cham Sculpture Museum preserves sculpture items featuring the nation’s glorious period of culture and civilisation.
The museum is located at No2, Road 209, Danang City. It was built according to French archaeologist Henri Parmentier and completed in 1919. It became a place to preserve and research Cham sculpture in the central region.
The museum architecture uses both European and Cham motifs. It has been extended twice, but the character of the original architecture has been well preserved.
The first extension started in the early 30s and finished in 1936, with two new galleries providing display space for the objects added in the 20s and 30s.
Archaeologist Henri Parmentier arranged the display in order of the areas where the sculptures were found.
The second extension began in 2002 with the two-storey buildings covering another 1000 square metres. The new buildings provide more space for display, storage, archives, restoration workshop and offices for staff.
The display place includes Quang Tri, Quang Nam and Quang Ngai corridors, Tra Kieu, My Son, Dong Duong, Thap Mam-Binh Dinh and extension.
There are different ways of arranging Cham sculpture items, depending on type of materials, date, and content.
This was the first sculpture museum in Vietnam (early 20th century). Displayed items feature cultural, spiritual and ritual lives of the Cham people.
Most works depict Hinduism genii and others reflect the people’s daily lives.
Source: VNN
Posted by admin on January 21, 2011 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel in the South, Vietnam festival, Vietnam travel News |
Tet Festival in the south remains an attraction for people living far from their homeland. They will never forget beautiful images of boats full of flowers, lucky money bags, piles of watermelons on streets and sparkling street lamps at night during the Festival.
Celebrating Tet Festival in a simple way is advocated by a large number Saigon dwellers but every family will still have a tray with 5 kinds of fruit, while sticky rice cakes, apricot and peach blossoms and kumquat trees are essential things for Tet.
The first signals of Tet come from decorations on major streets in the City’s center such as Le Loi, Nguyen Hue, Dong Khoi and Le Duan, where both local residents and visitors traditionally vist during Tet holidays. This year, “Nguyen Hue flower Road” is designed specially to reflect the development of the City.
In particular, sticky rice cakes are seen everywhere; legend has it that these cakes were offerred by the youngest son of King Hung to his father and since then they became essential food for the whole nation during the traditional Lunar New Year Festival. The cakes are made of sticky rice, green bean paste and fatty pork.
This year, a flower festival is designed to mark the 100th anniversary of the day when Uncle Ho left the country, seeking ways to save the country from foreign domination. 600 artisans were involved in making 8,000 objects, and visitors will also have opportunities to take part in various art performances and interesting traditional games.
During Tet Festival, local residents and visitors can take part in various activities at Suoi Tien Tourist Areas and Dam Sen Park.
Flower festivals are traditional passions for many people in Ho Chi Minh City. During the Tet holiday, local residents usually buy pots of daisy flowers and big watermelons, symbols for luck and happiness.
Despite the fading of some Tet traditions, the customary Tet Feast to offer to the ancestors is an absolute must for every Vietnamese family on New Year’s Eve. It is the time for all members of the family to celebrate Tet together.
After making offerings to the ancestors, many people go to pagodas on the first night of the Lunar New Year Festival. Then, they come home with incense to offer on their family altars. At this time, wishes and lucky money are presented to the old people and children.
However, at present many other people prefer to travel during Tet holidays while others prefer joining activities in public places instead of celebrating Tet at home. In fact, many people from different places have come to work and live in Saigon and brought along their own typical ways of celebrating at Tet; this makes Tet in the City more interesting, attractive and diverse.
Source: qdnd.vn
Collected by Vietnam hotel
Posted by admin on January 20, 2011 under Vietnam Travel in the South, Vietnam tour, Vietnam travel News |
By Le Ba Lu in Phan Thiet
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| A stunning beach on Phu Quy Island |
Phu Quy Island, also called Thu or Khoai Islet, is 120km from Phan Thiet City, between the mainland and Truong Sa Archipelago. The island covers 16 square kilometers and has many cultural and religious relics typical of central coast farming communities.
We left Phan Thiet Port at 7 a.m. The slow boat took eight hours. I was seasick most of the way because of the bumpy conditions. It was very tiring, but I jumped up straight away when the siren signaled our arrival.
Seen from the sea, Phu Quy Island looks like a dragon playing with clouds. From another angle it looks like a giant whale crossing the ocean.
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| Linh Son Pagoda on Cao Cat Mountain |
The port is very busy. The locals speak with an accent that is hard to understand but they are very friendly. There are plenty of houses and coconut trees. Despite no fresh water streams, drinking water isn’t a problem because it can be pumped up from underground.
The island has many hills, knolls and sand dunes. Most of administrative offices, stadiums, schools, entertainments and traffic systems on the island are still new and there’s a few more being built. It looks a bit urban but there are no numbers and no street names.
During four days on the island, I visited many places and met many foreign backpackers who were there to enjoy swimming or surfing on the island’s stunning beaches or bicycling around the trails. It has tourism appeal and will probably take off as a new destination in a few years.
I visited Linh Quang Pagoda in Tam Thanh Commune, which is over 250 years old, and contains artifacts from the Nguyen Dynasty. Also, Thay Nai Temple built in the 17th century is a place where fishermen come to worship. Every year, locals hold a festival to pray for peace and better life.
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| A stone house by the sea – Photos: Le Ba Lu |
Linh Son Pagoda, located on Cao Cat Mountain at 120 meters above sea level, is a beautiful building. It’s very peaceful. From there, I looked out across the island to see tiny boats drifting on the sea and coconut palms, the people in the town looked as small as ants.
When you come to Phu Quy you have to try the seafood – grilled lobsters, steamed turtle with salt and many kinds of dishes made of squid, oysters and clams. Long Vi Restaurant near Thay Nai Temple is a good venue.
There are just six hotels and guest houses in Tam Thanh Commune and they are all well equipped. The island only has power from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. everyday, but the weather at nighttime is a bit cold so there’s no need for a fan.
Phu Quy Island District comprises 10 islands, of which only Phu Quy is inhabited. The district has three communes, 5,466 households with 27,000 people, most of them fishermen.
Collected by Vietnam hotel
Posted by admin on January 14, 2011 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel in the South, Vietnam travel News |
U Minh Thuong (Upper U Minh) in the Mekong Delta’s Kien Giang Province is a vast wetlands area rich in fish and waterbird life that was declared a National Park in September 2000.
To get there by road, from Tac Cau in the province travel 30 kilometers then turn towards Vinh Thuan District for 30 kilometers. This will bring you to the border of U Minh Thuong. The path lies under a dense green canopy. The forest which spans An Bien, Vinh Thuan and An Minh districts of Kien Giang Province is about halfway between Can Tho and Ca Mau.
U Minh Thuong covers 21,100 hectares. The core 8,000 hectares are strictly protected, while locals live in the remaining 13,000ha growing rice and fruit and vegetables and exploiting government owned cajuput forests.
The national park is one of only a few protected tropical mangrove forests left in the world. It contains 252 species of flora, 202 different insect species, 24 animal species and 185 kinds of birds, many of which are rare, some have been listed in the red book.
There is also a 44-hectare bird sanctuary with more than 70,000 birds.
The forest that has been through two revolutions as a military base is now being developed for research, to improve conservation efforts of endangered species as well as for eco-tourism and traditional tours.
Roads to U Minh are much better than before. Boat tours of Hoa Mai Lake in the center of the area, cost VND20,000 per person during the rainy season. In the dry season, travelers can hike around the park.
The U Minh Restaurant serves local specialties that include a range of fish dishes and honey dishes such as honey sweet soup, honey salads, and honey sashimi.
The sunsets there are fantastic as thousands of birds return from feeding grounds to their nests. The forest is full of wildlife and the sounds of monkeys and wild pigs can often be heard.
Guests can stay overnight at the forest but should be careful so that monkeys or pigs don’t steal your food.
Source: The Saigon Times
Collected by Vietnam hotels
