25 things not to miss when traveling to Vietnam

A famous specialized travel sites of the British – Rough Guides listed the locations and things  not to miss when traveling to Vietnam on “Inspiration” tab on its website.

1. Highland Market

The exhibitions of highland ethnic minorities are always attractive to tourists. You can clearly see the special culture of the minorities through colorful traditional costumes, cuisine and handicraft products. The bustling atmosphere is a spiritually characteristic of the ethnic minorities’  market, especially Bac Ha market.

2. Temples

Temples reflect religious characteristics of Vietnam, also are  unique architectures with the beauty essence, Long Son Pagoda in Nha Trang is an example.

3. Tet (Lunar new year)

Be the most important holiday of the year in Vietnam. In this period, many traditional customs of Vietnamese regions are shown. Tet atmosphere is bustling with blooming flowers, decorative lights and colorful performances on streets, spectacular fireworks or concerts shows and very amazing skillful dragon dances.

4. Cu Chi Tunnels

Being voted as the top 10 of the world’s most wonderful underground, Cu Chi Tunnels are more interesting and attractive than you think. In Cu Chi, you will experience the underground life as real previous residents (sightseeing, eating). This defense system is still attractive destination for many tourists , especially veterans.

5. Draught Beer

Drinking beer at the bar located deep in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter is an interest of foreign tourists. It saves money, but also experience the lifestyle of the natives.

6. Hue ancient capital city

Hue capital city relics population has still remained its own historical characteristics tombs and ancient rampart from kings time. Cultural and architectural works are always impressive to not only foreign tourists but also Vietnamese.

 7. Water puppet shows

Water Puppetry is the art form of unique folk stage formed from wet rice culture. Due to the unique and innovative performances, puppetry water performance has been quickly welcomed by many visitors.

8. Ultra rapid tailoring

Try a visit to Hoi An and visit the tailoring shops here, you will be surprised and delightful as seeing tailors are cutting and sewing and complete after few hours.

9. Trekking Sapa

Climbing up to Fansipan – Vietnam’s highest mountain and exploring the highland town Sapa are the first choice when traveling to Vietnam of foreign tourists. You will be surprise at incredibly romantic and poetic beauty sky scenery. Cool climate is also an attractions for visitors  in Sapa.

10. Lak Lake

As one of the largest freshwater lake in Vietnam; located in Dak Lak province, Lak lake is an attractive destination to tourists. Once you experience paddling on a peaceful lake or riding elephants among big lakes, or explore the forest surrounding the lake you will have unforgettable memories.

11 . Hoi An tours

Possessing a rich cultural heritage with the beautiful houses of the old value, Hoi An looks like a rustic, casual, romantic picture, and always charming and always are fascinating to all visitors.

 12. Red River Delta

Visit the peaceful countryside of the northern region and experience the simple lives which are not have changed over the years  but have still retained many traditional beauties in cultural activities are one of the tourist attractions in Red River Delta.

13. Mekong Delta

Mekong Delta is one of the most fascinating tours in Vietnam. Here, in addition to visiting the numerous fruit gardens, traveling on one of nine branches of the river flowing to the sea of Me Kong River, enjoying Southern folk music and specialties, it is hard to skip visiting the floating markets – a feature of West river only.

14. Cyclo traveling

Seeing and enjoying scenery of streets by cyclos are an unique feature which cannot experience anywhere outside Vietnam. This type of travel makes tourists (especially foreigners) find the interest and closeness to the life and culture of Vietnam. Traveling by cyclos is now very famous in the old quarter of Hanoi, Hoi An , Nha Trang, Da Nang…

15. Halong Cruising

As one of seven natural wonders of the world and a world natural heritage, Ha Long Bay is beautiful as a watercolor painting. To admire the beauty, visitors have to cruise in the bay. There will be daily tours or overnight cruise with many attractive activities to visitors such as squid fishing, swimming or kayak.

16. Phu Quoc resort

Phu Quoc is endowed with blue and pristine beaches with coconut trees along the romantic coastline  Going to southern Phu Quoc in An Thoi, you will have chance to admire the beauty of the marine life in the transparent water.

17. Traveling on Reunification train

Leave your bike on the train, then have a seat, relax and enjoy the beautiful views from the South to the North as the train slowly run from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.

18. Colonial architecture

The French colonial legacy can be easily found in the impressive architectures such as the Hanoi Opera House, the French churches in yellow painted wall with typical fireplaces or wood stairs. Currently, in the old quarter and many other streets in Hanoi, French style houses have still remained its beauty over the years.

19. Traditional Music

Traditional music performance is one of the important art show in Vietnam. Each region has its own unique music. Foreign tourists often enjoy watching and listening to traditional types such as Ca Tru, Love Duet Bac Ninh, Reformed theater.

20. Enjoy shopping at traditional market

One of the most interesting thing to visitors is to walk around and go shopping at the market. Here, besides fresh foods, there are food stalls with its regional dishes. For instance, you can enjoy soup, spring rolls, rice cakes or pate bread which can help you to fight hunger while shopping. Besides, you will have chance to experience “bargain” culture when traveling to Vietnam.

21. Adventure sports

Due to the special types of structure of terrain so when traveling to Vietnam, you will enjoy the adventure stunting sports as climbing, parasailing, kite surfing, kayak or mountain biking which are very suitable for strong feeling lovers.

22 . Cao Dai Holy See

As a place of worship of the Cao Dai religion – one of the most influential religion in Vietnam, the temple is in special architecture (modeled on Tay Ninh Holy See, but smaller and more simple). There are often ceremonies and typically cultural activities of believers.

23. Village of BahNar

The BahNar is famous for Rong houses (communal houses) which is the meeting place of the villagers in the Central Highland. BahNar’s communal houses have many unique features in the architecture, shape and pattern. If possible, visit Gia Lai and stay in the Bahnar’s communal houses to learn more about Highland culture. In Hanoi, visitors can also admire the Ba Na’s communal houses in the Hanoi Ethnology Museum.

24. Sidewalk food

Immersing yourself in the atmosphere of the roadside kitchens, mobile food stalls around the streets and enjoying its own regionally fresh and delicious dishes are one of the exciting experience of culture and cuisine in Vietnam.

25. Enjoying in Nha Trang

Scuba diving in the offshore small and secluded island, but green as emeralds in Nha Trang is one of the most amazing things when traveling to Nha Trang. Or enjoying the windy sea on the long sandy slopes is enough to wow you at the beach paradise of Vietnam.

25 things not to miss when traveling to Vietnam

Visiting Churches in Hanoi on Christmas holidays

Streets and shops in Hanoi on Christmas holidays have been colorfully decorated.

Hanoi Cathedral

The cathedral in the city center  was built on the land of the famous Bao Thien tower in Thang Long citadel under the Ly destiny (the 11^th and 12^th century).

Originally, this church called St. Joseph’s Cathedral (Saint Joseph) due in 1678, Pope Innocent XI canonized St. Joseph (foster father of Jesus) as the patron saint of Vietnam and neighboring countries . Therefore, the largest cathedral in Hanoi was enthroned as the “Cathedral of St. Joseph”.

The church was designed in the Gothic style of medieval Europe, was popular in the 12th century and the Renaissance in Europe, made ​​in the form of the Notre Dame Cathedral Paris with curved arches, wide, oriented sky. Materials of construction of the church is terracotta tiles, walls plastered with paper mulch. The church has a length of 64.5 m, 20.5 m wide and 31.5 m high bell tower two with four corner pillars to severe. Atop the stone is the crucifix.

Ham Long Church

This is a church of the Roman Catholic Church in archdiocese of Hanoi, Vietnam. This is the place of religious activities of Hanoi Catholics and is the main parish church of Ham Long.

Designed by Vietnamese architect who was born in Ha Hoi, Thuong Tin. Church was completed in December 1934, with the height of 17 m.

Ham Long Church with two fronts overlooking Ham Long, Ngo Thi Nham, is considered one of the most beautiful church in Hanoi.

Cua Bac (Northern Gate) Church

Cua Bac Church is one of the most beautiful churches in Hanoi, at 56 Phan Dinh Phung, Ba Dinh District which was  in the Northern Gate of Thang Long Citadel (opposite to the Thang Long Citadel)  in 1931-1932 (some documents show that is was built in 1927 under the French colony) and designed by a French priest – architect in the rectangular combined with Asia-Europe style. The design did not follow any rules of symmetry.

Cua Bac Church is not only a religious place but also is a architecture with many unique features forming the significant spots in Hanoi space.

Visiting Churches in Hanoi on Christmas holidays

Nha Trang – A beautiful bay of the world

Nha Trang looks like a pretty and charming girl and being fallen in love at the first sight. You can find wonderful attractions when Nha Trang becomes more familiar.

The club of the world’s most beautiful bays was established in March 1997 in Berlin (Germany) for the purpose of conserving marine ecology and sustainable and long term tourism development in the Gulfs all over the world. At the second meeting of the Club in  Tadousac (Quebec, Canada) from June 1^st  to June 6^th 2003, Nha Trang Bay was admitted as the 29^th member of the World and the 2^nd  in Asia (after Halong Bay).

Early last century, Nha Trang was a pristine beach with a fishing village and some dozens houses in the Con hamlet. There were only  2 floors house in white which was the workplace of Dr Alexandre Yersin (called Mr Nam/Fifth’s house) . If you visit here by sea, you will see the white house at first, Nha Trang is “white house” by local name. That is the explanation about the origin of the name – Nha Trang of Yersin lovers – a special citizen of the city. According to the researchers, there was full of reeds on two sides of bank river, thus it was called Reed river (known as Yjatran or Ea Tran in Cham’s language). Over time, it has been called Nha Trang. River name later was named to the land and then the bay as well.

Being covered by 19 large and small islands, Nha Trang bay’s width is about 500km2 and is out of wind and big waves. Under the tropical sun, the green of the undulating mountains on the land, of the islands enhance the charm of the golden sand and white waves. In Nha Trang Bay, there are nearly ten islands of swallow which give annually millions of dollars to Khanh Hoa Province. Under the sea of the Bay, it is another fascinating world which is the world of 350 species of coral, 190 species of fish , molluscs, crustaceans and sea grass… December 2000, project of Hon Mun Marine Protected Area in Nha Trang – the first marine protected area of Vietnam was founded.

In Nha Trang you cannot be unable to visit Po Nagar tower in the Northern gate of Cai river – a typical architecture and ruin of Cham, being places of worship Thien Y Ana (Mother of the Kindom). Locating hundred meters away is Hon Chong (Husband Rock) including 2 enormous groups of rocks with peculiar shapes. Hon Chong is located on the shore while Hon Vo (Wife Rock) is on the sea. The groups of rocks look like the work of a giant, who carelessly put several massive rocks together. On one side of the rock, facing the sea, there is a deep handprint with the five fingers close together.

Head south to Tran Phu Road, you can visit Bao Dai villa, Institute of Oceanography which shows thousands of living marine species or its templates. Cau Da port is the departure terminal for the island traveling routes: Hon Mun, Hon Mieu, Hon Tam, Tri Nguyen Aquarium… Each place has very beautiful beaches with clean water, soft waves; anyone falling in love with strong feeling can dive to see corals, play parachute and riding motorcycle on water.

A tour from Dao Yen (Swallow island) to Hon Noi was opened on August 1^st 2003. It will take you about 90 minutes from Cau Da (Stone Bridge) to Hon Noi to visit Hai Dai Tower atop Du Ha, see corals, reefs and marine life through glass bottom boat. Particularly, you will have chance to see the movies about swallow nest harvesting and visit swallow cave in Hon Sam.

Nha Trang looks like a pretty and charming girl and being fallen in love at the first sight with its wonderful attraction. That might be the reason for A. Yersin stay over 50 years in Nha Trang. Before he closed his eyes he had reminded his co-workers “keep me in the Nha Trang and do not let anyone take me away”.

Nha Trang – A beautiful bay of the world

Hue Beauty – Lang Co travel experience

Hue Beauty – Lang Co is about 30 km South of Danang and about 70 km North of Hue. There is a favorable geographical position between 3 centers of World Cultural Heritage Conservation are: Hue, Hoi An and My Son Sanctuary within a radius of 70 km.

When to go

Lang Co is the most beautiful from April to July. There will be rain after August to November making the beach more opaque; from December to March of the following year, the sea is quite cold.

Transportation

If budget is not your concern, but your time is limited, you can choose one of two ways to travel  to Lang Co:

Option 1: fly to Hue and then rent a car (Phu Bai Airport- Hue): 75km, it will take about 1 hour due to the speed limit , car cannot run fast (If you book a room in advance  you can ask the hotel for hiring a car or motor-cycle).

Option 2: fly to Danang and then hire a taxi to go through the tunnel (about 15km) or through the Pass (35km ). If you want to go fast , then go through the tunnel but going on the passes is really a great experience because of impressive scenery of the Pass.

Note: You should fly to Hue and then stay in Lang Co, when you back home,  go to Danang and take a flight to Hanoi. That is the most reasonable schedule .

And if you want to save money to spend on other plans in Lang Co, then you should take the train. There are many Reunification train to Hue  (S1 or E1). Train traveling take more time but it is interesting to see beautiful view along the way.

Accommodation
You can find various accommodation in Lang Co suitable with your budget from average price to 4 stars, 5 stars hotels.

Eating

In Lang , you should have meals in restaurants under the bridge of Lang  Co, there are all kinds of fresh delicious seafood, but you should ask price first.

There are small restaurants along the Highway 1A, you can take a look and order. The restaurants mainly sever tourists and  seafood is mostly fresh.

Sightseeing
– Lap An Lagoon: you can rent motorbikes at the hotel reception to go to market on the way to Lap An. Walk along the stretch of road on Lap An lagoon, one side is the lagoon and the other is mountain range which will be your wonderful and unforgettable memories. The lagoon only contains shell snails, no mud, so the water level is under your knee. In the market, you can buy Lao sandals, clothing, belts imported from Laos with cheap prices.

- Chan May Beach: Chan May Beach is flat and stretches along the road, with white sand and gentle waves, just about 3km from the Highway 1A. The beach is very beautiful however if you swim here, you should note that there are no lifeguard and dangerous warning system.

- Hai Van Pass: take a stop at the top of Lang Co where the division of Hue – Da Nang. You can take pictures at the U.S. bunkers or Vong Hai Dai from Minh Mang King reign.

- Bach Ma (White Horse) National Park: is about 30km West of Lang Co. The Park is famous for cool climate. The temperature is rarely over 40^oC and under 26^oC. Here, you can walk around and enjoy the mountain climate. Visit cluster of Ngu Ho (five tigers) waterfall, Do Quyen waterfall, conquer the top of Bach Ma, visit Vong Hai Dai (we can have a panoramic view of the bay and Cau Hai bridge).

- Besides Bach Ma National Park, you can rent boats to Son Tra Peninsula or the Pearl Island. Also, you may visit Da Nang (about 20km from Lang Co to the city center). If you want to catch a private car from Da Nang – Lang Co – Hue, take the local cars (Number plate of Da Nang, Hue and Hoi An is 43, 75, 92 respectively) and asked the fares before traveling.

Entertainment

Lang Co is a great beach, but because of long distance from the center of Hue, it is very quiet. In general, it is very boring in the evening as there are very few play sites.

Hue Beauty – Lang Co travel experience

A stunning mountain flowers in Sapa

Not only is the most beautiful sight in Sa Pa, Ham Rong Mountain is also known as a royal garden with flowers blooming year round.

Ham Rong Mountain is one of the most famous tourist destination of Sapa. Located in the center of town , behind the church of Sa Pa, thus everybody should spend at least a half day to visit the place when traveling to Sapa. Belonging to Hoang Lien Son range, from a distance, it looks like a dragons flying in the white cloud.

The mountain is recognized as a small Sapa, because visitors can feel the beauty of nature, culture and people of the highlands town by every step from the foot of Ham Rong up to the mountain. Those who have visited the mountain for many times or have a first visit will be particularly impressed by all species of flowers blooming everywhere on the mountain.

Along the way up to Ham Rong Mountain is a multitude of strange flowers of the temperate regions – Sa Pa. We can see the colorful rhododendrons, and roses everywhere. Rhododendron specifically forms a colorful picture with full colors from the red, purple, pink to yellow and white. Keep going up to the mountain, you will be quickly fascinated in the orchid garden located halfway of the mountain.

Flower gardens is named Europe located in the main area of Ham Rong Mountain. There are plenty of beautiful and unique flower species of cold countries, were brought from foreign countries such as amethyst flower, Japanese cherry… Beside orchids, the most popular flower is hydrangeas. Flowers grow in the interstitial rocks, baskets or in the garden with large flowers up to 30 cm in diameter.

A stunning mountain flowers in Sapa

Three Vietnam Museums in the top 25 best museums in Asia

Three Vietnam Museums listed in the top  25 most attractive one in Asia which are War Remnants Museum, the Ethnology Museum and Museum of Women even surpassing the National Museum of Seoul in the top 25.

Museum of Women in the second most attractive destinations in Hanoi

TripAdvisor website has announced the list of 25 most attractive museums in Asia in which Vietnam has three museums, one from 2 from Ho Chi Minh City and the rest from Hanoi. They are very attractive in Vietnam to both foreigners and Vietnamese because of its creativity in display.

War Remnants Museum is always a favorite destination of foreign tourist

The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City is ranked No. 5, followed by the Museum of Vietnam Ethnology (No. 6) and the Vietnam Women’s Museum (No.11). In October last year, the Vietnam Women’s Museum also was listed by Tripadvisor as “the most attractive tourist destination in 2012″ in Hanoi.

Museum of Ethnology is always referred as a revolutionary museum for display

Both two top museums are in China which are Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang in Shaanxi and the Forbidden City in Beijing. Meanwhile, the National Museum of Korea in Seoul ranking at the top 12^th  most visited museum in the world in 2012 with over 3.1 million visitors only has ranked at 14^th in the top 25 most fascinating museums in Asia.

Three Vietnam Museums in the top 25 best museums in Asia

Discovering Ms Silk island - “little Halong Bay” in Mekong Delta

With its wild beauty and charm, Ba Lua (Ms silk) island of Kien Giang is known as “little Halong Bay” in Mekong Delta – a beauty of Vietnam tourism.

The population consists of about 45 large and small islands offshore Kien Luong district, located 7km away form the cape of Hon Chong – Binh An on the west and 15 km from the confluence of Hon on the East.

There are only ten archipelagos with living inhabitants amongst 40 islands of Ba Lua. The island was named by natives according to the shape, along with legends and anecdotes such as Hon Heo (Pig island), Hon De (Goat island, Hon Ngang (Horizon island) and Hon Duoc (Mangrove island) …

Sea around Ba Lua Archipelago is shallow with many low tides, thus we can go from island to island, the water level is not over the back. Ms. Silk Beach is covered by lots of small and big gravels in different shapes and colors. Marine life here is very various such as grouper, cobia, trout … On the island of “little Halong Bay”, there are a lot of rare medicinal plants. On the island of Nhum, there are many pythons, snakes and some birds live in forests and sea forming a biological diversity. “Lau Lau” is strange birds like nightingale, singing to the mountains when sun sets on the sea…

If you want to explore the island in one or two days like Robinson on the unspoiled island, see our suggestions below:

Traveling:

If you want to visit Ms Silk island, you have go to the Hang Pagoda pier – Hon Phu Tu in Binh An commune (Kien Luong). From here, you can rent a boat to explore the sea – the wild island. Each island has about dozens of households. In particularly, there are some islands with only one family.

Accommodation and Eating

You can bring a tent, hammock and camp on the island because the island has a beautiful beach with spacious ideal and cool space… or stay in the local house. If camp on the beach, besides preparing hammocks, tents, sleeping bags, you should bring flashlight, lighters, knives, mineral water, personal first aid box and noodle packs.

The ship owners often have skillet, pot, rice and food and you can borrow. You can buy the fish of the ship owners and then fry on site and listen to the interesting stories of the sea. The fresh menu often consists of fresh anchovy salad, cobia soup, grilled squid, raw snails with lemon, oyster porridge…

Sightseeing around the island

In order to visit the islands in Ba Lua, explore the unspoiled island, experience the life of fishermen, you can contact the local fishermen to book a boat tour.

 It is difficult to visit all islands due to its numerous islands, so you should choose some beautiful islands. Ba Hon Dam – three lagoon islands ( including Dam Duong island, Mangrove island, Wells island) is most discovered by lots of people. The area owns beautiful beaches with many kinds of fresh seafood such as fishes, crabs, squids and snails…

Sunrise and sunset on Ba Lua archipelago are the most beautiful moments of nature. You will see the sunrise and sunset with beautiful clouds on the sky. Hundreds of fishing boats anchor in the bays of Island to hide the wind as well as float on the sea.

If you’re lucky, you can see dolphins racing, playing and tumbling around the ship on the journey on the sea. It is said that dolphins and sea puffers often appear in the Ms Silk sea, Hon Nghe and Phu Quoc. They seem friendly.

Looking at the scenery on the “little Halong Bay”, you surely will wish to become the island owner with a simple, private and peaceful life but not being separated from the outside.

Discovering Ms Silk island - “little Halong Bay” in Mekong Delta