MU CANG CHAI – THE HOME OF GOLDEN TERRACED RICE FIELDS IN VIETNAM

Mu Cang Chai is a western district of the Yen Bai province in Northern Vietnam. Mu Cang Chai is famous for its terraced fields. The terraced fields here are mostly located in three towns: La Pan Tan, Che Cu Nha and Ze Xu Phinh. These three towns were ranked as National Famous Landscapes. Due to that, from September to October, the fanciful scenery of terraced fields during the harvest season attracts many photographers to this area.

The mountain pass, Khau Pha, with a 30km-long, and high slope, make the Northwest area full of obstacles and difficult to access, but deep in mystery. After overcoming the mountain pass, visitors will be satisfied with the view of the terraced fields in the dusky mist and pure white clouds. The terraced fields, as hundreds of different soft ridges, make up the framework of this land with an altitude over 1000m, which captivates hearts. The all-yellow hillsides of ripe rice seedlings, circling around the terraces – all of these things make up a dreamy beauty; enchanting, romantic and serene. This is a very distinguishing beauty; generous for all visitors, but only during the special Mu Cang Chai harvest season. There are also round roads – no matter how many times visitors turn around, they will be surprised by Mu Cang Chai’s amazing beauty in each turn. Terraced fields and ripe rice seedlings are mixed under the hands of nature, creating an endless sea of yellow. These appear and disappear alternately with the small houses of the ethnic people, which stretches to the top of mountain. Mu Cang Chai’s beauty is not only shown by the miraculous scenery, but also the human presence here. The vision of the ethnic people harvesting the ripe, full-yellow rice seedling is like a mixture of colors, brightening up the corner of the Northwest sky. The pattern on the colorful costumes of the ethnic people here is drawn by beeswax mixed with color. Therefore, the costumes of the ethnic people in Mu Cang Chai always have special colors that no other dyes can create. Normally, people here harvest in the afternoon, since it’s the time when the sunshine is most bright. People are hurrying for the harvest season, otherwise all of the ripe seedling rice will fall down and there will be no more sunshine to dry it up. There are families with relatives of all generations to help with harvesting. Families take turns harvesting from one family to the next until it’s all harvested. Even the Red Dao ethnic minority woman brings her newborn baby with her while in the fields to harvest. After one enjoyable day, you can stay in Mu Cang Chai one night in an ethnic minority house or hotel. You will be surprised by what Mother Nature has given this place the following morning. In the early morning, the sky is brightened up with a perfect combination of light blue and golden yellow, as well as a trove of clouds as fluffy waves. Besides that, there are some pathways along the bottom of the mountain; meandering, curving, to meet the sky at the horizon, creating a true sense of beauty. Mu Cang Chai, with its own distinguishing beauty and a mysterious attraction, keeps tourists coming back to this place again and again, not only because of the natural scenery, but also because of the friendly, warm and open people here.

DESTINATIONS FOR CAMPING NEAR HANOI

Tam Dao, Ba Vi, Quan Son, Dai Lai…are popular and attractive destinations to go camping on holiday.

Tam Dao Tam Dao is 80 kilometers from Hanoi. It is the lung of Hanoi, making the climate equable for the capital and surrounding areas. If you are keen on discovering mystery of nature and adventuring, trekking in mountains will satisfy you. Tourists coming to Tam Dao can visit Bac waterfall, Mau temple, temple of Tran God, Tam Dao Television Tower, as well as enjoy chicken, fish, chayote. Dai Lai Lake Being 25 kilometers from the center of Vinh Yen city, Dai Lai lake is charming, and tranquil. Coming here, tourists can take a stroll, go sightseeing, go sailing, go fishing, and go climbing. In addition, you can visit the village of San Diu people, Doi cave, listen to Soong Co singing, or enjoy ethnic dishes, or take a stroll in pine forests, etc. Entertainment services are diversified and unique such as: speed-boat, Kayak, Whitehall, water-skiing. Quan Son Lake Being 30 kilometers from Hanoi, Quan Son Lake is a good choice for tourists to rest at the weekend. The lake is surrounded by limestone mountains. Therefore, the weather is cool all year round. There are many small isles making particularly interesting landscape. Especially, visiting Quan Son Lake in the summer, tourists can contemplate lotus blooming in the surface of the lake. Go sailing in the lake and feeling the fragrance of lotus are unforgettable memory. Ba Vi National Park Stretching in the area of 11 hectares, Ba Vi National Park is a popular and attractive destination for camping. Coming to Ba Vi National Park, tourists can not only explore the nature but also rest in modern resorts and take part in tours. Ba Vi mountain range is very famous for the potential of eco-tourism. It is in the cultural eco-tourism area with a lot of famous places: Khoang Xanh tourist area, Dam Long, Tan Da resort, Ba Vi National Park, Da waterfall, Duong Lam ancient village, Son Tay ancient citadel, etc.

Pu Luong Nature Reserve- An Ideal Ecotourism Destination

Pu Luong, also called Phu Luong, was recognized one of Nature Reserves in the Northwestern of Thanh Hoa province. It is not only the habitat of plentiful of flora, but the living environment of many species of fauna as well. With an area of 17,662 ha, Pu Luong Nature Reserve is ideal place for developing main types of Vietnam tourism.

Pu Luong (alternatively called Phu Luong) is one of nature reserves located in Quan Hoa and Ba Thuoc districts in north-western of Thanh Hoa Province. Pu Luong shares the boreder with Mai Chau, Tan Lac and Lac Son districts of Hoa Binh Province to the North-east. Covering total area of 17,662ha, Pu Luong Nature Reserve is ideal for developing main types of tourism such as trekking and mountain biking, etc.

The Nature Reserve is situated along two parallel mountain ridges running from the north-west to the south-west. In the middle of the nature reserve is a valley that separates it into two parts. This valley is the settlements of several local people and a large area of agricultural land.

Pu Luong is the habitat of plentiful of flora. It possesses the primary forest, which can be regarded as closed evergreen tropical seasonal forest. A diverse flora covers the forest with at least 1,109 vascular plant species. Besides, three primary forest subtypes found at the site also play an important role, including primary lowland forest on limestone and schist/shale, primary coniferous submontane forest on limestone and primary submontane forest on basalt.

Furthermore, Pu Luong is also the living environment of total of 84 mammal species, in which there are 24 bat species, 162 bird species, 55 fish species, 28 reptile species, 13 amphibian species, 158 species of butterfly and 96 species of land snail. Here is an important place for the safeguarding of Delacour's Leaf Monkey.

Thanks to the variety of flora and fauna inside, Pu Luong Nature Reserve should be an ideal destination for tourists in Vietnam travel, especially for those who enjoy eco-tourism and adventure tours.

Discovering Hai Tac Island

With a ticket priced at just VND40,000, we came on board the Minh Nga Boat at Ha Tien Wharf in early afternoon to go to Doc Islet.

Once on board, we could see thebeautiful Ha Tien City with To Chau Mountain, Phao Dai Mountain, Binh San Hill, Den Mount and Nai Cape appearing like a magnificent great wall of nature.

Tourists play on a beach on Hai Tac Island

Doc Islet is located in Tien Hai island commune in Ha Tien Town, Kien Giang Province. Combining with neighboring islands, Hon Doc has formed into Hai Tac Archipelago, which is also called Hai Tac Island, with an area of 1,100 hectares of land, including 16 islands off Ha Tien Town covering 11 nautical miles.

Kids stand next to a rock stele confi rming the sovereignty of Vietnam
on the island – Photos: Dan Hoang Tham

The sunset almost came over the island and dived through the water. The wharf at that time was very busy with many fishing boats coming back from their offshore catches, offering fresh seafood for locals and tourists such as fish, squid, crabs or shrimp. Tourists can buy fresh seafood there and then and ask locals to prepare for them.

After enjoying seafood barbecue on the beach, we had a pleasant night listening tothe whispers of the waves.

The next day, we were welcomed by golden beams flashing through coconut leaves to ensure we rose early. We could not miss a chance to indulge in the cool and crystal water, so we spent the whole morning swimming and relaxing on the smooth sand under the shade of coconut lines and strolling around admiring wild flowers. We also found many giant old trees scattered around the beach.

Sai Khao - An enchanting village for backpackers

A poor and remote spot in the northern province of Thanh Hoa, Sai Khao is a favored destination among Vietnamese backpackers for its magnificent views and simple, kind people.

In backpacker circles, there is a lot of shaking of the heads. They are sad that the historic and picturesque Mai Chau – Muong Lat – Sai Khao route is going to be closed, because work will soon start on the Trung Son Hydropower Plant, a project aided by the World Bank in Thanh Hoa Province.

The route, which starts in Mai Chau District in Hoa Binh Province, goes through Thanh Hoa’s Muong Lat District and ends in Sai Khao, was used by the famous military unit Tay Tien (westwards) in 1947 when they were assigned to join hands with Laos in fighting the French colonialist forces.

We decided to revisit Sai Khao and once gain go on the historic route of Tay Tien, well-known thanks to a poem of the same name.

One of the poorest villages of Muong Lat, Sai Khao “welcomes” tourists with rough and long, sometimes seemingly endless, slopes. In fact, many bikes in our group broke down on Pu Hin Hai, the longest and highest slope. Some members who rode pillion had to get off and push their vehicles to get to the top.

But when we reached the village of 390 mostly H’Mong residents, we were glad that we made the effort to make it here.

Dubbed the “Da Lat town of Thanh Hoa,” Sai Khao has a cool atmosphere with air so unpolluted it seems to have a bite when you breathe. Since it is the highest point in Muong Lat, which is some 700 meters above the sea level, travelers can take in a panoramic view of high mountains and sky, as well as the H’Mong people’s green terraced fields of corn and rice. You do not need a photograph…it is a sight that will never fade from your mind.

Sunrise and sunset in Sai Khao are unforgettable experiences as well. Early in the morning, after rains, clouds embrace mountain tops and everything is bathed in a golden light.

Nights in Sai Khao are almost pitch dark, because there is no electricity, only lights from candles, oil lamps and stars. This also means that we get the rare chance to observe stars closely without a telescope or hindrances of high buildings.

Even though Sai Khao has almost nothing – no water supply, no telecommunications, no faved roads and not even a market, the village makes up for it with what many tourism destinations in Vietnam are losing: kind and simple-hearted people.

In Sai Khao, a young lady who ran a small café gave us fresh bamboo shoots so we could “improve” our meals, while an old ice-cream seller gave us extras without charging. Getting lost was never a problem, just another opportunity to interact with residents who always had time and patience to give.

The pure laughter of local children who go to school on bare feet, sometimes without proper attire because they are too poor, will stay with us forever. Their school was built from three almost-torn down houses and a few wooden planks.

Many Vietnamese backpackers keep revisiting the Village, charmed by the people and their children, carrying clothes, goods, books, notebooks and other things donated by others to give to locals.

The route

The Tay Tien route starts in Mai Chau District’s Ban Lac Village, which is some 140 kilometers from Hanoi. Travelers can take a bus at the capital’s My Dinh Bus Station. Or go by motorbike and follow the National Road 6.

From Ban Lac, follow Road 15A to reach Co Luong Town, also part of Hoa Binh. In Co Luong, go along the Ma River to reach Hoi Xuan Town, Quan Hoa District, Thanh Hoa Province. After that, go along Road 520, for 112 kilometers to reach Muong Lat.

Sai Khao is 15-18 kilometers from Muong Ly Commune, Muong Lat.

The whole trip from Hanoi to Muong Lat is some 420 kilometers, and full of challenges. Travelers should expect to meet numerous bridges made from bamboo and wood. They cross over rivers, streams and rocky creeks.

The path to Muong Lat is tough, with tortuous sections that run along the mountains. Moreover, some of them have been hit by landslides and rockslides over the years, so after rains, they become almost impossible, even for experienced drivers, to ride on.

It was lucky that the day of our trip was sunny, but since some parts of the road were under construction, we had to cross the Ma River to change our route. The thrill (and fear) of being on a bamboo raft crossing the fierce river is, as they say, “something else.”

In the end, the risks are worth it, as the trip delivers innumerable delights.

At some parts, for example, the road is bigger and decorated with bamboo barriers that local people make to protect their terraced fields.

The ubiquitous presence of bamboo in Muong Lat is part of its unique charm. Along the road, sometimes we went through bamboo forests, but sometimes it looked as they we were going above them.

Ly Nha Ky quits race be next tourism ambassador

Model, actress and businesswoman Ly Nha Ky, the first tourism ambassador of Vietnam, yesterday, March 14,announced her decision to quit the race to be next tourism ambassador of the country.

In a heartfelt letter to the media, Ky said that her health was not too good and that during her term she suffered numerous slanderous remarks against her, her family and relatives. Mixed public opinion regarding her position really upset Ky’s mother and hurt her other family members, hence her decision to withdraw from the race. Ky hoped the country will find a more worthy candidate who is able to meet allexpectations of the Vietnamese people. In her letter, Ky also reassessed her work as last year’s tourism ambassador, “I did my utmost not to betray trust and expectations of people and state leaders. Some supported and some did not, when I officially took the position.” “Some people even tried to hurt me in different ways. But then the mission to promote the country was most important to me.” “My greatest happiness is that I have contributed to making people more interested in promoting the country’s image to the world as well as in helping raise public awareness of Vietnam’s tourism industry,” she continued. She said she will continue to run her own business and is happy to give assistance to promote the country’s tourism any time. This move has caused a controversy and shocked the public, as Ky was credited with successfully promoting Ha Long Bay in the race to gain worldwide recognition as one of the new natural world wonders, and she still stands a very good chance of serving a second term as tourism ambassador.

Bai Tu Long Bay - A national treasure

Located in the northern province of Quang Ninh, Bai Tu Long National Park comprises 40 islands, either earth or limestone, scattering across three communes, Ha Long, Van Yen and Minh Chau of Van Don district.

The bay covers a total area of 15,783 hectares, including 6,125 hectares of land, and is home to 1,090 species of fauna and flora. The park is considered a priceless national treasure according to Vietnam travel guide.

According to Dr. Bui Tat Thang from the Strategic Development Institute of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Bai Tu Long includes all three fundamental ecosystems: forest, wetlands and sea – a diverse area for different species to live and develop. 

In the park, 102 rare and precious species, including 72 species of fauna and 30 varieties of flora listed in Vietnam’s red book of endangered species can be found. 

The park also has 1,000 hectares of wetlands, which includes mangrove forest, sandy and rocky tidal banks and seaweed that provide food and shelter for animals. 

The wetlands ecosystem, with its impressive scenery and biodiversity, has attracted many eco-tourism, environmental education and research activities. 

The area of coral accounts for only a minor section of the park, but has an important role to play as an aquatic resource. It has high biological productivity and is a gene bank for many types of sea species. 

Besides the extremely diverse biological environment, the park also has archeological value, with evidence of ancient Viet people residing here 14,000 years ago. 

Operational since April, 2002, Bai Tu Long National Park is a stunning tourism spot with a rich ecosystem, therefore it should receive sustainable protection, conservation and development.

International friends enjoy Tet in Vietnam

In addition to an exciting experience, foreign visitors to Vietnam tour this time of year will gain a better understanding of the country’s traditions and culture by experiencing the Vietnamese people’s preparations for the upcoming lunar New Year (Tet) celebrations.

For many foreigners, the traditional Vietnamese Tet has become a special tourism attraction, offering a good opportunity for the country to introduce its true colours and traditions to the international community.

VOV is providing an online forum for international guests in Vietnam to share their experiences and feelings about the festive season in the S-shaped country.

Steve Groff, a visitor from the UK, says, “I’m looking forward to enjoying Tet in Vietnam”

I think, Tet in Vietnam may look like the Christmas season in my home country, which brings to mind many things such as family reunions and time spent together with loved ones. Tet in Vietnam, of course, is a little different than the holly-draped version of my memories.

Tet does provide a reason to decorate, go shopping, or just go out and have a party, but that is clearly only setting the stage for the real holiday, Tet.

For foreigners, Tet is a sometimes bewildering but almost always heartwarming season. The overwhelming impression is of the hospitality of almost everyone you run into during Tet; you get invited to so many Tet feasts that you shouldn’t be hungry again until around June!

Tet is the time here to be with family, and Vietnamese do this with such single-mindedness that there is literally no one on the streets. After a month in which the normally busy streets are even more hectic with everyone preparing for Tet, when the big day actually comes my neighborhood in central Hanoi is astonishingly empty.

It really does feel like a different place, the street vendors, the sidewalk eateries, the cafes and restaurants, the shoeshine guys, the motorbike taxi guys, the sidewalk motorbike mechanics, the sidewalk barber… everyone has gone home to eat banh chung and visit with all their relatives.

The city streets, for just these few days out of the year, are peaceful places. Don’t worry about too much quietness though, you will be feasting and making merry with friends, both new and old.

Happy New Year to all who have the good fortune to be in Vietnam for Tet! Greg Nelson from the US: “I’ll travel to the beautiful beaches in central Vietnam during Tet”

Living in Vietnam for many years and knowing Vietnamese Tet as well as the back of his hand, I am still eager to welcome this upcoming Tet when I’ll go on a tour to central Danang city with my girlfriend.

The beaches are always wonderful, especially during Tet holiday when Vietnamese people are always busy preparing their family parties and visiting relatives and friends. It’s nice to move far from a peaceful Hanoi with few people on the street and silent atmosphere during Tet.

This year, Danang is my destination to celebrate New Year’s Eve and enjoy meaningful time with my beloved.

David Frank, a French tourist, says, “I am impressed by the busy shopping and cozy atmosphere before Tet”

Following my friends’ suggestion, I pay a month-long visit to Vietnam where I am traveling to different provinces and cities in all three regions of the country.

I moved from one place to another in both of Vietnam’s two major cities – Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, however, I decided to celebrate the New Year in Hue – the former capital city in central Vietnam.

I love Hue people, they’re charming and hospitable. The traditional foods there are so tasty and special I always eat too much and get very full!

I already experienced Christmas in Vietnam when I spent time going out and being with friends drinking rice wine and eating hotpot. We also had, hot chocolate and cookies. It was really fun, and created a lot of good cheer and memories.

I’ve heard many things about special Vietnamese Tet traditions, particularly “first-footing” and “lucky money.” I hope to explore these traditions more in Hue this year.

I would like to send my best very wishes to all the people in Vietnam during Tet.

Perri Black, a foreign editor for VOV, shares: “May the upcoming Year of the Dragon bring peace and prosperity to all”

Tet is a very interesting time in Hanoi. The month or so before the actual New Year’s Day is a bit like the frantic month-long build up to the Christmas holiday in the US.

People in Hanoi enthusiastically begin their Tet preparations on January 1, after the Western New Year’s Eve festivities the night before. Supermarkets and shopping centers are jammed with all kinds of seasonal goodies in bright, glittering packaging and shoppers gleefully sort through them to find just the right things. The festive spirit is palpable and seems to permeate everything.

It’s a great time to be in Hanoi and you can’t help but get caught up in the general excitement. The traffic increases alarmingly, which can be bit unnerving, but people are always in a good mood and look forward to spending time with family and friends. The restaurants are packed with partiers singing along to Abba’ ‘Happy New Year’ and the mass exodus out of the city a few days before New Year is amazing!

It all comes to a grinding halt about 3pm on New Year’s Eve and an eerie, expectant quiet falls over the city as everyone awaits midnight, fireworks and the beginning of the official holiday. In the days that follow the streets are relatively quiet but pagodas and temples are mobbed. As a foreigner, you will probably receive numerous invitations to visit friends’ homes during the holiday, and they are well worth accepting to enjoy the true spirit of Tet, sample the traditional foods, and welcome in the New Year.

I want to wish everyone the best of luck in their Tet preparations and a safe and happy holiday with their families. May the upcoming Year of the Dragon bring peace and prosperity to all.

A trip to Thac Ba lake

This artificial lake has 1,331 islands and hills with diverse ecological environments. The water in the lake is blue and clear, and imprinted with the reflections of the surrounding ancient forest.

Situated 180km from Hanoi, Thac Ba Lake is one of three Vietnam's largest artificial lakes and famoust for the first hydro power plant. Thac Ba Lake is known as an actractive eco-tourism site.

Thac Ba Lake was created in 1970 by the construction of a dam on the Chay River. Thac Ba reservoir covers a total area of 23.400 ha, of which 19.05 ha is water area and the remaining 4.35ha of islets on the Reservoir. The length of the Reservoir is 80km, maximum width is 10km, the average depth is 15 - 25m and maximum depth is 42m.

Tourists can go to visit Thuy Tien cave, Xuan Long cave, Cao Bien and Chang Re mountain, Trinh Nam island ... Coming to Thac Ba, tourists can also discover the natural beauty of primitive forest and thousands of islands, rocky mountains.Thac Ba Lake is not only a beautiful landscape, but it is also a national vestige. In 1285, the Thu Vat Battle took place under the command of Tran Nhat Duat against Mongolian invaders.

During the resistance war agaist the American, Thuy Tien cave is the revolutionary base of Yen Bai provincial committee. Thac Ba is recognised a place of historical and cultural interest by the government. There are major plans to develop eco-tourism resorts in the surrounding area. For a long time Thac Ba Lake has become Yen Bai people's pride.

There are 12 ethnic minority groups such as Dao, Tay, Nung, Cao Lan, Phu La.surrounding Thac Ba reservoir. These ethnic minority groups feature their own special and colourful traditional festivals. Coming to Thac Ba lake, tourists will have chance to enjoy speciality fish dishes, such as ven (bream), lang (hemibagrus), qua (snake-head), bong tuong (goby) and thieu bac (culteralburnus). Visitors can also sample Dai Minh famous sweet mandarins and pommelos.

From Dusk To Dawn at crocodile lake

Nestled deep in the middle of the more than 70,000-hectare Cat Tien national park is a large freshwater lake that local forest rangers call Bau Sau (Crocodile Lake).

The aptly-named lake is home to over 100 crocodile species but to see them requires patience and effort. The local ranger informed us that the best time to observe the long-tailed, hard-skinned and big-jawed reptiles are either when dusk is falling or dawn is breaking. Dawn and dusk are the quiet periods at the lake for the crocodiles to emerge from the tranquil waters and rest on the banks which are bordered with grass bushes. However, most trips to see the crocs are at night when a ranger with a battery-fueled light accompanies his guests on a trip along the banks of the lake to protect them and to show tourists where crocodiles sit onshore at night. When the ranger sees two red spots in the distance, he will tell his guests to be silent as he moves in slowly toward the spots that he knows are the eyes of a crocodile. If luck is on their side, the ranger and tourists can get real close to the crocodile and they may also catch the sight of a herd of deer looking for food on the outskirts of the forest as a reward for their trekking for hours in grass bushes and in the dark wild. The search for crocodiles often ends some hours before midnight, as guests are advised to go to bed early so that they can wake up in the wee small hours in preparation for a boat ride on the lake before the sun rises in the east. It can be a hair-raising trip and not for the faint-hearted. Crocodiles are not usually afloat on the water to wait and greet curious and nervous people on the boat, but sometimes they hit the boat when they move underwater in the lake. A common scene is of currents Tourist shoots pictures of Crocodile Lake at dusk of water created by the crocodile when the reptile swims away when the boat approaches. It’s a nice surprise that many birds of different colors are seen perching in the trees and wandering in grass bushes on islets in the lake in search of food. In the early morning and at sunset, these birds sing in chorus and help visitors forget their fears about what is lurking a few feet away under water. The water of the lake is so transparent that it reflects beautifully-shaped old trees and birds flying in the sky, making the lake and surroundings like a picturesque painting. Of course, this painting looks different when the crocs are ready to pounce. Cat Tien National Park is around 150 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City. A 10 kilometre car drive from the park’s management office will lead to a path, on which adventurers have to trek five kilometres through vast areas of trees to reach Crocodile Lake. It’s worth the effort.

Duong Long Cham Tower, a beautiful architecture

Duong Long Tower was built in the 12nd century with very beautiful architecture. It is also called Thap Nga meaning "ivory tower". 

The Tower is located at Go Dang, Binh Hoa Commune, Tay Son District, Binh Dinh Province.

This towner comprises of three biggest towers. It was built in the 12nd century with very beautiful architecture. Duong Long Cham Tower, also called Thap Nga meaning "ivory tower" is located  about 40km from Quy Nhon and 270km from Danang City. The highest tower, 35m high, is in the middle, and the two others are 22m.

Built of bricks, its corners have got motifs with stone carvings of sacred animals such as Garuda birds, elephants, and eagles. Its gate faces the east and is rather high (about 1.5m) and the gates frame is made of big stones. Its upper part is built of big stones, which are skilfully superimposed on each other. Many big, body leaf-shaped bas embossments describing monks, dancers and singers are found on the walls.

These figures with rather big heads wear corner hats. Particularly, the top of the tower looks like a great lotus with its rising petals. All the decorative motifs of the tower are very big and carved on sandstone. This tower complex is one of the most beautiful in Central Vietnam. 

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Spirit Of The Sea

Located on the Thanh Da Peninsula along Ho Chi Minh City’s romantic riverside, the Binh Quoi 2 Tourist Area boasts a miniature fishing village within the busy city where couples and families enjoy weekend gatherings.

The area is among the most popular tourist destinations in the southern Vietnam thanks to its scenic atmosphere of the river, green lawns, lily ponds and coconut trees.

Binh Quoi 2’s offers specialized services for entertainment, sports, quaint bungalows and first class restaurants, which attract locals and foreigners eager to temporarily escape their busy lives wandering on well kept lawns, taking photos, enjoying quiet moments and eating elegant meals.

The tourist village cuisine features a host of delicacies from northern, central and southern Vietnam.

The “Tasty Dishes of the Sea” buffet, which is available only on weekends, is exceedingly popular among tourists. The chefs follow the time honored recipes from the fishing villages of Vietnam’s central coast to prepare squid, prawns, fish, crab, flower crab and snails.

The buffet includes seafood soup, green papaya salad with shrimp, kohlrabi salad, grilled ark shell with green onion oil, ark shell with hot and sour sauce, sea snails stir-fried in coconut milk and apple snails grilled with pepper.

For dessert, the buffet has sweet soup with coconut milk or agar-agar Jelly and pomegranate seeds, taro, cassava, green bean and sweet potato, sweet green bean soup and fresh fruit.

In addition to all the great food, customers rave about the restaurant’s relaxing ambiance, rural and peaceful, decorated with fishnets, fishing rods and boats.

Customers can also enjoy the sumptuous buffet outdoors amid the cool breezes coming off the Saigon River or even have their meal onboard a tourist boat floating on the water.

The Binh Quoi 2 Tourist Area also features tennis courts, a swimming pool, as well as concerts featuring traditional folk music and other entertainment.

The buffet costs VND210,000 adults and VND120,000 for children under 1.2 meters tall.

To enjoy the flavors of seafood delicacies and begin accumulating your own warm memories, visit Binh Quoi 2 Tourist Area at the end of Binh Quoi Street, Ward 28, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City.

For more information, call (08) 3 556 5470.

A Touch Vietnam

Three Vietnamese men in their sixties were walking down the sidewalk abreast hand-in-hand-in-hand. They looked cheerful with an eye-wrinkling grin at me, but I was not much surprised as the first time in Hanoi.

Almost everyday since then I have been greeted by similar examples of physical contact. Students walking arm in arm on the way to or back from school. Adults talking on the sidewalk. Passengers sitting on a bus…

In my opinion this different concept of personal space is just lovely. Where westerners have strict physical boundaries with strangers and even with friends, the Vietnamese welcome contact with open arms, literally.

For westerners, this contact forward culture can be difficult to adjust to but once you are able to moderate your culturally ingrained stigmas accordingly then it is truly liberating.

Other than observing examples on the street, I am inundated with this reality every time I teach a class of young students. Like any young students they will hug my legs and try and jump on me but they will also try to touch my beard and hair and pull my leg and arm hair. I also notice their subconscious neglect for personal space when I get on a busy bus, Vietnam travel news.

Recently, I was standing on the number thirty-one bus, holding onto a hand rung when the bus began to seriously fill up. People crammed in from all directions and a little old white haired lady found it perfectly normal to nuzzle into my side and depend on me to hold her up, as any Vietnamese would do for an older citizen.

Another great example is what I like to call, “the ol’ knee touch”. You know when you are sitting in a crowded area and someone sits down next to you and accidentally touches your knee with theirs? Yeah, we all know that one.

Well, when you brush knees with someone here there is no jumpy appendage retraction, rather the other party just hunkers their knee in there in an unconscious display of personal comfort, Vietnam travel news.

Those devoted to the social sciences claim that Vietnamese social cohesion was shaped in the village where the production of rice demanded an extensive collective effort.

The strong collaborative family unit, an ever-present cornerstone of Vietnamese culture, was a necessity when it came to the overall survival of the village. Large families traditionally live and work together in the same house, making the western ideal of personal space an impossibility.

Whether or not this socio-historical analysis of Vietnamese culture accurately decodes the actions of those three delightful men walking down the street in a heterosexual display of masculine friendship may never be known.

However, the relaxed and self-confident physical expressions of friendship and love are, from an outsider’s perspective, delightful to observe and act as unbridled enlightening moments.

Hue - Imperial City

Still remaining its form of City underMiddle Age and the constructions of monarchic, a invaluable museum of Vietnam, this is Imperial City - the last remaining section of 19th-century Hue, and it is now a modern experiment in recreating traditional Vietnam. The Imperial City was recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO on December 1993. Let’s take a trip through the most  important historical and cultural monument of Vietnam.

 

Dominating the skyline is the 37m (120ft) high Cot Co or Flag Tower, first erected in 1809. Cot Co achieved international renown on the morning of 31 January 1968, when communist forces seized the Citadel and ran their yellow-starred banner up its tall mast.

The lower part of the gate is stone, while on top is the "Belvedere of the Five Phoenixes" where the emperor appeared on important occasions, and where the last emperor abdicated to Ho Chi Minh's Revolutionary Government in 1945.

Just inside the gate is a lotus pond with a bridge once reserved for the emperor's private use. Across the bridge is the Thai Hoa Palace used for official receptions and other important court ceremonies. The columns supporting the roof are lacquered and inlaid with gold.

Thai Hoa Palace

 Behind the Thai Hoa Palace are a pair of smaller halls used by mandarins to prepare for court ceremonies. The halls form a courtyard, the fourth side of which was once a wall dividing the more public area of the citadel from the emperor's private residence, the "Forbidden Purple City." The name conjures up images of grand palaces like Beijing. Unfortunately, it takes quite a bit of imagination to picture the buildings that once occupied what is now a grassy expanse. What wasn't destroyed by a fire in 1947 was bombed in the 1968 Tet Offensive. The picture at above left was taken from the upper-most level looking back at the Thai Hoa palace and the Flag tower.

Off to one side of the central axis of the forbidden city, about midway, is the Thai Binh Lau or Royal Library. This small building stands in a garden and is fronted by small pond mostly taken up by a mountain-island well-grown with moss and bonsai. You will find similar ponds, fountains or even large bowls of water in many structures all over Vietnam.

Although you must enter the citadel through the main gate, you can exit it at several other points. Between the Thai Hoa palace and the halls of the mandarins, a path leads to the Hien Nhon gate (left). Leaving by this gate is the shortest route to get from the forbidden city to the museum at Long An palace. Along the path are a couple of buildings worth a look. 

A visit to Hue might be considered incomplete without a boat trip on the outstandingly lovely Perfume River. Boats are readily available for hire, either for an exploratory trip in the vicinity of Hue, or for a longer journey upstream to the tombs of Minh Mang and Gia Long.

Perfume River

It's hard to explain the uncanny beauty of the river, though doubtless the irridescent, aquamarine waters, together with the profusion of colourful craft and boat women sporting non la--the ubiquitous cream-coloured conical hat of Vietnam--all contribute to the effect. On a clear, sunny day the Perfume River can indeed be magical.