Exploring Hoi An Vietnam

Exploring Hoi An Vietnam
Hoi An is located in central Vietnam, and is the center of Vietnam’s clothing industry – at least for tourists.

Hoi An was a major international port in the 16th and 17th centuries, and a major center for Chinese and Japanese immigration. Many of these ancient structures are preserved, and the heart of the city is still the Old Town, full of winding lanes and Chinese-styled shop houses. A river flows through the town, splitting the old section from the main residential area. Centre Vietnam travel tours

The city has managed to preserve most of its historic buildings, and the rapid development you see in other parts of Vietnam has seemingly skipped this area. The city’s economy relies heavily on tourism and clothing. In fact, tourists (including me) come to this city for three reasons: food, clothing, and the Old Town. Tours Indochina Vietnam

Hoi An Vietnam Fisherman

Hoi An is known for its food. I’m probably the only person who went to Vietnam and did not like the food. Throughout the country, I was just not impressed with what I ate. However, Hoi An was different. I loved the food here. I loved the Cau Lau, a dish similar to Pho but not as slippery. There’s pork, noodles, spices, and fresh herbs and veggies, but the taste and texture was much better. Real Cau Lau is only found in Hoi An, as it isn’t considered authentic if the water isn’t from a well in town. The White Rose, a shrimp dish, is also good, as are the fried wontons. Here’s a tip though: Eat across the river! Most of the tourists stick to the restaurants in the Old Town or close by, but if you cross the river into the more residential area, the owners practically chase you down for your business. Prices are half of what they are in the Old Town, and you avoid the mass of tourists squawking away during dinner.

Clothing is probably the biggest draw in Hoi An. In a country known for cheap clothing, Hoi An is in a league of its own. Everything can be made here, and made cheap. Stores all over the city sell t-shirts and jeans for a few dollars, and the town’s central warehouse will make anything you want. Flip through magazines and just point to something, and the next day it is yours, tailored to fit you. Want a new pair of Nikes? You can get those here, too.

the beachside walk in hoi an, vietnam

The quality is also really good. Most international clothing makers have their stuff made in Vietnam so the craftsmanship and quality is the same. Half the material is probably lifted from the Versace or Nike factory anyway! Suits can cost as little as $30, and a whole wardrobe can be purchased for less than $100. It’s such big business here that the Vietnamese postal service has a special office dedicated solely to shipping packages overseas.

Finally, there is the beautiful Old Town. This section of Hoi An has been preserved by strict zoning laws, something I found very unusual in a country that seemed ready to develop anything. The Old Town is a collection of historic Chinese and Japanese residential buildings and temples. You can visit all the temples and a number of houses. I showed up at one house and the old owner showed me around and gave me tea. He didn’t charge me anything, either. I still don’t think he fully understood why I was there. I enjoyed the Japanese temple and the Japanese bridge the most out of all the temples. However, the best part of the day is ending it with a 12-cent beer while watching the sunset over the river. Many cafes line the river and, during sunset, they fill up as people enjoy the last remnants of the day.

hoi an at night

Overall, there isn’t a lot to do in Hoi An. Without a good book or a desire to shop, you’ll find yourself itching for some excitement elsewhere, but the beauty of Hoi An is that it’s an oasis of calm in a country that can sometimes be overwhelming.

Savouring a Temporary Calm in Saigon

Savouring a Temporary Calm in Saigon

With lunar new year just over, Saigon embarked on a slow crawl out of its celebratory coma. Motorbikes that furiously ferried kumquat trees to houses around town started making the slow return to where they came. Trucks that carried knotted bonsai and crooked branches awash in yellow then picked up many of the trees, the flowers long gone, pointy branches sticking out of the back end of the vehicle as it bumped along the road. South Vietnam tours packages

While a good part of the city does shut down during Tet, as a temporary resident it is one of the more pleasurable times of the year to be here. The frenzy of preparation and cleaning as the new year approaches is followed by a flurry of activity on Tet eve, and then a slow fall back into calm before the city recalibrates to its normal chaotic state. It isn’t just the heightened energy that is compelling, but also that drawn-out decline.

In the narrow mini-alleyways leading off my street, doors remained open and families played board games or cards, half glancing up as passerbys approached. Kids stood in the middle of the lanes, giggling over a game of badminton or soccer. Groups of women crouched over bingo cards laid out on their living room floors, exposed to the world, a big change from the privacy so valued in the west. JAHAN CRUISE MEKONG

In those tiny interconnected passageways, no wider than my arm span — which, we all know, is not so wide — a whole other world exists. This is the same in many Southeast Asian countries — Thailand’s back alley sois also feel like they are a microcosm of humanity in one small space. But in the days after Tet in Saigon, you are exposed to all of the living at once, with lowered defences and many shouted invites to join in for a game, for a drink, for a bite of food. The spiderweb of tiny connected spaces are there throughout the year, and hellos or nods of greeting pepper any wander within them, but during a week of national celebration the enthusiasm and openness is potent.

On the last day before the holidays ended and school began, the parks were teeming with people, and vendors flocked from all sides of the trees with no police to chase them away.** A few days prior these parks were full of plants and trees and colour, a makeshift flower market for pre-Tet purchases. After the new year, the flowers were gone and for a few thousand Dong (15 cents), one can rent a space of cardboard to sit on and watch groups of students with guitars or playing cards, or just to eat tons of snacks and tea and soda, sitting and laughing as the sun sets on the new year vacation.

**While street food is popular, vendors are often subject to a raid by the police. More from a Hanoi perspective here.

Pre-Tet flower saleFor
In the lead up to last year’s holiday, I was able to make banh Tet and banh chung, two forms of dense steamed rice cakes traditional to the lunar new year, with my landlady and her husband’s mother. This year, I was invited by my friend Uyen to make them with her family, sitting on the floor in a pile of banana leaves and onions and pork and rice, trying to emulate the style of the steamed cakes without ruining them in my imprecision.

Banh chung, a square rice cake (seen in the bottom right of the photo below) is typically eaten in the north of Vietnam, and banh Tet, a round cylinder version of the same contents, are found in primarily in the south.

banh tet and banh chung
Beginning the preparations for banh tet (left) and banh chung (right).
While versions of these cakes are eating throughout the year, demand skyrockets during Tet. Families often come together to make them, steaming the loaves for hours over a fire once the preparations are done.  While meticulously folding lá dong (phrynium) leaves on her mother’s kitchen floor, Uyen recounted the story of the cakes, said to be part of a prince’s quest to be king.

When King Hùng Vương (from the Hồng Bàng dynasty) needed to choose a successor to the throne, he asked each of his 18 sons to prepare a dish worthy of the dynasty’s ancestors, the winning dish capturing the throne. One of the brothers named Lieu lived in the countryside and was of more humble lifestyle than the others. While many of the other princes travelled far and wide to procure the most exotic of dishes and ingredients,  Lieu had no means to do so and no background as a cook. Instead, Lieu…

“…sat looking out over the rice fields all morning. At noon he had an idea. He walked back to his hut and soaked a pot of sweet rice after selecting the most perfect grains. He also soaked a pot of beans and then placed them on the fire to cook. He gathered fresh banana leaves in the forest. He planned to make some cakes that were square-shaped to represent Mother Earth and all the plants that flourished on her. He used sweet rice because it was the people’s most basic and essential food, enjoyed by even the poorest families in the kingdom.

He filled the cakes with bean paste and fragrant onions to represent other gifts from the earth. He shaped the cakes into perfect squares and wrapped them in fresh banana leaves bound by thin strips of bamboo. He boiled them in a large kettle until the rice was cooked. While the earth cakes were boiling, he steamed another pot of sweet rice which he then pounded into a smooth paste. He shaped the paste into spheres to represent the sky and placed them on fresh green leaves. Both kinds of cakes were made without any waste, using only the simple ingredients that were available to all people, rich or poor.”

With his dishes symbolic of sky and of earth, of respect for his ancestors and an appreciation of what was within the kingdom’s borders, Lieu’s dish was selected by the king, and Lieu won his father’s heart (and the throne). Though not as extravagant as the other meals, the simplicity and ancestral worship dovetailed with the goals of the dynasty.

(For a longer retelling of the story, please see Earth Cakes, Sky Cakes)

Wrapping banh chung
I was given my own banh chung box to give the wrapping a try, putting my many years of present-wrapping in my family to the test. On the leaves, I layered rice, then beans, then pork and two small onions, and topped the pork with more mung beans and a final layer of rice. A square sheet of banana leaf, shiny side down, ensured that the rice took on a tinge of green as it boiled. With each layer, I was instructed to pack the rice and mung beans aggressively into the square mold, pressing hard against the corners.

When the package was complete, I pulled the leaves as tightly as I could and flipped over the wooden square, pushing out the banh chung and tying with reeds. With the first package, Uyen’s mum shook her head. The wrapping, she said, was perfectly pulled against the ingredients inside — but the package was too anemic. I needed to add more rice and mung beans next time.

The day at Uyen’s place was more than just a warm invitation to a long-standing new year tradition. As we worked on the rice cakes, she softly narrated her family’s history, how her parents met, and how she and her brother grew up. I left “banh school” a proud graduate of less skinny rice cakes, and the banh were put on the fire for the next many hours. Uyen dropped one off at my apartment the next morning, freshly cooked and waiting for lunar new year and my taste test.

Banh tet
Banh tet, as wrapped expertly by Uyen’s mum.
With two years of Tet under my belt, I can safely say that it is one of my favourite times to be in town. For visitors, I tend to recommend heading to the central region instead — to Hoi An or Hue or Da Lat — where travellers can relax by the beach and enjoy the colours and traditions. For those with more time, Saigon is an excellent place watch the rise and fall of energy as the lunar new year approaches and slips away.

The rumours of all restaurants closing are just not true; at no point did I have to stock up on food as a result of Tet. While most of the street vendors are gone, visiting their own families, many of the tiny restaurants do open up quickly after the new year, and the backpacker area of Pham Ngu Lao is teeming with activity even on New Year’s eve. The downtown core near the river also shuts to traffic and sets up thousands of lights and lanterns and flowers; families take their motorbikes down and wander around with street snacks on hand, waiting for the midnight fireworks to begin.

I meant to write this earlier as a “how to” for banh chung in time for the new year, but my post about getting dengue (and potentially chikungunya too) took precedence.

Since that post, I’ve received many emails from readers, including PDFs from doctors with more information about chikungunya, and people who have gotten both of the viruses. These have been very helpful, very comforting and a big surprise. Thank you also for the many well-wishes that have come my way.

I’m currently in New Zealand for one of my best friend’s weddings. Like Nadia, who got married in red in Costa Rica, Jana chose to wear red for her Waiheke, New Zealand wedding. Two strong women, two red dresses, both marrying wonderful guys.  I’ll be sharing photos from my trip, no doubt — this country is ridiculously beautiful. But until then I’ve been posting many to Instagram here.

From here, it is back to Saigon to continue feeding those of you who are joining me for a food walk, and to keep exploring Vietnam through its food. While I tended to pick a new place every winter during the last few years, I now relish the return to Saigon. It has come to feel like home in a very short time.

Next up, another Thrillable Hours interview and some pictures from New Zealand, including a newly discovered (by me) fruit, the Kiwiberry. It’s like a gooseberry made a baby with a peach but it came out looking like a kiwi. It’s also delicious and I am on the hunt for more of them as they are just now starting to be in season

Saigon Diaries – A Day Trip to The Mekong Delta

Most flights to Vietnam land in its chaotic business hub – Ho Chi Minh City aka Saigon. Now we can definitely forgive you for staring at postcards with picture-perfect Vietnamese panoramas of rice paddies while you are surrounded by Saigon’s nightmarish traffic. These postcards seem to be selling a bucolic haven, enveloped by mist, that’s nowhere to be found. The only ‘mist’ you’ll see here is a result of the fumes arising from thousands of motorbikes on Saigon’s busy roads. If you have over a week or two, it’s possible to experience idyllic Vietnam in all its glory at Halong Bay, Phu Quoc, or Mui Ne/Phan Thiet. If not, then a Day Trip to the Mekong Delta is the perfect way to get a taste of the gorgeous Vietnamese countryside.

A 2-hour drive through suburban Saigon leads to My Tho, an important market town and the gateway to the bustling floating markets of the Mekong Delta. The Mekong River, known as The Mighty Dragon or The River of the Nine Dragons in Vietnam, is the life-line of six countries in Asia (Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and China). It passes through temple cities, lush tropical forests, swamps, rice plantations and boasts of some of the richest and most fertile landscapes in the world. Jasmine Cruise

So we decided to go for a sampan cruise on one of the tributaries of the Mekong.
We opted for a private tour and had the entire boat to ourselves

Our guide Nam, a young university student, gave us a short geographical lesson before we boarded a small boat that took us to Unicorn Island, named after a Chinese mythological figure. We sat on a wobbly bench under a thatched roof as we sampled Vietnamese honey tea. Regular tea is flavoured with the juice of kumquats (a small citrusy fruit, similar to limes) and sweetened with home-made honey. Southern Vietnam Discovery

Bee pollen might be the newest health fad to hit the western world, but here in the backwaters of Vietnam, it is generously spooned into every cup of tea. We sipped on the tea and munched on the accompanying candied ginger, banana chips, and peanut bars as we observed the ritual being repeated for dozens of tourists around us.

Saigon Diaries – A Day Trip to The Mekong Delta

Moments later, we were treated to a rather weary song and dance routine by local musicians before being ferried to a neighbouring island, known as the Kingdom of Coconut. Ben Tre Island boasts of over 45,000 hectares of coconut trees, so make sure you carry an insect repellent spray or wear a mosquito repellent band when you venture to this part of the country. Every day hundreds of tourists visit this island, so the thrill of stumbling on something new is almost non-existent. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less fun.

We visited a local coconut factory and tried our hand at making coconut candy. We failed miserably, so we drowned our sorrows in snake wine- yes that’s a thing! Don’t believe us? Take a look

But we didn’t stop there – our guide treated us to a calorie-laden lunch comprising fried fish, scrumptious Pho, and Vietnamese rice-paper spring rolls. Once we were suitably stuffed, we decided to go on a bike-ride through the Vietnamese country side (yes, that’s how smart we are). As you might have predicted we were panting for breath in no time :-)

Towards the end of the day, we decided to go for a Sampan cruise on one of the tributaries of the Mekong. We stepped into our boat tentatively but started enjoying the ride almost as soon as our boat started making its way past lush palm trees and stunning green foliage. Day trips such as this are bound to feel ‘touristy’, but one look at the brightly-coloured boats bobbing along the calm waters of the Mekong made us fall in love with the river. We’ll definitely be back for more….

FACT FILE
A Day Trip to the Mekong Delta is the perfect way of getting a taste of the Vietnamese countryside if you only 1 day to spare. If you have 2-3 days, make sure you visit the floating markets in Can Tho as well.
We booked our Day Trip to the Mekong Delta with Impress Travels – their staff arranged everything well and promptly responded to all our queries within hours over email. Highly recommended.
The tour costs anywhere between $35-65/person depending on group size. Private tours cost $75/person.
We opted for a private tour – this gave us the flexibility of customising the tour according to our taste. Moreover this ensured we did not feel rushed at any time.

Motorbiking in Vietnam, Tips for Vietnam Motorbike Trip

Renting a motorbike is an increasingly popular way to explore Vietnam. But the traffic conditions, roads and rules are extremely different from those in America or Europe. In the West, rules are strictly (in most cases) adhered to. Generally speaking, drivers stay on the correct side of the road, stop at red lights and don’t carry water buffalo on their scooters! Vietnam travel Packages

Here, things are a little different. Reading these tips will ensure you have a safe and enjoyable journey!

1. Protect your head
Vietnam law requires both motorbike drivers and passengers to wear a helmet. It’s also just plain common sense. If you can, make sure your helmet is made by a reliable manufacturer such as Protec.

2. Learn before you ride
Many travelers have never ridden a motorbike before they rent one in Vietnam. Before setting off, ask someone for a five-minute rundown on how to start/stop/accelerate etc. Paradise Cruise in Halong

3. Left are gears, right is brake
Self-explanatory, really.

4. Think right
In Vietnam, people drive on the right. Especially important to remember when you turn corners!

• MEKONG EYES CRUISE MEKONG

5. Expect the unexpected
Drivers don’t follow the rules. Be prepared to think on your feet.

Motorbiking in Vietnam, Tips for Vietnam Motorbike Trip

6. Park it
Most cities have parking areas to leave your motorbike. This usually costs around 2,000VND, so don’t listen to entrepreneurial parking attendants who try to charge you more than 10,000VND - they are likely trying to hustle you. Hold onto the ticket to get your bike back!

7. Fuel up
When you rent a motorbike, check the tank (don’t trust the fuel gauge) and find out where you can fill up if needed.

8. Biggest wins
The biggest vehicle has the right of way. So avoid buses, cars and trucks!

9. Think about what kind of bike you need
100 cc-or-more semi-automatic motorbikes are best for roads in Northern Vietnam’s mountainous areas. Look for a strong engine, gasoline-saving potential and flexible packing space.

10. Be well-prepared
When traveling to remote areas, bring a motorcycle repair tool kit. It might also be advisable to bring a spark-plug and extra key. Remember to ensure the motorbike is in working order before setting off. Change the oil and check the tyres, brakes, mirrors, horn and light. Fill up your motorbike with gasoline and make sure you know where you can make your next filling stop!

11. Check the weather
Plan the season of your trip carefully. The best time for exploring mountain areas is from late September to the beginning of December or after Tet Nguyen Dan (Vietnamese New Year, in January or February), when there is almost no rain and the temperature is cool. Spring rain and summer heat are hazardous not only for your own health but for the road.

12. Statistics don’t lie
Thousands of people die on the roads every year. Drive safely so you can make the most of your Vietnam road trip!

Hue Festival Travel Tips

With the coming back of Hue Festival to mark the national tourism year 2012, Hue is entering the most amazing time, when tourists from all over the world are flooding into it. How can you spend the most of your time when coming to this ancient city in this occasion? Let’s consult some of useful tips provided by experienced travelers. Indochina Sails cruise Halong
Getting in and out
From Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, passengers can approach Hue by bus, air or train. The Re-union Express trains with the route Hanoi – HCMC stop at Hue’s Train Station, which is located in the heart of the city, while coach travelers may depart from the two indicated cities at anytime in a day at relatively low cost; however, travelling by coach may cost you much more time and cause inconveniences. For ones interested in getting Hue by airplane, your only option is Vietnam Airlines since it is the only carrier in Vietnam operating routes to this city. Centre Vietnam travel
When to go?
April is definitely the best time to visit Hue. This is understandable because when the local authority decided to organize Hue Festival in this month, they should have taken into account the weather factor seriously. Besides, March and August are two good alternatives.
Eating
If Hanoi gastronomy allures all gourmets to this city by numerous exotic street-foods, Hue can do nothing than what Hanoi can, and even better thanks to its elaborate decoration and degustation banquets of Hue Royal Gastronomy. In this day and age, Hue city is much commercialized with Western style restaurants that make it become more difficult to find out an authentic Hue’s restaurant serving Royal Meals and quintessence of its street-foods. Mekong delta tours Vietnam
Walking along Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, ones may recognize several restaurants serving Hue’s specialties that you should never forget to try such as banh beo, banh loc, banh it or banh nam. The street is easy to find, which is situated on the island to Northwest of the citadel.
At night, tourists are recommended to pay a visit at a noodle stall to have a piece of Hue’s night cuisine that you wouldn’t be able to see in any other places in this world.
Another quintessence of Hue’s cuisine is vegetarian foods, which may be best enjoyed at stalls in Dong Ba Market (Tran Hung Dao Street) on the 1st and 15th of a lunar month.

Hue Festival Travel Tips

Drink
AT Ca Thi 24, 64 Le Loi Street, tourists may enjoy best quality coffee and herbal tea in this city while refreshing yourselves in a relaxing green garden inside a colonial villa. Ca Thi 24 also serves caffeine, alcohol and fast food.
If you are a fan of billiard, DMZ Bar and Café at 44 Le Loi Street, with pool tables should be ideal to keep your beer order going on forever.
For ones enjoying the loud of rock and cheap cocktails and alcohol, Bar Why Not at 21 Vo Thi Sau is what you are seeking for.
Shopping
Hue is the homeland of finest Nón Lá (conial hat) in Vietnam with its special Nón Lá decorated with a short poem making its brand-name Nón Bài Tho. Hue is also a venue of high quality rice paper, silk paintings and calligraphy; however, their prices are always four to five time more expensive than real values.
From Trang Tien Bridge, go straight ahead to the North you may get to Dong Ba Market – the largest market of the city where you can find anything from food to household applications and souvenirs.
Getting around
For such tourism concentrated city like Hue, there is not lack of methods of transportation to go around that you can easily catch a taxi, xe ôm, cyclo or you may hire yourselves a motorbike or bicycle at relatively low cost.
Taxi
Although most of the taxi firms in Hue are honest, some individual taxi drivers may cheat you by fixing the meter showing up to 10 times the distance actually travelled. Tip for you is paying attention on the meter and estimate the distance. If the meter runs too fast, just refuse to pay and insist on calling police so that the drivers will back down. The average price of Hue taxi starts from VND 15,000 (70 cents) for the first 2km and then continues at VND 11,500 per one further kilometer.
Cyclo
Traveling by cyclo is something you don’t want to miss, especially when the intention of your trip is to explore the beauty of Hue City. Since there is no meter or fixed fee for this kind of transportation, you may have to make full use of your negotiation skills for a reasonable price before jumping on those cyclos by clearly stating your route to the drivers. Also, don’t forget to clearly state whether it is USD or VND if you say, for example “100”. This is necessary because some drivers tend to make you surprise with an exorbitant amount of fee charged when you stop at the final destination. However, those cheaters are only minor that most of the cyclo drivers in Hue are naive and very helpful.
Motorbike/Bicycle
Besides waving a xe ôm and enjoy your trip in a passive way, tourists may easily find yourselves a motorbike or bicycle at a local travel agent or just by asking the receptionists of the hotel for help. Those vehicles are for hire at surprisingly cheap prices, at US$5 for a motorbike per day and $1 for a bicycle per day.

Bac Ha Sunday Market

In the rugged mountains of northwestern Vietnam, the town of Bắc Hà holds a big, bright and busy market every Sunday. Attracting hundreds of colourfully dressed ethnic minorities from the surrounding countryside, this market is not only a draw for locals, it’s a big hit with foreign and domestic tourists too. On the one hand, Bắc Hà market is a fascinating spectacle: a superb example of a traditional minority market in Vietnam’s wild northern mountains. On the other hand, it’s a tourist circus, where minority peoples are often treated like performing animals, and much of the financial profit finds its way into the hands of the majority ‘Kinh’ Vietnamese, not the minorities. It can be a confusing and, sometimes, unsettling experience. One thing’s for certain: the increasing number of tourists is changing Bắc Hà Sunday market. It remains to be seen whether this will be for better or for worse. Halong bay cruise Vietnam

Colourfully dressed ethnic minorities, Bắc Hà MarketMarket colour: Bắc Hà is a mecca for the region’s colorfully dressed ethnic minorities

Early mornings in Bắc Hà, around 800m above sea-level, are often misty and cold. Whatever the weather conditions, the activity starts shortly after dawn at the marketplace. A two minute walk from the town square, Bắc Hà market covers a larger area than any other minority market in Vietnam. There are thousands of people and hundreds of stalls. It’s a unique spectacle. The produce is varied, fresh and colourful. The minority women and girls look fantastic in their traditional clothing. The men are just as intriguing: drinking various local liquors, smoking local tobaccos from bamboo pipes, slurping local noodles, and exchanging local gossip. It’s impossible not to be drawn into the vortex of this lively, dazzling Sunday market. Vietnam Mekong river tours

The breakfast crowd, Bắc Hà MarketThe breakfast crowd: soup, rice liquor, and ‘Lao’ tobacco at 7am, Bắc Hà Market

But it isn’t just a local market anymore: it’s a tourist market. Now days, trinket and garment kiosks surround the original market stalls. The products – including crockery, scarves, statuettes, and shawls – are very attractive and beautifully made. But, it’s immediately apparent that these kiosks are managed by majority ‘Kinh’ Vietnamese people, not ethnic minorities, and that their customers are tourists, not locals. North Vietnam tours packages

Calls of ‘You buy something!’ echo around the market, shouted in English every time a foreigner passes by a stall. Brief bargaining takes place between foreign tourists and Vietnamese stall owners. After the sale is made the Vietnamese stall owners shout to each other in Vietnamese, bragging about how much money they fleeced the foreigners for.

Bac Ha Sunday Market

Attractive garments aimed at touristsEmpty until the tour groups arrive, these garments stalls are aimed at tourists not locals

Meanwhile, minority peoples buy and sell the less lucrative produce – meat, fish, vegetables, agricultural appliances, live animals (and a large amount of home-brewed rice wine). Most tourists don’t find these products as intriguing – and certainly not as attractive – as the garments and other souvenir-suitable items on sale at the Vietnamese ‘Kinh’ stalls. Thus, a large amount of the tourist buck spent at Bắc Hà market fails to make it into minority people’s pockets. So how do ethnic minorities – who are significantly poorer than Vietnamese ‘Kinh’ – benefit from the massive tourist interest in the Sunday market?

Local liquor portioned out, Bắc Hà MarketLocal liquor for sale: unlikely to attract the tourist buck

Attention, whether wanted or unwanted, seems to be one answer to the above question. On my last visit to the market, a lady from the Flower Hmong, the largest minority group in the area, got angry at me when I stepped too close to her red chillies, which were laid out on the ground. It seemed a disproportionate reaction to me so I made my feelings known to her. As I moved away, another traveller came up and shoved a 10 inch camera lens right into her face, while she made a sale to another Flower Hmong woman. He made no eye contact, no attempt to communicate, not even a smile. He took his pictures and left without buying anything – what tourist is going to buy red chillies at Bac Ha market?

Camera pointing at Bắc Hà MarketClose up: who needs a tripod when you can use a local’s head

After that, I began to notice the big cameras all over the market. Giant lenses pointed right up into minority peoples’ faces, as if they were no more than zoo animals, incapable of feeling self-conscious or offended or that their personal space had been intruded upon. What’s more, there was very little interaction between the photographers and their subjects: no attempt to make them feel at ease or ask if they minded having their picture taken. Perhaps, I thought to myself, there’s a lot to be angry about if you’re a minority woman selling red chillies at Bac Ha market.

Photographer's dream? Bắc Hà MarketBắc Hà Market is a photographer’s dream, but there’s a lack of respect for their subject.

By 10am, as busloads of travellers on day trips from Sapa arrive, tourists come close to outnumbering locals. The market begins to feel like a farce, a Disney market, a recreation of a traditional market: a fake market. However, you can escape the camera-wielding crowd by wandering to the meat, fish and poultry section, where most people don’t venture because the sights, sounds and smells aren’t so attractive. The hot food section is also wonderful. Even though it’s under the full gaze of dozens of camera lenses, most people stop short of sitting down at one of the wooden benches and ordering one of the steaming, hearty bowls of soup. But do this and you’ll actually be partaking in this real, live market, not just spectating. The food is excellent and cheap, and you’re likely to be invited by fellow diners to toke on their bamboo pipes and shoot back their rice liquor.

The hot food section, Bắc Hà MarketLots of fun and interaction with locals can be had at the superb hot food section of the market

In general, I don’t feel comfortable at Bắc Hà Sunday market. I like it and loath it. After all, I am one of the hundreds of camera lenses at this market (the photos in this article are proof of that). I didn’t buy any red chillies from the minority woman I offended, and I was tempted to purchase one of the souvenir trinkets from the ‘Kinh’ stalls. Like most tourists, I don’t like to think of myself as a tourist, but Bắc Hà market reminds me that I am. It would be nice if more tour companies employed local minority people as guides around the market. This would produce a few jobs for local people and it would encourage foreigner-minority interaction through translations provided by the local guides. To see the market at its best, get here before 9am. To give something back to the market and the people who make it happen, buy some of the exotic fruit on offer, try some of the local liquor, wolf down a bowl of the local soup, and ask before taking a photo.

Coc Ly market in Sapa Vietnam

It is the colorful market in a mountainous area where the Flower H’mong mainly gathers to exchange their homemade products.
Coc Ly market in Sapa Vietnam
This Tuesday market is about 35km from Bac Ha. You can get here via a fairly good road, or by road and river; hotels in Sapa and Bac Ha can organise trips. Coc ly is a small village on the Chay river inhabited by the Flower H’mong Minority people. The Flower H’mong traditionally wear a distinctive and bright coloured costume. They are a gentle, softly spoken people who live in the steep mountainous country close to the Chinese border. Because Coc Ly is more remote than Sapa, the dress and way of life is more traditional than in the large centers. Sapa North Vietnam travel
The market deals in fruit, vegetable, pork and chickens, in addition to colourful fabrics and items of traditional dress. There is a buffalo sale in progress and many of these placid animals are tethered close to the market. Buffalo are still widely used in the growing process, especially in the mountainous regions. Horse are an important form of transport in the North West and a quite a few, sturdy ponies were tied to tree around the market. The horse carry a light timber frame on their back to carry produce to and from the market. Mekong Bassac cruise

Coc Ly market in Sapa Vietnam

There’s no dancing or singing, but Coc Ly Market in Lao Cai Province always turns colorful and festive on Tuesdays, when ethnic people gather there to buy and sell goods, dine and drink, or just wander to enjoy the ambience of the montagnard market. Halong Dragon Pearl Junk
Many ethnic traders from Bac Ha and other parts of Lao Cai Province dress up in colorful costumes and bring horses, chickens, buffaloes, vegetables or whatever they can sell to the festive market in the wee hours, and will not return home until 1pm.
Certainly, what catches the eyes of visitors most are the different colors of the costumes worn by ethnic people and the handicrafts they sell at the market, about 50 kilometers from Lao Cai City in the northern province.
You can see young and old Hmong women, wearing skirts and hats with different types of embroidered flowers, crowding the market during the opening hours of Coc Ly. Scarves, clothes, decorations and other items made of tho cam (ethnic fabric) on sale also add color to the bazaar by the Chay River.
The colorful items are put on sale not just for locals but also tourists, particularly foreigners. However, you should remember to bargain when you want to buy your favorites, and the items at the booths located at the start of the path you walk on always have higher prices. Keep walking toward the end of the traditionally ethnic market until you find a real bargain.
A good idea is to stroll every corner of the once-a-week bazaar as you listen to unexpected conversations, see nice surprises and learn how ethnic people sell and buy farm produce, life’s necessities and other things.
After visiting the market, which is the most fresh and unspoiled market of the region, offering a wide range of different colorful ethnic minorities such as Flower C’mon, Black Dao, Tay , Fula, Lachi, Sandui and Nung….there will be an exciting boat cruise winding you through a breathtaking, out of this-world landscape where the mountain grow from water presenting their most hidden mysteries, including caves and tiny minority …A picnic lunch box can be prepared for your most convenience..

Top Three Souvenir Shops in Hanoi

Travellers often buy souvenirs as gifts and as mementos, and it can be hard to distinguish quality from fake. Below are our hand-picked souvenir shops in Hanoi that provide quality products.

 1 – MINH LONG FINE PORCELAIN

At first glance, Minh Long Fine Porcelain on Hang Than street doesn’t stand out from other pottery stores. But once you enter the shop, you will be overwhelmed by the elegant displays of such a huge variety of products. North Vietnam travel

The shop has only one floor but it has just about all of the products you would want to find in a porcelain store. They range from simple designs and average prices to complex designs and prices up to tens of millions of VND – statues, tea sets, bowls, dishes for decoration, and vases in different sizes, colours and decorations.
The rich texture of Vietnamese flowers (lotus, ‘mickey mouse’ or bird’s-eye bush, daisy and peach blossom) are hand-drawn in small lines with soft brushes and no colour stains, showing the high level of mastery of the art. Travellers are often keen on lotus decorations. JAHAN CRUISE
You can test the quality of a vase by lightly knocking it to see whether the sound is solid or hollow, feeling whether the texture lines are smooth or not, and observing if the glaze is well done or not.

Address: 32 Hang Than, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Open: 9am–8pm

Top Three Souvenir Shops in Hanoi

2 – IPA NIMA STORE

Ipa Nima is an iconic fashion site in Hanoi that female travellers should visit. But it should be a top priority for men too if they are seeking an elegantly unique gift for their significant others. Alova Gold Cruise

Ipa Nima has two stores, one at 72 Trang Thi Street and one at 5 Nha Tho Street, both in Hoan Kiem District. The store at 72 Trang Thi has more space and is more beautifully decorated. The main products here are bags, and there’s a plethora of styles and colors to choose from. No design is the same, and new ones come out frequently.
Most details on the bags are meticulously and intricately made by hand. Besides the high-end bags, Ipa Nima also sells other fashion accessories such as bracelets, necklaces or shawls with eye-catching designs, sometimes at very reasonable prices around the 200,000VND mark.

Address: 72 Trang Thi, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
               5 Nha Tho, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Open: 9am – 7pm

3 – TAN MY EMBROIDERY AND TAN MY DESIGN

Tan My is a repository of beautiful embroidery designs for which Hanoi is famous. Founded in 1969, Tan My has been going for three generations. With intricately designed bed linens, table cloths, clothes and handkerchiefs, the two Tan My stores on Hang Gai street are a good place to shop for beautiful and meaningful gifts or mementos.

Tan My’s unique and colourful designs include envelope-shaped bags, colourful pillows for kids and one-of-a-kind, embroidered pictures that you would not be able to find elsewhere. Embroidered pictures are a unique Vietnamese art form and they make great gifts.

A small bag or pillow may be priced under 100,000VND, while bigger embroidery pictures could be tens of millions of dong.


Address: 61 and 66 Hang Gai, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Open: 9am–7pm

Attractions in Phu Quoc island

Attractions in Phu Quoc island
Phu Quoc (Phú Qu?c ), also know under the name Pearl island, is bigest island of Vietnam and is a district of Kien Giang. Phu Quoc tourism is famous for beautiful sea, beaches, primary forests and ancient fishing villages. This island is an ideal destination of Vietnam. Following is my experiences about Phu Quoc travel. Mekong & Phu Quoc island (5 days, 4 nights)

Attractions in Phu Quoc island
There are 3 main tourism areas in Phu Quoc: Northern island, Southern and Western. Usually, tourists come to Phu Quoc will spend 3 days to visit these areas.

Western

Western island is place locating Duong Dong town, seat of island, where is the first place you see when coming to Phu Quoc. BASSAC CRUISE

The first site you should visit is Dinh Cau (Dinh C?u ), that is very sacred temple with the locals.

Next is Ham Ninh fishing village. This is an ancient village with rustic and pristine cottages. You may also buy fresh seafoods and enjoy them on beach when ships of fishermens just docked.

Ham Ninh fishing village in Phu Quoc

After visiting Ham Ninh village, if it’s not yet dark, let’s visit Cuoi Nguon museum, where has been kept the stories and legends about Phu Quoc island. Dragon Pearl Junk

Evening, let’s come to bustling Dinh Cau night market and eat famous specialties, goods of this island.

Southern

The famous attractions in Southern Island is Phu Quoc prison (Nhà tù Phú Qu?c ). The prison was restored like a museum, with wondrous statues about scenes of torturing prisoners. I don’t like this place, it scares me.

Tranh stream (Su?i Tranh ) is derived from Ham Ninh mountain, has beautiful scene and cool air like Dalat city.

Painting stream in Phu Quoc

Khem beach (Bãi Khem ) is surrounded by mountains. This is a beautiful beach of Phu Quoc with bue sea, long sand and the pristine.

Next destinations in Southern are Kingdom of pepper (Vuong Qu?c h? tiêu ) with immense green. Fish sauce barrel houses, where produce millions litters of fish sauce every year. I’m sure, you will be overwhelmed by massive barrel systems. Pearl farms, where has been made famous pearls of Phu Quoc.

Northern

Northern island own Phu Quoc National park (Vu?n qu?c gia Phú Qu?c), where has the most beautiful beaches of the island, along with pristine landscape:

Ham Rong mountain (Núi Hàm R?ng ), Ganh Dau beach (Gành D?u ), Cua Can (C?a C?n, an estuary).

Ganh Dau in Phu Quoc Vietnam

Bai Dai beach (Bãi Dài), the most beautiful beach of Phu Quoc.

Da Ngon (su?i Ðá Ng?n ), Da Ban stream (su?i Ðá Bàn), streams have clear water and many small waterfalls.

Finally, Nguyen Trung Truc temple, the end of my northern journey, is where the locals remember a great hero of country.

Bai Sao beach in Phu Quoc

My advice: You should rent a motorbike to visit attractions in Phu Quoc. When travelling to Norhthern (by motor), quite far distance so you have to fuel fully if you don’t want out of fuel halfway.

How to go to Phu Quoc island

There are 2 ways:

1. Plane.

You may go from Ha Noi or Sai Gon (Ho Chi Minh city ).

- From Sai Gon to Phu Quoc. There are 6 – 10 trips every day. Fares are from $50 to $70.

- From Ha Noi, Fares are from $150 to $250, depend on times.

Planes to Phu Quoc also have cheap fares, but you have to book few months.

If you booked hotels, let’s tell them your plane trip, they will pick you up when arriving.


2. Road and waterway.

This way is very complex.

- First, from Sai Gon, you will go to Rach Gia by car. There are many cars to Rach Gia, you may buy ticket in bus stations. If going in night, you will arrive at 5am. Then, you catch a taxi or motortaxi to go to dock.

Notes: You should remember license plate of your car, beacause in the trip, car will stop few times for resting, you have to remember the license plate to climb the right car.

Best taxis in Rach Gia:

Mai Linh: +848 3929 2929

Phuong Trang: +848 3833 3468

Superdong ship to Phu Quoc

- Shavanna ship. Add: 12 Tu Do street – Rach Gia city, near the dock. Phone: +84773.692.888. Fares: Adult: $15, child: $10.

>> All hotels in Sai Gon city at Agoda.com


Hotels and motels in Phu Quoc

1. Kim Thanh Nga hotel. Add: 7 region (khu ph? 7) – block 20 – Duong Dong town. Prices from $18 to $25. Ok room, good hotelier. $7 for taxi from airport to the hotel.

2. Hong Tuyet hotel. Add: 14 – Bach Dang street – Duong Dong. Near the Duong Dong night market, and dock of night squid fishing.

3. Sea Breeze hotel is very clear, spacious, balcony face the sea. Prices from $18 to $43. The hotel is located on Tran Hung Dao street. Phone +8477 399 4920

4. Hiep Thoai hotel on Tran Hung Dao street, in center of the the town. Phone: +8477.398.1060. I don’t know specific price, but it’s affordable, you may call to ask the price.

5. Huong Giang bungalow hotel. I really like this hotel. It includes 16 bungalows, located in bustling area of Phu Quoc and only 5 walk minutes from beach. Prices from $25 to $30. Let’s try this hotel, i think you will like it.

Huong Giang bungalow hotel
I like Huong Giang bungalow hotel

Some cheap motels in Phu Quoc

6. Thien Vy motel at 6 – Ly Thuong Kiet, near Phu Quoc ariport.

7. Oc Dao motel has very cheap price, just be $10. Phone +8498.2111.232. I don’t remember address.

Specialties and restaurants in the island

Phu Quoc is famous for seafoods. With waters features, dishes of Phu Quoc cuisine are related to seafoods. Such as:

Types of raw: herring, snail, barracuda and few other fishes. Coi Bien Mai, muscle between 2 clamshells. Ham Ninh spidercrab is famous tasty in Phu Quoc. Sea urchin, abalone,…Phu Quoc fish sauce is also very famous.

You may enjoy these dishes at following restaurants:

In Duong Dong town (western island)

Breakfast restaurants:

Crab pudding - specialties of Phu Quoc
Crab pudding

1. Le Giang restaurant is near the traffic circle of night market. This is familiar breakfast place of groups tourist.

2. Quoc Anh on 30/4 street, near Thang Long hotel. I don’t try yet but some my friends said it’s good.

3. Banh canh cha ca is a popular restaurant close to Thang Long hotel. If you want to watch the streets and enjoy taste of the local, let’s come here.

4. Breakfast buffet at Huong Bien hotel. You may call the hotel to book breakfast.

Other restaurants:

5. Vuon Tao (Vu?n táo ), i like this restaurant most. They have raw herring, which is pride of Phu Quoc cuisine. Other restaurant also have this dish, but here is best. You should stay this restaurant in daytime, because it’s quite distant center of the town so deserted in night.

Herring salad of Phu Quoc
Raw Herring – A famous specialty of Phu Quoc

6. Zen is a luxurious restaurant on 30/4 street. Cool campus and Professional staffs. This restaurant also serves breakfast.

7. Song Xanh restaurant has nice view, overlook Duong Dong river.

8. Trung Duong has popular prices.

9. Huong Bien restaurant is located on terrace of Huong Bien hotel, where has view overlook the sea, very impressive. This is ideal place for dinner.

10. Ngheu So Oc Hen and Nghe So restautants serve seafoods with popular prices.

11. Dinh Cau night market has many restaurants close together and prices are also popular. Let’s enjoy Phu Quoc cuisine style very Phu Quoc.

Coi Bien Mai - Phu Quoc Vietnam
Coi Bien Mai salt and chili grilled

12. Gia Tuong is only restaurant in Phu Quoc does not have seafoods, it serves specialties from Phu Quoc forest.

In southern

12. Sao beach club is new restaurant, nice view, well serves. You may rent hammock or chair to eat on the beach.

In Northern

13. Mai Phuong restaurant on Vung Bau (Vung B?u ) beach. Mai Phuong also has over 10 bungalow.

14. Bien Hai Quan on Ganh Dau.

Top 5 Halong Bay cruises you should try

How to Get To Halong Bay?

Due to its huge popularity, Halong Bay is very well connected to any part of Vietnam and other countries. You can go there through different routes:

By water: There's a big international cruise ship that regularly ferries visitors to Halong Bay. The Cai Lan International Port where the ship docks in is just 10 minutes away from Halong Bay cruises.

By air: Hanoi and Hai Phong are the closest airports. Regular flights are available from Nha Trang, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City. You can also fly to these two airports from most Southeast Asian airports. South Vietnam tours

By road: This is the most preferred option, as you can get there by car from virtually any neighboring locales.

Sunset in Halong, a thing to die for.

And now, here're the top five Halong Bay cruises you should try:
Emeraude Day Cruise (top day cruise)

The design is absolutely eye-catching. Unlike other cruises, Emeraude exudes its original French design with pride. It’s a short one-day trip to Halong Bay that'll quite easily provide an unforgettable experience as it takes its passengers to Surprise Grotto or Surprise Cave (Sung Sot Cave), which is considered to be the finest and most magnificent cave in the bay by many, followed by a trip to Hang Trong cave. Most people agree the food and the service are awesome. PANDAW CRUISE

Rate: $74

Glory Cruise (value for money)

For a most glorious cruising experience

If a serene trip free from crowds is what you want when visiting Halong, then this cruise is for you. On its 2D1N trip, you will be taken to a nearby fishing village where you can see its villagers' daily activities. You can even try kayaking, have on-board cooking lessons, go fishing or exploring caves.

Rate: $110

Dragon Pearl (awesome itinerary)

Targets in vacation? No way! It’s time to chill.

When the other cruises struggle to clear the traffic, this one makes sure that its on-board tourists do not have to wait in queue. In its 2D1N program, you can cover almost all famous hotspots, yet get some more time to chill.

Rate: $150

Paradise Peak Cruise (best luxury trip)

Paradise Peak Cruise: the epitome of opulence and perfection.

Just only one word is needed to define this cruise, it would be "luxury". From the aesthetic beauty of the cruise to the rooms, amenities, food, staffs and service, the entire cruise is classy in every sense. It makes a trip of 2D1N.

Rate: $200

Pelican Cruise (top newcomer)

Indulging in luxury is not a sin after all

Launched in 2012, Pelican has already built a rock-solid reputation with its top notch facilities, good service, superb amenities and friendly staff. It offers bay trip packages of 2D1N and 3D2N.

Rate: $260 and $370 respectively

Eating out in Sapa, Vietnam

The town of Sapa in Vietnam is a popular stop for most tourists who arrive from Hanoi on the overnight trains. With the surrounding mountains and tribal villages, not to mention the mighty Mt. Fansipan, the highest peak in Indochina, it is quite understandable why Sapa is so popular with hikers, climbers and travelers looking for markets and cultural immersion with the hill tribes.

Given that Sapa is no stranger to tourists and the post-colonial French influence (freshly baked baguettes, anyone?), it’s no surprise that this little town is dotted with many good restaurants serving local and international (mostly French or Italian and some American) cuisine. You can even get a Doner Kebab if you fancy one! However the price range varies greatly depending upon if the place is targeted towards tourists (most are) or also welcomes locals and expats. North Vietnam tours

I spent some time volunteering with a wonderful organization called Sapa O’Chau,  and ended up trying a lot of different restaurants during my time in Sapa. Personally the joy of travel is incomplete without memorable food experiences and Sapa provided plenty of those. Here’s a list of my top 5 places for a truly delicious meal, all varying in price and cuisine. At the time of writing, a filling local meal with a starter, side and main dish would cost you about $4-5 and an additional $2-3 for a glass of wine. International cuisine is understandably slightly more expensive. AMALOTUS CRUISE

1. Antique Sapa    22A, Phan Xi Pang, Sapa

A simple and high value for money restaurant that does a very good Set Menu. Now a lot of restaurants in Sapa try to attract tourists with local Set Menus that are about $4-5 that consist of a starter, main dish and beverage (hot wine or tea) but not all of them are comparable in terms of taste, quality or portion size. Antique Sapa ranks very high on all of these and has one of the best Set Menus with generous portions and meals that will make you fall in love with local food. Image Cruise

Eating out in Sapa, Vietnam

2. Nature View  051, Fansipan Street, Sapa

One of the pricier and fancier restaurants in Sapa, but totally worth it. This places scores on its excellent ambience, delicious food and quick and friendly service. It serves both local and international cuisine and even does a good Set Menu. I definitely saw more tourists here than locals, probably because of the price range. I particularly enjoyed the chicken sautéed in lemongrass and basil (pictured below), the yogurt sautéed chicken was equally good.

Other recommendations: Spicy sautéed potatoes, pasta, vegetarian and tofu dishes.

3. Little Sapa  18, Cau May, Sapa

Little Sapa is best for its truly authentic and very reasonable Vietnamese food. The prices are among the lowest in Sapa town (meals cost $2-$5) and the quality of food is still very high. The staff does not speak a lot of English so be patient while ordering, they do understand and get it right most of the time. The restaurant sees a good mix of local patrons and tourists. It dishes out what was my favorite Pho-ga (Chicken noodle soup) during my time in Vietnam. The fiery garlic sauce that sits on all tables is a great accompaniment to most dishes.

Other recommendations: Fish spring rolls, Tofu and vegetables in tomato gravy (pictured below) and the Vegetable Curry.

4. Baguette & Chocolat   Thac Bac Street, Sapa

This is essentially a pricy French café that does great croissants, stuffed baguettes, all day breakfasts, eggs, coffee and desserts. Personally I am a big fan of this café and you can read more about its mission and how it contributes to the local community here.

Recommendations: Baguette with sautéed zucchini, eggplant, white onions and pureed tomatoes (pictured), Hunter’s Omelette, Chocolate Croissant, Lemon tart (pictured) and  Apple and goats cheese spring rolls (pictured).

5. The Lizard  10, Cau May, Sapa

 Good for Vietnamese food and friendly service. Staff is very helpful if you’re undecided about what to order. Price range is similar to most restaurants with meals costing between $4-$5.

Recommendations: Tofu curry with mushrooms, eggplant in a clay pot with steamed rice (pictured) and Chicken Spring rolls with egg and vegetables.

7 Things not to do in Vietnam - a Cultural Guide

Travel broadens the mind but stray outside of the local laws and customs and you’ll find yourself on the receiving end of angry locals, or worse still, getting deported or locked up in jail. Follow these etiquette and cultural hints when exploring Vietnam;

Don’t blog in Vietnam – If you thought blogging about government affairs in Vietnam is cool, you better think again. Unlike most countries where you are free to blog about the government, in Vietnam, you certainly aren’t. Whether what you were blogging about was sensitive or not, it’d be ten times better to just use that keyboard to type about the weather in Vietnam. Talk about anything like corruption in the government or even the Vietnam War and you’ll either be deported, or you’ll be thinking about freedom behind steel bars. Blogging, in Vietnam, should be about your personal experiences. Blogging about the government is a no-go-zone. Vietnam travel

Keep your leisure time healthy – Despite having the freedom to blog about your personal experiences, you should know that anything that depicts pornography is highly illegal. Prostitution also happens to be illegal. If you’re the kind of person that loves going to bars and nightclubs, flirting with a couple of women and then taking them back to your crib, this isn’t the place for you. Even sharing a room with a Vietnamese of the opposite sex is wrong and co-habiting is completely a no-go option. Though this law is nowadays not so strict about this, you can never be too sure when things might get serious. Calypso Cruise

As with all destinations, it’s important to practice common sense and these tips are here to assist. Regular readers of our blog know that we adore Vietnam as a travel destination and have indeed produced many posts on the subject; My Hanoi Travel Experience: My Favourite Destination in the World, What to do in Ho Chi Minh City, 5 Weird and wonderful hotels in Vietnam and many more.

Women’s dress in Vietnam – For women, the laws are even stricter then for a man. You can’t wear revealing clothing anywhere in Vietnam apart from your own bedroom. Foreigners aren’t excluded from this law and there are some who have been called rude names for wearing sexy, revealing or low cut clothing whilst out and about. Reveal less and you might just survive in Vietnam. Showing off your bust and letting the men see how attractive your legs are will do you no good. Instead, you might end up spending the night in a cell, or you might even be on your way back to your home country. DAY TRIP CRUISE

7 Things not to do in Vietnam - a Cultural Guide

Don’t attempt to drive when in Vietnam – Your driver’s license is as good as useless in Vietnam. Having an International Driver’s License makes no difference either. However good you are at driving, you also can’t be issued with a VN driver’s license. Only a Vietnamese can obtain a driver’s license. So, kindly don’t bother driving in Vietnam if you can’t prove that you are Vietnamese. And with the roads choc-a-block 24/7 it’s no great loss to forgo driving for the duration of your holiday.

Update; whilst you can’t use your own drivers licence in Vietnam you can apply for a Vietnamese licence should you wish to, for example if you plan a lengthy stay and is required by law to drive a car or motorcycle in Vietnam. Visitors can apply via the Hanoi Department of Public Works and Transportation and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Works and Transportation, contact details can be found on the FCO Official site.


Stay safe in Vietnam – Also, the police in Vietnam aren’t interested in cases such as your bag was stolen or you got ripped off by a merchant. These cases, in the eyes of the police, aren’t crimes. They are regarded as civil matters of dispute. So, it’d be a good idea to always watch out for conmen, distraction thieves and pickpockets. They can lurk anywhere since stealing your property wouldn’t end up being a police matter. If you do lose something, hire a private investigator or someone of the sort. After that, hope that he/she isn’t a con as well. If he/she is, leave the police out of it. Always check the latest official safety and travel advice prior to travel.

Camera action – Despite criminal deception not being a major issue to the police, your camera might turn out to be a big issue. Restrain from taking pictures of military installations. All you’ll be really looking for is an unexpected arrest in which you’ll be taking pictures of your life in prison.

Drugs in Vietnam – Finally, transportation of illegal drugs is among the most offensive crimes in Vietnam. The maximum penalty for this crime is death. Though you might catch a glimpse of one or two people smoking marijuana in the streets, don’t ever be fooled into doing the same.

Phu Quoc Travel Guide

This peaceful tropical paradise floats in the warm turquoise waters in the Gulf of Thailand, 50kms from the Vietnamese mainland and a 50 minute flight from Ho Chi Minh City. Phu Quoc is becoming well known for stunning beaches, untouched natural environment, the easy going and relaxed atmosphere, friendly locals, fantastic scuba diving and snorkeling. BASSAC CRUISE

Phu Quoc is an nearby island, located in Gulf of Thailand, just 45 kilometers far from Hatien coastal town of Vietnam. Also being known as Ngoc Island, Phu Quoc – the largest island of Vietnam is a part of Kien Giang Province. Phu Quoc has total area of 589 square kilometers and population of 85,000 people. Phu Quoc is a system of 22 small islands. In 2006, Biosphere reserves and coastal islands Kien Giang including Phu Quoc islands were recognized as World Biosphere Reverse by UNESCO. Alova Gold Cruise, Halong Travel

Phu Quoc has tropical monsoon climate with 2 seasons: dry season and rainy season with average temperature 22 - 35 degree C. It has more than 350 years of history from 1671. Nowadays, Phu Quoc was invested with seaports, resorts, hotels and restaurants. However, it still keeps its primitive beauty of an offshore island. Phu Quoc is famous for many beautiful beaches, streams, pagodas and seafood.

Phu Quoc Travel Guide

It can be said that Phu Quoc is endowed with many beaches as beautiful as picture which can be compare to Hawaii. Blue sky, blue sea, white sand sparkling in the sunshine and tropical coconuts swaying in the wind are ready to hold any tourist's footsteps. Especially, Phu Quoc does not have several but dozen of beaches such as: Vinh Dam, Xep Nho, Dat Do, Khem, Truong, Vong, etc. Like Halong Bay, Phu Quoc is also gifted hundreds of small islets with different shapes such as: Thom, Dua, Roi, Dun, Kim Quy, etc  in An Thoi islands. South Vietnam tours

Moreover, like Cat Ba, Phu Quoc possesses a national park where reserves many rare and precious kinds of trees. Several streams such as Da Ban, Tranh with spectacular scenery will be great places for visitors to take photos.

It would be a shortcoming if talking to Phu Quoc without mentioning food here. Being wrapped by the tropical sea, Phu Quoc is abundant of marine resources with fish, shrimp, squid, crabs. Nothing will be greater than sitting on the beaches, hearing the waves, watching the sea at night, smelling the fragrant aroma of baked oysters, grilled squid. Visitors who want to buy something as present for family or friends will have variety of choices such as its fish sauce, pepper, pearls, wine and hundreds of seafood which will satisfy all the tourists’ needs.

Overall, if you are looking for a place as beautiful as heaven, as primitive as the land in the Bible, Phu Quoc is exactly where you want to go. A journey to Phu Quoc absolutely will be an unforgettable memory in your life.

5 Must-try Foods When You Visit Hue

Com Hen
Com Hen (rice with mussel) is a very unique cuisine of Hue. Com Hen contains rice, boiled mussel, star fruit, fish sauce, cabbage, onion, pepper, peanut, chili, and a variety of herbs. The specialty is all of these elements are cold. When people eat Com Hen, they add all the above ingredients to a bowl, and slowly add boiled mussel broth with chili sauce into the bowl (the broth is the only hot thing in Com Hen). Com Hen has an extremely spicy flavor as such, so gastronomes remember it just after one time enjoying. centre Vietnam packages

Bun Bo Hue
Bun bo Hue (Hue style beef vermicelli) or more detail, Bun bo gio heo (beef and pig's knuckle vermicelli) is a popular Vietnamese soup vermicelli dish, and one of the most typical foods of Hue, Vietnam. Fine combination of ingredients make the food famous; the broth is prepared by simmering beef and bones for a long period of time, after that a large range of different spices containing lemon grass and chili are added in. Shrimp paste holds no less importance. Hue people usually add thin slices of beef shank, chunks of boiled oxtail, and pig's knuckles or pork into the bowl. It can also contain cubes of maroon brown congealed pig blood, which are good for those suffering from high blood pressure. The specialty is commonly served with a plenty of herbs like sprouts, lime wedges, cilantro sprigs, onions, and sliced banana blossom. Thinly sliced purple cabbage or iceberg lettuces are used in case of lacking in banana blossom. It is highly recommended for tourists to add a few of shrimp paste directly into the soup. BASSAC CRUISE

Banh Beo
Banh beo (water fern cake) is a kind of small steamed rice pancake. The name is to refer from the shape of the cake (like a water fern-Beo in Vietnamese). It is white in color, sometimes nearly transparent and usually has a dimple in the center, which is covered with savory recipes including chopped dried or fresh shrimp, scallions, mung bean paste, crispy fried shallots, fish sauce, rice vinegar, and oil. Victory Star Cruise – Halong Travel

5 Must-try Foods When You Visit Hue

Banh khoai
Banh khoai (delicious pancake) is so much like Banh xeo (sizzling pancake) since they both are made from rice flour, water, turmeric powder, added slivers of fatty pork, shrimp, bean sprouts and then pan fried. Banh khoai and Banh xeo also are wrapped in mustard leaf, lettuce leaves or rice paper, and stuffed with variety of herb, like mint leaves, basil and served with a sweet and sour mixed sauce. In Hue, Banh khoai is placed open-face instead of being folded in half like Banh xeo. Moreover, Banh khoai always goes with a fermented soy bean sauce, and people consider it a winter food owing to its greasiness and spicy taste of the sauce. Therefore, most Hue citizens only make them when winter coming.

Mam tom chua
The central of Vietnam is reputable for its Mam tom chua (sour shrimp sauce) and Hue is the best place for this unique sauce. Unlike normal shrimp sauce (has brown color and smooth surface), Sour shrimp sauce has orange color while shrimps still keep its original shape. It is quite simple to make this sauce. First, shrimps are clean by salt water (do not use normal water to avoid bad smells) and “cook” by strong rice wine. The shrimps will turn red. After that, carefully mix the shrimps with sticky rice, sliced lesser galangal, garlic and chili. Slowly put all the mixture into a jar covered by guava leaves. Just need to wait for 5-7 days and we have the mouthwatering sour shrimp sauce of our own making. This is the best sauce for boiled pork with vermicelli.

Tinh bột nghệ trị nám da, mụn

Da nám, mụn trở lên sáng mịn

Chị Trần Hoàng Hiếu công tác tại một đơn vị truyền thông ở Hà Nội sau khoảng 2 tháng ăn tinh bột nghệ vàng nguyên chất hàng ngày đã có làn da trắng sáng, mịn màng.

Khi đến cơ quan, nhiều đồng nghiệp thấy khá ngạc nhiên vì da chị thay đổi rõ rệt. Trước đây, chị có làn da trắng nhưng bị nám và mụn 2 bên má.

Chị Hiếu chia sẻ: “Vì da xấu quá nên tôi phải tìm cách cải thiện.  Được bạn mách cách dùng tinh bột nghệ làm đẹp da nên tôi mua về dùng. Tôi đã dùng tinh nghệ hơn 1 tháng nay,  ngày uống 2 lần, mỗi lần 3 thìa cà phê. Da không chỉ đẹp mà sức khỏe được cải thiện rất nhiều.

Đây là cách làm đẹp tự nhiên, từ từ nhưng tôi thấy an toàn. Tuy nhiên, điều bất tiện là mỗi lần phải dùng một lượng tinh bột nghệ lớn, mùi vị và cảm giác rất khó chịu, nhưng vì làm đẹp nên cứ phải cố dùng hàng ngày”.

Tinh bột nghệ trị nám da, mụn

Tinh bột nghệ đen nguyên chất.

Còn chị Thúy Hằng (Tam Trinh, Hà Nội) da bị khô, bong tróc. Đi đo mức độ ô xy hóa, các chuyên gia khuyến cáo da chị đang ở ngưỡng xấu nhất.

Đi soi da, da chị bị khô, một số chỗ lỗ chân lông to, cần phải có chế độ chăm sóc, nếu không, da sẽ bị lão hóa nhanh.

Để cải thiện làn da, chị Hằng cũng quyết định làm đẹp da bằng tinh bột nghệ. Trên thị trường thấy quảng cáo khá nhiều nhưng chị không yên tâm lắm vì không rõ nguồn gốc xuất xứ.

Chị nhờ người quen mua hộ về dùng. Chị trộn tinh bột nghệ với sữa chua không đường, để tủ lạnh rồi đắp hàng ngày, thấy da được cải thiện rõ rệt. Dù không còn trẻ như chị Hằng, chị Hiếu, nhưng chị Quyên làm phóng viên tại một tờ báo điện tử tại Hà Nội cũng rất quan tâm đến làn da. Chị đã mua ít tinh nghệ về dùng thử. các bạn có thể thử cách làm đẹp bằng bột sắn dây nguyên chất

Theo chị Quyên, da chị có nhiều nếp nhăn trên khóe mắt, trên gò má và phía dưới mắt xuất hiện vài nốt tàn nhang, vết nám. Theo thời gian, nốt này càng to ra. Chị Quyên muốn làm đẹp bằng tinh bột nghệ.

Hơn nữa, chị nghe nói  tinh bột nghệ giúp ngăn chặn ung thư. Giờ ăn cái gì cũng sợ nên phải ‘chặn’ trước bằng cách uống tinh bột nghệ.

Chị có nhờ người quen mua hộ tinh bột nghệ nhưng cũng là mua trao tay nên không dám chắc về chất lượng. Sản phẩm lại không có đóng gói, không nhãn mác nên chị  chưa thật sự yên tâm.

Ninh binh travel guide

Ninh Binh travel guides are indispensable when you  discover destination  in Vietnam.
Ninhbinh -vietnam is a bridge linking Northern provinces with Southern ones and it is located on the transportation including National Highway 1A and trans-Vietnam railway. Ninhbinh contains all the scenic quintessence of whole Vietnam within its relatively small size. So, Ninhbinh can be said that is a miniature of Vietnam. Ninhbinh - a miniature of Vietnam is a province with potential and diversity terrain of both mountainous and coastal areas. Ninhbinh is located in the transitional position of natural systems: Red river delta, Northwest mountain area in Hoa Binh - Thanh Hoa buffer zone and sea territory. Ninh Binh – Halong 3 days
Ninh Binh

1. Location and weather
Ninhbinh-vietnam is delimited by Hoa Binh and Ha Nam to the North; Nam Dinh to the East and Thanh Hoa to the West and South. Here, the terrain is diverse with mountainous areas in the West and Northwest; and coastal parts in the East and South. The province is about 95km from Hanoi, or 2.5 hour South by car
The average temperature is 23.4 Celsius degree and its high humidity, between 80-85%, there is tropical monsoon climate. The best time to Ninhbinh travel in the dry season. It is between November to April of the following year.

• Jasmine Cruise – Halong Bay

2. Place to see
- Trang An eco-tourism center is a community cenic in Ninhbinh-vietnam. It is the most famous attraction of Ninhbinh-vietnam. With a chain of natural wonders like Tam Coc, Thai Vi Temple, Bich Dong Pagoda, Fairy cave or Sunny Valley; Tam Coc – Bich Dong tourist center is regarded as “Nam thiên đệ nhị động” (The second best cave of the South).
- Cuc Phuong National Park belongs to Nho Quan District, Ninhbinh province. It is the first national park of Vietnam preserving a variety of rare animals and plants. Here, there is has May Bac mount with 648.2 meters. It has tropical monsoon climate, average annual temperature about 24.70C. Especially, Cuc phuong has many caves, beautiful landscape and historical natural remnants such as: Trang Khuyet Cave, Chua Cave, Thuy Tien Cave, Nguoi Xua, Cave, Con Moong grotto, San Ho Cave…

• FROM THE DELTA TO ANGKOR

Ninh binh travel guide

- Ninhbinh - a miniature of Vietnam is great destination for cultural explorers. Here, the number of ancient vestiges may overwhelm any other provinces in Vietnam. In addition, Ninhbinh-vietnam attracts tourists by a complex of new pagodas is Bai Dinh Pagoda.
One more remarkable attraction of Ninhbinh-vietnam is Phat Diem Church - the most beautiful church in Vietnam which was built of stone and wood in all 24 year. Beside alluring tourists by its size, the most interesting part of Phat Diem Church is such a center of a religion originated from Western country, is built in Vietnamese architecture.

3. Ninhbinh ’s specialties
If you have chance to Ninhbinh travel would immediately think about delicious dishes made from goat, Kim Son wine, eel vermicelli and scorched rice (dried rice).
Among those specialties, Ninhbinh mountain goat is a well-known specialty that tourists can enjoy in many big cuisine centers like Hanoi, Sai Gon, Ha Long, Vung Tau, etc. However, it can be sure that you will be served with the most delicious one in Ninhbinh- vietnam, the origin of such goat meat.
You can spend time enjoying these specialties since they are not only delicious dishes but also contain the traditional value of this land. It is also a good way of getting to know about Ninhbinh -vietnam.

4. How to get there.

Ninhbinh travel guide has a convenient traffic system and tourist may get there by motorbike, car or train.
If you are in a small group, you can take a bus or a taxi since it is not too far from Hanoi. There are regular bus which depart from the South Bus Station in Hanoi