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Traveling Along the Mekong Delta in Vietnam

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Traveling along the Mekong Delta

The eleventh longest river in the world, and one of the longest in all of Asia, the Mekong is certainly the most important in ex Indochina. The famous river starts in Tibet and, after crossing more than 4,000 kilometers through six countries – China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, it empties into the South China Sea.

The Mekong is called “Cuu Long Ciang” by the Vietnamese, or the “River of the Nine Dragons”, a definition of the eight estuaries of its delta. After doing some reading, I discovered that the number eight is an unlucky number in Vietnam, and for this reason a dragon was added to its definition.

The dragon, a mythological creature that’s revered in Vietnam, symbolizes size and strength; in this area the watercourses are an important source of life, both for transporting merchandise of all types and for agriculture. For this reason the river is likened to a dragon. [Read more…]

Tourist Itineraries in Vietnam for trips of 1, 2 or 3 weeks

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Tourist Itineraries in Vietnam

In this article you’ll find a lost of tourist itineraries for Vietnam. To make it easy, we’ve divided it into three categories (click on the links below to go directly to the category you’re most interested in):

If instead you’re interested in our “general” advice for traveling in Vietnam, you can read this article.

One week itineraries

Saigon, the Mekong and Dalat: History, tropical fruit plantations and floating markets

  • Itinerary type: History/Nature.

[Read more…]

From Ha Giang to Meo Vac: Authentic Vietnam (5 days by motorbike or minivan)

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Traveling to Ha Giang

The appeal of the north

The emotions and multiethnicity that you’ll discover when traveling in Vietnam will stay with you your entire life. It’s an experience so profound that only time will cause it to vividly emerge in your mind, ready to be recounted.

In this article I’ll bring you to the northwestern region of Vietnam, specifically in Ha Giang Province, on the border with China’s Yunnan Province, where the two countries share an immense spiritual and cultural heritage of Buddhism and Confucianism, ethnic minorities and an impressive natural landscape.

Ha Giang

Ha Giang is a peaceful town immersed in the green karst mountains at the base of the Dong Van high plain. I suggest that you choose it as a base for the trip I’m about to recommend.

Like Sapa, the region’s attraction is the limestone mountains that extend over a wide area. But here, compared to the northeast they have a unique rocky formation, with peaks and villages of countless ethnic groups clinging to the mountains or at the bottom of valleys, where I still wonder how they manage to live and grow things there.

But let’s go in order.

How to get to Ha Giang

[Read more…]

Traveling to Ninh Binh and Tam Coc: Natural reserves, caves and surreal scenery

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Traveling to Ninh Binh

An overview of the town

Ninh Binh is located in north Vietnam, along the Red River Delta, and is also known as “Ha Long Bay on Land”, because it looks a lot like famous Ha Long Bay with its karst formations; but unlike the famous bay, this is located in the interior and “floats” on immense rice paddies and waterways.

In this area you can see, and if you want, participate in the rural life of Vietnam. In fact the entire province is relaxing, without much traffic and very few tourists. You can also fully enjoy the panorama, from ancient temples, fishermen among frangipani, rice paddies and karst formations.

How to get to Ninh Binh?

Ninh Binh is the perfect place to relax after visiting Hanoi, the chaotic capital. It is located about 100 kilometers south of Hanoi, and 200 kilometers southeast of Ha Long Bay; it is therefore easily reachable by train or bus from main towns.

The ideal time for visiting this part of Vietnam is in my opinion the rainy season (from May to October), because it is in this period that nature is at its lushest and the rice paddies are a shiny green. During the rest of the year, the beauty will be just as disarming but the colors will tend towards yellow. [Read more…]

Phong Nha-Ke Bang Park: An adventure through the largest caves in the world

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Phong Nha-Ke Bang Park

Why go to Phong Nha-Ke Bang Park

First of all I feel I should recommend this park to you because it is one of the natural wonders of Asia, not to mention a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s the most spectacular national park in Vietnam, with mountains covered with tropical jungle and rivers that proudly flow out of the gorges that open out of the mountains.

Here nature was gentle and superb, gifting Vietnam with an impressive underground system: the largest caves in the world.

How to get to Phong Nha-Ke Bang Park

The park is located in central Vietnam, more or less where the country begins thinning out and everything becomes more serpentine, between Laos and the sea.

There are lots of ways to get there, whether you’re coming from the north or south of the country, seeing that it’s the park destination with the greatest natural interest. [Read more…]

Traveling to Sapa: Excursion in the rice paddies of northern Vietnam

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Crazy House Photogallery

Sapa is an old mountain station in the northwest of Vietnam, dear to the French since 1922. If you like hiking, you absolutely can’t miss seeing this valley that at first glance, will seem like a post-realistic painting.

In fact, Sapa is surrounded by small villages of ethnic minorities and farmers dedicated to growing rice and other cereals and sweet hills with rice terraces in view. It’s an unusual and spectacular scenario.

When to go to Sapa?

The best period for visiting the town is from March to May or after the summer when there will be less rain.

Despite being late into the rainy season with thick fog, I had the pleasure to also observe the mountain peaks on two bright days. If you don’t have the same good fortune, I can assure you that the town will still be colorful and bright, thanks to the colorful clothing of the ethnic minorities that live there and around, with whom I’m certain you’ll come into contact with.

How to get to Sapa

Coming from Lao Cai, whether by bus or motorbike, you’ll enjoy a stupendous landscape of terraced hills.

In the northern region of Vietnam riding a motorcycle is common among travelers, both for the unique mountain landscape as well as the road that is, to say the least, unusually spectacular. From Hanoi, for example, it’s 380 kilometers away, and you can also put the bike on a train, get off at Lao Cai and do the last part – about 40 kilometers uphill and curvy – on bike. However the town, being very touristy, is well connected and there’s even a bus station. [Read more…]

Traveling to Da Lat, the city of flowers, coffee and strawberries

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Traveling to Da Lat

If you’re looking for a romantic destination that’s also a fresh place to find refuge from the tropical sun of the south of the country, Da Lat is the right place: an enchanting and flowery hill city, 300 kilometers north of Ho Chi Minh and 140 kilometers from Nha Trang, in Lam Dong province, in southern Vietnam’s highlands. Da Lat is surrounded by lakes, large pine forests, greenhouses and plantations of coffee and strawberries which has made it famous as a tourist destination for both foreigners and locals.

Also known as little Paris, Da Lat is a beautiful mix of homes built during French colonization, where colonists in fact built this location to escape the humidity and pressing rhythm of Ho Chi Minh. It’s also a main draw for those interested in architecture.

How to get to Da Lat?

You can get to Da Lat by land, enjoying the landscape – as I always prefer, -, as well as by bus and by train: from Ho Chi Minh it’s about 7-9 hours away and from Mui Ne, about 5 hours. If you prefer, you can fly to Da Lat from various destinations; the airport is located 30 kilometers from the city center. [Read more…]

Crazy House (Hang Nga Guesthouse) in Da Lat, in Vietnam

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crazy-house-dalat-0
The Hang Nga Guesthouse, best known as “Crazy House”, is an extremely unconventional building designed and built by Vietnamese architect Đặng Việt Nga in Da Lat, in Vietnam.

The building, which is often described as “the fairy-tale house”, mimics the form of a tree and contains “natural” decorative elements such as animals, mushrooms, spiderwebs and caverns.

To alleviate the costs during construction of the house, from 1990 Đặng Việt Nga opened the house to tourists. Not only is it possible to visit the house (as I did), but you can also sleep there (there are 10 bedrooms).

The price for a visit is about 40,000 VND (about two Dollars!), while the price of rooms vary from 30 to 60 Dollars a night.

The Crazy House is open to visitors every day from 8:30 in the morning to 7 in the evening. The address is: 03 Huynh Thuc Khang St, Ward 4, Da Lat, Vietnam.

If you’re passing through Da Lat, I recommend you visit it!

Here are photos of Crazy House: [Read more…]

Travel to Vung Tau: The beach “near” Saigon

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Travel to Vung Tau

About 125 kilometers South of Saigon is the seaside town of Vung Tau, at the tip of a peninsula separated from the main land by the Co May River. It is very popular with locals at weekends and holidays, being so close to Saigon.

Getting to Vung Tau from Saigon

There are buses from Tan Son Nath airport, and mini vans that leave every 15 minutes from Mien Dong bus station.

The journey takes around 2 hours, and the mini van will drop you at any hotel or Guesthouse in Vung Tau. It is a good idea to get the phone number or business card of the driver, so that when you want to go back to Saigon, you can ask to the receptionist of the hotel where you stay to call the driver. The mini van will then pick you up at your hotel, at the time of your choice.

There is also a boat that leaves from Bach Dang Pier, located in Saigon’s District 1. Note that the boat is a bit more expensive (around 200,000 VND).

Where to stay in Vung Tau

There are hotels and lots of guesthouses in Vung Tau. They are very low priced, you can get room with fan for as little as 50,000 VND. Weekends and holidays will be a bit more expensive, with pricing starting at around 200,000 VND.

Click here to check out the best hotels in Vung Tau.

When to go in Vung Tau

You can visit Vung Tau all the year. The dry season is from November to March, when the weather is cooler. In April it gets quite hot and the rainy season is from May until October. [Read more…]

Travel to Da Nang, the city at the mouth of the Han River

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Travel to Da Nang

Da Nang is on the coast surrounded by beautiful beaches on two sides and the Han river running through the city. Around the city there are also mountains and many pagodas; it is an interesting place to stay and it offers easy access to surrounding places to visit, such as the ancient city Hoi An, only 20 kilometers south of Da Nang, and the Hivan Pass, a few kilometers north.

Getting to Da Nang

Da Nang is in the middle between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi; there are many daily flights from either city with Vietnam Air or Viet Jet, which is a low price airline.

Also if you are coming from Thailand, then Air Asia has recently started direct flights Bangkok to Da Nang. Also there is a regular train service from Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi. The travel time is about 16 hours from either city but the time can vary. Buses also offer overnight leaving in the afternoon and arriving in Da Nang in the early morning.

Where to stay in Da Nang

There are many hotels spread over the city, from 5 star luxury to budget hostels. Some hotels offer long term stay at a very reasonable price. In low season you can find decent hotels for about 8 USD per night, in both Agoda.com or Booking.com.

Finally, it’s easy to find rooms by just turning up, except at holiday times such as TET which is in February about the same time as Chinese New Year. In such a periods it is recommended to book well in advance. [Read more…]