Halong Bay

 

Means 'Descending Dragon bay' is located in Quang Ninh Province of Vietnam, almost 160Km from Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. It is a Unesco World Heritage site and one of the Great natural Wonders. With its picturesque view it is one of the world's most beautiful natural spots. Expanded in almost 1500Km dotted with thousands of rocky islands , it is really a heaven for nature lovers.

Going:

You can plan your trip with any tourist company. Most of the tourist companies are well organized and planned. You can start early morning from Hanoi to reach Quang Ninh province in 3 hours. The boats will be ready to take you in Halong bay.
A 2 day one night trip will be a nice idea. Riding the silent sea when the sun sets in the west will make your trip memorable. You can spend your night on boat or in hotel as preferred. 

Kayaking can be included in your trip organized by locals who have  floating houses on the sea. Beaches are not comfortable for swimming. although you can go to Cat Ba, Cat Ca islands which have very beautiful beaches an also a small city settled down only for tourism. The place is packed with hotels and restaurants all around.
The hotels in Halong City or Cat Ba, Cat Ca city is starting with 8$ till 12 $ for an average hotel.

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Dalat

Dalat , The City of Flowers

located 300Km away and 6hours journey from HCMC is one of the most beautiful place of Vietnam also referred as honeymoon capital, Dalat. At an elevation of 1500 m, bears the look of an Old French city. Dalat can be reached through airways as well. Dalat is a bit of french legacy.

You can get continuous running buses from Sinh Café, Thanh Buoi , Phuong Trang.The buses (sleeper150,000VND and sitter110,000VND) are available 24/7- every hour, especially per 15minutes on weekends. Also the buses are available from many bus company offices around the city.It’s better to take bus in night around 11pm or mid night so youcan reach Dalatto(old name) in the early morning by 6. The hotels are easily available provided you are not going in pick tourist time. Better try to rent a hotel near the Cho Dalat , Ho Xuan Huong Lake to enjoy Dalat beauty in night as well. Hotels are available of all the ranges starting from as low as 6 Dollar. Around the Ho xuan Lake there are many spectacular flower gardens.

Try to locate all the tourist places of city and plan the tour accordingly. There are many package tour for one day ranges in 200-300K VND.If you are comfortable driving bike, list out the tourist places of Dalat, can be done easily using a map and enquiring a little with locals, rent a bike which will cost you from 50,000 to 100,000Vnd depends on the Brand and the condition of the bike, and explore the beautiful city of your own. You can find many places where it is Just keep an eye when you are roaming on road and you can find where u can getbike on rent. Every Hotel also provide bike on rent.

Cho Dalat (Dalat Market) Can be your last destination to hang around till midnight. you can have close look on the culture and the specialties of this place. you can happen to






find some souveniers and lot of Dalat special freshy fruits here. Soya bean soup is a popular drink here can be seen sold many places by street vendors. you can buy some tea with medicinal values ie Atiso Tea. helps your hair more black and smooth skin. Don’t forget to try Dalat wine which is famous through out the country. Close to dalat market is a beautiful lake reflecting the colorful lights of city.



Places to Visit:

Since the Dalat is not spread in a wide area, you can get a map and locate tourist places and then can visit all following the map. 30 to 45 minutes is enough to go to the farthest tourist spot.

1)Ho Tuyen Lam (Tuyen Lam Lake) about 15 km from city center. A cable car (2,267 m long) will take you to Thien Vien Truc Lam (Truc Lam Meditation Centre) temple, situated on the hill top. This is the biggest buddha meditation center and education institute of Viet Nam. The temple surrounded with beautiful flowers and greeneries. A Lake at the end of temple adds the beauty to max. An ideal place to do meditation and feel the healing power of nature. The lake at the end of temple is bful and big lakes surrounding some island.You can take a boat (200k VND) for 4 people to Suoi Da Island to enjoy forest meat (chicken, pork, rabbit, fox, deer (mien) etc… riding on elephant, drinking A-ma-cong wine (highland minority’s wine).

2) Dalat train station– the image of Langbian mountain as well as combination of romantic Western and special Highland house construction – located in 01 Quang Trung, Da Lat. You can take the return ticket of 86k to Trai Mat Village (about 7km from Dalat). Good news for Vietnamese – if u are Vietnamese and u act as you are a tour guide you will get a free ticket ;). Go sight seeing the landscape of the suburb and Linh Phuoc pagoda. Once in Trai Mat, u can visit ornate Linh Phuoc pagoda (DSC05897) – decorated with colourful wall carvings all around the temple giving an impression of sounth Indian temples. build in in 1950, the pagoda is a great piece of art. It is said that sometimes a bright circle surrounded the temple. You can see some photos on the entrance of pagoda giving the details of this incidence.

3) Xuan Huong Lake (06052) 5,1km2 square – in the centre of DaLat lies the Xuan Huong , meaning “fragrance of Spring”, aquiring a shape of plantain. Walking around the lake in cool weather of dalat and enjoying the pedal boat ride in lake in a warm sunny day and eating baked eggs, sweet potatoes, corns sold by street vendors on the bank of lake will be a nice experience of Dalat.

4) Dalat Flower Gardens (DSC05922) – 02 Tran Nhan Tong, Da Lat. The area is 7,000m2 square with many colourful and beautiful flowers like hydrangeas (DSC05585), especially orchids (DSC05637) - the most famous and beautiful flower in Vietnam (DSC05942…). If you would like to have a feeling of being a part of minority people you just spend only 10k VND for wearing a traditional dress of minority people here (DSC05965). Women carry their infants on their backs in a long piece of cloth worn over their shoulder and tied in the front .

5) Crazy House - 03 Huynh Thuc Khang, Da Lat – DSC 06041

This weird and creative edifice is the brain child artichect Dang Viet Nga – the daughter of Vietnamese former President – Truong Chinh. The rooms in this hotel are decidedly odd. The carvings and the architecture can not be explained. Moreover the building looks like you are seeing something in an ununiform mirror. You can lay your head in the bamboo forest, Kangaroo room or the Termite room a nice piece of art will leave your mouth wide open.(DSC05980).

There are caves, giant spider web made of wire (DSC05997), concrete tree trunks and scary-looking animals with glowing red eyes (DSC05995).Some part of scary house is carved on the tree stading stiff in the middle of the construction. You can also rent the crazy house rooms though it will be costlier than the normal hotels of Dalat and will cost you around 25-70$ for a night. With a nominal entrance fee you can visit a 5 storey crazy building which is more popular then the architect owned 5 storey hotel few doors from there. With the entrance fee, the crazy house is under construction. Inspite of noisy dove, colorful birds, hens, Crazy house, situated in silent place, is a proper place with relaxing environment.

6. Love Valley ( Valley D’amour) – 07 Mai Anh Dao, Dalat – 5km north of center of city, the valley of love is surrounded by mountains and covered with flowers and manmade attraction points. In the middle lies a beautiful lake placid reflecting the mountains standing over it. Makes you feel like nature have put all the colours here and left a painting from which you can't move your eyes. Coffee shop aided by governemnt situated on Human Paradise Hill, right in the cradle of nature, at the bank of lake surrounded by greeneries will make you feel a experience of heaven. Horses are available in valley to have ride.

Eat & Drink: Considered as a city of flowers is bestowed with lot of juicy fruits. Strawberry is the main fruit here also used for trade. THe city have countless restaurants to serve the delicacies to tourists. Finding western style food is pretty tough since most of the tourist are vietnamese. Even though you will find beautiful restaurants serving really delicious vegetarian food. Most of the tourist leave place loaded with candies, dried fruits, Dalat wine, dalat fruit drinks. Also different type of tea is avaialbe with medicinal value. Dalat doesn't offer many good handicrafts compared to cities.

Enjoy Dalat. Leave comment and queries here.

Cu Chi Tunnel

Cu Chi Tunnels

Cu Chi Tunnel issituated in the town of Cu Chi, a district of HCMC, almost 40Km from City Center. It takes about 2 hours to get to Cu Chi tunnels by road.There are good government bus services also.

You can go through one day package trip which will include Cu chi and black lady pagoda in a day. It’s better to start early in the morning to avoid traffic jam and enjoy fresh air. There are many coffee shops, situated along the highway.

You can relax there lying on the hammock with lot of fresh fruitjuice.

Historical Fact: The tunnel network of Cu Chi became legendary during1960s for its role in facilitating Viet Cong control of a large rural area only 30 – 40 km from HCMC. Viet Cong used this tunnel for guerrilla war and hiding place. American called this tunnel the black Echo. The tunnel network includes threestorey underground. Life in the tunnel was difficult. The tunnel was acquainted with ants, poisonous centipede and mosquitoes. The second highest death during war was caused by malaria. During American bombing Viet Cong were forced to live in the tunnel for many days. The two operations Operation Crimp and Operation Cedar Falls were launched to study and destroy the tunnel. Operation Crimp began in January 7 1966 with B52 bombers dropping 30Tons loads of high explosive only on Cu Chi. Later the bombing plan changed to Carpet bombing exposing most of the tunnel and turning lush green forest to a bare land. Ultimately both the operation failed. Cu Chi was a big frustration of American soldiers. Courtsey:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Củ_Chi_tunnels.

The 1^st is 1 meter deep for kichen, guest room, dining room, field hospitals , weapon factories – 2^nd three meters for bedrooms, command centre and the last is 6 meters deep here there are lots of trap door.

The whole tunnel is very dark and humid. This will make

the American soldiers could no

t find the way in or out and easily stuck in

many traps .

When the American began using shepherd dog, trained to use their keen sense of smell to locate trap door guerrillas, the Viet Cong began washing with American soap or put American soldier death into this chimney

which gave off scent the canines identified as friendly. Trapdoors were installed throughout the network to prevent tear gas, smoke or water from moving from one part of the system to another.

The Cu Chi Tunnel have lot of hidden traps which gives a merciless end to the enemy which falls in it.

The Cu Chi tunnel is one of the special and must see tourist place. Experiencing it yourself will give you a real scenario of war and pain as well the way Vietnamese fight for their independence.Tourist can fire the rifle and AK47 with a cost of 10Bullets for 250.000VND.

On the way back to HCMC, you can visit Ben Duoc Temple

build in 1993 in the memory of the Vietnamese killed at Cu Chi. It’s nine storey with flower garden in front.

Mekong Delta, Ben Tre

The Mekong river - The longest river in Indochina is divided into nine tributaries within Vietnamese territory and has given birth to the vast Mekong Delta. The Mekong Delta is often referred as the ‘rice bowl’ and the ‘garden of heaven’, because of its rich soil which is the breeding ground for dozens of vegetables, fruit and flowers. A visit to this region allows you to experience the ‘life on the water’ of the local people.

The Mekong River Starts from China and is a cradle for Vietnam.

The soil brought by this river makes the area

surrounding this delta, Very fertile and hence the reason of water of Mekong looks soiled and dirty. The Mekong Delta is devided in two parts.

1) Cai Be

2) Ben Tre

Cai be is little farther then ben tre and if you are planning for one day trip choose Ben Tre first.

Your journey will be for less time and you will have more time to enjoy.

It takes 3 hours for Cai Be and 2 hours for ben Tre.

There are many Tours and Travel company but the most famous one is Sinh Cafe, Situated in Pham Ngu lao Street. The trip for Ben Tre starts at generally 8:30 in morning and by 10:30 you will reach near Mekong River My Tho,

The Place where you can get boat to start your Mekong visit.

You Can also plan a bike trip to Mekong Delta, Ben Tre island. The distance is around 70Km from HCMC and the condition of road is quite good.You can get Ferry to carry your bike to the other end of Mekong.

At My Tho you can find some nice shops where they might be selling belts made of crocodile skin or snake skin but make sure and take help of your guide since the belt can not be made of real skin.

Sooner you will be cruising along small creek to Mekong River estuary, to Con Phung (Phoenix Island) and stop over a garden restaurant at a local house for Vietnamese lunch. They Take care of your vegetarian or non-vegetarian taste and also h

ave a menu to select food for lunch which will be chargeable. IF you are not so specific in food, you will not find any difficulty in enjoying the food.

The motorized boat having a capacity of 40 people will go along the river giving you a nice scenery with lush green islands on both the sides and some boats going around carrying goods or fishing boats or some personal boats. Sooner the boat will stop right in the middle of natural beauty and quiet village in Ben Tre Province. After landing in Ben tre you can go inside the village. Here you can find horse driven carts

and can see the real Vietnam Closely their culture, their housing style and their way of living.

Along with farming which is the major source of income they have some small industry of bee farming and snake culture. you can also taste natural Honey wine and honey. You can find few things made of snake skin there. You can enjoy the traditional music and see some traditional home made instruments. The traditional music is entertaining and you will really enjoy it.

You can try some peculiar and tropical fruit. Here Coconut is a good subject for research for village people. They are quite good in using i in many ways

. The coconut is used to make coconut candy which is tasty but sticky and comes in many flavor. Can see the Making of "Coconut Candy'. Also they make Soap from coconut.

The upper part which cant be used for any purpose is used for making show items, and also used in making spoons and other things.

explore the local coconut candy production process, taste candy & coconut pulp here and then move to the small boat which goes through small canal, also called back water.

This will lead you to your big motorized boat and will lead you back to My Tho. Your bus will be waiting there. and again it will take 2 hours to go back to HCMC.