Do Son – the land to try your luck

Do Son is endowed with a lot of tourist attractions and the breathtaking beauty of nature. Located 22km away from Hai Phong city, Do Son is the only place to have opened a casino in Vietnam. It is believed to be an ideal place to try your luck.

Walking down the architectural history of Ha Noi

From tube houses in French architecture in the Old Quarter and tenement houses in the past to the science of winds and waters in living spaces, Hanoi in Vanessa Frey’s mind is always extraordinary.

Tea with longan and lotus seed

Tea with longan and lotus seed is considered as the Vietnamese quintessence...

With longan and lotus seeds, the Vietnamese can create a kind of special-flavor tea. It is considered the quintessence of the heaven and earth. The tea is aromatically fragrant with an original flavor.

Containing longan fruit pieces and lotus seeds, this kind of tea is fragrant with a full-bodied taste. The original and naturally flavored beverage is rich in glucose, sucrose, proteins, and other minerals. Longan flesh is sweet and contains niacin, which aids metabolism and keeps the skin, nervous, and digestive systems healthy. Lotus seeds can treat nervous depression and sleeplessness.

Ca tru singing

Perhaps, the most important catalyst in the development of contemporary Vietnamese folkloric performance was the appearance of the call-and-response dialogue song. These kinds of songs have created a significant role in forming the Vietnamese culture values. Witnessing a ca tru play means hearing the beautiful voice of lady singers and at the same time, enjoying the poem written for this style of singing! 

Why travel to Vietnam

Most people still think of Vietnam as a battle field, in fact, HOWEVER, that old history has all gone for long, giving place to a brand new era when peace and safety reside! These days, instead, you may often hear CNN, BBC, or many other prestigious channels talking about something like "Vietnam - a safe destination of the new millennium", or "Vietnam - the Hidden Charm" , etc. Yes, it's now opening to the world as a friendly and exotic place on earth!

Soup Cake of Hue

Salmon is low in calories and saturated fat, yet high in protein, and it is a very good source of phosphorus, magnesium and vitamins essential for human health. Fried salmon with lemon extract is a delicious and memorable dish once tasted. It’s also a great dish to choose if you are watching your weight.

Phu Quoc Past Soul

Located at the 4 ha hill, the Origination Museum is like a miniature Phu Quoc with many antiques, potteries and porcelains that were fished out from the Phu Quoc sea and vestiges of the fresh ground in Southern Vietnam.

TET HOLIDAY

Tet - Vietnamese and Chinese Lunar New Year, is the most important Festival of Vietnamese people. This scared Festival sometime between late January or early February (depend on Lunar Calendar ) and Tet has become so familiar to the Vietnamese that when Spring arrives, the Vietnamese, wherever they may be, are all thrilled and excited with the advent of Tet, and they feel an immense nostalgia, wishing to come back to their homeland for a family reunion and a taste of the particular flavours of the Vietnamese festivities.

Lang Co Beach, near Da Nang

Lǎng Cô Beach lies between Da Nang and Hue. Lang Co itself is a developing touristic area, where the natural beauty of the lagoon, the long beaches and the fishing village is still mostly untouched. On the way from Da Nang to Hue, just after passing the Hai Van Pass, while descending from the pass the very nice village of Lǎng Cô with its nice white sandy beaches appears.

Wood Seal Making

Seal making shops in Hanoi are located around narrow landscapes in the same region as some shops at Hang Quat, Hang Bong and a shop at 2B Ta Hien.

Customers are interested in the wood seals becaof the unique and skilful carving methods. They are hand-made souvenirs with personal marks of traditional culture from Vietnam.A carver of seals, Mr Pham Ngoc Toan on 6, Hang Quat, said that many foreigners have become patrons of his shop, especially the Japanese tourists. He has to learn a few languages becahe so often has to interact with them.

Enjoy Yakisoba in Saigon

In Japanese, Yaki means fried; Soba means noodles. Yakisoba noodles is a delicious food and it has a strange taste… Yakisoba has been a common dish in Japanese kitchens for nearly 500 years. Its ingredients are different in each area in Japan.

HAMBURGER HILL - Đồi Thịt Băm

Hamburger hill, as this was nicknamed by US soldiers, is a totally appropriate name for converying how fierce and brutal war was. Four decades on, Hamburger Hill has become a tourist attraction, a place that reminds young people of the older generation’s sacrifice and patriotism

How to cross the street in Vietnam

Scared - that's the answer of travellers who be asked: "how did you feel while you cross the street in Vietnam?". Getting around Ha Noi and Saigon on foot is so popular with foreigner travellers, but the traffic in Ha Noi and Saigon is very crowded with motor-cycles, taxis, buses, cars... they seem to be never stop. If you travel to Vietnam, you should learn how to cross a street in Vietnam. Trust me!

Acess to Cambodia from Vietnam (by land)

1. Bavet (Cambodian side) – Moc Bai (Mộc Bài - Vietnamese side)

On the Cambodian side, the Bavet international border checkpoint is located in Svay Rieng Province, and on the Vietnamese side, The Moc Bai international border checkpoint is located in Tay Ninh Province.

This is the most popular international border checkpoint to access to Cambodia from Vietnam.

Tourist can reach Cambodian from Vietnam through the gates. Visas on arrival and E-visas are available there. They can get access to Phnompenh by National Road No.1. The distance between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnompenh is 230km.

Everyday, there are a lot of bus departure from Ho Chi Minh city to Phnompenh, siem Riep,… and back: Mailinh Bus, Kumho Bus, Sapaco Bus, Mekong Express Bus,…

Health & Safety

Health Insurance:

Never travel without a health insurance as there might always happen an accident. Ask your insurance whether, in case of an emergency, a return transport to your home country is included or not. Also, check before your travel, whether the insurance pays for adventure activities and medical expenses.

Pharmaceuticals:

If you need special or even regular medicine, better take it with you, as it might be difficult to find it in Vietnam.

Non La – A Symbol of Vietnamese’ Charm and Romance

When travelling throughout Vietnam, tourists never fail to take notice of the local charming ladies donned in Áo Dài (Vietnamese traditional long dress) and Non La (conical leaf hat, Vietnamese: Nón Lá) walking gracefully along the streets. By no doubt, the Ao dai embody the femininity and charm of the Vietnamese women, while the appeal and functionality of the Nón Lá creates a beautiful harmony of the entire ensemble, leaving a strong impression of gracefulness and romance to any tourist who visits the country. In recognition of the hat’s distinct shape, Nón Lá earned its common name, “Vietnamese conical hat”.

Hotels in Ha Noi City

5 Star - 

Sofitel Metropole Hanoi 

Add: 15 Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem, Ha Noi

Tel: (84-4) 3826 6919

Fax: (84-4) 3826 6920/ 39347469

Price from:  200  USD

Hilton Hanoi  

Add: 1 Le Thanh Tong Street

Tel: (84-4) 39330500

Fax: (84-4) 39330530

Price from:  145  USD

BUN CHA CA ((Rice Noodle Soup With Fish Paste)

Bun cha ca (rice noodle soup with fish paste) is a popular breakfast dish in the coastal areas of the south. In Ninh Thuan Province, bun cha ca is served at most street-side shops and restaurants for the cheap price of VND6,000.
The main ingredients of the dish are white rice noodles, fish pieces and fish cakes but there’s an art to making a tasty bowl of bun cha ca.

Tiny crab soup does a body good

At H’s Cua Dong Restaurant, paddy crabs can be found everywhere.
But you won’t see them anywhere.
Instead, the silver-dollar sized, freshwater crustaceans have been pounded into a paste (shell and all) and strained into savory broths that flavor the vegetables, soups, and dipping sauces that make up the menu.

Hoi An Ancient Town

Description
For visitors of Viet Nam with even the slightest interest in the national culture and history, Hội An is a must-see.
In ancient days Hội An was a major international port from the 15th to the 19th centuries. At that time, Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Dutch settlers rubbed shoulders with the Vietnamese to produce a rich local culture, whose foreign influences are discernible to this day.