Duration: 10 days / 9 nights
Operate: Daily
Tour route: Hanoi – Halong – Hue – Da Nang – Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh city – Mekong – Cu Chi – Ho Chi Minh city
Brief description: Vietnam is a country with a long history and a distinctive culture, and its people offer visitors a memorably warm hospitality and friendliness. In the North, enjoy the beauty of the natural landscapes and magnificent grottos in Halong Bay, which has been qualified by UNESCO as a Natural World Heritage site. In Hanoi, the capital and cultural center of Vietnam, visit many cultural and historical sites and see various works of art. In the central part of Vietnam, the Nguyen dynasty created a system of splendid Asian architectural pagodas and tombs. Going south to Saigon-Ho Chi Minh City, which was called “The Pearl of the Far East,” it is now the center of the economic development and the future of the country. Pay a visit to the Mekong Delta and be fascinated by the immense orchards and romantic riverside landscapes.
Day 1: Arrival Hanoi (D)

Depart today for Hano.i Late this morning arrive into Hanoi, with the rest of the day at your leisure. Overnight in Hanoi.

Included services: Transfer, Tour guide, dinner and hotel

Day 2: Hanoi Sightseeing (B,L)

anoi, a city of lakes, shaded boulevards and public parks, is the capital of Vietnam. It is a very attractive city with French-style architecture. You have a full day of sightseeing ahead, including a visit to One Pillar Pagoda, which was built by Ly Thai Tong and the Temple of Literature, founded by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong. Stop in the heart of Hanoi at Hoan Kiem Lake, which contains an islet with a tiny Tortoise Pagoda. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Opera House and St. Joseph Cathedral. Conclude with a visit to Bao Tang Lich, once the museum of l’Ecole Francaise d’Extreme Orient, which includes artifacts from Vietnam’s turbulent history.

Included services: Transfer, Tour guide, breakfast, lunch, entrance fee and hotel

Day 3: Excursion to Halong Bay and Boat Trip ( B,L)

Depart this morning for magnificent Halong Bay, a dedicated UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, to enjoy a boat cruise past the islands of Trong, Mai, Am, Chen and Cong Troi (Heaven Gates). You will note as you cruise between the cliffs that many of them look like fairy-tale castles. Stop at one of the islands and visit one of the caves. Enjoy a seafood lunch onboard. Return to Hanoi with the rest of the afternoon and evening to relax.

Included services: Transfer, Tour guide, breakfast, lunch, boat, entrance fee and hotel

Day 4: Fly to Hue/Tour the Old Imperial City (B,D)

Today fly to Hue, Vietnam’s political capital from 1802 to 1945 under the 13 emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty. Traditionally, the city has been one of Vietnam’s cultural, religious and educational centers. Visit the Imperial City, which is located in the Citadel. Modeled after the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Imperial City was built in the early 19th century. Explore the Thai Hoa Palace, with its spacious hall and ornate roof of huge timbers supported by 80 carved and lacquered columns. See the Halls of the Mandarins, the Nine Dynastic Urns and the site where the Forbidden Purple City once stood. Your two nights in Hue are at La Residence Hotel & Spa.

Included services: Transfer, Tour guide, breakfast, lunch, domestic flight ticket, entrance fee, hotel

Day 5: Thien Mu Pagoda/Tomb of Emperor Minh Mang (B,L)

Just outside Hue, visit the Thien Mu Pagoda on the bank of the Perfume River, which was a hotbed of anti-government protest during the early 1960s. Next, visit the complex of the Tomb of Emperor Minh Mang, built in 1840, which is known for its magnificent architecture and elaborate decorations and is considered one of Hue’s most beautiful pagodas. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit Tu Duc Tomb, which was built for meditation, reading and theater performances in a tranquil setting of forested hills and lakes. Your final stop is at Khai Dinh, the last monument of the Nguyen dynasty. It has a remarkably long staircase flanked by dragons, ceiling murals and ceramic frescoes. Return to your hotel on the riverbank where your Art Deco inspired rooms are reminiscent of the 1920s and 1950s.

Included services: Transfer, Tour guide, breakfast, lunch, entrance fee and hotel

Day 6: Danang/City Sightseeing (B, L,D)

Today, journey south past the Hai Van Pass and Land Co, over a spur of the Truong Son Mountain Range that juts into the South China Sea, with spectacular views along the way. Upon arrival in Danang, visit the Cham Museum, which features a fine collection of openair sandstone carvings. Stop at China Beach, made famous in the American TV series of the same name. It stretches for many miles north and south of the Marble Mountains. The Marble Mountains surrounding the area are five stone hillocks – once islands made of marble – and each is said to represent one of the five elements of the universe. There are many natural caves in which Buddhist sanctuaries have been built over the centuries. Arrive at your beach resort, Furama Resort Danang.

Included services: Transfer, Tour guide, all meals, entrance fee and hotel

Day 7: Hoi An Excursion/Thun Bon River Boat Trip (B, L)

Enjoy a full-day excursion to Hoi An, a major trading center, once known as “Faifo” to the earliest Western traders. It was also an important port for the Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and other merchant vessels from the Far East. Visit a temple with partially gilded statues in the center, a pagoda dedicated to sailors and fishermen and a chapel with origins in the 1700s that reflects the influences of Chinese and Japanese styles. Stop at the Sa Huynh Museum, located near the Japanese Covered Bridge, which contains exhibitions from the earliest period of Hoi An’s history. Late this afternoon, take a boat trip on the Thun Bon River to Kim Bing Village on Cam Kim Island to see the wood workers and shipbuilding families. Return to your haven on world-famous “China Beach,” with the evening at your leisure.

Included services: Transfer, Tour guide, boat, entrance fee, breakfast, lunch and hotel

Day 8: Hoi an – Danang To Saigon/City Sightseeing (B, L)

Breakfast then drop off to the aiport in Danang for flight to Sai Gon, On arrival pick you up at the airport then
After that we will drive to Ho Chi Minh city and having lunch at the local restaurant with Vietnamese foods.

Afternoon, we continue to downtown of Ho Chi Minh for touring
along the famous Dong Khoi street , passing by the Opera House, Town Hall, Notre Dame Cathedral & central Post Office, War Remnants Museum and Independent Palace are located in the central Saigon.
Drop off hotel late afternoon, check in hotel. O/N in HCMC

Included services: Transfer, Tour guide, breakfast, lunch, entrance fee, domestic flight ticket, hotel

Day 9: Sai gon – My Tho/Mekong River Boat Trip (B,L,D)

Today takes you to My Tho, the capital of Tien Giang Province. Situated on the Mekong River, 75 kilometers southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, the city is surrounded by orchards and rice fields, which produce grain for the entire country. Visit one or two of the islands that produce traditional handcrafts, coconut candy and bee farms. Visit the Vinh Trang Pagoda, the oldest one in the delta on your boat trip on the Mekong River. Return to your hotel and bid your fellow travelers adieu at your farewell dinner.

Included services: Transfer, Tour guide, all meals, entrance fee, boat and hotel

Day 10 : Conclude Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City (B)

You have the morning free to relax before your return flight home. Those wishing to extend their visit to include Cambodia should inquire about our 3 day program, which departs from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Riep this morning.

Included services: Transfer, Tour guide, Breakfast.

Tour route:Ho Chi Minh city & around
Brief description: Don’t miss the bustling Ben Thanh Market- a fantastic place for bargains of every kind! There are several interesting sights in Saigon . The War Remnants Museum has a wealth of images from the wars, the most moving being a gallery entitled ‘Requiem’. The Reunification Palace was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until April 30, 1975. Close to the Palace some of the best examples of French colonial architecture are represented in the forms of Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. Next to the cathedral stands the Saigon Central Post Office, finished in 1891.

Detailed Tour Itinerary:

We pick you up from hotel at 8.30 Am or 1.30 Pm, don’t miss the bustling Ben Thanh Market – a fantastic place for bargains of every kind! There are several interesting sights in Saigon .

The Vietnam War Remnants Museumhas a wealth of images from the wars, the most moving being a gallery entitled ‘Requiem’ which is dedicated to Vietnamese and foreign journalists and photographers who perished during the French and American conflicts.

The Reunification Palace was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until April 30, 1975 when the North Vietnamese tanks came crashing through the front gates, bringing the U.S.-Vietnam War to a dramatic end.

Close to the Palace some of the best examples of French colonial architecture are represented in the forms of Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. Notre Dame Cathedral was built between 1877 and 1883, and the stones used to create it were exported in its entirety from France. Next to the cathedral stands the Central Post Office, finished in 1891.

It is another fine example of French architecture and is Vietnam’s largest post office. For all of its French colonial history, Ho Chi Minh City is by far Vietnam’s most modern city. We will return hotel at 11.30 Am or 5 Pm.

Located in Lao Cai City, Sapa is a mountainous district in the Southernwest of Lao Cai Province ( Lao Cai Travel ). Sapa District is very well-known with Sapa Townlet, a beautiful and romantic resort .
At the height of 1, 600m above sea level, the average temperature of the area is 15-18°C. It is cool in summer and cold in winter.
Visitor to Sapa in summer can feel the climate of four seasons in one day. In the morning and afternoon, it is cool like the weather of spring and autumn. At noon, it is as sunny and cloudless as the weather of summer. And it is cold in the evening. With no advance warning of a thunderstorm short and heavy rains may come at noon on any summer day. Subsequently, a rainbow appears, transforming Sapa into a magic land, which for years has been a constant source of poetic inspiration, lights up the whole region.
The best time to witness the scenic beauty of Sapa is in April and May. Before that period, the weather might be cold and foggy; after that period is the rainy season. In April and May, Sapa is blooming with flowers and green pastures. The clouds that settle in the valley in early morning quickly disappear into thin air.
Sapa has many natural sites such as Sapa Ham Rong Mountain, Silver Waterfall, Rattan Bridge, Bamboo Forest and Ta Phin Cave.Sapa is also the starting point for many climbers and scientists who want to reach the top of Fansipan Mountain, the highest mountain in Vietnam at 3, 143m. Hoang Lien Mountain Range is also called the Alps of the North Sea area since Fansipan Mountain is not only the highest peak in Vietnam, but also in the Indochina Peninsula. The pyramid-shaped mountain is covered with clouds all year round and temperatures often drop below zero, especially at high elevations.
The first thing you notice when approaching the resort town are some detached wooden mansions and villas perched on a hill top or hillside, behind thick pine forests and almost invisible on this foggy morning. Old and new villas with red roofs now appear and now disappear in the green rows of pomu trees, bringing the town the beauty of European towns.

Fresh and cool air in Sapa is an idea climate condition for growing temperate vegetables such as cabbage, chayote, precious medicinal herbs, and fruit trees such as plum, pear…
Sapa is home to various families of flowers of captivating colours, which can be found nowhere else in the country. When Tet, the Lunar New Year Festival comes, the whole township of Sapa is filled with the pink colour of peach blossom brought from the vast forests of peach just outside the town. Sapa is regarded as the kingdom of orchids. Here, orchid lovers are even amazed by the choice, when trekking in the forest filled with several hundred kinds of orchids of brilliant colours and fantastic shapes, such as Orchid Princess, Orchid of My Fair Lady’s Shoe. Some orchids are named after lovely singing birds such as the canary, salangane’s nest, and more.

Sapa is most beautiful in spring. Apricot, plum and cherry flowers are splendidly beautiful. Markets are crowded and merry, and are especially attractive to visitors. Minority groups come here to exchange and trade goods and products. Market sessions are also a chance for locals to promenade and young men and women in colorful costumes to meet, date or seek sweethearts.
Visitors to Sapa will have opportunities to discover the unique customs of the local residents, enjoy the pure foods, and explore the charm of the Ethnic groups in Vietnam. ( Bac Ha Market )

Sapa weather & climate

What the weather will be like in Sapa, Vietnam?
Sapa is a beautiful, mountainous town in northern Vietnam along the border with China ( China tours ).

Sapa Weather

Sapa is a place that you can visit year-round, however, the best time to travel to Sapa is between March and May or mid-September to early December, when the weather is pretty pleasant.
Winter: Sapa weather will be pretty cold, wet, drizzle and foggy (sometimes nearly freezing). Travelers have rolled into town on a glorious clear day and proceeded to spend a week trapped in impenetrable fog. In winter, bring along warm clothes or prepare to be cold and miserable, as many hotels do not have especially efficient heating in their rooms.
Sapa culture & people

The population of the Lào Cai province is a mosaic of ethnic groups. An incredible variety of peoples, some of them unique to Vietnam, are found on a relatively small area.
In fact, visitors can meet 24 ethnic groups, each with its own language, culture and traditions. This cultural wealth is explained by the diversity of landscapes and of land available for farming. History also offers clues as to why the highlands in the Lào Cai province served as a refuge for certain ethnic groups during political unrest like the Taiping rebellion in 19th-century China.
The seven most numerous ethnic groups in the Lào Cai province account for over 90% of the whole population. The following groups are found: the Kinh (the true Vietnamese) 35%, the Hmong 22%, the Tay 14%, the Dao (Mien) 13%, the Thai 9%, the Nung 4.5% and the Giay 4.3%. The other ethnic groups: the Phula, Hani, Latis, Tu Di, Pin Tao, Tu Lao, Pa Di, Sapho, Lolo and the Xa Mang are sometimes represented only by a few villages and a few hundred individuals

The Hmong people

The Hmong, known for centuries in China by the name of Miao, used to be called the Méo in Southeast Asia. Numbering about three million, they are scattered over a vast territory stretching from south-west China (2 million) to north Vietnam (600,000), Laos (about 250,000), Thailand (150,000) and Myanmar (formerly Burma) (about 30,000).
The main subgroups present in Vietnam are the White Hmong, the Hmong Leng, Hmong Pua, Hmong Shi or Sheu and the black Hmong. In Sa Pa, the Hmong Leng are the most numerous, some Hmong Sheu and Hmong Pe women – with their colourful skirts and double-breasted tops – come from the Muong Khuong district.
Originally, the Chinese hmong populations used to live in the wide plains south of the Yangtse river. As of the 16th century, they started to migrate to the south-east under the demographic, territorial and political pressure of the Chinese. During the first half of the 19th century, the Hmong left the Chinese territory and settled in neighbouring countries. At the time, the great Taiping rebellion (1850-1872) was disturbing all southern China (Guizhou, Yunnan and Sichuan provinces) causing long periods of famine that pushed numerous ethnic groups to go south. The Hmong entered the Indo-Chinese peninsula through North Vietnam, their presence near Lai Chau was reported in 1848. These successive waves of migration were probably facilitated by the hmong tradition of shifting cultivation and their close contacts with the Chinese caravaneers who had been travelling for centuries through the mountains of southern Asia.
Today, the traditional agrarian economy is still based on family farms raising pigs, chickens, buffaloes and horses, on food crops (rice, corn, manioc) and cash crops (cardamom and vegetables).
The traditional social organisation of the Hmong is based on the clan. Each clan is made of lineages, all the members of which acknowledge a common founding male ancestor. In the Hmong household, up to four different generations may be gathered under the same roof. The household is the most important economic, political and ritual unit. The villages perched on the mountain slopes house several clans.
Easily recognisable by their costume, the Sa Pa Hmong Leng – who do not call themselves Black Hmongs – still wear hemp clothes dyed with natural (black-blue) indigo. The women wear stiff indigo-blue turbans over their hair gathered into a bun. Nowadays, they hardly ever wear their batik or embroidered pleated skirts, replaced with short indigo pants. Only the collar, sleeves and belt are embroidered with geometric patterns in silk. The White Hmong women from the Bat Xat district wear long black pants, fairly short-waisted double-breasted jackets, and cover their hair with colourful head scarves. The Hmong Pua, Hmong Pe and Hmong Sheu women from the Bac Ha district wear similar batik skirts with an embroidered band. They are distinguished by the decorative patterns and shape of their aprons.

The Dao people

The Dao, known as the Man or Yao in south-west China for centuries, also number a few tens of thousands in Laos ( Lao Tours ), Thailand and Myanmar (formerly Burma).
The Dao-Mien settled in Vietnam two to three centuries ago, depending on the area. One of the Dao’s specific cultural features is their traditional writing system using Chinese characters. Preserved texts make it possible to trace their origins back to the provinces of south China. Their taoist religion is also based on texts. For major taoist ceremonies, the ritual space must be surrounded with painted pictures of the divinities and celestial generals. As a consequence, the art of painting on paper and canvas survives among the Dao.
Like the Hmong, the Dao build terraced paddy-fields irrigated by a sophisticated system of canals around Sa Pa. They also have a reputation for pig and horse breeding.
The different Dao groups from the Lao Cai province usually wear red headdresses or red pieces of clothing. The Dao (Ké Mien) from the Taphin and Tavan villages (Sa Pa district) wear flat headdresses, totally red, hung with silver coins. The headdresses of the Dao (Ké Mien) from Muong Hum district (north of Sa Pa) are cone-shaped and made of red flowery material. The Bac Ha (Ké Moun) Dao enhance their turbans with red and pink wool or silk threads. The headdresses of the Dao (Iu Mien) from Van Ban district – south of Sa Pa – are decorated with red and yellow pompoms, and hang low down their backs.

The Tay people

The Tày grow rice in paddy fields, preferably in the plains and in the valleys. The villages consist of wooden or bamboo stilt houses and are often built in the immediate vicinity of a stream or a river. The household is the basic economic unit and tends to be a nuclear family limited to close relatives.
The Tày, Giay, Numg and Thai women wear brightly-coloured jackets, – pink, green, or blue – double-breasted, often with contrasting braid at the collar. The tartan headscarf covers their hair gathered into a bun. Traditionally, each group used to have their own style of bun, held up with long silver needles, but the custom is vanishing.

The Zay peopele

The Giay (pronounced”Zay”) are a relatively small minority group, with a population of around 40,000, living at high altitudes in Lao Cai, Lai Chau and Ha Giang provinces. Traditional Giay society is feudal, with a strict demarcation between the local aristocracy and the peasant classes. All villagers work the communal lands, living in closely knit villages of stilthouses. A few Giay women still wear the traditional style of dress, distinguished by the highly coloured, circular panel sewn around the collar and a shirt-fastening on the right shoulder: the shirt itself is often of bright green, pink or blue. On formal occasions, women may also wear a chequered turban.

Phu Quoc is called the island of “99 mountains” because of its many sandstone chains gradually descending from the north to the south. The longest one is Ham Ninh which stretches for 30 km

Phu Quoc Island has many harbors such as An Thoi and Hon Thom where international and domestic ships anchor. Also, there are several historical sites on the island: National Hero Nguyen Trung Truc’s military base, Gia Long King relics from the time he spent on the island, and Phu Quoc Prison.

Off the coast of the island emerges a group of 105 islands of all sizes. Some of them are densely inhabited such as Hon Tre and Kien Hai, 25km from Rach Gia. Visitors can spend time on the beach or hike while observing the wild animals.

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City – Phu Quoc Island ( L,D )

In the morning: VietnamTripAdvisor’s car and tour guide will  meet the tourists at  Phu Quoc Airport  -  take the tourists to the hotels by cars – make room receiving procedure repose  –  beach sightseeing at the hotel-  have lunch.
In the aternoon:

Visit  Da Ban Stream, Visit  Phu Quoc traditional fish sauce manufacturing establishment. Have dinner.

Day 2:  Visit the East of the Island ( B,L,D )

In the morning :Visit  Su Muon Pagoda (Hung Long Tu).
Visit Ham Ninh ancient Seine Village( Study the life of the fishermen)
Visit Suoi Tranh Resort , take a bath in the stream ( from May to November )
Visit Sim wine manufacturing establishment, enjoy Sim wine.
Visit Dinh Cau –  symbol of  creed of  inhabitants in the island.
Have dinner  -   come back to the hotel
In the evening : The tourists explore the Island freely

Day 3:  Go fishing, Snorkling – Observing Coral reefs ( B,L,D )

In the morning: Have breakfast at the hotel
Visit Coi Nguon art exhibition
Visit dog farm with back swirled dogs famous for wise.
Study techniques  for raising oysters and taking pearls at Uc pearl artificial raising establishment.
Visit  revolutionary relic Phu Quoc prison.
Visit Fish Port and An Thoi dried fish market – Visit the archipelago in the South on a yacht, the tourists can observe 12 islands which are various in size, go fishing at the big islands such as: Hon Dua, Hon Thom, Hon Roi ( taste the grilled fish in the uninhabited Island.)
Have lunch on the yacht or in the uninhabited Island.
Snorkling – observing the colorful coral reefs at Da Trao snout – Seabathing at the uninhabited Island.
The yacht will take the tourists  back to the land -  The cars will take the tourists to Bai Sao to visit and photograph.
Return to the Town, buy specialities of Phu Quoc at Duong Dong market
Have dinner – Come back to the hotel.
In the evening:   Visit  Dinh Cau night market freely

Day 4: Visit North Island  -  ObserveThe Sea frontier of Campodia ( B,L,D)

In the morning: Have breakfast at the hotel.Tourists will visit the North Island by cars.
Visit Khu Tuong pepper garden( famous territory for pepper in Phu Quoc)
Go throught the Origin Forest to enjoy fresh air and photograph the tall old trees
Visit the Vietnamese Hero Nguyen Trung Truc in the North Island.
Lunch – seabathing, observe the Sea frontier of Campodia, take a rest.
In the afternoon:

Visit   Bai Dai (This is the most beautiful and uninhabited beach in the world )
Come back to the hotel, seabathing -  have dinner.
In the evening: Tourists enjoy yourselves or join in the activities of the fishermen in the island. (self-sufficient cost)

Day 5: Say  goodbye  Phu Quoc ( B )

In the morning :  take a rest or go shopping at Duong Dong
Have breakfast, seabathing freely, make procedure shell-out room.
Tourists will be taken to Phu Quoc Airport by car, make the procedure to get in the plane.
Be back to Ho Chi Minh City  -  See you again.

VietnamTripAdvisor can arrange additional customized trips for you if the above itinerary does not match your expectations.

Trip Included :

Pick up & drop off at hotels at the tour places
Accommodation based on twin sharing at places as indicated in program
Food as mentioned in the itinerary (B- breakfast, L- lunch, D- dinner)
All transfers and transportation
Return air ticket: Hochiminh city – Phu Quoc – Hochiminh city ( Economy class )
All guided sightseeing fees and entrance fees as per itinerary
Professional English speaking tour guide at places
Boat Trip
Purified water & wet towel
Fishing lines, life vest, snorkling equiment.

Trip Excluded :

Visa application fee to Vietnam
Personal expenses
Other meals and drinks
Late check out & early check in for accommodation at the places
Airport tax and departure tax
All other service not made on the written form
Insurance
Tips and gratuities

Additional Information:

Prices are per person (US$), based on double occupancy
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed on Mondays & Fridays from Mid-September to Mid-November.
Price excludes Personal expenses, gratuities to guides and drivers
Vietnam & Foreign departure taxes, fees and fuel surcharges are not included (subject to change).
Holiday surcharges and/or compulsory gala dinners apply between Dec. 23 – Jan. 02 and during period of Lunar New Year.
Vietnam visa required. Not included in package and can be arranged in two days.
Prices subject to change without notice

Hanoi Flower Festival 2012 with the theme “Heritage Flower” is scheduled for opening on the evening of 30/12/2011 and lasted until the end date of 2/1/2012 to honor the legacy of Vietnam was the world by UNESCO, especially in Hanoi heritage. This is one event in response to the National Year of Tourism North Central Coast – Hue 2012 with the theme “Heritage Tourism”, and also contribute to promote tourism, culture in Hanoi.

Lễ hội phố hoa Hà Nội năm 2010

Festival activities will include highlights such as bamboo flower procession ceremony recreated to simulate a voice at temple festivals Care; implementation floral art performance art lotus flower Hanoi street space and space “Hoguom magical night”; arts program new year 2012; performed national costume dress and organize the folk games; bonsai exhibition and village products; tourism fairs…

With so many different flowers, flowers Hanoi city space 2012 is arranged in the area around Hoan Kiem lake, including the city: Dinh Tien Hoang, Le Thai To, Le Lai, Le Thach; the garden area hoa Ly Thai To monument, on the Hoan Kiem Lake, Temple Ba Tran, Ngoc Son temple, The Huc bridge, tower Pen, Hoa Phong tower. In that area, garden statues are decorated Ly Thai To, organized by the lotus; Dinh Tien Hoang describes the cultural heritage and material world of Hanoi has been recognized by UNESCO as relic Center area Hoang Thang Long – Hanoi, somewhat similar in Phu Dong Temple and the Temple of Nursing, Dr. Beer Literature; Le Thai To describe the world heritage of Vietnam: Ha Long Bay, the park Phong Nha – Ke Bang, the temples of My Son, Hoi An ancient town, relics of the ancient capital of Hue court music – Vietnam royal music or Bac Ninh, Ca Tru, Space of Gong Culture Central Highlands, the Nguyen Dynasty woodblock. The heritage objects will be described with flowers, while the intangible heritage will be staged, performed on stage flowers.

Hanoi was the first held in 2009, street flower festival Hanoi cultural activities, tourism, to promote the annual flowers, ornamental plants of the city and surrounding provinces, and also referrals to local and foreign tourists the quintessence of cultural and spiritual values ​​of Hanoi precious “skilled professional, who market the land side.”

(Source: Cinet)

Accordingly, the International Tea Festival – Thai Nguyen 2011 will take place from 11 to 15/11/2011. This is a cultural event – an international tourist, the first was held in Thai Nguyen to introduce, promote tea products of Vietnam in general and Thai Nguyen tea products to visitors in particular countries and internationally.

Deputy Prime Minister agreed to Thai Nguyen People’s Committee held 01 low point fireworks at the opening ceremony (at date 12/11/2011) and the closing of the International Tea Festival – Thai Nguyen 2011 (up dated 15/11/2011 ).

On 29 / 9, Hanoi was honored with the title of tourist destinations, good rest 6 of 10 best destinations in Asia by Smart Travel Asia magazine online poll in Hong Kong and awarded.

Also in the poll list, the ancient town of Hoi An (Quang Nam) ranked 7 out of 10 possible destinations.

In addition, Legend Hotel Sofitel Metropole Hanoi was voted number one in the title of Hotels and Resorts 25 best and rest of Asia; ranked eighth in the title of 25th best conference hotel in Asia and ranks 18 in 25 hotels for the best traders in Asia.

Sheraton Hanoi Hotel is ranked 19th in this list.

Mr. Mai Tien Dung, deputy director of Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism, Hanoi said the title was voted by readers SmartTravelAsia.com and is a good sign for the tourism industry in improving Hanoi position, promote its image to a friend in the country

(Nguồn: Vietnam+)

VietNamNet Bridge – The northern mountainous region of Vietnam has garnered praise aplenty for its sometimes rugged, and sometimes lush natural beauty.

Among the other attractions it has is a none-too-closely guarded secret – homemade wines – for it is in the hospitable nature of the region’s residents to welcome visitors to imbibe the best spirits in the house. This week, we present a sampling of some of the flavors from the slopes.

Dien Bien’s chít wine

Visitors to Dien Bien Province will have the chance to try one of the most famous wines in the northwestern region, chít wine. The wine is made from a type of milk-white chít worm (taken from chít trees growing on the region’s limestone mountains) and pure distilled rice wine. The brew is believed to promote good health, beautiful skin for women and increased sexual potency for men.

According to locals, the chít worm season normally lasts from April to July, when the worms eat the tree stems and grow up to 5 centimeters long.

These worms are put together with other restoratives such as medlar seeds, ashweed, dried jujube and lotus seeds in pure distilled rice liquor with an alcoholic concentration of 40 to 45 percent. The brewing process often takes about one year.

Chít wine is a gold-colored liquid which has a cool and a slightly bitter taste. It is usually served along with local delicacies like chicken baked in a clay pot, fried frogs, hotpot and thắng cố, a type of soup made with the viscera of horse, cow or buffalo.

Hoa Binh’s cần wine

Drinking rượu cần or cần wine (wine drunk out of a jar with pipes) is very popular among many minority groups in Vietnam, from the northern region down to the Central Highlands. However, the Muong people in Hoa Binh Province are said to produce one of the best cần wines in the country.

A jar of tasty cần wine is meticulously prepared. The necessary ingredients, including yeast and glutinous rice, are carefully prepared. Yeast is made from cinnamon leaves mixed with rice powder. Glutinous rice is soaked and then mixed with rice and bran. The rice is then steamed, cooled down and mixed with yeast powder before being placed in ceramic jars and covered carefully. After three or four days, the covers of the jars are partially opened and water poured up to its neck. Long bamboo straws are plugged into jars’ mouth and the enjoyment begins.

Cần wine is usually drunk in groups. To welcome guests, a Muong family will stretch out a mat in the middle of the room, place a jar of wine on it and invite guests to sit around it. After exchanging greetings, the host invites everyone to drink the wine. It is not unusual that this drinking session is accompanied by singing and dancing, not to mention boisterous conversation.

Lao Cai’s Sán Lùng wine

Sán Lùng is a commune of Bat Xat District in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai. And its name is now synonymous with one of the best wines the people here are producing. Unlike other peoples in Vietnam who make wine from mature rice, the Mong people in Sán Lùng soak paddy in warm water until it sprouts then use the sprouts to make the special wine. The sprouts are steamed, cooled and mixed with yeast. The mixture is put in a jar for five to six days until it starts exuding a sweet smell.

Sán Lùng wine has a special taste that cannot be produced in other places. People attribute this taste to the water source here. The wine looks clear and somewhat green, and has a sweet smell and nutty taste. Locals will tell you that it goes best with baked buffalo or baked fish.

Source: Thanh Nien

VietNamNet Bridge – Electric tourist cars are expected to begin operations around the West Lake in Tay Ho District on September 2 following approval for the venture granted to Ho Tay Co Ltd by the district People’s Committee.

The company planned to import 20 electric tourist cars with eight to 14 seats each during the first phase of the project, said General Director Assistant Pham Phuong Dong.

The company would build 10 stations for the tourist cars, which will follow an 18-km long circuit around the lake and near-by places of interest, said Dong.

The tours start at the Ho Tay (West Lake) Water Park and visit 24 relics and destinations around the lake including Tao Sach Pagoda, Van Nien Pagoda, Co Le Temple, Ly Tu Trong Flower Garden and Quan Thanh Temple.

The Dong Xuan Joint Stock Company already launched a similar fleet of electric tourists cars in the Old Quarters last July, a service that received positive feedback from both domestic and international tourists.

Canadian tourist Karin Plettner said the electric cars were a pleasant way to explore the Old Quarters.

“Expanding the service to the West Lake is a good idea,” she said.

Australian Jason Stark said electric cars were an eco-friendly and safe option for touring the capital city, especially when compared to the alternatives of travelling by motorbike or on foot.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News