Top Vietnam hotels
Out of Saigon - Cu Chi Tunnels Ho Chi Minh City
19 Reviews The Cu Chi tunnels are located a little outside Saigon and they are one of the most interesting things you can visit in Vietnam i think. It´s really facinating to see how the Viet Cong digged their...
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Out of Hanoi-Halong Bay Hanoi
30 Reviews On the Tour I did, we were given the option of taking a small side trip with a local man in his rowboat. The cost was very little, so I decided to do it, most people did. BE WARNED, the Rowboat only...
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Mekong Ho Chi Minh City
32 Reviews Saigon River Express offers VIP speedboat tours to the Cu Chi Tunnels - the Mekong Delta - and jungle canal tours around Saigon. This is the service that was recommended as part of "Three Perfect...
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Miscellaneous in Hanoi Hanoi
46 Reviews Hoan Kiem Lake means "Lake of the Restored Sword" --in the 15th century, legend has it that a young fisherman named Le Loi found a magic sword caught in his net. For 10 years (1407-1417) he used the...
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Out of Saigon - Cao Dai Temple Ho Chi Minh City
11 Reviews The capital of the same-named province, Tay Ninh is situated 95km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City and is the original home of the Cao Dai religion which has around 3 million adherents in Southern...
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Out of Hanoi-Sa Pa Hanoi
19 Reviews Located in Vietnam's remote northwest mountains, Sapa is famous for both its fine, rugged scenery and also its rich cultural diversity. It is an incredibly picturesque town and area that lies in the...
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Out of Saigon - Vung Tau Ho Chi Minh City
2 Reviews Vung Tau is a beach resort on the South China Sea coast and has been a favorite - though hardly picturesque - getaway destination for Ho Chi Minh residents. Vung Tau is a party town, full of sun,...
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Out of Hanoi Hanoi
16 Reviews A tour to the Bat Trang Pottery Village was included in My CITY TOUR. This village is located in the countryside and is a famous trade village, with over 6,000 people in 1,500 families living and...
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Reunification Palace Ho Chi Minh City
1 Review On the morning of 30 April 1975 the 43-hour old government of South Vietnam sat quietly on the second floor of this grand building - then called the Independence Palace - waiting to transfer power to...
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Miscellaneous outside of Hanoi Hanoi
10 Reviews Pick a tour from any agency in the old quarters to go out of Hanoi and most tours will have temple visit. About 70% of the population re buddhists. It is interesting to see the architecture of their...
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"Hash House Harriers" Hanoi
2 Reviews If you stay for longer period of time in Hanoi I recommend to join the Hash House Harriers. This group meets every Weekend to go running (yes, you can do this in Hanoi, although the first time you...
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The mangrove swamps are still peaceful and atmospheric.The 2-day trip departs Sinh Cafe at 7.45 am and returns at 6.30 pm the following day. It only costs US$14, including accommodation.It takes in Cai Be, Vinh Long, Can Tho and Cai Rang.You need to take the 2-day trip, if you want to see an active floating market.
Whenever I travel to Nha Trang, Phan Thiet or Mui Ne I cant help but be amazed at the tiny basket-shaped boats known as Thuyen Thung. They have almost become a symbol of Vietnam's central coast. They are used in the local fishing industry.You can find the tale about the history of thuyen thung in many documents and books. Hundreds of years ago groups of people from across the country moved to settle down around Ngan Ha and make a living by catching fish, oysters and shrimps. When the French ruled Vietnam they levied taxes on many things, including boats. Many poor villagers could not pay the tax imposed on their small boats so they invented a new type of boat called thuyen thung to evade taxes because the thung (round basket) was not considered as a boat. The villagers make thuyen thung from bamboo and cover it with chai (a waterproof material made from a plant). First people select...
What is it like to be poor in the Mekong Delta?My mother's family lives within the tribunaries of the Mekong Delta and I was lucky enough to have the change to experience her family's everyday life in Vinh Long, a province south of HCMC that took 3 hours on a minibus to get to.As our long and narrow little motorised canoe disturbingly roared through the cool and calm river, I saw kids swimming, ladies doing their laundry, got a glimpse of another cooking in her river edge stilt house. I finally got to see the pretty purple Luc Binh water plants I so often heard in folk songs about this part of the world. you wouldn't see this picture in an brochure that claims to let you see the "real" mekong delta would you?I've been told that the government is trying to phase these out due to health and hygene concerns.Anyway, this is not something pleasant to see or... smell... but I find it real and...
Viet Nam is one of the original centres of rice cultivation, but surplus rice production was achieved only after the taming of the vast Mekong River Delta about 300 years ago. Viet Nam has been the world's second largest rice exporter since the mid-1990s, but rice farmers are still poor due to low rice prices. Diversification of the intensive rice system has been promoted to improve farmers' livelihoods. I took this photo throught the window of the van near Hue City.
If you find yourself in Sa Pa, and are interested in the local weekend markets, try to find someone who can drive you to the town of Faulong, just by the Chinese border. This market is a magnet for the Flower Hmong people who come from the surrounding villages to buy, sell, and trade goods. The place is truly a riot of colour, with not a single tour bus in sight. At peak season, we were the only Westerners in town, and were able to circulate freely without being hounded to buy local crafts. Of course, we did buy things, but the Flower Hmong tend not to pay much attention to tourists for the most part. We were greeted with smiles all 'round. It's a long drive to get there, over a rough road, but really worth the ride.
When we were in Dalat we met a guy (Lulu) who introduced himself as an Easy Rider. He was a local guide with a motorbike and offered to take us for a ride for one or more days. We agreed to try one day first and that day we visited the surroundings of Dalat. We enjoyed that day so much that we decided to go with him and his friend for a 5 day trip to Hoi An. All our luggage was placed on the bike and off we went! We travelled through the central highlands and visited places where the people had hardly seen any tourists at all. We visited little factories, farmers, minorities, jungle etc. We ate at local places en slept in small villages and it really was the highlight of our trip. After this part of our vacation we could say that we saw the real Vietnam.
His name is Tung (email him here). He's a humble 60-year old veteran of the American War and a native of Ho Chi Minh City who takes his job very seriously. We met him in the park along Le Lai Street near the Ben Thanh Market and the backpacker district. He carried a small journal full of testimonials and photos of many of his previous customers. They all wrote such great things about him and even included their contact info. Some of them were even repeat customers. His price was VERY reasonable and he helped us plan a 10-day itinerary throughout the south and central parts of the country. His value as a translator (and a price negotiator) was often worth his fee for the day. He also suggested cheap places to stay in every town we visted, which also helped to cover the cost of hiring him! U.S. Veterans of the Vietnam war wishing to return to Vietnam would especially benefit from Tung's...
Ho Hoan Kiem is the heart of the city, not necessarily geographically but historically and emotionally. The locals use the park that surrounds the lake as a gathering point, for Tai-Chi and jogging in the morning, for commerce and kite-flying during the day and for chess and strolling in the evening. The name which translates as "Lake Of The Restored Sword" comes from a local variation of the Excalibur legend with a 15th century local fisherman netting a fabulous shining sword while fishing on the lake and using it to drive the Chinese out of Vietnam. When Le Loi now King Le Thai To (r. 1433-1442) returned to the lake to pay tribute, a large tortoise arose from the lake and swallowed the sword returning it to the depths. This divine restoration is commemorated by the red star topped Tortoise Pagoda on a small island in the middle of the lake which has become the emblem of Hanoi. Giant...
Elephant Springs, outside of lang Ko Beach, in between Hue and Hoi An made for a very enjoyable day. We hitched a ride with some of the locals on their motorbikes. We paid, of course, and they took us to these really cool springs where the locals hang out on weekends. during the week it's empty. You can take a picnic, or buy lunch at one of the many small restaurants where you acn also rent an area to put you things and get out of the sun. The water was cool, clean and refreshing. A little further down the road, and only accessible by car, is Bav Ma National Park. There are some fantastic hikes and a few historical war sites to visit.
If your looking for anything quiet and peaceful in Vietnam, Lang Ko Beach, about half-way between Hue and Hoi An is a nice stop. There are a few local restaurants, a couple of decent hotels, and a few kilometers of unspoiled beach with good swimming.
Park Hyatt Saigon Ho Chi Minh City
5 Reviews and 438 Opinions All rooms offer pool of City views with full luxury amenities. As true sense 5- Star hotel, it is...
Hanoi Elegance 2 Hanoi
5 Reviews and 712 Opinions I booked our family sized room for 2 adults and our teenage daughter direct with the hotel from...
Victoria Hoi An Resort Hoi An
4 Reviews and 444 Opinions It's worth the money to stay and enjoy the beach like in Victoria Hoi An. Price from 150$++ public...
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Q: could someone please help? where can i buy ao dai (preferably well made and silk) for my grand-daughters, they are only 2-3...
A: Loads of places in both cities to buy Ao Dai either already made or to measure. For the small extra cost, have them made to measure and take the mesurements before going...
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