Amazing beauty of Vietnam landscape through photo mosaics

A photo collection by Amity Smile Travel – features Vietnam landscapes like Ha Long Bay, Phu Quoc island, Sapa, Hanoi.... whose beauties resemble the world’s famous landscapes at some country as France, China, Thai Lan, Brazil....

Recommendations for expats staying in Vietnam for Tet

The Lunar New Year, which Vietnamese people call ‘Tet,’ falls on February 8 this year.

Deluxe Tours Group in collaboration with Vietnam Is Awesome will have one-day tours to the southern province of Vinh Long from February 8 to 15 (the first through eighth days of the lunar calendar’s first month).

On the tour titled “Cai Be – Vinh Long 1 Day,” tourists will boat on the Cai Be River, visit local house boats, and enjoy tea and traditional Vietnamese jams while chatting with local people about the Tet holiday.

Participants will also have the opportunity to visit the local bakeries that produce ‘com’ (pop rice – a favored junk food in southern Vietnam) and ‘banh trang’ (rice paper). During the visit, they will not only see how the dishes are made, but also sample the final product. 

An experienced guide will then take visitors across the Mekong River to witness local fishing and hear stories of daily life in the region.

Visitors will join a local family to experience traditional Tet holiday customs like offering lucky money to children and walking along the village to watch the Lunar New Year celebration.

At the end of the trip, participants will visit Tien Chau Pagoda in Vinh Long to experience ‘hai loc’ (collecting young buds to wish for luck in the new year).

Amitysmiletravel, another tour operator, will also continue to offer its traditional Tet tours. As usual, the company gives many options to tourists who want to experience the holiday the way the Vietnamese do.

According to the organizer, the half-day “Tet with Saigonese” tour will bring tourists a chance to indulge themselves in the festive atmosphere of Ho Chi Minh City during Tet while visiting the flower fair it Tao Dan Cultural Park.

They will join with local people to pray for good luck and happiness at Xa Loi Pagoda (or Giac Lam Pagoda, Lang Ong Temple) and Thien Hau Temple, then take a cyclo ride around an area laden with Chinese and witness different traditions such as unicorn dance, traditional games, and more.

Participants will then come to local homes to continue Tet festivities by being greeted with the happy wish “Chuc Mung Nam Moi”(Happy New Year), offered traditional dishes, and invited to join games with the family members. 

The tour will run from February 8 to 11 (the first to fourth days of the Lunar New Year).

Meanwhile, the full-day tour “Tet in the Mekong Delta” will give visitors a full-day excursion to My Tho, a peaceful town on the bank of the Mekong River, 75km south of Ho Chi Minh City, to explore Thoi Son Islet, Vinh Trang Pagoda and experience the daily life of the locals.

The tour features a stroll through the season’s flower fair, a cruise on the Mekong River, a visit to the watermelon market, a stop at a local home living on floriculture, a traditional lunch with the locals, and a cooking practice session of ‘banh tet’ (a kind of country cake made of sticky rice and green peas).

Tourists are required not to wear shorts or sleeveless shirts in pagodas or local homes during the tours.

For those who enjoy trying local eats, the “Traditional Meal” tour of Saigon Hotpot should be considered.

Tour goers will have the chance to learn how to cook and enjoy Vietnamese traditional meals hosted in locals’ houses, as well as get to know Vietnamese food and family culture after being taken to a local market.

A “Traditional Meal” tour is offered for a group of more than 10, and can be rearranged according to tourists’ plans.

During the Tet holiday, the tour can offer more Vietnamese Tet holiday’s traditional foods at tour goers’ request.

To many Vietnamese people, Tet is a time to enjoy delicious foods, so why should expats not enjoy the traditional food for themselves?

The Time Bistro Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 is planning to offer a free buffet to about 20 expats and foreigners who want to experience special Vietnamese food for Tet. 

According to the event’s organizers, the menu will include dishes like spicy mayo prawns, pomelo salad, fresh clam soup with dill, ginger poached chicken with rice and sweet melon soup.

Special Tet dishes will include ‘banh tet,’ ‘dua muoi’ (pickled vegetables), ‘cu kieu’ (pickled leek) and ‘tom kho’ (dried shrimp).

The event is scheduled to take place at the restaurant at 44 Nguyen Hue Street at 11:00 am on February 5.

Advanced registration to get the restaurant’s confirmation on attendance is required.

Vietnamese coffee among distinctive, flavorful dishes in SEA

The US Huffington Post Magazine has introduced 11 distinctive and flavorful foods in Southeast Asia that Americans need to try, including Vietnamese coffee.

Vietnamese coffee is the perfect beverage for a simultaneous caffeine and sugar rush. Made with strong coffee and a generous helping of sweetened condensed milk, this powerful drink puts your latte to shame.

Nasi Goreng - Indonesia

Seafood Sinigang - Philippine

Chilli Crab - Singapore

Tea Leaf Salad - Myanmar

Halo-Halo - Philippine

Nasi Lemak - Malaysia

Green Papaya Salad - Thailan or Vietnam

Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango

Amok Trey -Campuchia

Tom Kha Kai - Thailan

Top 10 unique means of transport for tourists in Vietnam

Tourists are very excited to try unique means of transport, like three-wheeler, horse-drawn carriage, elephant ride or dug-out canoe services at tourism sites in Vietnam.

1. Tandem bicycle

Visitors to Bai Chay, Haiphong, Danang or Vung Tau feel quite relaxed to ride tandem bikes along the sandy beaches.

2. Motorbike

In Vietnam, motorbikes are everywhere. So on your first arrival in Hanoi or Saigon, the first interesting fact you’ll most like notice is that literally everything is done/carried on the motorbike

3. Cyclo

The Cyclo (cycle rickshaw) is also a unique means of transport that has become very popular in central Hue City and at many tourism sites across the country. It’s high enough for two tourists on a sight-seeing tour.

4. Cable car

This means of transport is now available at Vinpearland in Nha Trang, Ba Na in Danang and Yen Tu in Quang Ninh to save travel time for tourists.

5. Electric car

It is a green electric vehicle often seen running in Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Danang, even on Co To Island – 80km far from the mainland where it can transport 6-8 passengers smoothly around this pearl island.

6. Rowing kayak

The Kayak boat is mainly for those who like adventure tourism. It looks like a Vietnamese dug-out canoe. Visitors to Ha Long, Haiphong and Nha Trang will have the chance to enjoy this kind of tourism service.

7. Three-wheeler

The three-wheeler is a rudimentary means of transport. Visitors to Quan Lan Island in Quang Ninh province are surprised to see each carrying 8-10 person.

8. Horse-drawn carriage

It is a vehicle most favoured by travellers to the sea, coastal and highland areas, who like to hear the hoofs and tinkling sounds of tintinnabulum such as Dalat city

9. Elephant ride

Tourists to the Central Highland region never miss the chance to ride tame elephants around a hamlet or cross the Serepok River.

10. Dug-out canoe

This is not only a unique means of transport but also a special cultural feature of Central Highland and North-Western regions that has proved a hit with many first-time visitors.

8 Destinations in Vietnam You Should Go

The Cu Chi Tunnel, Mekong Delta region, Phu Quoc, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Mui Ne and Sapa are seen as favourite destination for foreign tourists coming to Vietnam, according to the world’s travel search engine.

Cu Chi Tunnels

Cu Chi tunnels built in 1948 were used by Vietnam soldiers during the reistance struggles against French colonists and American imperialists. They are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Cu Chi district of HCM City.

Mekong Delta region

Floating market is the highlight of the Mekong Delta region. Visitors can experience diverse activities like rowing through mango forests, trekking, visiting fish and snake farms, and riding along tracks.

Sapa

Sa Pa is a town in the Hoang Lien Son Mountains of northwest Vietnam. Popular with trekkers, it overlooks the terraced rice fields of the Muong Hoa Valley, and is near the 3,143m-tall Fan Si Pan peak, climbable via a steep, multiday guided walk. H’mong, Tay and Dao hill tribes make up much of the local population.

Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc is the biggest island in Vietnam, which is famous for beautiful beaches. This peaceful tropical paradise, floats in the warm turquoise waters in the Gulf of Thailand, 50kms from the Vietnamese mainland and a 50 minute flight from Ho Chi Minh City 

Hoi An ancient city

Hoi An is recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Hoi An Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site.

Mui Ne

With a long, palm-lined beach, Mui Ne has steady wind conditions (in the dry season) that make it a top destination for windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing and other water sports. It’s also a popular weekend getaway from Saigon with a busy strip of hotels, restaurants and shops.

Nha Trang

Nha Trang is a coastal resort city in southern Vietnam known for its beaches, scuba diving and offshore islands. Its main beach is a long, curving stretch along Tran Phu Street backed by a promenade, hotels and seafood restaurants. Cable cars cross over to Hon Tre island and the Vinpearl Resort, with a golf course, water park and fairground.

Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a popular travel destination in Quang Ninh province. It features thousands of limestone karstsand isles in various sizes and shapes.

Vietnam the beautiful wonder of Asia

The countrymen call their motherland “The Land of Dragons.” Vietnam is a land of history filled with memory of many told and untold events. The great theme of modern Vietnamese history is the Vietnam’s war of Independence and reunification.

The Vietnam War was proved to be an extremely sobering experience which caused so much suffering for the Vietnamese people. The people of the country have a well-deserved reputation for being hard workers, but they enjoy their leisure as much as anyone else. Today the largely agrarian society of the country is shifting towards a more multi-sector economy. The country has a population of 91.5 million (estimates 2011) with a wealth of dialects spoken in different regions.

President Ho Chi Minh’s name comes to mind when we remember the recent history of Vietnam. He is the best-loved and famous political figure in the country. Ho Chi Minh the founder of the Vietnamese Communist Party and leader of the revolution carried the torch of Vietnam’s independence movement for over half a century. As a revolutionist he made great contribution to the victorious Viet Minh that unified the country. Mausoleum Ho Chi Minh a monumental marble edifice at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi was built to show the deep gratitude of the countrymen to their great leader. His remains are displayed inside the chamber of the mausoleum.

Hanoi the capital city, known as “city of lakes” is one destination for which any number of praising words seems inadequate. It is a thriving metropolis with cloud-tickling skyscrapers, numerous specialty shops, boutiques and colorful markets that unhesitatingly leap into the future.

                                                     Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

A visit to the country would remain incomplete if one doesn’t drive a 3½-hour journey on road from Hanoi to Halong Bay port. The five hour cruise in a double deck wooden boat on the bluish green waters, one can enjoy the beauty of the bay. The UNESCO world Heritage site Halong (or "Descending Dragon) Bay is situated amidst a splendid panorama. The bay covers an area of 1500-square-kilometres dotted with a cluster of 1960 lime stone islands.

                                                                   Ha Long Bay 

Hue in the center of the country is studded with many archeological sites. There is no end to the breath-taking sites visitors can see in Hue. Among those sites, feudal capital city with fortresses, temples, mausoleums, pagodas, bridges attract thousands daily. The area also offers the tourist to enjoy the riverside beauty. The Perfume River is famed for breathtaking river cruise in a traditional wooden boat.

Traveling from North to South of Vietnam can be a fantastic experience for a tourist.

Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam and is situated nearly 1,700 kilometers south of Hanoi. After the end of war in 1975 the Saigon city was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honor of this great Leader. It is a city with a rapid development, where modern buildings are rising besides the 19th century buildings. An array of giant cranes show the development fever in the city.

Among its highest-esteemed attractions are the Notre Dame Cathedral, Municipal Theater, the Re-unification palace, the Mekong River cruise, the Cu Chi tunnels and the Vietnam War Memorial Museum. The Vietnam War memorial museum is one of the most recognizable places to visit in the city. It is a living testimony to the history of the Vietnam’s war of independence and re-unification of North and South Vietnam. It is a place preserving the memories and relics of the Vietnam war.

Vietnam culture possesses several distinctive characteristics that give its own unique style. Today, the mixture of influences is apparent in art, music, dance and literature. Moreover, the fast growing tourism sector is another major pillar in the overall economic field of the country Vietnam is emerging as a strong tourist destination with number of visitors to the country climbing to 6.0 million in 2011.

Traveling to the country can be done in different ways. However the experience that a visitor gains is unforgettable. The country is home to a wide range of domestic and international airports. Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport, Da Nang and Tan Son Nhat Airport of Ho Chi Minh City are the major stop over points for many international airlines. Vietnam has a great deal to offer and is worth visiting.