Moc Chau, Vietnam in winter

Despite the cold winter, Moc Chau Plateau in Son La northern province maintains its stunning beauty with colourful flowers. Moc Chau Plateau is 1,050m above sea level. It has a temperate climate and is cool in summer with average temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, a bit cold in autumn, freezing in winter and warm in spring. In winter, fog often covers the colourful orange wild sunflowers and red poinsettia flowers that bloom along the roadsides.

Located approximately 190 km west of Hanoi, Moc Chau is an ideal destination for short trips.

White mustard flowers are in full bloom in December. They are mostly grown in Ang village (Dong Sang commune), and Lun village (Muong Sang commune).  

Different types of flowers are blooming in Moc Chau Plateau. 

Da Quy (wild sunflower) blossoming along Highway 6, from Van Ho district to the centre of Moc Chau Plateau

Tea hills remain green even in winter.

A girl of Thai ethnic minority group playing in a buckwheat flower garden. 

December is the best time for trekking to conquer Pha Luong peak.  

Hanoi's among Asia's top ten street food

Cha Ca La Vong (fried fish), Bun Cha Hang Manh (rice noodle with grilled pork), Banh Duc Le Ngoc Han (cake made from ground rice and peanuts) and Banh Cuon Hang Ga (steamed rice pancakes rolled with pork and mushroom) are just a few of the well-known dishes in Hanoi’s Old Quarter district.

Each kind of food is closely associated with a street in Hanoi, making each an unforgettable experience.

1, Cha Ca La Vong

You’ll find fried fish in La Vong restaurant on Cha Ca Street. The restaurant is decorated with wood; it looks like an ancient house.

This dish consists of white fish sautéed in butter with dill and spring onions, then served with rice noodles and peanuts.

2, Bun Cha Hang Manh

Dac Kim restaurant on Hang Manh Street is well-known for Bun Cha (rice noodle with grilled pork).

The space there is rather small so many customers are relegated to seats along the sidewalk pavement.

Each bowl costs VND50,000. The pork patties are barbecued on an open charcoal brazier and served on a bed of cold rice noodles with assorted garden greens finished with a mildly sweet sauce.

3, Banh Duc Le Ngoc Han 

A two-storey building on lane No.8 along Le Ngoc Han Street is bustling every evening when visitors come there to grab a taste of Banh Duc (cake made from ground rice and peanuts). The cake is rather cheapand one bowl costs VND15,000.

Rice flour is cooked with peanuts and little borax, cut into small pieces and enojyed with soy sauce.

4, Banh Cuon Hang Ga

Banh Cuon (steamed rice pancakes rolled with pork and mushroom) is easily found on Hang Ga street.

The pale white rice batter is silky smooth and soft but otherwise fairly bland.

Flavor and texture come from a filling of seasoned ground pork, mushrooms, and shallots. The rice noodle roll is served in a separate bowl of clear, amber dipping sauce, (nước chấm), which is essentially fish sauce.

Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam world’s most surprising tourist attractions

The UK's second biggest-selling daily newspaper Daily Mail has named Cu Chi Tunnels among world’s spookiest and most surprising tourist attractions beneath the surface.

Cu Chi Tunnels: According to the website, the tunnels’ manhole-size entrances, hidden under fallen palm fronds, have currently been widened for the tourists.

The newspaper noted the tunnel, built by the Viet Cong (South Vietnamese liberation fighters), are famous for its tiny dimensions.

‘Parts of the tunnel system were like little subterranean cities with factories, kitchens and hospitals’, says Daily Mail.

These pitch-black tunnels were used as living quarters, hospitals, supply routes and storage during the war.

Hanoian, show me your Hanoi, Vietnam

If you have an excursion day in Hanoi and want to explore Hanoi in an authentic way. But, you have no ideas about the destinations as well as have the difficulties about language. Don’t worry! We are here to show you.

This is an Amity Smile Travel’s project that provide walking tour in Hanoi Old Quarter for foreign visitors aimed at introducing Hanoi’s image to international friends, showing “other” Hanoi’s lanes and alleys and showing our "own" Hanoi, the one we know and love as well as creating a useful environment for those who would like to improve their foreign language skill. This service can be used only once per stay in the Vietnamese capital.

Local life in Hanoi

Not as a guide, but more like a newly met friend! We are volunteers including of university students & guides & who working in tourism field that love Hanoi so much. We are willing to show our Hanoi to visitors by taking you to the main attractions & introducing the city’s culture and food as well as showing you something in local life and things hidden from tourists’ eyes. We would also show things visitors specifically ask for such as parks, shopping, architecture or a less well known neighbourhood. We are not really professional guides so that is why we do not enter a museum with guests, it is up to the professionals.

Hanoi city walking tour

Besides the Hanoi walking tour, Amity Smile Travel also offers 3 other options: A morning motorbike tour to traditional villages of Bat Trang (ceramic village) or Van Phuc (silk village) or Dong Ho (folk paiting village) or But Thap Pagoda; a night street food tour and a cycling city tour in the downtown area.

Cycling tour in Hanoi

Tourists only need to pay VND220.000 (US$10) per person to rent motorbike & gasoline in case of motorbike tours and pay VND100.000VND (US$4.5) per person in case of cycling tours. The tour guides will pay for their own entrance tickets.

Hanoi street food tour

All tours with the volunteers are carried out in small groups of up to 5 people, at the most convenient time to the Hanoi’s visitors. Hanoi tours last 2 to 4 hours, depending on itinerary and the participants’ wishes. The sightseers may also choose the language the volunteer guide uses.

We decides what to show visitors in the Vietnamese capital. But if the tourists have any specific desires, we are likely to be fulfilled.

Dong Ho folk painting

Wonderful you will be visiting Hanoi soon and want to see Hanoi like a Hanoian during your travel to Vietnam. To obtain this, you only need to send a reservation request via emailinfo@amitysmiletravel.com for a tour in Hanoi at least 14 days prior of time before your arrival as we need some time to prepare your visit.

TO TAKE PART IN A WALKING TOUR YOU ONLY NEED TO:

To spend in Hanoi at least two days. (!)

You should send your request to us via email no later than 14 days before your arrival to Hanoi. (!)  

However, you may send it even after your arrival to Hanoi. Unfortunately, in that case, we can’t guarantee the participation.

You have to provide us with detailed information regarding your trip to Vietnam, such as, your interests, language preferences or areas that you would like to visit as it will help us match you with a volunteers.

After your request has been processed, you will receive a confirmation reply by e-mail within three days. Closer to the day of your arrival to Hanoi we will contact you to specify the details of the meeting such as where and when to meet, which place to visit, etc.

Walking tours generally last from 2 to 4 hours in groups of no more than five people. As the majority of our tour guides are who can speak at least one of foreign language, it is highly likely that you will have a tour in your native language. If that is impossible, the tour will be conducted in English. (!)

Check on Amity Smile Travel website http://amitysmiletravel.com/ to see if your next vacation destination offers a similar program.

The staff of Amity Smile Travel consists of volunteers who are devoted to the capital city of Hanoi and who love it very much.

We are looking forward to meeting you in Hanoi!