Mu Cang Chai Tour: Vietnam Adventure amid Rice Terraces

A tour to Mu Cang Chai Vietnam in autumn

It had been autumn in North Vietnam for a while and I had been pinned down by piles of work. It was about the end of September that I could escape from the office for a few days. Northern Vietnam had enjoyed an autumn among the most beautiful in my life. A spell of winter monsoon earlier than usual had made the temperatures much more pleasant. Everyday it was breezy and pleasant sunshine. It was a perfect combination for an escape holiday from Hanoi.

 Leaving the city in a morning full of sunshine, the trip out in the country was so peaceful. Traffic was quiet. It was later in the morning but things were empty and so peaceful on the Trung Ha Bridge between Hanoi and Phu Tho Province. Trung Ha is right at the confluence of the Da River (Black River and the Red River).

 
View of the Da River and Red River from the Trung Ha Bridge

 Mu Cang Chai Tour: Vietnam Adventure amid Rice Terraces

Vietnam Tourism - A Review of Vietnam Travel and Hotels

Vietnam has been among the fasted growing travel destinations in the world for the past two decades. This review of Vietnam travel and Vietnam hotels will provide you with more understanding of this amazing country as an increasingly popular travel destination.

 1/In the early 1990s Vietnam had been a war-torn country. The reunification of Vietnam was in 1975, but Vietnam did not have peace back yet. The war against the Khmer Rouge was from 1975 to 1989 and the war against the Chinese invasion was from 1979 to 1991 inland and at sea. Back then Vietnam had still been closed to the outside world: the economic embargo by the United States, the country was not on the map of the world travelers.

Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan, Vietnam

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Sapa- Vietnam

Sapa Vietnam is 400 km (9 hour drive by car) north-west of Hanoi. The cloud-covered town of Sapa is located at 1550 m above the sea level, cool all year round. There are many magnificent mountains including the peak of Indochina - Fansipan of 3143m elevation. 

 The area of Sapa is home to 7 ethnic groups with unique cultures, lifestyles and languages; all wearing their traditional attires, working on evergreen terraces. Hill tribes gather for the weekend market for trade and for meeting with lovers.  Sapa is a good place for relaxing holidays, for cultural touring, and/or for trekking and should not be missed on your trip to Vietnam.

Sapa Town from above

 The area was built into a hill station for the French colonialists to get away from the heat of Hanoi and the Red River Delta in the summer. There used to be many French-styled villas in town. But most of them were destroyed during the border clash with China in 1979.

 Nowadays Sapa attracts thousands of tourists from all of Vietnam and abroad thanks to the cool and fresh climate, the sublime nature beauty and the colorful hill tribe cultures.

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Ha Giang Vietnam travel guide

Ha Giang is located top-north of Vietnam. The area of Ha Giang Province is characterized by fabled limestone highlands with karst formations and colorful untouched ethnic minorities. Ha Giang is much shrouded in legend and is not touched by tourism.

Ha Giang is bordered to the north by China; to the south by Tuyen Quang and Yen Bai Provinces; to the east by Cao Bang and to the west by Lao Cai Province. Ha Giang has a temperate climate and it's almost cool all year round in Dong Van Rocky Plateau.

The gate to Ha Giang Province

Ha Giang is inhabited by 22 ethnic groups, many of whom maintain a very traditional culture and many live an isolated life from the mainstream society.

Dong Van Rock Plateau Ha Giang Vietnam

 

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Ta Chi Nhu Mountain (Phu Song Sung) - Yen Bai

The Ta Chi Nhu Mountain (aka Mount Phu Song Sung) in Tram Tau District of Yen Bai Province, which is 2,979m above sea level, is the 6th highest mountain peak in Vietnam.

Breathtaking mounain peaks on the way to the summit of Ta Chi Nhu

 The best time to climb Ta Chi Nhu is from November to early April. If you want to take photos of an ocean of clouds at the mountain peak, then you may want to take the trip from November through the first half of March. It is freezing cold from late November through early February.

Trekking Tour Ta Chi Nhu (Phu Song Sung) – 3 Days

Trekking Ta Chi Nhu (or Phu Song Sung, 2,979m) is an extremely hard mountain climbing tour for 3 days, 2 nights. The mountain, which is the 6th highest mountain peak in Vietnam, is in Tram Tau District of Yen Bai Province, 240km North-West of Hanoi. The best time to do the trip is from December through March.

Splendid view from point where the trek starts

Motorbike Tour from Hanoi to Tram Tau in Yen Bai

It had been lovely weather in Hanoi for some time, but I could feel the temperatures tended to get warmer day by day. It was coming towards the end of a wonderful spring anyway. News of early rains in the mountains reminded me that I had better hurry, else the most wonderful moments of the year were passing!

 
Ricefields at Son Tay, Ha Tay (now Hanoi), Vietnam

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Motorbike Tour from Hanoi to Tram Tau in Yen Bai

Junk Cruise on Foggy Halong Bay

 Spring! It had been wet in Hanoi and for the last few days it had been very foggy. No doubt that the vegetation was so green and the flowers were everywhere! The singing birds were more active in looking for food and partners. The whole world seemed to be charged with new energy.

Business had been very busy recently and I had not the time to prepare for any trips. There was no way that I could get out of the office for a long holiday now. There were a quite a few folks traveling in groups with Paradissa and it was necessary that I had to double-check the services on Halong Bay. Besides, one of our business partners had some new boats and we had better see them ourselves. That was a good reason then, it'd make me feel less guilty getting off from work for a couple of days. That was it, I'd be having a great time tomorrow!

The driver came at 0800 A.M and we arrived on Tuan Chau Island at 11:30 A.M. They had road construction somewhere on the highway to Lang Son and we had to wait for a while. Tuan Chau Island was much bigger now than a few years ago. It wouldn't surprise me to find a big city here some time soon. They were still reclaiming more land and a few more new buildings were being started...

Sun deck on a luxuy junk on Halong Bay

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Travel Ba Be by Motorbike: Escape from Hectic Life Part 2

I wake up by crows of the cocks in the early morning. It's still dark and cold outside and I have nothing to hurry for today. It's lovely lying in bed gazing mindlessly out of the window into the infinity of darkness. Things seem to be changing slowly as the mountains begin to reveal its green color gradually from the thick fog.

 After dozing off for a while, the day light brings me up again and the coffee is yelling my name. It's good time to start the day now. It's still cold and things are drying up quickly. There must have been a shower in the night. Everything is so quiet all around, most people are still in bed, I guess....

Early morning by the lake of Ba Be

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Travel Ba Be by Motorbike: Escape from Hectic Life

It is the middle of the winter in Hanoi now, but so strange that the beautiful weather makes it more like beautiful autumn days. Everyday the sun sprinkles down precious golden particles that make the temperatures so pleasant! The breezes make the air dry and fresh, nothing of the normal cold winter winds. The whole world is definitely having the best moments of the year...

I wake up by my hot coffee late in the morning, looking down the window, casting my eyes further into the river with weird feelings. I don't feel as great as I should, especially in this kind of weather. My heart is not beating normally. Maybe it's been hectic work, or it's the beautiful weather, or it's serious lack of “travel oxygen” that my body has been addicted to. Who knows... I think I know. Something keeps pushing inside: it's high time to roam wild!

Horses at Phuong Vien, Cho Don District, Bac Kan

It takes me less than thirty minutes to get ready and off I jump on my motorbike and dash off leaving all the hustle bustle of the world behind... Leaving Hanoi, I take Road No.3 to Thai Nguyen which is as busy always and not much to keep my attention. My eyes are fixed on the road and my mind wanders in the mountains, the forests and the tranquil ethnic villages in Ba Be National Park...

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The best beaches in Vietnam

Vietnam is endowed with over three thousand kilometers of coastline with numerous fine white sand beaches. Amazingly, most Vietnamese tourists and foreign travellers tend to spend their holidays at some popular spots only; while the majority of beaches in Vietnam including those with great luxury resorts and fresh seafood of dirt-cheap prices are left just empty. Recently, I got a trip through the stunning beaches in Vietnam and still don't know how those gems for beach holidays are just empty and not many travellers in sight...

Lang Co Beach, Hue, Vietnam from the Hai Van Pass (The Pass of Ocean Clouds)

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Vietnamese Tet Holiday 2018

The Vietnamese follow two calendars: Gregorian and Lunar Calendars. While Gregorian Calendar is for official work, the Lunar Calendar is mostly for traditions, spiritual life and events, and for agricultural work. Gregorian Calendar has 365-366 days per year, the Lunar Calendar has only 355-356 days per year. Every year, the Vietnamese enjoy two New Year Celebrations; the Lunar New Year is called Tet. Tet dates vary from one year to another, but normally in January or February.

The Old Quarter of Hanoi before Tet

Tet is a very special time for every Vietnamese: the New Year celebration, time off from work, time for family reunion, time for fun with friends and relatives, change of fortune, cultural village festivals... Tet is a public holiday in Vietnam and the country comes to a halt during Tet holidays. Read more on Vietnamese Tet 2018

Dong Cao - Vietnam Ephemeral Beauty

Dong Cao is the name of a Dzao Village in Bac Giang Province, northern Vietnam. Dong Cao is also the name of a mountain near the village with breathtaking beauty. The area is recently getting known to the young Vietnamese travelers and photographers for its little prairie and the heavenly beauty that is similar to no other travel attractions in Vietnam...

A mountain peak near Dong Cao, Son Dong, Bac Giang, Vietnam

Unlike most mountains in the North and the Central Region of Vietnam, which are either of sheer rocks with pointed peaks or covered by forests, Dong Cao has a large and undulating top stretching for a few kilometers. A large area of the mountain is covered with fine grass, which makes it an ideal spot for camping. From the top of Dong Cao, you can have a 360-degree view of the surrounding nature with mountain peaks arranged one after another. The scenery is even unreal at dawn and at dusk when lighting conditions change and the mists start moving... Read more on Dong Cao Vietnam

Ninh Binh Vietnam Family Holidays

By Lang Thang.

Vietnam is getting more known as a popular tourist destination nowadays; travel to Vietnam is safe and fairly easy for the independent travelers as well as for those in group travel. For those who make their Vietnam holidays with a big family or with kids, then it is necessary to have good trip planning before departure...

Hang Mua - Ninh Binh

For every detail of a family vacation, then a local travel agent or tour operator in Vietnam would surely be able to help you out; in this article, I will only make a recommendation of an attraction that your family may benefit more on your tour through the country. The gem I wanted to tell you more about here is Ninh Binh Province, a backwater separated from the hustle and bustle of urban life by stretches of limestone mountains, by vast stretches of rice paddies, by series of ponds and lakes and rivers... This sounds like a far-flung place in Vietnam, but it is only a 2-hour drive from Hanoi. Definitely, there are more compelling reasons than just the convenient location, that your family should travel to this backwater...

 Located in the Red River Delta, Ninh Binh possesses the rice fields stretching to the horizon. Amid the sea of rice at Ninh Binh, there are myriads outcrops and limestone mountains which create a system of enclosed valleys. The heavenly natural landscape of Ninh Binh is more like an ancient painting than for real... Read more on Ninh Binh Vietnam Holidays

Xoan Singing of Vietnam - Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

24November2011, Xoan Singing of Phu Tho Province of Vietnam was inscribed by the UNESCO to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity which is in need of urgent Safeguarding. The inscription was made at the Sixth Session of the Intergovernmental Committee Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage, which is to take place in Bali (Indonesia) from 22November2011 to 29November2011.

As defined by the Intergovernmental Committee, the Intangible Cultural Heritage includes traditions or living expressions inherited from one generation to the next, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills required to produce traditional crafts.
At the current session, seventy nine intangible heritage dossiers are to be examined, which include: 18 for inscription on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of Urgent Safeguarding; 39 for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; 12 proposals of programmes for the Register of Best Safeguarding Practices; 4 for financial assistance; and 6 periodic reports on the implementation of the Convention.

Xoan singing (or Hat Xoan in Vietnamese) is practiced in the first two months of lunar year in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam. It is a kind of performing art relating to rituals and beliefs. Besides the function of singing for worshiping Hùng Kings, Xoan Singing also expresses dreams about happiness and prays for good crops, good health and luck, etc. Xoan Folk Artists are organized into different music guilds known as Phường. Each music guild is headed by a leader, who is referred to as trùm. Male instrumentalists are called kép and female singers are called đào. There are three phrases in Xoan singing procedure: worship singing and ritual singing performed by Xoan guilds and festive singing including the participation of villagers in love-exchange singing. Xoan singing is accompanied by dancing and musical instrument. Up to now, teaching and learning Xoan singing have based on oral transmission. Xoan singing used to be in danger of suffering loss but for recent twenty years, it has been gradually restored according to the wish and active participation of Xoan bearers in Phú Thọ province.

Halong Bay Vietnam - A New World Natural Wonder

Halong Bay Vietnam was named among the Provisional New Seven Wonders of Nature after the
first count of vote results on 11/11/11 by the New7Wonders
Foundation.The bay stretches in an area of 1553 square kilometers in the

north-east of Vietnam, 165km from Hanoi. Halong Bay includes 1,969
rocky islands and islets jutting out of the emerald water of the East
Vietnam Sea.
The others on the provisional list are the Amazon rain-forest
(stretching over nine countries' territories: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia,
Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela), Argentina's
Iguazu Falls, South Korea's Jeju Island, Indonesia's Komodo, the
Philippines' Puerto Princesa Underground River and South Africa's Table
Mountain.

Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City still called Saigon by the locals is the biggest city and the economic center of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City spreads its way on the banks of the Saigon River and has always been busy with trade since its formation. The areas more interesting to the travellers include the riverside, the city center and China Town.

The center and the riverside of Ho Chi Minh City boast the glittering skyscrapers which are home to deluxe apartments, offices and luxury hotels. The riverside can best be viewed from a boat cruising on the Saigon River at night. The city center is where many of the city’s tourist attractions, hotels, fine-dining restaurants and buzzing night life are found. There are some rooftop restaurants and bars in the center which can offer the panoramic view of the city from above. Cho Lon (China Town) is home to the biggest Chinese Community in Vietnam with Chinese-styled temples and pagodas full of atmosphere.

Ho Chi Minh City Hall

The good time to travel to Saigon is all year round; the sun shines everyday in this city. But the better time is from December to April as it’s less humid and more pleasant temperature. From May to December it’s more humid and it rains about 1 hour everyday. There’s hardly any storm or typhoon in Ho Chi Minh City.

Yen Bai Vietnam - Hidden gem for photography travel

It was Thursday and I was getting funky again. The weather seemed to have changed last night with new rounds of monsoons which made temperatures drop and the air fresh. The breezes were so gentle and the air was dry. This kind of breezes is called “Heo May” in Vietnamese. Normally “Heo May” appears mostly in the time between autumn and winter in northern Vietnam. “Heo May” breezes make the air a bit chilly, dry and fresh; on a day of “Heo May”, the sun shines gently which makes us feel very comfortable. “Heo May” comes along with beautiful weather that has come into Vietnamese literature and poetry...

Rice field and palm forest at Doan Hung Phu To

I felt so pleasant and called my buddy to see how things were going. He was ready. We went out for some coffee without being in a hurry. It'd be such a waste to be in a hurry on such a beautiful day. We started to get rolling out of the city in late morning, around 09:30 A.M or something. The air was fresh, so we turned down the car windows to let the fresh air in while leaving Ha Noi. It was a bit cooler as we were out of the city. The scene was just so beautiful with green rice paddies and dark blue mountains. The city seemed to be hugged by 2 ranges of mountains: one is called Ba Vi and the other is called Tam Dao, both are hill stations and home to amazing national parks. I'd write more about these two national parks at another time...

It was always exciting to travel again. We had been working on a special trip for 10 photographers who wanted to capture the most beautiful scenes of Vietnam. North-West of Vietnam was an indispensable part of the trip, but 6 photographers in the group had taken the North West of Vietnam with us already and they wanted something new, off-the-beaten track. Normally traveling in the North-West of Vietnam would mean to take the route via Road No. 6 via Hoa Binh Mai Chau, Son La – Dien Bien Phu and the from Dien Bien Phu – Lai Chau – Sapa – Yen Bai – Ha Noi. So it was easy, we'd take a different North-West of Vietnam then, this time we'd focus more on the beauty of Yen Bai Province. I asked one of my buddies, Thanh, to come along on our inspection trip to Yen Bai. Thanh is an amateur photographer and he had got many adventures to the far-flung regions of the country. He was surely to know what would be best for a photographer.

Hanoi Vietnam

The Charming Ha Noi of Vietnam

Hanoi is the elegant capital city of Vietnam sprawling its way along the Red River banks. There are many lakes, parks and leafy quarters which make the city just freshly green all year round. Ha Noi was first built in 1010 by King Ly Thai To who checked and found out that Feng-shui here was exceptionally good for the prosperity of the kingdom that time; Ha Noi was called Thanh Long meaning "the city of ascending dragons" then. Ha Noi is among the top lists of destinations for those who long for Vietnam vacations.

 

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Vietnam Dien Bien Phu

DIEN BIEN PHU

vietnam tours

The French started attacking Vietnam in 1857 and managed to invade Sai Gon, southern Vietnam in 1858. From 1858 to 1865, the French marched northward and gradually invaded all of Vietnam. Along with its neighbors Laos and Cambodia, Vietnam was put into a French colony called Indochina.

French commander's post at Dien Bien Phu - Vietnam

vietnam tour operators

In 1940, the French surrendered to the Japanese and the Japanese used French to rule Indochina. In 1945, the Japanese lost in the World War II; before the allies moved into Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh and Viet Minh (Vietnam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi – The League for the Independence of Vietnam) had led the Vietnamese people throughout the country to seize power, established the Vietnamese authority and proclaimed independence on September 2nd, 1945.

vietnam travel

After series of events staged by big powers, the allies troops moved out of Vietnam leaving the country to the French troops' control. From the end of 1945 through the end of 1946, French troops came into constant clashes with the Viet Minh's troops over the control area. On the night of December 19th, 1946 Ho Chi Minh, on behalf of Viet Minh, declared war against the French after French artillery opened fire killing thousands of civilians in Hai Phong and Ha Noi: the Franco – Viet Minh War or the First Indochina War started. Viet Minh would take to the jungles in the northeast of Vietnam to conduct the war.

vietnam adventure tour


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