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