Kien An Cung pagoda

Dong Thap province is located in the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam, about 165 km away from Ho Chi Minh city. This place has some popular attractions including Xeo Quyt relic, Huynh Thuy Le ancient house. Moreover, come to this destination in the flood season, you might get some exciting experiences such as field fishing or common sesban harvesting  Hanoi 

Weather

The time from September to November is the flood season in the Mekong Delta region. Water runs off fields onto roads. The whole scene looks like an endless river things to do in Hanoi  The day is less sunny and sometimes humid while the night is quite cool. You might feel so comfortable with the mild weather of this place.

Guidance

You need to catch a bus or ride motorcycle in order to get to Dong Thap. There are some bus routes that pass Dong Thap province so you can get to this place easily. In a different way, you can ride along national highway 1A to reach to My Thuan Bridge and then turn right at Dong Thap junction  vietnam travel

Attractions

Huynh Thuy Le ancient house: This house was built in 1895 with the combination of Western and Eastern architectural styles. The outer part was decorated in Chinese style while the interior has the characteristic of the Vietnamese culture with three compartments and precious carved wooden doors.

Kien An Cung pagoda: located in the centre of Sa Dec city, this place was built in 1924. There are two major festivals on 2nd February and 22nd August (lunar calendar).

Phuoc Kien temple: this ancient temple is so famous with its special type of lotus. The diameter of a leaf is from 1,5m to 2m. The leaf pad is thick, the vein is large and the margin is up to 5cm in height. Moreover, the leaf can even support the weight of a well balanced adult.

Sa Dec flower garden: more than 100 years old, this village is a popular place of bonsai and flower planting. This destination attracts many visitors in special occasions such as local festival or Tet holiday.

Tomb of Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac: located in Cao Lanh city, this tomb was built in memory of the man who had sacrificed his son to the noble cause of the nation.

Xeo Quyt relic: located in My Long commune, Cao Lanh district with the total area about 50ha, Xeo Quyt relic is an ideal place for you to have an eco-tourism trip. The wild scene and mild climate are so amazing.

Gao Giong ecotourism-park: there are many exciting experiences for you to join when you come to this quiet and peaceful place. You can ride in melaleuca forest; have a sightseeing tour on boat along beautiful streams; take a rest in a leaf hut and enjoy many tasty delicacies.

Tram Chim national park: this place is such a green and idyllic destination of the Mekong Delta River with many wild natural scenes including majestic melaleuca forests, peaceful river, white lotus, golden rice fields, etc.

Where to stay

There are not many resorts so you might stay at a budget hotel with the price is about 300,000 – 700,000 VND for a night.

Overnight camping is also an interesting option for couples or teams.

Food

Some must-try foods when you travel to Dong Thap are grilled snakehead fish, Hotpots from siamese mud carp fish, field mice meat, snake hotpot, etc.

Gifts

There are many delicacies of Dong Thap that you should buy as gifts for your family and friends. For examples, you can buy Lai Vung tangerines, persimmons, Chau Thanh longans, Sa Giang shrimp chips, Lai Vung fermented pork rolls, etc.

Enjoy the blue beach on the white sand

Next to famous Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh, Co To Island is charming with the blue sea, the white sand, and interesting tourism activities, which give visitors romantic experiences.

Especially, Co To Island also draws tourists’ attention by many romantic experiences.

Enjoy the blue beach on the white sand

Not far away from Co To Town, Co To Island   sapa  has wonderful beaches, in which Hong Van and Van Chay are two famous beaches here. Co To beach is large and beautiful with long white sands and the clear water of the different colors under the sun  da lat

Lying on the sand, enjoy the blue sky and cool breezes of the sea will give you fantastic and romantic feelings.

Wander on the road of Love 

A road with the length of 2 km, covered by red bricks, along with the river bank is the romantic place of young couples. There are two rows of green poplar trees on the sidewalks, providing with the romantic and natural beauty of “Love road”.  It’s really a great experience to walk hand in hand with your lover on the road and feel the cool wind from the sea, the gentle sound of the waves, along with the sunlight twinkling from above, under the shadow of the trees, etc.

Going on foot or by a cycle is ok. All things are romantic and poetic  hanoi temple of literature

See sunshine and sunset

Not only the ideal destination to swim, on Co To Island, tourists also can indulge yourselves in the harmony of the land and the sky. Going to Van Chay beach in the morning, you will see the golden sunshine from the horizon. Also, in the late afternoon, you should not miss Hong Van beach, where the purple beach becomes more romantic with the charming beauty of the sunset.

You can also see the sunset at the lighthouse in Co To Island. Located 100m above sea level, you can see the overview of the island from this lighthouse.

Have a BBQ party on the beach

On Nam Hai Beach in Co To Island, you can enjoy a lot of activities, especially BBQ party with the special seat made from the white sand. The beach is also suitable to see the moon.

Beside the romantic places, tourists can try squid fishing, enjoy fresh seafood, visit rock reefs, and go to Bac Van historic port. Anyway, during your trip to Ha Long Bay, you should spend time to visit Co To Island. Surely, this pretty island will make you excited.

this place is one of Phu Quoc luxury resorts

With over 28 km coastline, Phu Quoc is not only attractive with primitive beaches but also well known for the heaven of resorts. Do you wonder where to stay when traveling to Phu Quoc; which resorts are popular here with good quality? Consider 5 Phu Quoc luxury resorts below.Phu Quoc The Shell Resort and Spa
With the modern design, this place is one of Phu Quoc luxury resorts.
As one of the first five-star resorts in Phu Quoc, the Shell Resort and Spa, opened on April 2014, is designed with the shape of giant sea scallops. Moreover, the resort possesses the series of luxury guest rooms, designed with the opened architecture to the sea; two main colors of yellow and white bringing the warm and natural feelings for tourists. Especially, each room is equipped with Terrazzo bathtub in the center and a small corner is spent for Spa.The resort also provides luxury services for tourists with the unique Spa system on the beach, the bar covered by the wonderful waterfall, the golf yard, the karaoke room, and entertainment activities like surfing, water motorbike, climbing, and so on.Address: Ganh Gio Beach, Duong Dong town, Phu Quoc, Kien GiangSalinda Premium Resort and top things to do in Vietnam 

Rooms with spacious balconies opened to the beach.
Salinda Premium Resort and Spa is the only luxury beach hotel located in the front of the beautiful Long Beach. It has 121 first-class rooms with nature-inspired design and spacious balconies for a perfect holiday experience.In particular, you can experience the journey of relaxation at Salinda Spa, the only spa in Vietnam operated by a professional spa from Thailand.Address: 4 km from Phu Quoc International Airport, Duong Dong town, Phu QuocLong Beach Resort Phu Quoc  hanoi attractions 
The resort built of wood with surrounding green trees gives visitors the peaceful and relaxed feelings. All rooms, villas, and suites are designed with full facilities like air-conditioners, televisions, refrigerators, internet connection, mini-bars, and luxury bathrooms.The resort has large swimming pool next to the beach, where tourists can relax and watch the sunset while enjoying cool drinks.Address: Group of Households 4, Cua Lap Hamlet, Duong To commune, Phu QuocFamiana Phu Quoc Resort
Famiana Phu Quoc Resort with full facilities.
With the area of 2 ha, stretching along Duong Dong beach, Famiana Phu Quoc Resort provides the world-class rooms, villas, and suites. In addition, the resort also has yoga and fitness center, and modern children care center.The resort owns various and creative entertainment services for visitors to choose. You can also spend your time on fishing or playing sport in the centre. Especially, the resort also provides free pick- up and drop- off service to the airport for tourists.Address: Cua Lap Hamlet, Duong To commune, Phu QuocEden Resort Phu Quoc
The world- class facilities and services of Eden Resort
Separated from the other resorts, Eden Resort Phu Quoc is built along Truong beach. Tourists will be impressed by logic decoration and harmonious space with nature.In the resort, tourists can relax with world- class facilities and services such as two restaurants of the different cuisine styles, a swimming pool, yoga and fitness centre, and 4 spa rooms.Address: Tran Hung Dao, Duong To commune, Phu Quoc best places to visit in vietnam

Lao Cai is ranked in the Top 10 beautiful places in the world.

Many Vietnam tourist attractions, including Hoi An Ancient town, Hanoi, Mu Cang Chai, and Ha Long Bay have been listed on foreign newspapers and magazines this year  da lat

The year of 2015 is soon to finish, take a look at an overview of Vietnam tourist attractions on foreign newspapers this year  sapa

Hoi An enters the world’s top 22 best small towns to visit in life by Business Insider, a leading US business and entertainment website.

Hoi An is sparkling under the lights  hanoi temple of literature 
Hanoi is chosen in the top 50 ideal destinations in 2016 by Business Insider.

Hanoi Old Quarter
Also, the UK Daily Telegraph puts Hanoi among the top cities in the world for food, especially street food.

Ta Hien street – the famous foreign street for street food in Hanoi.
Meanwhile, the US website Pinterest names Hanoi among the world’s top 20 pinned places.

Vietnam-tourist-attractions-on-foreign-newspapers
Vietnam authentic beauty
Lonely Planet, the world’s popular travel guild book publisher, lists Hanoi capital city and Ho Chi Minh City in the top 10 best-value destinations in 2016.

Ho Chi Minh city is beautiful at night
The US Business Insider also praises the beauty of Ha Long Bay.

Vietnam-tourist-attractions-on-foreign-newspapers
Ha Long Bay is majestic
In addition, Ha Long Bay is one of 50 beautiful destinations in the world, announced by US magazine CN Traveler.

Sunset on Ha Long Bay
Besides Ha Long Bay, the list of CN Traveler also includes Mu Cang Chai.

Vietnam-tourist-attractions-on-foreign-newspapers
Vast terraced fields in Mu Cang Chai
Lao Cai is ranked in the world’s top 10 most beautiful places by the Richest, a leading entertainment and lifestyle website.

Lao Cai is ranked in the Top 10 beautiful places in the world.
Business Insider cited Con Dao Islands as one of top 25 remote islands that tourists should visit in their lifetime.

Con Dao Island with white beach and clear water.
The US online newspaper, Huffington Post, has cited Cua Van fishing village among the Top 11 Beautiful Small Towns all around the world.

Cua Van fishing village – one of Vietnam tourist attractions on foreign tourist.
Thrillist – a leading US food, drink and travel website, has listed Y Ty, a remote and poorest commune in Lao Cai Province, Vietnam among the best-kept secrets in Asian Travel.

Vietnam-tourist-attractions-on-foreign-newspapers
Y Ty, Lao Cai.

Konklor village

According to the chief of Konklor village, there are various types of bat in Truong Son Mountain. Bat meat is always a major ingredient for many delicious dishes including bat porridge, stewed bat meat, fried bat, etc. Among them, grilled bat is the most special dish that the locals often use to treat their guests best places to visit in vietnam

Konklor village

The bat meat is preprocessed and seasoned with fish sauce, honey, pepper, sesame oil, etc. After that, the meat will be grilled over the charcoal  top things to do in Vietnam

Can wine (tube wine) has long been a popular drink of the ethnic groups in Kon Tum province in general and in Konklor village in particular. However, the flavor of this wine is always varied from place to place due to the differences in brew progress  hanoi attractions

After the harvest, often in November or December (lunar calendar), Bah Nar people pick a good day and prepare a ritual ceremony before they go to the forest to find the plant materials to make the yeast. All these special trees, leaves or roots must be picked in the early morning and then fermented with a traditional method.

Major ingredients to make can wine are yeast, rice, and rice husk. The most important thing is the rice, sometimes it can be replaced by glutinous rice, corn or cassava root. Cane wine made from rice lasts longer than others. The locals often bury can wine jars under the ground to make the flavor even tastier.

Grilled bat meat has a distinct flavor, crispy taste, and light brown color. This dish combines with can wine to create a perfect meal to treat the precious guests.

Thac Bac (Silver Waterfall) On the way to Lai Chau

As one of the most famous tourist destinations in Vietnam, charming Sa Pa always leaves visitors the special feelings due to amazing sceneries, the cooling weather, the traditional beauty of ethnic minorities, etc.

Take a look at 10 must-go destinations in Sa Pa below Hanoi

Ham Rong Mountain things to do in Hanoi

Observing the entire Sa Pa town from the top of Ham Rong Mountain is an interesting experience that everyone should try as coming to Sa Pa. Everything, including roads, hotels or resorts become smaller when viewed from above.

Stone church, Sa Pa

When it comes to Sa Pa, Stone church, also known as Holy Church is a popular place not to be missed. It was built in 1895, following the French ancient architectural style.

Cat Cat Village

It’s 2km from Sa Pa centervietnam travel The old Hmong ethnic village still keeps many traditional crafts such as planting flowers, weaving, and making jewelry. In particular, Cat Cat village also retains a lot of unique customs that you cannot find in the other regions.

Muong Hoa Valley

About 10km from Sa Pa town to the Southeast, Muong Hoa valley is an attractive destination for visitors in the highland. Cross a mountainous pass, tourists will be overwhelmed by the poetic beauty of the earth and the sky blending together here. It’s not difficult to realize Muong Hoa valley with high mountains and charming terraced fields.

Ta Phin Village

Ta Phin village is home to the Red Dao and H’Mong ethnic minorities in Sa Pa. The path to the village is along the winding slopes of the green terraced fields. Peach trees, plum trees on the roadsides colorfully blossom in the cold weather of the mountainous area.

Cau May (Rattan Bridge)

It will be a miss if you travel to Sa Pa without visiting Cau May (Rattan bridge), which crosses poetic Muong Hoa River. Visiting the bridge in foggy days, you will feel like to be covered by cloud. This famous bridge is the favorite place of tourists in Sa Pa.

Thac Bac (Silver Waterfall)

On the way to Lai Chau, you will come across a majestic waterfall, named Thac Bac flouring down to O Quy Ho valley, which makes the spectacular beauty of nature. From Silver waterfall, keep moving 3 km, you will reach Dinh Deo, where gives you a beautiful view of Fansipan.

Sky Gate

18 km from the center of charming Sa Pa, you have to pass a winding mountain road – Tram Ton to reach Sky gate. The clouds covering on the top make the sky gate mysterious and poetic.

O Quy Ho Pass

O Quy Ho Pass is one of the must-go places in charming Sa Pa, near Thac Bac and Love waterfall. Standing on the top of the pass, you will see twisty roads linking the provinces of Lao Cai and Lai Chau. Besides the pass is majestic Hoang Lien Son range.

Snow in Sa Pa

In the coldest days of winter, anyone coming to Sa Pa also wants to admire the rare white snowy scenery of Vietnam. Snow covers all the roads, all the roofs of the houses, all the trees, which makes a strange feeling. It’s romantic like a scene in a Korean film.

The cook often uses pork meat

Chilled pork meat is an essential dish in Tet holiday of people in the North. It seems to be uncustomary that this cool dish is an ideal food for these chilly days. However, just try it out for once and you will absolutely know why hanoi temple of literature

Chilled pork meat is such a special dish of Vietnamese cuisine, which often focuses on fresh and hot dishes. Vietnamese people always keep this food cool in order to make it last longer. Chilled meat is made from easy and quick recipe with some popular ingredients including pork, wood ear, and pepper.

The cook often uses pork meat from the head or leg; sometimes they can be replaces by chicken meat. The most important ingredient is the pork skin – the key to make the “frozen taste” of this dish Hanoi

Pork meat is rinsed, cut into bite-size pieces and then mixed with sliced pork skin before seasoning. Minced wood ear and pepper will be added during cooking progress. The great proportion of the ingredients makes the flavor of this dish and also keeps it last as long as possible.  After being cooked, pork meat is put into bowls. When the meat and the liquid are frozen, turn the bowl upside down to lay them on a dish.

The pork meat looks quite solid that you might be surprised by its soft things to do in Hanoi taste right when you make a bite. The frozen soup is transparent and also tasty especially when you eat with hot rice or chung cake. You might want to enjoy this fleshy dish with pickled mustard greens or onions.

Chilled pork meat is a familiar dish in Tet holiday of people in the North because this food is frozen well in cold weather and also a delicious food that you should eat with your family.

Most travelers to Vietnam

Most travelers to Vietnam are attracted by the wonderful natural beauty of the stunning S-shaped country, from extensive rice terraced fields in the north to the fascinating bustle of the Mekong Delta in the south. Furthermore, clear natural beaches are also the amazing tourist attractions in Vietnam.

Recently, Lonely Planet, the world’s famous tourist site, has chosen top 7 beaches you should visit at least once in life in Vietnam.

Phu Quoc Island

Located in front of the Cambodia coast, Phu Quoc is the largest island in Vietnam. The island features pristine tropical forests, colorful coral reefs, and great beaches, which is the favorite destination of tourists to enjoy the peaceful and tranquil atmosphere as well as admire the wild beauty of long beaches, natural forests, and pure streams.

Come to Phu Quoc, besides swimming, walking in the night markets, and discovering famous pearl farms, you can also visit scenic spots such as Dinh Cau, Bai Dai, Bai Sao, Phu Quoc prison, myrtle forests, and pepper gardens.  In addition, Phu Quoc is famous for producing the best fermented fish sauce in the world. Therefore, paying a short visit to some fish sauce manufacturing places is also a good idea for your trip.

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Con Dao Island

80 kilometers from the Mekong Delta and 230 km from Ho Chi Minh, Con Dao Island used to serve as a prison for political prisoners during the French colonial period. However, due to immense natural beauty, Con Dao today turns into the heaven of nice resorts, which attracts numerous domestic and international tourists.

Visit Con Dao, you can explore historical relics and experience the special activities like swimming in the clear sea, walking on white sand beaches, diving into pure beaches, or driving along deserted coasts. Moreover, don’t forget to enjoy typical seafood here.

welcome in Sapa !

Mui Ne

Mui Ne is located on the east coast of Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan province, about 250 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City. It’s famous for the beautiful beaches with strong waves, huge red sandy dunes as desert, and delicious dishes made from seafood. Moreover, Mui Ne is the kingdom of resorts and one of the most favorite places for those who are fans of beaches to relax and enjoy interesting vacations.

In addition, Mui Ne also possesses a lot of unique destinations like Rom Island, Lao Cao Island, Rang Beach with pristine beaches, majestic landscapes, and fresh air. Especially, in early 2013, Mui Ne was listed in Top most beautiful beaches in Southeast Asia by Skyscanner.

Tra Su melaleuca in the Mekong

The diverse ecological system and magnificent natural scenery have turned Tra Su melaleuca forest in the Mekong province of An Giang into a popular tourist attraction, especially in the high-water season.

Nearly 100 kilometers from Long Xuyen City, each year Tra Su melaleuca forest welcomes 10,000 domestic and international tourists.

best time to travel to Vietnam

With the area of 845 hectares, Tra Su is home to 140 kinds of plants, mainly melaleuca, and dozens of reptiles and birds, including two kinds of birds listed in Vietnam’s Red Book.

Most likely, the best time to visit Tra Su is from the middle of September until the Lunar New Year when the whole forest becomes inundated.

To reach Tra Su forest, visitors have to go for a walk about 500 from the car park. Along the walking path are lotus ponds and rows of green trees as a warm welcome to visitors. At the forest’s gate, tourists take a motorboat or row boat to explore Tra Su.

mausoleum ho chi minh

You will feel overwhelmed with numerous green melaleuca and water-fern floating on the surface. Along the way, you will see birds perched on tree trunks, bunches of water lilies, and the water’s surface full of water ferns. It’s great to admire the nature beauty and enjoy peaceful vibe of Tra Su melaleuca forest.

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In the early morning or late afternoon, visitors may get a chance to see large flocks of birds flying from or to their nests. However, the forest becomes livelier in the afternoon when thousands of white storks fly and chirp all around the forest. The white of storks contracts with the green of the melaleuca forest, which gives tourists peaceful and relaxing feelings. In addition, there are also many species of other birds and animals.

Visiting Tra Su melaleuca forest in An Giang, Vietnam is an interesting destination for tourists who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Surely, the journey to Tra Su will leave you unforgettable experiences.

Places caffe in ho chi minh

A small 8% of Vietnamese people are drinking domestically produced coffee despite that the country is ranked as the second largest supplier of coffee in the world. The Vietnamese don’t have the strong habit of grabbing coffee to go like what people usually do in North American. For them, caffeinate means taking a break from the heat and chilling in one of the country’s omnipresent cafes scattering across the country.

old quarter Hanoi

Many visitors fall in love with the hustling nightlife of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). The city is in the process of developing and growing into one of Vietnam’s most ebullient economic centers, yet it still manages to maintain the strong café culture.

It would be impossible to say the following café are the best in the city. It would take years to visit them all. Anyway, here are one of the most worth to visit mausoleum ho chi minh

Up CAFÉ
269 Nguyễn Trọng Tuyển Street
Tel: +840928 269 269
It’s the ceiling décor, which comprises table and chairs, a piano precariously hung upside down over customers’ heads, on the second floor makes the café stand out. However, a huge flaw is those awfully huge couches that set private partitions and ruin the space.

Additionally, the music is overly sappy. If you intend to visit the place, go with a friend and make a bet about what song is on. Your friend will hear “My heart will go on”, otherwise you pay for the coffee.

The café was put into lots of effort and it could be so nice with a couple of small changes. The place falls under “go once one and see” category rather than as a regular place to work or meet.

things to do in ho chi minh

Du Mien CAFÉ
48/9A Hồ Biểu Chánh, Ward 11, Phú Nhuận District.
It’s a bit difficult to find this hidden place, but that’s also a part making it special. The foreign crowd never seems to come around here, therefore, it feels exotic and local. Du Mien is a big, terraced café with some pools, yet it is in need of some refurbishing. The ambiance is quite impressive and relaxing, at least on weekdays.

Art in the heart

Among a plethora of shops selling trinkets, footwear, clothes, and all things you can find around Hanoi of the Old Quarter is a humble shop doing a brisk trade in selling off original and reprinted propaganda posters dated back to the Vietnam War.

This is a good source for tourists to turn to for both history lessons and art. You can get your family great souvenirs after finishing your backpacking trip.

 mausoleum ho chi minh

The American War is a substitute name for the same war taking place here in the previous century. It’s quite some time since the war ended, but the art works inspired by this phase continue to be created, preserved and be up for selling in many art shops around Hanoi. The shop on Hang Bac street chooses to be low-key, operating without a glitzy name, yet draws a fair share of attention of art-lovers.

Stepping into the shop may have the feeling of entering a time capsule of exhortations to patriotism and  sky-high enemy defeating spirits. All of that are under the watching eye of Uncle Ho.

At first, there’s an initial kitsch value and impatience to browsing amongst the posters which are placed one by one , 50 pieces in one line, separated by cover sheets. But if you take your time, flicking through deeper, more sobering pictures of the Vietnamese struggle for survival and independence, emerge.

The old lady who is the owners of the shop might well have lived through both the American and French wars in Vietnam. It can be interesting to think of the thoughts running through her mind when seeing all these backpackers stepping into her shop to buy these posters that used to be taken deadly seriously.

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A variety of artistic styles are up for buyers’ options, from impressionistic efforts to blocky Soviet graphical influence. Prices are reasonable, only a few dollars each, for you to grab couples of them. High chances are you will quickly fall in love with those images as they are genuinely artistic regardless of their historical impact.

Nixon’s face superimposed on a falling bomb

It’s no surprise that you will see images of Ho Chi Minh, Father of the Nation, who led Vietnam through the war but did not live to see its independence, frequently crop up.

things to do in ho chi minh

The most impressive Uncle Ho image is the portrait of him entirely made with Vietnamese stamps.

Literally hundreds of posters are on display in the Old Propaganda Poster Shop. A great idea is to make a book or historical document about them after interviews and talks with the artists who are still living about the creating process of these images and the influences on their work.

Do you think you will pay the shop a visit? Share with us your thoughts about artworks you find interesting there.