ON HOAN KIEM

The small outdoor “Highlands Cafe” at the south end of Hoan Kiem Lake is a chain, but presents itself as a unique and pleasurable setting, and the coffee is all from Vietnam. The latte comes hot (a good start) delivered by perfectly well-mannered staff who seem yet unjaded by the high volume.

“It’s all Italian technology,” says the manager of the speedy, fresh service coming from behind the bar, And there’s no doubt it’s all made by careful hands because the steamed milk comes picture-perfect, even under the occasionally heavy Hanoi mist.

Highlands has everything going for it in location. In fact, it may technically be the best in town as far as lakeside cafes go. You are steps away from the water and surrounded by trees. At dusk, low lights reflect off the surface of the lake.

ADDRESS: Not numbered.
Where Ly Thai To meets Trang Thi Street.
PRICES: Mid to high range. (This is European calibre)
Take the latte for 23,000 dong.
HOURS: 7am to 11pm

Just up Ly Thai To from the Lakeside Highlands is the Hoan Kiem mainstay, “Thuy Ta Cafe.” It’s impossible to miss and you will be sorry if you do. Just walk in and take a seat. There always seems to be a table despite the throngs on the sidewalk. The seating, on a large, sweeping terrace right on the water, is literally lakeside. Ngoc Son Pagoda is practically in your lap and you are only steps away from popular Hang Dao Street.

But Thuy Ta doesn’t try to be so much a cafe as it does simply to be among “the best of Hanoi,” promising good Vietnamese staples. Bypass the daquiries and pasta. The hot tea is steaming, the cold beer ready at a moment’s notice and served by proficient staff in tidy blue uniforms. On the premises is a patisserie of sorts second to none. Nothing behind the glass will disappoint And don’t rule out the spring rolls, another specialty so simple yet so very satisfying.

ADDRESS: 1 Ly Thai To
PRICES: Mid to high range.
Hot Black Tea w/lemon: 8.000 dong, Croissant: 5,000 dong.
(2,000 dong to park your motorbike if you have one)
HOURS: 6am to 11pm

ON TRUC BACH

Up and coming in Hanoi is diminutive Truc Bach Lake, 10 minutes from Hoan Kiem through the Old Quarter. There are 36 establishments on the water at True Bach with the word “cafe” in their name, so there’s no lack of choice.

‘Tho Xuong Quan,” along the north side of the lake, caters to an established Truc Bach clientele who mass in the afternoon at low bamboo tables to debate anything, with no small amount of interest, over traditional Vietnamese food. And while the special menu of locally made brandy may push the standard fare of a cafe, Tho Xuong Quan still manages to mingle “cafe” with hot breaded spring rolls.

Owner Quan says his uncle makes the brandy (or at least some of it displayed in the window), and judging by the taste, he’s a master. Quan will even pour a 15-year-old house specialty all the way from Dien Bien Phu and toast with you. The recipe is a secret but involves ginseng, fruit, and rice aged in glass.

ADDRESS: 158 Tran Vu
PRICE: Mid to high range.
Brandy: 30,000 dong. Spring Rolls: 20,000 dong
HOURS: noon to “sometimes late into the night”
according to Quan.
TOAST: “Chuc sue khoe” (health to you)

At the other end of the spectrum on Truc Bach Lake is “Cool Teen,” also on the north side in the shadow of the Sofitel Plaza. Ignore the name. Ignore the lime-green bench coverings. Get the coffee. It comes hot, dark, and sweet. View is everything. Large picture windows block the hum of traffic on the ever-crowded Duong Thanh Nien nearby. If it’s a hot day or you’re toting kids, any of the gelati (also of quite loud colors) might restore you, and silence needy youngsters.

ADDRESS: 3 True Bach
PRICE: Mid range. Coffee 9,000 dong, 20s to 30s

Briefly noted in Truc Bach: “Khanh Cafe” perches over the street on the south side of the Lake. There is only hot coffee and tea, difficult to fake. Enjoy the ionic columnae, and someone just spent a lot of money on new chairs. The egg sandwich (Banh my trung) comes with onions and possibly fish sauce (or was that from the last meal) and chips. Not bad for 12,000 dong.

ON WEST LAKE

The first cafe to catch your eye as you arrive at broad West Lake, separated from Truc Bach by a causeway (Duong Thanh Nien), might not be a small spot with a low profile and unassuming fare. Tiny “Cafe Minimal” has two tables, hence the name. The ambiance is elegantly simple: white walls, black everything else. Even with a full house it’s all yours to read or just look out the window across the water.

Despite close quarters, you don’t feel cramped, owing to large windows. The menu has a distinctly post-modern attitude, offering fruit shakes and ultra-healthful juices made instantly on the spot. And they know jazz. Minimal is modern lakeside Hanoi at its best. They’ve been there for 6 months, say the staff, but menu is slated to change.

NOTE: Where’s the bathroom?
ADDRESS: 9 Duong Thanh Nien
PRICES: Mid-range. Carrot shake, 15,000 dong
HOURS: 9am-ish to 10pm-ish

Continuing along the causeway northwest and out onto Duong Yen Phu is the upscale “Hanoi Club,” with its cafe off the main entrance. This is the highest end, but lives up to its reputation. The lake gives everything a resort-feel without being affected, although the waterfront driving range could mar your view of the water.

The mango shake, from a menu with a clearly new-age flair, is utterly uniform in consistency and not too sweet It may even be just mangoes and ice blended to perfection. Apply that to the banana, pineapple, and papaya versions. Also look for buttery croissant and pain-au-chocolat of the highest Hanoi order.

PRICE: If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.

Aptly named “Hidden Hanoi” (associated with the popular cooking and language classes) is somewhat difficult to find. past the Hanoi Club, through weaving alleys in the shadow of the Sheraton Hotel. That may be a good thing, as tranquility rules here. It’s open to the air but shrouded in green, and you walk down a path of cement feet in pools to private, lakeside nooks, one table each. Enjoy the warm breeze off the lake. Or sit in a common area done in dark wood.

A cold drink suffices at Hidden Hanoi. If you’re out here it’s probably warm anyway. Beer or a soft drink will do. If you have the time, chat with a strange bird on your way out who has the mysterious ability to mimic you without actually saying anything.

PRICES: Low to mid range. Hanoi Beer, 12,000 dong

ON THIEN QUANG

South of Hoan Kiem about 10 minutes is tranquil, orderly Thien Quang Lake, just over the line in Hai Ba Trung district, still in the center of the city. Worlds collide, with a pleasing effect, at “XYZ,” perhaps the avant garde of the Hanoi avant garde. There is flamenco on the CD player and the walls are hung with photos of German sports cars. The view of the lake is impeccable through large, swinging glass panels that open onto Nguyen Du Street. Enjoy the air conditioning and leather chairs.

XYZ’s menu makes ample use of the best fresh Vietnamese fruit with frozen shakes from lemon to salted apricot The apple-custard smoothie has a sedative effect. If only they could muffle the traffic.

ADDRESS: 56A Nguyen Du
PRICES: Mid-range. Smoothies. 12,000 to 20.000 dong
HOURS: 7am to 11pm

Diagonally across Thien Quang from XYZ is moderate “Cafe Du Thuyen” jutting out into the water on a miniature peninsula. The natural wood interior, tame colors, and pop music make it seem like your own living room.

As Hanoi Cafes go, Cafe Du Thuyen is one of the least assuming. It’s just a nice place on a lake serving decent food. Families come here. People come here alone. Tourists, of course, are welcome. It’s nice in the sun or in the rain. Kids enjoy it. It’s cheap and fast. And if it gets crowded it’s probably only by other people who just want a few minutes respite from life over something chilled.

The coffee invariably comes delicious, but if you’re hungry, go for the banh my, a loving adaptation of baguette and pate with fresh tomato and eggs splayed out on a platter, simple but effective despite the asking price.

ADDRESS: Near the corner of Tran Binh Trong and Tran Nhan Tong, across the footbridge.
PRICES: Low to mid range, coffee 8,000 to 10,000 dong. Sandwiches 15,000 to 18,000VND.
Vietnam resort, Vietnam holiday
Vietnam, Hue Travel Guides
Mekong delta tours, Mekong River Tour, Mekong Delta Tour, Can Tho

the-native-land-of-president-ho-chi-minh

Sen Village (the homeland of Ho Chi Minh’s father)

Starting from Vinh City, take Road No. 49 until the 13th km, then turn into a red earth path lined with eucalyptus and casuarinas trees. The path will lead you to Sen, also known as Kim Lien (Golden Lotus), village where there are many lotus ponds. The thatched cottage where President Ho Chi Minh used to live during his childhood is built from bamboo and wood. It has five compartments. The interior furniture is similar to that of other farmers’ houses: a wooden bed, a bamboo chong (a bamboo bed without raised walls at the two ends), a hammock made from hemp, and an altar. It was built in 1901 with the help and donations of the villagers as a present to Nguyen Sinh Sac, President Ho Chi Minh’s father, when he gained the doctoral title at the court exam, which glorified his village.

Chua Village (the homeland of Ho Chi Minh’s mother)

Located two kilometers from Sen Village, Chua Village is just as peaceful as any other Vietnamese villages. But it is famous, both domestically and internationally, as President Ho Chi Minh’s maternal homeland and the place where he was born and brought up by his mother.

Walking through a bamboo gate and a path lined with low plums; visitors will see two simple thatched cottages, Ho Chi Minh’s house.

The Worship House – Mr. Hoang Duong’s House

Mr. Hoang Duong, President Ho Chi Minh’s maternal grandfather, built this simple cottage in 1882 to make it a place for worshipping his paternal grand grandfather, grandfather, and father. The altar is decorated in a simple but solemn fashion. Attractive to visitors is the pair of parallel sentences hung in the front of the house, which praise the family clan’s fame.

The house has five compartments and two lean-tos. Three outer compartments adjoin with the worship house; so it is well ventilated. Mr. Hoang Duong used to teach his students while sitting on the wooden bed placed in the first compartment.

In the second compartment, there is a bamboo sofa and a table where he placed his pen-brushes and ink-slab. He and his students would take a rest on the bed put in the third compartment.

The remaining two compartments were used as his wife’s bedroom and the family’s living room.

Vietnam Visa Application – Vietnam Tourist and Business Visa|
Deluxe private cruise mekong, luxury cruise mekong river|
Halong cruise|

conical-hats-in-former-imperial-hue-city

Phuc Trach Grapefruit is specialty of sunny and windy Central region, Nam Roi Grapefruit is grown in fertilize land of South region, and Doan Hung grapefruit planted in Doan hung district of Phu Tho province is quintessence of midland area.

Buoi Doan Hung (Doan Hung Grape fruit) also called “Phu Doan Grapefruit” is well known with its special characteristics of small size, juicy, sweet and soft taste and thin skin.

Today, Doan hung district has more grapefruit breeds such as Ban Luan grape-fruit characterized by big size and yellow skin, hybrid polemos with big size and sour taste; La Hoang grapefruit; and Suu grapefruit is a rare breed and the first option of connoisseurs

Perhaps, the thing made Doan Hung grapefruit special is fragrance which is beyond described. During Tet holiday, family feel more cozy by the fragrance of Doan Hung grape-fruit displayed in ancestors’ altar.

You should not forget to choose for yourself a grapefruit from Chi village or Suu breed to enjoy the sweet and fresh taste during the summer time. Therefore, Doan Hung’s local people have a belief that if they get tired or sick only one section of grapefruit make them recover.

Moreover, the grapefruit is helping the locals get wealth. Each fruit sent to every corner of the country means including heart and soul of grapefruit growers. So Doan Hung Grapefruit has taste of simplicity but specialty.

Vietnam visa application form online
Travel Mekong – Hotels and Tours along the Mekong River
Hanoi City Tour Full Day

/tra-co-festival

Originally Hat Quan Ho were exchange songs between two mandarins’ families. Gradually, it spread out and became popular among the northern people. Groups were formed just for singing, and many marriages were formed at these get-togethers. After centuries, Hat Quan Ho became the most significant Vietnamese folk-song type.

Hat Quan Ho, also called Quan Ho Bac Ninh singing, is an antiphonal singing tradition in which men and women take turns singing in a challenge-and-response fashion drawing on a known repertoire of melodies. Usually a pair of women starts, presenting in unison a complete song called Cau ra (challenge phrase”) lasting three to eight minutes. A pair of men of the opposing team responds with another song called Cau doi (“matching phrase”), which must match the melody of the women’s song in order to be considered correct. Next it will be the men’s turn to challenge the women with a song that can be completely different from the previous pair of songs.

According to the tradition, only young people used to sing Quan Ho songs, as the major body of song texts centers on the subject of love and sentimental desire among young adults. Nowadays, elderly singers are quite enthusiastic about singing for guests.

Unlike the simple lullabies, which were inspired by daily works, Hat Quan Ho was always searching for new content and new reforms.

Love in Hat Quan Ho is not sad and pessimistic as it is in lullabies (ru) or in calls (ho). On the contrary, the tune of this type is rich in tunes and rhythms because it received all the influences of lullabies, poem recitation, etc.

There are four major airs in Hat Quan Ho:

1. Giong song (transitor air)
2. Giong vat (diverse air)
3. Giong ham (recitative air)
4. Giong bi (tunes borrowed from other sources)

The most popular Quan Ho songs, “Qua Cau Gio Bay”, “Treo Len Quan Doc” (also known as “Ly Cay da”), “Se Chi Luon Kim”, were sung in Giong Vat. The singers also imitated the musical sound, the sound of rice grinding, crying, etc. When one of the two singing groups used any specific tune, the other one was to reply in the same tune. The singing ends with songs in the farewell category, a feature that has never been changed giving the singing session a sense of completion.

Hat Quan Ho were spring festival songs. The farmers left their farming for a while to enjoy the beautiful weather, especially during the New Year (Tet).

Hat Quan Ho in festivals

For the Bac Ninh people, festivals not only allow them to highlight their own village’s specialties, such as ceramics, folk painting, wrestling, kite parades, or bird contest, among a great many other things, but also their common prized heritage, the Hat Quan Ho tradition.

Hat Quan Ho in festivals traditionally began either at the communal-ritual house or at the Buddhist temple as early as the night before the main festival day. Nowadays, only a few major festivals continue that tradition, while most villages carry out the singing on the main day.

Familiar Repertoire

Considering how extensive the Quan Ho repertoire appears to be, it is noticeable that songs heard in festivals are rather limited in number and repetitive in titles. Many singers contend that at festivals they prefer to sing songs that are familiar or easy to listen to. Common titles sung in festivals can be divided into two categories.

The first category includes such songs as “Em la co gai Bac Ninh” (“I am a girl from Bac Ninh”) which has been considered as the Quan Họ “flag song” or signature song for some time by the younger generations and “Ngoi Tua Man Thuyen” (“Leaning by the Boat-Side”), perhaps the most favored Quan Ho song across different generations, regardless of generational and village variations which exist in singing practice. These two songs speak both to the locals’ perception of regional identity and to their musical affinity to the basic features of Quan Ho melody.

The second category includes the majority of songs such as “Vao Chua” (“Entering the Buddhist Temple”) and “Khach den choi nha” (“Visitors Are Coming”) which display a musical contour that bears a strong connection to the official linguistic tonality of North Vietnam while suggesting some resonance of the Cantonese mode as well as what the Vietnamese music scholars have been calling the “South” mode.

Song Text, Verbal and Poetic Introduction

Following the textual content of Quan Ho songs within the festival reveals a striking contrast between the open, public setting and the intimate characteristic of the songs. Virtually all songs heard in festivals express personal subjects such as unfulfilled love, expectation, longing, and intimacy.

Quan Ho songs are unique in the sense that they place men and women on an equal basis, with mutual respect in spite of good-natured teasing, and place a high value on genuine feelings -not money. The songs address the joy of nature and the satisfaction of hard field work when the labour is shared or lightened by singing together.

One of the Quan Ho characteristics that have endured through time is the proper verbal and poetic introduction to each and every tune. Quan Ho singers are not only appreciated for their singing ability, but also for their skill in leaving an impression of their gracefulness and literary adeptness on the audience. Usually one of the singers will say something to praise the opposing pair and express how fortunate her/his pair has been to be allowed to sing with them, before she/he goes on to recite the verses of the song. The poetic introduction also provides listeners with the basic content of the song text, which otherwise can be difficult to follow in singing. Not only that, the rhetoric used in the introduction is so polished that it gives the impression of a theatrical act. As a result, singers often try to imitate the speech tonality and pronunciation of official media announcers, even though Quan Ho researchers have asserted that speeches in the Quan Ho region vary from one village to another.

Instrumental Accompaniment

Instrumental accompaniment is slowly creeping in and welcomed by Quan Ho singers in some villages. The Dan Bau (monochord) is the most common instrument, followed by the Sao Truc (bamboo flute). Other traditional instruments may include the Tam Thap Luc (36-stringed hammered dulcimer), etc. Occasionally the acoustic guitar and even the electronic keyboard are used.

Vietnam hotel, Vietnam hotel reservations
Sapa tour package
Mekong tour , discovery Mekong Delta Tours with Waytovietnam Travel

my-lai-massacre-son-my-site

The museum’s name was changed to avoid offending Chinese and American tourists, but the pamphlet Some Pictures of US Imperialists Aggressive War Crimes in Vietnam, handed out at reception, pulls no punches.

The War Remnants Museum was established in September 1975 in Ho Chi Minh City. US armoured vehicles, artillery pieces, bombs and infantry weapons are on display outside. There’s also a guillotine used by the French on Viet Minh ‘troublemakers’. Many photographs illustrating US atrocities are from US sources, including photos of the infamous My Lai Massacre. There is a model of the notorious tiger cages used by the South Vietnamese military to house Viet Cong (VC) prisoners on Con Son Island. There are also pictures of deformed babies, their defects attributed to the USA’s widespread use of chemical herbicides. An adjacent room has exhibits of ‘counter-revolutionary warcrimes’ that were committed after 1975 by saboteurs within Vietnam. Counter-revolutionaries are portrayed as being ailied with both the US and Chinese imperialists.

Despite the relative one-sidedness of the exhibits, there are few museums in the world that drive home so well the point that war is horribly brutal and that many of its victims are civilians. Even those who supported the war would have a difficult time not being horrified by the photos of children mangled by US bombing and na-palming. There are also scenes of torture -it takes a strong stomach to look at these. You’ll also have the rare chance to see some of the experimental weapons used in the war, which were at one time military secrets, such as the flechette (an artillery shell filled with thousands of tiny darts).

The War Remnants Museum is in the former US Information Service building, at the intersection with Le Qui Don street. Explanations are in Vietnamese, English and Chinese. Though a bit incongruous with the museum’s theme, water-puppet theatre is staged in a tent on the museum grounds.

Over the last 20 years, over 6 million visitors entered the museum. Among this number, nearly 1 million were foreign visitors, including American tourists.

Vietnam hotel, search hotel in hanoi, saigon, halong
Mekong delta tours, Mekong River Tour, Mekong Delta Tour, Can Tho
Nha trang travel guide

my-lai-massacre-son-my-site

Room type Single Double Triple
Garden View Villa $347 $347 Book now!
Superior SeaView Villa $415 $417 Book now!
Deluxe SeaView Villa $495 $495 Book now!
Ana Mandara Suite $595 $595 Book now!
General Accommodation Restaurant & Bar Meeting facilities Leisures & sports
Direction

Excursions near by
Po Nagar Cham Towers
Tam island
Long Son Pagoda
Mieu Island
Amenities

Business service Air-conditioned library Boutique
24 hour room service Laundry and dry-cleaning services Visa extension services
Full size bath with fixed shower IDD telephone In-room safe
Satellite television HBO channel 24 hour room service
Mini-bar Coffee/tea making facilities Hairdryer
Stationery box Daily newspapers upon request
Policies

* Compulsory Gala Dinner on nights of 24th December and 31st December
* Prepayment for full guarantee required to confirm bookings during this peak period
* For Group and Long Term stay, please contact Reservation Hot Lines
* Check in time 1300 hours
* Check out time 1200 noon
* There is no additional charge for children under 12 years of age who accompany their parents in the same room provided that an additional bed is not required
* All reservations must be guaranteed by a credit card
* American Express, JCB, Visa, Master cards are accepted
* All rates are in US Dollars and are subject to 5% service charge and 10% government tax (subject to change without notice), exclusive of breakfast

Vietnam tour, tour in vietnam
Mekong Travel Sightseeing Tours Thailand Vietnam Laos Cambodia
Sapa friday market, sunday market, Bac Ha market tour

palm-garden-resort-5-star-ranking-resort

Lang Co Beach lies on the most beautiful curve of the “S”, where you can be the first to see the sun rise in Vietnam. Lang Co attracts visitors for its wild beauty with mountains, forests and sea.

Located on the northern part of Hai Van Pass on National Highway No.1A, about 80km south of the imperial city of Hue, Lang Co Peninsula looks even more mythical and beautiful amid the blue sea and white sand. Visitors can see many local wonders and landscapes such as Chan May, Mo and Hoi Cam streams. Tourists can enjoy sea diving, mountain climbing, and fishing with local fishermen. From Lang Co, visitors can easily reach other beautiful beaches on Son Tra Peninsula or take a boat to Ngoc Island, where they can participate in several aquatic activities.

Hoang Tien Dzung, chairman of the Management Board of Ha Long Construction Company, which is developing a tourist resort in Ngoc Island, said that the island will become a national conservation centre for its richness in biodiversity, especially its coral and bird life.

“Formerly, the French admired Lang Co as a lost paradise, which has inspired many poets and writers,” Mr Dzung said. “The People’s Committee of Thua Thien-Hue province is planning to further exploit Lang Co’s potential to boost eco-tourism.”

The province launched a big festival called “Lang Co – the myth of the sea” on August 20. So far, it has attracted more than 10,000 visitors with diverse cultural and aquatic activities. Local authorities have also organised a seminar to introduce Lang Co’s potential to investors.

Nguyen Duy Giam, director of Thua Thien-Hue’s Tourism Promotion Centre, said that Lang Co lies within the Chan May-Lang Co site, which is part of the major economic project embracing Canh Duong, Lang Co, Hai Van and Non Nuoc areas.

“An international resort centre with 12 functional sections will be built in this area,” Mr Giam revealed. “It will include a golf course, villas and coastal resorts, hotels, restaurants and trading areas, and a cultural and artistic centre.”

By now, 20 projects have committed to investing in the Chan May-Lang Co tourist site. Each project will cost between US$3-5 million and cover hundreds of hectares. During the past five years, these projects have helped upgrade infrastructure in the Canh Duong-Lang Co area, making it more attractive and accessible to visitors. Noteworthy is that the number of tourists to the fairyland of Lang Co has increased remarkably since the opening of Hai Van Tunnel. Great efforts are being made to awake the once-forgotten paradise and bring its potential into full play to serve the people.

Vietnam Resorts|

Discovery Mekong Delta Tours with Waytovietnam Travel|

Vietnam Adventure Travel – Discover the Hidden Charm of Vietnam

Viet Nam North West Adventure

Son Tra is called Tu Di according to the language of the H’ Mong’s people and its popular name is Tao Meo. Son Tra trees grow naturally together with forest trees on 1,500-2,000 meter mountains. They are found everywhere in Bac Yen. When Son Tra trees blossom, their white blossoms flicker amid a forest of various trees on high mountain chains. When Son Tra fruit is ripe, the H’ Mong people pick and bring them to markets in the centers of districts.

A survey shows that in forests of Bac Yen district, about 2,500 hectares are full of Son Tra trees which produce nearly 100 tons of fruit yearly. Son Tra fruit has a distinct aroma and slightly sour, acrid and sweet flavor. They are soaked thoroughly to make up a kind of beverages or processed to produce wine, jam, etc. Particularly, Son Tra is a kind of herbal remedy of high blood pressure, insomnia, diabetes, etc. Few years ago, Son Tra was known as a kind of fruit of the mountainous area which brought in low profit. In order to take full advantage of its potential profit, Bac Yen district in 1998, with the support of the Department of Science, Technology and Environment of Son La province and the Agricultural Machine Manufacturing Institute, set up a workshop to process Son Tra wine with capacity of 6,000 liters per year and successfully tested the research themed “The Application of Scientific Technical Advances to the Production of Wine from Son Tra Fruit”. Basing on the research and the study of areas planting Son Tra trees, Bac Yen district and the Department of Science, Technology and Environment bought the clean technological production line which automatically ferments the fruit and processes wine with capacity of 100,000 liters per year.

With total investment of VND550 million and the support of the People’s Committee of Bac Yen district, the Phuc Thinh Co-operative has been operating the production line of Son Tra wine. After two years of operation, the co-operative has soaked over 10 tons of Son Tra fruit, and processed and launched to the market nearly 15,000 liters of wine. A staff in charge of technique Nguyen Khac Hieu said, “In order to process high quality wine, we pick Tao Meo fruit which is planted on the height of 1,700-2,000 meters and successfully follow production processes which require at least 6 months to have finished products. Particularly, although this processing technology does not use any alcohol, alcohol concentration reaches 120 resulting from the soaking process creating yeast.”

With slight concentration and special aroma, Son Tra wine is interested by drinkers. When the spring comes, Son Tra wine together with many made-in-Vietnam kinds of wine are exported in bulk to foreign markets and drunk by drinkers across the country in the new year.

Vietnam tourist visa
Viet Nam: Hue city and Hue Imperial City
Vietnam Beach Tours,Vietnam Beach Vacations

What does young rice (com) mean for Vietnamese? – Blog

Address	:  32 Huynh Thuc Khang, Ham Tien, Mui Ne, Phan Thiet
Phone	:   (84-62) 847 363
City	:  Muine
Resort images

Welcome to Hai Au (Seagull) resort! Situated on one of the most amazing beaches in Vietnam, Hai Au resort is just like a gift from nature in Phan Thiet with sea breeze and swingy coconut trees.

General

Accommodation

Restaurant & Bar

Meeting facilities

	Accommodations — Modern Facilities		Airline & Hotel Reservations		Boutique – Souvenirs
	Church Services		Diving & Snorkeling Adventure		Entertainment – Activities
	Health & Rejuvenation Program		Ca Ty River Boat Ride & Canoe Ride		Laundry Service
	Outdoor Swimming Pool		Postal Service		120 meter Private Beach Reserve
	Resort Physician by Appointment		Restaurant & Bar		Jeep Tours – Photographic & Nature
	Sport Fishing		Transportation – Car Rental with Chauffeur		Travel Arrangements – Tours
	24h Room Service		Bar		Bar / Lounge
	Broadband Internet Access		Business Centre		Business Centre with Internet
	Child Minding		Children’s Club		Cocktail Bar
	Conference Centre		Currency Exchange Services		Direct Internet Access
	Disabled Facilities		Faxing Facilities		Golf
	Guest Laundry		Gym / Fitness		Hairdresser
	Hotel Car Park		Lift		Massage
	Meeting / Banquet Facilities		Pets Allowed		Plunge Pool
	Restaurant		Safe Deposit Box		Sauna
	Secretarial Service		Shops / Commercial Services		Spa
	Steam Bath		Swimming Pool		Tennis
	Tour Desk		Wireless Internet Access Vietnam hotels Mui Ne Hotels, Vacations and Tourism Vietnam Beach Tours,Vietnam Beach Vacations Viet Nam North East Adventure

After the victory, Mother Dragon and Child Dragons didn’t return Heaven but stayed on earth at the place where the battle had occurred. The location Mother Dragon landed is nowadays Hạ Long Bay and where Child Dragons descended is now Bái Tử Long. The dragons’ tails waving the water created Long Vĩ (present Trà Cổ peninsula) and formed a fine sand beach over ten kilometers long”.

Hạ Long Bay is located in the northeastern part of Vietnam and constitutes part of the western bank of Bắc Bộ Gulf, including the sea area of Hạ Long City and Cẩm Phả Town and part of Vân Ðồn island district. It abuts Cát Bà Island in the southwest. Toward the west is the shore with a 120 km-long coastline. It is located within 106o58’-107o22’ east longitude and within 20o45’- 20o50’ north latitude. The site is 1553 sq. km with 1969 islands of various sizes, of which 989 have been named.

The islands in Hạ Long Bay are mainly limestone and schist islands most lying in the two main areas: the southeastern part of Bái Tử Long Bay and southwestern part of Hạ Long Bay. These islands represent the most ancient images of a geographical site having a tectonic age of from 250 million to 280 million years. They are the result of many times of rising and lowering processes of the continent to form a karst. The process of nearly full erosion and weathering of the karst created the unique Hạ Long Bay in the world. In a not very large area, thousands of islands with different forms look like glittering emeralds attached to the blue scarf of a virgin. The area where many stone islands concentrate has spectacular scenes and world-famous caves and is the center of Hạ Long Bay Natural Heritage, including Ha Long Bay and a part of Bái Tu Long Bay.

The area is recognized as the World Natural Heritage that is the area of 434 sq. km with 775 islands. It looks like a giant triangle with Ðầu Gỗ Island (in the west), Ba Hầm Lake (in the south) and Cống Tây Island (in the east) as its three angle points. The nearby area is the buffer area and areas classified as national beauty spots in 1962 by the Ministry of Culture and Information.

Viewed from above, Hạ Long Bay looks like an extremely vivid huge drawing. This is a wonderful and skilful masterpiece of the Creation and of nature that turns thousands of dumb soulless stone islands into fantastic sculptural and artistic works of various graceful shapes, both familiar and strange to human beings. Thousands of islands emerging uneven in the fanciful waves look strong and magnificent but also mild and vivid. Amidst these islands we feel as if we were astray in a petrified legendary world. There are many names given to islands according to their shapes and forms. This one looks like somebody heading toward the shore: Hòn Ðầu Người (Human Head Island); that one looks like a dragon hovering above the sea surface: Hòn Rông (Dragon Island); another looks like an old man sitting fishing: Hòn Lã Vọng; some look like big sails struggling amidst the wind to set off for the sea: Hòn Cánh Buồm (Sail Island); then two islands look like a pair of chicken lovingly playing with each other above the sea: Hòn Trống Mái (Male and Female Chicken Island); and amid the vast sea stands an island like a big incense burner like a ritual offering to Heaven: Hòn Lư Hương (Incense Burner Island). All are so real that people are taken aback by them. Those stone islands have experienced unpredictable changes over time and they take different shapes from different angles of view. Here, we come to realize that they are not dumb inanimate things but are vivid and soulful.

Inside the stone islands are various breath-taking caves, such as Thiên Cung, Ðầu Gỗ, Sửng Sốt, Trinh Nữ, Tam Cung and others. These are really magnificent palaces of the Creation on earth. Long ago, Hạ Long Bay has been called by the great national poet Nguyễn Trãi:“a wonder of the earth erected towards the high sky”. Many men of letters from all over the world have been taken aback at the grandiose scenery of Hạ Long. They seem to get puzzled and incompetent as their treasure of vocabulary is not rich enough to depict the splendor of this place.

Hạ Long Bay is also attached to glorious pages of Vietnamese history, with famous sites such as Vân Ðồn, a bustling trade port in the 12th century, charming Bài Thơ Mountain, and not very far away from here is the Bạch Đằng River which witnessed two famous naval battles of the Viêt’s ancestors against invaders. Also, Hạ Long is one of the cradles of human kind with the glorious Hạ Long culture in the late Neolithic age, discovered at such archeological sites as Ðộng Mang, Xích Thổ, Soi Nhụ and Thoi Giếng.

Hạ Long is also home to great biodiversity with typical eco-systems like mangrove forest, coral and tropical forest. It is also home to thousands of plants and animals of numerous species, for example shrimp, fish and squid. Some species are particularly rare and can be found no where else.

With such special values, at the 18th Session of UNESCO’s Council of World Heritage held on 17 December 1994 in Thailand, Hạ Long Bay was officially placed on the list of the World Natural Heritage. In 2000, UNESCO recognized it as the World Heritage for the second time for its geographical and geomorphologic values. This confirms the global premier value of Hạ Long Bay.

Wherever you come from, whosoever you are and however old you are, you will certainly experience the same emotion and feeling when admiring this wonder of stone and water. And great experiences will always remain even when you leave the place. The legend of Mother Dragon and Child Dragons sending out pearls to form thousands of stone islands to stop invaders still serve as the soul of this invaluable heritage of the world.

Have you ever come to Hạ Long, the unique wonder of the world of its kind, to admire and explore secretes implicit in the place?

Halong Bay Cruise, Halong bay tour, Halong Bay Travel
The Beach Resort, Mui Ne

In Saigon, Vietnam, shopping is great frenzied fun

Muine’s Blog

]]> http://toiyeubloglam.wordpress.com/2008/10/10/the-legend-of-ha-long/feed/ 0 toiyeubloglam