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Quan Chuong gate
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HANOI, capital of Vietnam, is a city full of charm, with remarkable colonial architecture, large shady avenues, and numerous lakes and gardens. The old quarters, near the small lake, is a labyrinth of pastel, color lanes, stalls, hawkers, cyclos, motorbikes, all is oriented around her 36 old streets and Dong Xuan market. Hoan Kiem Lake or "small lake" and Ngoc Son Temple, located in the heart of the city, are some of the most beautiful sites of the city. Other marvelous places include, the West Lake, Temple of Literature, One-Pillar Pagoda, HoChiMinh Mausoleum & Museum and Quan Thanh Temple. Today a city of four million, Hanoi is the heart of a thriving modern country.
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Yen
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The Perfume or Huong Pagoda is actually a complex of pagodas amidst mountains, forests, lakes and caves. Here the faithful believe that the deities purify souls, cure sufferings and grant offspring to childless families. It is 75km south of HaNoi and the journey there is by road an then river. The boat trip through the rice fields to the mountains is particularly beautiful. |
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Hoa Lu and TamCoc
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Tam
Coc
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It was the ancient capital of Vietnam before Hanoi and still as temples remaining from the Le Dynasty (980-1009). Known to travelers as "HaLong bay without water", HoaLu,
97 km south of Hanoi, boasts breathtaking scenery. Sampan trips along mysterious and peaceful
rice fields to Tam Coc caves are the highlights of a visit to HoaLu.
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| Cuc Phuong National Park
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Cuc Phuong
national park
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CucPhuong, Vietnam's first National park was established in 1962. It covers an area of 200 square km mostly of mountainous rain forest, where the prolific vegetation is sheltered by limestone cliffs. It is popular with hikers particularly during the relatively cool months of October to January. However flowers are at their best during February, while March and April and May are the best time to see the rare and beautiful butterflies.
The park contains about 250 bird species, 36 reptile species and more than 60 mammal species, of which some such as the red-bellied squirrel and the underground river catfish were first discovered in CucPhuong. Several species of bat and monkey, including the endangered Delacour langur, are to be found here, while cloud leopards and tigers are still occasionally spotted on higher ground. The park is really worth visiting for its magnificent vegetation: including the 1,000 years old, 45 meters high Cho Xanh
tree (Terminalia Myriocarpa), Cho Chi (Parashorea Chinensis), Cay Sau
(Dracontomelum Duperreanum), Cay Dang (Tetrameles nudiflora), tree ferns and the kilometer long corkscrewing lianas, as well as a treasure trove of medicinal plants.
There a re still in the park some ethnic Muong villages, noted for their traditional way of life and their gigantic wooden water wheels.
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North West Passage
Taking the long road through the North West traverlleres
enter a remote land of mountains and colorful tribespeople whose songs of love
ring out about the din of the Sarturday market.
The northwest loop is a fantastic route for cyclist. Save your 2 weeks for
over 1,000km cycling from BaBe national park to BaoLac, BacMe, HaGiang,
HoangSuPhi, BacHa, LaoCai, Sapa, LaiChau, DienBien, SonLa etc.... this is the
best cycling route in Vietnam so far.
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| Mai Chau - Hoa Binh |
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stilt house of Thai - MaiChau.
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76 km from Hanoi, HoaBinh is home to many of the Montagnard (hill tribe) people, including Thai and Muong. Its stilt houses have palm or thatch roofs. You can enjoy folk dancing and music and take a sip of Thai rice wine from the communal pot; or you can take a boat trip on the immense reservoir of HoaBinh hydro-electric dam. Fresh water fish is a delicacy here.
60 km up in the hill from HoaBinh, MaiChau is a timeless and beautiful Thai hill tribe villages. You can spend the night with a Thai family in their stilt house and go on treks to other villages.
Having no time for trekking in Sapa ? MaiChau valley and PuLuong natural
reserve is a good option. You can find more details about this area at:
http://www.fauna-flora.org/asia_pacific/map.html
http://www.fauna-flora.org/asia_pacific/pu_luong.html
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Dien Bien Phu |
French
Bazeille Tank at Decaste's Bunker
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DienBienPhu was the site of that rarest of military events- a battle that can be called truly decisive. On 7 May 1954 VietMinh forces overran the beleaguered French garrison at DienBienPhu after a 55 day siege, shattering French morale and forcing the French government to abandon its attempts to re-establish colonial control of Indochina.
DienBienPhu, a provincial capital of LaiChau province, is in one of the most remote parts of Vietnam. The town is 16 km from the Laos border in the flat, heart-shaped MuongThanh valley. The area is inhabited by
hill tribes, most notably the Thai and Hmong. For centuries, DienBienPhu was a transit stop on the caravan route from Myanmar and China to northern Vietnam. History is the main attraction here and the scenery is also fantastic that you can enjoy during your journey between SonLa and LaiChau.
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| LaiChau
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Muong
Te
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The route from Lai Chau to Sapa meanders through grass valleys to climb
alongside crescent paddies and corn fields into a ring of mountains the French
once dubbed the " Tonkinese Alpes". Above all else towers Fansipan, at
3,143 metres Vietnam’s highest peak. On Saturdays and Sundays Sapa town market
is the local point for Red Dao men and women from the surrounding area, who come
to town in search of an evening companion.
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| Sapa
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Hmong
girls at Can Cau market
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Sapa resort was established by the French in 1922. It is on a plateau at 1,500 meters in an area famous for its forests of precious woods and peach and plum orchards. You can hire a horse and cart to visit Hmong and Dao villages and such scenic spots as the Silver falls and the marvelous Oquiho mountain pass. Vietnam's highest mountain, Fansipan (3143 m) is nearby. Minorities from all the surrounding villages don their most colorful costumes for the Saturday market, where you can purchase ethnic clothing and exotic hats. Furthermore there is a lively and crowded Sunday market in BacHa district. You will see plenty of flower Hmong - so called because the women embroider flowers on their colorful shirts. Items on sale include water buffaloes, pigs, horses and chickens.
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| CaoBang |
Ban
Gioc falls
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300 km north of Hanoi, many inhabitants in CaoBang are minorities, who maintain their traditional way of life: the Tay, Nung, Dao, LoLo, SanChay. The people live on forestry and farming and construct step rice fields. Nice excursions into the surrounding scenic countryside are: BanGioc falls, ThangHen lakes, Pacbo cave and BaBe National park.
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