Sapa Sapa, about 5 - 6 hour drive from Hanoi, is a tourist paradise for visitors all year round. It is considered as an ideal place to avoid heat in summer while in winter, this small town in the Northwestern region wears a new coat weaved from mist. At the end of the year, when the climate in Sapa is getting colder, many tourists prefer Sapa for enjoying snow. Sapa Sapa has a wide variety of accommodations for tourists to choose, including motels, homestay, hostels, 4-5 star hotels, and luxury resorts. One of the interesting experiences for tourists, especially for foreigners, is trekking to villages inhabited by people of ethnic minority groups and exploring their life and culture. Visiting Sapa, visitors can enjoy a number of local specialities such as horse meat and viscera soup - called “thang co,” “Men Men” - a dish made from maize powder, fish soup, grilled meats, grilled sticky rice-in-bamboo-tube, and free-range pig. Hoi An ancient … [Read more...] about Five must-see destinations in the upcoming New Year holiday
Must see hanoi
Mua Cave – a must-see destination in Ninh Binh
A view from the top of Hang Mua in Ninh Binh (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Mua Cave in the northern province of Ninh Binh has been popular to domestic and foreign visitors thanks to the picturesque scenery of the surrounding area seen from its top. The site surpassed other renowned spots in Ninh Binh like Trang An, Tam Coc – Bich Dong or Bai Dinh pagoda to be is listed among top five must-see destinations in the province by international tourism website TripAdvisor. The Mua Cave Complex - an area composed of intricate cave systems and limestone mountains – is located at the foot of Mua mountain within the eco-tourism area of Ninh Xuan commune in Hoa Lu district. In the centre of the complex is a crystal moss-green coloured human-made lake, surrounded by rows of trees. Legend has it that the Tran Kings used to visit the area to watch the imperial maids sing and dance, giving the area its name, Mua or ‘dancing’. There is a rocky hill dotted with nearly … [Read more...] about Mua Cave – a must-see destination in Ninh Binh
Dinh Yen mat making village – a must-see destination in Mekong Delta
Mat-making in Dinh Yen commune in Dong Thap province’ Lap Vo district. (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Visitors to Dinh Yen village in Dong Thap province’s Lap Vo district in the Mekong Delta are sure to be fascinated by the colourful mats there. Red, green, yellow, and purple are the main colours used and they can be seen almost everywhere in the village, which lies along the Hau River. Some 3,000 people from several generations are involved in mat making. There are many elderly craftsmen still working in the village. The mat makers grow the sedge they require along the river. According to the local elderly of the village, mat making emerged as a profession in Dinh Yen in the 1920s. Without enough raw materials back then, villagers had to source them from nearby provinces. The craft peaked in the 1980s when the village’s products were exported to Thailand, Cambodia and East European countries. Nowadays villagers use machines to save time though the details on the … [Read more...] about Dinh Yen mat making village – a must-see destination in Mekong Delta
June 11-17: Ionah – A must see show in Hanoi
HANOI PERFORMANCE Experimental Concert “Playground” 8 pm, June 15 Manzi Art Space 14 Phan Huy Ich Street, Ba Dinh district The ‘Playground’ concert questions how a musical collaboration can be a creative process with a lot of fun and surprise. Inspired by childhood imagination, childlike wonder and childhood memories, with the use of found objects, including toys and DIY instruments, the concert presents a challenge for the artists to construct their sonic language from simple or unexpected sound sources. Surcharge: VND 150,000/person ‘Lang Toi’ (My Village) by Lune Production 6 pm, June 12, 13, 15 and 16 Vietnam Tuong Theatre 51A Duong Thanh Street, Hoan Kiem district Lang Toi (My Village) is a delicate merge of tradition and innovation, where the poetic beauty of Northern Vietnam’s village life is presented through a new cirque approach. Farming, the building activities, traditional games, and lifestyle of the Northern villagers are … [Read more...] about June 11-17: Ionah – A must see show in Hanoi
Life on the line: The railway people of Hanoi
VietNamNet Bridge – Their homes next to the tracks are noisy, dangerous, and technically illegal, but the capital’s rail-side residents have built a close-knit community. Paul Kennedy & Bao Hoa report. Camera-ready: A tourist takes photos of the railway line. — VNS Photos Truong Vi Vu Thi Khoa washes her dishes in a plastic basin outside her home using water from a makeshift hosepipe. As she carefully scrubs away the dirt she issues a frank and stern warning. “Keep your ears and eyes open and pay attention to the light and train horn signals,” she says, “to avoid being hit by trains.” Khoa has lived less than a yard away from the railway line for 27 years, so she knows how to stay safe, and to keep others out of trouble, too — she’s raised her children and grandchildren there. She’s used to the noise, used to the dirt and used to the risks, just like all the people who live their lives on the train line in … [Read more...] about Life on the line: The railway people of Hanoi