World Mate Travel

Thailand Overview Thailand Travel Guide

2012-02-02T05:09:00.000-08:00

With great food, a tropical climate, fascinating culture and great beaches,

Thailand is the most popular tourist destination all over the world. You can find almost anything here: thick jungle as green as can be, crystal blue beaches that feel more like a warm bath than a swim in the ocean and food that can curl your nose hairs while tap dancing across your taste buds. Exotic, yet safe; cheap, yet equipped with every modern amenity you need, there is something for every interest and every price bracket, from beach front backpacker bungalows to some of the best luxury hotels in the world. And despite the heavy flow of tourism, Thailand retains its quintessential Thainess, with a culture and history all its own and a carefree people famed for their smiles and their fun-seeking sanuk lifestyle. Many travelers come to Thailand and extend their stay well beyond their original plans and others never find a reason to leave. Whatever your cup of tea is, they know how to make it in Thailand.

This is not to say that Thailand doesn`t have its downsides, including the considerable growing pains of an economy where an agricultural laborer is lucky to earn 100 baht per day while the nouveau riche cruise past in their BMWs, Bangkok, the capital, is notorious for its traffic jams and rampant development has wrecked much of once-beautiful Pattaya and Phuket. In heavily touristed areas, some lowlifes have made scamming tourists into an art form.

Getting around Thailand

By plane

Thailand is a large country, and if sitting in a bus for 11 hours is not your idea of a fun time, you may well want to consider domestic flights. It`s possible to fly pretty much anywhere in the country for less than 2000 baht. Note that various taxes and (often hefty) surcharges are invariably added to "advertised" prices.

Thai airlines

AirAsia (in Thailand mostly represented by their Thai subsidiary, Thai AirAsia) is a Malaysia-based airline, titled "World`s best low-cost airline" in 2009, and offering discounted tickets if booked well in advance.

Bangkok Airways promotes itself as "Asia`s Boutique Airline", and has a monopoly on flights to its own airports at Ko Samui (now shared with Thai Airways), Sukhothai and Trat. Quite an expensive and "posh" option; however, their Discovery Airpass with fixed per segment rates can be good value, especially if used to fly to Siem Reap (Cambodia) or Luang Prabang (Laos). Note that the Discovery Airpass can now only be purchased from abroad.

Nok Air took to the skies in 2004 sporting lurid paints scheme with a bird`s beak painted on the nose. Owned mostly by Thai Airways, they compete with Air Asia on price and, with a fairly comprehensive domestic network, are a pretty good choice overall. They`ve run into some serious turbulence in 2008, cutting their flights by two thirds, but now seem to recover as the oil prices went down in 2009.

PB Air flies domestically to Lampang, Nan, Mae Hong Son, Roi Et, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Buriram, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and also to Danang (Vietnam).

SGA Airline Now joint with Nok Air, is currently the only passenger carrier offering daily flights to/from Hua Hin Airport. New routes also between Chiang Mai-Pai, Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son.

Thai Airways is the most reliable, frequent, and comfortable Thai airline, but usually more expensive than the alternatives (look for their promotions, though). Travel agents often sell only THAI Airways (and Bangkok Airways) tickets; you can also book on-line. Thai Airways is a member of Star Alliance; all domestic flights, except some promotional fares, give at least 500 Star Alliance miles, which may (partially) compensate the price difference.

A number of other airlines operating in Thai air space include discount SilkAir (division of Singapore Airlines) offering cheap(er)flights in the region

By train

State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has a 4000-km network covering most of the country, from Chiang Mai in the north all the way to (and beyond) the Malaysian border in the south. Compared to buses, most trains are relatively slow and prone to delays, but safer. You can pick up fruits, snacks and cooked food from hawkers at most stations.

Point-to-point fares depend on the type (speed) of the train and the class of the carriage. There are three main classes:

First class (chan neung) 2-berth sleeping compartments with individually regulated air conditioning are available on some trains, but prices are sometimes matched by budget airfares.

Second class (chan song) is a good compromise, costing about the same as 1st class buses and with a comparable level of comfort. Some 2nd class trains are air-con, others aren`t; air-con costs a little more. Second class sleeper berths are comfortable and good value, with the narrower upper bunks costing a little less than the wider lower bunks. Food and WCs are basic. 2nd class Express Railcar trains have reclining seats and refreshments are included in the fare; unlike all other Thai passenger trains, they can match buses for speed, but cannot carry bicycles.

Third class (chan saam) is the cheapest way to travel in Thailand, with virtually nominal fares, and can be great fun. Sometimes packed with tuk-tuk drivers heading home with a sack of rice and a bottle of cheap whisky for company, as a farang (foreigner of European ancestry) you`re guaranteed to be the center of attention - quite enjoyable in small doses, but 10 hours of this might be a bit much. Some 3rd class trains have wooden seats, others are upholstered; some services can be pre-booked, others cannot; refreshments are available from hawkers who roam the aisles.

Pre-booking is recommended, especially for sleeper berths. Tickets on all main lines can be purchased online at SRT`s official E-Stars site; however, only a quota of 10% of seats can be sold online, so it will often show trains as full when, in reality, there`s still plenty of space (Tip: if you get an error during registration - just remove any special characters from your registration data; you can always edit your profile later). Alternatively, many travel agencies can book tickets for a service fee (50-200 baht/ticket), or you can reserve with SRT directly by e-mail at passenger-ser@railway.co.th for a 200 baht/booking surcharge.

By road

Thailand`s roads are head and shoulders above its neighbors Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, but driving habits are still quite dangerous. Drunk driving, speeding and reckless passing are depressingly common, and bus and taxi drivers (especially for private companies) work inhuman shifts and often take drugs to keep themselves awake, with predictable and tragic results. It`s common for motorbikes — even police! — to drive close to the curb on the wrong side of the road. Death tolls sky-rocket around major holidays, especially Songkhran, when bystanders often throw water on passing cars and bikes. Many drivers don`t use headlights at night, multiplying risks, and it is wise to avoid or minimize overnight travel by road.

Note that unlike in its neighbours (except Malaysia), traffic moves on the left side of the road in Thailand and Thai cars are generally right-hand drive. All official road directional signs are written in both Thai and English.

Bus

Buses travel throughout the country and the government`s bus company BKS (??? Baw Kaw Saw), known in English simply as the Transport Company, has a terminal in every province of any size.

Generally speaking, BKS buses are the best option for both price and comfort. There are also private buses sanctioned by BKS, which operate on the same routes from the same terminals with the same fares, and these are also fine. The basic BKS bus types are:

Local - relatively slow, can be cramped when full (nevertheless there`s always room for one more), and stop at every village and cowshed along the way. Many are of larger songthaew flavour. Not suitable for long-distance travel, but may be the only cheap way to get around locally.

Express (rot duan) - skip some stops, but no other frills. Identifiable by their orange colour. Size varies, with the largest having around 65 seats (five seats per row) as well as an open space across the width of the bus by the back door for you to sling your backpack, bicycle, sack of rice, live chickens, etc.

Second class (chan song) - skip more stops, but often take a less direct route than 1st class / VIP / S-VIP. Blue and white with an orange stripe, usually 45-48 seats per bus, air conditioned (some provide blankets, some do not). Most have no on-board toilet, although the frequent stops mean this isn`t a problem.

First class (chan neung) - generally take the most direct routes and make very few stops. Blue and white in colour, air conditioned, blanket usually provided, fewer (larger, longer pitch) seats (typically 40, but some double-decker types seat 60+), snack and drinking water included. Toilet on board for all but the shortest services.

"VIP" - as per 1st class, but with only 32-34 seats, which have more leg room and recline further. Basic meal included and freshly laundered shrink-wrapped blanket provided. Also blue and white (or sometimes blue and silver) but usually signed "VIP".

"S-VIP" - Super-VIP is very similar to VIP, except there are only 24 seats, which are wider - the aisle is offset, each row having a pair of seats on the right and only a single seat on the left. Primarily used on overnight services.

Some buses may have TVs and sound systems blaring, so earplugs are well worth having, just in case. On long-haul buses, if your ticket allocates you a front seat, you may have to switch seats if a monk boards.

Songthaew

A songthaew (??????) is a truck-based vehicle with a pair of bench seats in the back, one on either side — hence the name, which means "two rows" in Thai. In English tourist literature, they`re occasionally called "minibuses". By far the most common type is based on a pick-up truck and has a roof and open sides. Larger types start life as small lorries, and may have windows, and an additional central bench; smaller types are converted micro-vans, with a front bench facing backwards and a rear bench facing forwards.

Songthaews are operated extensively as local buses (generally the most economical way to travel shorter distances) and also as taxis; sometimes the same vehicle will be used for both. Be careful if asking a songthaew to take you to someplace if there is nobody in the back, the driver might charge you the taxi price. In this case, check the price of the ride before embarking.

Tuk-tuk

The name tuk-tuk is used to describe a wide variety of small/lightweight vehicles. The vast majority have three wheels; some are entirely purpose-built (eg the ubiquitous Bangkok tuk-tuk), others are partially based on motorcycle components (primarily engines, steering, front suspension, fuel tank, drivers seat). A relatively recent development is the four wheeled tuk-tuk (basically a microvan-songthaew) as found in Phuket.

Taxi

Metered taxis are ubiquitous in Bangkok and starting to become more popular in Chiang Mai, but rare elsewhere in the country. When available, they are an excellent means of transport - insist on the meter. Beware of taxis which idle around touristy areas and wait for people. They are looking for a tourist who will take their taxi without using a meter. Always use the meter!

Motorbike

As is the case throughout virtually all of Asia, motorcycles (motosai) are the most common form of transport overall; the most popular type are the 100cc-125cc step-through models. These are very widely used as taxis, with fares starting from as low as 10 baht. Negotiat the fare to the driver before use his service protect he charges you too high.

Motorcycles can be rented without difficulty in many locations. Rates start at around 150 baht/day for recent 100-125cc semi-automatic (foot operated gearchange, automatic clutch) step-through models, 200 baht/day for fully automatic scooters.

Insurance is usually not included (or even available), so try to ensure in advance that the insurance you leave home with is going to cover you; alternatively, arrange cover with an insurance broker locally in Thailand. If you rent a vehicle without insurance and it`s damaged or stolen, the bottom line is that you will be required to pay in full the cost of repairing or replacing it. Furthermore, some travel insurance policies will only provide medical cover in the event of an accident if you hold a motorcycle license in your home country.

Some (but not all) border crossings allow motorcycles through. At those which do, documentation including proof of ownership must be produced (with the possible exception of day visits to Payathonzu, Myanmar via Three Pagodas Pass).

Rental car

Driving your own car in Thailand is not for the faint-hearted, and many rental companies can supply drivers at a very reasonable price. Prices without insurance for a self-driven car start from around 800 baht/day for small cars, and from as little as 600 baht/day for open-top jeeps; cars with insurance start at just under 1000 baht/day, and come down to around 5600 baht/week or 18000 baht/month.

Driving is (usually, but not always!) on the left hand side of the road. As of June 2008, fuel at large petrol stations is 37-41 baht/litre. Small kerbside vendors who pump by hand from drums and/or pour from bottles charge a few baht more.

More reputable agencies require that valid licences be produced: foreigners who do not have a Thai driving licence must carry a valid International Driving Permit. Even if you manage to rent a car without an IDP, not having one will invalidate the insurance and count against you in the event of an accident.

A common rental scam involves the owner taking a deposit, and then later refusing to refund it in full on the basis that the customer is responsible for previous damage; the Tourist Police (dial 1155) may be able to help. Another common scam involves the owner having someone follow the rented vehicle and later "steal" it, using a set of spare keys. Always report thefts: a "stolen" vehicle may mysteriously turn up as soon as the police become involved.

By boat

One of the Thais` many names for themselves is jao naam, the Water Lords, and from the river expresses of Bangkok to the fishing trawlers of Phuket, boats remain an indispensable way of getting around many parts of the country.

Modern, air-conditioned speedboat services, sometimes ferries (departure every 30 mins) also run from the Surat Thani to popular islands like Ko Samui and Ko Pha Ngan. Truly long-distance services (eg. Bangkok to any other major city) have, however, effectively ceased to exist as buses, planes and even trains are faster. Safety measures are rudimentary and ferries and speedboats do sink occasionally, so avoid overloaded ships in poor weather, and scope out the nearest life jackets when on board. Key Facts of Thailand

Location

South-East Asia.

Time

GMT + 7.

Area

513,115 sq km (198,115 sq miles).

Population

65 million (2007).

Population Density

126.7 per sq km.

Capital

Bangkok. Population: 9.4 million, including Thon Buri (UN estimate 2005).

Geography

Thailand is bordered to the west by Myanmar and the Indian Ocean, to the south and east by Malaysia and the Gulf of Thailand, to the east by Cambodia, and to the north and east by Laos. Central Thailand is dominated by the Chao Phraya River.

Government

Constitutional monarchy.

Head of State

HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) since 1946.

Head of Government

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva since 2008.

Language

Thai is the official language. English is widely spoken, especially in establishments catering for tourists.

Religion

The vast majority adhere to Buddhism (Theravada form), 5% are Muslim and there are Christian and Hindu minorities.

Electricity

220 volts AC, 50Hz. Two-pin plugs are standard.

Social Conventions

Thais are a polite people and, while remarkably tolerant of foreigners gallivanting on their beaches and with their women, you`ll find that you will get more respect if you in turn treat them and their customs with respect.

The traditional greeting known as the wai, where you press your hands together as is in prayer and bow slightly, is derived from the Hindu cultural influence from India, and still widely practiced.

The head is considered the holiest part of the body, and the foot the dirtiest part. Never touch or pat a Thai on the head, including children.

Personal appearance is very important in Thailand as a measure of respect to other people, you will find that dressing appropriately means that you are shown more respect in return. This translates in many ways, even sometimes lowering initial offering prices at markets. While some allowance is made for the differing customs of foreigners, Thais respond more positively to well-dressed Westerners.

Buddhist monks are meant to avoid the temptation of women, and in particular they do not touch women or take things from women`s hands. Women should make every effort to make way for monks on the street and give them room so they do not have to make contact with you. Women should avoid offering anything to a monk with their hands. Objects or donations should be placed in front of a monk so he can pick it up, or place it on a special cloth he carries with him. Monks will sometimes be aided by a layman who will accept things from women merit-makers on their behalf.

Communications in Thailand

Telephone

Country code: 66.

Mobile Telephone

Roaming agreements exist with many international mobile phone companies. There is good coverage, especially around main towns.

Internet

There are plenty of Internet cafes, some even found in remote areas visited by tourists.

Post

Airmail to Europe takes up to one week.

Post office hours: The General Post Office in Bangkok (on Charoen Krung Road) is open Mon-Fri 0800-2000, Sat-Sun and holidays 0800-1300. Post offices up-country are open Mon-Fri 0800-1630, Sat 0900-1200.

Media

While the government and military control nearly all the national terrestrial TV networks and operate many of Thailand`s radio networks, the print media is largely privately run.

Press

• Many daily and weekly Thai newspapers are available, including Thairath. The English-language dailies are Bangkok Post and The Nation.

TV

• Thai TV stations are variously controlled by the government and the army. They include TV3, TV5, BBTV Channel 7 and Television of Thailand.

• Even Independent Television is part-owned by the prime minister`s office.

Radio

• Radio Thailand and MCOT are operated by government agencies, while Army Radio is controlled by the Royal Thai Army.

• There are more than 60 stations in and around the capital.

Stay Safe & Healthy in Thailand

The number one cause of death for visitors to Thailand is motorbike accidents, especially on the often narrow, mountainous and twisty roads of Phuket and Samui. Drive defensively, wear a helmet, don`t drink and avoid travel at night.

Political unrest

Long-simmering tension between pro- and anti-government groups came to head in 2008.

Following the resignation of the prime minister in December 2008, things have gone back to normal for the time being, but the situation remains unstable. Keep an eye on the news and try to keep your plans flexible. Avoid demonstrations and other political gatherings.

Scams

Thailand has more than its fair share of scams, but most are easily avoided with some common sense.

Robbery on overnight buses

Thailand is quite safe for tourists. However, there have been some reports about people getting drugged and robbed while traveling on overnight buses. To avoid this, steer away from cheapish and non-government buses, make sure you have all your money stored safely in a money belt or another hard-to-reach place and always check your money balance before getting off.

Prostitution

Thailand`s age of consent is 15 but a higher minimum age of 18 applies in the case of prostitutes. Thai penalties for sex with minors are harsh.

Thailand has a high rate of STD infection, including HIV/AIDS, both among the general population and among prostitutes. Condoms can be bought easily in Thailand in all convenience shops and pharmacies but may not be as safe as Western ones.

Technically, some aspects of prostitution in Thailand are illegal (e.g. soliciting, pimping), however enforcement is liberal and brothels are commonplace. It`s not illegal to pay for sex or to pay a "bar fine".

Drugs

Thailand has extremely strict drug laws and your foreign passport is not enough to get you out of legal hot water. Possession and trafficking offenses that would merit traffic-ticket misdemeanors in other countries can result in life imprisonment or even death in Thailand.

Civil conflict

In September 2006, three foreigners were killed in bombings in Hat Yai. Some rebel groups have threatened foreigners, but while targets have included hotels, karaoke lounges and shopping malls, westerners have not been singled out for attacks.

Passport

Make a photocopy of your passport and the page with your visa stamp. Always keep your passport or the photocopy with you (the law requires that you carry your actual passport at all times, however in practice a photocopy will usually suffice). Many night clubs insist on a passport (and ONLY a passport) as proof of age. It is not required that you leave your passport with a hotel when you check in.

Security

Carrying your own padlock is a good idea, as budget rooms sometimes use them instead of (or as well as) normal door locks; carry a spare key someplace safe, like your money belt, otherwise considerable expense as well as inconvenience may result should you lose the original. Also consider some type of cable to lock your bag to something too big to fit through the door or window.

Wildlife

Thailand has a few dangerous animals. The most common menace is stray dogs which frequent even the streets of Bangkok.

Fights

Do not get into fights with Thais. Foreigners will eventually be outnumbered 15 to 1 (even against Thai people not initially involved) and weapons (metals, sharp objects, beer bottles, martial arts) are never omitted. Trying to break up someone else`s fight is just as bad and your good deed will be punished.

Stay healthy

Being a tropical country, Thailand has its fair share of exotic tropical diseases. Malaria is generally not a problem in any of the major tourist destinations, but is endemic in rural areas along the borders with Cambodia (including Ko Chang in Trat Province), Laos and Myanmar. As is the case throughout South-East Asia, dengue fever can be encountered just about anywhere, including the most modern cities.

Food hygiene levels in Thailand are reasonably high, and it`s generally safe to eat at street markets and to drink any water offered to you in restaurants. Using common sense — eg. avoiding the vendor who leaves raw meat sitting in the sun with flies buzzing around — and following the precautions listed in Food poisoning is still advisable.

HIV/AIDS (adult infection rate is 1 in 66) and other sexually transmitted diseases are common, especially among sex workers. Condoms are sold in all convenience stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, etc. Avoid injecting drug use.

There`s a pharmacy on every block in Thailand and most are happy to sell you anything you want without a prescription. However, this is technically illegal, and police have been known to occasionally bust tourists for possessing medicines without a prescription — even innocuous stuff like asthma meds

Accommodation in Thailand

Thailand has a plethora of accommodation in every price bracket. The best prices (30%-50% off rack rates) for accommodation can be found during Thailand`s low season, which is during May - August, which not surprisingly also coincides with the region`s monsoon season. The peak season is during December - February.

The prices listed are average for the country, and vary depending on the region and season. Smaller provincial towns will not have fancy hotels or resorts, while on popular island beaches it may be hard to find something cheaper than 300-400 baht even during the low season.

Guesthouses are usually the cheapest option, basic ones cost 100-200 baht per room per night (100 or less for a dorm bed).

If you`re satisfied with the guesthouse of your choice and plan to stay there for more than several days (especially during the low season or in the places with abundant accommodation options such as Chiang Mai) - ask for a discount

Thai hotels start around 200 baht and go up to around 800 baht. The upper end of this range will be air-conditioned, the lower end will not. The primary difference is that with a hotel room, your bathroom should be private, bed linen and towels should be provided, and there may be a hot shower. The guests are mostly Thais. TVs are available except in the lower end; Internet access, though, is less likely to be present than in guesthouses; and is even less likely to be complimentary and/or in-room.

Tourist hotels are generally around 1000 baht and offer the basics for a beach vacation: swimming pool, room service and colour TV.

Boutique hotels, 2000 baht and up, have mushroomed during the past few years, they provide a limited number of rooms (10 or less) and more personalized service. Quality can vary widely, so research is essential.

Business and luxury hotels , 4000 baht and up, offer every modern amenity you can think of and are largely indistinguishable from hotels anywhere else in the world. Some, notably Bangkok`s The Oriental, The Sukhothai and The Peninsula are among the world`s best hotels. The boutique hotels such as ""Tenface"“ and ""Reflection"". The most luxurious resorts also fall in this price category, with some of the very best and most private adding a few zeros to the price.

Things to Do in Thailand • Enjoy Thailand`s spectacular coastline. Have a go at sea canoeing and kayaking through the spectacular limestone islands in Phang Nga Bay and explore the half-submerged caves and grottoes. • Take a memorable train trip across the notorious River Kwai Bridge at Kanchanaburi, which was built by Allied prisoners under the direction of the Japanese during WWII (website: www.kanchanaburi-info.com).

• Admire the skills of the kite fighters. Opposing teams fly male Chula and female Pakpao kites in a surrogate battle of the sexes.

• Take in a muay thai (Thai kick-boxing) match; this traditional sport can be seen every day of the year at the major stadiums in both Bangkok and the provinces. Thai boxing matches are preceded by elaborate ceremonies and accompanied by lively music.

• Cast off all cares through traditional meditation. Thailand has dozens of temples and meditation centres specialising in vipassana (insight) meditation. Attend a class for just one day or a retreat lasting several weeks.

• Get to know northern Thailand better, particularly the remote provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son by trekking, riding an elephant or rafting through this spectacular region. Check out the Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet.

• Learn traditional massage and the healing properties of herbal medicine at ancient Wat Pho (website: www.watpho.com).

• Try Thai cooking at one of many cookery schools. Learn how to blend the many herbs and spices that provide the unique flavours of Thai food.

• Take a boat trip through Bangkok`s Floating Market, or along the klongs; a network of canals leading off the river, and lined with dwellings opening directly on to the water.

• Dive with the sharks in the aquarium at Bangkok`s Siam Ocean World (website: www.siamoceanworld.co.th), and live to tell the tale.

• Have afternoon tea at the Oriental Hotel (website: www.mandarinoriental.com) in Bangkok, one of the most famous hotels in the world. Once the haunt of the likes of Somerset Maughan and Joseph Conrad, it is now frequented by royalty and celebrities.

• Be entertained by the infamous `lady boys` or katoeys of Bangkok at the outrageous Calypso Cabaret at the Asia Hotel (website: www.calypsocabaret.com).

• Be wowed by the spectacular cultural production of a Journey to the Enchanted Kingdom of Thailand with hundreds of performers and special effects at Siam Niramit in central Bangkok (website: www.siamniramit.com).

• Join a wine-tasting tour at the Siam Winery near Bangkok (website: www.siamwinery.com).

Things to See in Thailand

• Marvel at Bangkok`s glittering Grand Palace (website: www.palaces.thai.net/gp) and Wat Phra Kaeo - a temple complex housing the Emerald Buddha. Upriver are the Royal Barges (website: www.thailandmuseum.com), ornate barges used for special processions on the Chao Phraya River.

• Don`t miss Wat Pho (website: www.watpho.com), the oldest and largest temple in Bangkok and home to the Reclining Buddha. The Buddha`s statue is enormous at 46m (150ft) long and 15m (49ft) high.

• Discover the delightful 81-room Vimanmek Palace (website: www.palaces.thai.net) which was once a royal summer retreat that was rebuilt in Bangkok in 1900.

• Travel north to Chiang Mai, Thailand`s second-largest city and a centre for excursions to the region`s ancient temples, hill tribes and the Golden Triangle. Climb the 300 or so steps to Doi Suthep temple for sweeping views of the city.

• Visit Kanchanaburi, inextricably linked with the horrors of WWII and the allied forces who were forced to build the Death Railway and the Bridge over the River Kwai. Use the town as a base to explore the area`s waterfalls and jungles, and spend the night on a floating raft house.

• Step back in time with a visit to Ayutthaya, once the capital of Thailand. Ramble through the ruined palaces and wats on foot, by bicycle or even on the back of an elephant.

• Head to Phang Nga Bay, which is world-famous for its stunning seascape, with its hundreds of limestone islets emerging from a translucent sea. Easily reached from Phuket, many visitors will recognise scenery featured in the James Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun.

• Take time to explore the little-visited northeastern part of Thailand, especially Phimai, one of the most important Khmer historical sites in Thailand, dating from the 11th century. The intricate structures bear some resemblance to Angkor Wat and many lintels depict scenes from the epic Ramayana. The story of Prince Rama is one of the most important literary works from ancient India.

• Thailand isn`t just beaches and temples. Go on an adventure into Khao Sok National Park in southern Thailand. Here dripping rainforest covers majestic limestone formations laced with sparkling streams and waterfalls. Stay in tree houses or on bamboo rafthouses. Getting into Thailand

Visa-on-arrival is available at certain entry points for passport holders of 20 other nations, including India and China. Check the latest scoop from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. By law, you must carry your passport with you at all times.

By plane

Bangkok is one of Asia`s largest hubs as well as the busiest airport in Southeast Asia; practically every airline that flies to Asia also flies to Bangkok, meaning competition is stiff and prices are low.

There are also international flights directly to/from Chiang Mai, Ko Samui, Phuket, Krabi, Hat Yai and Udon Thani.

The national carrier is the well-regarded THAI Airways, with Bangkok Airways filling in some gaps in the nearby region. Bangkok Airways offers free internet access while you wait for boarding to start at your gate.

Chartered flights from and to Thailand from international destinations are operated by Hi Flying group. They fly to Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui and Udon Thani.

By road

Cambodia - six international border crossings. The highway from Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor via Poipet to Aranyaprathet, once the stuff of nightmares, is now merely bad and can usually be covered in less than 3 hours.

Laos - the busiest border crossing is at the Friendship Bridge across the Mekong between Nong Khai and the Lao capital Vientiane. It`s also possible to cross the Mekong at Chiang Khong / Huay Xai, Nakhon Phanom / Tha Khaek, Mukdahan / Savannakhet, and elsewhere.

Vientiane / Udon Thani - A bus service runs from the Morning Market bus station in Vientiane to the bus station in Udon Thani. The cost is 80 Baht or 22,000 Kip and the journey takes two hours. The Udon Thani airport is 30 minutes by Tuk Tuk from the bus station and is served by Thai Airways, Nok Air and Air Asia.

Malaysia and Singapore - driving up is entirely possible, although not with a rented vehicle. Main crossings (with name of town on Malaysian side in brackets) between Thailand and Malaysia are Padang Besar (Padang Besar) and Sadao (Bukit Kayu Hitam) in Songkhla province, Betong (Pengkalan Hulu) in Yala province, and Sungai Kolok (Rantau Panjang) in Narathiwat province. There are regular buses from Singapore to the southern hub of Hat Yai.

Myanmar:

Mae Sai / Tachileik - foreigners can access this crossing from either side, and enter and/or exit either country here; no onward travel restrictions; to get to Tachileik or Kengtung from the rest of Myanmar, a domestic flight must be taken (eg from Heho).

Mae Sot / Myawaddy - foreigners can only access this crossing from the Thai side; neither onward travel into Myanmar (ie beyond the border town) nor overnight stays are possible. No visa needed; instead there`s an entry stamp fee - USD10 if paid with USD notes, more (500 baht) if paid with Thai currency.

Three Pagodas Pass (Sangkhlaburi / Payathonzu) - foreigners can only access this crossing from the Thai side; onward travel into Myanmar (ie beyond the border town) is not possible; entry/exit stamps are NOT issued here, and foreigners passports are held at the Myanmar checkpoint, where a fee is levied - USD10 if paid with USD notes, more (500 baht) if paid with Thai currency. However, as of November 25, 2008, this crossing is temporarily closed.

Ranong / Kawthoung - foreigners can access this crossing from either side, and enter and/or exit either country here; no onward travel restrictions (other than those that apply to everyone, no matter how they enter); access to/from Kawthoung is by sea (Mergui/Dawei & Yangon) and air (Mergui & Yangon). If entering without a visa, maximum stay is 3 days / 2 nights, travel beyond Kawthoung is not permitted, and there`s an entry stamp fee - USD10 if paid with USD notes, more (500 baht) if paid with Thai currency.

By train

Thailand`s sole international train service links to Butterworth (near Penang) and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, continuing all the way to Singapore. Tickets are cheap even in first class sleepers, but it can be a slow ride; the 2-hour flight to Singapore will take you close to 48 hours by rail, as you have to change trains twice. The luxury option is to take the Eastern & Oriental Express, a refurbished super-luxury train that runs along the same route once per week, with gourmet dining, personal butler service and every other colonial perk you can think of. However, at around US$1000 one-way just from Bangkok to Butterworth, this is approximately 30 times more expensive than an ordinary first-class sleeper!

While you can`t get to Laos or Cambodia by train, you can get very close, with railheads just across the border at Nong Khai (across the river from Vientiane) and Aranyaprathet (for Poipet, on the road to Siem Reap). A link across to Mekong to Laos is open in March 2009, but service to Cambodia remains on the drawing board.

There are no rail services to Myanmar, but the Thai part of the infamous Burma Death Railway is still operating near Kanchanaburi.

By ferry

It is possible now to travel by ferries in hi season(Nov-May) from Phuket and island hop your way down the cost all the way to Indonesia.

This can now be done without ever touching the mainland, Phuket (Thailand) to Padang (Indonesia).

Islands on rout:

Ko Phi Phi

Ko Lanta

Ko Ngai

Ko Mook

Ko Bulon

ko Lipe-Koh lipe being the hub on the boarder between Thailand and Malaysia having a Thai immigration office.

Langkwai- Malaysian immigration here.

Penang

Note:Thai portion can be done in a day.

Ferries cross from Satun in southern Thailand to the Malaysian island of Langkawi, while over in Narathiwat province, a vehicular ferry shuttles between Tak Bai and Pengkalan Kubur, near Kota Bharu in Malaysia`s Kelantan state.

There are also occasional cruises from Malaysia and Singapore to Phuket and Bangkok, the main operator being Star Cruises, but no scheduled services. Food & Drinks in Thailand Food

The food alone is really reason enough for a trip to Thailand. Curries, fruit shakes, stir fries, fresh fish made a zillion ways - and that`s just the beginning. Food in Thailand can be as cheap and easy as 20 baht phat thai (Thai fried noodles) cooked at a street stall or as expensive and complicated as a $100 ten-course meal by a royal chef served in one of Bangkok`s 5 star hotels.

Etiquette

Thai food is most commonly eaten with fork and spoon. Hold the spoon in your right hand and use it to eat, and reserve the fork for piling food onto your spoon.

Thai food is meant for sharing. Everybody gets their own plate of rice and tiny soup bowl, but all the other dishes are laid out in the center of the table and you`re free to eat what you wish. Though some people believe that taking the last piece from a shared plate is considered slightly unlucky, and you may hear people make wishes for others to compensate for their own misfortune — a popular wish is that "may my girl/boyfriend be beautiful"!

Thai cuisine

Thai cuisine is characterized by balance and strong flavors, especially lime juice, lemon grass and fresh coriander, the combination of which gives Thai food its distinctive taste. In addition, Thai food has a deserved reputation for being spicy, with hot little torpedo-shaped chillies called phrik khii nuu (??????????, lit. "mouse shit chillies") making their way into many a dish. Thais are well aware that these can be more than Westerners can handle and will often ask if you like it hot (???? phet); answer "yes" at your own risk!

Thai dishes can be roughly categorized into central Thai food (around Bangkok), northern Thai food (from the northern region around Chiang Mai, with Burmese and Chinese influence), north-eastern Thai food (from the Isaan region bordering with Laos) and southern Thai food (with heavy influences from Malaysia). The following list covers some better-known dishes; see Isaan for Isaan food, which is widely available throughout the country.

Rice

The Thai staple food is rice (???? khao), so much so that in Thai eating a meal, kin khao, literally means "eat rice".

Khao suai (???????) or "beautiful rice" is the plain white steamed rice that serves as the base of almost every meal.

Khao phat (???????) is simple fried rice, usually with some pork (muu) or chicken (kai) mixed in.

Khao tom (???????) is a salty and watery rice porridge served with condiments, quite popular at breakfast.

Khao nio (??????????) or "sticky rice" is glutinous rice - usually eaten dry, traditionally by hand, with grilled/fried pork or chicken or beef.

Noodles

Thais are great noodle eaters. The most common kind is rice noodles, served angel-hair (???????? sen mii), small (???????? sen lek), large (???????? sen yai) and giant (?????????? kuay tio), but egg noodles (?????? ba mii), Chinese-style stuffed wonton ravioli (?????? kio) and glass noodles made from mung beans (???????? wun sen) are also popular.

Unlike other Thai foods, noodles are usually eaten with chopsticks. They are also usually served with a rack of four condiments, namely dried red chillies , fish sauce, vinegar and sugar which diners can add to their own taste.

Phat thai (??????), literally "fried Thai", means thin rice noodles fried in a tamarind-based sauce. Ubiquitous, cheap and often excellent - and as an added bonus, it`s usually chili-free!

Ba mii muu daeng (?????????????) is egg noodles with slices of Chinese-style barbecued pork.

Kuai tio ruea (??????????????) is a rice noodle soup with a fiery pork blood stock and an assortment of offal. An acquired taste, but an addictive one.

Soups and curries

The line between soups (??? tom, literally just "boiled") and curries (???? kaeng) is a little fuzzy, and many dishes the Thais call curries would be soups to an Indian. A plate of rice with a ladleful of a curry or two on top, known as khao kaeng (????????), is a very popular quick meal if eating alone.

Tom yam kung (?????????) is the quintessential Thai dish, a sour soup with prawns, lemongrass and galangal. The real thing is quite spicy, but toned-down versions are often available on request.

Tom kha kai (?????????) is the Thai version of chicken soup in a rich galangal-flavored coconut stock, with mushrooms and not a few chillies.

Kaeng daeng (????????, "red curry") and kaeng phet (????????, "hot curry") are the same dish and, as you might guess, this coconut-based dish can be spicy. Red curry with roast duck (kaeng pet yaang ????????????) is particularly popular.

Kaeng khio-waan (?????????????), sweet green curry, is a coconut-based curry with strong accents of lemongrass and kaffir lime. Usually milder than the red variety.

Kaeng som (???????), orange curry, is more like tamarind soup than curry, usually served with pieces of herb omelette in the soup.

Mains

Thais like their mains fried (??? thot or ??? phat) or grilled (yaang ????). Fish, in particular, is often deep-fried until the meat turns brown and crispy.

Ka-phrao kai (?????????), literally "basil chicken" is a simple but intensely fragrant stirfry made from peppery holy basil leaves, chillies and chicken.

Salads

About the only thing Thai salads (?? yam) have in common with the Western variety is that they are both based on raw vegetables. A uniquely Thai flavor is achieved by drowning the ingredients in fish sauce, lime juice and chillies - the end result can be very spicy indeed!

Som tam (?????), a salad made from shredded and pounded raw papaya is often considered a classic Thai dish, but it actually originates from neighboring Laos. However, the Thai version is less sour and more sweet than the original, with peanuts and dried shrimp mixed in.

Yam ponlamai (???????) is Thai-style fruit salad, meaning that instead of canned maraschino cherries it has fresh fruit topped with oodles of fish sauce and chillies.

Yam som-o (???????) is an unusual salad made from pomelo (a mutant version of grapefruit) and anything else on hand, often including chicken or dried shrimp.

Yam wunsen (??????????) is perhaps the most common yam, with glass noodles and shrimp.

Dessert

Thais don`t usually eat "dessert" in the Western after-meal sense, although you may get a few slices of fresh fruit (????? ponlamai) for free at fancier places, but they certainly have a finely honed sweet tooth.

Khanom (???) covers a vast range of cookies, biscuits, chips and anything else snackable, and piles of the stuff can be found in any Thai office after lunch. One common variety called khanom khrok (??????) is worth a special mention: these are little lens-shaped pancakes of rice and coconut, freshly cooked and served by street vendors everywhere.

Khao nio ma-muang (????????????????) means "sticky rice with mango", and that`s what you get, with some coconut milk drizzled on top. Filling and delicious and an excellent way to cool the palate after a spicey Thai dish! Alternatively, for the more adventurous type, an equally popular dish is Khao nio tu-rean in which you get durian instead of mango with your sticky rice.

Waan yen (????????), literally "sweet cold", consists of a pile of ingredients of your choice (including things like sweet corn and kidney beans) topped with syrup, coconut cream and a pile of ice, and is great for cooling down on a hot day or after a searing curry.

Vegetarian food

Vegetarians won`t have too many problems surviving in Thailand, with one significant exception: fish sauce (?????? naam plaa) is to Thai cuisine what soy sauce is to Chinese food, and keeping it out of soups, curries and stir-fries will be a challenge.

That said, Thailand is a Buddhist country and vegetarianism is a fairly well-understood concept, especially among Chinese Thais (many of whom eat only vegetarian food during several festivals). Tofu is a traditional Thai ingredient and they aren`t afraid to mix it up in some non traditional dishes such as omelettes (with or without eggs), submarine sandwiches, and burritos. Since Thai dishes are usually made to order, it`s easy to ask for anything on the menu to be made without meat or fish. Bangkok features several fantastic veggie and vegan restaurants, but outside of big cities make sure to check that your idea of "veggie" matches the chef`s.

Some key phrases for vegetarians:

phom kin je (m) / di-chan kin je (f) ??(?????)????? "I eat only vegetarian food"

karunaa mai sai naam plaa ????????????????? "Please don`t use fish sauce"

Drink

Tap water is usually not drinkable in Thailand

Iced drinks

Coconut water (?????????? naam ma-phrao), iced and drunk directly from a fresh coconut is a cheap and healthy way to cool the body - available at restaurants and also from vendors that specialize in fruit juice.

Fruit juices, freezes and milkshakes of all kinds are very popular with Thais and visitors alike. Most cafés and restaurants charge 20-40 baht, but a bottle of freshly squeezed Thai sweet orange juice (?????? naam som) - which really is orange in color! - can be sold on the street for 10 baht or less. Thais often add salt to their fruit juices-- an acquired taste that you might just learn to like. Thais also like to have basil seeds in their iced fruit juice sold on the road - which looks like small jelly balls down of the bottle.

Tea and coffee

One of Thailand`s most characteristic drinks is Thai iced tea (?????? chaa yen, lit. "cold tea"). Instantly identifiable thanks to its lurid orange color, this is the side effect of adding ground tamarind seed (or, these days, artificial color) during the curing process. The iced tea is always very strong and very sweet, and usually served with a dash of condensed milk; ask for chaa dam yen to skip the milk.

Naam chaa and chaa jiin are weak and full-strength Chinese tea, often served in restaurants for free. Western-style black tea is chaa ron (??????). Coffee (???? kaafae) is also widely available, and is usually served with condensed milk and lots of sugar. Ask for kaafae thung to get traditional filtered "bag" coffee instead of instant.

The Starbucks phenomenon has also arrived in Thailand, but for the moment local competitors Black Canyon Coffee and S&P still have the edge in marketshare. These are the places to look for if you want that triple-moccha latte with hazelnut swirl and are willing to pay 100 baht for the privilege.

Black Canyon Coffee is Thailand`s home-brewed Starbucks, but while coffee is their mainstay they also offer a limited meal menu. Try the chaa yen (lurid orange Thai iced tea with milk).

Energy drinks

Thailand is the original home of the Red Bull brand energy drink - a licensed and re-branded version of Thailand`s original Krathing Daeng (?????????, "Red Bull"), complete with the familiar logo of two bulls charging at each other. .

Alcohol

Drinking alcohol in Thailand, especially if you like Western tipples, is actually comparatively expensive - but still very affordable by Western standards.

Note that retail sales of alcohol in supermarkets, convenience stores etc are banned between midnight and 11 AM and, more bizarrely, 2-5 PM. Restaurants and bars are not affected, and smaller, non-chain stores are often willing to ignore the rules.

Beer

Beer (?????? bia) is a bit of an upmarket drink in Thailand, with the price of a small bottle hovering between 50 and 100 baht in most pubs, bars and restaurants. Thais like their lagers with relatively high alcohol content (around 6%), as it is designed to be drunk with ice, so the beer in Thailand may pack more of a punch than you are used to.

Local brews: For many years the only locally brewed beer was Singha (pronounced just Sing) but it has lost market to cheaper and stronger Chang. Both are pretty strong though, but for those who prefer something a bit lighter, both local brands have introduced low-alcohol versions of their beers. Singha Light comes in at 3.5%, Chang Draught is 5% and Chang Light is 4.2%. There are also some cheaper local beers which are rarely found outside of shops and supermarkets - Leo and Archa being among the most popular. Nightlife in Thailand

Bangkok is a vibrant city offers you a colorful nightlife. The entertainment venues range from nightclubs, pubs, bars, cinemas and restaurants, to massage parlours, pool halls and cocktail lounges. The nightlife entertainments clustered in three districts of Bangkok – Banglamphu, Patpong, Sukhumvit Road and the Bearby Street of Soi Cowboy. Bangkok`s sex industry is as blatant and booming as ever.

Many venues are open all day and late into the night, although bars and clubs are supposed to close at 0200. Sometimes there is an admission fee but this usually includes one or two drinks. The dress code is very relaxed, although a few of the nightclubs do enforce smarter clothing.

Besides bars and pubs, there are many performances of traditional religious and court dances in Thailand Cultural Centre and Patravadi Theatre in Bangkok. Traditional dances are the main activity of nightlife. However, the attendance is almost exclusively by foreigners. The full moon parties are notorious and continue well into the following morning. Performances by the infamous katoeys (lady boys) are worth a visit, with the most famous seen at the Calypso Cabaret in the Asia Hotel in Bangkok

Thailand Climate

Thailand is largely tropical, so it`s hot and humid all year around with temperatures in the 28-35°C range (82-95°F), a degree of relief provided only in the mountains in the far north of Thailand. The careful observer will, however, note three seasons:

Cool: From November to the end of February, it doesn`t rain much and temperatures are at their lowest, although you will barely notice the difference in the south and will only need to pack a sweater if hiking in the northern mountains, where temperatures can fall as low as 5°C. This is the most popular time to visit and, especially around Christmas and New Year`s or at Chinese New Year a few weeks later, finding flights and accommodation can be expensive and difficult.

Hot: From March to June, Thailand swelters in temperatures as high as 40°C (104°F). Pleasant enough when sitting on the beach with a drink in hand, but not the best time of year to go temple-tramping in Bangkok.

Rainy: From July to October, although it only really gets underway in September, tropical monsoons hit most of the country. This doesn`t mean it rains non-stop, but when it does it pours and flooding is not uncommon.

There are local deviations to these general patterns. In particular, the south-east coast of Thailand (including Ko Samui) has the rains reversed, with the peak season being May-October and the rainy off season in November-February.

But Thap Pagoda Vietnam Travel Guide

2012-02-02T04:57:00.000-08:00

But Thap Pagoda on the bank of Duong River, Bac Ninh Province was reconstructed in the 17th century by the monk Zhus Zhus (regarded as the founder of the pagoda) and Queen Trinh Thi Ngoc Truc, a daughter of Lord Trinh Trang. In the Nei Kung Wai Kwo architectural style, But Thap Pagoda has the shape of the Chinese script Kung inside and the script Kwo outside. The pagoda features more than 100 compartments and 10 buildings spread over 100 meters from the three-entrance gate to the bell-tower and back house. Inside the temple are more than 50 statues in different sizes and the most remarkable is "thousand-hands, thousand-eyes" Goddess of Mercy (Guanyin in Chinese) made in 1656 and took several years for completion. Behind the backyard garden stand two stone stupas of the monk Zhus Zhus and Minh Hanh. Once visiting in 1876, the King Tu Duc saw the stone stupa`s shape like a pen and named this pagoda But Thap.

How to get there?

But Thap Pagoda is about 25km far from Hanoi , between highways one and five in But Thap Commune

Travel Tips

Dress modestly and respectfully once visiting pagodas.

Other Places

Laos Overview - Laos Travel Guide

2012-01-29T09:40:00.000-08:00

Laos Overview

Overview

Laos officially the Lao People`s Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in southeast Asia, bordered by Burma (Myanmar) and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west. Laos traces its history to the Kingdom of Lan Xang or Land of a Million Elephants, which existed from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century.

After a period as a French protectorate, it gained independence in 1949. A long civil war ended officially when the communist Pathet Lao movement came to power in 1975, but the protesting between factions continued for several years.

Geography
Most of the western border of Laos is demarcated by the Mekong River, which is an important artery for transportation. The Dong falls at the southern end of the country prevent access to the sea, but cargo boats travel along the entire length of the Mekong in Laos during most of the year. Smaller power boats and pirogues provide an important means of transportation on many of the tributaries of the Mekong.

The Mekong has thus not been an obstacle but a facilitator for communication, and the similarities between Laos and northeast Thai society--same people, same language--reflect the close contact that has existed across the river for centuries. Also, many Laotians living in the Mekong Valley have relatives and friends in Thailand. Prior to the twentieth century, Laotian kingdoms and principalities encompassed areas on both sides of the Mekong, and Thai control in the late nineteenth century extended to the left bank. Although the Mekong was established as a border by French colonial forces, travel from one side to the other has been significantly limited only since the establishment of the Lao People`s Democratic Republic (LPDR, or Laos) in 1975.

The eastern border with Vietnam extends for 2,130 kilometers, mostly along the crest of the Annamite Chain, and serves as a physical barrier between the Chinese-influenced culture of Vietnam and the Indianized states of Laos and Thailand. These mountains are sparsely populated by tribal minorities who traditionally have not acknowledged the border with Vietnam any more than lowland Lao have been constrained by the 1,754-kilometer Mekong River border with Thailand. Thus, ethnic minority populations are found on both the Laotian and Vietnamese sides of the frontier. Because of their relative isolation, contact between these groups and lowland Lao has been mostly confined to trading.

Laos shares its short--only 541 kilometers--southern border with Cambodia, and ancient Khmer ruins at Wat Pho and other southern locations attest to the long history of contact between the Lao and the Khmer. In the north, the country is bounded by a mountainous 423-kilometer border with China and shares the 235-kilometer-long Mekong River border with Burma.

The topography of Laos is largely mountainous, with elevations above 500 meters typically characterized by steep terrain, narrow river valleys, and low agricultural potential. This mountainous landscape extends across most of the north of the country, except for the plain of Vientiane and the Plain of Jars in Xiangkhoang Province. The southern "panhandle" of the country contains large level areas in Savannakhét and Champasak provinces that are well suited for extensive paddy rice cultivation and livestock rising. Much of Khammouan Province and the eastern part of all the southern provinces are mountainous. Together, the alluvial plains and terraces of the Mekong and its tributaries cover only about 20% of the land area.

Only about 4% of the total land area is classified as arable. The forested land area has declined significantly since the 1970s as a result of commercial logging and expanded swidden, or slash-and-burn, farming.

Climate

On November 30, 2001, MODIS captured this image of southeastern Asia. The image focuses on the countries of Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, left to right respectively. In eastern Thailand, the brown coloring that dominates the center of the image and mimics the country`s border with Laos and Cambodia, speaks of the massive deforestation that occurs in this region. One of southeastern Asia`s prominent environmental concerns, deforestation has played a major role in flooding in the region.

Laos has a tropical monsoon climate, with a pronounced rainy season from May through October, a cool dry season from November through February, and a hot dry season in March and April. Generally, monsoons occur at the same time across the country, although that time may vary significantly from one year to the next. Rainfall also varies regionally, with the highest amounts-- 3,700 millimeters annually--recorded on the Bolovens Plateau in Champasak Province. City rainfall stations have recorded that Savannakhét averages 1,440 millimeters of rain annually; Vientiane receives about 1,700 millimeters, and Louangphrabang receives about 1,360 millimeters. Rainfall is not always adequate for rice cultivation, however, and the relatively high average precipitation conceals years where rainfall may be only half or less of the norm, causing significant declines in rice yields. Such droughts often are regional, leaving production in other parts of the country unaffected. Temperatures range from highs around 40°C along the Mekong in March and April to lows of 5°C or less in the uplands of Xiangkhoang and Phôngsali in January.

Transportation

Because of its mountainous topography and lack of development, Laos has few reliable transportation routes. This inaccessibility has historically limited the ability of any government to maintain a presence in areas distant from the national or provincial capitals and has limited interchange and communication among villages and ethnic groups. The Mekong and Nam Ou are the only natural channels suitable for large-draft boat transportation, and from December through May low water limits the size of the craft that may be used over many routes. Laotians in lowland villages located on the banks of smaller rivers have traditionally traveled in pirogues for fishing, trading, and visiting up and down the river for limited distances. Otherwise, travel is by ox-cart over level terrain or by foot. The steep mountains and lack of roads have caused upland ethnic groups to rely entirely on pack baskets and horse packing for transportation.

Laos history

Laos traces its history to the kingdom of Lan Xang, founded in the fourteenth century by Fa Ngum, himself descended from a long line of Lao kings, tracking back to Khoun Boulom. Lan-Xang prospered until the eighteenth century, when the kingdom was divided into three principalities, which eventually came under Siamese suzerainty. In the 19th century, Luang Prabang was incorporated into the `Protectorate` of French Indochina, and shortly thereafter, the Kingdom of Champasak and the territory of Vientiane were also added to the protectorate. Under the French, Vientiane once again became the capital of a unified Lao state. Following a brief Japanese occupation during World War II, the country declared its independence in 1945, but the French under De Gaulle re-asserted their control and only in 1950 was Laos granted semi-autonomy as an "associated state" within the French Union. Moreover, the French remained in de facto control until 1954, when Laos gained full independence as a constitutional monarchy. Under a special exemption to the Geneva Convention, a French military training mission continued to support the Royal Laos Army. In 1955, the U.S. Department of Defense created a special Programs Evaluation Office to replace French support of the Royal Lao Army against the communist Pathet Lao as part of the U.S. containment policy.
Laos was dragged into the Vietnam War, and the eastern parts of the country were invaded and occupied by the North Vietnamese Army (NVA), which used Laotian territory as a staging ground and supply route for its war against the South. In response, the United States initiated a bombing campaign against the North Vietnamese, supported regular and irregular anticommunist forces in Laos and supported a South Vietnamese invasion of Laos. The result of these actions were a series of coups d`état and, ultimately, the Laotian Civil War between the Royal Laotian government and the communist Pathet Lao.

In the Civil War, the NVA, with its heavy artillery and tanks, was the real power behind the Pathet Lao insurgency. In 1968, the North Vietnamese Army launched a multi-division attack against the Royal Lao Army. The attack resulted in the army largely demobilizing and leaving the conflict to irregular forces raised by the United States and Thailand. The attack resulted many people losing their lives. Massive aerial bombardment by the United States followed as it attempted to eliminate North Vietnamese bases in Laos in order to disrupt supply lines on the Ho Chi Minh trail.

In 1975, the communist Pathet Lao, backed by the Soviet Union and the North Vietnamese Army (justified by the communist ideology of "proletarian internationalism"), overthrew the royalist government, forcing King Savang Vatthana to abdicate on December 2, 1975. He later died in captivity.

After taking control of the country, Pathet Lao`s government renamed the country as the "Lao People`s Democratic Republic" and signed agreements giving Vietnam the right to station military forces and to appoint advisers to assist in overseeing the country. Laos was ordered in the late 1970s by Vietnam to end relations with the People`s Republic of China which cut the country off from trade with any country but Vietnam.[citation needed] Control by Vietnam and socialization were slowly replaced by a relaxation of economic restrictions in the 1980s and admission into ASEAN in 1997.

In 2005, the United States established Normal Trade Relations with Laos, ending a protracted period of punitive import

People

69% of the country`s people are ethnic Lao, the principal lowland inhabitants and the politically and culturally dominant group. The Lao belong to the Tai linguistic group who began migrating southward from China in the first millennium AD. 8% belong to other "lowland" groups, which together with the Lao people make up the Lao Loum.

Hill people and minority cultures of Laos such as the Hmong (Miao), Yao (Mien), Dao, Shan, and several Tibeto-Burman speaking peoples have lived in isolated regions of Laos for many years. Mountain/hill tribes of mixed ethno/cultural-linguistic heritage are found in northern Laos which include the Lua (Lua) and Khmu people who are indigenous to Laos. Today, the Lua people are considered endangered. Collectively, they are known as Lao Soung or highland Laotians. In the central and southern mountains, Mon-Khmer tribes, known as Lao Theung or mid-slope Laotians, predominate. Some Vietnamese, Chinese and Thailand Thai minorities remain, particularly in the towns, but many left in two waves; after independence in the late 1940s and again after 1975.

The term "Laotian" does not necessarily refer to the ethnic Lao language, ethnic Lao people, language or customs, but is a political term that also includes the non-ethnic Lao groups within Laos and identifies them as "Laotian" because of their political citizenship.

Language

The official and dominant language is Lao, a tonal language of the Tai linguistic group. The written language is based on Khmer writing script. Midslope and highland Lao speak an assortment of tribal languages. French, still common in government and commerce, is still studied by many, as while of English, the language of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has increased in recent years.

Culture

Lao cuisine is the cuisine of the Lao ethnic group of Laos and Northeast Thailand (Isan). Lao food is distinct from other Southeast Asian cuisines. The staple food of the Lao is sticky rice. Galangal and fish sauce are important ingredients. The Lao national dish is laap (sometimes also spelled larb), a spicy mixture of marinated meat and/or fish that is sometimes raw (prepared like ceviche) with a variable combination of greens, herbs, and spices. Another characteristic dish is tam mak houng (related to som tam in Thai and bok l`hong in Khmer), a spicy green papaya salad.

Lao cuisine has many regional variations, according in part to the fresh foods local to each region. A French influence is also apparent in the capital city, Vientiane, such that baguettes are sold on the street, and French restaurants (often with a naturally Lao, Asian-fusion touch) are common and popular. Vietnamese cuisine is also popular in Laos.

Characteristics

Som mou, a Lao "ham" dish, which can also be liked to salami in Western Society.

Lao food differs from neighboring cuisines in multiple respects. One is that the Lao meal almost always includes a large quantity of fresh raw greens, vegetables and herbs served undressed on the side. Another is that savory dishes are never sweet. "Sweet and sour" is generally considered bizarre and foreign in Laos.
Eating customs

A ka toke, a platform for arranging and presenting a Lao meal.

The traditional manner of eating was communal, with diners sitting on a reed mat on the wooden floor around a raised platform woven out of rattan called a ka toke. Dishes are arranged on the ka toke, which is of a standard size. Where there are many diners, multiple ka tokes will be prepared. Each ka toke will have one or more baskets of sticky rice, which is shared by all the diners at the ka toke.

In recent times, eating at a ka toke is the exception rather than the rule. The custom is maintained, however, at temples, where each monk is served his meal on a ka toke. Once food is placed on the "ka toke" it becomes a "pha kao." In modern homes, the term for preparing the table for a meal is still taeng pha kao, or prepare the phah kao.

Traditionally, spoons were used only for soups and white rice, and chopsticks were used only for noodles. Most food was handled by hand. The reason this custom evolved is probably due to the fact that sticky rice can only be easily handled by hand.

Lao meals typically consist of a soup dish, a grilled dish, a sauce, greens, and a stew or mixed dish (koy or laap). The greens are usually fresh raw greens, herbs and other vegetables, though depending on the dish they accompany, they could also be steamed or more typically, parboiled. Dishes are not eaten in sequence; the soup is sipped throughout the meal. Beverages, including water, are not typically a part of the meal. When guests are present, the meal is always a feast, with food made in quantities sufficient for twice the number of diners. For a host, not having enough food for guests would be humiliating.

The custom is to close the rice basket when one is finished eating.

Special foods:

Larb is a type of Lao meat salad. It is most often made with chicken, beef, duck, turkey, pork or even fish, flavored with fish sauce and lime. The meat can be either raw or cooked; it is minced and mixed with chilli, mint and, optionally, assorted vegetables. Roughly ground toasted rice (kao kua) is also a very important component of the dish. The dish is served at room temperature and usually with a serving of sticky rice. A common variation is neu-ah nam tok ("waterfall beef" but it could mean the dripping of meat juice during the grilling as well), in which beef is cut into thin strips instead of using ground beef.

Larb is the unofficial national dish of Laos and is also a common dish in Thai cuisine. It is quite common to see this popular Lao meat salad served at Thai restaurants.

There is also a variant from Northern Thailand which does not use lime or fish sauce, but rather other local condiments for flavor and seasoning. "Larb pla" is one kind of larb which made of minced fish mixed with spices. There is a kind of larb called lu, which made of minced raw beef mixed with blood, bile and spices. Lu is usually eaten with vegetables and often served with beer or the local moonshine called lao khao.

Som tam or Som tum also known as Tam mak hoong is a spicy salad made from shredded unripened papaya originally from Laos and Lao-settled Isan region of northeastern Thailand. Variations of the dish are found throughout Laos and Thailand, as well as in the West, where it is more commonly known by its Thai version and Thai name. A similar dish is also eaten in Cambodia, where it is known as bok l`hong. It is often served with sticky rice and gai yang, It is also sometimes served over rice noodles and raw vegetables to mitigate the spiciness of the dish, or simply as a snack by itself with crispy pork rinds.

Laos Music

Laos is dominated by the Lao but includes minorities of Hmong, Mien, Kmhmu, among many others. The most distinctive Lao musical instrument is a bamboo mouth organ called a khene. The instrument was supposedly invented by a woman trying to imitate the calls of the garawek bird. The woman took the new instrument to her king, and he told her it was fair, but that he wanted more. She modified the instrument and he replied "Tia nee khaen dee" (this time it was better).

Khene is what makes Lao people which the Lao people makes the khene. The national proverb is, "A person living under a stilted house, eat sticky rice, listen to any music related to Lam or Morlam, and play the Khene is likely to be Lao or associated with Lao people."

The Khene is made from a special kind of bamboo. It looks slightly Andean in appearance with its sets of bamboo and reed pipes of various lengths, which are strapped together, and then blow into by the player. It can be played solo as in traditional Lao music or in combination with other musical instruments to accompany modern songs.

Classical music

The classical form is closely related to that of the Siamese. The Lao classical orchestra can be divided into two categories, Sep Nyai (or Mahori) and Sep Noi. The Sep Nyai is ceremonial and formal music and includes: two sets of gongs (kong vong), a xylophone (lanat), an oboe (pei or salai), two large kettle drums and two sets of cymbals (xing). The Sep Noi, capable of playing popular tunes, includes two bowed string instruments, the So U and the So I, also known to the Indians. These instruments have a long neck or fingerboard and a small sound box; this sound box is made of bamboo in the So U and from a coconut in the So I. Both instruments have two strings, and the bow is slid between these two strings, which are tuned at a fifth apart and always played together. Furthermore this mahori or Sep noi ensemble (the sep nyai is strictly percussion and oboe) may include several khene. In this respect, it differs markedly from the mahori orchestras of Cambodia and Siam.

Some ethnomusicologists believe that Laos is a country where the ancient art music of the Khmer people has been best preserved -- as well as diverse forms of folk music related to the oldest types of Indian music, music that has largely disappeared in India itself. They claim to find in Laos a scale which the ancient Hindus called the "celestial scale," the Gandhara grama, which is a tempered heptatonic scale, or a division of the octave into seven equal parts.

The Royal Lao Orchestra, consisting of musicians of the former court of the king of Laos, who fled Laos following the communist takeover in 1975, now reside in Knoxville and Nashville, Tennessee, United States.

Folk Music

Lao folk music, known as Lam, is extemporaneous singing accompanied by the khene. It is popular both in Laos and Thailand, where there is a large ethnic Lao population

Religion

Theravada Buddhism is by far the most prominent organized religion in the country, with nearly 5,000 temples serving as the focus of religious practice as well as the center of community life in rural areas. In most lowland Lao villages, religious tradition remains strong. Most Buddhist men spend some part of their lives as monks in temples, even if only for a few days. There are approximately 22,000 monks in the country, nearly 9,000 of whom have attained the rank of "senior monk," indicating years of study in temples. In addition, there are approximately 450 nuns, generally older women who are widowed, residing in temples throughout the country. The Buddhist Church is under the direction of a supreme patriarch who resides in Vientiane and supervises the activities of the church`s central office, the Ho Thammasapha..

Buddhist ceremonies generally do not mark events in a life- cycle, with the exception of death. Funerals may be quite elaborate if the family can afford it but are rather simple in rural settings. The body lies in a coffin at home for several days, during which monks pray, and a continual stream of visitors pay their respects to the family and share food and drink. After this period, the body is taken in the coffin to a cremation ground and burned, again attended by monks. The ashes are then interred in a small shrine on the wat grounds.

Although officially incorporated into the dominant Mahanikai School of Buddhist Practice after 1975, the Thammayudh sect of Buddhism still maintains a following in the country. Abbots and monks of several temples, particularly in Vientiane, reportedly are followers of the Thammayudh School, which places greater emphasis on meditation and discipline.

Animism

Despite the importance of Buddhism to Lao Loum and some Lao Theung groups, animist beliefs are widespread among all segments of the Lao population. The belief in phi (spirits) colors the relationships of many Lao with nature and community and provides one explanation for illness and disease. Belief in phi is blended with Buddhism, particularly at the village level, and some monks are respected as having particular abilities to exorcise malevolent spirits from a sick person or to keep them out of a house. Many wat have a small spirit hut built in one corner of the grounds that is associated with the phi khoun wat, the beneficent spirit of the monastery.

Christianity

Christianity is a minority religion in Laos. There are three recognized Churches in Laos: the Lao Evangelical Church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

There are approximately 45,000 members of the Roman Catholic Church, many of whom are ethnic Vietnamese, concentrated in major urban centers and surrounding areas along the Mekong River in the central and southern regions of the country.

Islam

Muslims are a small minority in this Buddhist majority country. Muslims are visible in the capital, Vientiane, that also has a Jama Masjid.

The Muslim population is mostly engaged in trade and manage meat shops. A small community of Cham Muslims from Cambodia who escaped the Khmer Rouge is also found. Muslims live primarily in urban areas

Laos used to part of Khmer Empire and has some remaining Hindu temples.

The Bahá`í Faith has approximately 8,000 adherents and 4 centers: 2 in Vientiane Municipality, 1 in Vientiane Province, and 1 in Savannakhet Province. A small number of Bahá`í also live in Khammouane Province and in Pakse City.

Small groups of followers of Confucianism and Taoism practice their beliefs in the larger cities.

Other Places

Myanmar Overview - Myanmar Travel Guide

2012-01-28T23:24:00.000-08:00

Myanmar Overview

But for its brutal military regime, the beautiful country of Myanmar (previously known as Burma) would be a popular tourist destination tempting visitors from across the globe to explore its dense forests, abundant wildlife, friendly people, rich culture and underdeveloped coastal resorts.

However, would-be tourists face a difficult choice in whether to come. On the one hand, there are many attractions: thousands of pagodas, fascinating culture and ancient towns among them. And tourists are welcomed with open arms by locals hungry for news of the outside world, and for their economic contribution.

On the other hand, it is argued that tourism directly funds the military regime. The pro-democracy resistance figure Aung San Suu Kyi is one of many who have asked tourists to resist traveling to Myanmar for this reason.

Travelers should also be aware that certain areas in Myanmar are currently out of bounds owing to the political disturbances of recent years; always seek advice before planning a trip.

Geography

Myanmar is a diamond-shaped country extending 925km (575 miles) from east to west and 2,100km (1,300 miles) from north to south. It is bounded by China, Laos and Thailand in the east, by Bangladesh and India in the north and by the Indian Ocean in the west and south. The Irrawaddy River runs through the center of the country and fans out to form a delta on the south coast; Yangon stands beside one of its many mouths.

North of the delta lies the Irrawaddy basin and central Myanmar, which is protected by a horseshoe of mountains rising to over 3,000m (10,000ft), creating profound climatic effects. To the west are the Arakan, Chin and Naga mountains and the Patkai Hills; the Kachin Hills are to the north; to the east lies the Shan Plateau, which extends to the Tenasserim coastal ranges. Intensive irrigated farming is practiced throughout central Myanmar, and fruit, vegetables and citrus crops thrive on the Shan Plateau, but much of the land and mountains are covered by subtropical forest.

Burma(Myanmar) Histor

Previously known (and often still referred to) as Burma, the area of Myanmar was populated through three waves of migration: by the Hmon people from what is now Cambodia; by Mongol people from the eastern Himalayas; and, finally, by Thais from northern Thailand. Unifying these disparate groups was a formidable task, first achieved by the Buddhist King Anawratha to form the heart of a powerful Kingdom established during the ninth century. It lasted 200 years and was succeeded by the less stable Kingdom of Bagan. In 1287, Pagan collapsed before the invading Mongols, led by Genghis Khan’s grandson Kublai Khan. Following the demise of the Mongol empire at the end of the 14th century, Burma was carved up between warring tribes, with Siam (Thailand) the dominant force in the region, until the Tanugoo dynasty defeated Siam and reunified the country in the mid-16th century. By the mid-18th century, a new dynasty had been established under King Alaungpaya with its capital in Yangon but the country once again disintegrated as the Hmon tribes broke away to create their own kingdoms.

In 1824, the British, driven by imperial ambitions and goaded by repeated border clashes, annexed Burma as part of British India. In 1937 it was granted separate dominion status. During World War II, the Japanese expelled the British from Burma and attempted to co-opt Burmese political support by offering nominal independence under Japanese control. The opposition to the Japanese, who were defeated in 1944, was the nucleus of the post-war independence movement led by Aung San. A highly revered figure in present-day Myanmar, Aung San guided the country to independence in 1948 but was assassinated the same year. A military coup in 1962 brought to power Ne Win, who renamed the country Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma and imposed an idiosyncratic totalitarian dictatorship. In 1988, after years of bizarre policies, isolationism and chronic economic mismanagement by the then Burma Socialist Program Party, finally brought a popular uprising, with students and Buddhist monks, to the fore.

In September that year, the military stepped in. The demonstrations were brutally suppressed and the political upheaval brought to a halt. Far from threatening it, the putsch strengthened the position of Ne Win; the leader of the coup, General Saw Maung, and his senior staff were all known to be long-standing supporters of the reclusive dictator. Although Ne Win relinquished his official title as leader of the nation, he continued to exercise considerable influence over the running of the country. Ex-army General Tin Oo and the Western-educated liberal Aung Sang Suu Kyi, daughter of Aung San, led the principal internal opposition.

After crushing domestic political opposition, the Ne Win junta concluded in 1989 that some political concessions were essential (mostly to assuage international opinion) and announced that elections would be held. The main opposition movements campaigned under the banner of the National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, and won the election, which was held in May 1990, taking 80 per cent of the seats in the National Assembly. However, the regime used elaborate delaying tactics and harassment of opposition leaders to hold onto power; Suu Kyi herself was put under house arrest and remained there for five years.

The regime also faced several border insurgencies: the most effective of these was waged by the Karen tribe in the eastern part of the country, who were pursuing full independence and whose ranks periodically swelled by dissident students fleeing from the capital. After military successes in the late 1990s, the Karen insurgency became relatively quiet but, in 2003, there was an upsurge in attacks against the army and key economic targets.

During the early 1990s, the regime, which now styled itself the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), had become an international pariah. However, as the decade progressed, changes in the regime brought to the fore the ex-intelligence chief Khin Nyunt as the new SLORC strongman. A more astute figure than the aging and increasingly demented Ne Win, he re-armed and shored up the Yangon regime by developing vital sources of revenue from logging, gem deposits and drug trafficking. In July 1997, Myanmar was admitted to full membership of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), thereby gaining an important degree of international legitimacy. Moreover, ASEAN policy stresses strict non-interference in the internal affairs of member states. SLORC’s decision in November 1997 to rename itself as the more media-friendly State Peace and Development Council was, perhaps, an indication of its confidence.

The problem of ‘The Lady’, Aung San Suu Kyi, will not go away. In September 2000, she was once again put under house arrest. But with the economy once again in serious difficulties and Myanmar largely isolated from the rest of the world, the junta was forced to negotiate. She was released, without conditions, in May 2002. This period lasted for just over a year; in May 2003, she was re-arrested and jailed. As of December 2004, she was still being held, and the junta is once again the subject of international sanctions.

On December 26 2004, an earthquake struck southeast Asia and triggered a devastating tsunami. The area worst affected was the Irrawaddy Delta, inhabited by poor subsistence farmers and fishing families. Myanmar`s military junta has put the death toll at 61, but there are concerns that this is an underestimate. Hundreds of migrant workers from Myanmar living in Thailand are also thought to have died.

Government

A constituent assembly was elected in 1990 but is devoid of effective powers, all of which are held by the State Peace and Development Council (formerly the State law and Order restoration Committee, SLORC).

Economy

While rich in resources, Myanmar’s development is hindered by its politics. The largest single sector is traditional agriculture, mainly livestock and fishing. Teak wood is the country’s other main export (much of it felled and traded illegally).

Myanmar has significant deposits of tin, copper, zinc, gemstones, silver, oil and coal: commercial exploitation provides some income. Further significant sources of revenue include opium trafficking and gemstone mining, both of which are largely controlled by the military government and have been mainly used to finance substantial arms purchases.

There are few reliable economic statistics for Myanmar; the government reports growth as significantly higher than international estimates and understates the black market. However, growth is estimated to have been 3%, unemployment 10.2% and inflation a worrying 20% in 2006.

After years of political isolation, Myanmar became a member of ASEAN in July 1997. However, many potential investors are deterred by the government’s appalling human rights record.

Burma(Myanmar) Food and Dining

The regional food is hot and spicy. Fish, rice, noodles and vegetables spiced with onions, ginger, garlic and chillies are the common local ingredients. Chinese and Indian cuisine is offered in many hotels and restaurants.

National specialties:

• Lethok son (a sort of spicy vegetarian rice salad).

• Mohinga (fish soup with noodles).

• Oh-no khauk swe (rice noodles, chicken and coconut milk).

• The avocados by Inle Lake are very good.

• Delicious fruits are available in the markets and food stalls appear on the corners of most large towns.

National drinks:

• Tea is a popular drink; the spices that are added to it can make the tongue turn bright red.

• Locally produced beer, rum, whisky and gin are generally available.

Tipping: It is usual to give 5 to 10% on hotel and restaurant bills.

Nightlife

Western-style nightlife is almost non-existent, although there are occasional performances in Yangon’s theaters as well as a number of rock and pop groups gaining in popularity. Cinemas are popular and some regularly show English-language films

Other Places

Cambodia Overview - Cambodia Travel Guide

2012-01-28T23:13:00.000-08:00

Cambodia Overview

For all its natural beauty and rich heritage, Cambodia is optimistic, tenacious and, to visitors, endlessly welcoming.

The Kingdom of Cambodia formerly known as Kampuchea is a country in South East Asia with a population of over 13 million people. The kingdom`s capital and largest city is Phnom Penh. Cambodia is the successor state of the once powerful Hindu and Buddhist Khmer Empire, which ruled most of the Indochinese Peninsula between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries.

A citizen of Cambodia is usually identified as "Cambodian" or "Khmer," though the latter strictly refers to ethnic Khmers. Most Cambodians are Theravada Buddhists of Khmer extraction, but the country also has a substantial number of predominantly Muslim Cham, as well as ethnic Chinese, Vietnamese and small animist hill tribes.

The country borders Thailand to its west and northwest, Laos to its northeast, and Vietnam to its east and southeast. In the south it faces the Gulf of Thailand. The geography of Cambodia is dominated by the Mekong river (colloquial Khmer: Tonle Thom or "the great river") and the Tonlé Sap ("the fresh water lake"), an important source of fish.

Cambodia`s main industries are garments, tourism, and construction.

Geography

Cambodia has an area of 181,035 square kilometers (69,898 sq mi), sharing an 800 kilometer border with Thailand in the north and west, a 541 kilometer border with Laos in the northeast, and a 1,228 kilometer border with Vietnam in the east and southeast. Much of Cambodia is relatively flat with vast tracts of land. Other areas of Cambodia are mountainous including Dangrek, Cardomen and Elephant moutain ranges

Climate

Cambodia is a tropical monsoon country with sunshine and high temperatures all year. The temperatures range from 21° to 35°C (69° to 95°F). The Southwest monsoons blow inland bringing moisture-laden winds from the Gulf of Thailand and Indian Ocean from May to October. The northeast monsoon ushers in the dry season, which lasts from November to March. The country experiences the heaviest precipitation from September to October with the driest period occurring from January to February.

It has two distinct seasons. The rainy season, which runs from May to October, can see temperatures drop to 22 °C and is generally accompanied with high humidity. The dry season lasts from November to April when temperatures can raise up to 40 °C around April. The best months to visit Cambodia are November to January when temperatures and humidity are lower.

Transportation

Most main roads are now paved. Cambodia has two rail lines, totalling about 612 kilometers of single, one meter gauge track. The lines run from the capital to Sihanoukville on the southern coast, and from Phnom Penh to Sisophon (although trains often run only as far as Battambang). Currently only one passenger train per week operates, between Phnom Penh and Battambang.

Besides the main interprovincial traffic artery connecting the capital Phnom Penh with Sihanoukville, resurfacing a former dirt road with concrete / asphalt and implementation of 5 major river crossings by means of bridges have now permanently connected Phnom Penh with Koh Kong and hence there is now uninterrupted road access to neighboring Thailand and their vast road system.

The nation`s extensive inland waterways were important historically in international trade. The Mekong and the Tonle Sap River, their numerous tributaries, and the Tonle Sap provided avenues of considerable length, including 3,700 kilometers (2,300 mi) navigable all year by craft drawing 0.6 meters (2 ft) and another 282 kilometers (175 mi) navigable to craft drawing 1.8 meters (6 ft). Cambodia has two major ports, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, and five minor ones. Phnom Penh, located at the junction of the Bassac, the Mekong, and the Tonle Sap rivers, is the only river port capable of receiving 8,000-ton ships during the wet season and 5,000-ton ships during the dry season.

With increasing economic activity has come an increase in automobile and motorcycle use, though bicycles still predominate; as often in developing countries, an associated rise in traffic deaths and injuries is occurring. Cycle rickshaws are an additional option often used by visitors.

The country has four commercial airports. Phnom Penh International Airport (Pochentong) in Phnom Penh is the second largest in Cambodia. Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport is the largest and serves the most international flights in and out of Cambodia. The other airports are in Sihanoukville and Battambang

Cambodia history

The first advanced civilizations in present-day Cambodia appeared in the 1st millennium AD. During the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries, the Indianised states of Funan and Chenla coalesced in what is now present-day Cambodia and southwestern Vietnam. These states, which are assumed by most scholars to have been Khmer, had close relations with China and Thailand. Their collapse was followed by the rise of the Khmer Empire, a civilization which flourished in the area from the 9th century to the 13th century.

The Khmer Empire declined yet remained powerful in the region until the 15th century. The empire`s center of power was Angkor, where a series of capitals was constructed during the empire`s zenith. Angkor Wat, the most famous and best-preserved religious temple at the site, is a reminder of Cambodia`s past as a major regional power.

After a long series of wars with neighbouring kingdoms, Angkor was sacked by the Thai and abandoned in 1432. The court moved the capital to Lovek where the kingdom sought to regain its glory through maritime trade. The attempt was short-lived, however, as continued wars with the Thai and Vietnamese resulted in the loss of more territory and the conquering of Lovek in 1594. During the next three centuries, The Khmer kingdom alternated as a vassal state of the Thai and Vietnamese kings, with short-lived periods of relative independence between.

In 1863 King Norodom, who had been installed by Thailand, sought the protection of France from the Thai and Vietnamese, after tensions grew between them. In 1867, the Thai king signed a treaty with France, renouncing suzerainty over Cambodia in exchange for the control of Battambang and Siem Reap provinces which officially became part of Thailand. The provinces were ceded back to Cambodia by a border treaty between France and Thailand in 1906.

Cambodia continued as a protectorate of France from 1863 to 1953, administered as part of the colony of French Indochina, though occupied by the Japanese empire from 1941 to 1945. Cambodia gained independence from France on November 9, 1953. It became a constitutional monarchy under King Norodom Sihanouk.

In 1955, Sihanouk abdicated in favour of his father in order to be elected Prime Minister. Upon his father`s death in 1960, Sihanouk again became head of state, taking the title of Prince. As the Vietnam War progressed, Sihanouk adopted an official policy of neutrality in the Cold War. However, Cambodians began to take sides, and he was ousted in 1970 by a military coup led by Prime Minister General Lon Nol and Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak, while on a trip abroad. From Beijing, Sihanouk realigned himself with the communist Khmer Rouge rebels who had been slowly gaining territory in the remote mountain regions and urged his followers to help in overthrowing the pro-United States government of Lon Nol, hastening the onset of civil war.

Operation Menu, a series of secret B-52 bombing raids by the United States on alleged Viet Cong bases and supply routes inside Cambodia, was acknowledged after Lon Nol assumed power; U.S. forces briefly invaded Cambodia in a further effort to disrupt the Viet Cong. The bombing continued and, as the Cambodian communists began gaining ground, eventually included strikes on suspected Khmer Rouge sites until halted in 1973.[10]

Some two million Cambodians were made refugees by the bombing and fighting and fled to Phnom Penh. Estimates of the number of Cambodians killed during the bombing campaigns vary widely. Views of the effects of the bombing also vary widely. The US Seventh Air Force argued that the bombing prevented the fall of Phnom Penh in 1973 by killing 16,000 of 25,500 Khmer Rouge fighters besieging the city.[11] Journalist William Shawcross and Cambodia specialists Milton Osborne, David P. Chandler and Ben Kiernan argued that the bombing drove peasants to join the Khmer Rouge. Chandler writes that the bombing provided "the psychological ingredients of a violent, vengeful and unrelenting social revolution."Cambodia specialist Craig Etcheson argued that it is "untenable" to assert that the Khmer Rouge would not have won but for US intervention, and that while the bombing did help Khmer Rouge recruitment, they "would have won anyway."

As the war ended, a draft US AID report observed that the country faced famine in 1975, with 75% of its draft animals destroyed by the war, and that rice planting for the next harvest would have to be done "by the hard labor of seriously malnourished people." The report predicted that

without large-scale external food and equipment assistance there will be widespread starvation between now and next February... Slave labor and starvation rations for half the nation`s people (probably heaviest among those who supported the republic) will be a cruel necessity for this year, and general deprivation and suffering will stretch over the next two or three years before Cambodia can get back to rice self-sufficiency.[14]

Stupa which houses the skulls of those killed at Choeung Ek

The Khmer Rouge reached Phnom Penh and took power in 1975, changing the official name of the country to Democratic Kampuchea, led by Pol Pot. The Regime, heavily influenced and backed by China, immediately evacuated the cities and sent the entire population on forced marches to rural work projects. They attempted to rebuild the country`s agriculture on the model of the 11th century. They discarded Western medicine, destroyed temples, libraries, and anything considered western. Any person with trained skills, doctors, lawyers, teachers, were especially targeted. As a result, hundreds of thousands died from starvation and disease, since there were almost no drugs in the country.[15]

Estimates vary as to how many people were killed by the Khmer Rouge regime, ranging from approximately one to three million.[16][17] This era has given rise to the term Killing Fields, and the prison Tuol Sleng became as notorious as Auschwitz in the history of mass killing. Hundreds of thousands more fled across the border into neighbouring Thailand.

In November 1978, Vietnam invaded Cambodia to stop Khmer Rouge incursions across the border and the genocide in Cambodia. Violent occupation and warfare between the Vietnamese and Khmer Rouge holdouts continued throughout the 1980s. Peace efforts began in Paris in 1989, culminating two years later in October 1991 in a comprehensive peace settlement. The United Nations was given a mandate to enforce a ceasefire, and deal with refugees and disarmament.

After the brutality of the 1970s and the 1980s, and the destruction of the cultural, economic, social and political life of Cambodia, it is only in recent years that reconstruction efforts have begun and some political stability has finally returned to Cambodia. The stability established following the conflict was shaken in 1997 during a coup d`état, but has otherwise remained in place. Cambodia has been aided by a number of more developed nations like Japan, France, West Germany, Canada, and Australia. The United States and Great Britain were reluctant to provide aid due to its relationship with China, one of its greatest trading partners.

Belief & Religion

It is 95 % of Cambodian believe in Theravada Buddhism which was suppressed by the Khmer Rouge but has since experienced a revival. Islam and Christianity are being active and popular among a large number of population as well in the capital and provinces, showing a sign of growth. Daoism and Confucianism are also commonly practiced among the Chinese people.

Buddhist monks are highly disciplined and must follow 227 rules in addition to the ten basic precepts of being a good Buddhist. Monks cannot take part in entertainment. They lead simple lives dedicated to Buddhism and the temple

Buddhists see the universe and all life as part of a cycle of eternal change. They follow the teaching of Buddha, an Indian prince born in the sixth century B.C. Buddhists believe that a person is continually reborn, in human or nonhuman form, depending on his or her actions in a previous life. They are released from this cycle only when thy reach nirvana, which may be attained by achieving good karma through earning merit and following the Buddhist path of correct living.

Earning merit is an important of Buddhist life. Buddhists in Cambodia earn merit by giving money, goods, and labor to the temples, or by providing one of the two daily meals of the monks.

Children often look after the fruits trees and vegetable gardens inside their local wat, or temple. Boys can earn merit by becoming temple servants or novice monks for a short time. Most young men remain monks for less than a year.

Culture & People

Khmer culture, as developed and spread by the Khmer empire, has distinctive styles of dance, architecture and sculpture, which have been exchanged with neighbouring Laos and Thailand through the history. Angkor Wat (Angkor means "city" and Wat "temple") is the best preserved example of Khmer architecture from the Angkorian era and hundreds of other temples have been discovered in and around the region. The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the infamous prison of the Khmer Rouge, and Choeung Ek, one of the main Killing Fields are other important historic sites

Bonn Om Teuk (Festival of Boat Racing), the annual boat rowing contest, is the most attended Cambodian national festival. Held at the end of the rainy season when the Mekong river begins to sink back to its normal levels allowing the Tonle Sap River to reverse flow, approximately 10% of Cambodia`s population attends this event each year to play games, give thanks to the moon, watch fireworks, and attend the boat race in a carnival-type atmosphere.[39] Popular games include cockfighting, soccer, and kicking a sey, which is similar to a footbag. Recent artistic figures include singers Sinn Sisamouth and Ros Sereysothea (and later Meng Keo Pichenda), who introduced new musical styles to the country.

Rice, as in other Southeast Asian countries, is the staple grain, while fish from the Mekong and Tonle Sap also form an important part of the diet. The Cambodian per capita supply of fish and fish products for food and trade in 2000 was 20 kilograms of fish per year or 2 ounces per day per person.[40] Some of the fish can be made into prahok for longer storage. Overall, the cuisine of Cambodia is similar to that of its Southeast Asian neighbours. The cuisine is relatively unknown to the world compared to that of its neighbours Thailand and Vietnam.

Football is one of the more popular sports, although professional organized sports are not as prevalent in Cambodia as in western countries due to the economic conditions. The Cambodia national football team managed fourth in the 1972 Asian Cup but development has slowed since the civil war. Western sports such as volleyball, bodybuilding, field hockey, rugby union, golf, and baseball are gaining popularity. Native sports include traditional boat racing, buffalo racing, Pradal Serey , Khmer traditional wrestling and Bokator.

Language

More than 90% of its population is of Khmer origin and speaks the Khmer language, the country`s official language. The remainder include Chinese, Vietnamese, Cham and Khmer Loeu.

The Khmer language is a member of the Mon-Khmer subfamily of the Austroasiatic language group. French, once the language of government in Indochina and still spoken by some older Cambodians. French is also the language of instruction in some schools and universities that are funded by the government of France. Cambodian French, a remnant of the country`s colonial past, is a dialect found in Cambodia and is sometimes used in government. However, in recent decades, many younger Cambodians and those in the business-class have favoured learning English. In the major cities and tourist centers, English is widely spoken and taught at a large number of schools due to the overwhelming number of tourists from English-speaking countries. Even in the most rural outposts, however, most young people speak at least some English, as it is often taught by monks at the local pagodas where many children are educated.

Cambodia Fine Art

Khmer Dance

Classical Dance of Cambodia The epic poem of Rama (Ramayana) is believed to have been revealed to a Hindu holy man named Valmiki by Brahma, the god of creation. This religious literary work, dating from about ad 4, is known in various versions throughout India and Southeast Asia. In Cambodia, the story has been set to music and dance and performed by the Royal Ballet since the 18th century. Although the epic is also known in the villages, where it is translated orally or dramatized in the popular shadow puppet theater, the ballet was traditionally a courtly art performed in the palace or for princely festivals. The music of the ballet is performed by the Pinpeat orchestra, which is made up of traditional xylophones, met allophones, horizontal gongs, drums, and cymbals

Apsara Dance

At the heart of classical form is the Apsara, the joyful, almost wanton dancer whose images are everywhere. Princess Buppha Devi, who currently serves as the Minister of Culture, is a master of Apsar dancing, which dates to the 1st century. The graceful movements of the Apsara dancers, adorned with gold headdresses and silken tunics and skirts, are carved on the walls of many of the temples at Angkor. Estimates are that there were 3,000 Apsara dancers in the 12th century court of King Jayavarman VII.

Over the centuries Khmer dancing lent its influence to the classical ballet of neighboring countries, and some of its postures and movements are similar to other Southeast Asian dance forms. But according to Princess Buppha Devi, "The Khmer kingdom started its traditions in the 8th century, 500 years before Thailand." In 1400, with the sacking of the Angkor Empire, the Apsara dancers were seized and taken to Thailand. Apsara dancing is one of two elements of classical ballet, the other being "today" dancing, and the depiction of early myths. Many of the dances involve performing a fragment of the Ramayana, the ancient Indian epic that is one and a half times as long as the Odyssey. Others are based on the legendary battles and mythical sagas carved in bas relief on the walls of the temples of Angkor-including the Churning of the Sea of Milk, the great battle between gods and demons for the holy liquid that gives immortality. There are 100 dances and dramas
Khmer Music

There are two kinds of traditional music: one is the Pin Peath with stringed and percussion instruments and the other the Mohory with only stringed instruments. The different instruments are: Pin Peath is a group of instruments which have Roneath (xylophone in metal or bamboo), Kong (percussion instrument surrounding the player), a pear of Skor Thom (a very big drum, which has two faces, for making the rhythm), Sampho (a big drum,which has two faces, for making the rhythm), Sro Lai (a big recorder),Chhoeng (percussion instrument hitting each other for making rhythm). This kind of music is used to accompany dances, praying to God or spirit and other ceremonies. Mohory is a group of instruments, which have Khoem (with 35 horizontal strings instrument), Ta Khe (with 3 horizontal strings instrument), Tro (with vertical strings instrument), Skor Dai (a small drum for making rhythm), Khloy (recorder) and Chhoeng.

This kind of music is used to accompany dance, theatre, wedding and other ceremonies. There are 4 to 6 % of children attend these courses and they start learning all the traditional Khmer instruments, and choose one they prefer to form the group.

Festivals

Cambodian New Year

A three-day celebration after the end of harvest to mark the turn of The New Year according to the Khmer lunar calendar. Every home is seen with attractive decorations. Shrines are full of food and beverages given as offerings to God.. Other people attend Buddhist temples where traditional games are also performed

Royal Ploughing Ceremony

It is culturally celebrated to alert the nation of the commencement of rainy season, and farmers to be ready for farming rice by starting to plough. The venue is a field at a wing of Royal Palace, Phnom Penh. The scene is interesting as it depicts real ploughing activities where cows are given a variety of crops to eat. Based on the choices of crops eaten by the cows, prediction are made for the coming year

Birthday of King Sihamony

During king`s birthday, a giant firework display is held close to the riverbanks in front of the Royal Palace

Water Festival

Not only it marks the reversing flow of Tonle Sap River but also ushers in the fishing season. The Highlight of the event is boat races over three days. As night falls, fireworks light the sky and a lighted flotilla of boats sail under full moon to whom household worships. Some analysts say the celebration is also a thanksgiving to the Mekong River for providing the country with fertile land. People from all walks of life gather on the bank of the Mekong River for days and nights

Angkor Festival

This festival is a showcase of performing arts with Angkor Wat as a backdrop. Performers from all over Asia attend this festival performing great epic stories from myths and legends, including the Ramayana, with their own national dance costumes and musical and rhythmic interpretations. Former King Sihanouk often attends when he is in residence in Siem Reap and other dignitaries come to witness this wonderful spectacle.

Other Places

Vietnam Overview - Vietnam Travel Guide

2012-01-28T22:52:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Vietnam – another world where the colors are more vivid, the culture is richer, and the history more compelling. Vietnam has been blessed bountiful harvests by nature. With soaring peaks like Hoang Lien Mountains and a killer coastline, with beaches like Quy Nhon and Nha Trang, Vietnam is simply stunning. Come to Vietnam, you will see a modern Asia meets a medieval Asia with ancient towns, pagodas, temples…. For culinary adventurers, Vietnam is a treasure trove of more than 500 different dishes. For the thousand year history, Vietnamese is proud of their heroic generations. People in Vietnam is friendly, throughout the country, you will always see smiles and happy faces, even many Vietnamese still is having difficulties in daily lives but people now is happy with atmosphere of peace.

Geography
Lying on the eastern part of the Indochinese peninsula, Vietnam is a strip of land shaped like the letter “S”. China borders it to the North, Laos and Cambodia to the West, the East Sea to the East and the Pacific Ocean to the east and south.

The country’s total length from north to south is 1,650km. Its width, stretching from east to west, is 600km at the widest point in the north, 400km in the south, and 50km at the narrowest part, in the centre, in Quang Binh Province. The coastline is 3,260km long and the inland border is 4,510km.

Climate

Vietnam is located in both a tropical and a temperate zone. It is characterized by strong monsoon influences, but has a considerable amount of sun, a high rate of rainfall, and high humidity. Regions located near the tropics and in the mountainous regions are endowed with a temperate climate.

The monsoon climate also influences to the changes of the tropical humidity. In general, in Vietnam there are two seasons, the cold season occurs from November to April and the hot season from May to October. However, climate in Vietnam is different in other region:

North: there are four distinct seasons: Spring, summer, autumn, and winter. But it is able to be divided into two main seasons: the rainy season from May to September (it’s hot, heavy rain), and the dry season from October to April (it’s cold, little rainfall). The annual average temperature is 23.2oC, but in winter, the average temperature is 17.2oC. The lowest temperature ever recorded was 2.7oC in the high mountains. The average summer temperature is 29.2oC, with the highest ever recorded being 42.8oC. On average, there are 114 rainy days a year with around 1,800mm of rainfall.

Central: It features a tropical monsoon climate, featuring all four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. The spring is cool and warm, the summer is hot, the autumn is cool and the winter is cold. Average temperature is 25oC. The best time for tourists is from November to April next year.

South: The climate is divided into two seasons, with the rainy season lasting from May to November. The average annual temperature is 27.5oC without winter, and yearly rainfall totals 1,979mm. Tourism is convenient for all 12 months of the year.

History

At the beginning of the Bronze Age, the Viet tribe groups had settled down in the North and in the north of Central Vietnam. There were about 15 groups of Lac Viet tribesmen living mainly in the northern highland and delta and a dozen Au Viet groups of tribesmen living in Viet Bac, the northern region of old Vietnam.

Among these Lac Viet tribes was the Van Lang, which was the most powerful tribe. The leader of this tribe joined all the Lac Viet tribes together to found Van Lang Nation, addressing himself as King Hung. The next generations followed their father’s example and kept this appellation.

Through the ages, Vietnam’s development has been marked by its proximity to China. In 111 B.C. the Han dynasty sent an expeditionary corps to conquer the kingdom of Nam Viet established by Chao To, who had brought the kingdom of Au Lac and several territories in southern China together under his rule. The Han’s rule marked the beginning of almost 1,000 years of Chinese occupation in Vietnam.

The grim resistances that against Chinese imperialist domination, which persisted century after century, time and again, broke out in the form of armed insurrection.

The most important insurrection was that of the two sisters, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, born of a family of military chiefs in the district of Me Linh (northwest of Hanoi). Between 40 and 43 A.D the Trung sisters launched a vast movement throughout Chiao Chih led by women in many places. Trung Trac was made "Queen" and Chinese imperialist domination was overthrown. Although the insurrection was crushed, it left an indelible imprint on the history of the country. Other insurrections marked the 4th and 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th centuries. After a long period of subjugation by the Chinese feudal empire, a period marked by numerous insurrections, the Vietnamese people finally won back their independence in the 10th century. The Bach Dang victory in 938 put an end to the period of Chinese imperial domination. In 939 Ngo Quyen proclaimed himself king, established his capital at Co Loa (previously a capital in the 3rd century B.C.) and set up a centralized government. It was the first truly independent Vietnamese state. On the death of Ngo Quyen in 944, 12 warlords divided the country among themselves and began to fight one another.
Starting from Hoa Lu in present-day Ninh Binh, Dinh Bo Linh defeated them all, one after another, and unified the country in 967. The next year 508089-Dinh-Tien-Hoang-Temple-at-Hoa-Lu-0.jpghe made himself king, named the country Dai Co Viet, established his capital at Hoa Lu.

However, before a well organized monarchical state could be set up, the country went through a period of instability during which tendencies towards feudal domination still persisted. It was only with the establishment of the Ly dynasty (1009 - 1225) that the monarchy was able to gain a secure hold on power.

In 1054, a flaming bright star appeared in the sky for many days, which was considered a good omen. As a result, the Ly King changed the name of the country to Dai Viet. This name remained until the end of Tran Dynasty (1126 - 1400).

In March 1400, Ho Quy Ly usurped the throne of King Tran Thieu De, founded the Ho Dynasty and changed the country’s name to Dai Ngu, meaning peace in the ancient language. This name only lasted for very short time, until April 1407, when the Minh enemy invaded Dai Ngu and defeated the Ho Dynasty (1400- 1407).

After 10 years of resistance against the Ming occupation (1418-1427), Le Loi had achieved a victorious triumph. In 1428, Le Loi declared himself King of Le Dynasty and changed the name of the country back to Dai Viet. At this time, the territory of Vietnam had expanded to the region of present-day Hue. The name Dai Viet remained under the Le Dynasty (1428-1788) and the Tay Son Dynasty (1788-1802).

In 1802, Nguyen Anh claimed his coronation to become the first Nguyen King, starting the Nguyen dynasty and changing the country’s name to Viet Nam. This name was officially recognized in many diplomatic missions in 1804. During the reign of King Minh Mang (1820-1840), the name of the country was changed to Dai Nam, but Viet Nam was still widely used in many literary works, civil business affairs, and social relations.

Following the triumph of the August Revolution on August 19th 1945, which had entirely swept away Vietnamese feudal and French colonial oppression and began a new era in the country, President Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the nation’s independence and the national name Democratic Republic of Vietnam was born on September 2nd 1945. Although Vietnam suffered from war and separation in the following 30 years, the sacred words "Viet Nam" were very popularly used from the North to the South, and were deeply imprinted in the hearts of the Vietnamese people.

Following the liberation of Southern Vietnam on April 30 1975, the entire country of Vietnam was completely unified. In the first meeting of the National Assembly of the Unified Vietnam on July 2nd 1976, the assembly decided to name the country The Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The constitution of 1980, and 1992, continued its affirmation of the country’s official name, legally and actually. The entire nation overcame the grave consequences of 30 years of war and started rebuilding the country. Now, Vietnam is entering a new stage of economical development and is striving to raise the annual income per capita, solidify the economy.

People

At present there are 54 different ethnic groups inhabiting Vietnam, in which Kinh (Viet) people make up nearly 90% of the whole population, and 53 other ethnic groups represent over 10%.

The Vietnamese nation was formed through a process of two major ancient cultures, the Chinese and the Indian. Thus a peculiar trait of Vietnam`s culture was formed. As far as anthropology is concerned, the Vietnamese people have their origin in the Mongolid race, believed to be one of the major or races of the world and often found in northern and eastern Asia

Language

Vietnamese or Tieng Viet is the national language of Vietnam, spoken by around 87 percent population as the first language. However, there are regional and intra-regional variations in dialect throughout the country.

Religion

The major religious traditions in Vietnam are Buddhism (which fuses forms of Taoism and Confucianism), Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism), Islam, Caodaism and the Hoa Hao sect. These are all tolerated, provided they do not threaten the Communist Party’s hold on power.

Customs & Habits

Worship of Ancestor Custom

A very popular belief among Vietnamese is the custom of the ancestor cult. In every household, an ancestor altar is installed in the most solemn location

Vietnamese believe that the soul of a dead person, even if dead for many generations, still rests along with their descendants on earth. The dead and living persons still have spiritual communion; in everyday life, people must not forget that what they enjoy and how they feel is the same for their dead relatives.

Villages – Guilds

The Vietnamese culture has always evolved on the basis of the wet rice civilization. Thus, the lifestyle of the Vietnamese population is closely related to its village and native lands

In Vietnamese society, people gather together to form villages in rural areas, and guilds in urban areas. Villages and guilds have been forming since the dawn of the nation. These organizations have gradually developed for the population to be more stable and closer together

Customs of Chewing Betel and Areca Nuts and Smoking

According to legends, chewing quid of betel and areca has been a custom since the Hung Vuong period and is connected to the antique legend of betel and areca

Let’s not forget to mention thuoc lao or strong tobacco. For women, betel can initiate various feminine conversation, but for men, thuoc lao is related to their joyfulness as well as the sadness in their lives.

Peasants always carry their dieu cay (pipe for smoking while ploughing the rice fields).

Wedding Ceremony

Getting married is an important event in a Vietnamese’s life. The procedure of the ancient wedding ceremony was very complicated. Current wedding ceremony procedures include the following steps: the search for a husband or wife, the proposal, the registration, and finally the wedding.

Funeral Ceremony

The sense of the dead is that of the final,” says a Vietnamese proverb, meaning that funeral ceremonies must be solemnly organized

Festival activities are living museums in which typical cultural values of the nation have been preserved for centuries. Festivals are events when people pay tribute to divinities that rendered merits to the community and the nation. Festivals are occasions when people come back to either their natural or national roots, which form a sacred part in their mind. Festivals represent the strength of the commune or village, the local region or even the whole nation. Worshipping the same god, the people unite in solidarity to overcome difficulties, striving for a happy and wealthy life. Festivals display the demand for creativity and enjoyment of spiritual and material cultural values of all social strata. Festivals become a form of education under which fine traditional moral values can be handed from one generation to the next in a unique way of combining spiritual characters with competition and entertainment games. Festivals are also the time people can express their sadness and worries in a wish that gods might bestow favors on them to help them strive for a better life.

Art performance

Vietnamese water puppetry has a long history. The pond and lakes of the northern plains, where crowds gathered during festival and galas, become the lively stages for the water puppet shows. At a water puppet show, the audience watches boat races, buffalo fights, fox hunts and other rustic scenes amidst the beating of drums and gongs. The characters plough, plant rice seedlings, fish in a pond with a rod and line, scoop water with a bamboo basket hung from a tripod, etc. The show is interspersed with such items as a Dance by the Four Mythical Animals: Dragon, Unicorn, Tortoise, and Phoenix and Dance by the Eight Fairies, in which supernatural beings enjoy festivities alongside people of this world.

Cheo or Vietnamese Popular Theatre

Cheo is a form of stage performance that originated in the northern countryside. The word cheo means “lyrics of folk ballads, proverbs”.

Traditionally, cheo was composed orally by anonymous authors. Today`s playwrights compose cheo along traditional lines. The characters in the plays sing time-tested popular melodies with words suited to modern circumstances. Human rights and the battle of good against evil are common themes. The joyfulness and optimism of cheo is expressed through humour and wit.

Cai Luong

Cai luong is a kind of folk music that developed in the early 20th century. It was first played by amateurs in the south. Thanks to their soft voices, southerners sing cai luong very romantically

Classical Opera or Tuong

Tuong, also called hat boi in the south, is a stage performance that came about during the Ly-Tran dynasties and that became very popular nationwide during the following centuries. During the Nguyen dynasty, 19th century, tuong occupied a good position in the cultural lives of the royals. In tuong, space and time are captured by songs, dancing, and simple music.

Gongs or Cong-Chieng

Gongs are musical instruments made of alloy bronze, sometimes with gold, silver, or black bronze added to their composition. Gongs hold great significance and value for many ethnic groups in Tay Nguyen. The gongs play an important role in the lives of the inhabitants of Tay Nguyen; from birth until death, the gongs are present at all the important events, joyful as well as unfortunate, in their lives.

Nha nhac, Vietnamese Court Music - An Intangible Cultural Heritage

On November 7, 2003, UNESCO bestowed world heritage status on 28 relics of nations as masterpieces of oral and intangible heritage of humanity. Among the 11 masterpieces of Asia, nha nhac (royal music) represents the first intangible legacy of Vietnam to have been put on this list.

The UNESCO Council appraised Vietnamese royal music in the following terms: “Vietnamese royal music represents an elegant and refined music. It deals with the music performed in the imperial courts and on different anniversaries, religious festivals, and on such particular occasions. Of the different categories developed in Vietnam, only the royal music was national.”

Traditional costumes

Over time, the traditional "ao dai" has gone through certain changes. Long gowns are now carefully tailored to fit the body of a Vietnamese woman.

An elegant looking conical palm hat, which is traditionally known as a "non bai tho" (a hat with poetry written on it), is worn as part of a woman`s formal dress. This traditional conical hat is particularly suitable for a tropical country such as Vietnam, where fierce sunshine and hard rain are commonplace.

Ao Ba Ba are the stereotypical black silk pajamas (although ao ba ba can be any color) worn by both men and women in the southern countryside, particularly the Mekong Delta. Ao Ba Ba is also worn in the cities, mostly by women. Look for them in the markets and on the street.

Traditional Fine arts

Vietnam has 54 ethnic groups, each of which has its own traditional culture. The diversity of the ethnic groups is apparent in the many traditional and cultural Vietnamese treasures. These treasures include the various works of art found throughout the country, including sculpture, ceramic, painting, and casting, made from materials such as clay, stone, bronze, steel, wood, and paper.

Folk Paintings

Folk paintings are a combination of traditional cultural values with ancient artistic methods that have been created through the labour of past generations. There are two types of Vietnamese folk paintings, Tet (Lunar New Year Festival) paintings and worshipping paintings

The Vietnamese believe in ancestor worship and the deification of natural phenomena, both of which are reflected in the paintings.

Dong Ho Paintings

These paintings originated in the Red River Delta. Dong Ho paintings reflect people’s innermost feelings, wishes, and simple dreams. Because the paintings appeal to so many people, they are available throughout the country, from the village markets to the capital city

Sinh Village Paintings

Sinh Village Paintings, which come from Sinh Village, a suburb of Hue City, are well-known in the central region of Vietnam. Most Sinh Village paintings are used for worship, and they express the mystical, nature-based beliefs of the ancient Vietnamese.

Traditional Sculpture

In the realm of traditional art, Vietnamese sculpture has had a significant history of development. Vietnamese sculpture has been heavily influenced by the three traditional religions, Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, which come from neighboring countries China and India. Examples of early Vietnamese sculpture can be found in common houses, temples, and pagodas

Vietnam Handicrafts

Vietnam is a country rich in handicraft products, thanks to the hard-working, dexterous, and creative qualities of the Vietnamese people.

For a very long time, handicraft products have been a source of cultural pride and a source of income for the people. As the varieties of handicraft are fully introduced, only a few typical items and their sources are mentioned here.

Woven tapestries and brocade handbags are unique works from the skilled hands of the ethnic women living in the Northwest regions, such as Cao Bang, Lao Cai.

Embroidered articles and silk products are famous from the regions of Van Phuc (Ha Tay), Nam Ha, Thai Binh, Hue, Dalat (Lam Dong).

Wool tapestries from Hanoi and Haiphong, and jute tapestries from Hung Yen, Haiphong, Hanoi and Thai Binh, are much sought after.

Ceramic and porcelain items have been produced in Vietnam for a long time. Ceramic and porcelain products glazed by traditional methods into beautiful art are well known in Bat Trang (Hanoi), Dong Trieu, Thanh Ha (Quang Ninh), and Haiphong. Copperware is fabricated by the skillful hands of coppersmiths in Ngu Xa (Hanoi), Dai Bai (Bac Ninh), Dong Son (Thanh Hoa).

Jewelry products and metalwork are concentrated in Hanoi, Thai Binh and Hung Yen, while stonework are mainly produced in Danang (Five Element Mountain Region).

Wood products and wood carvings can usually be found in Phu Xuyen (Ha Tay), Dong Ky (Bac Ninh), Haiphong, and Hue.

There are thousands of types of handicraft products. Some of these handicrafts have been internationally recognized and popularized, such as lacquerware. While lacquer artists produce a limited number of paintings and sculptures, lacquer crafts have been part of Vietnamese life in many forms: vases, boxes, interior decorating items, jewelry, and office products.

With about 2,000 years of history, Vietnamese products made by a community of handicraft artists, have established a firm and growing position in the domestic and international markets.

Cuisine

Customs

Influenced by the Chinese, chopsticks and spoons are used in Vietnam. Many foods (such as cakes) are wrapped in banana or coconut leaves. When eating with elders, younger Vietnamese always ask the elders to eat first.

A typical family meal

A typical Vietnamese meal (lunch or dinner) will include steamed rice; a soup dish to eat with rice, a meat or fish dish and a vegetarian dish (either stir fried or boiled).

Vietnamese do not eat in separate servings, but the food is placed in the middle. Each member of the family has a small bowl and chopsticks with which they take food from the table throughout the meal.

Vietnamese noodles and cakes

Besides the typical meal with rice, Vietnamese cuisine has many different types of noodles and cakes (mostly made from rice). To name a few: beef soup noodles (pho), crab noodle (bun rieu), spring rolls (nem), sticky rice cake (chung cake)…

Food of three regions

Like everything else, Vietnamese food also differs geographically from location to location. North Vietnam’s food uses soy sauce, fish sauce and prawn sauce and has many stir fried dishes.
With harsh weather and less developed agriculture than the South, North Vietnamese tend to use less meat, fish and vegetables; and black pepper (instead of chili) to create spice. The taste is strict and less sweet, but more salty than in other regions.

Central Vietnam is distinct in its extreme spices and color of food. Hue’s cuisine, affected by royal cuisine once created for kings and queens, emphasized on quality and quantity – A meal constitutes of many complex dishes served only at small proportions.

Southern Vietnamese are heavily affected by Cambodia, Thai and Chinese cuisines (due to trade and immigrants). Southerners prefer sweet tastes (created by adding sugar or coconut milk) and spicy tastes (created by chili peppers).

A variety of dried fish and sauces originate from the South. Southerners prefer seafood and use simple cooking methods with larger and less servings.

Some Vietnamese special dishes:

Com - rice

In Vietnam, com is eaten at the main meals of the day (lunch and dinner). Rice is eaten together with a variety of different dishes and is made from different kinds of rice. Typically fragrant rice is used, such as Tam Thom and Nang Huong. An ordinary meal may consist of boiled rice and the following:

Pho - Noodles

Pho is the most popular food among the Vietnamese population. Pho is commonly eaten for breakfast, although many people will have it for their lunch or dinner. Anyone feeling hungry in the small hours of the morning can also enjoy a bowl of hot and spicy pho to fill their empty stomachs.

Like hot green tea which has its particular fragrance, pho also has its special taste and smell. Preparations may vary, but when the dish is served, its smell and taste is indispensable. The grated rice noodle is made of the best variety of fragrant rice called Gao Te. The broth for Pho Bo (Pho with beef) is made by stewing the bones of cows and pigs in a large pot for a long time. Pieces of fillet mignon together with several slices of ginger are reserved for Pho Bo Tai (rare fillet). Slices of well done meat are offered to those less keen on eating rare fillets.

The soup for Pho Ga (pho with chicken meat) is made by stewing chicken and pig bones together. The white chicken meat that is usually served with Pho Ga is boneless and cut into thin slices. You could consider Pho Bo and Pho Ga Vietnam`s special soups. Pho also has the added advantage of being convenient to prepare and healthy to eat.

Cha Ca (grilled minced fish)

Grilled minced fish has been served in Vietnam for more than 100 years. The Doan family of Cha Ca Street in Hanoi first invented this dish.

A wide variety of fish can be used in this dish including sturgeon and tuna. Tuna is low in fat, has an exquisite flavour, and few bones. The bones are separated from the meat and put into saffron water to be later used in a sauce. The fish is marinated in salt before being grilled.

What is interesting about this dish is that people can add their favourite condiments: coriander, mint, dill, shallots, and more.

Com (Grilled rice)

Grilled rice is mostly served in the fall. After collecting the rice from the fields, several steps have to be performed to obtain excellent com. After removing the grains from their hulks, the rice is wrapped in lotus leaves to keep it from drying and to allow it to absorb the lotus flavor.

Grilled rice can be found everywhere in Vietnam, but the best com is found in Vong village, 5 km from Hanoi. People in this village still use traditional secret recipes. People eat grilled rice with eggs, bananas, or sapodillas.

Banh Tom (crispy shrimp pastry)

Although Banh Tom is available almost everywhere in the country, it is best at the Nha Hang Ho Tay (Ho Tay Restaurant) on the banks of Truc Bach Lake, close to Ho Tay (West Lake) in Hanoi. While diners await the arrival of the hot fried shrimp pastry, they can enjoy the picturesque lake and landscapes offered by the vast expanse of water from West Lake and the tree-lined Thanh Nien Road.

The dish should be eaten as soon as it arrives at the table. The fried pastry is topped with red shrimps and is eaten together with dishes of spicy vegetables mixed with sweet and sour sauce.

To remind you of the local shrimping business, waiters will often tell you that the shrimps that you have ordered for your meal have just been netted in nearby West Lake. This will be a memorable meal that will ensure that you remember your stay in Hanoi.

Nom (salad)

This dish is a combination of a variety of fresh vegetables, usually used in salads in Western countries. The make-up of Nom, however, is slightly different.

The main ingredients of Nom include grated pieces of turnip, cabbage, or papaya, and slices of cucumber with grated, boiled, lean pork. Other auxiliary ingredients include grated carrot, slices of hot chilly, and roasted ground nuts. These are used to make the dish more colourful. All are mixed thoroughly before being soaked in vinegar, sugar, garlic, hot chilly, and seasoned with salt.

The presentation of the dish is also very meticulous. The mixture of ingredients is put into a dish before being covered with vegetables.

To try a mouthful of Nom is to enjoy a combination of all the tastes life has to offer, including sour, hot, sweet, salty, and fragrant tastes. The dish helps with digestion at meals and parties. It can become an addictive aid to assist the real connoisseur enjoy more food.

Nem Ran or Cha Gio (fried spring roll)

This dish is called Nem Ran by northerners and Cha Gio by southerners. In Hanoi, the introduction of Nem Ran dates back to a time when Cha Ca had not existed. Although it ranks among Vietnam`s specialty dishes, Nem Ran is very easy to prepare. Consequently, it has long been a preferred food on special occasions such as Tet and other family festivities.

Ingredients used for Nem Ran comprise of lean minced pork, sea crabs or unshelled shrimps, two kinds of edible mushroom (Nam Huong and Moc Nhi), dried onion, duck eggs, pepper, salt and different kinds of seasoning. All are mixed thoroughly before being wrapped with transparent rice paper into small rolls. These rolls are then fried in boiling oil.

Faifo Dainty (Danang)

Faifo dainty is a fairly unknown Vietnamese dish named after an old street in Hoi An.

Dainty fiber is carefully made by putting rice in water containing ashes from wood found in Cu Lao Cham. Then, the rice is ground and quickly boiled to make a fibrous mixture. Dainty can be preserved only one day, which is why it is boiled and dried. Dainty fibers have a dark-yellow colour.

The filling for dainty consists of lean pork and other condiments that are stir-fried. Then, the dainty is cut into finger-long pieces that are dried and grilled. Finally, the filling is put into the dainty. For a saltier taste, one can add fish sauce. Chicken meat cut in squares combined with small shrimps can also be added to the recipe.

Although dainty is not a popular meal in Vietnam, it is still served in certain restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City.

Tom Chua (Hue Sour Shrimp)

When Hue natives living outside the city return to their homeland, they usually have sour shrimp. Tourists also make sure to buy some jars of sour shrimp before leaving Hue.

Because of the national reputation of this dish, some cooks and merchants specialize in making sour shrimp. In the past, people made this dish at home, but now it is easier to buy it at the market.

This dish can be prepared with any kind of shrimp. The recipe includes a number of steps that must be performed in a specific order. First, the fresh, clean, and dry shrimp of approximately the same size are put in wine along with dry bamboo shoots, garlic, and chili. The ingredients are kept in a closed container at room temperature for three days. Then the container is put in a cool, dry place. After five or seven days, the sour shrimp are ready.

Com Hen (Hue Mussel Rice)

Hot white rice is part of every meal in Vietnam, but only Hue mussel rice is served cool. Hue people, after deciding that no food should be wasted, have designed this dish using leftover rice.

This dish includes Chinese vermicelli, bamboo shoots, lean pork meat, and an assortment of green vegetables (banana leaves, mint, star fruit, etc.).

The broth obtained after boiling the mussels is used to flavour the rice. Ginger, sesame, and chili are also added to the broth. This dish is very spicy and it is not rare to see people with watery eyes and sweaty faces while eating it; nevertheless, everyone congratulates the cook for such a delicious meal.

Hue Beef Noodle

One must have years of experience to cook excellent Hue beef noodle soup. This recipe mainly consists of shredded meat and rice noodles. Most restaurants and merchants in Hue do not make the rice noodles themselves; they buy them in Van Cu and Bao Vinh, two villages located near Hue.

Learning how to make a clear broth from bone and meat is also a difficult task, but cooks have the satisfaction of seeing customers enjoying a good meal. The secret of this recipe resides in the meat–this is why it must be bought directly from the slaughterhouse early in the morning. The meat is then shredded, boiled, and taken out of the water to obtain a delicious clear broth.

The amount of salt put in the recipe varies depending on the season; during summer, Hue beef noodle soup is served with soy bean, mint, and different kinds of lettuce; in the winter, the recipe is saltier and lemongrass and fish sauce are added.

Hu Tieu (My Tho Noodle Soup)

My Tho seafood noodle soup is different from Chinese noodle soup, nam vang soup, and Hue beef noodle soup, because it contains soy bean, lemon, chili, and soy sauce instead of herbs and lettuce.

Back in the 1960s, a shop in My Tho, 70 km from Ho Chi Minh City, started serving this dish using a secret recipe for the rice noodles. Ever since then, its reputation has grown to become a very well known meal in Vietnam.

It is said that the most delicious noodle soup is made with Co Cat rice, from the most famous rice growing area of My Phong village, a suburb of My Tho.

The sweet aroma of the broth comes from the meat, dried squid, and special condiments.

My Tho noodle soup is a traditional dish specific to the south.

Lau Mam (Mixed Soup)

Lau mam was a popular dish among farming communities hundreds of years ago, especially in the southwestern provinces. Nowadays, lau mam is considered a delicacy and is often served to special guests. Lau designates the broth, and mam the salted fish.

The main ingredient used in the broth is marinated fish to which meat and vegetables are added. Various ingredients, such as seafood, fish, and meat, are prepared on separate plates. Guests choose and boil their meat in the broth. The meal is accompanied by several fresh vegetables and aromatic herbs.

This dish is particularly enjoyed since so many alternatives are possible, offering a wide array of delicious flavours.

Canh Chua (Fish Sour Soup)

Canh chua originated from the Mekong Region, more specifically from Dong Thap Muoi. Canh chua is a fish sour soup made with fish from the Mekong River and so dua flower. This dish is mostly served when the so dua flower first blossoms at the end of the rainy season. A feast is organized and the fish sour soup is among the delicious meals prepared for this event. Fish sour soup must be eaten very hot. It must also be eaten all at one time since the taste is altered when the soup is reheated.

Other Places

Worldmatetravel

2011-11-20T06:46:00.000-08:00

About Us

World Mate Travel & Trading (International Tour Operator Licence: No 01-282 /2010/TCDL-GP LHQT) is a specialist company that operates quality travel throughout Indochina and is run by people who have lived, worked and traveled in every part of Indochina.

We at World Mate Travel & Trading have spent many years establishing our business in Indochina and have built a good and reliable team who are suitably qualified, licensed and insured to manage your travel arrangements. At each destination you will be met and escorted to your hotel or on your sightseeing tour. You can contact us any time here in Vietnam giving you the confidence of traveling in the beautiful countries in Indochina.

The collection of travel ideas within our brochure are designed to give you a selection of escorted group tours and individual itineraries. The tailor-made options are truly designed to your own requirements by experienced consultants and not just made up of pre-arranged itineraries. We believe our experience and knowledge of the region is unequalled, having visited each hotel, restaurant and place of interest.

We would like to meet the demands of every tourist over the world. Its presence and importance has inspired us to adopt its name for our company " World Mate Travel & Trading ".

The countries have only in the recent past opened its borders to foreign travelers who are in small numbers discovering the wonders of these fascinating lands.

The programmes and tours we offer here are an insight into the rich culture and diverse landscapes of the region. Each is designed to capture the unique history, architecture, religion, heritage, costumes and beauty that make this part of the world so fascinating. The hotels and itineraries we recommend reflect this and capture some of the nostalgia of a bygone era, combining the traditions and hospitality that personalizes every trip.

The changing tides of fortune that have swept over Indochina and its' people have left their mark. Its myths and legends are brought to life in many colorful festivals and rituals, and it's various religions enshrined in thousands of temples and pagodas throughout Indochina. Sites of ancient kingdoms, battles and civilizations stand amongst poignant reminders of the more recent past. A visit to Indochina will leave you with a rich and unforgettable impression of these fascinating lands.

With Many Thanks and Best Regards,

Nguyen Van Tu ( Mr)

Founder & Director

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WORLD MATE TRAVEL & TRADING CO., LTD

International Tour Operator Licence: 01-282/2010/TCDL-GP LHQT

Head Office: 166B/10, Chien Thang Street, Van Quan Ward, Ha Dong District, Hanoi, Vietnam

T: +84-4-33546824; F: +84-4-36857314

Tax Code: 0500594270

Hotline: (+84) 912.024.500 or (+84) 988 660 505

E: info@worldmatetravel.com or worldmatetravel@gmail.com

W: www.worldmatetravel.com or www.amazinghalongbay.com

Skype: tu_worldmatetravel

Ben Tre - Vietnam Travel Guide - World Mate Travel

2011-06-30T04:52:00.000-07:00

Ben Tre, located at the end-stream of Mekong River , is a good place for boat trips. Exclusively, Ben Tre is famous for coconut candy. During journey, you will visit traditional family -run factories where women boil large cauldrons of sticky mixture, rolling it out, cutting into small squares and then wrapping them into paper for sale.

What to do?

It is possible for a day trip to Ben Tre from Saigon . In Ben Tre, boat trips to island are highlights beside other activities including visit orchards, bee - keeping farm, enjoy traditional music and see coconut candy production process at a local factory.

When to go?

Trips to Mekong Delta are suitable all year round but the best time is the monsoon from June to September.

Travel Tips

Bring along camera, hat, sunscreen and insect repellant.

Get more infoamtion about mekong delta: Click here

Ba Vi National Park - Vietnam Travel Guide - World Mate Travel

2011-06-30T04:50:00.000-07:00

Ba Vi National Park is centred on Mount Ba Vi, a mountain isolate situated about 50 km west of Hanoi. Mount Ba Vi has three peaks: the highest is Dinh Vua at 1,296 m, followed by Tan Vien at 1,226 m and Ngoc Hoa at 1,120 m. Because of the mountainous topography, the climate at Ba Vi varies with altitude. Above 500 m, fog enshrouds the top of the mountain on most days. Except for the Da River on the western side of the national park, Ba Vi has no large, permanent water bodies. Streams in the national park are small, steep sided and fast flowing. In the rainy season, the volume of water flowing through these small watercourses and over the surface of the ground is sometimes sufficient to cause landslides. In the dry season, however, many of the streams are dry...

What to do?
The forest at Ba Vi National Park is an important source of forest products for local communities. It has been estimated that 80% of the Dao ethnic group in Ba Vi commune extract medicinal plants, which is their second most important source of income. During the French colonial period, Ba Vi was developed as a hill station, and around 200 villas were constructed on the mountain. In addition, a road was built up the mountain to an elevation of 1,100 m. With a relatively favourable climate, good infrastructure and close proximity to Hanoi, Ba Vi already attracts large numbers of visitors.

Tourists seeking a restorative tour in this destination can experience Tan Da Spa Resort, located in the foot of Tan Vien Mountain. Tan Da Spa Resort is designed in the architecture of the houses of ancient Vietnamese people living in the delta of the North. From far away, the resort is like an ancient palace with the main gate and the walls made from the dark laterite of Ba Vi Mountain.

The resort offers indoor and outdoor hot springs, and mud baths for individuals or families. Tourists may choose services such as therapeutic mud bath, mud bath with herbal and aromatic spices, dry and wet steam bath, and more...

More information about Vietnam: Click here

Cuc Phuong National Park - Vietnam Travel Guides - World Mate Travel

2011-06-30T04:47:00.000-07:00

Cuc Phuong National Park Vietnam Travel Guide

Established in 1962, cuc phuong national park, 45km from Ninh Binh and 120km southwest of Hanoi, is one of Vietnam`s most important nature reserves. Cuc Phuong is home to rarest plant and animal species, offering opportunities for researchers as well as tourists visit the park either for projects or eco-tourism travel .What to do?

First place to visit at Cuc Phuong National Park is the Visitor`s Center, where we can find general information about Cuc Phuong. Dozens of trails cut through the forest make different trekking type from simple to strenuous one. Then we also choose the route to the Cave of Prehistoric Man, the Botanical Garden, the Endangered Primate Rescue Center or homestay with Muong minority people.

A trip to nearby Van Long is possible to combine.

When to go?

The best time to visit the Park is in the dry months from October to March. From April to June it becomes increasingly hot and wet; from July to September, the rains arrive and bring lots of leeches.

Travel Tips

The trails in the park can be slippery, especially after rains. Make sure to bring sturdy shoes, raincoats, torch, antiseptic and some bandages. With environment around, please dispose of trash properly, "left nothing except your foot steps".

If staying at Muong village, please be aware that accommodation is in basic condition. Mattresses and mosquito nets are provided.

Other Places

Halong Bay - Vietnam Travel Guides - World Mate Travel

2011-06-30T04:43:00.000-07:00

Ha Long Bay is situated off the coast of Halong City (170km far from Hanoi) and owns more than 3,000 islands rising from the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. In 1994, it was designated Vietnam's second World Heritage Site and attracts a steady stream of visitors year round for the magnificent views of the bay and the relaxing boat trips.

Halong bay Vietnam

What to do?

Besides the breathtaking vistas, visitors come to Halong Bay for the perfect time spent on the boat to visit floating villages and explore the caves. There also have interesting relaxing activities such as swimming, fishing and kayaking. Also, this trip can be combined with a trip to the largest island of Cat Ba, which offers beaches, hiking in the national park.

Nearby Ha Long City, Tuan Chau Island is a promising spot for relaxation. This island is being developed into a recreation complex with aquarium, circus, golf and resorts, and is becoming increasingly popular for Vietnamese tourists.

When to go?

It is possible for visits to Ha Long Bay year-round. And winter months (from October to April) are said to be the best time although in months of December, January and February, the weather is often cool, drizzly and overcast with low visibility. During summer months (May to September), tropical storms are frequent and tourist boats may have to alter the itineraries depending on weather condition.

Travel Tips:

There is different scale of prices for overnight tours to Ha Long Bay but beware that we just get what you pay for. Price differences are based on the quality of the boat, food, accommodation, transportation, crew as well as other invisible elements. Frequent questions to ask before making a booking are the group size on boat and on car, cabin type (with or without A/C), included and excluded services in the package so that you know what to expect in advance. Please see more : www.worldmatetravel.com

Related Tours:

Halong bay Cruise Tours

Good Morning Vietnam - VHTGM 0403

The Smile Of Vietnam - VHTS 0807

Vietnam in your eyes - VHTE 0908

Ba Be Lake - Vietnam Travel Guides - World Mate Travel

2011-06-30T04:40:00.000-07:00

Ba Be Lake or Ba Be National Park located in Bac Can Province, 240km from Hanoi and covers more than 23,000 hectares boasting waterfalls, rivers, deep valleys, lakes and caves set amid towering peaks. The whole area is home to many ethnic minority communities. Ba Be Lake is in fact three lakes linked by wide channels, about 8km long and 400m wide. The surface is always calm, making a boat trip a peaceful experience. To reach Ba Be, it is an approximately it is an approximately six to eight -hour drive on rough road but excellent scenery compensated.

What to do?
Highlights of Ba Be National Park are peaceful boat trips on the lake, visits at nearby tourist spots such as Puong Cave and Dau Dang Waterfall and trekking to minority villages. Basic homestay at villages in the park is also a great experience. Further north of Ba Be is Cao Bang Province , a remote area where you can see authentic ethnic minority lifestyle as well as the famous Ban Gioc Waterfall .

When to go?
The best time to visit Ba Be Lake is during the dry season (winter and spring). In the wet season, the lake takes up water from the Nang River and regularly flooded. If travel at the time of Long Tong Festival on the 10th and 11th days of the first lunar month, there are traditional games and performance of surrounding ethnic tribal groups.

Travel Tips
Homestay condition is basic. Mattresses and mosquito nets are provided. Your checklists should be good walking shoes, raincoats, insect repellent and sunscream.

Related Tours:

Hagiang - Ba Be Lake Tour

Testimonials - World Mate Travel

2010-12-21T08:30:00.000-08:00

Testimonials - World Mate Travel & Trading

''My Tour Guide, My Friend''

I have known Tu Nguyen or David as he is popularly known for three years now. During that time I have used him for six tours (including inspection tours) Hanoi (3), Ho Chi Minh City (1), Central Vietnam Hue, Danang, & Hoi An (2) and I will continue to use him for Vietnam tours. Why? He has never failed me once.
The incentive tours that I organize are unique experiences that i try to give to my participants failing which it would be a failure. The recent trip to Central Vietnam (22-28 July 2011) involved some tricky logistics like connecting flights, welcome dinners, gala dinners, gifting programmes etc. Everything was handled without a hitch.
David has found me some out of this world restaurants like Au Lac House in Hanoi, Lien Hoa in Hue, Hoa Tuc in Saigon that I would not have been able to take credit for.
You want to use him for your Vietnam tours. he will do his best to negotiate for you the best available rates from the hotels, be it the 5 stars or the 3 stars. The transportation company or the coaches/touring buses that he has provided for many of my tours have been late models and top-notch ones.
When there is a hiccup, David focuses on the solution rather than the problem and immediately rectifies the problem. You will truly appreciate having a business partner like that especially in handling some problems that requires dealing or communicating with the local suppliers.
I believe while his business has grown over the years that I have known him, he remains as personal as the first day I saw him. His level of personal care that he puts into your projects are clearly visible. Don't bet against him emailing you a confirmation of your hotel choice at 2 am in the morning. He will take care of your needs whether a couple , a small group or a group like mine of sometimes over 80 paxs.
You can experiment with the other tour guides or companies out there but why. To me he is reasonably priced, very high touch/high level of service, not afraid to tell you when you are wrong sometimes, gets you what you want.
I will continue to use David for my upcoming tours to Sapa Valley and Dalat. Jokingly I have always said to him that if I ever write a review for you and you climb up the ranks and get big-headed he just smiles at me and says "Good huh"
Thank you David. See you in Vietnam again soon!
Daniel Chua

PACIFIC MUTUAL FUND BHD
BEST EQUITY FUND MANAGER
The Edge-Lipper Malaysia Fund Awards 2011

A subsidiary of PACIFICMAS BERHAD
A Member of OCBC Group

www.pacificmutual.com.my

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"Wonderful Vietnam Tour "

Our tour of Vietnam was considerably enhanced by choosing World Mate Travel as our tour operator.

The 10 day itinerary of south, central and north Vietnam was creatively put together to cover all of the things we wanted to see including many excellent suggestions to enhance our experience.

We travelled in style on a private tour for under US$2000 for the two of us (that’s less than $1,000 per person!). This included:

Comfortable 3 star accommodation in very good locations
At least 2 meals a day and most in top class restaurants
Private air conditioned and late model cars with a driver and well informed tour guides.
All internal travel by plane, train and boat
Entrance fees

Tu Nguyen who owns and operates the business had 10 years experience as a tour operator before going out on his own so he has excellent connections throughout Vietnam which added to our wonderful experience. He caters for individuals as well as big groups. We were fortunate to have him as our guide in the northern part of our trip where his charm, courtesy and knowledge added an extra dimension.

We were so impressed by our tour with World Mate Travel that we are planning another trip with our extended family so that they can share the experience. We thoroughly recommend his services.

Andrew and Pat - Australia

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Dear Mr. Tu,
Siem Reap was very nice. The local travel agency was efficient, had a lot of flexibility and the manager also called us to check about the quality of the services. We are now in Bangkok and tomorrow we will be flying back to Spain. We will recommend your agency to our contacts. The trip was very nice. Kind regards.
MARIA - Spain

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Dear Tu,

I think Denise emailed you already. Denise is a friend of Dr. Lise. We both had a wonderful trip to South Vietnam. The guides were professional, the food was excellent (we love Pho and ate the vegetarian soup times at Pho 2000 in Saigon). Everything exceeded our expectations, so thank you very much for setting up a great tour. As I usually travel twice a year to Thailand, I'm sure I'll take advantage of your tour services again. Denise and I were talking about Laos in the future. Anyway, best wishes and I'll certainly pass your name to anyone who is thinking about traveling to Vietnam.

Maria - USA

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Hi Tu,

The tour and the guides were wonderful. I will definitely use your services the next time I return to SE Asia. Thank you for paying attention to all of the details that result in an enjoyable trip.

Regards to you and the guides,

Denise Plante - USA

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"Most pleasantrip" - Auckland

My wife and I and my sister visited Hanoi and Hochimin city and surrounding tourist sites in Sept 12-18. We found it an interesting trip that was enhanced by a good tour guide.

Tu is a likeable young man, honest, witty, knowledgeable and articulate in leading us. Unfortunately, he could not be with us in Hochimin city but ably arranged for a good tour guide there.

We were glad to have the chance to visit Vietnam and see the people and the development of the country

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Dearest Mr Tu of Vietnam,

Yes, we are friend. You are more than a friend to us from Vietnam. A person we all can count on!
You have done a good job for us. We really appreciate it. You are highly recommended .....for any .....in VIETNAM!
NEVER FEAR.....IN VIETNAM......BECAUSE MR. TU IS HERE!
ASK YOU SHALL BE GIVEN......!

The truth is , all of us really enjoy our AMAZING TRIP IN VIETNAM with you and by you.
It seems that the joy we had in Vietnam......still can be heard by every words from everybody in the group.....39pax. Yes, you are more than A friend
to us. We all will surely recomend people who wants to tour in Vietnam to you. You will have more to come......people looking for you....MR. TU.

Yes, we are planning our Vietnam trip again ....with you and by you for SURE......ya! maybe in year 2012 end. Our 2011 holiday plan is already draw
up ....with confirmation too. Anyway, if we are in Vietnam....is will surely by our dear Mr. Tu. Maybe whenever you are free, just drop us a line or two
or maybe the whole tour from HANOI, HALONG BAY .....CRUISE, THEN TO SAPA BY TRAIN... all for us to see or understand it better.

Till we meet again. Take care of yourself and family too.
May God see you through. You are blessed.
With Lord Buddha blessing
Regards our love to you .......kimmy and the gangs.

Kimmy Wong - Malaysia Maybank

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Kathjohnson - Ohio ( Tripadvisor.com)

“A Wonderful Expierence, A Great Tour Guide”

Over the Christmas holiday, I visited Vietnam with my Grandmother. She is a very experienced world-traveler and has been to Vietnam a grand total of six times. For the last three of her visits she has had the same tour guide, Tu Nguyen; this trip was no different.
He absolutely made our trip perfect. He went above and beyond what is usually expected of a tour guide, always providing a car and driver for us, reserving us seats at the best restaurants and traditional shows. We never felt unsafe, even wandering the city at nighttime. He always looked out for us.
International travel can be an intimidating endeavour in and of itself, especially if one is not familiar with the language or customs of the country. Having a native-speaker of the language that you trust is not only sensible, it's comforting. Traveling with Tu was fun and easy; we never felt stressed or scared. It was a wonderful experience.
If you are traveling to northern Vietnam, I would absolutely recommend Tu Nguyen. His website is . He will take great care of you and allow you to enjoy the beautiful country that is Vientnam.

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Dear David Tu,

First and foremost a BIG THANK YOU for the enjoyable experience when we were at Hanoi! You have been a fantastic tour guide. Our stay was most pleasurable although we must admit that we were not too sure of what to expect in Hanoi. After meeting you all our worries were erased as you have taken such good care of us ensuring that even the smallest of things.

We have already started to introduce you to our friends and we know that you would give them the same exemplary service you offered us! At least now we know that we have a friend over at Hanoi. GOD BLESS YOU and take care.

Special Regards,
Gary and Theresa
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia - Malaysia Maybank

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Connie Lum ( UK)

Dear Tu Nguyen, I write to say thank you for a thoroughly enjoyable holidays in your beautiful city Hanoi and Halong Bay. You are an exceptional, entertaining and energetic guide and have provided us with excellent and in-depth descriptions of all the sights and especially the beautiful Halong Bay.We look forward to meet up with you again in the future. Warmest regards, Connie Lum ( March 24, 2009)

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Mark Lian ( Melbourne, Australia)

Dear David Ng, Enclosed are some of the photos taken during our tour to Hanoi and Halong
Bay. Thank you for your help and excellent tour which I must say was done
professionally in English, highlighting some of Vietnam's historical past. Wish you all the best. Regards, Mark Lian ( February 27, 2009)

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Angeline Lau ( Malaysia)

Dear Tu Ng, On behalf of the group of 17 of us, I must express our thanks to you for the superb handling of our holiday in Hanoi.We truly enjoyed the cruise to beautiful Halong Bay and of course the stay in the junk which was the highlight of our holiday.
I have given your name and contact number to the friends and colleagues should they are keen to visit Hanoi.
Keep up the good work and we look forward to meeting up with you in our next trip to south and central Vietnam. All the best to you and to your family. Angeline.. ( February 21, 2009)

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Margie and Curt ( Ohio, USA)

It was so good to hear from you, glad that you have your travel agency going and am sure it will be a success. I will be sure to use it when I plan my next trip to Vietnam with my three grand daughters next year. You always treated my husband and I so well when you were our tour guide the two times we visited Vietnam in the past. You were not just a guide, you became a good friend. We always had a wonderful time and saw all the interesting places and you were always on time, which Curt appreciated so much.
Vietnam is a exciting and interesting country to visit and you make it all the more special. I am eagerly looking forward to seeing you again and know our trip will be the best possible. Thank you again, Margie and Curt ( November 6, 2008)

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Janie ( Australia)

Dear Tu, We arrived home safe and well in Australia on Friday with happy memories of our trip to Vietnam but also glad to be home.

I wanted to email you to say thank you for the extra care you took in making sure that our time spent in North Vietnam was very special. Little things like taking the time to help my mother in and out of the bus and up and down stairs were much appreciated and are what helps make the difference between a good travel guide and a great travel guide. You, Tu, are a great tavel guide and I'm sure you will do very well in your own travel agent business.

You can be sure we will be passing on your details to any of our friends that want to travel to Vietnam, and if we ever decide to go back to Vietnam we will definitely be contacting you.

We wish you and your family heath and happiness in the future and thankyou again for making our trip to North Vietnam most enjoyable. Warm regards from Janine Golds, on behalf of ' The Golds Family' ( April 28, 2008)

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Andersson, Bo ( Sweden)

Hallo Tu , How are you. It is some week ago now since we were i Vietnam. My name is Bo and my whife is Gullan. Maybe you
remember us. We were traveling with Jöegen Mårtensson. I will thank you for a very good guiding i Vietnam.
Probleby we will return sometomes to you beautiful country.
Bo

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Kilfoil ( South Africa )

Dear Tu, Just a short note to say Thanks to you for our lovely trip to Halong Bay on our recent visit to Vietnam .

Hope this note finds you all well !

Regards

Colleen Sean Whitney and Jessica

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Liew May ( Malaysia)

Dear Tu, We are home save and sound, though the flight back was abit bumpy due to the bad weather. We just want to thanks you for the wonderful time we had in Hanoi. Great experience!! traffic, buildings, honking of cars and motorbikes!! and most of all the FOOD.

We will definitely recommend you to our friends, keep up the good work.

Mr & Mrs Goh, Mr & Mrs Lee

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Hwang Jenny ( May Bank - Malaysia)

Hi Number 2, Thanks alot for the photos. Everyone enjoyed the holiday because of your good service, i.e. very efficient and responsive. We will definitely recommend you to our friends who wish to visit Vietnam. We will contact you again when we plan to visit Vietnam in future. Take care and best wishes.

Jenny Hwang

Amazing Angkor Wat, Cambodia - World Mate Travel

2010-02-21T07:01:00.000-08:00

Angkor Cambodia
Contrary to popular belief, Angkor was never a ‘lost city’. References to it being ‘discovered’ by Henri Mouhot in the 1860’s are nonsense. The Cambodians were well aware of its existence: indeed, some of the temples, notably Angkor Wat, continued to be occupied by monks throughout its history. Mouhot, a young and idealistic botanist, stumbled upon the ruins and made sketches of some of the temples. He died of malaria soon after at the age of 34, but his ‘discovery’ unleashed an opportunity to plunder on an enormous scale. Within a few years, shiploads of Angkor's finest sculptures and bas-reliefs had been transported to Europe to ‘enrich French culture’. The destruction and pillaging continued into the 20th century – that so much remains is a testament to the incredible scope of the original enterprise. As with most of the world’s massive monuments to bygone glories, such a colossal undertaking could only be brought to fruition on the backs of forced labour on a grand scale – Angkor was no exception. At its peak around the 12th century, over a million people inhabited Angkor. Today, experts debate why it was built in such an inhospitable location in the first place. Apart from the hundreds of temples, the site included an advanced system of irrigation using an intricate network of canals, channels and artificial reservoirs, known locally as ‘barays’, thus creating a huge area for wet rice cultivation. The nub of the academic argument is whether the temples were originally built to support the irrigation project or vice versa. What is beyond doubt is the fabulous wealth of the Khmer Kingdom. Providing the resources and manpower to create Angkor surpasses the world's ancient wonders and dwarfs today's monumental showpieces. Although it has given its name to the entire site, Angkor Wat is but one of the elements in an enormous complex of temples, terraces, lakes and monuments spread across the 200-square kilometre Plain of Angkor, albeit the most impressive. Taking up an entire square kilometre, the volume of Angkor's sandstone masonry is equivalent to that of the Great Pyramid of Cheops, and nearly every stone surface is exquisitely decorated with figures, images and Hindu motifs. The nine square kilometres of Angkor Thom reflects the transition from Hinduism to Mahayana Buddhism and contains the remarkable Bayon, and the famous Elephant and Leper King Terraces. Its size is beyond imagination: the Bayon alone, the ‘forbidden city’ of the God-King Jayavarman VII, was larger than the entire area of ancient Rome. Detailed descriptions of the multitude of temples are available in guidebooks, but words, and even photographs, cannot convey the experience of Angkor. Many of the temples have been restored with varying success, others are awaiting ‘renovation’ and a few are still in pieces, dismantled by international conservationists for subsequent rebuilding but interrupted by the years of warfare. A particularly interesting temple is Ta Prohm, one of the few temples in more or less the same condition as in Mouhot’s day, and immortalised in film by Indiana Jones and Lara Croft. The magnitude of Angkor usually overwhelms the non-professional – ‘temple fatigue’ sets in after two or three days. The short circuit based upon Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom can be covered in a day and a half, the ‘grand’ circuit takes in some of the further temples and takes around three days. An enthusiast, archaeologist or historian might like to spend more time following the fascinating development trail from the ancient pre-Angkor Indianised kingdoms of Funan and Chenla to the founding of Angkor by Jayavarman II around 800, reaching its zenith in the twelfth century under Jayavarman VII, and its rapid decline in the 13th century.
Indochina Destinations Angkor pictures

Angkor Cambodia

Contrary to popular belief, Angkor was never a ‘lost city’. References to it being ‘discovered’ by Henri Mouhot in the 1860’s are nonsense. The Cambodians were well aware of its existence: indeed, some of the temples, notably Angkor Wat, continued to be occupied by monks throughout its history.

Mouhot, a young and idealistic botanist, stumbled upon the ruins and made sketches of some of the temples.

He died of malaria soon after at the age of 34, but his ‘discovery’ unleashed an opportunity to plunder on an enormous scale. Within a few years, shiploads of Angkor's finest sculptures and bas-reliefs had been transported to Europe to ‘enrich French culture’.
The destruction and pillaging continued into the 20th century – that so much remains is a testament to the incredible scope of the original enterprise.
As with most of the world’s massive monuments to bygone glories, such a colossal undertaking could only be brought to fruition on the backs of forced labour on a grand scale – Angkor was no exception.
At its peak around the 12th century, over a million people inhabited Angkor. Today, experts debate why it was built in such an inhospitable location in the first place.
Apart from the hundreds of temples, the site included an advanced system of irrigation using an intricate network of canals, channels and artificial reservoirs, known locally as ‘barays’, thus creating a huge area for wet rice cultivation.

The nub of the academic argument is whether the temples were originally built to support the irrigation project or vice versa.
What is beyond doubt is the fabulous wealth of the Khmer Kingdom. Providing the resources and manpower to create Angkor surpasses the world's ancient wonders and dwarfs today's monumental showpieces.
Although it has given its name to the entire site, Angkor Wat is but one of the elements in an enormous complex of temples, terraces, lakes and monuments spread across the 200-square kilometre Plain of Angkor, albeit the most impressive.
Taking up an entire square kilometre, the volume of Angkor's sandstone masonry is equivalent to that of the Great Pyramid of Cheops, and nearly every stone surface is exquisitely decorated with figures, images and Hindu motifs.
The nine square kilometres of Angkor Thom reflects the transition from Hinduism to Mahayana Buddhism and contains the remarkable Bayon, and the famous Elephant and Leper King Terraces.
Its size is beyond imagination: the Bayon alone, the ‘forbidden city’ of the God-King Jayavarman VII, was larger than the entire area of ancient Rome.
Detailed descriptions of the multitude of temples are available in guidebooks, but words, and even photographs, cannot convey the experience of Angkor. Many of the temples have been restored with varying success, others are awaiting ‘renovation’ and a few are still in pieces, dismantled by international conservationists for subsequent rebuilding but interrupted by the years of warfare.
A particularly interesting temple is Ta Prohm, one of the few temples in more or less the same condition as in Mouhot’s day, and immortalised in film by Indiana Jones and Lara Croft.

The magnitude of Angkor usually overwhelms the non-professional – ‘temple fatigue’ sets in after two or three days.
The short circuit based upon Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom can be covered in a day and a half, the ‘grand’ circuit takes in some of the further temples and takes around three days.

An enthusiast, archaeologist or historian might like to spend more time following the fascinating development trail from the ancient pre-Angkor Indianised kingdoms of Funan and Chenla to the founding of Angkor by Jayavarman II around 800, reaching its zenith in the twelfth century under Jayavarman VII, and its rapid decline in the 13th century.

Indochina Destinations

Angkor pictures

Siem Reap Cambodia - World Mate Travel

2010-02-21T06:58:00.000-08:00

Siem Reap Cambodia

For visitors, Cambodia equals Angkor Wat, the stunning memorial to the golden age of the K'hmer Kingdom. Even now, its magnificence exhausts superlatives. It is indeed the jewel in the crown of world heritage.

Once a small backwater town, Siem Reap has expanded to become the reception area for its illustrious neighbour. Now city-sized with a population well over half a million, it still feels like a provincial town.
Unsurprisingly, it has the best tourism infrastructure in Cambodia: a large modern international airport, good roads and a comprehensive range of hotels and restaurants.

Although it depends almost entirely upon the enormous number of visitors to the Temple complex, it's worth more than a passing glance.
It's a pleasant place and, despite rumours to the contrary, safe. There's plenty of space and greenery, and many wooden buildings, mostly on stilts. Although the local Wats and the market are nothing to write home about, there are several places of interest.

The Cambodian Cultural Village is a recent addition to Siem Reap's attractions located near the airport, it's a cultural theme park style museum aimed mainly at the domestic market.

Indoors, there's standard museum exhibitions of wildlife and artifacts as well as waxwork figures from Cambodia's past and present (the tableau of a local 'fun girl' wrapped round a UN peacekeeper has upset the UN!).
Outside are reproductions of various Cambodian landmarks, such as Phnom Penh's Central Market and the National Museum, and miniature versions of a number of ethnic villages.

The Crocodile Farm just outside the town is quite fun at feeding time, but muted by a persistent rumour that the Khmer Rouge used it to dispose of some of their victims. A more wholesome place is a local Butterfly Garden, where you can wander around lush tropical fruit trees and flowers with several species of butterflies fluttering around you.

Cambodia is a poor country, further impoverished both economically and culturally by the K'hmer Rouge. Siem Reap has an innovative project addressing both elements known as Les Artisans d'Angkor - Chantiers Ecoles. It's a French initiative to teach poverty-stricken young men and women the skills necessary to recreate the richly decorated stone and wood effigies and artifacts of the past.

Further from Siem Reap, the school has a silk farm that encompasses the entire process from tending the mulberry trees to tailoring finished garments using designs redolent of the ancient royal traditions.
Another cause worth support is the Cambodia Land Mine Museum. It was founded by Aki Ra, who was conscripted into the Khmer Rouge at the age of five after his parents had been executed. It contains exhibits of mines and other weapons and information about the war.

Apart from the museum, funds are being raised to build an extension to include a school for 30 children who have lost limbs from land mines, a prosthetic limb clinic and a unit for educating people about land mines.
Charitable activities abound in Cambodia and particularly Siem Reap. Many are run by foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs), but many are local businesses and philanthropists.

A good example is the Shinta Mani Hotel, established specifically to benefit poor people. Not only does the hotel support several projects in poor comminites in and arounf the city, but also runs a caterint and hospitality school alongside the building.

Indochina Destinations

Cambodia pictures

Amazing North West Vietnam - World Mate Travel

2010-02-21T06:47:00.000-08:00

Sìn Hồ - Lai Châu

Sìn Hồ là huyện nằm ở giữa tỉnh Lai Châu, phía bắc giáp Vân Nam - Trung Quốc, phía nam là huyện Tủa Chùa, phía đông là huyện Phong Thổ, phía tây là huyện Mường Tè. Huyện có diện tích 1.746km2 và dân số là 56.000 người. Huyện lỵ là thị trấn Sìn Hồ nằm cách thị xã Lai Châu 60km về hướng tây. Ngoài ra còn có 22 xã: Pa Tần, Nậm Ban, Hồng Thu, Phìn Hồ, Tả Phìn, Phăng Xô Lin, Sà Dề Phìn, Tả Ngảo, Làng Mô, Tủa Sín Chải, Ma Quai, Nậm Tăm, Nậm Cha, Noong Hẻo, Pu Sam Cáp, Căn Co, Nậm Mạ, Nậm Cuổi, Nậm Hăn, Lê Lợi, Chăn Nưa, Pú Đao.

Thị trấn Sìn Hồ cách trung tâm tỉnh Lai Châu trên 60 km về phía tây, có những cánh rừng nguyên sinh rậm rạp và một thung lũng với cánh đồng lúa vàng rực, những khu vườn trồng lê, đào, mận già nua, mốc thếch quanh năm vẫn đơm hoa kết trái
Nhìn trên bản đồ của dải đất hình chữ S sẽ thấy một chấm son Lai Châu. Cao chót vót trên chấm son ấy, cao chót vót trên vùng sơn cước Tây Bắc ấy là Sìn Hồ. Sìn Hồ theo tiếng bản địa có nghĩa là nơi nhiều con suối.
Cao nguyên Sìn Hồ vốn được coi là nóc nhà của tỉnh Lai Châu, với khí hậu tương đồng với thị trấn Sa Pa ( Lào Cai ) quanh năm mát mẻ và nhiều giống hoa, quả ôn đới đặc sắc.

Sìn Hồ là một bản gồm nhiều dân tộc khác nhau cùng cư trú. Tại bản Sìn Hồ có phiên chợ họp vào các ngày chủ nhật trong tuần. Nếu đúng dịp, du khách được chiêm ngưỡng một bức tranh đầy sắc màu trong phiên chợ của người dân vùng núi cao.

Đi đâu, chơi gì?

Sìn Hồ là một địa điểm tương đối mới mẻ, thế nhưng đây là một vùng có tiềm năng du lịch của tỉnh Lai Châu, Sìn Hồ, nơi có cột mốc số không. Du khách đến với Sìn Hồ có thể đi chợ Sìn Hồ, chợ họp vào ngày chủ nhật. Chợ Sìn Hồ được coi là sầm uất nhất vùng, có một trung tâm bán buôn, bán lẻ thực phẩm, đồ công nghệ, đồ điện dân dụng gia đình. Trong chợ còn nhiều hàng xén bán nhiều dép xăngđan nhựa, giầy vải và kim chỉ thêu. Ở đây bán cả các loại phong lan và một cửa hàng lớn bán đồ lưu niệm cho khách du lịch. Vào các ngày chợ phiên, những người Dao đỏ, người Mông, người Phù Lá, người Sila, Lào, người Cống xuống chợ và khoe quần áo.

Lệ thường, chợ bắt đầu họp vào sáng thứ bảy, chủ yếu thu hút người bản địa sống xung quanh thị trấn, qua ngày chủ nhật chợ sẽ đông, nhộn nhịp hơn với dòng người từ các bản làng xa xôi đổ về. Trong đó có người Mông đỏ vùng Chăn Lưa, Làng Mô hay người Lự, Dao ở Phăng Xô Lin, người Mông hoa, Phú Lá tận xã Pu Sam Cát, cách xa thị trấn Sìn Hồ một ngày đường, thảy đều góp mặt. Tất cả tạo nên buổi chợ phiên xôn xao, tràn ngập làn sóng hoa văn thổ cẩm muôn màu
Gần đây, tại Sìn Hồ, Lai Châu, có thêm dịch vụ mới cho du khách: tắm lá thuốc, xoa bóp và bấm huyệt của một danh y là người dân tộc thiểu số địa phương.
Đến đây, khách được mời vào một trong những căn phòng nhỏ, trút bỏ hết mọi xiêm y, ngồi ngâm mình trong một chiếc thùng gỗ, trong đó chứa một loại nước thuốc đen sánh, ngập đến tận cổ, thơm nồng ngai ngái, nóng ran người, luôn được tiếp thêm nếu có nhu cầu.

Nồi nước thuốc đang sôi sùng sục đun bằng củi đặt ngay đầu phòng được chế từ trên 10 loại cây thuốc hái từ trên núi, chỉ có 2 vị gừng và sả là trồng ngay trong vườn. Cảm giác sau ít phút ngâm mình là trạng thái say chếng choáng rất dễ chịu, cơ thể đang đau mỏi như thể đang nhão chảy ra, lâng lâng dường như vô cảm trong làn nước nóng thơm ngào ngạt.
Trước khi bước vào thùng thuốc, bao giờ người kỹ thuật viên cũng hướng dẫn: Nếu có cảm giác say quá, quí khách nên nhỏm người lên và vén rèm gió để hít thở không khí bên ngoài...
Sau chừng 30- 40 phút ngâm mình đến say chếng choáng, du khách được mời lên nhà trên để bước vào giai đoạn xoa bóp, bấm huyệt.
Nét riêng ở khu dịch vụ tắm lá thuốc và bấm huyệt ở Sìn Hồ là có hàng ngàn giò phong lan treo trên dàn cây từ trong vườn cho đến dọc con ngõ đi vào, tỏa hương thơm ngát.
Dưới mặt đất ở hai bên bờ ao và con suối nhỏ chảy róc rách qua khuôn viên vườn là hàng trăm chậu địa lan có đến 5 loài: tím, xanh, vàng, trắng... có loại chỉ vùng này mới sống được, ra hoa vào từng thời điểm khác nhau trong năm, nên mùa nào cũng có hoa nở.

Trong định hướng phát triển kinh tế xã hội của tỉnh Lai Châu từ nay đến năm 2010 và những năm tiếp theo, cao nguyên Sìn Hồ được chú trọng theo hướng phát triển du lịch với các tiềm năng du lịch sinh thái, nghỉ mát, thưởng thức đặc sản cá hồi nuôi tại địa phương và du lịch dưỡng bệnh bằng các loại cây thuốc quí chỉ có ở vùng này.

Bởi vậy, để loại hình dịch vụ "ngâm nước thuốc, xoa bóp- bấm huyệt" đang phôi thai này phát triển như lời chào mời du khách đến với vùng cao nguyên, rất mong được chính quyền địa phương và các nhà đầu tư quan tâm chú trọng phát huy.
Những địa điểm khác mà bạn có thể tham quan khi đến Sìn Hồ là:
• Dinh thự Đèo Văn Long thuộc xã Lê Lợi – huyện Sìn Hồ, là khu dinh thự của ông vua Thái bù nhìn trong kháng chiến chống Pháp. Dinh thự trở thành di tích lịch sử, giáo dục lòng tự hào dân tộc, chứng tích cho việc hạ bệ kẻ cúi đầu làm nô lệ và là nơi thăm quan tìm hiểu những nét kiến trúc đặc trưng, mang bản sắc văn hoá Thái.

• Bia Lê Lợi: được khắc trên vách đá bờ Bắc sông Đà, nay thuộc xã Lê Lợi – huyện Sìn Hồ.

Sìn Hồ sở hữu nhiều cảnh đẹp hấp dẫn, ai cũng có thể cảm nhận. Từ những con đường ngoằn ngoèo trong thung lũng toàn ruộng bậc thang cho đến bản làng Tà Ghềnh, Hoàng Hồ, Tả Phìn, Phăng Xô Lin của người Mông, Dao yên bình mộc mạc bên vách núi. Và nếu dành thời gian đi dạo, thăm viếng, sẽ khám phá nhiều điều kỳ lạ. Rồi cổng trời, núi Tiên Ông, núi Ô Đá gắn liền biết bao truyền thuyết lý thú.

Nếu bạn có dip đến Tây Bắc, hãy đến Sìn Hồ để thư giản, thưởng thức những món ăn độc đáo của người dân tộc, tham quan phiên chợ vùng cao hay ngắm nhìn khung cảnh thiên nhiên hùng vĩ. - Worldmatetravel

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Amazing Halong Bay Vietnam - World Mate Travel

2010-02-21T06:03:00.000-08:00

Ha Long Bay Vietnam

Amazing seascapes, caves, kayaking, bio-diversity and Vietnam's best seafood

Vietnam’s most obvious attraction is Ha Long Bay, adjacent to the Gulf of Tonkin, and currently attracting nearly two million visitors each year. Despite its status as one of Vietnam’s busiest tourist centres, its enormous scale, unique geomorphology and indisputable splendour makes a visit almost essential.

With Worldmatetravel, you escape the worst of the crowds. We use only high quality boats, and recommend a night on the bay to allow time for the less visited islands and grottoes, leaving those that have been equipped with lights, walkways, refreshment stalls and souvenir shops to the tourists. The exceptions are Dao Go, a large cavern worth visiting for its grandeur, and Sung Sot, for its remarkable stalactites and stalagmites.
Although the name Ha Long Bay is often used to describe the entire area, it refers only to a section of a vast archipelago of thousands of limestone pinnacles stretching nearly a hundred kilometres from Haiphong to the east.

This remarkable seascape owes its existence to a complex process of erosion referred to as ‘karst’. A massive layer of high quality limestone was slowly dissolved by a warm wet climate that prevailed over South East Asia through untold millions of years. Water trickled through crevices enlarged cracks in the limestone creating caves and caverns, and caused weaker strata to collapse leaving the distinctive towers seen today. Comparatively recently, seismic activity inundated the low-lying land, creating Ha Long Bay.
The almost perpendicular peaks conceal the remains of many caves and grottos, their entrances exposed when part of the tower wall collapsed, but now concealed by subsequent rock falls and dense vegetation.

Some caves were already known, and others have been discovered recently, but expert opinion is that they represent only a fraction of those still hidden from view. Three large caves in the heart of the area protected as World Heritage have been made accessible to visitors. Many smaller caves can be visited, but often require a scramble across rocks and through unlit passages.
In the southwest corner of Ha Long Bay is Cat Ba, a large ‘karst’ limestone island full of small mountains covered in verdant forest. Part of the island is a National Park, rich in flora and fauna including one of the most endangered species of monkey in the world. Cat Ba also boasts two small, but pleasant, sandy beaches.

To the east is Bai Tu Long Bay. Although not quite matching the range of geological attributes of its illustrious neighbour, it is equally attractive and benefits from being less visited. Bai Tu Long, and particularly Quan Lan island, has by far the best beaches in northern Vietnam. Most are more or less empty, but tourism facilities are limited.
The Bay is also a treasure house of endemic, and often endangered, species of flora, molluscs and small invertebrates.

At present, a long term project is steadily transforming the entire archipelago and its hinterland into South East Asia’s first Ecomuseum linking all aspects of its natural, environmental and cultural elements to provide a holistic view for visitors, and to focus attention upon the critical importance of its conservation.

Indochina Destinations

Vietnampictures

Hanoi, Capital of Vietnam

2009-10-13T22:55:00.000-07:00

Hanoi

Area: 3.324,92 sq. km Population: 6,232,900 habitants (8/2008).

Administrative divisions:

- 10 urban districts: Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Dong Da, Hai Ba Trung, Tay Ho, Thanh Xuan, Cau Giay, Long Bien, Hoang Mai, Ha Dong.
- 1 cities: Son Tay
- 18 rural districts: Dong Anh, Soc Son, Thanh Tri, Tu Liem, Gia Lam (old Hanoi); Ba Vi, Chuong My, Dan Phuong, Hoai Duc, My Duc, Phu Xuyen, Phuc Tho, Quoc Oai, Thach That, Thanh Oai. Thuong Tin, Ung Hoa (former Ha Tay province) and Me Linh (a former district of Vinh Phuc province).
Ethnic groups: Viet (Kinh), Hoa, Muong, Tay, Dao...
Hanoi is the capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the center of culture, politics, economy and trade of the whole country.

Geography
Hanoi is located in the Red River Delta, in the center of North Vietnam. It is encompassed by Thai Nguyen to the north, Vinh Phuc and Ha Tay provinces to the west and south, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh and Hung Yen provinces to the east and south-east.

Hanoi means "the hinterland between the rivers" (Ha: river, Noi: interior). Hanoi's territory is washed by the Red River (the portion of the Red River embracing Hanoi is approximately 40km long) and its tributaries, but there are some other rivers flowing through the capital, including Duong, Cau, Ca Lo, Day, Nhue, Tich, To Lich and Kim Nguu.

Climate: Hanoi is situated in a tropical monsoon zone with two main seasons. During the dry season, which lasts from October to April, it is cold and there is very little rainfall, except from January to March, when the weather is still cold but there is some light rain. The wet season, from May to September, is hot with heavy rains and storms. The average annual temperature is 23.2ºC (73.7ºF) and the average annual rainfall is 1,800mm. The average temperature in winter is 17.2ºC (62.9ºF), but can go down to 8ºC (46.4ºF). The average temperature in summer is 29.2ºC (84.6ºF), but can reach up to 39ºC (102.2ºF).

History
Hanoi is a sacred land of Vietnam. In the 3^rd century BC, Co Loa (actually belonging to Dong Anh District) was chosen as the capital of the Au Lac Nation of Thuc An Duong Vuong (the King Thuc). Hanoi later became the core of the resistance movements against the Northern invasions. Located in the middle of the Red River Delta, the town has gradually expanded to become a very populations and rich residential center. At different periods, Hanoi had been selected as the chief city of Vietnam under the Northern domination.In the autumn of Canh Tuat lunar years (1010), Ly Thai To, the founder of the Ly Dynasty, decided to transfer the capital from Hoa Lu to Dai La, and so he rebaptized it Thang Long (Soaring Dragon). The year 1010 then became an historical date for Hanoi and for the whole country in general. For about a thousand years, the capital was called Thang Long, then changing to Dong Do, Dong Kinh, and finally to Hanoi, in 1831. This sacred piece of land thereafter continued to be the theatre of many fateful events.

Tourism
Throughout the thousand years of its eventful history, marked by destruction, wars and natural calamities, Hanoi still preserves many ancient architectural works including the Old Quarter and over 600 pagodas and temples. Famous sites include the One Pillar Pagoda (built in 1049), the Temple of Literature (built in 1070), Hanoi Citadel, Hanoi Opera House, President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum...

Hanoi also characteristically contains 18 beautiful lakes such as Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, and Truc Bach Lake..., which are the lungs of the city, with their surrounding gardens and trees providing a vital source of energy.

Many traditional handicrafts are also practiced in Hanoi including bronze molding, silver carving, lacquer, and embroidery. Hanoi has many famous traditional professional handicraft villages such as Bat Trang pottery village, Ngu Xa bronze casting village, Yen Thai glossy silk...

Transportation
By road: Hanoi is 93km from Ninh Binh, 102km from Haiphong, 153km from Thanh Hoa, 151km from Halong, 474km from Dien Bien Phu, 658km from Hue, 763km from Danang, and 1,710km from Ho Chi Minh City.

By air: Noi Bai International Airport, over 35km from the city center, is one of the biggest airports of the country with various international and domestic routes. There are domestic flights from Hanoi to Danang, Dien Bien, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Nha Trang and international flights to many countries in over the world.

By train: Hanoi Railway Station is Vietnam's main railway station. It is the starting point of five railway lines leading to almost every province in Vietnam.( vntourism news)

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Best Western to open new hotel in Lao Cai

2009-10-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

Best Western to open new hotel in Lao Cai

www.worldmatetravel.com - Thailand's Best Western International, has confirmed the upcoming opening of Best Western Sapaly, Lao Cai – Vietnam in December 2009.

Lao Cai is a well developed city, the Northwest gate of Viet Nam links with Yunnan, the West of Greater China. The city is a bridge for the economies of the two countries, especially regional industries.

The area is also a recognised tourist destination featuring stunning scenery, colorful cultural activities, and bustling markets overflowing with unique handicrafts and other products. Tour highlights include a dramatic boat cruise into remote, unspoiled areas.

Best Western Sapaly, Lao Cai forms part of the Lao Cai International Frontier Gate Trading Plaza, a multi-purpose complex with shops, restaurants and convention facilities located in the heart of the business area of Lao Cai City.

The plaza, in turn, is located just 200m from the International Frontier Gate. As such, target guests for the hotel include business people participating in the booming trade and investment. Such guests are further facilitated by the hotel’s proximity to nearby industrial parks.

Specially designed to meet the needs of the modern traveler, the 180-room hotel features a New Millennium design and a full range of the latest business and leisure facilities. Rooms are of Superior, Luxury and Suite standard while amenities include a 100-sq m swimming pool, health club, restaurants, bar, and Jacuzzi. A ballroom offers seating for up to 450 guests. Also included are a karaoke club and a disco. Businessmen are well served by meeting rooms and a fully-equipped business center.

Best Western opened its first property in Vietnam in 2008; the 101 room Best Western Pearl River Hotel in Hai Phong. The company has established an area development office with a target to open five hotels in Vietnam within three years in key destinations such as Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, Halong View, Hoi Anh, Nha Trang, and Dalat.

“Vietnam is one of the fastest growing countries in Asia with rapidly developing infrastructure, vibrant business life and other compelling attractions to explore,” said Glenn de Souza, BWI Vice President International Operations – Asia.

“The major share of inbound tourists to Vietnam come from China, South Korea, US, and Japan,” he added.

The executive continued that: “Besides business, Lao Cai is also ripe for tourism with vibrant cultural activities and beautiful natural scenery that includes the highest mountain in the region, Phanxipang. The surrounding region of North Vietnam and nearby Yunnan, China, is one of mountains and rivers which Best Western Sapaly, hotel guests also have the opportunity to enjoy to the full.”. World Mate Travel News.

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Halong Bay tops new world wonders voting group

2009-09-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

Halong Bay tops new world wonders voting group
Halong Bay - one of Vietnam’s two UNESCO natural world heritage sites - had by May 25 risen to the first place in Group G in the voting for the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

The bay, twice recognised by the UNESCO for its landscapes and geological values, surpassed Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar Beach to lead the 25-entry group, which includes sea landscapes and beaches.

A total of 261 national and international sites, divided into seven groups, are vying to enter the top 77. In this second stage, each country is allowed only one entry for selection, except for those entries that are located on a common border shared by two or more countries.

As scheduled, the voting will last until July to choose the top 77. Then 21 sites will be selected by the organising board for the final stage, slated for between 2010 and 2011.

During this time, the New7Wonders World Tour will visit all 21 sites. The New 7 Wonders of Nature will be unveiled in the summer of 2011.

During the first phase of the campaign, which ran from July 2007 to December 31, 2008, three of Vietnam’s tourist hot spots were nominated, including Halong Bay, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park - another UNESCO Natural World Heritage, and Mount Fansipan.(Source: VNA)

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Ha Giang: Worldmatetravel, Ha Giang Vietnam, The northern province of Ha Giang

2009-09-07T03:59:00.001-07:00

Viewing the ancient home in Ha Giang

The northern province of Ha Giang, located at the highest latitude of the country, is popular for its Quang Ngan Waterfall, Than Thuy-Thien Bao National Frontier Pass and Dong Van Highlands, which are popular for camping and hiking.

We come to Ha Giang on a misty morning. The scenery is blanketed with peace and cold. But the romantic view of windy passes and mountain trails seem to be broken in our eyes when we see a couple, a drunken man with tottering steps followed by an austere-looking lady with a full backpack.

"They are Meo people. The women have to do everything, even mining and digging roads, while the men just drink with friends as they follow matriarchy," said our driver Binh while negotiating rugged boulders on a crumbled section of road.

About 20 kilometers from Dong Van District is Sa Phinh Commune which is famous for its mountains, forests, hidden grottoes and caves, plum and peach trees, persimmon orchards and is home to ethnic H'Mong people. H'Mong are known for their agility on treacherous mountain roads and trails.

We reach the commune at 9 p.m. when the dewdrops are already sitting on the samu leaves. The market on that day is deserted. Only a group of children on the way back home from school gather around to gape at the tourists.

Seen from above, the Vuong family palace looks like an ancient Japanese or Chinese pagoda. Striking in the endless green of dense groves, this red-tiled building is surrounded by two layers of square stonewall.

Legend says that the house was built by Vuong Chinh Duc, a notorious drug baron.

Not as impressive as the luxurious design of so many modern buildings, the ancient house of the Vuong family arouses the curiosity of tourists because of its ancient architecture and the story of the drug baron.

The house is actually a complex of buildings as the baron had to provide rooms for many wives and servants and store weapons, drugs and food.

Vuong Chinh Duc led the troops that drove the French army out of Dong Van. After the victory, Duc appointed himself as king of the Meo people and became known as King Meo.

Entrance tickets to the palace are VND10,000.

You can see more pictures of Vietnam Click Here

Lang Co listed as one of the most beautiful bays in the world

2009-09-07T03:34:00.001-07:00

Lang Co listed as one of the most beautiful bays in the world

Lang Co Bay in central Thua Thien-Hue Province has become the third bay, after Halong and Nha Trang bays in Vietnam to be included in the list of the most beautiful bays in the world.

A presentation ceremony will be held on May 15 when the International Conference on the World’s Most Beautiful Bays takes place in Setubal, Portugal

Besides Lang Co, Pemba in Mozambique and Cartegena in Colombia will also receive the title this May.

The next International Conference will be convened in northern Quang Ninh Province in 2010. Vietnamtourism news.

You can see more pictures of Vietnam Click Here

Travel with World Mate Travel, Vietnam

2009-05-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

Dear value travelers and agent partners

With Many Thanks and Best Regards,

Nguyen Van Tu ( Mr)

Founder & Director

*****************************************************

WORLD MATE TRAVEL & TRADING CO., LTD

International Tour Operator Licence: 01-282/2010/TCDL-GP LHQT

Head Office: 166B/10, Chien Thang Street, Van Quan Ward, Ha Dong District, Hanoi, Vietnam

Tel: +84-4-33546824; Fax: +84-4-36857314

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Hotline: (+84) 912.024.500 or (+84) 988 660 505

Email: info@worldmatetravel.com or worldmatetravel@gmail.com

Website: www.worldmatetravel.com or www.amazinghalongbay.com

Skype: tu_worldmatetravel

2009-04-24T22:39:00.001-07:00

Amazing Việt Nam Caves

Hang động và hồ hụt sâu được đoàn thám hiểm khám phá tại Việt Nam.

Amazing Sapa Vietnam

2009-04-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

Sa Pa to host culture-tourism week on holidays

The resort town of Sa Pa, in northern mountainous Lao Cai Province, will host a Culture - Tourism Week from April 30 to May 3 in a move to attract more visitors.

The week will bring together a wide range of activities highlighting rich and distinctive aspects of the province’s diverse ethnic cultures, including an art exhibition entitled “Colours of mountainous areas,” a gastronomy fair featuring the Muong ethnic group’s cuisine, and an orchid fair.

Festivals depicting traditional festivities celebrated by local ethnic people, the cultural lifestyles and sports of the minorities will be highlights during the event.

In particular, the Sa Pa love market will be restaged as part of the week as local authorities are fearing that this unique and traditional event will be lost to commercialisation.

Throughout its history, Sa Pa’s downtown market opened on Saturday night as a destination for young, single Hmong, Dao, Tay and Ray ethnic minorities in the surrounding areas to go and seek their true love.

Those already married also seldom missed the event, as it offered them an opportunity to revisit old flames and relive the experience of young love.

In the evening, the love market would fill with tenderly bewitching music from the romantic leaf-horn, and with people from all around the area dressed in their finest garb.

Sa Pa is now regarded as one of Vietnam’s top vacation and relaxation destinations, sought out by both locals and foreigners alike. In 2008, it welcomed more than 285,000 tourists.

Local officials said they expect to welcome at least 10,000 tourists during this occasion as many hotels have reported reservations.

Home-stay will also be a good choice for holidaymakers, they noted.

Relaxed tours:

Conquer Fan Si Pan VACFSP 0403 (04 Days/ 03 Nights)

Sapa Hard Trekking Tour - VASHTT 1110 ( 11 Days/ 10 Nights)

Sapa Homestay & Trekking VASHT 0504(05 Days/ 04 Nights)

Northwest Loop - VANWT 0908 (09 DAYS/08NIGHTS)

Northern Adventure Tour - VANWAT 1211 (12 DAYS/11NIGHTS)

World Mate Travel & Trading Vietnam

Sapa Vietnam - Worldmatetravel.com

2009-04-13T00:29:00.000-07:00

Sapa ( Top of Indochina)

Area: 678,6 sq. km

Population: 38,200 habitants

Administrative division:

- Townlet: Sapa

- Communes: Ban Khoang, Ta Giang Phinh, Trung Chai, Ta Phin, Sa Pa, San Sa Ho, Ban Phung, Lao Chai, Hau Thao, Thanh Kim, Ta Van, Su Pan, Suoi Thau, Ban Ho, Thanh Phu, Nam Sai, Nam Cang.

Located 38km from Lao Cai City, Sapa is a mountainous district of Lao Cai Province. Sapa District is very well-known with Sapa Townlet, a beautiful and romantic resort.

At the height of 1,600m above sea level, the average temperature of the area is 15-18ºC. It is cool in summer and cold in winter.

Visitor to Sapa in summer can feel the climate of four seasons in one day. In the morning and afternoon, it is cool like the weather of spring and autumn. At noon, it is as sunny and cloudless as the weather of summer. And it is cold in the evening. With no advance warning of a thunderstorm short and heavy rains may come at noon on any summer day. Subsequently, a rainbow appears, transforming Sapa into a magic land, which for years has been a constant source of poetic inspiration, lights up the whole region.

The best time to witness the scenic beauty of Sapa is in April and May. Before that period, the weather might be cold and foggy; after that period is the rainy season. In April and May, Sapa is blooming with flowers and green pastures. The clouds that settle in the valley in early morning quickly disappear into thin air.

Sapa has many natural sites such as Ham Rong Mountain, Silver Waterfall, Rattan Bridge, Bamboo Forest and Ta Phin Cave.Sapa is also the starting point for many climbers and scientists who want to reach the top of Fansipan Mountain, the highest mountain in Vietnam at 3,143m. Hoang Lien Mountain Range is also called the Alps of the North Sea area since Fansipan Mountain is not only the highest peak in Vietnam, but also in the Indochina Peninsula. The pyramid-shaped mountain is covered with clouds all year round and temperatures often drop below zero, especially at high elevations.

The first thing you notice when approaching the resort town are some detached wooden mansions and villas perched on a hill top or hillside, behind thick pine forests and almost invisible on this foggy morning. Old and new villas with red roofs now appear and now disappear in the green rows of pomu trees, bringing the town the beauty of European towns.

Fresh and cool air in Sapa is an idea climate condition for growing temperate vegetables such as cabbage, chayote, precious medicinal herbs, and fruit trees such as plum, pear...

Sapa is home to various families of flowers of captivating colours, which can be found nowhere else in the country. When Tet, the Lunar New Year Festival, comes, the whole township of Sapa is filled with the pink colour of peach blossom brought from the vast forests of peach just outside the town. Sapa is regarded as the kingdom of orchids. Here, orchid lovers are even amazed by the choice, when trekking in the forest filled with several hundred kinds of orchids of brilliant colours and fantastic shapes, such as Orchid Princess, Orchid of My Fair Lady's Shoe. Some orchids are named after lovely singing birds such as the canary, salangane's nest, and more.

Sapa is most beautiful in spring. Apricot, plum and cherry flowers are splendidly beautiful. Markets are crowded and merry, and are especially attractive to visitors. Minority groups come here to exchange and trade goods and products. Market sessions are also a chance for locals to promenade and young men and women in colorful costumes to meet, date or seek sweethearts.

Visitors to Sapa will have opportunities to discover the unique customs of the local residents.

You can get some beautifull pictures from here

Tam Coc Vietnam

2009-04-08T04:45:00.001-07:00

Tam Coc Vietnam






Vietnam Pictures Indochina Destinations

Hoa Lu - Tam Coc

2009-04-08T04:24:00.000-07:00

Tam Coc - Hoa Lu

( Halong bay on land)

Situated on the Red River Delta, Ninh Binh separates the North and the Central Vietnam by Tam Diep Mountain Range. It is surrounded by Hoa Binh, Ha Nam provinces on the north, Nam Dinh Province on the east and Thanh Hoa on the west and the south.

Ninh Binh's topography is divided clearly into 3 parts: the mountainous area in the west and northwest; the delta and coastal area in the east and south. Ninh Binh has Day, Van Sang rivers, and Non Nuoc, Canh Dieu mountains. Annual average temperature is 23.4 °C

How to get there

Located 90km far from Hanoi, Ninh Binh has convenient waterway and road networks of transportation. The Reunification Express Train from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City stops at Ninh Binh Town. National Highway No.10 connects to Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa provinces and National Highway No.12B links to Hoa Binh Province.

Attractions

In Ninh Binh, Hoa Lu Ancient Capital (in Truong Yen Commune, Hoa Lu District now) was chosen as the first capital of Vietnam feudal centralism regime and the Dai Co Viet's political, economic and cultural centre with the name of Kings Dinh Tien Hoang, Le Dai Hanh and Ly Thai To in 10th century. In 1010, King Ly Thai To moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long (Hanoi now), opening a new era for Vietnamese people.

Ninh Binh owns beautiful Tam Coc, Bich Dong, Dich Long, Hoa Son, Tien caves, Van Trinh Grotto and other special landscapes following:

Cuc Phuong National Park is home of varies of strange flora and fauna. Especially it is enjoyable to touch the thousand-year-old cho xanh (parashrea stellata) and sau (Dracontomelum Duperranum or Dancorra Edulis) trees, 50-70m high. The park is also suitable to watch birds, butterflies and orchid flowers.

Phat Diem Cathedral is a solemn and interesting architectural complex, reflecting the skilful and excellent stone carving art of the Vietnamese workers.

Ninh Binh's people have created such famous and traditional products as Kim Son's fine arts, Hoa Lu's high-class embroidery, hanger products and rocky sculpture products for export, Gia Vien's rattan and bamboo knitting products, etc.

You can see some pictures from this website: http://worldmatetravel.com/vietpictures/VietnampictureTamcoc.html

Amazing Halong bay Vietnam, Ha long bay tour, Halongbay travel information, Photos gallery of Halong in Viet nam.

2009-04-08T04:22:00.000-07:00

HALONG BAY PHOTOS GALLERY ( Halong and Catba island )

Amazing Halong Bay

2009-04-08T03:48:00.000-07:00

HA LONG BAY VIETNAM

Situated in the North-East region of Vietnam, Halong Bay is a bay in the Gulf of Tonkin comprised of regions of Halong City, the township of Cam Pha, and a part of the island district of Van Don. Halong Bay borders Cat Ba Island in the southwest, the South Pacific Ocean in the east, and the mainland, creating a 120 km coastline.

Halong Bay is made up of 1,969 islands of various sizes, 989 of which have been given names. There are two kinds of islands, limestone and schist, which are concentrated in two main zones: the southeast (belonging to Bai Tu Long Bay), and the southwest (belonging to Halong Bay). This densely concentrated zone of stone islands, world famous for its spectacular scenery of grottoes and caves, forms the central zone of Halong Bay, which has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The bay itself has an area of 43,400 ha, consists of 775 islands, and forms a triangle with the island of Dau Go (Driftwood Grotto) to the west, the lake of Ba Ham (Three Shelter Lake) to the south, and the island of Cong Tay to the east.

Viewed from above, Halong Bay resembles a geographic work of art. While exploring the bay, you feel lost in a legendary world of stone islands. There is Man's Head Island, which resembles a man standing and looking towards the mainland. Dragon Island looks like a dragon hovering above the turquoise water. La Vong Island resembles an old man fishing. There are also the islands of the Sail, the Pair of Roosters, and the Incense Burner, which all astonishingly resemble their namesakes. The forms of the islands change depending on the angle of the light and from where the islands are viewed. At the core of the islands, there are wonderful caves and grottoes, such as Thien Cung (Heavenly Residence Grotto), Dau Go (Driftwood Grotto), Sung Sot (Surprise Grotto), and Tam Cung (Three Palace Grotto).
Halong Bay has many links to the history of Vietnam. For example, there are such famous geographical sites as Van Don (site of an ancient commercial port), Poem Mountain (with engravings of many poems about emperors and other famous historical figures), and Bach Dang River (the location of two fierce naval battles fought against foreign aggressors).

It has been proven by scientists that Halong was one of the first cradles of human existence in the area at such archeological sites as Dong Mang, Xich Tho, Soi Nhu, and Thoi Gieng. It is also a region of highly-concentrated biological diversity with many ecosystems of salt water-flooded forests, coral reefs, and tropical forests featuring thousands of species of animal and plant life.

With all this in mind, the 18th meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in Thailand on December 17th, 1994), officially recognized Halong Bay as a natural heritage site of worldwide importance. Website: http://www.worldmatetravel.com - http://www.amazinghalongbay.com

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Tam Coc Vietnam

Hoa Lu - Tam Coc

Tam Coc - Hoa Lu

( Halong bay on land)

How to get there

Attractions

Amazing Halong bay Vietnam, Ha long bay tour, Halongbay travel information, Photos gallery of Halong in Viet nam.

Amazing Halong Bay

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