Lo Dieu rock reef awaits tourist footprints

Nguyen Thi Binh An Peaceful scenery in Lo Dieu Located in Lo Dieu Hamlet, Hoai My Commune, Hoai Nhon District in Binh Dinh Province, Lo Dieu Wharf was an important spot for Vietnamese revolutionary ships that transported weapons for the province’s Military Base No 5.

Rock reefs in Lo Dieu Beach are formed into many weird shapes The process of formation and nature has turned the rock reefs into strange and weird shapes that can arouse the rich imaginations of tourists. Seen from above, Lo Dieu Beach looks like a giant bow leaning back onto the mountain and facing to the sea with a rice field in the middle. Now Lo Dieu is also famous for the popular Bang Bang sand dunes. Coming to Lo Dieu, tourists have to pass through winding trails but will be rewarded by its romantic surroundings. Moreover, during summer, the clear blue water and smooth golden sand will give tourists a place to relax and a chance to indulge in nature and forget daily stresses. A view of Hon Trong (Waiting Rock) – Photos: Binh An The highlight of the area is Hon Trong (Waiting Rock), a rock in the shape of a woman waiting for her husband who has gone fishing. On the mountain wall facing the sea, tourists will see Ong Temple which is dedicated to worship whales and was used as a hiding-place for weapons in wartime. Every two years, local fishermen will make rituals and give offerings at the temple to skeletons of whales to pray for a good catch and safety in the sea.                                                                                                    Provide by Vietnam travel guide

Dam Da- A new land waiting for exploration of tourists in Vietnam travel

Meanwhile such names as Hoa Tien grotto, Tien Phi grotto, Mai Chau valley, Hoa Binh hydroelectric plant on the Da River are tourist highlights, Dam Da located in Phu Lao commune, Lac Thuy district, Hoa Binh province seems to be an obscure historical site.

This is a vast complex of temples, pagodas and caves, including Trinh temple (also known as Quan Trinh), Mau temple, Tien pagoda and others. Dam Da hosts annual festival in the fourth month of the lunar year, attracting many pilgrims from the province and neighboring regions.

In the complex, Tien Pagoda has been recognized as a national historical cultural site which attracts many visitors joining tours in Vietnam to come here for sightseeing or worship. Nguoi Xua Cave (including Tien Cave and Ho Cave) is renowned as a national archaeological location with many vestiges of ancient Vietnamese people, contributing a great deal to the study of Vietnam’s history.

Scattered around the complex are temples and pagodas such as Trinh Temple, Mau Temple and Tien Pagoda, which are dedicated to worship legendary characters such as Au Co Mother, Lac Long Quan Father, Hoang Bay Mandarin and Tam Toa Thanh Mau.

Besides its cultural and historical values, Dam Da is marked by its natural spectacular caves. It also has over 20 mysterious caves including Tam Toa, Thuy Tien, Cung Tien, Hoang Muoi and Co Chin, etc. In the caves, stalactites in diverse colors and shapes hang. As the caves’ entrances are situated halfway up the mountains, tourists in Vietnam travel have to trek to reach them. One will find it extremely difficult to list all the caves here. Travelers will be totally taken by surprised at the gigantic and illusory stalagmites and stalactites when coming into each cave.

During spring, particularly from January to March, Dam Da-Hoa Binh is most crowded when there is Chua Tien festival. Conveniently, tourists can combine a trip to visiting Perfume pagoda nearby – a famous attraction in My Duc district, Ha Tay province (now part of Hanoi.)

Conquering " the roof of Da Lat”

Lang Biang is the highest mountain in Lam Vien plateau with 2,167 meters above sea level. The mountain is in Lac Duong (Lam Dong) and is about 12 kilometers far from Da Lat city. The moutain’s name - Lang Biang - has origin from the love story of K’Lang and H’Biang. 

Tragic story According to the legend, K’Lang is in Lat tribe and H’Biang is in Cil tribe. K’Lang chanced on H’Lang when they went for  hunting and picking fruits in the forest. When H’Lang got in an accident, K’Lang bravely saved her from the flock of wolves. Therefore, they esteemed and loved each other. However, because of the curse between two tribes, H’Biang could not get married to K’Lang. However, they still tried to  overcome all of strict customs to be able to live together. When they became husband and wife, they were chased by their family, so they went to a hilltop to earn their living. When H’Biang got sick, K’Lang found all treatment methods but H’Biang did not recover. He had to come back his tribe to tell them her illness and find a way to save her. Unluckily, H’Biang died because of saving K’Lang from the poisoned arrow of their tribe. K’Lang cried a lot after his lover’s death. His tear flowed into a big stream, now it calls Da Nhim (crying stream). Then he died. After K’Lang and H’Biang’s deaths, H’Biang’s father were very regretful, he decided to united two tribes into a tribe called K’Ho. Lang Biang has been chosen to be the symbol of Da Lat city. Conquering the top With the guide of Hot Ha Sien, in the first stage, we conquered the hill “Yen Ngua”. When being 650 meters far from the hilltop, we had a challenge with the abrupt mountain slope. Ha Sien said: “Thanks to JICA (Japan), this section of the road was built stairs to be easier to travel”. After an hour and 45 minutes, we reached the roof of Da Lat at the height of 2,167 meters. The top of mountain area is only about 50 square meters. People took some photos with the landmark and Da Lat panorama. To travellers who are not brave enough to conquer the top of 2,176 meters, they can turn left from the ranger station to go to the top of radar at the height of 1,950 meters. There are the symbols of K’Lang and H’Biang, catering service and photography here. To someone being lazy of walking, they can go to the service of hiring a Jeep in the mountain foot with 240,000 VND. Beside a hillside near the foot of mountain, there is a 100-year valley that is designed as an eco-tourism area. Lang Biang is an interesting destination for going for a picnic, adventuring, exploring the nature and the local people’s culture.                                                                                                         Provide by Travel to Vietnam

Pristine Xuan Dai Bay in Phu Yen

From Phu Yen’s Tuy Hoa City, head north on Highway 1 for 45 kilometers and you will see Xuan Dai Bay in front of you, like a watercolour painting. The bay is ringed by a mountain chain stretching some 15km, providing a dramatic scenic backdrop. With a water surface area of approximately 13,000ha, the entrance to the bay, by the mouth of the Ky Lo River, is 4.4km wide and varies from 7m to 18m deep.

Listed among the most beautiful bays in the world, Xuan Dai Bay is a remarkable sightseeing spot in Phu Yen Province, offering both sea and mountain views. Recently, Xuan Dai Bay has become a famous destination attracting not only local people, but also foreign travellers who love relaxing on the beach. From Phu Yen’s Tuy Hoa City, head north on Highway 1 for 45 kilometers and you will see Xuan Dai Bay in front of you, like a watercolour painting. The bay is ringed by a mountain chain stretching some 15km, providing a dramatic scenic backdrop. With a water surface area of approximately 13,000ha, the entrance to the bay, by the mouth of the Ky Lo River, is 4.4km wide and varies from 7m to 18m deep. Few bays have the topographical variety of Xuan Dai, with secluded inlets interspersed with mountain cliffs.  There are dozens of coves of various sizes and depths. Xuan Dai Bay is best viewed from the surrounding mountains, or islands and peninsulas, such as Ong Xa, Nhat Tu Son, Yen, Mom, Ghenh, Da Mai, Tai Ma, and Den. All are big, beautiful and pristine. Nhat Tu Son Island looks like the Chinese character for the number one, making a horizontal slash on the sea. Yen Island is famous as well, depending on your viewpoint you can see its shape as a sail, or as a tiger sitting carefree on the ocean. Tourists can swim or take leisurely walks on wild stretches of beach to view the unique features of Xuan Dai Bay. Binh Sa, also called Dai Beach, is the most impressive, a gently curving beach stretching for 5km lined by poplar forest. All around the bay there are rugged islands emerging from the water surface, green with plants throughout all four seasons. From the tops of the islands, visitors can see fishing villages with rows of coconut trees along the shore of Xuan Dai Bay and, in front of you, fleets of fishing boats bobbing gently on the sea. Visitors can also see the local people pass by on the way to their daily work on the sea. Some areas around Xuan Dai can be quite difficult to be reach, as the landscape is still wild and primitive. The best time to visit is from November to April. Provide by Vietnam travel guide

The ancient village of Duong Lam

JICA and a group of experts from Vietnam and Japan have teamed up to preserve an old village in Hanoi called Duong Lam.

A conference was held on the issue by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Department of Cultural Heritage on May 7. One official from the department said Duong Lam is among few villages in Vietnam that still has this style of old houses.

He said, “If no drastic measures are taken soon, the houses in Duong Lam may not be saved.”

The village\'s gateway

“One of the most important things is to educate the citizens, so that they understand the great cultural value of these houses. Hopefully they will voluntarily preserve them,” he added.

The Management Board of Duong Lam, along with Tay Son People’s Committee, are considering seeking UNESCO’s recognition of the village as a World Cultural Heritage Site.

The oldest house

Ms. Duong Bich Hanh, an official of UNESCO in Hanoi, said it would require great deal of time, patience and even money to pursue efforts to seek for UNESCO recognition.

“It is also essential to take into account the views of local citizens, and gain their support for the process, because their lives would be impacted by UNESCO recognition,” she said.

Gate of the oldest house

Duong Lam has been recognised as a National Heritage since November 28, 2005.

The Hanoi municipal government has also given the village official recognition. It has around 300 houses that are more than 100 years old, the oldest of which is 342.

An ancient well

Traveling 48 hours in Ho Chi Minh city

Vietnam's biggest city packs in fresh flavours, French relics and a futuristic skyline.

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

WHY GO NOW?

The dry season in the southern portion of Vietnam runs from December to April, making now the ideal time to visit the country's biggest metropolis. The city will also be in party mode on 30 April. Liberation Day celebrates the anniversary of the end of the American War and the reunification of the two halves of Vietnam in 1975.

TOUCH DOWN

Tan Son Nhat airport sits 7km north-west of the centre of the city.

Transfers will be included if you are on a wider tour. Taxi firm Mai Linh has a booth in the arrivals hall. Cabs to the centre cost 200,000 Vietnamese dong (NZ$11.40), taking 15 to 30 minutes. Bus 152 runs to the main bus station on Tran Hung Dao street, for V$5000 (29c), during daylight hours.

GET YOUR BEARINGS

Although it has borne its official name for almost 40 years since Vietnamese reunification (it was the capital of the anti-communist, American-supported South Vietnam), Ho Chi Minh City is still largely referred to by locals as Saigon.

It straddles the Saigon River in the south of the country, north-east of the Mekong Delta. It is split into 24 districts, but District One the core of the French colonial city of the 19th century holds the key sights.

Taxis are the easiest method of transport Mai Linh (green and white livery) or Vinasun Taxi and far safer than the informal motorbike rides (xe om) that can be hailed. The centre can also be covered on foot. There is no tourist office but is a solid resource.

DAY ONE

TAKE A HIKE

Begin outside the Reunification Palace at 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia. This concrete giant, the former presidential palace of South Vietnam, witnessed the symbolic end of the war on 30 April 1975 when a phalanx of North Vietnamese tanks smashed down its gates. It is now a museum (open daily 7.30-11am and 1-4pm. Its echoing interior is all Cold War phones, map rooms and reinforced bomb shelters.

From here, stroll two blocks north-east along Le Duan, a leafy colonial boulevard. Turn right into Cong Xa Paris square and pass the red-brick cathedral of Notre-Dame de Saigon before entering the Central Post Office, another splendid French leftover (open daily 6am-10pm).

WINDOW SHOPPING

If you leave the square at its south-east end, you arrive on to Dong Khoi, one of the city's key drags. Among the jewellery and fashion stores, you'll find the mega-mall of Parkson Plaza, just off the avenue at 41-45 Le Thanh Ton. Diamond Plaza, at 34 Le Duan, does similar retail modernity, but there's a far more traditional vibe to Ben Thanh Market for Vietnam tourism, a cluttered pocket of stalls, where you can buy everything from fruit to T-shirts.

LUNCH ON THE RUN

Pop into Pho 24 at 71-73 Dong Khoi where pho bo (the national dish of beef with noodles) is V$49,000.

CULTURAL AFTERNOON

The War Remnants Museum at 28 Vo Van Tan, traces what happened to Vietnam during its turbulent 20th century. Perspective is unsurprisingly one-eyed, but the bleakness cuts through the bias. US tanks and helicopters are lined up outside.

Next to the river at 1 Nguyen Tat Thanh, the Ho Chi Minh Museum focuses on the man whose vision helped wrest Vietnam from foreign control. Open daily except Monday, 8-11.30am and 2-5pm (V$10,000), it has a limited collection of personal artefacts.

For more depth, try the Vietnam History Museum at 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem, which dissects Vietnam's rich heritage back to the ancient Cham civilisation.

DINING WITH THE LOCALS

Lemongrass, a colourful Vietnamese option at 4 Nguyen Thiep, puts the emphasis on seafood, with mains from V$100,000. Le Jardin dreams of the French era with steaks in a garden setting at 31 Thai Van Lung. Meanwhile, Xu at 71-75 Hai Ba Trung, pushes local cuisine into the 21st century.

DAY TWO

SUNDAY MORNING: GO TO CHURCH

Notre-Dame de Saigon is so French that during its construction (1863-1880), every stone slab was came from Marseille. Open daily 8am-5pm (Sunday mass at 9.30am), it provides a calm presence at 1 Cong Xa Paris, its twin towers rear 58m above the square.

Of course, Vietnam is largely Buddhist, and the city provides another major religious site in the Xa Loi Pagoda. There is no special beauty to this compound at 89 Ba Huyen Thanh Quan (open daily 6-11.30am and 2-9pm), aside from its six-tier bell tower and the shrine to Thich Quang Duc, a monk whose suicide protest by self-immolation was captured by news cameras and became one of the 20th-century's most striking images. It took place four blocks south of the pagoda at Cach Mang Thang Tam and Nguyen Dinh Chieu.

A WALK IN THE PARK

North of the immediate centre, the Botanical Gardens at 2b Nguyen Binh Khiem were another French gift. Part of the Saigon Zoo complex, this verdant space is open daily 7am-7pm, admission V$12,000. Dating to 1864, its tree-shaded lanes, where young couples stroll, could almost be Paris but for the tropical foliage and chirp of insects.

OUT TO BRUNCH

A reflection of the city's increasingly international make-up, The Sushi Bar at 2 Le Thanh Ton deals in fresh Japanese fare.

TAKE A VIEW

The city's future as a business hot spot is most discernible in the 263m Bitexco Financial Tower, near the waterfront at 2 Hai Trieu. This vision in glass looks like a fragment of Dubai. Its 49th-floor observation deck opens 9.30am-9.30pm except Friday and Saturday, 10am-10pm, entry V$200,000. The view highlights the fast-evolving metropolis west of the river and the predominantly undeveloped east bank.

ICING ON THE CAKE

The Rex Hotel at 141 Nguyen Hue was the site of regular press briefings as the war turned against the United States. Weary reporters came to know these dispatches infused with a growing self-denial as "Five O'Clock Follies''. These words now flash in neon above the hotel's fifth-floor Rooftop Garden bar where you can enjoy a ginger mojito for V$160,000 and absorb the city's ceaseless ebb and flow from an outdoor seat.

Flower Market in Ho Thi Ky

Ho Thi Ky is considered the biggest flower market in town and is known as the Langbiang Plateau (famously located in Dalat) of HCM City.

At this time of the year with Tet holiday almost upon us, the market becomes one of the busiest locations in the city.

Workers load flower boxes at Ho Thi Ky Flower Market.

It is a hotspot from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning with dozens of trucks rushing to the market with thousands of flower-boxes from Hanoi and Dalat cities. Some flowers are also imported from Japan, Thailand and China.

A woman chooses roses at Ho Thi Ky Flower Market.

The market, located on Ho Thi Ky Street in District 10, sells varieties such as the rose, daisy, orchid, lily, salem, mimosa, sun flower, lotus as well as wild flowers from Vietnam travel company. Apart from fresh flowers, the market also features baskets and vases made from bamboo or ceramics as well as flower arranging services.

Eight percent of workers in the market are men who carry or load flower boxes. The prices are also reasonable, at about VND30,000 for ten roses, VND5,000 for a daisy bunch, VND50,000 for flamingo flower boutique, VND40,000 for a gerbera boutique and VND90,000 for a lily bunch.

A man smiles happily after buying a beautiful boutique of flamingo flowers.

The market has about 100 trading households with about 5-7 workers in each. On normal days, the market receives about 1,000 flower boxes with each box holding 150 flower boutiques, but on the holiday season like now, the market receives from 2,000 to 3,000 flower boxes.

Here are some snapshots taken by The Saigon Times Daily’s contributor Cong Thu in Ho Thi Ky Flower Market in District 10 during the night.