Northern Mountainous Market Fair opens in Hanoi

The annual Northern Mountainous Market Fair, featuring the unique cultures of different ethnic minority groups in Vietnam, opened in Hanoi on April 19.

Visitors can see Dao and Mong women weaving and embroidering textiles, drink corn wine, and taste delicious grilled pork and thang co (a mixture of pork, beef, buffalo and horse meat).

They can also play traditional musical instruments and join in ethnic folk games.

The event runs until April 21.

http://travel.org.vn

Dao Co - beautiful and attrective natural destination in Hai Duong Province

Dao Co - beautiful and attrective natural destination rises like a jewel blessed by nature! Welcome to eco-tourism, you fell comfortable after long tours and to go on board to see many stork species.

Location: In Chi Lang Nam Commune, Thanh Mien District, Hai Duong Province.
Characteristics: It's home mainly to a mere nine varieties of storks, Chinese pond herons, jabirus, buff-backed and grey herons, and the grey, blue and black bitterns.


To the growing list of places in Vietnam that claims to have discovered eco-tourism, add the name of Dao Co (Stork Island). It will have to take its chances for the claim along with all the others but certainly they won't be lessened by its celebrated Island of Storks.

It nestles in Chi Lang Nam Commune and has been quietly pulling bird-watchers - around 15,000 annually, to an out-of-the way part of Hai Duong Province - since the early 1990. That's a modest figure but local tourist officials are hoping to spread its attractions wider without trampling on the very nature that attracts visitors in the first place. Welcome to eco-tourism - welcome to the problem.

Dao Co, one writer enthused "rises like a jewel blessed by nature" in the middle of the 2,832km2 in Chi Lang Nam. Few ornithologists - those birdwatchers - would disagree. It's home mainly to a mere nine varieties of storks, Chinese pond herons, jabirus, buff-backed and grey herons, and the grey, blue and black bitterns, stopping off on their way to China, Myanmar, India and Nepal. But don't forget the common teal, wild ducks, moor hens, the pelicans or the snipes - all faithfully recorded in the Vietnam's nature bible, the Red Book. But it's this time of year that most excites visitors and locals as spring heralds the arrival of tens of thousands of storks. Local experts somehow seem to have deduced that each flock of storks numbers 70, arriving in clusters as night falls to take up residence on their island.

In 1996, the Vietnam office of the UN Development Programme proposed turning Dao Co into an environmental education centre in a two-year, a project which would see planting of bamboo trees and introducing teaching programmes to raise awareness of environmental protection. There are plans to make Dao Co part of an eco-trail starting from Hanoi, winding through Hien Street to Stork Island and on to Con Son, Kiep Bac and Haiphong, and back to the capital.

If tourists in Vietnam Travel have chance to visit Hai Duong Procinve, Stork island is a must-see place that should not be missed!

NOTHING INTERSTING AS “HOMESTAY” SERVICE IN TA VAN GIAY VILLAGE, SAPA

Being 8 kilometers from  Sapa town, Lao Cai province, the way to Ta Van village curves round the mountain-side.

The pristine beauty of mountain and forests Ta Van Giay village, Sapa On the way to Ta Van Giay village, tourists can contemplate terraced fields, May bridge crossing Muong Hoa stream. Especially, tourists can visit a forest belonging to Hoang Lien national forests. That is the itinerary to visit Ta Van Giay village, located in Muong Hoa valley, Ta Van commune. Standing in the halfway of the mountain before reaching the village, you will see beautiful houses on stilts along the valley. There are more than 140 households in the village with about 40 households in the model of “homestay”. Tourists can stay and do daily activities with local people and explore the local culture. In addition, visitors also can hire ethnic costumes to wear and take some photos. There are some ancient houses in the village like Mr Hoang Din’s house, Lo A Muc’s house… The most ancient house is Mr Lo A Muc’s house, built in 1934. This is the typical house of Giay people. Traditional food here is quite simple but impressive. Having a meal with local people, tourists will feel closer and more understanding local people’s life. As simple as Ta Van Giay people Local people are quite familiar with strange tourists visting their house. They are always friendly and hospitable. Entering a house, you can see the decorations that are typical cultural products of Tay Bac ethnic group. Many foreign visitors said they like to stay in rustic houses of local people because they can learn many things like culture, custom, and traditional food. Especially, they can live in an environmentally friendly space and enjoy delicious dishes. That is the reason why they choose homestay service instead of luxurious hotels. May bridge                                                                                    Provide by Travel to Vietnam

Van Don prepares for peak summer season 2013

Local authorities of Van Don district in northern Quang Ninh province are joining hands with travel agencies to make the district a maritime eco-tourism centre.

Illustrative image (Source: quangninh.gov.vn)

In the meantime, they are gearing up for the upcoming peak summer season, to increase the number of visitors to its untouched landscape.

Van Don district boasts 600 islands and islets scattering in Bai Tu Long Bay, which is near the world heritage site of Ha Long Bay. With amazing fresh air and stillness today, the site was once home to a bustling commercial port.

In 2012, more than 540,000 people took their vacations in the district. They reportedly spent at least a night in the islands.

Le Quang Thach, Vice Chairman of Van Don island district People’s Committee, said carnival will be a prime activity during this peak summer season and it will become the trade name of not only Van Don but also Quang Ninh province.

The district plans to cater for 620,000 tourists, including 23,000 foreign visitors, this year.

                                                                                              Provide by  Vietnam travel guide

9 The most Popular Vegetables in Vietnam

Vietnam is well known as a paradise of delicious dishes. Unlike English, Vietnamese prefers to eat vegetable rather than eat meat. Vietnamtourism.org.vn makes a list of popular vegetable in Vietnam for tourists to consult when visiting our country.

1. Water spinach- Morning glory ( rau muống)

Water spinach is the most common vegetable in Vietnam as the tropical climate creates favorable conditions for its growth and the veggie does not require much care. Used to be known as rustic veggie of the poor, water spinach has become an intergal ingredient in

Some Vietnamese cuisines such as sauteed garlic spinach. In the south, morning glory is often chopped into thin chips and eaten raw as salad or verved with many kinds of noodles. For most Vietnamese, water spinach is considered as important as rice in their daily meals.

2. Cabbage ( bắp cải)

Cabbage is one of the indispensible that Vietnamese housewives take to their top list of ingredient in the cold season. It is a round vegetable with large greens or white leaves. It is common knownledge that cabbage is a good source of vitamins disease preventative properties. Cabbage looks like lettuce but the favor is subtly diffirent. Its gently sweet taste could certainly charm vegetarian lovers.

3. Bamboo shoots ( măng)

Coming to Vietnam, the image of green bamboo trees surrounding rustic villages seems to be engraved in tourist's mind as an unforgettable beauty. Not many guests know that bamboo shoots are regarded as valuable source of food. According to scientific research, eating bamboo shoots is one of the best ways for you to lose weight and maintain good general health as they high in dietary fiber and vitamins as well as mineral substance. While fresh bamboo shoots are commonly used in some kinds of soups in Vietnam, its fermented state is prefered to be eaten with a lot of dishes as a kind of Vietnamese Kimchi.

4. Chayote ( su su)

Chayote is gettting popular in the north of Vietnam. It could be easily processed into totally diffirent kinds of dishes as everything in the chayote fruit is edible. The roof and leaves are often sauteed with garlic while the sweet flesh is prefferred to be boiled and served with roasted peanuts. Both dishes are emerging specialties in Vietnam.

5.Kohirabi ( su hào)

Kohirabi is veggie of the cabbage family whose thick round white stem is eaten. It is said that should you are keen on broccoli stalks, you would definitely like Kohirabi. It tastes sweet and super crunchy. While hot Kohirabi soups with pork pone or chicken are bound to warm your belly in the winter, boiled kohirabi is likely to bring you a cool feeling in the summer, not mention to fermented kohirabi with the crunchy flavor remained.

6. Biiter melon ( mướp đắng )

Through the name, we could certainly image how it tastes. However, the rough surface and the bitter flavor are unable to prevent Vietnamese from enjoying the veggie. So, just try it and find your answer. Chopped bitter melon if often stir-fried with eggs, but the most favorite dish could be bitter melon soup, integral part of the menu for the summer in the south. This specialty is taken into Tet holiday menu as it is Vietnamese firm belief that sadness will pass and the happiness will come over after biterness has been eaten.

7. Ceylon spinach ( mồng tơi)

Ceylon spinach has appeared in poems and folk verses of a rustic attractiveness in Vietnamese little villages. the veggie seems remind people living far away their countries of their passed days gathering with their family members around cozy plain meals. The perfect combination of the veggie with crab meat, jute, and luffa creates a mouth-watering soup, a cool dish for hot days in the summer.

8. Cucumber ( dưa chuột)

Hardly any submarine in Vietnam does not have sliced cucumbers as the main ingredient inside. It is certainly an idea veggie for summer due to its mild, almost watery flavour or light melon taste. While raw cucumber is also integral part of most kinds of salads in Vietnam, pickled cucumber is another delicacy in Vietnamese cuisines.

9. Chinese broccoli ( ngồng cải)

Many types of soups in Vietnam has chinese broccoli as the main ingredient. With a subtly bitter flavor and long-lasting sweet taste, the veggie is commonly đippe into broth to enrich the flavor of hotpots. In addition, it can be eaten raw in salads, stir-fried with beef or mushroom and boiled as a normal vegetable. however, the veggie should be washed thoroughtly before processed due to the fact that Vietnamese farmers currently spray many kinds of pesticides onto the veggie.
http://travel.org.vn/food-drink/vietnamese-food/2013/05/nine-most-popular-vegetables-of-vietnam.html

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.)