Cat Ba - Destinationa that tourists should not miss

The small town looks beautiful, pristine and poetic, lying gently around a high mountain looking onto the sea. Cat Ba is the name of the biggest island in the Cat Ba archipelago including 366 islands grouped in Lan Ha Bay.

Cat Ba Island, covering 140 square kilometers, is known for its ideal climate, stunning beaches and biodiversity. Cat Ba National Park was recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2003.

The highlight of Cat Ba is its sand dunes scattered amidst mountains, stunning beaches with clear, blue water, endless green of the forests and the limestone walls of the islands. The bizarre rock formations are sculpted by millenniums of erosion by water. The island also has coral reefs, sandy beaches, freshwater wetland areas, mangrove forests and willow swamps.

Cat Ba Island is wellknown with sunshine beaches and fresh water

Streams winding deeply in forests always murmur, creating symphonies and caves running through mountains always attract travelers’ curiosity.

Cat Ba National Park is another amazing sight to behold as it is home to 300 species of fauna and flora. The white-head langurs that live on Cat Ba are one of Vietnam’s most endangered primates. The park, which takes up more than half of the island, is endowed with a diverse ecosystem and many types of habitats, . After discovering the wildlife, visitors can cool off on the beach and play in the waves. The most popular beach is Cat Co beach which draws a crowd on holidays and weekends.

Cat Ba National Part is the perfect place to explore diversity ecosytem 

For nature lovers, a visit to Trung Trang Cave with its mysterious stalactites is a must. Hung Son Cave, which used to contain a hospital during the revolutionary wars, and Lan Ha Bay are other attractions that tourists should not miss.

Cruise boats are also available to explore from the sea and for those who love to hike, Ngu Lam Mountain at a height of 225 meters has a watchtower which has a stunning vantage point to take in a spectacular panoramic view of the island.

Deeper into the Mekong River Delta

Is there anywhere on planet Earth that so teems with life and industry as the Mekong Delta? Anywhere where agriculture and fish farming are so intensively practiced? In thinking that one day I'll come back here and find multi-storey rice paddies stretching to the horizon, I suspect I'm only partially dreaming.

Not for nothing has the delta of the Mekong River been termed the "rice bowl of the Universe". Six countries and well over fifty million people depend upon the Mekong for their very livelihood. And in no country is this dependence so profound as in Vietnam.

Flying into Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) gives as good an introduction as any to the wonders of the Mekong. From the air the landscape resembles an intricate anatomical chart, only in shades of green and brown rather than white and red. Every tributary of the Mekong River bifurcates, then trifurcates and multifurcates into thousands of veins, arteries and capillaries. Then, linking this vast drainage network are hundreds of manmade canals, giving the countryside the appearance of an Eastern Venice.

The Old Quarter - The Unique Classical Feature of Hanoi

The Hanoi’s Old Quarter is the soul of city, and the top special historical vestige and sight-seeing of the capital.

There’s an old Vietnamese saying, “Hanoi has thirty-six streets and guilds – Jam Street, Sugar Street, Salt Street…”. Inside a modern and dynamic city, there appears an antique quarter, the Hanoi’s Old Quarter – the represented eternal soul of the city. These days, most Vietnamese and Westerners are familiar with the phrase “Hà Nội - Ba mươi sáu phố phường” (translated as “Ha Noi - 36 districts” or “Hanoi – 36 Old Streets”), or “Phố cổ Hà Nội” (translated as “Hanoi’s Old Quarter”), the top special historical vestige and sight-seeing of the capital, luring international visitors thanks to their mostly original state.

Hanoi 's old quarter

History of 36 streets old quarter

It would be a big surprise should you know that Hanoi's Old Quarter came into being at the time King Ly Thai To selected Thang Long as the country’s capital in 1010, that is, the streets have a nearly 1,000-year old history and became crowded & lively in 15th century. What makes them unique is that many of them remain in their very ancient architecture of the 15th century. Up to now, it has been the oldest continuously developed area of Vietnam.

Hanoi 's old quarter in the past

Exploring the Islands of Ha Long Bay

Legend says Ha Long Bay was formed by a Mother Dragon and her children, sent by the Jade Emperor to protect the Viet from foreign invaders. The dragons flocked from Heaven, spitting out pearls which formed small islands and stopped the invaders and destroyed their ships. Mother Dragon and her children didn’t return to Heaven after the battle, but settled into the bay; the Mother Dragon forming Ha Long Bay and the children forming Bai Tu Long.

Exploring the islands of Ha Long Bay almost makes this incredible story seem true. Weaving through the almost 2000 islands while sitting atop jade-green water is surreal to say the least; spiritual at most.