My First Impression Trekking Sapa

By Audrey Scott

Even in winter, Sapa’s landscape dazzles with its rolling hills and terraced rice fields. The villages and people are just as unique. It’s like a portal to another world.

Su was our trusty Black Hmong guide dressed in a dark indigo top and skirt with brightly embroidered trim, velvet strips wrapped around her legs and comfortable sneakers. Within moments of leaving the hotel, we were surrounded by a gaggle of (giggling) girls who came only to hip level and danced around us calling out “what’s your name?” “how old are you?” “do you have any brothers or sisters?”.

Trekking Sapa is like walking through a time warp. Women with bright red headdresses and clothing covered in colorful embroidery walk by with babies and wicker basket backpacks on their backs. Girls are miniature versions or their mothers, learning how to embroider (and sell) at an early age. Boys play in the fields and tend to the water buffalos. Houses are simple structures with dirt floors, often without electricity or running water.

The second day of trekking tour took us through deeper valleys and muddier paths into villages of other ethnic groups. Children and women with heavy loads on their backs flitted over the hills and steep paths with simple sandals, while tourists in sturdy hiking boots were falling all over each other trying to stay balanced. The simplicity, scope and beauty of the surrounding terraced rice fields was impressive.

We had a long walk ahead of us and weren’t interested in buying any souvenirs. We were waiting for the shopping opportunities at Bac Ha market. At one of the resting points, a Red Dao woman latched onto me. Acutely aware of her befriend-and-sell strategy, I told her straight away that we weren’t shopping that day. The woman laughed and continued to walk with us.

Sapa is like no other place we’ve visited. It is a visually spectacular, magical place – with its endless hills of terraced rice fields and concentration of hill tribe ethnic minorities whose colorful traditional clothing beautifully accent the landscape. It doesn’t feel like people are wearing traditional attire just to please tourists and their cameras – their dress is a matter of pride and identity.

I wonder how life in the villages and people will change over the next few years. Already, children from the villages stay in town for several days at a time to accompany tourists and sell handicrafts. When I asked Su how tourism had changed her village, she replied that it hasn’t changed it too much yet, but that in 15 years it will be very different. I believe she’s underestimating the pace of change.

Not all change is bad, of course – sometimes it brings a better standard of life with improved health care, education and nutrition. However, if Vietnam wants to preserve the uniqueness and cultures of its ethnic minorities, it will need to responsibly manage the tourism boom in places like Sapa. 

Trekking Mai Chau - Exploring Vietnam rustic beauty

Mai Chau located with regard to Hoa Binh province, approximately 135 km from Capital of vietnam then 60 kilometres far from Hoa Binh. The particular trekking Mai Chau tour takes with regards to 3 hours and also a half from Hanoi.

Mai Chau is valley of Thai people. Immigrate to Mai Chau around 600 years ago, Thai people is the biggest community living in this valley. They lived on wet rice cultivation and stay in their typical house on stilts and have the biggest influences to the culture and image of this valley up to now. The life and atmosphere in this valley are really peaceful and this is the thing I like in this valley most. The air still so fresh, much different to the terrible thing in the big city. Every time coming here, I slept so well.

The particular day highlight typically is trekking Mai Chau surrounding – Hiking by means of green rice fields, and in addition surrounding thai hamlets. The entire scenery is not grandiose with immense terraced grounds and also rain forests. But yet this really is actually quiet, peaceful and even friendly here. In the event you don’t include much time, you can appreciate a half day hiking around Lac and Poom Coong village (Mai Chau). In case you have much more time, several days to invest on hiking throughout this area, you may book a 2 – days, 3 days, 4 day hiking tour with regard to Maichau Valley, or even longer.

Trekking Maichau Valley is actually superior for both active travelers then family holiday breaks. Consequently, should you take a trip with your own kids, try in order to ask your own local tour operator that would advise the entire the majority of suitable trail and the smaller trekking trips.

Three days Kayaking Ha Long Bay

By Makrand

Ha Long Bay is one of the most popular tourist place in North Vietnam. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a collection of more than 1000 islands of various sizes most of which are formed by limestones.  It is also listed as one of the seven new wonders of the world.

It is located around 170 KM east of Hanoi and it takes around 3 and half hours to reach there by bus.  It can be reached by public transport or hiring a taxi from Hanoi. Alternatively you can take a group tour from any of the travel agency in Hanoi. Agencies offer various types of tours ranging from a day trip to 3 days trip. The cost of these tours also vary depending on the luxury level. If you do not have much time in hand then you can opt for a day trip which will take you through important spots of the region.

Kayaking Halong Bay tour starts at around 8 AM from Hanoi and you reach around noon time at Ha Long Bay. The bus stops for a break of around 20 mins at a stopover.  Once you reach Ha Long Bay you will notice two things –  The beautiful sea along with hundreds of boats of various sizes and a huge crowd waiting to get on boats. There is a small scam at the shore. 

After everyone is settled, the boat starts sailing through the sea and you start passing through limestone formations around you. Since it will be lunch time, soon you will be served lunch on the boat. Vegetarian food was  available but with extremely limited options of rice, tofu and fruits. You can buy drinks on the boat if required.  Food quality was ok just enough to survive for the day.

The views from the deck are very nice. You can see limestone formations in all directions. The boat moves steadily in sea water and gentle breeze making it more wonderful. The guide will tell you history of the place along the way. Meaning of Ha Long in Vietnamese is Descending Dragon. Vietnamese people believe that dragon was sent by God to protect land from invaders.

The boat then stops at fishing village. From there you take ride in traditional vietnamese bamboo boats passing below the rocks. You can also do kayaking at this place at additional cost. Its a very peaceful place and ideal for kayaking Halong Bay. This is the most beautiful region of the Bay.

The final part of trip takes you inside one of the huge caves which are open to tourists. The guide will show you various shapes of rocks which look like various animals. Sunlight enters through very narrow gaps and artificial lights are also places inside caves.

Active travel Hoian ancient town

By Kelly

Of all the places we roamed during our monthlong adventure travel Vietnam (so many of which I am excited still to show you!), the one that nestled deepest into my heart was Hoi An, Vietnam, an exceptionally well-preserved ancient trading port on the coast of the South China Sea. Instead of taking a hotel room in town, we rented a simple but achingly beautiful little villa a few miles out, a quiet place that really felt like home for a moment.

The house was built around a central courtyard, with a small saltwater pool and explosions of exotic flowers.

It offered the perfectly tropical quintessence of indoor/outdoor living, with walls made of intricately carved wood panels through which light and mists of rain and bird songs shone. Its clay roof tiles rested on an equally elegantly articulated open beam system. At night, light was provided by handcrafted silk lanterns, their tassels swaying softly in the evening breeze. Every morning, our next door neighbor would bring over freshly baked bánh mi the Vietnamese version of a baguette plus eggs laid that day by her constantly clucking brood of chickens and mangoes and bananas plucked from the trees in our adjoining yards. We’d fry the eggs, squeeze fresh oranges and bathe outside.

Personal car ownership is uncommon in Vietnam; most locals ride motorbikes everywhere they go. Thus the streets are steadily buzzing with fantastically noisy swarms of them, moving in manic unison like huge grists of bees. There are no streetlights, no stop signs and no speed limits, but somehow it just seems to work. It was incredible to see families of six piled onto a single bike, doing the daily school/work drop-off circuit. Grannies in their seventies would ride to market in the morning, balancing twelve dozen eggs and never flinching for a second. You have not really been to Vietnam until you’ve ridden through its streets on the back of a fast-racing motorbike Vietnam. It’s an experience not to be missed active travel Vietnam.

As our house was outside of town, down a maze of dirt roads with no names, we had little choice but to live like the locals. We borrowed vintage bikes and braved the hair-raising streets.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, Hoi An was an important Vietnamese trading center, where Chinese, Japanese, Dutch and Indian spice merchants settled. It was considered the most propitious port on the continent, for the ancients believed that the heart of Asia (the dragon) lay beneath the earth of Hoi An. Because of this, the old town has a rich and layered look, its architecture teaming with color and a confluence of cultural influences.

The locals live and eat simply, all fresh fruits and fish and sticky rice harvested from the endless paddies on the outskirts of town. Hot chili sauce tops everything, the recipe for which we have just about mastered. Back home, I’ve always been impressed with the quality of cuisine that TURF, Zach’s restaurant in Montauk, is able to turn out from a simple kitchen inside an airstream trailer, but the Vietnamese make just as much if not more with a whole lot less. Some of the best meals I’ve ever eaten came out of tiny pushcarts equipped with rickety camp stoves, at most.

Hoian Ancient Town ranked the second favorite spot in Asia

Conde Nast Traveler readers voted Hoian as second favorite spot in Asia.  

Hoian acient town 

In Conde Nast Traveler annual survey, considered the most prestigious survey of the tourism industry worldwide, Hoian “jump” up to second place after Kyoto (Japan) in list of the top favorite city in Asia. In previous survey, Hoian was the first time in top 10.

Hoian acient town

In the winner announcement, operated in New York City, on 15^th October, Conde Nast Travelers magazine also listed five hotels and resorts of Vietnam in the best hotel and resort.

In particular, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, 112 year old hotel, ranked fifth in the top 25 best hotels in South East Asia. Park Hyatt Saigon, Sofitel Plaza Hanoi and Sofitel Saigon Plaza are also in this list.

Meanwhile, Nam Hai resort was voted as one of top 10 resorts in Asia, rising from last year’s 14^th place. Other Vietnam’s resorts are not in this shortlist. This year, the Conde Nast Traveler survey attracts nearly 80.000 participants with 1, 3 million votes for 16.000 hotels and resorts. In previous year, it attracted only 46.000 readers.

This is the 26^th nomination since 1988. This year, Conde Nast Traveler readers vote through a secure site and the votes are categorized by Equation Research. Conde Nast Traveler readers evaluate nominee according to the criteria on a scale of five. To eligible for the award, hotels and resorts have received the minimum number of votes.