Vietnam Backpacking

11/07/2015

MUI NE SAND DUNES
Vietnam’s landscape is a source of endless surprise and fascination, all of these create unique opportunities for visitors to explore in and around the area. And it would be a big miss for tourists coming to Vietnam without visiting Mui Ne.

Mui Ne (Ne cape) is located 24 km north-east of the city of Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan province, Vietnam. It is about 200 km north of Ho Chi Minh City where tourists can see stunning beaches, tropical forests, red and white sand dunes, a beautiful harbor and ancient buildings such as the Hindu Cham towers and the Van Thuy Tu Temple. Besides, visitors can walk to many restaurants, museums or shopping malls - even visit the school where Ho Chi Minh taught before he went to study in Paris.

The traditional fishing village of Mui Ne is now becoming a famous leisure destination for both locals and foreign visitors.

October 24th 1995 marked the very first milestone in the development of tourism industry of Mui Ne in particular and Phan Thiet in general, as it is considered to be the birth of tousism in Phan Thiet City. On this day 20 years ago, thousands of people rushed to Mui Ne to enjoy the spectacular sunset and see the total solar eclipse. Then event will be commemorated on the same day this year as the 20th anniversary of tourism for the province.

Visiting Mui Ne, travelers may enjoy a variety of water sports such as kiteboarding and windsurfing in Mui Ne beach, and among these outdoor activities, sand sledding seems to be the most common and funniest sport. Visitors may experience unforgettable moments when sledding on dry Saharan-like sand dunes.

Visitors can rent plastic sleds from locals who provide this service in the area. It is a wise idea to check the price and agree on it beforehand. Some travelers have had unpleasant experiences with the youngsters renting them out. It is almost impossible to nail down the best location for sand sledding activity as the sand shifts season to season because of the wind. So the best idea is to look around. Visitors can enjoy playing sand sledding all year round, but the best time is in early morning or late afternoon because the sand gets very hot during the day.

Besides, the red and white dunes feature white, reddish-brown sand that makes them a more popular place for photography.

Phan Thiet is 198km from Ho Chi Minh City, 185km from Dalat, 250km from Nha Trang. Tourists are suggested to reach Phan Thiet, or Mui Ne by train. There is SPT2 train from Ho Chi Minh to Phan Thiet. Tickets are available at Ho Chi Minh (Sai Gon) railway station, address 1 Nguyen Thong Street, 9 Ward, 3 District, Ho Chi Minh City. This train departs every day and takes about 4 hours from Ho Chi Minh to Phan Thiet. The types of seats include the hard seat (USD 21), the and soft seat (USD 23). Free tickets for kids under the age of 2. Kids from 3-9 years old have to pay half price as that of adults. Each of the cabins is designed with the air-conditioner and the comfortable seat. From Phan Thiet to Mui Ne, visitors can take a taxi. (About USD 12-15).

08/07/2015

Sapa is a frontier town which is located in Lao Cai province in northwest Vietnam. Of all the great tourist destinations in Vietnam, perhaps there would be no greater crime than to leave without having visited Sapa, where visitors can enjoy four seasons in one single day.

Sapa is 380 km north-west of Hanoi, close to the border with China. It is believed to be first inhabited by the Hmong and Yao ethnic groups in the 15th century. When time flies on, many other groups of people have come to this beautiful town, such as the Kinh (lowland Vietnamese) making it one of the main markets in the area.

Sapa is now in full economic boom, mainly from the thousands of tourists who come every year to walk the hundreds of miles of trekking trails.

In the frame of this post, we would like to introduce Sapa’s most famous unique physical beauty: terraced fields. In 2014, Sapa ranked number 9 in the top 10 rice terrace destinations of the world by SpotCoolStuff.

In Sapa, the vast majority of the land is mountainous, therefore local ethnic minority people have to work very hard in order to get enough food to survive. Surrounded by granite rock and mountain cliffs, they are so creative to make such a great idea of growing rice and establishing terraced rice fields, one after another, from the foot to nearly top of the mountains, as what we see today.

When being seen from afar, the heart-catching beauty of paddy fields carpeting the rolling lower slopes of the mountain ranges can make tourists think of a truly unique creation of nature that cannot be found elsewhere on earth.

The terrace has its color change seasonally, displaying its astonishing beauty when new crop begins, green rice grows and the field is filled with ripe paddy rice.

Annually, a new crop begins in April when the local people water their fields at full level. At that time, terraced fields look like a mirror reflecting the contrast of the blue sky and green surrounding forests.

From June to July, the terraced rice fields spread the green out to the entire area, from the foot to top of the mountains.

September and early October is the perfect time for tourists to visit terraced rice fields. During the time, the terraced rice fields look like golden silk scarves flying over in the wind above green mountain slopes. Tourists may have chances to enjoy one of the most amazing scenery in their lives.

Visitors can choose to go to Sapa by train or car, but train is the most popular way to get there. Train tickets are always available at Hanoi train station, there is no need to buy tickets in advance. The train leaves Hanoi train station in the evening in every 45-60 minutes and arrives in Lao Cai train station in the early morning 8-9 hours later (depending on slow train or fast train). From Lao Cai train station to Sapa is another hour bus ride, which gives your eyes a massage with the endless blue sky and colorful terraced paddy field. The road is curved around the mountain and you will just go from one surprise to another. The further you go, the closer you are to the sky and to nature.

Below are some of the prettiest pictures of Sapa taken by Van Song Nguyen.

06/07/2015

WELCOME TO MOC CHAU TOURISM ZONE

When summer comes, in order to escape from the heat of Hanoi, travelers are highly recommended to visit Moc Chau town, an attractive tourism destination which is considered as the land of greenery and the paradise of fog and cloud.

According to the statistic of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam, there are about 20,000 tourists visiting Moc Chau annually, including both domestic and international travelers. Most of them visit Moc Chau without a tour.

Located in Son La province, about 180 kilometers from Hanoi, Moc Chau is one of the biggest plateaus in the country. It stretches 80km long and 25km wide, and stands about 1,050m above sea level. As a result, its average temperature is cool, from 16 to 26 degrees Celsius. The climate is ideal for resorts and eco-tourism. Tourists can easily reach there by motorbike or bus.

Moc Chau has an ancient name of “Muong Mok”, which means the mountain village of cloud and fog, especially in winter. Moc Chau has many tourism potentials such as topographic and geologic characteristics. Besides, farms of tea trees and grassland have made the town of Moc Chau more and more beautiful and unique.

Moc Chau has many tourist attractions, such as a floating maket on Da River, Doi Cave, Son Moc Huong Cave, Ang Village pine hill, Dai Yem water fall. Tea, milk, vegetables and fruits are currently well-known tourism products of Moc Chau. Additionally, with many customs differences, the ethnic groups have created a wide range of cultures and festivals.

Moc Chau tourism zone includes three key tourism centers namely the Moc Chau convalescence center, the Moc Chau eco-tourism center and the Moc Chau recreational center. It features diversified and unique tourism products with high competitiveness in combination with natural landscapes and ethnic cultural identities.

Visiting Moc Chau is a perfect opportunity for travelers not only to watch many types of peach blossoming, but also a great chance for them to enjoy culinary culture. The combination of an impressive physical beauty and its long lasting traditions has made Moc Chau a must see destination.

Here are some photos taken in Moc Chau in January, 2015.

05/07/2015

Hello guys,

Here is a volunteering project of V4D organization in Ha Giang province, Vietnam, aiming at raising funds for a new vocational training project to help really poor youth get a new chance at life. (learn more here http://www.v4d.asia/)

For those who are interested in traveling by motorbike to the Northern areas of Vietnam, Vietnam Backpacking would like to share this great one time opportunity. As a fundraising activity, V4D is organizing the cheapest 3 day motorbike tour (local volunteer drivers) you'll ever see for Ha Giang (only 160$ all included compared to 300 - 1400$ for regular tour operators). This is a great project, the tour is gonna be as authentic and amazing.

Thanks a lot. Here's the poster.

04/07/2015

Do you want to try riding those monsters in Vietnam? I promise it would be the most funny experience ever

26/06/2015

BUN CHA (CHARCOAL GRILLED PORK PATTIES WITH VERMICELLI NOODLES AND HERBS)

Hanoi, just like most other cities in Vietnam, is a wonderland for food-loving travelers as it offers an endless variety of cheap eats and drinks for tourists. Therefore, backpackers are always advised to pack a pair of elastic-banded pants before traveling to this beautiful city.

Delicious food can easily be found everywhere in Hanoi, such as in bakery shops in the main streets or in the alleyways, in a luxurious restaurant in the Old Quarter or even in the containers on the shoulders of a street vendor. One of the most famous dishes in Hanoi that haunts visitors’ hungry dreams is “Bun Cha”, which is considered as the city’s signature dish.

“Bun Cha” is very common in Hanoi which is made of white vermicelli noodles (Bun) and drilled pork patties (Cha), served with fresh herbs, chilli, garlic and dipping sauce. Visitors can see the food preparing process right in the restaurant, which is really interesting. The sauce, which is the mixture of a sweet, sour and salty broth, or fish sauce, slices of green papaya, fresh herbs, garlic and hot peppers, makes the key role to the taste of the dish.

When lunchtime hits in Hanoi, the air is perfumed with the scent of grilled pork, and you can see lines of people heading in and out the restaurant. One tip for foreign visitors to Hanoi, take the advantage of Vietnam’s fruit to finish your meal. A smoothie made with sweetened condensed milk, minced ice and strawberry, mango or avocado is a great idea after you finish your dish of “Bun Cha”.

Below is a photo of “Bun Cha” in Hanoi.
Source: Internet

25/06/2015

VIETNAM BY FLYCAM

Absolutely speechless after watching this video. Pack your bags and book your flight to discover the beautiful country of Vietnam where you can enjoy seeing many impressive physical landscapes.

Việt Nam qua góc nhìn Flycam! Việt Nam nằm trong bán đảo Đông Dương, thuộc vùng đông nam châu Á. Lãnh thổ Việt Nam chạy dọc bờ biển phía đông của bán đảo này...

24/06/2015

VIETNAM TERRACED RICE FIELDS – THE REAL HEAVEN ON EARTH

Lovers of hiking, trekking and nature can enjoy a lot of beautiful terraced rice fields, which look like “the ladders to the sky”, located in the northern mountainous provinces of Vietnam like Sapa, Ha Giang, Yen Bai. These terraced rice fields are always wonderful attractions for not only foreign but also native tourists.

These mountainous areas are home to a great diversity of ethnic minority peoples who have been working their land on sloping terraces for over thousands of years to create this impressive physical landscape.

When being seen from afar, the heart-catching beauty of paddy fields carpeting the rolling lower slopes of the mountain ranges can make tourists think of a truly unique creation of nature that cannot be found elsewhere on earth.

The terrace has its color change seasonally, displaying its astonishing beauty when new crop begins, green rice grows and the field is filled with ripe paddy rice.

Annually, a new crop begins in April when the local people water their fields at full level. At that time, terraced fields look like a mirror reflecting the contrast of the blue sky and green surrounding forests.

From June to July, the terraced rice fields spread the green out to the entire area, from the foot to top of the mountains.

September and early October is the perfect time for tourists to visit terraced rice fields. During the time, the terraced rice fields look like golden silk scarves flying over in the wind above green mountain slopes. Tourists may have chances to enjoy one of the most amazing scenery in their lives.

Below is the photo of a terraced rice field captured in La Pán Tẩn – Mù Cang Chải – Yên Bái province, which was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam as national heritage in 2007.

23/06/2015

CO TO ISLAND – THE CHARMING BEAUTY

In the northeast, Co To is one of the most beautiful islands which is located about 22km from the mainland in the province of Quang Ninh, Vietnam.

Different from Halong bay, which is globally well known as one of the new 7 wonders of the world, Coto island is a new emerge in the Vietnam tourism destination map with an amazing natural beauty of blue sea and forest. Besides, you can enjoy seeing the marvelous sunset dropping on the island from the light house. The coastline is mostly cliffs, but there are some amazing white sandy beaches. The most beautiful beach in Coto island is Hong Van. (see the photo).

Most people come to Co To without a tour. From the capital of Hanoi, you can take a bus to Mong Cai town, Quang Ninh (5 hours), get off at Van Don then take a taxi to Cai Rong, after that you will be brought to Coto by slow ferries.The ferry starts from Cai Rong town (Van Don - Quang Ninh), through Bai Tu Long Bay to Quan Lan island then finally reaches Co To island, each trip takes between 3 to 3.5 hours depending on the weather.

Slow ferries bound for Co To depart at 7am daily (VND 70,000 or almost USD 4, three hours).
A faster speedboat departs from Cai Rong daily at 1pm (VND 155,000 or USD 8, 1½ hours). On Saturdays there's also a 6am departure from Cai Rong.

22/06/2015

TRAVEL CONDOMS

Travel condoms would be helpful in some unexpected cases.

Packing condoms in survival kits to stay safe from sexually transmitted diseases while traveling across the globe is always an excellent idea. However, the elasticity of condoms may somehow makes you surprised at its use.

1. First aid
In the very worst case of being bitten by poisonous insects or snakes, do not panic. Stretch a condom to its full length, then hold it next to the wound to control the bleeding. Besides, condom can be used as a rubber glove to protect the wound from your own hands as well as protect you from other's wound.

2. Water container
Imagine that you are on a solo trekking, there is a little water fall or fast moving water in front of you but you do not have anything to store the water, a condom may help in this case. A condom can hold as much as 2 liters of water. Tie the mouth of the condom off around a stick about the diameter of your thumb. This way, you can fairly easily untie it. The elasticity of condoms is amazing. However, the thin condom walls are very sensitive to sharps objects, you may lose your water and your container. There is a solution, wrap your filled-with-water condom in a T-shirt, this is really helpful for your further use.

3. Fire
It is somehow unbelievable but you can absolutely set fire from water. First, you have to fill a condom with water, tide the mouth of the condom off. Then get some tinder such as newspaper or dry leaves or some small dry pieces of wood. Hold the condom in front of the sun so that a small bright dot will appear on the tinder. You have to adjust to get the smallest dot, or else it will take a long time. In case of strong sun, it may take seconds or minutes to get a flame. Be patient.

4. Camera/cellphone rain cover
A condom would be very helpful to protect your electronic devices from rain. Just put the condom on the items you want to protect, tie the mouth of the condom, then there would be no more worries.

21/06/2015

No holiday is complete without at least one pretty sunset. Here is one captured on a trekking trail from the township of Sapa to Mt Fansipan, Vietnam’s highest mountain, “the roof of Indochina”.

20/06/2015

THE EXTREME NORTH OF VIETNAM - LUNG CU FLAGPOLE

If you are going to pay a visit to the northernmost province of Ha Giang, do not miss the opportunity to see the beautiful and spectacular landscape of Lung Cu flagpole, a must see place in Vietnam travel.

Lung Cu flagpole, about 425km from the capital of Hanoi following National Highway 2 and 4C, is considered as “a high forehead of the motherland” where marks the extreme North of Vietnam. To Vietnamese people, Lung Cu flagpole is a very special tourist destination that symbolizes a deep sense of pride and unity of the 54 ethnic groups.

From a distance, in brilliant sunshine, visitors can easily see the national flag flying on the Peak of Dragon Mountain, which is dominated by giant boulders and magnificent forests.

19/06/2015

HA GIANG PROVINCE OVERVIEW

Ha Giang is located about 200 km away from Hanoi, on the border with China, one of the most scenic provinces in Northern Vietnam. Ha Giang looks as beautiful in summer as in winter. A ride to Ha Giang may help you see how hard life on the rock is and meet colorful hill tribal people. Besides, a closer look at Ha Giang can give you a full picture of many little things – the plants, insects and spiders which are parts of nature.

Besides motorcycling tracks, Ha Giang is also home to wildlife conservation efforts. Silver pheasant is one of them. Silver pheasants are in highly endangered. They live in North West areas of Vietnam.

Silver pheasants are normally shy creatures, but not this one. He was rescued and brought up by human beings. Now he is defending his territory fiercely against people because he thinks he is a human being!

07/06/2015

BA DEN MOUTAIN, A MUST-SEE IN TAY NINH PROVINCE

Nature is gorgous. The purple sunset at Ba Den moutain, Tay Ninh province, Vietnam.

Black Virgin Mountain (Ba Den mountain) is a mountain in the Tay Ninh Province of Vietnam. To the Vietnamese the mountain is the center of a myth about Ba Den, a local deity of Khmer origin.

05/06/2015

Bui Vien Street, District 1 - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - at night.

If you love night owl lifestyle, Bui Vien is the right place that you should never forget to come once you arrive Hochiminh City, Vietnam. It's such a short and narrow walking street. From 5pm along the sidewalk, local teenagers and visitors are spreading to the street, enjoy the nosh and cheap beer. At weekend, you even cannot find a table for two. Food is diverse, from Italian spaghetti to grilled octopus stick.