Tam Dao - fairy place for your tour

Tam Dao Tourist Area is located in Tam Duong District, 86km from Ha Noi, between Ban Thach, Thien Nhi, and Phu Nghia Mountains. This area is a wonderful place with fresh, pure and cooling air, beautiful scenery.
Lying at the attitude of 900m above sea level, Tam Dao Tourist Area with an area of 235ha is considered the ideal destination for vacations in the North. It has been known since the Ly and Tran dynasties for its wonderful scenic spots. However, it was not transformed into a tourist area by the French until the 20th century (1904 - 1906). In Tam Dao, there are villas, hotels, restaurants, sports fields, swimming pools, and dancing halls.
The weather is cool all year round with an average temperature of 20 to 22 degree celsius. In summer, tens of thousands of Tourists visit Tam Dao to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery.



Sharing the cool climate and the mountain-based locations, many people consider Tam Dao as a miniature of Sapa. But actually, the two sides are intrinsically different.
Tam Dao means three islands - a mountain range located about 75 km north of Ha Noi. The significant shorter distance from Hanoi to Tam Dao compared to Sapa gives this area many advantages. One can easily combine the visit to the mountain retreat area with a road trip from Hanoi. The cool climate and extensive green is another advantage, especially in the summer where Hanoi always seems overheated.
Tam Dao is more suitable for a relaxing retreat than an intensive adventure. Accommodation facility as well as restaurants is readily available. The road that leads from lowland to highland is breath-taking; those who are into physical activities can never afford to muss a biking tour.
Tam Dao has numerous specialties and one should not leave the mountain area without trying Lon Man – a special kind of pork and Su Su – delicious in both fruits and its leafy vegetables. In winter time, be prepared with warmer clothes since it can get quite cold. Suring the summer, it is pleasantly sunny but avoid sun burn by applying plenty of sun block before hitting road.

Truc Lam Tay Thien Zen Monastery is considered as one of the most impressive and peaceful monasteries in Viet Nam. This Zen sanctuary is located in Dai Dinh Commune, Tam Dao District, on Tay Thien Mountain, which belongs to the Tam Dao Mountain Range in Vinh Phuc Province.
Built in 2005 on the ruins of an ancient pagoda named Thien An Thien Tu, and using remains of its floor, Truc Lam Tay Thien Zen Monastery sits majestically on the apex of the mountain, where from below the red tips of its tile covered roof can be seen peaking through the pine trees. Truc Lam Tay Thien Zen Monastery is very ornate, from carved pictures on the doors to embossed works on the wall, ceiling, and pillars, very detail was considered.
Besides the monastery, there are supporting buildings constructed in the ancient architectural style that house a library, a museum, a meditation house for monks and the Tam To Truc Lam Temple.
Walking around these buildings, visitors can almost taste the tranquility and calm in the air. Truc Lam Zen Monastery along with the province's Tam Dao tourism site will help create a place renowned for its scenic beauty both in the province in particular and the country.

Hue - traditional remains from Vietnam

Hue first assumed its role as a capital city, during the Trinh - Nguyen civil war, when it was the capital of South Vietnam.
I came to Hue during Tet Doan Ngo (Doan Ngo festival, a minor Buddhist festival) and it was impossible for me to find an open restaurant or shop in town. Vietnam’s ancient capital, booming city and a world renown tourist area, yet Hue is not at all noisy, rushed or commercialized like Ha Noi or Ho Chi Minh city. Hue is honest and sweet. It is tranquil like the Perfume River that flows through it, majestic like the Royal Palace and tombs that would never let its secrets out.

Geography
To be precise, Hue city is the capital of Thua Thien Hue province. Hue lies on the banks of the Huong (Perfume) river, in the narrow central of Vietnam, only a few miles west from the sea.

History
Hue first assumed its role as a capital city, during the Trinh - Nguyen civil war, when it was the capital of South Vietnam. In 1802, Nguyen Anh succeeded in unifying his rule over both North and South Vietnam, forming the Nguyen dynasty. Hue remained the capital of Vietnam until the end of feudalism in 1945.
During the Vietnam War, Hue  held a strategic positioning as it was near the dividing line between North and South. The city’s elegant and refined architecture witnessed and suffered from one of the most lengthy and bloody battles in the War, the Battle of Hue (during the Tet offensive 1968). Many of Hue’s palaces, tombs and temples were destroyed by American bombs and bullets, as well as by neglect in restoration by the Vietnamese government during early years of independence (they saw these historical artifacts as remains of the oppressing feudal system).
Hue  has now been returned the peace, attention and protection it clearly deserves.  The remains of the Inner City (where the Royal family lived), tombs and temples offer insight into Vietnam’s past and rich culture. Hue  has been certified by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site. Hue royal  music (nha nhac cung dinh) is also considered a UNESCO intangible heritage.

Religion

Hue  is the center of Buddhist worship in Vietnam, with many temples and tombs.

Islands in Nha Trang bay

Nha Trang Bay has long been an attractive destination for all tourists to Nha Trang, and it is likely thay
tourists coming here all enjoy a Nha Trang bay tour, diving in beautiful island, discovering the sea bed, and observing the colourful coral reefs.
It takes you only about 20 minutes to get to Mieu Island (or Bồng Nguyên Island) by motor-boat. You can visit the Tri Nguyen Aquarium where many species of marine creatures live or just relax at the unique beach – Bãi Sỏi (Pebble Beach). This aquarium is a fossil ship model from which, tourists can enjoy the collection of multiple types of species taken from many regions of Vietnam.
Situated on the South of Nha Trang Bay is the small Mun Island (Hòn Mun). It is named Mun Island because in the south east of the island, it has high-rise cliffs with dangerous wattles forming caves and grottoes, especially its stones are as black as ebony, which could rarely be found in other areas. In the black-stone caves of Mun Island, every year flocks of swallow migrate to the area and build their nests. Due to its location adjacent to the hot sea-currents from the equator, suitable to the development conditions of corals and various types of tropical sea creatures, the sea bed of Mun Island is home to an abundant and diverse group of marine species, an interesting and useful place for researchers, oceanographers and tourists to observe and explore more of the sea creatures' life.
In Hon Mun, visitors can dive or take grass-bottom boat to admire the colored coral and sea creatures. All the diving centers come and stop near this island: visibility is always excellent there and there is an impressive variety of corals of all colors, with numerous pretty tropical fish. This is the island where all dive sites already mentioned in the Nha Trang section are located. It also has a couple of other sites such as Rainbow Reef and Tiger Wall.
Well-known by the wild tropical evergreen forest, long charming sandy beaches and clear water, Tam Island (Hòn Tằm) has become an attractive ecological tourist site. Around the rock range, thousands kind of fish and colorful corals make tourists exciting and peaceful. Therefore, Hon Tam resort is a wonderful spot of recreation and health improvement. On the back of the mountain is a newly-found attraction – Hang Dơi (Grotto of Bats) where lots of bats inhabit. Coming to this island, tourists will have chance to take part in various forms of sport activities like jets Kayaking, mountain climbing, volleyball on beaches, windsurfing, diving, etc. Especially, from February 2010, tourists can have opportunity to observe Nha Trang Bay from balloons. Nha Trang Bay observed from 150 meters high may have been really different from the one that you see on land.
Tre Island is the largest one in Nha Trang Bay with the area of more than 30 square kilometers. The island is located about 5km to the east of Nha Trang City center, 3,5km to Cau Da Port. Beaches in this island are among the most charming natural beaches in Vietnam. With mild and temperate climate, Tre Island possesses favorable conditions for developing ecological tourism and sea resort. The island is receiving much investment to develop high quality tourism infrastructure.
Far offshore, visible from Nha Trang Beach the Salangane island appears with lush green colors where salangane nests have been harvested for years to make the traditional "bird's nest" tonic and food.
Tourists can visit caves where the swallows create their nets on the rocks and enjoy a delicious and nutritious food prepared from swallows' nets and sugar candy which in the past was reserved only for kings.
Yen Islands is not only well known for its Salanganes nest, but also for its only beautiful twin-beach, and tourists coming here can enjoy swimming, snorkeling in clear, smooth water on the twin-beach.

Da Lat – wonderful place for your tour

Dalat is a hilly romantic city with a cool 'western' climate. The French named the city Da Lat from the latin 'Dat Aliis Laetitiam Aliis Temperiem' ("Giving Pleasure to Some, Freshness to Others", and it is commonly known as 'the City of Eternal Spring', which has made it a popular destinations for holiday makers who want to beat the heat, and for Vietnamese couples, for whom it is known as the city of love.
The average temperature is is 17°C, and does not exceed 25°C in the hottest season. In the early mornings, the city arises to mystic fog over the lake. Its temperate climate is ideal for agriculture, and in recent years the number of farms and plantations around the city have grown rapidly. It provides most of flowers and vegetables for the massive markets across the south of Vietnam. Da Lat is also very well-known for its variety of flowers and orchids as well as expansive pine forests, which may remind Travellers of home more than the tropics in the valleys below.
Dalat is another one of those Vietnamese towns that began as a French resort area. Whatever else might be said about the French, they certainly had good taste in choosing sites for resorts, and Dalat is living proof of that. Designed to be almost a Swiss alpine village, the French urban planner Ernest Hebrard designed the highland town with broad boulevards, elegant villas, a golf course, open green spaces, schools, and modest homes.
Luckily for Dalat's modern visitors, the city was virtually untouched during the American Vietnam War, however its popularity amongst amorous Vietnamese couples has lead to a fair amount of kitsch 'attractions' and this combined with the booming agricultural industry means the town is now much busier than the tranquil hill station of the past, with more and more concrete buildings, karaoke rooms and 'mini hotels' springing up across town. These days to enjoy the best of Dalat it is best to use the town as a base to explore the hills and nature surrounding it than to expect too much from the town itself.

Sightseeing in Dalat

The first thing the visitor to Da Lat will probably notice is the architecture. Since the city was built up primarily by the French and the Catholic Church, Dalat is an interesting blend of French colonial architecture, paired with lovely Jesuit structures and Vietnamese pagodas.


One site almost all Dalat's guidebooks will lead you to is the Hang Nga guesthouse, known more commonly simply as 'Crazy House'. Built by Hang Nga, Ph.D. graduate of Moscow State University's architecture program, Crazy House is a honeycomb of strange rooms and hallways that also serves as a local hotel. Instead of straight lines and corners, Crazy House is all curves, as if its concrete had melted, dripped, and then hardened into its unusual shape.
Another building worth touring in Dalat is Binh III. Emperor Bao Dai built three different villas for himself in Dalat, and although all of them have been restored and made public, it's Binh III that's the most impressive.
To stay in Vietnam like true royalty, however, book your room at the Sofitel Dalat Palace, a luxury hotel that's been lovingly restored and sits atop a golf course. With a lobby fit for a monarch's ballroom, artwork adorning its restaurants and suites, together with the modern comforts of satellite television and mini-bars, there's nowhere else in Dalat that offers such plush luxury. Even if you can't afford to stay in the Sofitel Dalat Palace, at least have a cocktail and dinner there in one of the three bars and two restaurants. After dinner, dance downstairs at PK's Disco.
Xuan Huong Lake is a popular destination with honeymooners; you can stroll around its outer banks, or hire a paddle boat and go out for a spin. However, be warned that the lake was recently drained, and won't be filled back up until January or February 2011.
Xuan Huong Lake isn't the only lake in and around Dalat, though. Just 5 km north of the city centre is the Valley of Love, where a lake was added in 1972 to make its picturesque, peaceful beauty even more attractive. On the other side of town lies the Truc Lam Pagoda, the second biggest Zen Buddhist centre in Vietnam, surrounded by Tuyen Lam lake and pine forests.
Just 20 minutes from Dalat lies the Lang Bain mountain; at a height of 2169m above sea level it isthe highest mountain in the Southern Vietnam. It is a popular spot to climb and enjoy stunning vistas of the surrounding areas and it is also possible to camp. For those who don't feel quite so energetic it is also possible to catch a ride to the summit.

Getting to and around Dalat

It is quite easy to get to Dalat as there are daily direct flights from both Sai Gon and Ha Noi. The flight from
Sai Gon takes just 35 minutes while buses run every two hours and take 6-8 hours from Ho Chi Minh City. The best time to visit is November to May, as there is less rain and a pleasant temperature - but be prepared for it to get chilly in the winter months. It is a great place to rent a motorbike of your own to explore the hills, or you could take on one of the 'Easy Riders' who have earnt a great reputation as excellent guides to explore the area and Vietnam as a whole.