The roof tiles are made of clay, baked at high temperature in wood kilns buried in the ground. After 5 days of baking, the still hot tiles are sprinkled with water. Those that do not break will protect the houses for a century at least. This technique, known as “rakou” tends to disappear because the hundreds of kilos of wood necessary to bake the tiles are hard to find. King Hoang A Tuong’s palace in Bac Ha is covered in traditional clay tiles. Some can still be seen in the north of the Muong Khuong, Si Ma Cai and Bac Ha districts - sa pa vietnam attractions

Coming to vietnam, visitors will have a chance to not only enjoy numberless beauty spots that the nature has generously endowed this country with but also find out about about plenty of traditional and modern Vietnamese cultural backgrounds. And, one of the most outstanding features of Vietnamese tourism is Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa). If you don’t know anythings about Vietnam travel, you can look at in this topic.

• things to do in vietnam _ Vietnam must see attraction

Coming to Vinpearl, you will feel as if you were lost in a wonderland. With the typical tropical climate, Nha Trang is brilliant with blue sea, white sand, beautiful sunlight. The beautiful and poetic sea tourism city is named “Brilliant flower basket on the bank of the East Sea, “Sunny deck”. It is not accidental that 100 years ago, the talented scientist Alexandere Yersin left splendid Paris for Nha Trang, where he stayed and worked until his death. Nha Trang Bay is ranked as one of the most 30 beautiful bays in the world, higher than capital ha noi vietnam , is the capital of vietnam. As flowing across here, some sea currents suddenly blend with each other to create “a common home” for all beings to reside and grow. Nha Trang Bay is not only rich in natural resources, beauty spots but also closely linked to sea culture and unique cultural-tourist attractions… And the story of Nha Trang is now continued with the fame of Vinpearl Land, Vinpearl Resort & Spa, a sparkling pearl glued on the crown of the Sea Queen.

Vinpearl Land has become a great pride of the locals as well as of Vietnamese people in general. It’s hard for tourists to imagine how much energy and money has been spent on creating such a wonderful island as this.

After just 5 – 7 minutes traveling by motor-boat or 13 minutes enjoying Nha Trang’s panorama from Vinpearl Cable-car system, the longest sea-crossing cableway in the world, visitors then set their foot on Vinpearl Land – The Vietnamese Pearl. Located in the North of Hon Tre Island, leaning on Dam Mong Mountain and towards Nha Trang Bay, Vinpearl Land is an international-class 5-star entertainment-tourism complex with all modern comforts; however, it is still an attractive and wild Pearl Island located in the middle of one of the most beautiful bays in the world. Vinpearl Land blends a modern style with the enriched national character. The modern Western style is mainly used in the interior composition, service, operation…, meanwhile the traditional Eastern style here is found in curved roofs up to the sky, the tiles or the thatched huts in the peaceful home-village space of Vietnam; it is an open space for natural environment to pour in every moment. Just open the window to welcome the wind and lean on the balcony to enjoy the sunrise, you will feel the serenity all around and find the peace in your mind.

Visitors in Vinpearl Land will enjoy their stay in a 5-star hotel resort and spa. With 485 marvellously designed rooms, including 17 luxurious rooms and 2 Presidential Suites, the resort can satisfy the most fastidious visitors by bringing them comfort, privacy, convenience, and perfect service. Vinpearl Resort and Spa also has the most beautiful 700m long natural beach in Nha Trang and modern outdoor swimming pools covering an area of 5,700m2 (the largest one in the Southeast Asia) beautified with lots of coconut trees, green grass, nice plants and trees…… Besides, there are beauty and health care services in Viet Spa and other relaxing activities, tours in combination with sports for all ages. A diversified system of restaurants will meet all your eating and drinking demands from typical Vietnamese flavor to other Asian and European one… You will also freely do shopping in Shopping Mall, play games in the Amusement Park, the Water Park, and enjoy wonderful musical fountain shows at the Amphitheatre or discover the beauty of the ocean in the splendid Vinpearl Underwater World. To meet the MICE tourist demands as well as to organize big events, Vinpearl Land also has an adequate system of meeting rooms, an Event Hall with 1500-seats and a 5000-seat lean-to outdoor stage. .

A great number of cultural-entertainment events has been held here in Vinpearl Land, especially major Vietnam and World beauty contests such as Miss Vietnam, Miss World Vietnamese, Miss Earth, and Miss Universe… Therefore, apart from the lovely name “Vietnamese Pearl,” this place is also named “Beauty Island,” “Paradise Island”…

Vinpearl Amusement Park

A system independent but harmonious with Vinpearl Resort & Spa in general, Vinpearl Amusement Park covers an area of 200.000 m² and offers a lot of modern and unique constructions, including modern buildings and works to meet your needs for entertainment, relaxation and discovery. Vinpearl Amusement Park, an independent system but harmonious with Vinpearl Resort & Spa in general, covering an area of 200.000 m², offers a lot of modern and unique constructions, including modern buildings and works to meet your needs for entertainment, relaxation and discovery. It can be compared with renowned entertainment parks in other countries in the region and Asia. Vinpearl Amusement Park includes large-scale constructions such as: a Guinness-nominated 3,320 m sea-crossing Cable-car system, a Shopping Mall of 6,000 m² area with uniquely designed stalls and pavilions, Vinpearl Water Park of 60,000 m² area with exciting adventurous games; Amphitheatre with over 5,000 seats; Event Hall with a capacity of over 1,500 people equipped with modern audio and visual appliances; Vinpearl Underwater World with nearly 300 species of sea animals and a 90m-length underwater path… Vinpearl Amusement Park has a lot of surprises for you during your visit.

Vinpearl Amusement Park now uses package cards , which are the first to be used in Vietnam. With this card, you can use cable car or ferry to go to Vinpearl and back, play all kinds of indoor and outdoor games in the Amusement Park, Water Park unlimited times, and enjoy your time visiting wonderful Underwater World.

Overview

Sam Son is a popular beach destination, although mostly among the locals. Founded by the French in 1907, this small town was then developed into a resort town to serve the demand of the French colony and the Nguyen dynasty. Nowadays, Sam Son, which is located just 170 km from vietnam hanoi and offers a wide range of services and attractions, has become one of the busiest tourism hubs in the Northern and Northern Central Vietnam.

Keo Pagoda is one of attractions in Thai Binh Province, Vietnam now the symbol of the province due to its long-lasting history as well as traditional and cultural values contained in the temple.

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The front view of the Pagoda

Keo Pagoda is built circa 1133-1154, covering an entire area of 7,200m2 at Dung Nhue Hamlet, Duy Nhat Commune, Vu Thu District. The legend has it that Monk Duong Khong Lo, living under Ly Dynasty, practiced medical service and succeeded in treating King Ly Nhan Tong, saving him from a fatal disease. To express his gratitude, the King gave Duong Khong Lo the title of Quoc Su (National Master) and rewarded him with a fortune. The monk made use of this fortune by constructing Keo Pagoda which boasts 128 compartments totally and a detached 3-storey bell tower. Many gift pictures and paintings captures the image of this ancient yet charming tower, which is 11.06m high and has 12 roof angles and 12 antique curved corners. There is a 1.87m wide musical stone instrument on the first storey; a bell cast in 1686 on the second floor and the bell on the highest storey is cast in 1796.

Bell Tower

The Pagoda attracts visitors not only by its delicate all-wood religious building but also by its valuable collections of engraved wooden dragons, over 100 statues, altars and pottery wares dating back in Le Dynasty, a pair of candlesticks made under Mac Dynasty.

Every year, from 13^th to 15^th of the ninth lunar month, a festival is held in commemoration of the Buddhist Monk Duong Khong Lo, hosting various traditional cultural activities projecting lifestyles and agricultural culture of citizens residing along Red River Delta. Coming to the festival, you can participate in some traditional games such as rice cooking completion, duck catching, and firecracker hurling. The most amazing performance is on-land boat rowing dance which depicts rowing activities. In the performances, 12 people in traditional costumes stand in two parallel lines pretending they are sitting on an invisible boat and rowing while flexing their limbs and calling out with a collective rhythm. The performance is the end of the festival.

100 kilometers away from ha noi vietnam, Ninh Binh is emerging as one of the most exciting destinations during your Vietnam tour. For a long time, it is known as a choice of short getaway from Hanoi. But in fact, many things to do in Ninh Binh to offer for everyone.

Sam Son is a coastal borough in the east of Thanh Hoa, 16km from the center of Thanh Hoa City. 

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This place has been a famous spot for tourism in Vietnam since the beginning of the previous century, when the French begun to build facilities there to serve themselves and the courts of the Nguyen regime. In addition to the gifts that the nature presents, Sam Son also has many attractions for the travelers to explore.

Sam Son Borough has a long and beautiful beach reaching more than 16km in length. The very flat and gentle sandbank, combined with the clean and blue water makes the scenery of Sam Son beach magnificent and attractive. Visitors will have some unforgettable moments when they wallow in the cool blue sea, listen to songs of the wave and the wind, and take a nap on the sunlight sandbanks or build sand castles. Also, this is a good place to try various local seafood varieties such as shrimps, crabs, fishes and also to bring back home some nice souvenirs.

Besides the beaches, Sam Son also has another fascinating destination with many natural attractions and historical relics: the Truong Le Mountain range. The part that is contiguous to the sea is called Co Giai Islet. On top of this islet, there is a small pagoda named “Doc Cuoc”, which means “One Leg”. The pagoda is the place for the local people to recall the epic legend of a giant that manages to slay a sea monster and to guard the sea in the past.  Also, there is a special rock name “Trong Mai”, formed with two huge boulders on a flat rock. There is a story that these rocks represent a pair of husband and wife, who love each other passionately even when both have been transformed into birds. 

Nha Trang Bay is the second bay of Viet Nam to be honored as the most beautiful bay in the world with 19 big and small surrounding islands. Tourists coming to Nha Trang Vietnam will have a chance to enjoy the nice weather with all year round sunshine and peaceful and clean wave. Besides, there are many famous tourist attractions in Nha Trang like Hon Chong, Bai Tru and other islands like Hon Tre, Bich Dam, Hon Mun, Hon Tam, etc. This place is also the ideal habitat for many kinds of precious rare animals such as canaries, sea turtles, red coral, oval abalones, etc.

>>>vietnam danang The third largest city in Vietnam

Nha Trang is also one of my favorite beach cities. The first thing I always do at Nha Trang is to put my luggage at the hotel and run out to the beach. Also, one of the most attractive points of Nha Trang is its local food, especially sea foods whose prices are not very high. The beach is very beautiful as well. If you need some suggestions for things to do in Nha Trang Vietnam, let’s take a look on the tips below.

>>>vietnam sapa is a mountainous town in Northen Vietnam where you write poem, have your cameras on for most of your time, cheer over a community wine pot

Tourist attractions in Nha Trang

– Po Nagar Cham Tower: Po Nagar is located on a small hill, right next to the mouth of Cai River, in Vinh Phuoc Precinct, northern Nha Trang city. This towel which is a famous representative of Champa sculpture and architecture with a system of wall fences, stairs, and track for walking and sightseeing has existed for more than 10 centuries. This place is always the first destination for many tourists when they visit Nha Trang. (Entrance ticket: 16, 000 VND/ 1 tourist).

– Nha Trang Institute of Oceanography: is located at number 1- Stone Bridge- Nha Trang city. This institute which is one of the first ones in Viet Nam to carry on research on marine plants and animals was set up in 1922 by French. It is now the home of Asian’s biggest marine life collection of 20, 000 samples of 4, 000 kinds of marine plants and animals. Besides, many kinds of rare animals are also displayed here like sea cows and the skeleton of a whale which was buried underground deeply in Red River Delta for more than 200 years. If you love marine lives, you should visit this destination at least once in your life. (Entrance ticket price: 15, 000 VND/ 1 visitor- Open Hour: Daily from 6 a.m to 6 p.m)

-Long Son Pagoda which is located in the suburb of Nha Trang city, on the foot of Hon Trai Thuy was built in late 19th century and it was renewed in 1940 with modern sculpture and architecture. When visiting this place, tourists will have a chance to encounter the famous Kim Than Great Buddha Statue which is recognized in Vietnamese Guinness Book as “The biggest outdoor Great Buddha statue in Vietnam.”

-Bao Dai Palace which is located on the top of Canh Long Mount (Chut Mount), 6 kilometers from the city center used to be chosen as the resort of the last King of Nguyen Dynasty. This palace has the unique architecture which combines between Western style and Eastern flower garden art including villas and campuses. Currently, this palace is also a small museum in which many things about King Bao Dai’s life are displayed.

-Yangbay Fall: is located in Y Bay Village, Khanh Phu Commune, Khanh Vinh District. When tourists come here, they will have a chance to enjoy the sparkling beauty of many falls along with streams, forests, and stones lying in the green forest. Besides, tourists can also enjoy the fresh and cool atmosphere here. Along the streams, there are many big stones lying in the green forest in which there are many colorful trees and flowers. This is an ideal destination for many tourists. (Entrance ticket: 30,000 VND/ 1 visitor, tramcar: 10, 000 VND/ 1 visitor/ 2- way ticket).

– Vinpearl Land: In your list of things to do in Nha Trang, you shouldn’t forget Vinpearl Land that is located on Hon Tre Island, is an amusement park whose area reaches nearly 200,000 square meters. This destination includes many modern and special constructions which can be comparable with top- ranking parks in the area and around the world. The trip to Vinpearl Land will bring about much fun to tourists.

Ticket price: 45,000 VND/ 1 person ( all- in- one ticket for 2- way cables and taking part in games on the island).

Wonderpark Diamond amusement area is situated on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, 14 kilometers to the South of the city center, near Cam Ranh Airport. It is a tourism complex with natural topographic combining among mountains, plains, rivers and sea to create the wonderful and romantic scenery. In spite of having many modern constructions, this destination still remains a wild and mysterious hero land. ( All- in- one entrance ticket: 150,000 VND/ 1 adult- 110,000 VND/ 1 child).

-Besides, there are also many other interesting tourist attractions like Van Phong Gulf, Nha Phu Swamp, Chong Islet (Entrance ticket: 15,000 VND/ 1 tourist), Ba Islet ( Entrance ticket: 50,000 VND/ 1 tourist), Let Hill ( Entrance ticket: 20,000 VND/ 1 tourist),etc.

Other things to do in Nha Trang:

Mud bathing in Ba Towel: is a new specialty in Nha Trang, which helps tourists relax after hard-working days and treat some kinds of diseases. To achieve the best effect of mud bathing, you shouldn’t take a shower again with cold water, especially with soap because cold water and soap will decrease the effect of mud on your skin.

Small note: For patients who have acute heart failure, they may meet some reactions like tired, worried, sleepless while bathing. Therefore, the temperature and amount of time of each person should be paid attention to. After bathing the whole body, you should make your body dry and rest for about 10 to 20 minutes.

Island tour: Tourists will go on a trip which can carry from 45 to 50 people. The tour includes some destinations like Mun Island, Mot Island, Mieu Island (Tri Nguyen Aquarium and Bai Soi- Bai San Beach), Tam Island. If you don’t visit these 4 islands when coming to Nha Trang, you are not recognized to have visited this beach city. Cost of this tour: 120,000 VND- 130,000 VND/ 1 visitor. You can book tour in some travel companies like Nha Trang Tourist, Nha Trang Holiday, Nha Trang Sea Island Travel Center, etc. Otherwise, you can ask for some information at your hotel.

* Small tips: If you haven’t booked this tour yet or you suddenly want to go on this tour, you can go to, you can go to Stone Bridge Habor (near the Institute of Oceanography) to ask for joining with other tourists.

Sea diving: is one of the most attractive activities that many tourists want to experience when they visit Nha Trang.

Tips: Normally, you should spend the first day coming to Nha Trang to visit all destinations in the city, then on the second day, you can visit Vinpearl or Let Hill, Ba Islet, etc. Because visiting Vinpearl may make you exhausted for the whole day.

Places for eating in Nha Trang

Food in Nha Trang is so special. You can enjoy many kinds of seafood on your budget. Here are some suggestions:

– O Thi and Cay Me stalls are located on Phan Chu Trinh Street. These 2 stalls serve Hue beef noodles which are considered more delicious than famous one in the Old Citadel.

– Mussel rice stall is situated on Phan Boi Chau Street offers delicious rice at a cheap price, only from 10,000 to 20,000 VND/ 1 person.

– Quang Soup Cake (Hong Bang Street) and seafood porridge (Ngo Si Lien Street) attracts not only tourists but also many local people in Nha Trang.

-Lac Canh Restaurant (Ngo Quyen Street) serves many dishes from fresh seafood and other ones like roasted beef, shrimps, eels, etc. Tourists can feel free to choose drinks and the cost is also cheap, only about 100,00 VND/ 1 person.

-Viet Nam rice restaurant (Hoang Van Thu Street) serves tourists with the price of about 50,000 VND/ 1 person and tourists can enjoy many dishes like vegetable crab soup, poached meat, fish. The rice here is cheaper than the one served on Thai Nguyen Street, about 30,000mVND/ 1 person with many dishes from fresh fish.

– Ninh Hoa Nem (all tourists should try this one at least once if they come to Nha Trang) of Ngoc Tien restaurant is located on Le Thanh Phuong or Le Loi Street.

– Fish noodle is served at Loan stall on Ngo Gia Tu Street or Co Loc stall on Phan Chu Trinh Street.

– Ngoc Lien Roasted Nem is served at Le Thanh Phuong or Dang Van Quyen stall at number 2, Le Loi Street.

– Seafood, snails are served on Tran Phu Street or Thap Ba Street, near the mud bathing places and the price is quite low.

**Bars and clubs

-Sailing Club Bar: 72 Tran Phu Street, Nha Trang. This bar is located right in front of the beach. I usually come here every time I visit Nha Trang because of its reasonable price and comfortable atmosphere.

– Lodge Club: 42 Tran Phu, Nha Trang city.

– Yakasa Club: 18 Tran Phu, Nha Trang city.

– CrazyKim Bar: 19 Biet Thu, Nha Trang city.

Transportation in Nha Trang city.

-Motorbikes is always a convenient vehicle to visit tourist attractions. You can go to the city center or go to further destinations like Doc Let, Cam Ranh, etc. You can control your time and also save money.

The cost for renting motorbikes: 70,000- 100,000 VND/ 1 day (You can rent on Hung Vuong Street or contact the hotel in which you are staying).

-The bus is also popular and convenient and they work from 6 a.m to 6 p.m everyday. Ticket price: 4,000 VND/ 1 time/ 1 person.

– Taxi: if you are traveling in a group, the taxi would be the most suitable choice for you. There are some taxi firms that you can contact like Mai Linh Taxi (058. 38.38.38.38), Nha Trang Taxi (058. 3.81.81.811), Airport Taxi (058. 3.528.528 – 62.62.62.62), etc.

– Otherwise, you can rent a cyclo to travel around this beautiful beach city. This experience will bring about interesting feeling for you!

=>Expected time for a trip lasting for 3 days and 2 nights.

The average time for you to experience and visit almost tourist attractions in Da Lat- Nha Trang is 3 days and 2 nights. In case you are free, you can stay longer to discover the beauty of these places and relax more.

The fee for each trip depends on the time and form of traveling that you choose. For example, the fee for going by motorbike, bus, plane or others are different from each other. Besides, staying in a 3- star hotel, 5- star hotel or a hostel also require you different cost.

I visit Da Lat- Nha Trang every year, but I don’t know why I still want to come back. Sometimes perhaps the weather in Sai Gon is so hot that I want to enjoy the colder weather with wearing warm clothes and scarf. Besides, I sometimes come here just to go bathing, eat seafood and relax.

Thank you Ms Mai Linh sharing these experience above to this blog. Hope that you will have a lot of fun things to do in Nha Trang Vietnam. Also, if you have any experience of traveling in Nha Trang, please share with us.

This diary is written for people planning to visit Sapa. Indeed after coming back from Sapa, I still want to revisit it again. If you find any other interesting spots in Vietnam Sapa, please share as much as possible because I would like to go to this place one more time before telphers are set up to Fansipan.

>>> More:Top thing to do in hanoi Includes all the major sights and activities in and around Hanoi.

First night

This was the first time I had a chance to travel by sleeper train, so I felt really excited. Getting up after a deep sleep, I could see green cornfields outside through the window glasses. After getting off, I caught a bus to Sapa. At that moment, perhaps I looked amusing with smeared face and a big backpack.

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First day

After a long period pretending to contemplate the romantic nature along the road, I started to feel carsick. The small meandering road made me dazzled and dizzy. That’s why I decided to rest on the nearby handsome boy’s shoulder and slept more after seeing no reaction from him.

Coming Sapa, I felt emotionally dumbfounded due to the astonishing view (and also the cold weather). The first thing was visiting the hotel because we needed to have a comfortable resting place during the trip. Then I went to the church, taking some photos there and visited the market with the dull-headed face because I found everything so interesting and extraordinary. Sapa welcomed me with extremely sunny and fine weather.

After lunch, I started discovering Vietnam Sapa. The first destination was Cat Cat Village, impressing me with its terrible entrance road, which made me seem to be thrown out of the motorbike and reluctantly hugged the driver tightly. Although the entry way was thrilling, its view was so awesome that I had to take continuous photos and got some nice shots among them.

Old Church in Sapa

After visiting the village, I came back to the church, eating ice-cream and seeing Dao children kicking shuttlecock. Feeling tired, they took a rest and slid their smartphones. Some adolescents nearby were continuously taking photos by their phone. Until now, I have had a chance to see with my eyes the beauty of ethnic girls with colorful traditional costume; silver bracelets, anklets, and brown hair.

Grilled food that is very famous in Sapa

In the evening, I could enjoy grilled food – my favorite food, so I felt very enthusiastic. Before the trip, I imagined that I could eat even whole a cow. After a long time wandering, I came in a clean kiosk in the middle of the road near the church and ordered slanting food as well as a bottle of cat apple wine. But I felt a little disappointed about the food because the roasted food wasn’t hot enough and had a typical taste (even not delicious as the baked food I made myself). Especially, the meat cabbage roll was so spicy that I both ate and cried, making the nearby handsome boy dazed. Anyway, the wine was so sweet and soft to drink and my face turned red after just only some cups of wine. Getting out of the kiosk, I felt like walking on the cloud but I still found out a short cut road to the hotel.

The first-day summary: Sapa had numerous mountains that I couldn’t figure out the total number. The weather was beautiful and the roasted food was not yummy as talked. Ending a day of eating, laughing and walking a lot, I fell into a deep sleep to be ready for tomorrow.

The second day

Getting up early in the morning, opening the window and seeing the town sunk in thick fog, I felt really peaceful. This is the first time I had breakfast in a high place with surrounding clouds and romantic view.

Today I decided to rent a motorbike to drive to Silver Waterfall, Love Waterfall, and O Quy Ho mountain pass.

The motorcycle ran fast on a tortuous road with one side of crag cliffs and one side of spreading flower fields. I felt more and more surprised because nature was much more beautiful and imposing than what I could see in photos. I was so busy with contemplating the views that till coming back the hotel; I realized forgetting not to take any pictures of them.

Standing far away, I still could hear the sound of Silver Waterfall. The water from the mountain fell fast and thickly, making white foam to the land. Nature was much more beautiful than what I imagined. The most impressive experience here making us embarrassed was the toilet in the middle height of the mountain. Since then, I have promised that I would never let my friend have problems with toilet-paper.

Silver Waterfall

The next destination was O Quy Ho mountain pass. Standing from here, I could see rolling mountains and felt so tiny.

Leaving O Quy Ho mountain pass, I also visited Love Waterfall and Golden Spring. Seeing the signboard of walking 1.1 km, I felt rather discouraged but I still tried due to the high spirit of my friend. The sunny weather, as well as the weary legs, made me would like to come back the hotel, but I still kept going because I couldn’t leave my friend.

At last, I saw the Love Waterfall after passing along the entrance road. It’s said that lonely people visiting there can get a new happy relationship. That’s why I tried my best to take my boyfriend there. It’s not vain passing over forest roads, Love Waterfall was so much more beautiful and imposing than Silver Waterfall that I felt overwhelmed and couldn’t stop contemplating. On the way to come back the hotel, despite the tired legs, seeing the signboard to Fansipan, I still tried to take a photo with it to show to my friend. That’s the end of a not only happy but also tired morning. At noon, we visited a beef noodle restaurant and ordered 2 big bowls. After finishing, both of us felt better and kept going. The plan for this afternoon was climbing Ham Rong Mountain, Muong Hoa Valley, and Ta Van Village.

There weren’t any particular things in Ham Rong except that when you climb to Cloud Yard you could feel like Sapa lying in your eyes. One more time, I forgot to take the photos because I couldn’t stop contemplating the nature.

Leaving Ham Rong, I continued the trip. The entrance road to Muong Hoa impressed me with extremely peaceful views. Kitchen smoke spread from tiny houses. The rice terraces lay endlessly. The paddy was so green and the flowers were so white. A picture didn’t have so many colors but still got stunning beauty. I could hear sweet melodious flute sound far away and felt like I was staying in the dream land.

Muong Hoa valley

Having just stopped the motorbike at Sapa ancient rock field and Ta Van Village, a group of indigenous children came to greet us warmly, asking us about our names and addresses, taking us to a big rock with some symbols on its face and letting us take photos. I felt a little bit disappointed because there were only some natural rocks, not like what I thought. After going around discovering, I came back the entrance because there weren’t any particular things to see. And then I didn’t know from where more than 10 children were joining the group, surrounding us and canvassing souvenirs. All of them said a lot and my boyfriend had been going. Even a child whispered to me (but like warning me) that If I didn’t buy for them, they wouldn’t let me leave. I felt a little scared. After a long time trying to get away from them, I had to buy 3 colorful bracelets made from threads but they really matched with my style. Going for long distance, both of us felt less scared and laughed a lot about this. So the experience to Sapa was preparing a fighting spirit, never be compliant like me.

I came back to the town in the late afternoon with rather a cold atmosphere. This weather made people would like to be closer.

After a long day visiting a lot, I started to feel sleepy and went to bed until night.

The night here was really fantastic. I wore a coat then went for a walk. The church became twinkling and the café, as well as the bar, also turned crowded. I decided to come in a roasting shop along the road. Sitting there made me feel exciting because I could both eat and see the people wandering. Sometimes I had to hug myself due to the cold winds and smelt the roasted food on the table. The food in this kiosk was so delicious that I had a different thought of Sapa roasted food and would try to eat more tomorrow. The second day ended more successfully than I expected.

The third day

Today I got up early; the town still seemed to be sunk in thick fog so I decided to sleep more. After the breakfast, I rented a motorbike to travel to Ta Phin Village. The deeper we went to the village, the foggier weather was. The first destination in this morning was Ta Phin monastery.

The next destination was Ta Phin Village of Red Dao People. They were really friendly and cute. They took me to visit the village and told me some stories that made me love the people and the life here more.

I also visited Ta Phin Cave. On the way coming back, it rained heavily. Poor my boyfriend!

Being backed Vietnam Sapa, we came in a small restaurant near the church, enjoying my favorite food and a little cat apple wine. Then I went to the hotel with light might.

Sapa at night became colder. We found a beautiful corner on the second floor of a bar on Cau May Street. This is the first time I drank a glass of cocktail having special meaning with a special person. I was so happy that I couldn’t say in words.

The last night in Sapa I felt a little bit regretful because I had good feelings about this place just in few days. I liked the atmosphere here. Although the weather was cold, I always felt warm.

The fourth day

Today we had to get up early and traveled nearly 40 km of mountainous roads by bus to come back Lao Cai. According to our plan, we visited China until the afternoon we came back Lao Cai to get the train to Hanoi.

The final night

Perhaps this night was my most memorable night. I has never got such happiness, such moments and such feelings like that before. I closed my eyes, tried to feel and stored all those wonderful things by heart. There were some short moments but having a long-lasting position in our heart. Outside the window, everything was being sunk in the dark and let behind forever.

P/S: The trip were really meaningful to me. There were numerous experiences for a trip.

According to legend, an immense dragon descended to Ha Long Bay (meaning ‘’Descending Dragon’’) millions years ago, dropping numerous eggs. These eggs hatched forming thousands of rocks and islands. The tail of the dragon extended far to the sea, forming Bach Long Vi (meaning ‘’The Tail of the White Dragon’’). As she returned to heaven, she said good bye to her offspring at the Bai Tu Long Bay (means ‘’The dragon parts the offsprings’’).

Now the Park is part of Van Don district, 20 km distant from Cai Rong town.

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Geography:

The exactly geographical position is in a rectangle between 20°55'05" and 21°15'10" North latitude, 107°30'10" and 107°46'20" East longitude. It administratively consists of 3 communes: Minh Châu, Vạn Yên and Hạ Long of Van Don district, vietnam.

It is composed from a terrestrial area of 61.25 km2 and an aquatic area of 96.58 km2. The zone includes over 40 islands and rocks. They form three groups : Ba Mùn group, Trà Ngọ group and Sậu group. The aquatic area includes the sea zone between the islands and the narrows between the park area and the land area which has boundary of 1 km offshore. The National Park also includes a buffer zone of approximately 165.34 km2, which is located in a larger area including 5 communes : Minh Châu, Vạn Yên, Bản Sen, Quan Lạn and Hạ Long. The total population of the core zone and the buffer zone is around 24.000.

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Ecosystem:

The National Park includes five kinds of ecosystems: Rain Broad Leaves Forest, Limestone Forest, Littoral Forest, Coral Area and Shallow Water Area.

The Rain Broad Leaves Forest area is mostly secondary forest. The average canopy covers 50 – 90%. 494 species belonging to 337 genera of 117 families have been found in this type of ecosystem. Some endangered species include Cycas balansae, Radix marindae officinalis, Ardisia sylvestris Pitard, Smilax glabra, Leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), Indian muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak), Small Indian civet (Viverricula indica), Large Indian civet (Viverra zibetha).

The Limestone Forest area is forest growing in poor soil with particles of limestone on rocky islands. Some rare animals found there include Serow, Rhesus macaque.

The Littoral Ecosystem in the park is small areas surrounding the islands. It has a rather large tidal variation and is biologically highly diverse with 251 species including 19 species of mangrove, 17 species of seaweed, 29 species of marine worms, 149 species of molluscs, 22 species of crustaceans and 15 species of echinoderms.

The Coral area is located from the water depths of low tide to 10m deep. 409 species have been found including groupers, sea bass, crabs, snails, abalone and seaweeds.

The shallow water area covers a large area around the islands, beyond the tidal area and extending from 1 km to around 4 km. These areas have not been profoundly researched but 539 species have been found.

Previously occupied by both the French and the Americans, Da Nang marks the halfway point between the capital in the north, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City in the south. It’s the fourth largest city in Viet nam. Apart from some shopping highlights and historical sights, the main reason for most travellers staying here is its proximity to the well-known China Beach, Lang Co Beach, Hoi An and My Son.

travel to danang - the beautiful seaside city ( du lịch đà nẵng – thanh phố biển xinh đẹp )

Lang Co Beach is lined with palm trees, the water of the nearby ocean crystal-clear and enticing, lapping onto white sand. It is a peninsula with a sparkling lagoon on one side, and the beach on the other. The area is fairly under-developed, although recent years have seen many new hotels opening.

China Beach is more developed, since it was a popular spot for American soldiers seeking R&R during the Vietnam-US War. Water sport activities here are in abundance, and it can get very crowded over weekends and holidays. Da Nang’s coastline stretches 30 kilometres, renowned for calm, cool waters and also popular for fishing, water-skiing, diving, and yachting.

With an airport with daily flights from across cities in Vietnam and a train station, Da Nang is easily accessible. It is just over 760km from Hanoi, and almost 950km from Ho Chi Minh City. There are many good hotels to choose from, no matter the type of accommodation you’re looking for.

See more : Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi

The best time to visit Vietnam is spring (February to April) and autumn (August to October). The temperatures are more moderate and rainfall is lighter. In spring, March and April have the lowest rainfall across all destinations and temperatures are pleasant, though still cool in the far north

Honestly speaking, there is no best time to visit Vietnam. The country has a very varied climate which is best explained by dividing the country into three distinct regions; the north; central Vietnam and the south. The north (Hanoi, Halong Bay, Sapa) experiences a northeast monsoon between the months of November and March which brings great swathes of mist to popular areas like the rice terraces in Sapa and the karst limestone outcrops of Halong Bay. Despite this being labelled the monsoon season, ironically Hanoi is at its driest in December and January (however temperatures can drop to below 20c!) and at its wettest in July and August. So be prepared for some cold weather – however it is possible that you will also encounter some beautiful cloudless sunny days as well.

See more : Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi

Central Vietnam’s coastal areas (Hoi An, Da Nang, Hue) benefit from the protection of the Truong Son mountain range – they escape a lot of the rains from the southwest monsoon between April and September meaning some very nice long sunny perfect holiday days. This benefit is unfortunately reversed when the northeast monsoon arrives between September and December coupled with the typhoons from the Western Pacific meaning flooding has been known in certain areas.

See more : travel to danang - the beautiful seaside city

Southern Vietnam (Saigon, Mekong Delta) benefits from a long dry season between December and May when the skies are clear, the land and scenery are incredibly lush and the waters on the Mekong Delta are very calm. The monsoons arrive towards the end of May and stay until about November. The showers during monsoon season are generally short and sweet and certainly shouldn’t deter you from travelling. If you’re in Saigon during these quite spectacular showers, you’ll be wowed by how quickly the water dissipates due to very impressive drainage and then it’s blue skies again.

Hanoi Temple of literature's structure

The temple was divided into five court yard, each with its own significance and history. The first courtyard stretches from the main gate to Dai Trung gate; the second stands out with Khue Van Cac pavilion. If you notice well, you will find the pavilion symbol on all street signs of Hanoi. The third courtyard is where doctor names was listed on a tombstone above tortoise backs.

There are a total of 82 tombstones, with names and origins of 1307 doctors, corresponding to 82 examination courses from 1442 to 1779. If you visit the temple at the beginning of the year or in May when many important examinations take place, you will catch sights of numerous students who come and rub the tortoise head. Such an act is believed to bring them luck to pass the test.

The fourth courtyard is dedicated for Confucius and his 72 honoured students, as well as Chu Van An- a famous teachers known for his devotion to teaching. This is also where local authorities choose to cherish brilliant students in Hanoi, like those with top entrance results to university or top graduation outcomes. The last and also furthest courtyard is Thai Hoc house, which used to be Quoc Tu Giam- the first university of Vietnam. Thai Hoc house holds a small collection of old time costumes for students and mandarins, as well as explaining the process of taking and passing the national examination.

If you are keen on architecture, Temple of literature has one of the most typical architecture style for centuries in Vietnam, composed of wood and tiles. Along the pass way is hundred-year-old trees that have witnessed ups and downs of history.

Hanoi Temple of literature's structure

Hanoi Temple of literature history

Hanoi Temple of Literature is about one kilometer far from Hoan Kiem lake. It was constructed by Ly Thanh Tong’s dynasty in 1070, first to honor Confucius and nowadays to celebrate the doctorates and high rank scholars of Vietnam. In 1076, King Ly Nhan Tong continued the work and built Quoc Tu Giam as the first university of Vietnam.

Hanoi Temple of literature

Entrance Fee in Hanoi Temple of literature

The entrance fee for the complex is 10,000 VND (about 50 US cents). Opening hours: From 8:30 to 11:30 and from 13:30 to 16:30 everyday except Monday and national holidays.


>>> More destinations: The ancient quarter of Ha Noi

Sapa lies in the very north west of Vietnam near the Chinese border. Along with Halong Bay it is the “other” major excursion from Hanoi. Time permitting you can do a circuit around the northwest highlands which takes in Mai Chau, Son La, Dien Bien Phu, Lai Chau and finally Sapa before heading back to Hanoi. This would take at least a week by private vehicle and longer on local buses. During the wet season roads can be treacherous with landslides common. The best time to visit is from March to May and from September to mid-December.

Established as a hill station by the French in 1922, Sapa is the one place in the northwest where tourism is booming. It’s now firmly on the European and North American package-tour circuit, and well-equipped trekkers are a common sight around town.

The town is orientated to make the most of the spectacular views emerging on clear days. It overlooks a plunging valley of cascading rice terraces, with mountains towering above on all sides. Views of this epic scenery are often subdued by thick mist rolling across the peaks, but even if it’s cloudy, Sapa is still a fascinating destination, especially when local hill-tribe people fill the town with colour.

The town’s French colonial villas fell into disrepair during successive wars with the French, Americans and Chinese, but following the advent of tourism, Sapa has experienced a renaissance. The downside is a hotel building boom, and because height restrictions are rarely enforced, the Sapa skyline is changing for the worse.

Inherent in this prosperity is cultural change for the hill-tribe people. The H’mong people are very canny traders, urging you to buy handicrafts and trinkets. Many have had little formal education, yet all the youngsters have a good command of English, French and a handful of other languages.

Sapa is nearly 400 km north-west of Hanoi. This cloud-covered town is located at 1550 m above the sea level, cool all year round. There are many magnificent mountains including the peak of Indochina - Fansipan of 3143m elevation. 

The area is home to 7 ethnic groups with unique cultures, lifestyles and languages; all wearing their traditional attires, working on evergreen terraces. Hill tribes gather for the weekend market for trade and for meeting with lovers. Sapa is a good place for relaxing, for culturally touring, and/or for trekking and should not be missed on your trip. 

The area was built into a hill station for the French colonialists to get away from the heat of Ha Noi in the summer. There used to be many French-styled villas in town. But most of them were destroyed during the border clash with China in 1979.

Nowadays Sapa attracts thousands of tourists from all of Vietnam and abroad thanks to the cool and fresh climate, the sublime nature beauty and the colorful hill tribe cultures.

Getting There

By train: There are various options to get to Sapa from Hanoi. However there are no flights, with international visitors having to disembark at Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport and travel by rail or road to the town. The most popular is to sign up for one of the overnight trips which includes a train journey to Lao Cai followed by minibus transfer up to Sapa. The train is slow, but reserving a sleeper seat means you can enjoy the trip and the stunning scenery in relative comfort. There are daily overnight trains heading in each direction, with the journey taking around nine hours. A number of standard and tourist trains also make the overnight run from Hanoi. You can make arrangements with any travel agent for a small fee, or do it yourself at the Hanoi Railway Station. Prices range from $16 for a hard berth to $30 for a soft berth with air-conditioning. There is also the new Victoria’s Orient Express that runs between Hanoi and Sapa, offering more luxurious rail travel facilities and services. All trains to Lao Cai/Sapa depart from the Hanoi Railway Station.

To get to Sapa from the train station in Lao Cai, you'll need to transfer by car for the 1 1/2- to 2-hour ride from Lao Cai station. The road is cut into the hillside and is bumpy and windy, but the views of the terraced rice farms of the valley are beautiful as you ascend (ride on the left side).

By road: from Hanoi is the longest option and a minimum ten hour drive by car or bus with the journey taking up the entire day. There are many possible routes to Sapa, and visitors can plan their road trip via the route that most matches their special interests. Driving in the mountainous northwest region is often dangerous, so care should be taken to avoid excessive speeds and select vehicles or bikes suitable for all types of terrain. The rainy season should be avoided if you plan an off the beaten track route, unless you are a very experienced offroader. Any tourist cafe or travel agent in Hanoi can arrange trips by private jeep or a combo jeep and train tour. Apart from Sapa, the vast tracts of the north are best visited through a tour company, many offer comprehensive itineraries. Especially for areas off the beaten track. Avoid the temptation to book budget tours with the tourist cafes

When to Go

The dry season is from January to June with March to May the best time to visit. Temperatures in January and February are regularly around 0ºC. The rainy season falls in June and August. September marks the end of the rainy season which is a good time to visit then by mid-December temperatures start to fall significantly making this September to mid-December period the best time to be there.

Things to Do & See

Sapa is such a colourful town thanks to the H'mong and Dzao people from the local hill tribes who head into the town's market every day to trade their produce. There's a main market every Saturday when the place is packed but there's a lower key one every other day during the week. These people will have undergone no formal education but the arrival of foreigners has made them well aware of the value of money and many of the youngsters have picked up a basic level of English. They sell clothing and handicrafts which are popular with tourists.

Read the exciting story of some real travellers who visited the Sapa which they describe at Traveller Reviews.

Many visitors sign up for trekking expeditions out to local villages and beyond. All hotels and travel agencies in town offer half day visits to Cat Cat just 3km outside of Sapa and full day hikes to Ta Phin village which lies 10km outside town. Spectacular scenery abounds on all treks in the area. Overnight stays in minority villages such as Sin Chai are also popular options.

For stunning scenery you must get out to the Tram Ton Pass 15km from Sapa. At 1900m its is the highest in Vietnam and connects Sapa to Lai Chau. All around you are surrounded by almost vertical rice terraces and stunning mountain peaks with regular mists hovering on them. The 100m high Thac Bac waterfall on the same route is spectacular.

For the seriously fit there is a hike to the top of Fansipan, Vietnam's highest peak at 3143m. This isn't a climb to be taken lightly with potentially treacherous conditions when the weather turns bad. From Sapa to the peak is only about 20km yet experienced hikers take three or four days to complete it carrying their all their own equipment as there is no accommodation en route. Taking a local guide and even porters is a highly recommended. If you are up to such a challenge the rewards are breathtaking.

Banks & Communication

The post office is in the town center, but most hotels can send postcards and letters and have stamps for sale. There are a few storefront Internet cafes, but service is slow and unreliable. All hotels provide exchange service for traveler's checks and even credit card cash advances. There is a local bank on Cau May where you can cash traveler's checks for the same 2% fee as at your hotel, but there are also some ATMs here.

Tips:

It can be too much of an adventure trying to get there as individual traveller. Arrange the trip with a reputable tour operator to ensure smooth, risk free travel.

Traveling on week days is both easier and cheaper than weekends (lower hotel costs, more relaxed travel schemes)

Always make sure you have return tickets in hand.

Get to Hanoi and Lao Cai at least 30 minutes before departure – but be ready for a sudden or late departure without any explaination.

Make sure there is something to define the person who picks you up (i.e, his name, cell number and so on)

Say “no” very firmly when someone offers you something you do not want to buy. If you show the slightest interest, they may well follow you all the way up the road, until they find anther likely target.

Expect to bargain everything down to about half the original price asked. And expect most products to be Chinese instead of being authentically local.

The museum is housed in an attractive stilt house with a static exhibit upstairs which runs uninspiringly through the history of the Sapa region before moving on to some slightly more engaging exhibits about the culture of the ethnic minorities. It’s like the Ethnology Museum or Women’s Museum in Hanoi, but far smaller and dustier.

A collection of funny quotes about life to make you smile

Sapa Museum

funny quotes about love, relationships, and marriage

On our last visit, downstairs was home to a sponsored exhibit about the crafts and customs of the Hmong and Red Dao people. It specifically focuses on their handicrafts as part of the Sapa Fair Craft project to promote these traditional crafts and help provide new economic opportunities. Entry is free but a stall is located inside so you may end up paying more than you expect; it’s not a hard sell though.

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