Sunday in Chiang Mai

This morning we went on a river cruise down the Mae Ping river, was very peaceful (apart from the noisy engine!) and we ended up going to a herb garden and were given fresh fruit to eat, the pineapple was LOVELY! Today we also unsucessfully visited some wats in the old city centre, the main ones that we went to visit looked like they were being renovated/closed... not sure if it was something to do with the sunday market that takes place every week (will tell more about later) but they needed the room for parking and setting up.. so we ended up walking to the park in the corner of the old city centre, it was really nice again to get away from all the traffic and hustle/bustle! After that we went to dinner (pizza again) and spent the rest of the eve going around the sunday walking street/market, where everyone fills the main road in the city and some areas around the wats and has lots of crafts/clothes/jewellery to sell. so many people were about, it's a little crazy that they do this every week until midnight! The national anthem came on again and everyone in the street stopped whilst the music was playing, dont think i'm gonna get used to that, its very bizarre when it happens!

Week eight - Hoi An - Nga Trang - Siem Reap

Week eight feels like the week dedicated to being on the buses. Vietnam being the long snake of a country that it is meant I spent a substantial amount of my time on buses. The week started at 8am with a four hour trip from Hue to Hoi An with the tall 6ft 3 Adam sat next to me. Adam managed to take up most of my seat but the scenery made up for the discomfort. The next night bus was a nightmare with the roads even bumpier than the first night trip. Luckily I got up early to reserve my seat and so when Adam came to book his place the bus was full: result. I had managed to get rid of the intolerant and rude Adam who had decided to latch himself onto me since the last night bus trip. Even better was the fact that the lads from Hull where getting the same bus as me and we soon discovered that seat 15 was next to them. Unfortunately beds 15, 16, 17 and 18 meant we were consigned to the row of bottom beds at the back. We were also joined by a very loud snoring elderly Vietnamese man and we spent a very cosy 12 hours to Nga Trang. I cheated on the last leg and flew to Saigon but nearly deliberately missed my flight after a big night out for Mark's birthday so that I could get the night bus with the rest of the crew.The Vietnamese on a whole are unfriendly and miserable. Compared to Thailand and Loas there is a je ne sais quoi missing which I cannot pin point. The food is stody: eggs, unhealthy white bread, rice and a severe lack of vegetables. I had to put myself on a salad only diet to feel marginally healthy. Every bus we caught was incredibly late and yet nobody communicates what is going on.Hoi An was a charming colonial style town renowned for its tailoring. It was great to bump into Katie (fun loving beer drinking American) who I met in Hue when she was out cycling with the completely mad Columbian old dear. It was great to have some fun company and for people not to think that Adam and I were an item! We had a good night out and arranged to meet in Nga Trang.Nga Trang is going to be the Benidorm of Vietnam and the environmental distruction with the eyesore called Vinpearl has already started. I also signed up for another Vietnamese trip to visit some island but it turned out to be equally as bad as the Halong Bay trip. We didn't visit any of the islands but had to listen to a mafiosa Vietnamese, who called himself funky monkey, who had failed the cruise ship interview crack terrible jokes and thinking he and the kitchen boys where the next big boy band. I thought that the trip would have been an opportunity to meet some fellow travellers but instead I was on a boat, along with two equally annoyed Israelis, full of hairly legged loud and annoying Chinese. And there was no need for them to laugh at me getting to grips with using chops sticks. I have never been a natural with two bits of stick but I was determined to eat my lunch and I managed it! Snorkelling made up for a bad day and I was at long last able to use my snorkel which I have been carrying with me all this time.That night was the first BIG night out this trip. I even put on some make up which is also a first! I had arranged to meet Katie and the lads from Hull as it was Mark's birthday. Adam had by now latched onto Katie so he was also present and we met Pablo and Lily from Essex (who knew about BQ). We all got rediciously drunk but had a very good night until Mike left the Sailing Club early, got pepper sprayed and had his wallet stolen.I was able to catch a flight from Saigon to Siem Reap on Friday and spent the first day relaxing and organising the next steps of my trip and trying to get to the Full Moon Party on Ko Pha Ngan. I also went to the market like a little piggy and bought: a top, a rice sack bag with a zip as I keep loosing my possessions out of Tina's lovely gift (now lost my USB device), a gorgeous bangle and matching necklace and a lovely silk scarf. Damn more to carry.Obviously when travelling you can't just round up your lovely friends for a really good night out. Meeting new people all the time can be a a great experience but with the good comes the bad. Here is a scenario to illustrate why sometimes I prefer to be on my own: enter Mr Mystery Mexico (he never introduced himself)! I was sat in Siem Reap just finishing my beer when Mr Mystery Mexican rocks up and asks if he can join me because "being on your own sucks right" so I decide to have one for the road as KV would say. We start off with good conversation as he had studied Biology in Bangor and his Phd at Imperial but his lack of listening skills, inuendos and an undercurrent of machismo put my antena on alert. We soon started to discuss fake good and big corporations and why he is justified in buying photocopies of the Lonely Planet. He called me a lady of principles which had by now wound me up. He was pleased that the waiter had undercharged him for his beers which annoyed me even more when they are so reasonable and so I got up "You're not leaving me are you" to which I said "yes" and walked off quickly. He had managed to ruin my evening! I suggest Mr Mystery Mexican goes to his shrink when back in NY to discuss being on his own and abandonment.For me Cambodia was about visiting Angkor Wat and I found myself a driver called Chin Chin to take me there. I was really excited about seeing the Wat but unfortunately I was not blown away by it's wow factor. I preferred instead Bayon with it's 216 faces starring out and Ta Keo which made my legs wobble as I climbed to the top. Ta Prohm was the highlight as it was both beautiful and felt like someone had gently blown over some dominoes. Trees had then taken root to knit together the remaining structures. The sky went CLAP and I didn't want any of the seeminly unstable temple to fall on my head so Chin Chin and I headed back. The heavens opened and I was sealed into my tuk tuk. I felt really bad for Chin Chin but knew he was a veteran of a monsoon or two and with that thought wished him a Happy New Year. He could go home early to his family insted of driving me around temples.

Cuc Phuong National Park- full day, Vietnam tours

Cucphuong Tour, Cuc Phuong bird watching, National Park in Ninh Binh, plants & mammals: Cuc Phuong National Park is located 100km south of Hanoi in Ninh Binh province. The park is conveniently located on the route to several tourist attractions, including Bich Dong Pagoda, Hoa Lu, and Sam Son Beach. It was officially opened in 1960 as the first national park in Vietnam. Cuc Phuong National Park is surrounded by several limestone cliffs, the highest being May Bac, meaning "silver cloud," with a height of 656m. There are plenty of plants and mammals living in the park. There are an estimated 2,000 different species of flora and the 450 species fauna account for 38% of the national fauna.Includes: transport, guide, lunch, entrance feeITINERARY:AM : 7h00 depart to Ninh Binh .Arrive Cucphuong , 10h30 Visit the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre .Lunch.PM : 1h00 Depart to the Park Centre, on the way visit the "Cave of Early Man" ( had over 7000 year) , on the way admire the primary forest with "1000 year Old Tree",Low Season (5th May - 31st August)Size of Group 1 2 3 4 - 5 6 - 7 8 pax upCost/pax (USD) 150 125 90 75 60 55High Season (1st Sep - 4th May)Size of Group 1 2 3 4 - 5 6 - 7 8 pax upCost/pax (USD) 165 137 99 83 66 60 Tour type: PrivateDeparture: Every dayInclusive: Transportation (private car/mini van), Entrance fees, Speaking guide (English or French), LunchExclusive: Drinks, Insurance, Personal expenses, Tips

Vietnam travel in brief 05/09

Mui Ne attracts more visitors
Domestic and foreign travelers are increasingly flocking to Mui Ne in Binh Thuan Province. According to the provincial tourism authority, the coastal city received more than 35,000 guests during the recent extended holiday weekend from last Friday to Tuesday.

In the first eight months of the year, some 1.3 million people made their way to Binh Thuan, a year-on-year increase of 14 per cent. About 125,000 of them were foreign tourists from Germany, Russia, Australia and the US, among others.
Quang Ngai hosts Korea-VN festival
The Central province of Quang Ngai is hosting a four-day cultural exchange festival beginning today to showcase Quang Ngai’s cultural highlights and Jeju Island, a self-governing province in South Korea.
Local artists will recite traditional Vietnamese poetry, play music and exhibit local artwork. Panpipe and gong performances will be also featured. Ethnic H’re musicians will play kaleu folk songs accompanied by their traditional ching and aradon musical instruments.
Festival-goers can get a look at a traditional Jeju house, notable for lacking any front door or gate. A photo exhibitition will flaunt Jeju’s natural beauty with shots of Mount Halla, South Korea’s highest peak.
A photo exhibition highlights Jeju’s natural beauty with shots of the Dolharbang Grandfather Stone, Baeknok Lake, Manjanggul Lava Tube Cave and Mount Halla.
Jeju’s Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes were recognised by UNESCO as a Natural World Heritage Site last year.
Eco-tourism tour in central province
The Nuoc Mooc eco-tourism site in Quang Binh Province opened to visitors last Saturday.
Some 30 km from world natural heritage Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Nuoc Mooc boasts spectacular natural landscapes such as the Gio (Wind) Waterfalls and other ecotourism potentials.
To mark the occasion, a drive for locals and visitors to vote for the park as one of the world’s natural wonders was launced.
Ben Thanh Tourist’s honeymoon tours
Ho Chi Minh City-based Ben Thanh Tourist is promoting special honeymoon tours to central and northern provinces. Couples looking for sand and surf can choose from tours to Hoi An, Nha Trang, or Halong Bay, while those in the mood to escape the heat would enjoy the Da Lat tour.
The tours cater to couples who do not want to travel alone rather than with large tour groups, and are tailored to suit customers depending on how much time they want to spend with other tourists and how much time they want to explore the cities on their own.
Dinner parties with candles, flowers and wine can be arranged for couples, who will receive special gifts, such as fruit and flowers in their room, as part of the package.
HaLong Bay drops in popularity
Halong Bay has fallen to 16th place on an online poll of the top 77 vote-getting natural wonders at www.new7wonder.com. This is the fourth consecutive drop in the last month.
Taking the lead in the race to become one of the new seven world natural wonders is Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar. Bangladesh’s neighbour India has two spots in the top 15: Sundarbans Forest at 2nd place and the Ganges River at 14th.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is calling for domestic and overseas tourists to vote for Halong Bay. If it drops out of the top 21 before the end of the year, it will be ousted from the poll.
Vietnam culinary and art week in Bangkok
Bangkok got a taste of Vietnamese cuisine and culture at an exhibition last week.
The Vietnamese Modern and Classic Culinary&Art Week served up a Vietnamese buffet at Thailand’s Triple Two Hotel, courtesy of Vietnamese chefs from Que Huong – Liberty hotels, Metropole Hotel and Madagui Theme Park. Photos and drawings of Vietnam’s landscape and people were on hand.
The cultural event, which ran from August 22-31, was part of a co-operation programme between the Thai Narai Hotel and the Vietnamese Que Huong Liberty Group.

VIETNAM TRAVEL IN BRIEF 30 - 8 - 2008

Thac Bo Temple Thac Bo Temple recognizes historic culture relic Hoa Binh’s People’s Committee has just issued the decision No.1858/QD-UBND that recognizes Thac Bo Temple Thac Bo Temple Thac Bo Temple recognizes historic culture relic Hoa Binh’s People’s Committee has just issued the decision No.1858/QD-UBND that recognizes Thac Bo Temple as a provincial historic cultural relic. Thac Bo Temple is located in the Vay Nua Commune of Da Bac District in the northern province of Hoa Binh. Hoa Binh authorities expect to attract more visitors after this important announcement.
Every year, over 1 million visitors come to Thac Bo Temple. At present, the Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism of Hoa Binh is working on a campaign to develop tourism for Hoa Binh Lake. The authority is waiting for the decision from the Government to recognize Hoa Binh Lake as a national tourist area.

Corn noodles of Phu Yen

Corn noodles are made from corn and is very delicious and sweet-tasting if noodle makers use the corn from the Tuy An and Dong Xuan areas of the central province of Phu Yen.

For a long time, corn noodles were a traditional product of the Tuy An people. Over 90 percent of the population of Tuy An made corn noodles however in modern times young people have not followed family traditions. At present, only a few families remain making crn noodles in this area.

Visitors will have a chance to taste corn noodles during festivals or Lunar New Year. Corn noodle soup is quite different from other soups as the soup is cooked with Giang leaf and goby fish which is caught at the O Loan lagoon. If one doesn’t have the time to follow the traditional recipe, mixing fish sauce with chili then adding the mixed fish sauce to the broth and the corn noodles will make a satisfactory variation.

Those who travel to Phu Yen shouldn’t miss the opportunity to taste the corn noodle soup at the Chi Thanh market in the An Dan commune.

US$100mil tourism complex to be built in Thua Thien-Hue
The Thua Thien-Hue Province administration has approved development of a giant tourism complex on Con Son Island that will have residential and amusement facilities.
To be built by the Vietnam Construction and Technology Development Joint Stock Company, the complex will have an urban zone, resort, five-star hotel, theater, exhibition and convention center, tennis courts, luxury villas, and water sport and aquatic entertainment facilities on a 200-hectare area in Thuan An town.
To cost VND1.6 trillion (nearly US$100 million), it will be developed in three stages from 2009 to 2015.
AirAsia launches 1 million free seats
AirAsia - the largest and leading low-cost carrier in Asia- will be giving away 1 million free seats for all its domestic and international destinations from all of its seven hubs primarily in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Johor), Thailand (Bangkok) and Indonesia (Jakarta and Bali).
This free seat campaign includes over 105 routes in Asean, and China network including AirAsia X’s long haul destinations. Some of the hottest international destinations included in this campaign and which only AirAsia flies directly from Kuala Lumpur are Makassar, Manado, Solo, Krabi, Chiang Mai, the newly launched Guilin, Shenzhen, Haikou, Bandung and Vientiane.
Other destinations include Bali, Jakarta, Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, Macau, Siem Reap, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong and many others. And to make the deal sweeter, AirAsia’s new destinations like Perth and Melbourne (Australia) serviced by AirAsia X are also included in this free seat campaign.
The free seats are available for the following booking period from 26 – 31 August 2008 and travel period from 1 April to 31 July 2009
This 6 days offer is available exclusively online at www.airasia.com
Quang Ninh greets over 3.5 million tourists in first 8 months
Quang Ninh Province’s Culture, Sport and Tourism Department said that the province had attracted an additional 1.7 million tourists over the past eight months, contributing to increasing the number tourists visiting the province to 3.5 million for the period.
In August, Quang Ninh welcomed nearly 360,000 tourists. Total turnover from tourism reached an estimated nearly VND 1.7 trillion in the first eight months this year. Mr. Le Toan, the Director of the Quang Ninh Provincial Culture, Sport and Tourism Department said this is the largest-ever number in economic terms.
In spite of having only been in operation for a short time, the establishment of Quang Ninh Province’s Culture, Sport and Tourism Department has helped the province’s culture and sport sectors connect to tourism activities, and the province’s tourism is expected to continue to prosper in the future.
Movenpick Hotels & Resorts begins operations in Vietnam
Movenpick Hotels & Resorts’ first foray into Asia’s hottest hotel development market centres on the country’s very first upscale property.
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, a Swiss hotel chain with more than 90 hotels existing or under construction worldwide, made Ho Chi Minh City’s five-star accommodation scene this month by assuming management of the Omni Hotel Saigon, which opened in 1994 as the city’s inaugural international-standard hotel.
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts’ arrival in Ho Chi Minh City is the first in a series of steps the group plans for a country that welcomed more than four million visitors in 2007—a 16 percent increase over the previous year. A similar overhaul-and-operate strategy has been scheduled for the former Guoman Hotel in Hanoi starting in January, as well as the development and handling of up to three more hotels in Vietnam by 2010.
Movenpick Hotels & Resorts was founded in Zurich, Switzerland in 1973 and moved into Germany in 1980. In 2003, it was recognised as the “fastest growing hotel chain in the Middle East” at the World Travel Market in London.
The business began its Asian expansion in 2006, when it signed a management agreement with a hotel in Bangalore, India, and assumed operations of a holiday resort in Phuket, Thailand. Movenpick Hotels & Resorts’ current plans for this region include adding three or more properties to its portfolio in Vietnam.
Vietnam-RoK charity golf tournament helps homeless people
A Vietnam-RoK charity golf tournament will be held in northern mountainous Phu Tho province to raise funds for homeless people, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Vietnam announced on August 30.
The tournament, the first of its kind in Vietnam , will take place at the Tam Dao Golf Course on September 2 and is expected to draw the participation of RoK Ambassador Im Hong Jae and businesses from the two countries.
The organising board said it hopes the event will help attract more attention and support from businesses for charitable activities. The board has so far raised over 10,000 USD in support for the local homeless.
The tournament is organised by the RoK’s Pang Rim Neotex Co. Ltd, a fibre material company operating in Phu Tho province.
(Source: SGGP, ND, CPV, VNA) as a provincial historic cultural relic. Thac Bo Temple is located in the Vay Nua Commune of Da Bac District in the northern province of Hoa Binh. Hoa Binh authorities expect to attract more visitors after this important announcement.
Every year, over 1 million visitors come to Thac Bo Temple. At present, the Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism of Hoa Binh is working on a campaign to develop tourism for Hoa Binh Lake. The authority is waiting for the decision from the Government to recognize Hoa Binh Lake as a national tourist area.

Corn noodles of Phu Yen

Corn noodles are made from corn and is very delicious and sweet-tasting if noodle makers use the corn from the Tuy An and Dong Xuan areas of the central province of Phu Yen.

For a long time, corn noodles were a traditional product of the Tuy An people. Over 90 percent of the population of Tuy An made corn noodles however in modern times young people have not followed family traditions. At present, only a few families remain making crn noodles in this area.

Visitors will have a chance to taste corn noodles during festivals or Lunar New Year. Corn noodle soup is quite different from other soups as the soup is cooked with Giang leaf and goby fish which is caught at the O Loan lagoon. If one doesn’t have the time to follow the traditional recipe, mixing fish sauce with chili then adding the mixed fish sauce to the broth and the corn noodles will make a satisfactory variation.

Those who travel to Phu Yen shouldn’t miss the opportunity to taste the corn noodle soup at the Chi Thanh market in the An Dan commune.

US$100mil tourism complex to be built in Thua Thien-Hue
The Thua Thien-Hue Province administration has approved development of a giant tourism complex on Con Son Island that will have residential and amusement facilities.
To be built by the Vietnam Construction and Technology Development Joint Stock Company, the complex will have an urban zone, resort, five-star hotel, theater, exhibition and convention center, tennis courts, luxury villas, and water sport and aquatic entertainment facilities on a 200-hectare area in Thuan An town.
To cost VND1.6 trillion (nearly US$100 million), it will be developed in three stages from 2009 to 2015.
AirAsia launches 1 million free seats
AirAsia - the largest and leading low-cost carrier in Asia- will be giving away 1 million free seats for all its domestic and international destinations from all of its seven hubs primarily in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Johor), Thailand (Bangkok) and Indonesia (Jakarta and Bali).
This free seat campaign includes over 105 routes in Asean, and China network including AirAsia X’s long haul destinations. Some of the hottest international destinations included in this campaign and which only AirAsia flies directly from Kuala Lumpur are Makassar, Manado, Solo, Krabi, Chiang Mai, the newly launched Guilin, Shenzhen, Haikou, Bandung and Vientiane.
Other destinations include Bali, Jakarta, Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, Macau, Siem Reap, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong and many others. And to make the deal sweeter, AirAsia’s new destinations like Perth and Melbourne (Australia) serviced by AirAsia X are also included in this free seat campaign.
The free seats are available for the following booking period from 26 – 31 August 2008 and travel period from 1 April to 31 July 2009
This 6 days offer is available exclusively online at www.airasia.com
Quang Ninh greets over 3.5 million tourists in first 8 months
Quang Ninh Province’s Culture, Sport and Tourism Department said that the province had attracted an additional 1.7 million tourists over the past eight months, contributing to increasing the number tourists visiting the province to 3.5 million for the period.
In August, Quang Ninh welcomed nearly 360,000 tourists. Total turnover from tourism reached an estimated nearly VND 1.7 trillion in the first eight months this year. Mr. Le Toan, the Director of the Quang Ninh Provincial Culture, Sport and Tourism Department said this is the largest-ever number in economic terms.
In spite of having only been in operation for a short time, the establishment of Quang Ninh Province’s Culture, Sport and Tourism Department has helped the province’s culture and sport sectors connect to tourism activities, and the province’s tourism is expected to continue to prosper in the future.
Movenpick Hotels & Resorts begins operations in Vietnam
Movenpick Hotels & Resorts’ first foray into Asia’s hottest hotel development market centres on the country’s very first upscale property.
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, a Swiss hotel chain with more than 90 hotels existing or under construction worldwide, made Ho Chi Minh City’s five-star accommodation scene this month by assuming management of the Omni Hotel Saigon, which opened in 1994 as the city’s inaugural international-standard hotel.
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts’ arrival in Ho Chi Minh City is the first in a series of steps the group plans for a country that welcomed more than four million visitors in 2007—a 16 percent increase over the previous year. A similar overhaul-and-operate strategy has been scheduled for the former Guoman Hotel in Hanoi starting in January, as well as the development and handling of up to three more hotels in Vietnam by 2010.
Movenpick Hotels & Resorts was founded in Zurich, Switzerland in 1973 and moved into Germany in 1980. In 2003, it was recognised as the “fastest growing hotel chain in the Middle East” at the World Travel Market in London.
The business began its Asian expansion in 2006, when it signed a management agreement with a hotel in Bangalore, India, and assumed operations of a holiday resort in Phuket, Thailand. Movenpick Hotels & Resorts’ current plans for this region include adding three or more properties to its portfolio in Vietnam.
Vietnam-RoK charity golf tournament helps homeless people
A Vietnam-RoK charity golf tournament will be held in northern mountainous Phu Tho province to raise funds for homeless people, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Vietnam announced on August 30.
The tournament, the first of its kind in Vietnam , will take place at the Tam Dao Golf Course on September 2 and is expected to draw the participation of RoK Ambassador Im Hong Jae and businesses from the two countries.
The organising board said it hopes the event will help attract more attention and support from businesses for charitable activities. The board has so far raised over 10,000 USD in support for the local homeless.
The tournament is organised by the RoK’s Pang Rim Neotex Co. Ltd, a fibre material company operating in Phu Tho province.
(Source: SGGP, ND, CPV, VNA)