Travel Center

Travel Center :Vietnam: gems of the north

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:11:26 +0000

Vietnam is increasingly becoming a popular destination for travellers each year. Its large chaotic cities are popular stop-offs for young travellers, and a great place to spend a few days. However, it can be nice to get away from the hustle and bustle, and northern Vietnam boasts

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Vietnam is increasingly becoming a popular destination for travellers each year. Its large chaotic cities are popular stop-offs for young travellers, and a great place to spend a few days. However, it can be nice to get away from the hustle and bustle, and northern Vietnam boasts fantastic scenery for those able to pull themselves away from the captivating capital of Hanoi. Northern Vietnam boasts fantastic scenery Hanoi is a bustling city, riddled with motorcycles, bright lights, and street vendors; it can be hard to keep up with. There is much to see in and around the city and plenty of culture to absorb in the ancient architecture which is dotted throughout the vibrant city.Although everyone advises you to try the street food, be careful what you order as Vietnam is notorious for its taste for dog, and locals prefer boiled eggs with developing chicks in to dunking eggs with toast soldiers…Amid the shops selling richly-coloured, handmade clothing and ornaments you may also find propaganda art shops selling reprints of posters from various areas of Vietnam culture and the Vietnam War.If you have a few days to spare however, it’s worth going a bit further afield, as northern Vietnam has some fantastic varied landscapes; the two most popular being the protruding rock formations of Halong Bay, and the terraced farms of Sapa.Halong Bay is a UNESCO world heritage site and consists of over 3,000 islands scattered across the sea. You can choose to stay a number of nights on a trip to the bay, but two days one night is plenty of time. Make sure to visit the famous cave; with three increasingly large chambers to walk through, it is quite a sight to behold. There is also an opportunity to go kayaking which I would recommend.If offered the choice of staying on land or boat, I would advise you stay onboard as the sea is calm and it’s quite an experience waking up and walking out of your cabin to such a spectacular view. Unfortunately, the ever-increasing number of tourists means the ocean is usually scattered with other boats making it a slightly less unique experience but it is worth a trip none-the-less.From Halong Bay, you will need to detour back through Hanoi in order to get a night train to Sapa (pictured below). These trains are very different to the sleeper trains of Thailand, in which you are bundled into bunk beds lining either side of the carriage, as most trains running this journey have four-bed carriages which seem quite luxurious in comparison. You may either book a tour or decide to freestyle on arrival (which will often get you a cheaper trekking trip), however due to lack of time on my trip, I decided to book a tour.From the train station in Sapa it is a dodgy drive up through misty mountains; the morning I arrived you could barely see the white markings in the road six feet ahead of the minibus! The somewhat frightening experience seems even more surreal when you glance out the window to see the lush green hills and terraced farms that almost give the impression of an optical illusion.On my trip I was unfortunately greeted by torrential downpour, and with only my canvas plimsolls I resorted to plastic bagging my shoes, so be warned – the weather is unpredictable, particularly in rainy season (May to September).A trek is a great way to take in the scenery and if booking a tour beforehand, most travel agents will offer the opportunity of a homestay, which if you are willing to rough it, I would highly recommend. The place I stayed was very basic, a cement building with curtains separating the beds from the main living area, and an upper terrace with mattresses and mosquito nets for the guests.The family spoke very little English, but our guide stayed over and was happy to translate. The food was delicious traditional Vietnamese cuisine, and despite the basic facilities of the homestay, the location was fantastic in the dip of a valley by a river in which you could view local children fishing, and at walking distance from local villages.The local saleswomen are persistent, and be warned that they will walk alongside you for the duration of the trek until you buy something from them unless you make clear at the start that you are not going to make a purchase. Back in the town at Sapa, there is also a large market selling many different things, but always be prepared to barter as they will normally ask for almost twice above the selling price.Embrace the overland travel, that’s when you’re likely to see the most unspoilt landscapes and the towns that are really representative of the country’s economy and lifestyle. Vietnam is a country with varied landscapes, and although the big cities are great to spend some time in, it’s well worth a trip to some of the farther stretches of land to get an understanding of just how diverse the country is.Source: travelbiteFollow ActiveTravel.Asia on the social web Facebook MySpace Twitter

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Travel Info :Ha Long Bay is New Wonder of Nature

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:11:26 +0000

Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay is one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, announced the New7WondersFoundation on November 12 after the first count of global voting ended a day earlier.Halong Bay, Vietnam In alphabetical order, the seven winners are the Amazon, Ha Long Bay,

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Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay is one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, announced the New7WondersFoundation on November 12 after the first count of global voting ended a day earlier.Halong Bay, Vietnam In alphabetical order, the seven winners are the Amazon, Ha Long Bay, Iguazu Falls, Jeju Island, Komodo, Puerto Princesa Underground River and Table Mountain.The New7Wonders of Nature campaign have been carried out over the past four years, starting with more than 440 locations from about 220 countries.The New7Wonders of Nature have been chosen from the 28 finalist candidates, according to Bernard Weber, founding president of Switzerland-based New7Wonders Foundation.According to the foundation, the results are provisional and based on the first tally of votes. The votes still need to be checked, validated and independently verified.Once the voting validation process is complete, in early 2012, New7Wonders will then work with the confirmed winners to organize the official inauguration events.The foundation also noted that it is possible that one or more of the provisional winners will not be confirmed during the validation process. New7Wonders will issue a media update if that occurs.“When the New7Wonders of Nature are confirmed, they will join the man-made New 7 Wonders of the World in becoming part of global memory for humankind forever,” Weber said.Ha Long Bay is located in the northern province of Quang Ninh. It features thousands of limestone karsts and isles of various sizes and shapes. The bay has a 120-kilometer long coastline and is approximately 1,553 square kilometers in size, with 1969 islets.Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. Others support floating villages of fishermen, who ply the shallow waters for 200 species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks.Another feature of Ha Long Bay is its abundance of lakes inside the limestone islands. For example, Dau Be island has six enclosed lakes. All these island lakes occupy drowned dolines within fengcong karst.Source: thanhniennewsFollow ActiveTravel.Asia on the social web Facebook MySpace Twitter

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Travel Info :Vietnam – A cultural feast

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:11:26 +0000

I envisioned hiking to remote villages to find mountain hill tribes; people living in indigenous villages, untouched by outside influences.Instead, as we pulled into Sapa, in the northern part of Vietnam, a group of Black Hmong women gathered on the side of the road as our shuttle

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I envisioned hiking to remote villages to find mountain hill tribes; people living in indigenous villages, untouched by outside influences.Instead, as we pulled into Sapa, in the northern part of Vietnam, a group of Black Hmong women gathered on the side of the road as our shuttle pulled into the center of town. A welcoming committee, perhaps?As the van came to a stop, my jaw dropped as the entire group charged at our vehicle screaming “You buy from me!”This was not the authentic Vietnamese experience I had in mind.Returning to Southeast Asia was a dream of mine since my last trip to Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia eight years ago. So when the time finally came for my boyfriend and I to head out for a three-week romp around Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia this past September, I went with a backpack full of expectations, hoping to get off the beaten path and discover the “authentic” cultures of Southeast Asia.Traffic flows near Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam.Expectations and reality are hardly ever one in the same, as I was soon reminded. As a tourist, I had as much to do with the cultural changes taking place in the places I visited as the people who live there. The fact is that with tourism spreading rapidly throughout Third World countries, “off the beaten path” is now the most-sought after destination.East meets WestWe began our trip with two days in Hanoi, a city well known for its organized chaos. Hanoi is a perfect blend of Eastern mystery and Western old world charm dating back to the early French colonialists.The narrow streets were choked with a million scooters driving alongside street-hawkers selling their wares. All the while, the constant smell of delicious Vietnamese food wafted out from the thousands of restaurants and sidewalk food stands. Vietnamese women wearing traditional woven cone hats sold everything from T-shirts and balloons to exotic fruits and chickens (both living and dead) from their yoke-slung baskets. Spend a morning sipping Vietnamese coffee and eating tiramisu at a cafe on the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake and watch the world go by and you could be in an Asian-style Paris.To dive into Hanoi’s culture headfirst is to master the art of crossing the road and bartering. It’s also a commitment to eating anything and everything cooked on the street, in spite of any Western health warnings. So this is what we did.In a city where traffic lights mean nothing and the only road rule seems to be to keep moving, we began our road-crossing lesson by subtly tagging along with locals as they crossed. The key is to cross slowly and steadily and trust that the one million scooters, cyclists, cars and other pedestrians that share the road will flow around you — a belief that contradicts all western road-crossing training.The art of bartering was our next cultural lesson and my boyfriend approached it with game and gusto while I, recognizing his strength and my relative weakness, timidly left all negotiations to him. He proved his mastery after intense, extensive negotiations for a .25 cent Zippo lighter. Eventually, the sales person shoved the lighter in his hands, refused his money and said “go away.”While haggling was his fortay, eating was my greatest strength. I attacked the street cuisine, inhaling delicious pho noodle soups, rich French pastries and baguettes, and any street-side delicacy set in front of me. I was never disappointed. Hanoi proved to be a foodies paradise, not just for the amazing flavors, but for the whole experience. Eating on the street is a must as, for one, it is usually the cheapest option and two, it will give you the most authentic Vietnamese food experience. Our last day in Hanoi, we were enticed away from shopping to a street cafe where we were the only non-Asian diners. We sat on plastic child-sized chairs and watched as eight small dishes of food, some recognizable, most not, were immediately placed in front of us in dim sum style. Delicious! Next to us a family of servers/cooks rushed around, dishing up trays of food for our fellow enthusiastic diners as they loudly slurped and chatted.Ha Long Bay – Sapa – HanoiFrom Hanoi we headed east for a two night stay on a traditional junk boat in Ha Long Bay. This UNESCO World Heritage site on the Northeastern coast covers an area of 1,553 km (965 miles) and is made up of almost 2,000 stunning, mainly limestone islets rising from the Tonkin Gulf. Scattered throughout the islets are small floating fishing villages whose inhabitants farm oysters, mussels and fish for food and trade. It is possible at times to be distracted from the allure of the area by the amount and effects of tourism there. The 450 boats anchored in the crowded bay host thousands of tourists a day. The amount of trash floating in the otherwise emerald waters is a sad reminder of how the desire for tourist dollars can become more important than protecting tourist destinations. However as the sun sets on the limestone karst and the last of the water traders ply their goods to colorful tourist filled junk boats, of which you are a part of, it is impossible not to appreciate the obvious beauty and cultural significance of Ha Long Bay.Next stop, Sapa, a small French colonial town in the misty northern mountains of the Lao Cai provence. Located near the Chinese boarder, it is home to several different ethnic minority groups whose villages are scattered among the rice terrace-covered mountains and valleys. We took a night train to get from Hanoi to Sapa, sleeping in quaint bunk beds that conjured up historic images of an Orient Express experience, to Lao Cai and from there, took a shuttle to Sapa.Our initial surprise and fear of the welcoming committee was replaced with curiosity on our hikes to nearby Black Hmong villages with our guide, Quong. Traditionally dressed Black Hmong ladies casually followed along, asking a series of basic questions over and over again: “What’s your name?” “Where you from?” “How many children you have?” and inevitably “You my friend?… You buy from me?” as they dug into their woven baskets for both handmade, and Chinese-made goods. The question of why we were hiking to meet the Black H’mong when they had already made the hike to meet us was ever present. Ever the entertainer and salesman himself, my boyfriend asked them to buy his handmade fly fishing flies and individual pieces of chewing gum. He did eventually manage a trade, a piece of gum for a hand-made bracelet, much to the frustration of the Hmong lady who soon realized she didn’t like the taste of the gum.Despite the never-ending sales pitch, it was impossible to ignore the magnificent scenery surrounding us: waterfalls, rivers and terraced rice paddies in mist-covered mountains.Our home-stay was a fun-filled night of amazing food and home-brewed “happy water,” which broke down all cultural and social walls and had us convinced we were fluent in local dialects. Our morning headaches reminded us otherwise. Waking before the rest of our group, my boyfriend and I spent the morning with our host, who spoke no English, and her outgoing five-year-old grandson. We got a glimpse into their everyday life, as our host’s son and daughter-in-law puttered around doing morning chores.We returned to Hanoi from Sapa the same way we arrived, by sleeper train, and spent one more night in the energetic city, surprised to see capitalism thriving so well in this still communist country. The next morning we headed off to our next stop, a whirlwind two days in Bangkok.Source: darianculbertFollow ActiveTravel.Asia on the social web Facebook MySpace Twitter

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Travel Center :Active Travel Asia announced the prizes for the contest “Indochina in Your Eyes”!

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:11:26 +0000

First word Active Travel Asia sent to you to joint our competition “Indochina in yours eyes” most sincere thanks!“Indochina in yours eyes” contest lasted over 2 months (1st Sep 2011 to 20th Nov 2011) and ends on 20 Nov 2011. Organizing Committee has received many entries with

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First word Active Travel Asia sent to you to joint our competition “Indochina in yours eyes” most sincere thanks!“Indochina in yours eyes” contest lasted over 2 months (1st Sep 2011 to 20th Nov 2011) and ends on 20 Nov 2011. Organizing Committee has received many entries with unique ideas, deeply felt and very sincere, especially from customers love traveling and traveled to Indochina in a lifetime. Now is the time to honor the winner. The winner is the person who has the amount of LIKE ranked highest on our facebook page plus 2 travel news sites. It meant that many people had read and liked your story. The highest prize of the contest “Indochina in your eyes” is Yasmine Khater with entry “South to North Vietnam : An Unforgettable Experience”.The prize is a 3 day 2 night tour costing from 700$ – 1000$ for 2 persons. The winner can choose one of out door activities including Trekking, Cycling, Motorcycling, and Kayaking in wide areas of Indochina plus interesting gifts. • Kayaking Halong Bay • Trekking Sapa and homestay • Mai Chau Trekking• Motorcycling the Ho Chi Minh Trail• Biking Angkor WatBesides the highest prize, to encourage the writers ATA awards 3 incentive prizes for the entry which had the amount of “Like” followed by the highest: • Andrew Faulks with entry “Pol Pot’s Clipper”• Raelene Kwong with entry “An expedition to Vietnam’s Son Doong Cave – what could go wrong?”• Manasi Subramaniam with entry “How Saigon Feels”The incentive prize is a full day city tour for 2 persons. Besides, you will get some extra values as below:• a couple of sleeping bags by fabric filter. • a couple of T-shirts with ATA logo.• 2 water puppet tickets • lunch included• 1 hour Cyclo (Xich Lo) around old quarter.All the prizes will be available in 2 years from the day of award announcement (Nov 30th, 2011.)Active Travel Asia thank all of your contest whether your felt and shared were not high rank but your sharing for ATA is the most precious. All good thoughts of you for Indochina and ATA will be the core values which always lead to ATA.Please thank most respectfully to you, wish you good luck and congratulations again!Please refer any questions about the award to us at: event@activetravel.asia.Follow ActiveTravel.Asia on the social web Facebook MySpace Twitter

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Travel Centre :PU HU nature reserve

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:11:26 +0000

ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA and GIZ (Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit in Vietnam) working together in a survey of responsible tourism project in Pu Hu Nature Reserve, Thanh hoa province, Vietnam. The survey trip will be held in middle of December, 2011 by ATA team with

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ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA and GIZ (Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit in Vietnam) working together in a survey of responsible tourism project in Pu Hu Nature Reserve, Thanh hoa province, Vietnam. The survey trip will be held in middle of December, 2011 by ATA team with support of GIZ Vietnam. ATA inspection team will spend about 3 days to scan this area, evaluating the suitable activities for a tourist site. This activity is a part of project “Protection of the forest and wildlife” implemented by GIZ Vietnam, under the management of Forest Protection Department of Thanh Hoa Province.Pu Hu Nature Reserve is situated in the North-West of Thanh Hoa Province. It has a big diversity of plants and animals with 508 plant species and 266 animals species. It also has a role in protecting the catchment of the Ma river. The inhabitants of the nature reserve and buffer zone belong to the Thai, Hmong, Dao and Kinh ethnic groups.The tourist will discover illegal cutting of trees, hunting and other illegal activities in the forest. Their movement in the forest will help to keep these illegal activities under control and is therefore very important!As Mr. Georg Kloeble, Senior Advisor Natural Recource Management of GIZ said “Pu Hu is very rugged and mountainous and might be demanding on the fitness of the participants! Rainforest, it might be misty and wet. I myself was only one time in there, hiking for one day! It was fantastic!”After the trip, ATA inspection team is going to propose interesting activities, suitable routes which would make Pu Hu nature reserve to be a tourist site. ATA also works with GIZ Vietnam to run and manage the potential trip tours here to complete one of the most important parts of project.Follow ActiveTravel.Asia on the social web Facebook MySpace Twitter

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Travel :Amazing rocky walls in Cham Islet

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:11:26 +0000

When touring Cham Islet, or Cu Lao Cham in the ancient city of Hoi An in Quang Nam Province you are bewitched by splendid landscapes with wonderful sandy beaches, forested hills and the glorious clear, blue sea.A view of Cham islet in Hoi An ancient town, Quang Nam ProvinceThe location

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When touring Cham Islet, or Cu Lao Cham in the ancient city of Hoi An in Quang Nam Province you are bewitched by splendid landscapes with wonderful sandy beaches, forested hills and the glorious clear, blue sea.A view of Cham islet in Hoi An ancient town, Quang Nam ProvinceThe location is a popular spot for tourists to go camping, swimming and scuba-diving to explore coral reefs and beautiful marine life.However, with a small boat you can take a cruise around the islet and travelers will discover it is enhanced due to its rocky mountain walls.Forested hills and the glorious clear, blue seaCham Islet, 20 kilometres offshore of Hoi An, has been named a global biosphere reserve by UNESCO’s International Coordination Council of Man and the Biosphere Program.It takes about twenty minutes by boat or canoe but it is worth the short wait as you drift amidst the sky and sea and then as if by magic the islets appear in all their glory.Cham Islands consists of eight islets with a total surface area of 40,000 hectares. Lao, Dai, Mo, Kho Me, Kho Con, La, Tai and Ong islets are home to only about 3,000 residents leaving the landscapes largely in pristine condition. The islet has 1,549 hectares of tropical forest and nearly 1,000 species of marine life.The islets are cool and fresh all-year round, so tourists can come there anytime. The immense green of the forests harmonize with the blue of the sea to create an endless green airspace. White sand beaches and peaceful fishing villages make the islet more poetic and fanciful.Cham Islet’s Huong and Ong beaches are popular options for tourists because of the smooth sand and the small waves. Cham Islet is also home to diverse flora and fauna, especially abalone and sanglaganes, birds which have long been considered a delicacy by aristocrats and the wealthy. The islet also boasts 135 species of coral which are exciting discoveries for tourists.However, the islet is especially impressive with vertical mountain walls covered by rocks in varied and weird shapes. Small and large waves crash on them and toss white sponges and create interesting sounds. Rocky mounts change their shapes as you travel on your cruising boat. Sometimes the water is clear, sometimes vaporous as it lets travelers indulge into the vastness of this beautiful location.Source: SGTFollow ActiveTravel.Asia on the social web Facebook MySpace Twitter

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Travel Info :EXPERIENCE SAPA

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:11:26 +0000

Attractive eco-friendly valleys, terraced slope attributes as well as tribes nevertheless subsequent their own historic customs — encouraged in order to Sapa.Situated 350kms north-west associated with Hanoi, simply timid from Chinese language the edge may be the Lao Cai Land

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Attractive eco-friendly valleys, terraced slope attributes as well as tribes nevertheless subsequent their own historic customs — encouraged in order to Sapa.Situated 350kms north-west associated with Hanoi, simply timid from Chinese language the edge may be the Lao Cai Land exactly where you’ll discover Sapa. It’s environment as well as amazing scenery tend to be about the reduce inclines from the Hoang Lien Boy hill variety, that additionally features Vietnam’s greatest hill Fansipan, having a elevation associated with 3142 metre distances.Sapa is actually filled with a varied number of cultural minorities like the Hmong, Yao, Tay as well as Giay organizations. Considered to possess lived on the region because the 1800′s, these types of Sapa slope tribes continue to be close to these days ongoing their own life-style as well as customs because they did for hundreds of years.The elements is extremely periodic, throughout the summer time it is very reasonable as well as wet. Throughout the winter season it may be chilly, misty as well as obtain the unusual compacted snow.Suggested occasions to visit tend to be 03 via Might as well as middle Sept in order to earlier Dec to obtain a hotter as well as better encounter.Arranging your own go Sapa ahead of time via a journey professional is actually recommended. The easiest method to reach Sapa is actually through immediately teach, exactly where vacationers may rest the actual trip aside. Through Hanoi the actual trip requires around 10 several hours and also the locomotives go away every day. You will find 14 locomotives that offer the actual come back trip in between Hanoi as well as Lao Cai, just about all supplying air-conditioning as well as comfy cabins along with several berth choices. You will awaken rejuvenated as well as prepared for the Sapa experience to start whenever you appear in to Lao Cai earlier the following early morning.Place your own strolling footwear upon as well as discover the actual valleys providing breathless surroundings top you to definitely nearby towns. The actual closest town associated with Kitty Kitty is just 3kms through Sapa, an additional choice is actually Ta Phin town house in order to Red-colored Dzao around 10kms aside. The majority of vacationers looks for helpful information as well as has a Xe Om (motorcycle) to some starting place 8kms through Sapa, after that journey the 14km cycle round the region going to towns on the way.Conquer Fansipan, VietnamThere is lots of walking as well as hiking choices in the region for those health and fitness amounts, going to slope group towns as well as waterfalls. For that severe mountaineer why don’t you undertake the actual 19km trip towards the peak associated with Fansipan, Vietnam’s greatest maximum?An additional appeal associated with any kind of Sapa journey may be the marketplaces. You will find several marketplaces kept round the region usually about the weekend break upon whether Sunday or even Weekend. The well-known marketplace may be the Back ‘Weekend marketplace, the industry buying and selling center as well as conference location with regard to family and friends.You will discover the neighborhood minorities putting on their own conventional clothes, the actual Hmong tend to be recognized through their own indigo stitched garb and also the Red-colored Dao through their own red-colored headdresses along with hanging cash as well as waistcoats which are intricately stitched as well as put on through the ladies. The actual Adore Marketplace is actually an additional famous marketplace — typically it had been a location in which the youths from the nearby slope tribes might arrive to locate a partner.If you have fulfilled the actual local people, trekked the actual valleys as well as marvelled the actual sights associated with significantly terraced grain areas, shopped in the marketplaces and also have your own cherished times taken, you’ll return in order to Lao Cai train station for the immediately teach to Hanoi. The Sapa journey experience is really a particular emphasize associated with any kind of day at Vietnam.Source: wannawatch.infoFollow ActiveTravel.Asia on the social web Facebook MySpace Twitter

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Travel :There be dragons – Halong Bay

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:11:26 +0000

The legend goes that the islands of Halong Bay were formed by dragons who spit out jade and jewels into the sea to help the Vietnamese build a barrier to defend against would be invaders. After attempts to conquer the area were thwarted, the dragons fell in love with the bay and

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The legend goes that the islands of Halong Bay were formed by dragons who spit out jade and jewels into the sea to help the Vietnamese build a barrier to defend against would be invaders. After attempts to conquer the area were thwarted, the dragons fell in love with the bay and took eternal residence there. One look at these giant, limestone karsts, and I couldn’t help but be overtaken with the sense that we were sailing among the sleeping beasts.Traveling three hours east of Hanoi, we arrived in Halong City and boarded a traditional Vietnamese junk for a three day, two night tour of Halong Bay. Words can’t described how ethereal the bay is – emerald waters… giant, jungle topped islands… ancient boats… it was a different world. Off the boat, we got to explore the bay and travel to island caves by kayak. Our main boat pulled into a small sheltered “lagoon” between the karsts that served as protection for some floating homes that had kayaks available for us.Swimming in the Pacific, on the other side of the world, proved absolutely magical. Splashing around in Halong Bay, I couldn’t get it out of my head that I was swimming on the other side of the world.And that I was swimming with dragons. Words really can’t explain how out-of-this-world it was. And the salinity of the water was so strong that you couldn’t sink if you tried (and I tried… so much so that I got a double ear infection – but prepared travelers that we were, the antibiotics we brought cleared them right up).The second day had us heading off to a different section of the bay for more exploration in kayaks. Halong Bay is huge, and we would just as easily run across a small fishing boat as we would a globe trotting cargo ship. Being in the middle of it made the current tensions that are arising that much more real. Still, it was easier to turn off the current events and just enjoy being in this different world.We toured secluded lagoons that were straight out of a “best-of” tourism book. One can really see why Halong Bay was recently voted one of the “new seven wonders of nature.” I am so grateful that we got to experience it firsthand. And as if that wasn’t enough, we spent the rest of the day on a secluded island, complete with a view of the bay, and a white sandy beach to lounge upon. Then we still had the sunset to enjoy back on the boat.Our final day on the bay was spent visiting a floating village. Four villages dot the area, totaling about 1600 residents that sustain themselves on fishing, and now with a boon from the tourism industry (the government subsidizes the villages, and our floating village tour guides were employees of the national park system).Though we were less than a week into our trip, I had an inkling at the time that Halong Bay was to be my favorite part of Vietnam. Reflecting upon, and writing about, the entire experience now, Halong Bay really was my favorite part of the trip. Though I have yet to tell, all of our amazing adventures, Halong really set my spirit right. It turned out to be a really deep connection to something that was beyond imagination that I, personally, needed.Source: saypdx.wordpress.comFollow ActiveTravel.Asia on the social web Facebook MySpace Twitter

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Travel :ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA launches New Year Promotion 2012

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:11:26 +0000

Human Christmas and New Year approaching, ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA (ATA) sends to all travelers of the faithful, heartfelt words to wish a peaceful Christmas and New Year exuberant grace of God. With the approaching of Christmas and New Year 2012, ATA is providing discount up to 7 %

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Human Christmas and New Year approaching, ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA (ATA) sends to all travelers of the faithful, heartfelt words to wish a peaceful Christmas and New Year exuberant grace of God. With the approaching of Christmas and New Year 2012, ATA is providing discount up to 7 % for all loyalty customers to buy ATA’s tours during the period from Feb, 1 2012 to Apr, 1 2012.ATA runs the most adventure tours available in Indochina and Asia. ATA’s active trips are designed for all levels of outdoor enthusiasts, real people seeking real fun and adventure. Of course, a reasonable level of personal fitness, good health, and interest in outdoor activities is advisable, but the customers don’t need to be a tri-athlete or be an expert in any of the activities you will undertake.There are variety kinds of adventure tours ATA’s customers can choose from: motorbiking, trekking, hiking, biking, kayaking…About ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA:ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA is one of the Indochina’s leading adventure travel companies. ATA offers a wide selection of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia adventure tours, including hiking and trekking, biking, motorcycling, overland touring and family travel packages. ATA’s packages and tailor-made private itineraries will take you through exotic destinations to really experience the culture, history and nature of Asia. Visit more, go to www.activetravel.asia.Follow ActiveTravel.Asia on the social web Facebook MySpace Twitter

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Travel Center :Mekong Delta region rated among top ten destinations in 2012

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:11:25 +0000

The Mekong Delta region, famous fruits gardens and romantic waterways, may be host to more visitors this year.Lonely Planet , the largest travel guide book, has rated the Mekong Delta region among the “Best-Value Destinations for 2012 (destinations where your dollar gets you

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The Mekong Delta region, famous fruits gardens and romantic waterways, may be host to more visitors this year.Lonely Planet , the largest travel guide book, has rated the Mekong Delta region among the “Best-Value Destinations for 2012 (destinations where your dollar gets you even further!)”.The rating is expected to help promote the region’s image to international visitors around the world. Here is what Lonely Planet got to write about the destination: “Vietnam is always good value, but you can now skip the package trips arranged in Ho Chi Minh City that tread the same worn-out routes. It’s become easier, more rewarding and just as cheap to go on DIY multiday adventures to destinations like Ben Tre, Chau Doc and the floating markets of Vinh Long, and some less-seen ones like Ha Tien or Tra Vinh. Go by air-conditioned bus or hire moto-taxis as you go; the latter know ferry crossings on roads not on any map. Boat trips go for US to US, while most guesthouses run US to US.” Waterway Wooden bridges Urban get a taste of a different life Beauty in the simple and natural Interested in coconut candy called Dong Thap Folk songs A good time Women in traditional pajamas Satisfied smiles New hope for Vietnam’s tourism in 2012Source: dtinews Recommended tour by Activetravel AsiaMekong Explorer The Mighty Mekong Follow ActiveTravel.Asia on the social web Facebook MySpace Twitter

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