Dalat - the city of romance and flowers of Vietnam

If you want to find a tranquil, romantic and beautiful place in Vietnam to visit and especially to enjoy your honeymoon, Dalat is the best choice for you. The city is actually the city of romance of Vietnam. Going to the city, visitors will feel the tranquility and romance with hundreds of flowers. Let’s find out more about it. 

Dalat - The romantic city of Vietnam

Located in the central highland of Vietnam, Dalat has a perfect weather that is not so hot in the summer and not so cold in the winter that the weather in Dalat is quite similar to the one in the Mediterranean. The city is so great and beautiful that it was chosen as the place for Vietnamese Kings and the French colonists in the 19^th century to build resorts and villas.

Xuan Huong Lake next to the Love Valley

Xuan Huong Lake right in the center of the city should be the first place to visit. The lake stands next to the so-called Love valley is the two most attractive and romantic sites in Dalat that are certainly perfect for couples. Besides, Dalat is viewed as the heaven of flowers of Vietnam. Owing to its perfect weather and terrains, there are numerous kinds of beautiful and colorful local and popular flowers in Dalat. Therefore, a lot of small flower gardens across the city. Especially, a big flower festival is held in the city every year attracting tens of thousands of visitors come and enjoy beauty of the flowers.

Beautiful Pongour Fall

In Dalat, the mountains, lakes and falls are also the best things to explore. Langbian Mountain, Prenn and Pongour Falls, Tuen Lam and Xuan Huong Lakes can not be missed when coming to the city. Dalat also owns a rich culture of the local people. Gongs of the local people have been awarded as the world intangible heritage. People will have a great chance to ride horses or elephants to go around the city. This is sure to be a unique and unforgettable experience for visitors.

Perfume Pagoda - the holiest site of Vietnamese religion

Buddhism is the main religion in Vietnam. Therefore, visitors can easily find out a numerous number of pagodas and shrines dedicated to Buddhism in the country. However, different from Thailand where Buddhism is also the principal religion, the architectures of pagodas in Vietnam are totally different. While in Thailand, people will see many pagodas like the Golden Temple, in Vietnam people must see the Huong Pagoda, the most outstanding symbol of Vietnamese Buddhism architectures.

The Yen river on the way to the Huong Pagoda complex

Just a 30-minue drive from Hanoi, Huong Pagoda is the holiest site in Vietnam. Huong Pagoda is actually a great complex of numerous Buddhism temples on a mountain called Huong or Perfume near to the Yen River. It is said that the first temple in Huong Pagoda was constructed nearly 600 years ago on the top of the mountain. The temples used to be the chief religious sites of Northern Vietnamese monks.

The main holy site of Huong Pagoda in the Huong Cave

Annually, the Huong Festival is held and it lasts from the middle of January to the middle of March. The festival is the longest one in Vietnam and attracts the biggest number of pilgrims across the country. The scene in the Huong Pagoda is like a peaceful heaven for visitors to explore. On the route to the Huong Mountain where the temples are placed, people have to take a trip along the beautiful and tranquil Yen River. The green water of the Yen River is so clear. Travelers will have a chance to sit on the small boat getting alongside the river and contemplate the harmonization between the river and mountain. In order to reach the temples on the Huong mountain, visitors nowadays can have two options of hiking or chairlift. Most of the Vietnamese travelers will choose the first option of climbing up to the temples. It is because of the fact that the Buddhism teaches people to experience the hardship and then the accomplishment will be fully and happily enjoyed. The trip from the foot to the top of the mountain is about 4 kilometers. Huong Tich cave on the mountain is where the main temple is placed. Around this main holy site are numerous temples and shrines for visitors to explore their unique architectures and shapes.

One of the temples in the Huong Pagoda complex

The trip to the Huong pagoda to Vietnamese people is not just a traveling, but it also a real hardship to challenge people. The beauties of the river, mountain and sceneries in addition to the tranquility and peace of the holy site will certainly make every feel perfectly great. 

Take a look at Vietnam holidays for more info.

Visit Nha Trang, incredible Vietnam - one of the 29 most beautiful bays of the world

Vietnam is renowned for its beautiful and sometimes intact beaches with a tropical climate, ranges of coconuts, white sand as well as clear water. Amongst them, Nha Trang is considered as the most attractive beach spot for both domestic and international visitors. Located in the south central coast of Vietnam, Nha Trang is actually a bay city next the sea. And it is noticeable that Nha Trang Bay is listed as one of the 29 most beautiful bays of the world. The weather in Nha Trang is also very perfect for beach tourism because it lies in a tropical part of the country with a lot of sunshine and warm weather. 

Beautiful beach in Nha Trang

Beaches of course are the ‘specialty’ of Nha Trang that tourists can find out a great number of beautiful beaches around this small city like Dai Lanh, Tran Phu or Doc Let. These are the most beautiful and crowded beaches in Nha Trang that attracts millions of people every year. Especially, because Nha Trang’s beaches lay on a bay the conditions for surfing, diving as well as sea kiting are perfect. In the Bay Nha Trang, there are also a great number of isles that are so beautiful and intact. The most beautiful isles to visit in Nha Trang are Bamboo Isles and Silkworm Isles. On Bamboo Isles in particular, visitors also can be able to experience the greatest entertainment complex of Vietnam called Vinpearl with numerous modern recreational activities. The seafood in Nha Trang is very delicious and attractive with hundreds different dishes made from the local fishes, shrimps, lobsters and cuttlefish.

Vinpearl - Vietnam's best entertainment complex on Bamboo Isles

Besides beaches, there are also many other great venues and places for tourists to explore in Nha Trang. One of them is Po Nagar Cham Towers. Cham is an ethnic minority group in Vietnam and they live mainly in the South Central Coast of Vietnam. The Po Nagar Cham Towers right in the middle of the city with delicate and unique Cham’s architectures and arts will certainly lure you away. National Oceanographic Museum is also a great place to visit. Located right in the center of Nha Trang, the museum dedicates on exhibitions of living sea creatures of the local seas in addition to precious fossils of ancient sea creatures. Right on the first floor of the museum, visitors will be amazed at the 18-meter whale skeleton. And it is worth to remember that whale to the locals are regarded as a saint who guardians the fishermen and help their fishing industry to develop. Therefore, it can be easy for visitors to see some shrines praying for the whale or Big Father as the locals usually refer to, Local ancient boats and fishing artifacts can also be found there.

Po Nagar Cham Towers

The tourism infrastructure in the city is quite perfect with both luxurious and high-ending hotels, resorts and entertainment facilities in addition to low and affordable accommodations to meet the demands of tourists. Moreover, the transportation systems to the city are good to. Come and enjoy this beautiful city.

Hue city - cultural city of incredible Vietnam

Talking to Hue, Vietnamese people will certainly use such descriptive words like beautiful, solemn, old, poetic and picturesque, etc. Indeed, Hue city in the central part of Vietnam deserves to be named as the city of poetry of Vietnam. The color of the time, solemnity and simplicity all of these words will capture the heart of anyone who has ever come to the city.

Ngo Mon Gate

Hue city was used to be the ancient capital of the country from 18^th – 19^th century under the Nguyen Dynasty. The images of Hue are stick to the feudality. Visitors when visiting Hue city will be stunned by its old and beautiful feudal architectures. The first thing visitors can explore about the city is tombs and citadels of the Kings of the Nguyen Dynasty. The monuments In Hue were acknowledged as World Heritage Sites. Situated on the bank of the Huong or Perfume River, the citadels, monuments and tombs of Nguyen Dynasty’s Kings are very interesting places to visit and check out not only this history of Vietnam under the feudality but also a unique cultures and architectures related to these sites. At the Imperial Citadel, people will have a chance to contemplate a great deal beautiful and complex architectures of temples, monuments, throne rooms, gates, walls as well as pavilions. Tombs of Emperors are also very attractive sites to see. These tombs were built in the late 19^th to earlier 20^th century. With very beautiful and unique ways of constructing and architectures, these tombs are sure to be very attractive.

Huong or Perfume River

Besides those amazing things about the time of feudality in Hue city, visitors will also have many other great chances to explore the rich and deep culture of Hue as well as various tourist attraction sites. Pagodas are the feature of Hue city. In other words, Hue is the hometown of Buddhism in Vietnam. Ancient pagodas that many could be hundreds years of age are absolutely great venues to visit. Thien Mu a nine-storey pagoda, for example, is the most outstanding pagoda architecture to explore. Huong or Perfume River is also a great spot in Hue city. This beautiful and poetic river, which runs through the center of the city, is a great inspiration for poets and musicians in Vietnam. Especially, visitors can hire a small boat running along the river and drop by the beautiful ‘garden house’ near to the river banks. These garden houses are best places for tourists to enjoy the culture, tranquility and a great number of specialties of Hue. Interestingly, you can pick first hand fresh and unique local fruits right in these beautiful and green gardens.

Hue Festival is another great highlight of the city’s tourism. The festival is held every two years attracting a lot of arts groups from many countries all over the world to showcase the bests of Vietnam in general, Hue city in particular and of the guests as well.

Hanoi the beating heart of Vietnam

Hanoi, the 1000-year-old capital of Vietnam can’t be missed if you are traveling to Vietnam. There are some important facts about Hanoi that will certainly attract people to the city, as followed:

-         Hanoi is the UN-awarded city of peace and it is the only city in Asia Pacific to receive this honored award.

-         Hanoi is the UN-awarded green city that it is the only city in Vietnam to receive this honor.

-         Hanoi is one of the oldest cities of the world and the oldest city in Vietnam that it was founded more than 1000 years ago. In 2010, the city magnificently marked and celebrated 1000^th anniversary of the city establishment.

Those important facts can somehow point out the green, peace and rich and deep culture of Hanoi – the beating heart of Vietnam. Located in the north of Vietnam, Hanoi is the economic, political and cultural center of the country with rapid economic growth and infrastructure development. However, there are a lot of things for visitors all over the world to check out this old beautiful city. 

Hoan Kiem Lake with the Turtle Tower in the middle

One of the best spots for tourists to explore when traveling to Hanoi is Hoan Kiem Lake which situates right in the heart of the city center. Hoan Kiem in Vietnamese means Returning Sword. The legend is that centuries ago a hero King used a great magical sword and led the country to expel the Chinese invaders. Once he was traveling on a boat with his courtier on the Lake, a big holy turtle ascended from the lake and told him to return the sword he used in the war. The Turtle said that the sword was given to him by the Saint of Water to help him expel the enemies. Nowadays, Hoan Kiem Lake is the most attractive site for tourists. The lake itself has a special unique deep green color. Especially, the lake is the home of a few big rare turtles. These turtles are thought to be thousands yeas of age. In the middle of the lake is an old turtle tower that is the sanctuary for the turtles to relax when they are ascending from the water. On the right of the lake, there is a beautiful red bridge connecting to a holy shrine of those turtles. It is important to remember that in the perception of Vietnamese people, turtles are one amongst the four holiest creatures. Therefore, the shrine on the lake is where people practice their belief into the holy tortoises.

Beautiful handmade crafts sold in the Old Quarter of Hanoi

Next to the Hoan Kiem Lake is the Old Quarter of Hanoi. Hanoi is a city of more than one thousand years of age, therefore beside the development and modernity, the city also reserves its oldness and solemnity. In the Old Quarter, people will see the old brick houses that have experienced the ups and downs of the city. In addition to that, tourists can also explore many kind of traditional handcraft villages inside the quarter such as silversmith, blacksmith and many other great handmade products.

Phu Quoc - Vietnam's richest island of sea and jungle

Located in the southwestern part of Vietnam, Phu Quoc is the largest island of the country with an area of 547 square km. Phu Quoc is Vietnamese means the land of wealth. And actually, the island is a fantastic heaven of Vietnam, that it is seen as the gem of Southern Vietnam. Long coasts, beautiful beaches with pristine white sand, luxurious resorts, hospitable people in addition to the great and unique ways of life of the locals, all will make you cherish this beautiful island very much. 

Beautiful beach in Phu Quoc

The most outstanding tourism activity in the island is certainly beach. Phu Quoc owns a long coastline with white sand and clear water. Visitors will be amazed by the long range of coconut trees along the coastal lines that sometimes Phu Quoc is compared to another Phuket of Vietnam. Beaches with beautiful and luxurious resorts and residences will make you enjoy the environment there on the island very much.

Jungle on the island

The flora system on the island is also very diverse too with a big and long primary forests right at the northwest corner of the island. People can walk through 5-kilometer path through the forest to explore the beautiful old big trees, flowers as well as many precious animals including birds, monkeys and much more. Visitors can choose bicycles, walking as well as scooters to explore the forests.

Natural pearls in Phu Quoc

Farming on the island is also a very attractive thing for visitors to explore. One of the most featuring farming products of Phu Quoc is its pepper. The quality of Phu Quoc pepper is the best in Vietnam. Another renowned farming product of Phu Quoc is ‘nuoc mam’ or fish sauce. This unique product has been exported to a great number of countries including Europe and the U.S. Beside these two outstanding farming products, visitors will have a great chance to watch first hand the pearl farming and of course they can buy beautiful and delicate products and souvenirs made from the local pearls.

Extra info: recently, Vietnamese Government has passed a code aiming at building the Phu Quoc island to become a major economic zone of the country with a heavy investment on infrastructure and economy. This certainly will help boost the economic development and tourism industry of the island. Especially, in October 2014 the direct flight between Phu Quoc and Singapore has been opened facilitating the tourism from Singapore and many other countries all over the world to the island.

Sapa - the heaven in Northern Vietnam

In an old famous folksong of Vietnam, it is written that ‘Sapa where the sky and the earth meet, where I found you and we feel in love’. Sapa is truly a heaven for visitors to find out its rich ethnic minority people’s cultures, beautiful and poetic mountainous landscapes as well as many other great things and sceneries. It for many years has become one of the most fascinating tourism attractions in Northern part of Vietnam that it deserves the nickname of the heaven of Northern Vietnam. 

Sapa town, lake and mountain

                                 

Located in the northwest part of the country and away 360 km from Hanoi, Sapa is a mountainous town of Lao Cai province. It is also close to the Chinese border. The town is about 1,5 km above the sea level. Sapa is famous for its beautiful and rich cultures of ethnic minority groups. Besides the Kinh people, who are the majority in Vietnam, in Sapa visitors will have a great chance to find out more about the cultures, traditions, costumes of H’mong, Day, Dao, Tay, Nung ethnic people. 

Colorful costumes of the ethnic minority people

The beauty of Sapa was discovered by the French colonists in 1909 thanks to its moderate and cool climate and magnificent mountainous landscapes. They built great deal of Western-style villas and residences that now have become an interesting fact about the architecture of the town. Climate is one of the most important factors attracting visitors worldwide. The weather is much cooler in compared to other parts of the country with tropical hot climate. Especially, in the winter there is snow and icebergs on trunks of trees in Sapa and other few parts of Northern Vietnam. This has attracted a great deal of tropical visitors all over the country. In Sapa, you will see a great picturesque landscape of mountains, valleys, rice fields and lakes. Biking and trekking are the two most popular forms to explore Sapa. Getting along the small and sinuous paths next to the mountain cliffs by bike or leg, opening your visions to the greatly beautiful terraced valleys of green and yellow rice and corn fields, breathing the cool fresh air of the mountainous areas, all of those are sure to blow your mind away.

Beautiful green and yellow rice terraced fields

                                         

The rich cultures of ethnic minority people here are sure to be the alluring factors to the international visitors worldwide. Traditional habits, beautiful and delicate colorful hand-made clothes, dresses and handkerchiefs of the ethnic groups will certainly stun you. Especially, visitors can enjoy the home-stay service provided by these ethnic people to fully grasp their rich and special ways of life.

Halong Bay one of the best of incredible Vietnam

Located in the northwest of Vietnam, Halong Bay is sure to be the most attractive site for international visitors to explore when traveling to Vietnam. The Bay itself is quite large at 1,553 square kilometers with above 2000 small islets. The bay is really one of the best of incredible Vietnam.

 

Beautiful couple of hen and cock islets in Halong Bay

Halong in Vietnamese means Descending Dragon. The legend has that from the very beginning of the foundation of Vietnam, the country had to experienced a great deal of invasions from Chinese invaders. The King of Sky then dispatched a Mother Dragon along with numerous other Small Dragons descending from the heaven to the country to help people fight against the invaders. Boats of the invaders reached the bay when the Dragons were descending to the Earth. Immediately, the Dragons exhaled hot fires to destroy the boats of the invaders. Not only were the fires exhaled, the Mother Dragons alongside with her Children exhaled a lot of huge pearls rising above the sea to obstruct the invaders’ boats. After expelling the invaders, the Dragons did not come back the heaven but stayed there in the Bay helping the villagers nearby cultivation and business. The pearls that the Dragons breathed out were the islets on the Halong Bay today.

Panorama of Halong Bay

Most of the islets on the Halong Bay are limestone which has been created for millions and millions of years under different contexts of environment and condition. Nowadays, visitors will be certainly stunned by the magnificent beauties of this type of limestone inside the islets’ caves of Halong Bay. Limestone with different colors and shapes for like colorful running water falls inside the caves. The islets themselves are very various in shapes that will take your imagination vividly. For example, visitors can see an islet resembling to a cock or many others looking like dragons. Besides contemplating the magnificence of islets and caves with beautiful limestone, visitors will additional have a chance to explore the rich and diverse fauna and flora system on the islets of the bay with hundreds of beautiful and scarce animals and trees. Visitors will be able to hire boats to explore the Bay.

Other information about the Bay: Halong Bay was proudly awarded as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 for its magnificent aesthetic values. Especially, in 2012 the Bay was named as one of the seven new wonders of the world that has helped to boost the tourism industry of the Bay. The bay itself belongs to a club of the most beautiful bays of the world.

Incredible Vietnam

Hanoi - Vietnam's capital

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Fairy Lake near Perfume Pagoda

Tam Giang pond in Hue city

Ha Long Bay - World Natural Heritage Site