Halong Bay photos

Perhaps one of the most iconic features of Vietnam, Ha Long Bay is a breathtaking location like no other. With as many a 2,000 limestone islands and rocks, covered with wildlife and filled with caves and grottoes, its UNESCO world heritage status is well deserved.

A place that must be seen to be seen to be believed, Halong Bay has risen to become one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations, and is likely to be voted #1 in the New 7 Wonders Of the World.

Most visitors get a bus to Halong from Hanoi, before embarking on a boat trip of 2-3 days, where they can sleep on a junk boat, swim in the waters and go kayaking or canoeing. The quality of tour does vary (you do get what you pay for!) but even the bargain trips aren't bad, as you can quite happily spend your day looking at the beautiful scenery and ignoring the less beautiful boat you're sat on.

Don't be put off when you first arrive in Halong by the sheer number of tourists - most of the tours set off at the same time and it will appear very crowded, but soon after leaving the docks the boats split up and head off in different directions - it may not seem it at first but it soon becomes a very peaceful journey as its not hard for the boats to hide behind one of the thousands of islands.

One interesting feature of Halong bay is the floating villages you will see nestling in the sheltered bays between the stones. These ingenious construction allow landless people to farm fish - each house will be built on planks bordering nets where they raise fish, crabs and shrimp in the sea water below.

Cruises and Tours of Halong Bay

For most people, taking an organised cruise from Hanoi to Halong Bay is a better option than staying in Halong City, where entertainment is sparse.

Nha Trang photos

Sunrise over Nha Trang

Nha Trang Beach Promenade

View to the North of Nha Trang Beach

View out to sea, Nha Trang Beach

The beach at sunrise

Happiness!

Nha Trang, a university town at the mouth of a beautiful bay with a huge sweeping beach, is possibly one of my favourite places in Vietnam - one day I plan to live there!

As a beach destination it takes some beating, with delicious restaurants, great bars, beautiful diving and crystal clear water. There are boat trips out to the islands for divers and non-divers alike, snorkelling and fishing trips and if its a little chilly you can go and bathe in the hot springs.

More recently there has been an explosion in watersports, with catamarans, jet skis and paragliding available for hire on the beach, as well as kayaks, windsurfers and bodyboards.

Yet unlike other beach destinations in Viet Nam it offers a lot more - with a popular university as well as training for Vietnam's Navy the town has a distinct character of its own.

It's a great place to hire a bike and cruise up and down the boulevard that lines the seafront on a bright breezy day - its very popular with the students in the evenings too!

Things to do in Nha Trang

• Have an evening cocktail on the roof of the Sunrise Hotel
• Go for a dive or snorkel and see the array of beautiful fish in the waters
• Spend a lazy day at the Louisiane Brewhouse eating cake, swimming in their pool and drinking fresh beer
• Visit the Thap Ba hot springs, get covered in mud and bathe in a pool sized 38C bath before having a very good value massage
• Hire a motorbike or motorbike taxi (xe om) and ride up the coast past the town to one of the spectacular seafood restaurants at the waters edge for great food and a fantastic view back on Nha Trang
• Head back down the other way and up the hill to Bao Dai's palace for some culture and more great views (Bao Dai was a collaborator king of Vietnam during the French occupation)
• Visit the Cham temples - remnants of an anchient Indian civilization that colonized much of South Vietnam and Cambodia ~500AD
• Take the cable car across to the island for a day at an off the wall theme park
• Swim!
• Eat drink and be merry - as well as hundreds of good restaurants and bars catering to the tourists, there are many local specialities to try. Some of my favourites are fresh fish at a barbeque restaurant and Nem Nuong... mmm nem nuong...
• Have a civilized meal at the Sailing Club in the evening, before returning later on for some decidedly uncivilized dancing

Dalat photos

Dalat is a hilly romantic city with a cool 'western' climate. The French named the city Dalat from the latin 'Dat Aliis Laetitiam Aliis Temperiem' ("Giving Pleasure to Some, Freshness to Others", and it is commonly known as 'the City of Eternal Spring', which has made it a popular destinations for holiday makers who want to beat the heat, and for Vietnamese couples, for whom it is known as the city of love.

The average temperature is is 17°C, and does not exceed 25°C in the hottest season. In the early mornings, the city arises to mystic fog over the lake. Its temperate climate is ideal for agriculture, and in recent years the number of farms and plantations around the city have grown rapidly. It provides most of flowers and vegetables for the massive markets across the south of Vietnam. Dalat is also very well-known for its variety of flowers and orchids as well as expansive pine forests, which may remind travellers of home more than the tropics in the valleys below.

Dalat is another one of those Vietnamese towns that began as a French resort area. Whatever else might be said about the French, they certainly had good taste in choosing sites for resorts, and Dalat is living proof of that. Designed to be almost a Swiss alpine village, the French urban planner Ernest Hebrard designed the highland town with broad boulevards, elegant villas, a golf course, open green spaces, schools, and modest homes.

Luckily for Dalat's modern visitors, the city was virtually untouched during the American Vietnam War, however its popularity amongst amorous Vietnamese couples has lead to a fair amount of kitsch 'attractions' and this combined with the booming agricultural industry means the town is now much busier than the tranquil hill station of the past, with more and more concrete buildings, karaoke rooms and 'mini hotels' springing up across town. These days to enjoy the best of Dalat it is best to use the town as a base to explore the hills and nature surrounding it than to expect too much from the town itself.

Sightseeing in Dalat

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


One site almost all Dalat's guidebooks will lead you to is the Hang Nga guesthouse, known more commonly simply as 'Crazy House'. Built by Hang Nga, Ph.D. graduate of Moscow State University's architecture program, Crazy House is a honeycomb of strange rooms and hallways that also serves as a local hotel. Instead of straight lines and corners, Crazy House is all curves, as if its concrete had melted, dripped, and then hardened into its unusual shape.

Another building worth touring in Dalat is Binh III. Emperor Bao Dai built three different villas for himself in Dalat, and although all of them have been restored and made public, it's Binh III that's the most impressive.

To stay in Vietnam like true royalty, however, book your room at the Sofitel Dalat Palace, a luxury hotel that's been lovingly restored and sits atop a golf course. With a lobby fit for a monarch's ballroom, artwork adorning its restaurants and suites, together with the modern comforts of satellite television and mini-bars, there's nowhere else in Dalat that offers such plush luxury. Even if you can't afford to stay in the Sofitel Dalat Palace, at least have a cocktail and dinner there in one of the three bars and two restaurants. After dinner, dance downstairs at PK's Disco.

Xuan Huong Lake is a popular destination with honeymooners; you can stroll around its outer banks, or hire a paddle boat and go out for a spin. However, be warned that the lake was recently drained, and won't be filled back up until January or February 2011.

Xuan Huong Lake isn't the only lake in and around Dalat, though. Just 5 km north of the city centre is the Valley of Love, where a lake was added in 1972 to make its picturesque, peaceful beauty even more attractive. On the other side of town lies the Truc Lam Pagoda, the second biggest Zen Buddhist centre in Vietnam, surrounded by Tuyen Lam lake and pine forests.

Just 20 minutes from Dalat lies the Lang Bain mountain; at a height of 2169m above sea level it isthe highest mountain in the Southern Vietnam. It is a popular spot to climb and enjoy stunning vistas of the surrounding areas and it is also possible to camp. For those who don't feel quite so energetic it is also possible to catch a ride to the summit.

Getting to and around Dalat

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

Hue photos

Hue is the ancient capital of Imperial Vietnam, where the Nguyen Lords based their government during their reign over Vietnam between the 17th and 19th century. It remained the national capital until 1945, when Bao Dai (the collaborator king) escaped into exile and Ho Chi Minh declared independance from France in Hanoi.

As a result the city of Hue and its surroundings are covered with impressive monuments, temples and palaces. Despite suffering from its central position during the Vietnamese/American War it truely deserves its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site, as everywhere you go there are impressive buildings jumping out of the countryside - to say nothing of the imperial palace of Hue itself.

While the city of Hue is developing, the residents of Hue are reknowned for their traditionalism - even the young feel it is their duty to preserve Hue's customs, traditions and architecture for generations to come. They are known throughout Vietnam for the way they speak Vietnamese, their traditional style of dress and their food, which without a doubt is some of the best Vietnam has to offer.

The emperors used to demand the very best delicacies, and thousands of special dishes were developed to satisfy their tastes. The result is a huge selection of light, delicate and immaculately crafted dishes, designed to allow the emperor to eat at leisure, each one unique, and deliciously individual yet not so heavy as to prevent him trying more dishes.

The city is split by the Perfume River, with the imperial city and markets to the North and the newer buildings of the city of Hue to the South. Hue remains a relatively small town, and getting around is easy enough, whether by bicycle, cyclo or motorbike. (though thankfully motorised vehicles are banned from inside the Imperial city)

While the Imperial city is a fantastic place to explore, your visit to Hue would not be complete if you didn't explore the huge array of tombs, temples and ruins in the countryside. The best way to explore is to hop on the back of a motorbike and let the driver take you to his favourite sights - as you pass through the countryside you will see many more beautiful old building leap out of the paddy fields.

You can also spend a beautiful day taking a boat trip up the river, and while it is possible to see several monuments and pagodas from the water's side, we highly recommend joining a motorbike driver for a drive once you have made your way up the river, to see more of the scenery. The countryside around Hue is stunning and made all the more magical for the sights you will encounter.

Related Links

UNESCO: Hue Unesco's guide to the Hue monuments
Hue Help is a great children's charity based in Hue.
Hue Hotels

Mui Ne photos

A kite surfer takes to the air, Mui Ne

A view up the beach, Mui Ne

Fishing boats in Mui Ne Village

The sand dunes, Mui Ne

Sunset on the beach

Mui Ne holds a lot of memories for me as it is the perfect escape from Saigon when the traffic and the noise all gets too much - if only it was just a little bit closer!

A beautiful beach with an ever-growing strip of resorts lining the coast, Mui Ne strikes a good balance between having sufficient entertainments to justify a long weekend and being overcrowded. The hotels lie between the sea and the road, with many restaurants lining the opposite side of the road.

Fortunately the majority of the resorts are low rise and well covered by plenty of lush green foilage - most have tried hard to create attractive gardens around their bungalows, and the result is that from the beach there is not too much evidence of the booming growth in hotels - it still manages to look secluded and peaceful, without a concrete block in sight.

It has a wide range of restaurants, with the local shacks providing some of the freshest, cheapest and tastiest seafood you will find in Vietnam, as well as many high-class restaurants selling top notch Italian, European, Indian and Thai cuisines.

There's plenty of bars too, and hot competition means you can often find two cocktails for $2 around sunset - a perfect way to end a gorgeous day. Some, like Jibes and Wax bar, are well connected with the watersports community and often run big beach parties on Saturday nights. The quality of music being played seems to be on the up too and it is one of the few places I have seen expats shrug off their cool and have a good dance.

There are watersports a plenty as Mui Ne has consistently good winds, and it has become the kite surfing capital of Vietnam. There's plenty of windsurfing too, and for the less adventurous of us it means plenty of visual entertainment as you watch people flying 20-30 ft into the air while sipping a cool cocktail and enjoying the breeze.

No trip to Mui Ne is complete without a trip to the sanddunes, where young children with exceptional English skills encourage you to slide down the dunes at great speed on plastic mats - its great fun but don't forget to tip the kids - the fishing village of Mui Ne is very deprived.

There's also a sandstone 'canyon' at the back of the dunes to explore, a 'fairy stream' to discover and some wild, secluded beaches if you drive up past Mui Ne to the headland, where you can see the fisherman braving the waves in their corracles.

Related Links