Damri Waterfall is located in Damri Eco-tourism Area that covers nearly 1,000ha. It is surrounded by a 300ha primitive forest that still preserves its wild beauty with many rare varieties of trees, such as Sao (Hopea odorata), Kien kien (hopea pierei) and Doi (Talauma). To reach the foot of the waterfall, tourists can walk on a path with mossy stone stairs under the thick canopy of old trees or take the lift at an altitude of 60m where they have a panoramic view of the imposing waterfall. Coming here, tourists will enjoy a spectacular landscape formed by the waterfall and carpets of wild violet and yellow flowers in the surrounding space. Seen from afar, the waterfall looks like a rainbow under the sunlight, charming the magnificent landscape.

Leaving the waterfall, tourists continue following the path to visit the hamlet of the Ma ethnic people to discover their distinctive cultural features, such as the gong dance, stilt-house’s architectural style and techniques of weaving brocade without looms. Tourists also learn about the culinary art of this ethnic group with delicious dishes, such as pork and glutinous rice cooked in bamboo tubes and Can wine.

Also, the eco-tourism area has many interesting relaxing services, such as going fishing on a large lake or having outdoor activities that surely leave long-lasting impression on tourists.

(Source: VNP)

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Unlike other noisy and commercialised tourist hubs, visitors to Hai Hoa Beach enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of its stunning landscape and the fresh taste of its seafood.

Both domestic and foreign tourists like to travel by coach or train to the beach in high summer.

As it is quieter than some other beaches in the central region, Hai Hoa is a boom for local people. Located about 15km from Nghi Son economic park—the largest of its kind in Thanh Hoa—the beach still possesses white sandy dunes and green, forested ranges near crystal clear blue waters.

At dawn, the beach is seemingly lit by a ball of fire that bounces off the ocean’s surface. Small fishing boats dock at the beach to sell fish, crab, and shrimp from their overnight catch.

Visitors to Hai Hoa can swim and dive, enjoy fresh seafood, and experience the peaceful life of local people.

Visitors can also surf the waves that surround the pristine island of Hon Me, not far away from the beach.

In Hai Hoa, they can make a good choice accommodation depending on their budget.

Apart from sunbathing or relaxing on the beach, drinking coconut juice, and chatting with friends over a glass of beer and savory snacks of seafood, they can try to fish for cuttlefish at night.

Before dawn there is a flurry of activity that involves everyone, both young and old, after fishing boats return to their shores. Nets are gathered and washed as conversations continue, women weigh and sell fresh fish and children play cheerfully around.

Visitors often book a three day full-package tour to Hai Hoa Beach at a travel cost of around US$200 from Hanoi.

The tour includes visits to UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage-listed Ho Citadel complex and some famous resorts.

(Source: VOV)

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From Nha Trang City, tourists can take a taxi or travel company bus at a package price of VND420,000 per person, including lunch. The bus will pick up travelers at 8 a.m. at the hotel and will take them for an all day excursion. Tourists can also go there by themselves and buy entrance tickets at VND80,000 each, or VND120,000 if you fancy bathing in the hot spring and VND180,000 for a VIP ticket with a tour guide included.

In Yang Bay, tourists can be bold enough to take some snaps with some snappy crocodiles, with bait for fishing just VND10,000. There are many other games for tourists to have fun such as ostrich riding at VND50,000 for five minutes, pig racing, teddy catching, wooden boat cruising or chicken fighting.

Tourists should record memories at a rose garden to sense the beauty of nature.

After some games, tourists can learn more about local culture at a display house on ethnic musical instruments and enjoy ethnic musical show instruments of stone, Chapi and T’rung.

The floating Dao Ngoc Restaurant will serve guests local specialties, highlighting good dishes made of crocodiles and ostriches.

Coming to Yang Bay, tourists have to admire the magnificence of Yang Bay and Yang Khang waterfalls. There, tourists can admire the beauty of the falls, swim, take a water massage and take memorable photos.

The path to the falls is a trail amidst the immense primeval forest. Passing Ho-Cho suspending bridge then taking a bath under the hot springs at around 40 degrees Celsius can soothe any tiredness after a long day.

Lastly, there is a giant tree called Moc Than (God tree) where many visitors leave their prayers and hopes for the future.

(Source: SGT)

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Cu Lao Cau Island is characterised by rocky outcrops, with sandy beaches o­n the north and south sides. The highest point o­n the island is 27m. It covers a long distance of over 1.500m with the widest area of nearly 700m and the highest o­ne of 7m above sea level. The entire island is surrounded by tens of thousands of cliff blocks of different colors and shapes. From the main land, it looks like a big warship. It is really interesting when having a condition to observe the whole island carefully. Around this isle, the water is always clean and blue. When the tide goes down, on the seashore we can see numerous beautiful shells and corals pleasing the tourists’ eyes.

Quite many kinds of sea creatures living around this island. It would be very great if tourists bring a fishing rod and some preys to fish. On the island, there is also a fresh water well, which is called a Fairy Well from an old book. Although the water amount is small, the well is the sort of permanent leaking water.

Fringing coral reefs can be found around Cu Lao Cau island and platform reefs o­n submerged banks. The reefs are pristine, with an average cover of 43%. This site supports the highest diversity of hermatypic corals known in Vietnam. There are more than 65 genera of coral known here, including Acropora, Goniopora, Montipora, Porites, and Favia. There is also a small area of seagrass beds. Sea currents from the north and south converge near Hon Cau-Vinh Hao, with strong upwelling. The area has high productivity, with 175 phytoplankton species, 163 seaweed species, 147 coral species, 80 mollusc species, 46 crustacean species, 26 echinoderm species and 211 fish species so far recorded here.

Cu Lao Cau Island is o­ne of the places that has Vietnam’s best ecological environment. With beautiful neglected beach, presently, it is has been planned to be a marine life preservation zone and an eco tourist site. The island will promisingly become an ideal ecological tourist attraction.

(Source: Hanoitimes)

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Dong Ho folk paintings depict people’s aspirations, daily activities, folk games, work, husbandry, festivals. Painter Nguyen Dang Dung says each painting implies a story: “Foreign visitors to a Dong Ho painting gallery are interested in the story of the “Rat’s wedding” which describes the feudal society of the past. There was no literal Rat wedding. People in the past understood this to be a description of feudal society. Rats represent the poor while Cats represent the mandarins. In the past, a Rat had to bribe the Cats if it wanted to get married. Dong Ho folk paintings also feature other animals. Chickens symbolize a family’s happiness at having many children”.

The meaning of each Dong Ho painting is understood slightly differently by different viewer. People of different ages and with different life experience may have different ideas about a painting. For example, the painting “Pigs” which depicts a mother pig with circles on her body and a group of piglets, is said by some symbolize wealth and prosperity while farmers say this painting is about the right way to select and care for pigs. Luu Duy Dan, Vice President of Vietnamese Craft Village Association, says: “Dong Ho paintings are artifacts of Vietnamese culture games. For example, paintings showing a graduate returning home to his family, a Rat’s wedding, and catching coconuts depict cultural traditions concerned with education and life lessons”.

Dong Ho folk paintings reveal the talents and ideology of Vietnamese people in the past. Making a painting requires 5 iterations of carving and inking wood blocks. Nguyen Thi Hoa, a fan of Dong Ho folk painting, says: “I love Dong Ho folk paintings. They are very popular with most Vietnamese people. For me, the paintings, their colors and materials are unique and beautiful. They are also a feature of Vietnamese folk culture. Dong Ho paintings are not only a national heritage but also an art”.

Dong Ho paintings bear significant historical, cultural and artistic values reflecting the beliefs and daily activities of people in the Red River Delta. This art genre has been recognized as a national intangible heritage. This recognition is expected to help preserve and develop the art while increasing the public’s awareness of traditional cultural values.

(Source: VOV)

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To prepare for the stuffing for the rolls, pork is boiled and sliced while the shrimp is cleaned and boiled before peeling and splitting into two pieces.

The sauce for Goi cuon is made from a variety of ingredients, such as a dash of soybean sauce, coconut milk, a squeeze of tamarind, chopped garlic, hot pepper, onions, ground peanuts, fried sesame seeds and cooking oil.

To enjoy this dish, spread each rice paper that is made wet by water on a plate and then put a piece of shrimp, pork, salad, basil, a chopstick portion of rice vermicelli and a stem of shallot and roll it tightly. Serve with the sauce.

(Source: VNP)

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Quang noodle soups differ than most normal noodle soups in that the soups have just enough broth to barely cover the noodles. Unlike other Vietnamese noodle soup bowls whose broth will cover the noodles almost completely, Quang noodle broth is barely enough to slurp during the meal. If you do not eat a Quang noodle bowl fast enough, the broth will generally quickly be soaked up by the noodles. Quang noodle soups are generally pork and dried shrimp broth based, although some regional and family recipes will use chicken and even duck. What makes Quang noodle soups unique is the richness of the broth, the lack of it and the crushed peanut toppings o­n the noodles.

The mystery of Quang noodle is in that pot above. This is ‘nuoc sot mi quang’ or Quang noodle sauce. This makes the stock slightly sweet and a smidgen spicy. This dish’s ingredients include rice, vegetables and meat. After being soaked in water, the rice is ground to a fine powder and made into attractive smooth white noodles. Accompanying vegetables are water morning-glory, cress, young banana flowers and herbs. Especially, the famous Tra Que savory of Quang Nam Province will give the dish more flavour. You can use pork, chicken, fish, crab or shrimp to make the broth. If chicken is chosen, the meat is separated, seasoned and stir-fried while the bones are stewed. Finish the stock by adding cooked chicken meat.

There are many Quang noodle restaurants in Quang Nam and Da Nang . Each area is famous for o­ne certain recipe. For example, Thanh Chiem Village in Dien Ban District, Quang Nam Province is known for shrimp noodle, while chicken noodle is at its best in Tuy Loan, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang City.

A traditional version says: “I make for you, darling, green tea and Quang noodles to express my feelings”. Thus, you can visit a Quang noodle kiosk in Danang City to enjoy the typical flavor of the soups, for instance:Ngan Quang Noodle at 108 Dong Da Street , Lu Quang Noodleat Ham Nghi Street ,Vi Quang Noodle at 155 Trung Nu Vuong Street and so o­n.

(Source: Hanoitimes)

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The road to Mo So from Kien Giang Town entertains visitors with its shining golden rice fields and windy limestone mountains. Like other mountains, Mo So is endowed with many caves which used to be military bases in wartime.

The first stop is Quan Y (army medical corps) Cave which is 300 meters long. The cave lures tourists by small wooden bridges, soil bags functioning as paths for travelers to step on, tiny gloomy lakes as well as its many bats. Colorful lights beaming on rock walls arouse imagination for visitors. You can see a dolphin leaning its mouth to the cave’s heart, a white dragon soaring on the clouds or a Buddhist hand.

Knocking on that hand, visitors will be startled by rock melodies echoing on the mountain walls.

After some distance the cave comes to light by glistening sun rays over wild flowers and green moss hanging on the wall and on stalactites. Water drops from the gate fulfill the gorgeous setting.

Moving from Quan Y to Voi Rong Cave, you will see nature in its glory.

Touring to Mo So, tourists should not forget to admire a valley which is about 700 square meters and about 20 meters above sea level. Standing amidst the valley, tourists will be amazed by the clouds around, the whistle of winds and blue streams through rocks.

In the rainy season, tourists can take a boat cruise around the attraction to get lost in one of the riddles of nature.

(Source: SGT)

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A bus will pick up tourists at 8 a.m. in the morning to depart for Nha Phu. After an hour tourists will arrive at a wharf for a 20-minute boat ride to Hon Thi where they can feed ostriches and take pictures with spotted deer.

Tourists can leisurely discover gardens and farms on the island for around 20 minutes before coming to the second destination of Suoi Hoa Lan after a 30-minute boat ride. But travelers hoping for another Vinpearl Land will instead have to indulge in nature with a manmade lake sloping around rows of shady trees and bridges crossing the hills some of the main attractions.

 There tourists can take photos as they ride on an elephant’s or ostrich’s back. Those who love trees and flowers can see Que toi (my homeland) village to admire luxuriant vegetable, fruit and flower gardens. Highlights of the tourist site are Hoa Lan stream and Phong Lan cave which have only been established recently.

These places are good for relaxation by the lake and taking pictures. There’s a tranquil beach on the island to swim, sunbathe and join in a powered parachute priced at VND250,000 for five minutes or jetski for ten minutes for the same price. There is also skydiving and a chariot ride around the island.

Tourists can also treat themselves to a feast of BBQ seafood at reasonable prices. Next, there is an animal circus featuring performances by bears, dogs, goats and elephants. Final destination Hon Lao is where Russian experts raised monkeys for scientific experiments in the past but now monkeys are used for tourism development.

You can see monkeys doing tricks with dogs or put bets on the dog race.

After visiting the eco tourist sites, tourists will head back to the mainland at around 4:30 p.m. Prices for adults and children are VND380,000 and VND250,000 respectively.

(Source: SGT)

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The arc-shaped cave, named Doi (Bat) by locals, is 534 meters long including a damaged segment, while its intact portion is 426 meters long, beating Indonesia’s Gua Lawah Cave, which is 400 meters long.

Doi Cave is four meters high and 10 meters wide at the largest part, with some parts the height of an average person.

Scientists also found copious amounts of mud on the floor of the rocky cave, and determined it had arrived there via floods during rainy seasons. Bats, snakes, centipedes, scorpions, and amphibians were also found inhabiting the cave. Therefore, local authorities have set up signboards banning people from catching bats in the cave to protect its biodiversity.

After finding this information, we made a journey to the edge of Cat Tien National Park to try and see the new cave despite the intense heat.

We were lucky to have Nguyen Van Lam, a 60-year-old local as our guide to the cave lurking in the dense forest. The first entrance to the cave Lam took us to was pretty narrow and to enter we needed some equipment such as an oxygen cylinder, mask, flashlight and rope as it was very dark, slippery, narrow and foul-smelling due to bat droppings.

Lam said there were four other cave entrances behind that one and all of them are home to thousands of bats. However, locals do not dare to enter the cave as the entrances are small and filled with rocks and soil. Lam said if someone wants to come into the cave this way would require a lot of hard work.

During our cave-exploration, Lam took us to seven cave entrances, of which some are located right on the pepper and banana farms of locals.

There was only one entrance which had easy access but because it is very deep in the mountain we could only spend a short time there as it was too dangerous.

For the first time, we had a chance to admire giant lave works formed from volcanoes and we thought they would be a great attraction for tourists later. We also found out that bats just live in caves formed by lava and stay away from caves formed from white and grey rocks.

(Source: SGT)

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