Great Travel Summer Promotion 2010 in Vietnam and Cambodia

ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA (ATA) is offering Great Summer Promotion 2010 in Vietnam and Cambodia. These promotions are guaranteed by luxurious adventure tours, add-on values and reasonable prices. More http://www.sbwire.com/news/view/39632

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"ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA (ATA) is offering Great Summer Promotion 2010 in Vietnam and Cambodia. These promotions are guaranteed by luxurious adventure tours, add-on values and reasonable prices"
- ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA (ATA) Launches Vietnam & Cambodia Summer Promotions - SBWire (xem trên Google Sidewiki)

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam – The Nature Wonder

Majestic and mysterious, inspiring and imperious: words alone cannot do justice to the natural wonder that is Halong Bay.

Halong bay, Vietnam

Imagine 3000 or more incredible islands rising from the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin and you have a vision of breathtaking beauty. Halong Bay is pure art, a priceless collection of unfinished sculptures hewn from the hand of nature.

In 1994 it was designated a World Heri­tage site. Visitors can’t help but compare the magical, mystical landscape of limestone islets to Guilin in China and Krabi in southern Thailand, but in reality Halong Bay is more spectacular. These tiny islands are dotted with beaches and grottoes created by wind and waves, and have sparsely forested slopes ringing with birdsong.

Beyond the breathtaking vistas on a boat cruise through the bay, visitors to Halong come to explore the caves – some of which are beautifully illuminated for the benefit of tourists – and to hike in Cat Ba National Park. There are few real beaches in Halong Bay, but Lan Ha Bay (off the coast of Cat Ba Island) has more than 100 sandy strips.

As the number-one tourist attraction in the northeast, Halong Bay draws a steady stream of visitors year-round. From February to April the weather in this region is often cool and drizzly. The ensuing fog can make visibility low, but this adds an ethereal air to the place and the temperature rarely falls below 10°C.

Halong Bay is the stuff of myths and naturally the Vietnamese have concocted one. Halong translates as ‘where the dragon descends into the sea’. Legend has it that the islands of Halong Bay were created by a great dragon that lived in the mountains. As it charged towards the coast, its flailing tail gouged out valleys and crevasses. When it finally plunged into the sea, the area filled with water, leaving only the pinnacles visible.


Source: lonelyplanet

Recommendation for travelling in Halong bay:

Halong bay cruise

Halong bay kayaking

Local Color From Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Once upon a time, soon after the Viet people established their country, invaders came. The Jade Emperor sent Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons down to earth to help the Viet people fight against their enemy.

Halong bay, Vietnam

Right at the time invaders’ boats were rushing to the shore, the dragons landed down on earth. The dragons immediately sent out from their mouths a lot of pearls, which then turned into thousands of stone islands emerging in the sea like great walls challenging the invaders’ boats.

The fast boats couldn’t manage to stop and crashed into the islands and into each other and broke into pieces.

After the victory, Mother Dragon and Child Dragons believed this country to be so beautiful that they didn’t return Heaven but stayed on earth at the place where the battle had occurred.

The location Mother Dragon landed is now called Hạ Long Bay and where Child Dragons descended is now Bai Tu Long.

The dragons’ tails waving the water created Long Vi (present Tra Co peninsula) and formed a fine sand beach over ten kilometers long.

Every time I come to Vietnam, I try to see a part of the country that I don’t know. Last trip, August 2009, I went north to World Heritage Site Ha Long Bay, in the Gulf of Tonkin. The photos speak for themselves.

Tomorrow, Friday, I’ll fly to the Central Highlands, to the ancient citadel of Hue. (I have been to Central Vietnam before, to the city of Da Nang and the ancient village of Hoi An.)

Sometimes I wonder, How did I get so lucky as to come to know this beautiful country and its compassionate people?

I’m curious. Do you believe in luck? Do you ever marvel at your good fortune? Do you curse bad luck? Let me know if you get a chance.

Source: redravine.wordpress

Recommendation in Halong bay:

Halong bay cruise

Halong bay kayaking

Wonderful Halong Bay, Vietnam

"The trip to Halong Bay was a wonderful experience and something we would highly recommend to anyone visiting Vietnam". Recommended in Vine_hooligans's blog

The mini-bus that collected us early on Tuesday morning.

The bus ride took us though some beautiful Vietnamese country side with row upon row of beautiful green rice paddies (Vietnam is SE Asia's second biggest rice exporter). The sea of green fields was occasionally dotted with the traditional beige cone shaped hats that is synonymous with Vietnam leading water buffalo or tending to the crop.

When we arrived at Halong Bay after the 4 hour journey were surprised to find rather than a quite little country harbour an extremely busy port with hundreds of tourist boats coming and going, not surprising since Halong Bay was declared a World Heritage site Busy Halong Bay.

The moment to start approaching the harbour the lime stone pinnacles are visible though the haze and I was blown away by the sheer number of them. The Halong Bay area has more than 2000 of these pinnacles rising out of the ocean some hundreds of meters tall.

After some passports checking we boarded our boat on which we would spend the night and set off into the bay. Our room was great and even though it was small it was bigger than some of the hotel rooms we have stayed in. All meals were also included on the boat and we soon settled in for a nice Vietnamese lunch of crab, prawns, octopus a whole fish, scallops and of course Vietnamese dish is complete without a big bowl of rice.

Cruising through the massive outcrops was magical and even though it was a little hazy the view was still spectacular. On the program for the day was a visit to one of the dozen caves in the Halong bay area, kayaking before mooring for the night. I had no idea how big the cave we'd be visiting would be and was blown away by the size.

When you enter the first chamber it looks impressive but only once you make your way through a tunnel into the main chamber do you realise how big the cave actually is. This must have been by far the biggest cave I had ever been in and with the lighting effects the made it look like a something out of a fantasy story.

Being such a major tourist attraction we were not the only visitors and had to often fight our way though big tour groups and often stand our ground when shoved out the way as someone wanted to take a photo and clearly didn't want me in it. I thought this was hilarious and acted completely ignorant when told to move and just smiled and waved.

From the caves we were taken to a floating village where we were given kayaks to tour the surrounds. The inhabitants of the floating villages all have little mobile businesses where they load up little boats with beer, wine, snacks and live fish and crabs and then motor alongside the big tourist boats and relentlessly try to sell their goods, anything to make a living.

Most the overnight boats moor around the area near the cave before setting off the next morning. We counted more than 40 boats moored for the evening. Dinner on the boat gave a good opportunity to meet the other travellers on the boat and swap travel stories.

We met a lovely Japanese girl called Hashmie who we plan to visit in her home town Kyoto when we travel through. We also had two American girls at our table one of whom was a teacher in a school in the south of China and it was very interesting to hear about her experiences as well as discuss some American politics which seems to be on the news channels every day now.

The next day some new passengers were transferred onto the boat amongst we met a guy called Keith who is an English teacher in South Korea who gave us some interesting insights into the Korean way of life.

We would strongly suggest spending more than one night in the area as it seems the further out you go into the bay the less crowded it feels.


Source: travelpod

Recommendation in Ha Long Bay:

Ha Long Bay Cruise

AH-mazing Halong Bay, Vietnam

Halong Bay is about 160 kilometers east of Hanoi and home to more than 2,000 Dr. Seussian shaped islands.

We knew before getting to Vietnam, this place was absolutely breathtaking, but when you actually are immersed in the beauty in all directions, it is hard to put into words. We spent three days and two nights in the bay that could possibly be voted as one of the new ‘7 Wonders of the Natural World,’ and it sure has my vote.

The trip started with a three hour drive to the bay with some interesting commentary on the Vietnamese culture from our guide, Ahn (pronounced like aim, but ending with an N). This was one of the first times that we truly felt like we were on a tourist trail, rather than a travelers route. We arrived to hordes of foreigners (we were the only Americans in our group of 11).

Beautiful old boats, called Junk Boats, clogged the waterways in the hundreds, and the boat staffs were in a constant state of busy work to prepare for their quick turnaround of guests.

We got to our boat and were blown away by its beauty. All made of dark walnut, crisp table cloths sat on the tables, a small wet bar, the staff wore spiffy white sailor uniforms… it even had the big captain’s wheel in order to steer! The weather was unbelievable, which added to the beauty.

The top deck of the Junk gave us the gorgeous views. The close islands were emerald set against the black rock and blue sky, while each successive island gradually shifted into shades of grey and blues until the farthest layer of islands were no longer visible; and this stretched to both horizons, so you can imagine that our pictures really won’t do the bay the justice it deserves. (it was worth it, trying to find that one amazing picture that would help, though)

We crossed the open water to get to the intimate channels between them all and pulled into a small inlet where only one other Junk parked, for some kayaking and swimming. Cass and I jumped into our tandem kayak and took to the water. Around the corner were two caves we paddled through to get to a protected cove, were we explored a bit on our boats. Back at nothing junky about it

the Junk, we got to spend the afternoon jumping off the different level decks of the boat and swimming in what felt like bathwater. I’ve never jumped into water that warm before so picturing a giant bathtub was an interesting picture from the upper railing of the boat.

After a great dinner of, no doubt, the seafood right from the bay, we cruised to our designated sleeping area of the bay, went to our room, and spent the night on the boat.

In the morning, we headed over to the Amazing Cave. Yes, that’s the name; and yes, it was pretty amazing. Anh had the funniest way of pronouncing the name that we all adapted for the rest of the trip, the ‘AH- mazingcave… AH-mazingcave.’ What was even more amazing, though, was the view from the exit of the cave. We climb up and out of it to an overlook of nearly the entire bay.

The Junks were parked there with their sails up, it wasn’t even a real sight, more like something projected on a green screen in Hollywood, it was that beautiful! This was couple picture extravaganza for us two! Oh, yeah!

After the AH-mazingcave and the view, we caught a transfer boat to an eco-resort the tour guide, Oceans Tours (I recommend them… look into them if your interested!) owned and operated. We spent the afternoon relaxing in the shade of our private bungalow on the beach. I’ve always wanted to stay in one of these, handmade, bamboo huts, and finally I got to. It was AH-mazing and relaxing.

The last morning we got up and had a two to three hour boat ride back to the harbor. We had to get moving after breakfast to keep on schedule and get back into Hanoi at a reasonable time.

We transferred back to the original Junk Boat we slept on with a different load of passengers at the AH-mazingcave sight, where we inspired several of our new friends to take some funky pictures like we always like to do! Good fun, what’s better than a jump picture, or leaning on the rocks??

In my travels throughout my life, I’ve always had a ‘Top 5 Place I Have Eaten Lunch’ list in my mind. I like thinking of the wonders of this world and the great opportunities I’ve had to see so much of it.

Similarly, I think it helps to stay present on any trip, no matter where you are, because you may just have a sneaky entrance into this list. I must say that Ha Long Bay has entered my list (I know you’re curious…

Apostle Island sea caves, the narrow canyons in the back country of Canyon lands N.P., carving a lunch table and chairs out of the snow after snow shoeing in the shadow of Mt. McKinley in Alaska, Camp Muir on Mt. Rainier). It’s a fluid list, but one that’s purpose of existence is to give me a reminder to take pleasure in traveling, perspectives and priorities, the natural world, and the details of life.

Sitting on the top deck of the Junk boat traveling passed all the island and sipping down the last of yet another coke… that will most likely always be towards the top of the list. Anyone interested in the new 7 wonders project click here .

Source: travelblog

Recommendation in Ha Long Bay:

Ha Long Bay Cruise

Ha Long Bay Kayaking

Eight Wonders of Vietnam

UNESCO lists five World Heritages in the country, but Adventure Beat editor Christian Kallen's list presents a more varied picture: the Eight Wonders of Vietnam.

If many of a certain generation tried to avoid going to Vietnam at all costs, now these same travelers may be tempted to explore a densely textured destination as historic, culturally rich and scenically stupefying as any country on Earth.

Adventure Beat editor Christian Kallen's "Eight Wonders" of Vietnam:

1) Ha Long Bay

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Legend has it that the dragon that created civilization dove into these waters (Ha Long means "descending dragon") to his rest. There is a mythic, supernatural quality to this bay on the Gulf of Tonkin, east of Hanoi, that must be experienced to believe. Limestone "haystack" islands draped in jungle foliate erupt from the placid bay, fishermen in dragon-headed boats lay their nets, caves both above and below water level invite exploration. There are some 700 islands in the bay, and nowadays you can sea kayak among them with local tour operators — although in ancient times the Vietnamese general Tran Hung Dao outwitted the Chinese navy here.

2) Hanoi's Old Quarter

Hoan Kiem lake, Hanoi's Old Quarter, Vietnam

Few capitals necessarily qualify as "wonders" — Paris comes to mind — but Hanoi belongs in that class. It was first made capital of Vietnam in 1010 A.D., along a bend in the Red River, and even today, 996 years later, it's still a rush of urban energy and pastoral ease. Walk around the central district's Hoan Kiem Lake in the cool morning hours, while the locals do their daily tai chi; shop in the narrow streets of the Old Quarter where tradesmen have practiced in the same shops for up to 25 generations; dine European, Asian, or fusion at one of the many restored colonial mansions.

3) Cao Dai Temple

Cao Dai Temple

Even knowing in advance that the Cao Dai religion counts among its saints Victor Hugo, Louis Pasteur, and Sun Yat-Sen does little to prepare the visitor for the psychedelic splendor of its Holy See. Primary colors run riot over plaster dragons, flowers, and figurines crawling up the pillars and walls, while the all-seeing eye (a Masonic symbol also found on the US Great Seal) is everywhere. The temple is just a short drive from Ho Chi Minh City, and elaborate services and ceremonies are held almost daily.

4) Mekong Delta

Mekong Delta, Vietnam

The Mekong's route begins 2,500 miles upstream in Tibet, and its course through China, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam is a waterway through the exotic. It flows into the South China Sea through a delta of many streams (its Vietnamese name, Cuu Long, means Nine Dragons), a fertile region known as "the ricebowl of Vietnam." The highlight for most visitors are the floating markets of Cai Be and Vinh Long, where you can get everything from fruits, flowers, and handicrafts to exotic snakes — and dishes as memorable as the “elephant's ear” fish (not endangered).

5) Tonkinese Alps

Fansipan Mountain, Sapa, Vietnam

The Tonkinese Alps create the barrier between Vietnam and China to the north, and their highest peak is Mount Fansipan (10,312 feet). Most people don't think of going to Vietnam to go mountain climbing, but consider this multi-day trek anyway, not only for its spectacular views into China but for the hilltribe villages you pass through en route. The route begins in Sapa, a popular tourist center in the midst of hill country, then forges through valleys of terraced rice fields into ever more remote villages peopled byanimistic minorities, such as the Dao, Hmong and Nung. Frommer's Guide on the Tokinese Alps.

6) Endangered Wildlife

Tram Chim National Park, Vietnam

With its centuries of warfare and commerce, napalm and revolution, it's hard to think of Vietnam as a wildlife hot spot, but it is becoming increasingly recognized as such. Exotic creatures such as several rare species of langurs, gibbons and monkeys; wild boars and the extremely rare brown-antlered deer vie with lizards, snakes and birds for life listers. Although habitat loss in this growing country is a problem, an even bigger one is the catholic appetite of the Vietnamese palate – and the illegal trade in endangered species and restaurants that serve them.

7) Phong Nha-Ke Bang

Phong Nha cave, Vietnam

The most recent of Vietnam's World Heritage Sites is the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. Travelers to Southeast Asia are well aware of the widespread karst formations of the region (Ha Long Bay is one such). Karst topography is limestone-based, riven with caves and cracks, given to weird shapes and striking vistas. The formations in Phong Nha-Ke Bang are among the world's oldest, 400 million years old; its geomorphology is complex and a motherlode for earth sciences.

8) Hoi An Village

Lanterns, Hoi An, Vietnam

Designated a World Heritage Site in 1999, Hoi An is the former main port of Vietnam in the 16th century, and today 844 of its historic structures are preserved as landmarks. You can walk down the crooked streets surrounded by the atmosphere and odors of times gone by, take a sampan ride down the Do River or the streams that lace the town, hunt the traces of the foreign traders – Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, and Indian – who made Hoi An the center of culture in old Vietnam. Helpful hint: visit during full moon, when the shop owners turn off the lights and illuminate the streets with candle lanterns.

Related sites:

Viet Nam travel guide

Tours in Viet Nam

Short Excursions in Viet Nam

Halong Bay: The World’s Nature Heritage of Vietnam

Ha Long Bay (also “Halong Bay”) is in northern Vietnam, 170 km east of Hanoi. The bay is famous for its scenic rock formations

If you thought the hideout in the James Bond film “The Man with the Golden Gun” was spectacular, imagine a place where there are 3,000 such limestone islands clustered together in the East Sea of Halong Bay. Paddle through caves into secret lagoons, drift down channels surrounded by cliffs and forest and sail out into the open sea. Relax on the deck of our luxurious double-sailed junk and look forward to seafood bought straight from passing fishing craft. Swim alone amongst the limestone islets under the stars and take a breather at a floating village hidden amongst the islands. Our fiber glass sea kayaks make for satisfying travel, whether you are an Olympic champion or first time enthusiast.

GETTING THERE

The best way to get to Ha Long Bay is to rent a car from Hanoi from a tour opganizer as ActiveTravelVietnam (ATV). It costs approximately US$100-US$120 return. There is also a tourist open bus service offered by travel agencies around the Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi. Cost is around US$8 net/person/way.

Public buses leave from Long Bien Station to the Bai Chay Station (other side of Red River, 5km from Hoan Kiem Lake) every 30 minutes from 6AM to 6PM and cost 50,000 dong/person each way. This is not recommended for foreign travelers, as these buses are often crowded, slow and unsafe.

THE POPULAR TRAIL (starting from Hanoi)

Day 1: You leave Hanoi for Halong Bay at 8.30am with a short break for refreshment at a handicraft centre. Upon arrival in Halong City you will board a Chinese-style wooden boat (locals call it “Junk”) for a fine seafood lunch and a short cruise to one cave. After a short exploration of the cave you start the kayak exploration of the bay, paddling through an amazing area of limestone islets, passing a floating village to reach Luon Cave, which is a tunnel thrusting through a mountain. Paddling through the tunnel to explore a beautiful secluded lagoon. End of the first with dinner and overnight in AC, private junk’s cabin.

Day 2: This kayaking day starts from Van Chai Floating village and then continue paddling to Dark Cave. The cave is a 200m long, dark tunnel thrusting through a limestone mountain. The tunnel is the only entry to a secluded and beautiful lagoon. You can also explore some other caves nearby. After lunch you paddle to Ba Trai Dao Lagoon, along a stunning and fairly rough sea channel, to explore its beautiful beaches. Then continue paddling to Lan Ha Bay, which is smaller than Halong Bay but much more interesting with lots of secluded beaches.

Day 3: Breakfast is served on the junk and you will enjoy the sundeck while the Junk navigates amazing rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay to get back to Halong City. Lunch on the junk before heading back to Hanoi by bus.

WHEN TO KAYAK

You can do kayaking on the bay all year around but great time is between October and June. A typical kayaking day starts at about 8.00 am after breakfast. Lunch will be served on support boat. At the end of a kayaking day, we would return to the junk by 5 pm or 5.30 pm.

TRAVEL GEARS

On this trip ATV use hard-cell, tandem kayak. Paddle, life-jacket and dry bag are available. We recommend you to bring some extra gears such as Sun block, hat, anti-insect repellent, sunglasses, rain coat. The kayak tour with well-trained and experienced tour guide is always recommended for a best exploration.

Source: Kayak Halong Bay

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