Contrasts of the East: Sapa, Halong Bay, Saigon & Phú Quốc

About the destination: Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and also its second largest city, is one of the most charming cities in Asia with a unique character. Years of foreign occupation have left a mark on this city as it is shown in the interesting museums, the historical buildings, the pagodas, the mausoleum, and its own French quarter give the city a very distinctive atmosphere. The best way to get to know Hanoi is to walk around. The historical center is not very extensive, many places to visit are there or in the immediate surroundings, and walking is the best way to have some contact with the friendly people of Hanoi. Hanoi is known as a city of lakes as there are many lakes and trees all around the city, the biggest being the West Lake, Ho Tay, and the most famous in the city center being the Lake of the Restored Sword, Ho Hoan Kiem. The beautiful thing about Hanoi is the interesting contrasts of architecture, ranging from the traditional old buildings of the Old Quarter to the European style huge buildings of the French Quarter to the Communist monuments at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and surrounding areas, not to mention the beautiful traditional architecture of its temples such as the Quan Su Pagoda. Hanoi is a peaceful and hectic city, buzzing with street life and exotic markets yet serene around the tranquil pagodas and temples. The City of the Soaring Dragon is the place to be in Vietnam.

About the destination: Sa Pa is a frontier town and capital of Sa Pa District in Lào Cai Province in northwest Vietnam. Sapa is a charming mountain town, surrounded by picturesque mountains and rice terraces. Great views of the area can be had from the nearby hills. One of these has been built up into a tourist attraction ("Ham Rong Resort") with various gardens, ethnic minority dance performance areas, viewpoints, and restaurants. It's a short walk south from the central square and then up some stairs. The "Sa Pa Culture Museum" where you can learn about the history of Sa Pa and the costumes & traditions of the Ethnic groups of Sa Pa.

About the destination: Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and also its second largest city, is one of the most charming cities in Asia with a unique character. Years of foreign occupation have left a mark on this city as it is shown in the interesting museums, the historical buildings, the pagodas, the mausoleum, and its own French quarter give the city a very distinctive atmosphere. The best way to get to know Hanoi is to walk around. The historical center is not very extensive, many places to visit are there or in the immediate surroundings, and walking is the best way to have some contact with the friendly people of Hanoi. Hanoi is known as a city of lakes as there are many lakes and trees all around the city, the biggest being the West Lake, Ho Tay, and the most famous in the city center being the Lake of the Restored Sword, Ho Hoan Kiem. The beautiful thing about Hanoi is the interesting contrasts of architecture, ranging from the traditional old buildings of the Old Quarter to the European style huge buildings of the French Quarter to the Communist monuments at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and surrounding areas, not to mention the beautiful traditional architecture of its temples such as the Quan Su Pagoda. Hanoi is a peaceful and hectic city, buzzing with street life and exotic markets yet serene around the tranquil pagodas and temples. The City of the Soaring Dragon is the place to be in Vietnam.

About the destination: Hạ Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a popular travel destination, in Quảng Ninh Province, Vietnam. Hạ Long Bay is a center of a larger zone which includes Bái Tử Long bay to the northeast, and Cát Bà islands to the southwest. MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS - Ban Sen, a thickly forested, almost uninhabited island reachable by ferries to Quan Lan from Cai Rong. - Cat Ba, the home of the endangered cat: Ba langur, a national park, numerous caves and the most popular destination in Ha Long Bay for tourists. - Quan Lạn, a historically significant outlying island with the beginnings of some tourism infrastructure and some beautiful beaches. - Van Don, a large island that is well inhabited, little visited by tourists and connected by road to the mainland near Cửa Ông. - Dau Be Island. This is a very popular swimming and diving spot because of its rich coral and deep grottoes with three inland lakes. - Bo Hon Island. The Virgin Cave (Hang Trinh Nu) is one of the most famous caves in Halong Bay. It is probably best known for its shrine. There are two chambers in the cave with a square-shaped outer chamber and a ceiling about 30 metres high. The inner chamber formations look like sentries conversing with one another and another formation, resembling a general surveying his troops, lies in the middle of the chamber. The moving light reflected from the water outside seems to bring these formations to life.

About the destination: Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and also its second largest city, is one of the most charming cities in Asia with a unique character. Years of foreign occupation have left a mark on this city as it is shown in the interesting museums, the historical buildings, the pagodas, the mausoleum, and its own French quarter give the city a very distinctive atmosphere. The best way to get to know Hanoi is to walk around. The historical center is not very extensive, many places to visit are there or in the immediate surroundings, and walking is the best way to have some contact with the friendly people of Hanoi. Hanoi is known as a city of lakes as there are many lakes and trees all around the city, the biggest being the West Lake, Ho Tay, and the most famous in the city center being the Lake of the Restored Sword, Ho Hoan Kiem. The beautiful thing about Hanoi is the interesting contrasts of architecture, ranging from the traditional old buildings of the Old Quarter to the European style huge buildings of the French Quarter to the Communist monuments at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and surrounding areas, not to mention the beautiful traditional architecture of its temples such as the Quan Su Pagoda. Hanoi is a peaceful and hectic city, buzzing with street life and exotic markets yet serene around the tranquil pagodas and temples. The City of the Soaring Dragon is the place to be in Vietnam.

About the destination: To the South of Vietnam, halfway between Vietnam and Cambodia we have the Island of Phu Quoc (Phu Quoc Vietnamese). Island Phu Quoc Island, located in the Gulf of Thailand, is the largest island in Vietnam, however its main tourist attractions are the sand beaches white and waters crystal clear, making Island Phu Quoc of favorite of the couples recently married Vietnamese honeymoon journey. The Phu Quoc island in Vietnam is also known as Dao Ngoc and Cambodia as Koh Tral. Phu Quoc island is 50 km long and 22 km wide and it inhabited by 85,000 people. The capital of Phu Quoc island is Duong Dong (Dương Đong), located on the northwest side of the island. The other city of the island is called An Thoi (An Thới), located at the southern end (see) Map of Phu Quoc). The average temperature of the Phu Quoc Island is 28 º C, the warmest time between April and May, where it reaches 35 º C. Phu Quoc is a natural with a great biodiversity (heritage of unesco since 2006) what makes this island the perfect place for snorkelling. Almost all the tourist attractions and points of interest in Phu Quoc are in the capital, Duong Dong. We can highlight the lighthouse of Duong Dong, point recommended for taking pictures, Duong Dong market and the pagodas, distributed throughout the island. However, the strong point of the Phu Quoc Island are its white sand beaches. In Duong Dong tenemo a beautiful beach, but if you want somewhere a bit quieter we can choose any of the beaches that are located a little northwest of Duong Dong or a couple of miles south of the city. The rest of beaches of Phu Quoc are in the Southeast, near An Thoi town, being the best of all of them (Bãi Sao) Bai Sao beach. View Map of Phu Quoc. One option that we recommend, is take a boat and approaching any of the adyancentes Islands, as for example the Island Hon Mong Tay. One of the best beaches of all Phu Quoc is called A beach or English Fingernail Beach, but is located in Island Hon Mong Tay (Hòn Móng Tay), about 10 kilometers south of Phu Quoc.

About the destination: Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam. It is a modern, lively and bustling city. It is economically active, filled with lively markets and it is unequivocally the nation’s commercial center. Though the country’s most modern city by far, it retains a unique Vietnamese flavor and you can still see evidences of an illustrious Colonial past of this former pearl of the orient. In the core area, which locals still affectionately refer to as Saigon, you’ll find some of the city’s main attractions such as the Opera house, railway station, Notre Dame cathedral, Reunification Palace, the Saigon river and the Markets. To take a break from the city, you can take a tour to the Mekong Delta or to Da Lat, if you have more time. Da Lat, located in the highlands approximately 300km from the city is worth the trip as there is plenty to see and do including waterfalls, gardens, the old French Quarter and the local restaurants which served magnificent local food. The commercial and financial hub of Vietnam is an exciting and interesting sprawling metropolis that does its best to preserve the way of life and culture of this magnificent county.