Travelog - A travel guide to Vietnam

Do people call it physical and non-physical culture? Whether they think of it this way or dream of it another way, they have to recognize it when staying in the heart of the ancient town of Hoi An, day and night.

In the late afternoon, Hoi An brightens with a golden sunshine. As an old seaport, just like so many other harbours in the world, Hoi An always becomes animated in the afternoon, which is the transition from day to night, and the harmony between the mainland and the sea, between reality and imagination.

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Da Lat Flower Festival 2005 –the biggest-ever in Vietnam – was spectacularly held in the Capital of the Central Highlands Province of Lam Dong to honour flower-growing and flower growers and affirm the Da Lat flower brand both in domestic and overseas markets.

The 113 year-old City typically featured for its western architecture in Lang Biang Plateau has many nicknames: Mist City; Dreamy City; City of Love; City of Howling Pines, etc. However, the “City of Flowers” was the most common name used during the nine-day festival.

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Location: Dalat, Vietnam
If you travel by road from Nha Trang and Phan Rang to Da Lat, after crossing over the Ngoan Muc Pass, or if you start from Ho Chi Minh City, after you pass the Finom junction, you will be amazed at the abundant pine forests.

The trees grow on hills, along passes, in valleys and by waterfalls. Although pine trees grow mainly in cold countries, Viet Nam is fortunate enough to have them in several regions. Of the 100 species of pine trees in the world, Viet Nam has five:

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Location: Phan Rang, Vietnam
Phan Rang and Thap Cham’s most famous landmark is Po Klong Garai, also known as Po Klong Girai - girai means ‘dragon’. The four brick towers were constructed at the end of the 13th century, during the reign of the Cham monarch Jaya Simhavarman III. The towers were built as Hindu temples and stand on a brick platform at the top of Cho’k Hala, a crumbly granite hill covered with some of the most ornery cacti this side of the Rio Grande.

Over the entrance to the largest tower (the kalan, or sanctuary) is a carving of a dancing Shiva with six arms. This bas-relief is known locally as Po Klaun Tri - the Guardian of the Temple Tower - and is famous for its beauty. Note the inscriptions in the ancient Cham language on the doorposts. These tell of past restoration efforts and offerings of sacrifices and slaves made to the temple towers.

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Location: Hue, Vietnam
It is not so beautiful and well-known as Mount Ngu. However, as it is called, Vong Canh Hill is a place where tourists can enjoy the lovely panorama of Hue especially the Kings Nguyen’s tombs.

A Dutch-backed plan to build a hotel on Vong Canh hill in Thua Thien-Hue province has come up against strong public protests and the Government has ordered local authorities to reveal further details about the project.

The Life Resort project was licensed late last year under a joint-venture between the Huong Giang Tourist Company and Dutch company Vietnam Hotel Projekt, which has to date built two resorts under the same name in Hoi An and Quy Nhon.

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Location: Nhatrang, Vietnam
Semicircular, casuarina-shaded Dai Lanh Beach is a gorgeous spot 83km north of Nha Trang and 150km south of Quy Nhon, right on Hwy 1. Other than the turquoise water, soft cream-coloured sand and quiet, there’s a whole lot of nothing around.

Dai Lanh is one of the most beautiful beaches with wonderful nature: white and mostly sand along with casuarinas.

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The White Sand Dunes and Bao TrangThe White Sand Dunes, or Bao Trang (White Lake) is the top attraction at Mui Ne, after the beach itself. The massive, saharan dunes lay 65 km NE of Phan Thiet. The dunes range from gold to pure white (red dunes may be found further south at Mui Ne village). A small stand of pine trees sit on the southern end of the dune lakes, offering a perfect spot for a picnic and afternoon nap.

The Bao Trang area has 3 lakes: Bau Ong (Gentleman Lake), Bau Ba (Lady Lake) which is the largest, and Bau Xoai (Mango Lake) which is the smallest, and several ponds. Bau Ba is 14.5 m at the deepest point and Bau Ong is 22 m deep. The two lake have a combined water volume of 12,131,900 m3. The shallower ends of the lakes are covered in beautiful flowering lotuses, and thus the area is sometimes referred to as “Lotus Lake” by tour companies; further adding to the great confusion of so many names for the same area. While visitors often swim in Bau Ba , this should be done with great care. Locals tell stories of many children tangling their feet in the reeds and drowning.
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With its gradually slopping, white sand beach, the average depth of less than 1m and the average temperature in the bathing season of 25?C, Lang Co is an ideal beach for tourists. Lang Co Beach lies on the most beautiful curve of the “S”, where you can be the first to see the sun rise in Vietnam. Lang Co attracts visitors for its wild beauty with mountains, forests and sea.

Located on the northern part of Hai Van Pass on National Highway No.1A, about 80km south of the imperial city of Hue, Lang Co Peninsula looks even more mythical and beautiful amid the blue sea and white sand. Visitors can see many local wonders and landscapes such as Chan May, Mo and Hoi Cam streams. Tourists can enjoy sea diving, mountain climbing, and fishing with local fishermen. From Lang Co, visitors can easily reach other beautiful beaches on Son Tra Peninsula or take a boat to Ngoc Island, where they can participate in several aquatic activities.

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Location: Quang Nam, Vietnam
Cu Lao Cham is a large island consists of several small islands distance 25 nautical miles off the coast from Hoi An.

At the summer, if guests reaches for the island by normal boat, it takes 2 and half hour, but only 30 minutes by speed boat. Cham island has total 7 islands including Hon Lao, Hon La, Hon Kho me, Hon Kho ? at the area of 16 sq. meter, whereby the largest island is Lao.

According to archaeologists, Cu Lao Cham first settled there 3,000 years ago and established business contacts with external countries some 1,000 years ago. Up to now, Cu Lao Cham has preserved many architectural constructions which date back to the 18th ? 20th century. They include the shrine dedicated to Than Yen Sao, built in 1843 at Bai Huong and Hai Tang Pagoda, built in 1753 on the western hillside of Hon Lao. Still, Cu Lao Cham has more to offer. After a 3-hour canoe trip, one may hop over to the famed Well of the Cham people.

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Hue has long been Vietnam’s centre of wooden architecture and many of the buildings here, royal palaces included, are Ruong style.

A typical Ruong house is noble vet cosy, hinting of the imperial finesse that once dominated this city. Each one is made up of compartments (which are separated by rows of columns) and side-wings (which are separated from the compartments using wooden dividers). When Hue was home to Vietnam’s emperors, all aspects of life here were dictated by royal decree and while those decrees might sometimes have been taken lightly elsewhere, the royal city never strayed. Thus house building, one of the most important endeavours in life, was undertaken with strict rules in mind.

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