Despite breathtaking mountain scenery and a rich diversity of hill tribe cultures, Vietnam’s Central Highlands remain one of the least ‘tourorized’ areas of Southeast Asia. This region of pine tree forests, waterfalls and coffee plantations is far from the coastal beach resorts where most tourists flock, and this remoteness is all part of the charm.
Archive for January, 2010
Vietnam, with its verdant countryside and bustling cities, has a lot to offer adventurous travelers and those wanting to put a face on the Vietnam War.
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is a metropolis that moves like the rapids in a river.
It’s a city that seems endless. But there is an end to the throngs of humanity — a semi-quieter place where a few lessons can be learned.
On the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City is a network of underground tunnels that was used by the Viet Cong during the war, particularly during the Tet Offensive.
Four decades ago, the tunnels were a harried place of strategizing for guerilla fighters.
Today, Coca-Cola is available in the gift shop.
A visit to the Cu Chi tunnels is chiseled into most tourists’ itineraries. Located roughly a one-hour drive (depending on traffic) outside of Ho Chi Minh City’s center, the underground ravines should be visited as a means to engage with the history of the tumultuous war. It is sacred ground that cost many a soldier’s life — and it should be visited with a respect for the casualties of conflict.
As tour buses pull up to the complex, the first stop is a meeting hall where cool drinks are served as plentiful as the propaganda. Before entering the tour, visitors sit through a video presentation that pushes the Viet Cong’s righteousness and the strategic mastery of the tunnel system.
You’ll probably get more satisfaction out of the cool drink.
Next is the actual tour of the tunnels, which stretch for miles or kilometers, depending on who’s talking.
In this particular area — in between Saigon and the border of Cambodia — where the tour buses corral like vultures, there are several holes that have been maintained for passersby to take a look and even take a descent.
Most groups visit the tunnels with an official tour guide, which can be booked back in Saigon.
Along the tour, you’ll have the chance to see grisly contraptions of torture, the place where the Viet Cong and their families ate and slept and a few demonstrations of what life was like in the tunnels (from eating fresh tapioca to an artillery range where visitors can pay money to shoot firearms such as an AK-47).
A group of tourists in front of me were clamoring at the chance to shoot a gun. I kept walking, slightly disgusted, to where visitors can crawl through one section of the tunnel (widened, rumor says, to accommodate larger Western tourists). The experience of crawling through the tunnel starts off easy enough — it’s kind of like ducking under a blanket to play in the dark.
But when you realize how far the tunnel goes, that the walls and ceiling are made of unsteady dirt and that the light from which you entered quickly becomes a pinhole, fear does sidle up next to you.
When you emerge, sweaty and panting, you’ll be thankful for the light in the sky.
Anyone who visits a sight like this probably has a curiosity for war stories and what exactly happened in this country in Southeast Asia. Visiting the Cu Chi tunnels may not provide any answers, but it may set you in the right direction.
It’s a preserved testament to days of sorrow. And for that, it can boast an importance beyond the ubiquitous gift shop selling war propaganda.
In colonial days, the mountains surrounding Sapa were known as the Tonkinese Alp for the quasi-European climate, with the town functioning as a former hill station, built by the French as a retreat from the heat for vacationing military officers. It is also home to Vietnam’s highest peak, Mount Fansipan, which towers above the town at a height of 3,143 metres.
Planning a cycling trip in these remote areas of Vietnam as a solo traveller might not be the wisest decision, primarily due to the need for special permits in the less well-discovered areas, but I knew I could do without, having lived for nearly 8 years in Vietnam.
I decided to initiate my 18 year-old son, Sacha, to the art of cycling his first bicycle trip ever. Our first challenge was to put the bikes on the train from Hanoi to Lao Cai and then bike 40 kilometres uphill to Sapa. There are many trains from Hanoi to Lao Cai. However, almost all sleeper seats are controlled by travel agents. It is impossible to buy sleeper tickets. Some seat tickets or a few second class sleepers may be available at the train station without pre-booking. Ask the travel agents for the departure.
Our first day: on reaching the Lao Cai train station, at about 6am, you have two choices: bike the 35km uphill if you are up to it or take the minibus.
The country has 54 ethnic groups, giving Vietnam the richest and most complex ethnic makeup of Southeast Asia. The majority of the ethnic minorities live in the hilly regions of the Northwest, with other tribes scattered in the Central Highlands and the South. However, the Northwest is the best place to start, as traditional dress in the central and southern parts has been displaced by a more casual approach.
Sapa speaks the language of tourism and is no longer a secret but one can not escape its exquisite views. It is also home to Vietnam’s highest peak, Mount Fansipan, which towers above the town at a height of 3,143 metres.
The Black H’mong and the Red Dao are two of the main tribes in this area. The Dao shave their eyebrows and the hair around their faces to highlight their beauty and are very distinctive with their cherry head coverings, jingling with silver coins. The Black H’mong, in contrast, knots their long dark hair inside tall headdresses, and wears indigo-dyed clothes that shimmer in the light. Dressed in their traditional finery, these tribal women cheerfully intermingle on the streets of Sapa, often inspecting each others’ handwork, while packing sleeping babies on their backs in beautifully embroidered cloth carriers.
Our second day: Ban Ho village, located more than 26 kilometres away from the famous resort town of Sapa and home to the Tay minorities. Situated alongside a turquoise fast growing stream, you must take the time to explore this village before pushing on over the suspension bridge and trekking through rice fields to the Red Dao village of Nam Toong.
Even though Ban Ho is not too far from the centre of Sapa, not many tourists have visited the village because of the tough approach road, which is under construction and slippery in the rainy season.
However, the village is also accessible by riding from Sapa. I recommend staying with my old friend Mr. Son, the chief of the village and his wife, Ms. Lu Thi Ut. The best homestay in the village for the night with a traditional Tay dinner and breakfast.
Our third day: we covered the 26 kilometres and went back to Sapa in the morning, and biked the 15 kilometres from Sapa to the remote Ta Phin village which still retains the traditional customs and lifestyle of ethnic minority groups. Set within a valley with a touring peaking mountain at one end, this village is alive with the daily life of the Kinh, Red Dao and Black H’mong people.
The valley floor is layered with rice paddies and dotted with 20 small home communes. Above them are some smaller communes and a patchwork of corn and vegetable fields. When heading off to Ta Phin village from Sapa, biking up and down the 15 kilometres of hilly terrain is a good choice as travellers will see local people working in terraced paddy fields, or travelling back and forth from the market to their homes. And after a long day of biking on the windy roads and hills you can soak your bones and muscles in a traditional Red Dao herbal bath in one of the homestays. All around the village there is an energy generated by the daily life of the locals here.
The Red Dao, distinguished by their impressive headdress, and the Black H’mong, in their shiny indigo-dyed clothes have lived here for almost 400 hundred years.
Our fourth day: early rising from Ta Phin village and continue winding our way through the scenic hills and valleys from Sapa to the new Lai Chau town. Passing the Silver Waterfall, we cycle up to Tram Ton pass at 2,000m above sea level. Our most challenging day with 115 kilometres to the new administrative town of Lai Chau.
Our fifth day: a very picturesque, easy riding and mostly downhill 40 kilometres to a beautiful hotel made of bamboo and rattan where we settled on the edge of a national park. The vegetation in the valleys is out of this world.
Our sixth day: 75 kilometres to the old Lai Chau, a small town nestled in the heart of a beautiful valley carved from spectacular mountains by the Da River. The town, no more than half a mile in length, initially had little to offer, but the area itself is a biking goldmine. The weather can be pretty hot here, so you need plenty of water for biking, but the views as you rise up through the valley are well worth it. In June and July temperatures can rise as high as 40 degrees centigrade making this the hottest place in Vietnam; the rise in temperature is related to the southeast summer monsoon blasting in from the Indian Ocean with the surrounding mountains enclosing the heat.
Our seventh day: 100 kilometres to Dien Bien Phu. The city lies in Muong Thanh Valley and is surrounded by sleep, heavily forested hills and mountains. This valley witnessed the extremely heroic attacks by Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) against the French forces. On May 7, 1954, the VPA forces overran the headquarters of the beleaguered. Since then, Vietnam has been famous for its resounding victory at Dien Bien Phu.
Those French men who were involved in the Dien Bien Phu battle are particularly interested in returning to Vietnam to visit the old battlefield. Places of interest in Dien Bien Phu include Hill A1 and Hill C2 (known as Eliane 2 and Eliane 4 by the French) where fierce fighting took place.
Other places worth seeing are the headquarters of Correal de Casles and the shelter of Pirot, commander of the French artillery, who killed himself in despair on March 15, 1954 in his shelter. Also open to tourists is the cemetery for fallen Vietnamese soldiers.
Our eighth day: the return to Hanoi a one-hour flight from Muong Thanh airport in Dien Bien Phu will take you to Hanoi, Noi Bai airport.
Further information
- More than 6 trains daily. Duration and price depends on the train. Tickets can be paid with Dong. Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi takes about 48 hours on local train. Reunification Express takes 36 hours.
- Hard seats: Wooden seats. Very uncomfortable on long journeys.
- Soft seats: paddling more comfortable. Tall westerners will feel them a bit tight
- Hard seats: wooden seats with just a tight touch of paddling 6 person compartment
- Soft beds: very comfortable but expensive 4 person compartment
- Reservation necessary: Recommended to reserve 2 or 3 days in advance. Tickets sold at train station booking office have special concern for foreigners. Travel agents are sometimes still secure tickets early when the station tells you that they are sold out.
Flight service
- Returning to Hanoi, a one-hour flight from Muong Thanh airport in Dien Bien Phu will take you to Hanoi, Noi Bai airport. US$65 one way and free for the bikes.Seasons for the North-West of Vietnam
- Tourist Peak & Dry seasons: March to May, October to November
- Vietnamese Tourist Seasons: June and July
- Rainy: June to August
- Water: January and February, especially cold at night
Hotels and Homestays
- Along the way, you will find centrally located and comfortable hotels with private facilities. Standard hotels have a three star rating. Homestays in villages are simple in terms of bedding and amenities.
You are provided with a mutter, pillow and mosquito nest and sleep on the floor like the locals. Accommodation and amenities may be shared with the host family. Toilets are usually western style. Hot water is not always available for showers.
Biking days
A typical cycling day starts at around 6.30am. We aim to reach the next overnight stop between 4.30pm and 5.00pm. During the day you have short breaks for rests, snacks and there’s plenty of opportunity for photographs. Depending upon the distance, terrain and weather, the day can be shortened to 50km a day.
Equipment
Need 21 speed hybrid mountain bikes and good quality helmets, saddle bags, cycling shorts, cycling shoes or runners, comfortable slip-on shoes for evenings, light weight shorts and long pants, t-shirts, raincoat, hat, sunglasses, sun block, insect repellent, toiletries, flashlight, air pump, water bottle, small towel, camera and spare batteries’ charger, pen and paper, passport and photocopies of passport and visa, small amount of money for shopping in markets, toilet paper, zip lock bags, small first aid kit. Bring warm clothes for the cooler midnights of November to January.
Repairs
You will find small garages everywhere along the way.
Going Out in Vietnam’s Capital Means Coffee and Tea
By: Kiki Anderson
Hanoi’s social life centers around cafés. From young and stylish to aged and wise, everyone kicks back with a cup to see the city’s sites, and to be seen.
Phu Quoc Island, the peaceful tropical paradise in the warm turquoise waters of the Gulf of Thailand, is well known for its stunning beaches, untouched natural environment, splendid surroundings and fantastic scuba diving, snorkeling and beach massage services. This island district of Kien Giang Province is a favorite tourist destination for the Tet holidays. To meet the demand, Vietnam Airlines has increased its flight frequency and tour operators are offering many attractive programs promising a wonderful vacation.
The Saigon Phu Quoc Resort and Spa will host enjoyable and significant programs from February 13 to 16.
On February 13, or New Year’s Eve, tourists can show their talent for wrapping banh tet, banh chung or banh day (glutinous rice cake filled with green bean paste, pork fat and onion slices traditionally made at Tet) with
materials provided by the resort under the instruction of the resort’s chef. The price is VND999,000 per couple, inclusive of ingredients, a chef guide, a certificate and memory photos.
On that special night, tourists can also celebrate at an old house in a fishing village. Here, tourists can wrap and boil banh tet, prepare a fruit tray worshipping ancestors and pick lucky buds for the new year. Tickets are VND2.5 million per person, inclusive of bus transfer, tour guide and mineral water.
For the first time, Suoi Cat tourist site will organize a flower festival in Phan Thiet City to welcome the Tet holiday next month.
The festival will open on the first day of Tet (February 14) with daisies, orchids and apricot and peach blossoms. With an investment of nearly Vị trí đặt quảng cáoVND300 million, the Suoi Cat tourist site will be ablaze in the multicolored spectacle of 20,000 flower pots and a flower “dragon”.
The festival will also feature performances of national record makers such as Xuan Dieu who can play the flute, drink milk and play darts with his nose, Kim Tuan who can peel off coconut covers, pull cars with his teeth and lie on nails, and Bao Cuong who can gulp scissors, chew hot coal and break bricks with his head. Tourists can also join folk games.
*Binh Thuan authorities have licensed Saigon Investment Company to develop the Sentosa Villa project in Mui Ne Ward, Phan Thiet City.
The VND260 billion project will cover about 160,639 square meters and feature a high-rise building, three-star hotel, beach park, overpass and trading services.
Tat Thanh packs her hiking boots and heads for Sapa before attempting to trek to the highest point in Vietnam
How would it feel to be standing at the summit of Fansipan – the “roof of Indochina”? It’s a question I’ve often wondered so when I hear that my colleagues from EVN Telecom are signing up for a trek to the top of Vietnam’s highest mountain I decide my moment has come.
At a height of 3,134 metres, Fansipan shadows the mountainous province of Lao Cai in the northwest of Vietnam. September to March is the best period to climb Fansipan as usually the weather is dry, so the trails are not too muddy or slippery and the streams are also relatively tame.
Experienced trekkers claim that the end of February is the best time as thousands of wild flowers come to bloom. We set off on our expedition over the New Year’s holiday. After a week of preparations we come equipped with gloves, boots and provisions. Proud patriots we also have our Vietnamese-flag T-shirts. The train to Lao Cai leaves Hanoi Railway Station at 9:30pm – the journey is 330km but no one seems daunted.
In fact everyone is in high spirits. It’s New Year’s Eve and we’re ready to party! We drink champagne, laugh and sing as we wait for the stroke of midnight. But eventually we get some sleep, aware that we will arrive in Lao Cai at dawn. After having breakfast in a small restaurant in Lao Cai, we drive up the winding road that leads to Sapa, where we check into Trung Nguyen Hotel on Thach Son street. The hotel is in actual fact a serviced house, so the rates are cheap. We pay only VND150,000 ($8.5) for four persons per night.
Helping us on our trek will be a number of porters. Each porter earns VND 200,000 ($11) for one tour. They help carry luggage, cook and – most importantly – make sure we stay on the right track and don’t tumble down the mountainside! Most of the porters in the area are either H’Mong or Dzao. However, they speak Vietnamese very well.
We drive 33km from Sapa to a forester’s station on the top of Ton Stop mountain pass, which is the starting-point of our adventure at a height of 1,900m above sea level. We set off full of determination. The scenery is awesome though where clouds cover the mountain it is cold and dark. Bending my head as I walk into the wind, I only stare at my own feet. But when the clouds move across a brilliant sunshine pours through to reveal the mountain’s natural colour and wondrous beauty.
I spot a small clearance in a forest of Fujian cypress trees. Our guide explains this is where a group of trekkers previously lit a fire to cook lunch but they neglected to extinguish the fire carefully and the fire razed a number of trees in the area. We decide to stop at noon after reaching a height of 2,200m. We look down the mountain to see how far we’ve come and reassure ourselves we’re making good progress.
Our next stop is at a height of 2,900m. Darkness is starting to fall. Our porters help us collect firewood and dry leaves, pitch up our tents and after a fire is lit we prepare dinner. After a long day, I head to bed ready to sleep long and hard but the intense cold is unsettling. Luckily for those more susceptible to the cold, there is a small hut, which keeps out the elements better than a tent. A few of the women and I decide to abandon the tents and settle into the hut for the night.
Buoyed by the thought of conquering Fansipan, we rise early in morning and devour a breakfast: a rather cold egg noodle soup. The last leg is actually the hardest. We pass through a bamboo forest, which is ominously reminiscent of the forest in the film of House of the Flying Daggers. The trees apparently spring up so densely that locals have to cut them down to keep the only path to Fansipan’s peak clear.
The trail becomes muddier, darker, and more slippery. There is no rain but a thick mountain mist hangs in the air. The slope becomes increasingly steep. My leg starts to ache and tiredness starts to overwhelm me. At certain sections we use a rope ladder to climb uphill. One by one people start to give up. Soon we have lost eight members of our team. At times I’m tempted to so the same but I somehow find the energy to continue.
Eventually, after three long hours we arrive at the top. When I spot the landmark to indicate the pinnacle my legs at first buckle under me but then I jump for joy and scream at the top of my voice. We hug each other and then braving the cold we take off our overcoats top reveal our Vietnam-flag T-shirt. A bottle Champagne is opened and we toast our success before taking pictures.
I know we cannot linger for long. It’s bitingly cold and my fingers are now completely numb. Nevertheless I feel elated. I have conquered the roof of Indochina! As we make our way down the mountain, I am still buzzing with excitement.
Back in Sapa we reward ourselves with hot medicinal baths – a Dzao speciality –to ease our aching bones. We can’t stop talking about the scenery, our feelings, and how this achievement is an inspiration that will help us to find the strength and resolve to overcome any ‘mountain’ that we face on the road of life.
We also remind each other we couldn’t have done it without the kind porters, who always urged us on with a smile and said, “Come on! Keep going! The peak is not far, I know that you can make it!”
Explore the mekong region’s “second City”, Ho Chi minh (HCmC), stands to give Bangkok a run for its money as an international gateway to this corner of the globe
Graham Swain gets on his bike to tour this fascinating country from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi.
Vietnam can easily be described as a country on the move. Forty million 2-stroke scooters and mopeds are a powerful statement to that effect and all acquired in the last decade. That equates to 1 scooter or moped for every 2 people!
Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), was my starting point for my 16-day cycle ride the length of this fascinating country, to Hanoi. Everywhere you look, swarms of motor scooters head towards you from every direction and rules of the road are redundant. Red traffic lights at junctions are considered merely a passing inconvenience.
By Steve Rudd