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Vietnam
A visit to Tho Ha Village is a real touch of a typical traditional Vietnamese village in the Red River Delta. A half day tour I did was absolutely beyond my expectations as what I learned and experienced was so much for such a little time and money. I joined one family for making clay roofing tiles; another showed me how to make votive paper ritual products; a lovely lady taught me to make rice paper (this rice paper is for the delicious spring rolls, not Japanese rice paper as I initially thought!); A generous man offered me rice wine and sang his traditional Quan Ho song to me!
The village itself is so beautiful. Little alleys, brick walls, small houses, a little ferry (which is made from concrete!) took us across the river. Lively life in the village and on a dry day you can see villagers drying their fresh rice paper everywhere in the village, which makes stunning photo opportunities! Don't miss this village!
Indochina Pioneer Travel
1 Dang Dung street, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Tel: +84 37153627
www.indochinapioneer.com
You have a choice of two great routes, either a NW loop taking in Dien Bien Phu and Sa Pa or a NE loop taking in Lang Son and Cao Bang, or you can just do your own thing! Minsks are as simple a machine as you can get and help for the mechanically-challenged is never far away in this very populous and friendly country. When you turn up on a 'local' bike caked in dust you get a great welcome.
Starting point is still the Minsk Club in Ha Noi - www.minskclubvietnam.com/index.htm.
A great travel agency that organises small group,
low-impact tours. We took two teenagers who thoroughly enjoyed our five-day trip around Northern Vietnam. We cycled, walked, sailed and stayed with local people. One day was spent cooking with a family in a small village in the Red delta. The trip to Bai Tu Long bay was heavenly. We met no tourists there and only saw local fishing boats. Ask for Khanh who will tailor a tour to your needs. All the guides are really friendly and soon feel like old friends - our guide was so calm and had a great sense of humour. There are tours across Vietnam including Sapa and the Mekong Delta in the South. They even managed to book our hotel in Hanoi for us which we had previously tried to contact unsuccessfully.
Ethnic Travel, 35 Pho Hang Giay, Hanoi in the Old Quarter
www.ethnictravel.com.vn
We joined a tour with Hanoi Street Foods which was a great introduction to the local grub and took us places we wouldn't have dared go ourselves.
When we got more confident we sampled the local 'bia hois' where a glass of beer is available for less than 10p!
Also recommended is Highway4 restaurant where we were either ultra-confident or drunk on their rice wine and tucked into local scorpions, bugs, ostrich and crocodile!
If you really want to experience Vietnam and all of its beauty and glory, I recommend doing it on a motorbike.
I have made three such journeys (I'm 61 years old) and look forward to yet another tour with this group.
While on the surface it appears to be a bit pricey, when you consider that the tour is all-inclusive it makes really good sense.
The guides are all extremely well acquainted with the country and its people. You will see a Vietnam seldom experienced by the routine traveller. The food, rooms, equipment and companionship are incredible.
Trips ranges from just a couple of days to 21 days depending on where you want to go. The northern part of the country should not be missed.
From easy riding to the adventuresome rough roads, there is something for all levels of riders (my wife journeyed down the Ho Chi Minh Trail with me last year).
It's a trip you will remember the rest of your life.
Is this your business?Search Been there
