- Vietnam
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A neat place overlooking the lake. By night it's a cool place to sit and watch the mayhem below. Fantastic fruit juices!
73 Cầu Gỗ, Hoan Kiem District Hanoi, Vietnam
+84 4 3926 0801
Google map: bit.ly/10ucjBd
Vietnam-Visa. How to get it??
This question must be common to guys who love to travel to Vietnam. therefore, I am willing to answer you foreigners how to obtain Vietnam visa. Let's go:
Officially, there are 2 ways to get Vietnam visa.
The first way is going to Vietnam embassy in your country, pay pee, take an interview of your entry'purpose and wait about 4-5 days to get your visa.
In case you do not want to take time to get Vietnam embassy or there is no Vietnam embassy in your country, you are advised to use the following way.
The second way is staying at home and visit travel agent's website, fill out secured application form, pay service fee ($ 20 for 1 month single entry, $ 25 for 1 month multiple entry, $ 30 for 3 month single and $ 35 for 3 month multiple), receive your visa approval letter within 1-2 working days via email and finally get your visa stamped at arrival airport in vietnam (one more thing, you have to pay stamping fee directly to Vietnam Immigration Officer)
Hopefully, this information is helpful for you. If you have any questions, I am very pleased to help you. My Skype id is bong192
Office in Hanoi
G8 Ciputra, Lac Long Quan Street, Tay Ho district, Hanoi Capital, Vietnam
Office in Hai Phong
No 12 Hong Bang street, So Dau ward, Hong Bang District, Hai Phong city
Call us:
+84-946.175.068 (Hotline, Vietnam GMT +7)
Office hours: 8.00 AM to 18.00 PM (Monday to Friday)
Customer Service hours:
Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Saturday: 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
(Vietnam Standard Time is GMT +7)
Support Online
Customer Support: support@vietnamvisa-easy.com
Feedback: feedback@vietnamvisa-easy.com
Website: www.vietnamvisa-easy.com
Vietnam-Visa. How to get it??
This question must be common to guys who love to travel to Vietnam. therefore, I am willing to answer you foreigners how to obtain Vietnam visa. Let's go:
Officially, there are 2 ways to get Vietnam visa.
The first way is going to Vietnam embassy in your country, pay pee, take an interview of your entry'purpose and wait about 4-5 days to get your visa.
In case you do not want to take time to get Vietnam embassy or there is no Vietnam embassy in your country, you are advised to use the following way.
The second way is staying at home and visit travel agent's website, fill out secured application form, pay service fee ($ 20 for 1 month single entry, $ 25 for 1 month multiple entry, $ 30 for 3 month single and $ 35 for 3 month multiple), receive your visa approval letter within 1-2 working days via email and finally get your visa stamped at arrival airport in vietnam (one more thing, you have to pay stamping fee directly to Vietnam Immigration Officer)
Hopefully, this information is helpful for you. If you have any questions, I am very pleased to help you. My Skype id is bong192.
Have a nice day!
Office in Hanoi
G8 Ciputra, Lac Long Quan Street, Tay Ho district, Hanoi Capital, Vietnam
Office in Hai Phong
No 12 Hong Bang street, So Dau ward, Hong Bang District, Hai Phong city
Call us:
+84-946.175.068 (Hotline, Vietnam GMT +7)
Office hours: 8.00 AM to 18.00 PM (Monday to Friday)
Customer Service hours:
Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Saturday: 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
(Vietnam Standard Time is GMT +7)
Support Online
Customer Support: support@vietnamvisa-easy.com
Feedback: feedback@vietnamvisa-easy.com
Website: www.vietnamvisa-easy.com
The Saigon Saigon rooftop bar at The Caravelle hotel is the perfect place to enjoy a sundowner looking out over the city. Later, the Rooftop Garden bar at the famous downtown Rex Hotel is steeped in the history as a meeting place for journalists during the war. It has been glamorously updated and is the place to gaze over the city while enjoying a cocktail or a meal.
www.caravellehotel.com
19 Lam Son Square, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
+84-8 3823 4999
Google map: bit.ly/15fQpGX
www.rexhotelvietnam.com
141 Nguyen Hue Blvd., District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Phone : +84-8 38292185 o
Google map: bit.ly/XXUFVn
Dried bamboo and cassava noodles make up some of northern Vietnam’s most important dishes
Mang kho and mien make up the two most important soups of the traditional Tet feast in the North Vietnam.
Mang kho (dried bamboo shoots) and mien (cassava noodles) are both dried naturally and the drying process preserves them beautifully; you don’t have to worry that your bamboo or cassava will go bad for a long time.
Canh mang kho (dried bamboo shoot soup) and soups made with mien (often chicken noodle soup) both combine dry textures with fresh ingredients and herbs for their unique flavors.
Because mang kho and mien are light and somewhat soft and porous in texture, they absorb the flavors of the other ingredients in the soup: chicken or duck and/or pork, spring onions and moc nhi (black, or “cat ear” mushrooms).
After the war when food and money were scarce as Vietnam struggled to recover from the worst bombing campaign in history and then a suffocating American embargo, busy working mothers bought bundles of mang kho and mien in advance before Tet (Lunar New Year Festival) while prices were still cheap before holiday inflation. A northern Vietnamese Tet feast is not complete without these two dishes.
Mang kho and mien can absorb a lot of water and they become about three times larger in volume during the cooking process, another plus for cooks struggling to make ends meet.
Mien is made of cassava powder. Besides various mien-based soups, then noodle is also an important ingredient in nem ran (fried spring roll).
The most traditional mien dish is mien ga (cassava noodle with chicken broth and shredded chicken). The dish is set at the family altar during Tet, and in various arrangements at funerals, death anniversaries and other special occasions.
During Tet, northerners keep the water they boil their chickens in to use for mien ga. Boiled chicken meat, as well as boiled chicken heart, stomach and liver, are shredded and cut into small pieces before being placed in the bowl.
After soaking the dried mien in water until it becomes softer, northern cooks then cut it into shorter pieces and add it to the hot water pot. Moc nhi and spring onion are cut into small pieces and also added to the pot to help bring out the flavor of the chicken.
Mien is very fragile and soft and it takes only a few minutes to cook it. The cook needs to make sure the noodles don’t boil too long in order to maintain the right softness.
After arranging mien in a bowl, my mom would add shredded chicken meat and chicken liver on top together with coriander. The soup looked almost as delicious as it tasted.
Nowadays, people also cook mien with duck and it is served all day long at some Hanoi restaurants. The subtle taste of mien also goes well with crab meat. Mien cua (stir-fried mien with crab meat) is a new dish served across Hanoi.
Fried tofu, and spring onions often accompany mien cua in Hanoi.
During protein-rich meals chock full of pork pie, beef pie, boiled chicken and sticky square cake, mien is a light and delicate dish for people avoiding heavier foods, or those trying to save room for later during daylong Tet feasts. At Tet, mien is often served alone but some people like to have it with a side of steamed rice.
With its ingredients usually cut into very slim and small pieces, mien remains subtle in flavor. But mang kho offers a combination of rawness and softness that is a bit sharper. The shredded dried bamboo shoots are cooked in chicken water for hours, or even boiled in a pot with pork legs and pork ribs.
If you have the chicken water already, it takes only a few minutes to cook mien (which is normally the last dish cooked just before the Tet feast). But it takes hours to cook canh mang kho (dried bamboo sprout soup).
The mang kho is first soaked in water and boiled for hours until it becomes soft. Then it is shredded into smaller pieces by hand before cooking
Similar to mien, mang kho can be cooked with chicken water or pork chops. But it takes many hours to cook, and my mom would always start preparing to cook a big pot of canh mang three days before the Tet feast. Then, with each meal throughout the festival, we’d have a portion of the re-heated soup invigorated with fresh chicken water.
For more information about Vietnam Culinary or travel tips and advices, please visit www.touroperatorvietnam.com or www.tourtohalongbay.com
Occupying an enviable location in Tran Phu Street – Nha Trang city, Sunrise Nha Trang Beach Hotel & Spa is just steps away from the beach and within walking distance to major sightseeing, shopping and tourist destinations.
Sunrise Nha Trang Beach Hotel & Spa is built in colonial style with a well-earned legacy of coastal splendors. Combining location, weather, unique ambiance and highest quality of service, Sunrise Nha Trang Beach Hotel & Spa is an ideal destination for wedding and honeymoon.
Sunrise Nha Trang Beach Hotel & Spa will make your dreams of a romantic wedding on the beach come true. Just as each couple has specific needs and wishes, each barefoot beach wedding ceremony is tailored for them.
The hotel offers Barefoot Wedding Package in a variety of colors and styles to choose from. The couple exchanges their vows of marriage in front of one of the most beautiful bays in the world with the sunshine glistening on the emerald water as a breathtaking backdrop for the best wedding photos.
Your wedding ceremony is performed in such grace and love with the witness of your family, friends and our certified celebrants. After that, the couple will release pigeons to pray for peace and lifetime engagement.
Bring out your romantic side by creating enchanting moments for your beloved with Romantic Escape package priced at VND6,800,000++ (valid to November 30, 2012). The package offers two-night stay in a luxuriously spacious Superior room with private balcony overlooking the bay.
Couples are totally refreshed in a 60-minute body treatment session at Sunrise Spa surrounded in relaxing atmosphere with Balance & Harmony. Couples, certainly, will be indulging in sea, sun and smiles at our beach – just some steps away from the hotel.
Your romantic escape is also featured with daily buffet breakfasts in bed, a dinner at the Roman style outdoor pool on the first floor blended in little green garden. If you feel reluctant to leave after two romantic nights at Sunrise Nha Trang, the Hotel offers an exclusive 15 percent off internet rate for all extended nights to complete your experience at this elegant sanctuary.
For more information please visit www.vietnamhoneymoontours.com
or www.vietnampackagetour.com
Original link: vietnamhoneymoontours.com/travel-news/the-best-resort-in-nha-trang-for-honeymoon-and-wedding.html
Ly Quoc Su is a street on the western edge of the old quarter and is full of interesting and good cafes (Joma), pho restaurants and tourist shops, it has less hawkers than the other streets and is popular with locals as well.
Ly Quoc Su
Google map: bit.ly/OCy2qf
Since July 2002 until the present day I have just about circumnavigated the planet on voyage with Semester at Sea, a program, currently operated from the University of Virginia and the institute for Shipboard Education (ISE).
Semester at Sea is not your typical 'cruise.' It is a living voyage and lifelong learning experience. The voyages have taken me to the now serene shipyards in Gdansk to the top of Mount Vesuvius and onward to the Mekong Delta and the wonders of Southeast Asia,
Our ship, the MV Explorer, is a floating university that can accommodate up to 600 students, staff - like my professor wife - and people like me, a life long learner. Once you sail on it, the MV Explorer will always be 'OUR ship,' to you too. Yes, OUR ship has a pool and a fabulous lounge, but you see quickly what else you can be doing, like studying political science of Southeast Asia, Asian Puppetry, World War II history, or comparative religions. Surrounded by young people, many of whom are seeing the rest of the world for the first time.
It's not the cheapest holiday compared with other much less interesting long cruises. I have been fortunate enough to be a bag carrier on these voyages for my wife who teaches aboard. Our ultimate goal is to pay the full fare so neither of us has to work and we can both sit in on as many classes as possible while exploring the delights of our planet.
Great home baking plus Italian coffee. Also baguettes, cakes, juices, pies and pasties. Plus they do soup which is brilliant in Hanoi's cold winter.
www.thecartfood.com
18 Au Trieu, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
+84 (0)4 3928 7715
Google map: bit.ly/uQQlSg
8B, Lane 1, Au Co, Nghi Tam Village, Tay Ho, Hanoi
+84 (0)437186967
You'd think there's nothing new in puppetry, but that's until you go to the Thang Long water puppet show in a theatre near the lake in the centre of old town Hanoi. Fighting dragons, jumping fish and dancing warriors are all part of the legends and tales which unfold on water on the stage, accompanied by haunting traditional music. The denoument is when they show you how they do it ...shhhhh. Unique and great for all ages.
www.thanglongwaterpuppet.org/homepage.asp
57 B Dinh Tien Hoang Hanoi
+84 43 8 245117
Google map: bit.ly/nCijtL
Mango Bay is one of the rare genuine eco resorts in Vietnam and South East Asia. A recent long weekend there proved to me that the resort stays true to its ethos of being a "low-density resort with a passion for the environment".
My bungalow was built using reclaimed wood and other local materials such as rammed earth and thatch roof. And the waiter told us our seafood beach barbeque all came from either local fishermen or the resort's own garden. In a country obsessed with imported meat such as Japanese Kobe beef or Australian lamb, or exotic fish (shark fin is featured as a top delicacy in some restaurants we went to in Ha Noi), it is refreshing to see how this little French run resort sticks to their gun of providing locally sourced and ethical food.
Oh, and summer and autumn are considered low seasons here, so the prices are significantly reduced. Our big room only cost us USD90 per room for two adults for THREE nights. Even in a cheap country like Vietnam, it is still very cheap for a good island resort.
www.mangobayphuquoc.com
Ong lang Beach, Phu Quoc, Vietnam
+84 903 382 207
In what must be the most densely populated city for mopeds in the world, hiring one here is a no brainer. Even if you haven't ridden one before, a quick figure of eight in the car park and the hire place are suddenly satisfied to let you loose with your own 200CC bike. Just try not to be one of those gap year tourists covered in bandages on day two thanks to an inevitable crash.
All over the city, and for that matter, all over the country and indeed most of South East Asia.
There are many options for good food in Hoi An, but at White Lotus you can enjoy your meal even more knowing your money is going to a good cause.
Since Australian Geoff Shaw set up Project Indochina eight years ago, this NGO has provided homes and medicines for the poor and installed waste and water treatment plants in schools and hospitals throughout Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
All proceeds from White Lotus go to the charity. The restaurant is also doing its bit to help break Vietnam’s poverty chain by employing and training local staff from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The restaurant is extremely clean and stylish and the food of a very high standard. Hoi An spring rolls will set you back 45,000 dong (£1.40), veggie mains 40,000 dong (£1.20) speciality mains 100,000 (£3) and pizzas 70,000 (£2.10).
Cookery courses with the head chef can also be arranged, which involve going to the local market to buy fresh produce, then returning to the restaurant by boat to prepare the food.
11 Phan Boi Chau Street, Hoi An, Vietnam
+84(0)5103501009
www.whitelotushoian.com
www.projectindochina.org
Visit Hoi An Old Quarter and you will be transported to ancient times. You will be overwhelmed by the number of delightful shops, offering everything that Vietnam is famous for. Lacquerware, ceramics and shoes are exquisitely made, but it is the tailors that hold the real star buy. Go into your chosen shop, view the many fabrics or choose from many catalogues for a tailored dress or suit. If you are not happy with an Italian style or general fitting, they will be very happy to make alterations. Just remember that bargaining is about building a rapport with the seller, be pleasant and patient. A thoroughly enjoyable cultural holiday by the beach.
One last hint: pack as little as possible!
Many Vietnamese banks won’t allow you to withdraw more than two million dong (just under £60) in one transaction. This is bad if you’re getting charged a set fee by your UK bank for each withdrawal you make.
In Hanoi, the main branch of ANZ Bank allows larger withdrawals. I got out out 10 million (around £295) and was told by another traveller that you can get up to 12 million.
From the large Highlands Coffee next to Hoan Kiem Lake (south-west of the old quarter), take Le Thai To Street with the lake on your left and walk for about five minutes. You will see AZM’s blue sign on the right after about five minutes.
ANZ Bank
14 Le Thai To, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
+84(0)4 825 8190
Google map: bit.ly/iketTp
From the large Highlands Coffee next to Hoan Kiem Lake (south-west of the old quarter), take Le Thai To Street with the lake on your left and walk for about five minutes. You will see AZM’s blue sign on the right after about five minutes.
We all know Skype is the cheapest way to ring home from abroad, but if like me you're stuck without access and need to make an important call, you won't find better value than this call centre in Hanoi's old quarter.
Calls to most countries cost an incredible 1,500 dong a minute (compared with about 5,000 from Vietnamese SIM cards and 20,000 from travel agencies), and to ring the US or Canada it's even cheaper.
Be warned though, the owner doesn't keep too strictly to the advertised 8am-10pm opening hours. I was caught out as early as 6.30pm as he'd obviously decided to knock off early.
But if you catch it open, you'll be able to natter to your heart's content without your call costing the earth.
3 Ta Hien, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi's old quarter
Down a smallish alley between Hang Buom and Hang Bac.
Google map: bit.ly/gnarE3
This attractive café on Hanoi’s famous Food Street (Tong Duy Tan) is an ideal place to enjoy a few beers after sampling some Vietnamese cuisine in one of the many eateries nearby.
Puku is advertised as ‘Western owned and operated’. While this might be the main appeal for some, for me its principal attraction is the fact it’s open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It’s spacious and stylish, and the dim lighting and chilled ambiance make Puku a very pleasant place to forget the time and relax in this sometimes chaotic city. The other day I accidently stayed till sunrise after failing to notice the clock was ticking.
The crowd is mostly Western (both expats and backpackers) with a few trendy young Vietnamese folk too.
Large bottled beers go for 25.000 dong (less than £1). The food is also reasonably priced.
16-18 Tống Duy Tân, Hanoi, Vietnam
+84(0)91457 2952
Google map: bit.ly/h1zT2f
If you're thinking of getting the night bus between Sapa and Hanoi instead of the train, my advice would be DON'T.
I just did the leg from Sapa to Hanoi in a bus and hardly slept a wink. The road is terrible for a lot of the journey. I spent at least the first half trying not to be thrown around, which is hardly conducive to a good night's kip.
I was also uncomfortably close to the man next to me. It was hard not to move without touching him, and I felt very hemmed in.
While I'm usually OK with long coach trips, in this case I'd definitely opt for the slightly-more-expensive sleeper train!
An opticians.
I bought glasses here which have served me well for almost a year (and still counting). It took them half a day to make them up for me and they cost around £15 including the lenses (to my prescription).
You need to have your prescription with you of course!
Its a complete mish-mash of frames, some of which are in bad shape. However, you can find some really different styles here and quite 'retro' looking things which haven't been touched in years!
I also bought glasses at a smarter looking place around the corner from here - these have been brilliant too but they are more generic and the kind of thing you could buy in the UK. The glasses I bought from Tiem Kinh Thuoc are unique as well as functional.
65 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hanoi
+84 (0)4.38241587
It's right on the north-east corner of Ho Hoan Kiem lake.
Google map: bit.ly/gTncIL
Gorgeously hot mineral water springs, relaxing mud baths and local massages.
Not the most comfortable journey, but the appeal of locally endorsed Thap Ba Hot Springs in Nha Trang, Vietnam is well worth a winding, bumpy bicycle ride.
Relax in wooden bathtubs full with hot mineral mud, or share a larger pool with your pals, enjoy wonderfully warm and refreshing hot waterfall showers. In case you hadn’t chilled out enough, feel free to unwind further in soothing thermal mineral water baths, hour long massages for less than a fiver and an outdoor heated swimming pool, all whilst admiring the backdrop of eucalyptus trees, striking tropical flowers and an on-site lake. Still not enough? The pristine beaches of Nha Trang are merely a stone’s throw away.
www.thapbahotspring.com.vn
25 group,
Ngoc Son Hamlet,
Ngoc Hiep Ward,
Nha Trang City ,
Khanh Hoa Province
Directions: Leave Nha Trang town by crossing the Xom Bong and Ha Ra bridges, turn right after the Thap Ba temple and on your left there should be a sign for Thap Ba Hot Spring there, follow from there.
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