Hoan Kiem Lake in the center of the Old City of Hanoi

Situated in the heart of Hanoi, this delightful body of water also lies close to the hearts of the Vietnamese people. Legend has it that in the early 15th century, during the Minh Chinese occupation, General Le Loi was presented with a magical sword by a divine, golden turtle, which lived in the lake’s waters.

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With the help of this sword, Le Loi expelled the Chinese from Thang Long, present-day Hanoi attractions In the mid-19th century, a small pagoda called Thap Rua or Turtle Tower was built to commemorate this supernatural event. Located on an islet in the center of the lake, the structure has since become a prominent city icon.

On an island at the northern end of Hoan Kiem Lake stands Den Ngoc Son or Jade Mountain temple, one of the most beautiful and revered religious buildings in the capital. The temple can be accessed by an attractive red-painted, arched wooden bridge. This is the celebrated The Huc or Sunbeam Bridge. Dating from the Nguyen Dynasty in the early 1800s, the temple’s building is exquisitely preserved. Decorated with upswept eaves and elaborate carved dragons, the predominant colors are red, gold, yellow and black. The temple was established by a mandarin named Nguyen Van Sieu. A stylized stone ink slab rests atop the temple’s gate, while nearby, a tapering stone pillar represents a traditional writing brush. The ideograms on the stele translate as “writing on a clear sky.” In the antechamber, a giant turtle that died in the lake in 1968 is preserved. Den Ngoc Son is dedicated to the spirits of the soil, medicine, and literature, as well as to Tran Hung Dao, the general who defeated the Mongols in the 13th century.

To the east of the lake is the large, bronze Statue of Ly Thai To, honoring the great founder of Thang Long. The statue, which has already become quite popular with pious Vietnamese, is venerated with incense and flowers.

Today, Hoan Kiem lake is one of the city’s most popular venues, generally packed with couples taking a stroll, people practicing Tai Chi, and old men playing chess. The lake also plays a major role during the city’s Tet celebrations, with stages for live music and a huge fireworks display.

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One of the most unusual features of Ha Long Bay is the Bo Ham lake

Situated on the south-west side of Hạ Long Bay, Ba Hầm Lake is found on Ðầu Bhalong bay vietnam - baham lakeê Island (Calf Head Island) in Lan Hạ Bay. This island is part of the range of islands at the farthest end of Hạ Long Bay, bordering the immense zone Long Châu Sea. Ba Hầm Lake is situated in the middle of a narrow, rectangular area, with the all four sides enclosed by vertical cliffs.

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The lake is a system comprising three wide and round pits, linked together by a narrow and meandering tunnel. Stalactites hang from the ceiling in a myriad of strange, colored forms. The silence is disturbed only by the sounds of the boat’s oars. On the island are many species of plants such as orchids, Benjamin figs, banyans and cycads, which blossom throughout the year. It is also the homhalong bay vietnam - baham lakee of yellow-haired monkeys, birds, flying squirrels and bats. Under the deep blue surface of the water are the animated lives of shrimp and fish.

Although 25 km from the shore, it has long been considered an ideal tourism zone. The entrance is a open semi-circular hole in the flat stone wall on the north-west side of the island, 4 to 5 m above the sea.

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Starting from the entrance, tourists enter the first tunnel, which boasts a forest of stalactites and stalagmites in different shapes and various colours. They fall down the water surface like the roots of banyan or ficus trees. The deeper one pushes into the tunnel, the darker it becomes. The river is deep yet so clear that one can see shoals of fish swimming. Some 100 m from the entrance one finds a shaft of light coming from the roof of the tunnel, which reveals different kindhalong bay vietnam - baham lakes of orchids clinging to the cliff, cycads growing here and there, trúc duôi gà (a kind of reed with cock’s tail-liked yellow leaves) flourishing in clumps. In the southeast cliff of the second tunnel there grows an old carambola tree, which bears fruits all year round. Tourists can find groups of monkeys, flying squirrels, or silver-headed parrots gathering in its branches. Lying one cliff away from the second one, the third tunnel is home to various species of bats and butterflies.

Amidst the tranquil atmosphere, you feel like boating in an abyssal well walled by mountains. Ba Hầm Lake is one of the beauty spots of Hạ Long Bay.

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Sam Son beach for every moment of the day there are different beauty

Driving 16km from the center of Thanh Hoa and 170 km from Hanoi, tourists in Vietnam travel will reach Sam Son Beach in Thanh Hoa province. This place has been a famous spot for Vietnam tourism since the beginning of the previous century, when the French begun building facilities there to serve themselves and the courts of the Nguyen regime. In addition to the gifts that the nature presents, Sam Son also has many attractions for the travelers to explore.

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Sam Son Beach- One amongst the Most Beautiful in Northern Vietnam

This is a long and beautiful beach reaching more than 16km in length. Visitors will have some unforgettable moments when they wallow in the cool blue sea, listen to songs of the wave and the wind, and take a nap on the sunlight sandbanks or build sand castles. Also, this is a good place to try various local seafood varieties such as shrimps, crabs, fishes and also to bring back home some nice souvenirs. The very flat and gentle sandbank, combined with the clean and blue water makes the scenery of Sam Son beach magnificent and attractive.

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Sam Son attracts a larger number of tourists in Vietnam travel in summer vacation annually

Besides the beaches, Sam Son also has another fascinating destination with many natural attractions and historical relics: the Truong Le Mountain range. The part that is contiguous to the sea is called Co Giai Islet. On top of this islet, there is a small pagoda named “Doc Cuoc”, which means “One Leg”. The pagoda is the place for the local people to recall the epic legend of a giant that manages to slay a sea monster and to guard the sea in the past. Also, there is a special rock name “Trong Mai”, formed with two huge boulders on a flat rock. There is a story that these rocks represent a pair of husband and wife, who love each other passionately even when both have been transformed into birds.

Beautiful Landscape of Truong Le Mountain Range

If you are a lover of beach travel and making tours to Vietnam, Sam Son beach that is in top of beautiful beaches in the North Vietnam should be listed on your trip.

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Nha Trang -- where doing nothing comes easy

With over 250 days of sunshine each year, some of the best hotels in Vietnam, miles of sandy beach and an ever increasing range of sports facilities, entertainment venues and nightlife, Nha Trang has plenty to offer all visitors.

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Beach: 

The 6km-long (4 miles) sandy beach, fringed by palms and casuarina trees, is one of the best in Vietnam with clean water, making it a perfect place for swimming. Visitors can rent a sunbed and vendors regularly pass by selling soft drinks and fresh fruit. The offshore islands and coral reefs are ideal for snorkelling and scuba-diving and watersports centres rent out windsurfers.

Beyond the beach: 

Pride of place are the Po Nagar Cham Towers (in the north of Nha Trang on Cu Lao overlooking the Cai River), built by the Cham people between the 7th and 12th centuries. They are still a place of worship, and Vietnamese come here to pray and make offerings. A gleaming white Buddha, visible from all over Nha Trang, sits on top of a hill reached from the Long Son Pagoda below. To the south of the town, on a promontory jutting out into the South China Sea, are Bao Dai's villas (just north of Cau Da Dock), a holiday retreat for Bao Dai, the last emperor of Vietnam, where you can explore the grounds. Once you have had enough culture, escape by boat to the islands for some cooling swimming and snorkelling in pristine seas or relax in the hot waters and mud baths of Thap Ba Hot Spring.

Family fun: 

If the kids find the beach too tame for them the Phu Dong Water and Amusement Park on Tran Phu Street can provide hours of entertainment. There is even a night market for souvenir shopping and food stalls to end the day with a delicious meal of fresh seafood and local specialities. Children will love the opportunity to see the colourful marine life in the South China Sea on a glass bottomed boat tour. For a thrill and a day of fun take the kids on the cable car across the sea to the Vinpearl Resort on Hon Tre Island where there is an amusement park, food village and shopping. Take a boat excursion to the aptly named Monkey Island and feed the resident troop of monkeys.

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Exploring further:

Two hours from Nha Trang is Whale Island, a resort where you can really get away from it all. Stay in beach bungalows and explore the unspoilt island with its impressive array of birdlife or you can sail, canoe, windsurf or go diving and see colourful fishes and coral and even whales and whale sharks on their annual visit from April to July. Explore the highland areas with an overnight excursion to Buon Ma Thuot passing rubber and coffee plantations en route and stopping at a waterfall for a refreshing swim. In Buon Ma Thuot visit an ethnic minority village and ride an elephant.

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Buon Ma Thuot, Vietnam travel guide

Buon Ma Thuot lies about 190 km inland from Nha Trang and around 200km north of Dalat. A large town in a coffee plantation area, it’s the provincial capital of Dak Lak province but its main interest for visitors are the natural surroundings and the thirty or so ethnic groups in the area. Dak Lak is warmer and more humid than Dalat, with a rainy season from April to November.

The town itself is nondescript apart from the Kha Doan Pagoda, an unusual combination of the features of an Ede long house with a roof designed in accordance with Hue imperial architecture. It was built to commemorate the wife of Emperor Khai Dinh – her son was Emperor Bao Dai, the last of the dynasty.

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Gia Long WaterfallMost of Buon Ma Thuot’s attractions lie well away from the town. They include the excellent Gia Long and Dray Nur waterfalls, both little visited. Gia Long is adjacent to ancient forest – Emperor Bao Dai used to hunt there.

The forest is spectacular – enormous trees, vines, and a profusion of insects. Nearby is a natural swimming pool, an almost rectangular basin with a sandy bottom.

On the other bank are the remains of a bridge and lake built by Bao Dai, now being slowly strangled by the lush vegetation.

Dray Nur is a complete contrast. Set in dry, arid land, its waters thunder over black volcanic rock. Its comparatively barren surroundings enhance the impact of the falls – standing at the bottom among the swirling mist, the noise is deafening.

Serene Lak Lake offers travel in a dugout canoe across the lake to ride working elephants and meet their mahouts through ethnic villages, some with homestay facilities.

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About thirteen miles from the town there is a settlement of Ede people who live in distinctive longhouses on stilts. It's a good starting point for a hike through Nam Kha Forest.

Further away to the northwest is Yok Don, Vietnam’s largest national park. Several ethnic groups live within it, notably the M’nong people who traditionally specialised in hunting and domesticating the wild elephants that roamed in the area.

However, the effects of US bombing and defoliation, together with loss of habitat from agricultural encroachment have drastically reduced their numbers. The journey to Yok Don is quite taxing, but the forests are striking and there are many species of flora and fauna, some very rare.

Although depleted, there are still plenty left, both wild and domesticated. Elephant riding in Yok Don is the real McCoy rather than the gentler tourist version at Lak Lake. During the dry season, two-day safari-style forays into the deep forest can be arranged. Homestays are possible, and there’s a few bedrooms available in the park’s headquarters – either way, don’t expect anything other than the most basic accommodation.

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Danang is the largest city in Central Vietnam

Originally known as Cua Han, it gradually developed into a commercial port replacing Hoi An in the early 18th century, when European shipbuilding was improved and large deep-draught vessels could easily enter Danang Bay. The city was associated with the French colonialists who, after establishing their domination of the whole of Vietnam in 1889, separated Danang from Quang Nam Province and renamed the city Tourane under the control of the Governor General of Indochina. After the defeat of the French in 1954, it was given its present name under the authority of the Saigon government.

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Its international fame arose from its role during the American War. In March 1965, American marine units landed and started to set up a major military complex to support the combat bases and operations in and near the De-Militarised Zone, about 220km to the north. American troops and the Saigon government expanded Danang into a political and military centre with an airport, ports, warehouses, roads, and other infrastructure. Industry flourished, and the population grew.

In March 1975, the advancing North Vietnam Army (NVA) captured Hue, and by the end of the month, panic spread through Danang and order collapsed. In early April, with NVA tanks advancing on the city, the chaotic evacuation and airlift began. The human story of the event was documented in the 1997 film ‘Daughter from Danang’ featuring a child and mother separated at that time.

Today, Danang is an important port and Vietnam’s fourth largest city but, despite its substantial business travel potential, there's a dearth of decent hotels with only the upmarket Furama Resort above a three-star standard.

Nevertheless, its a pleasant place but without a great deal of interest for the traveller apart from its ancient association with the Cham Kingdom, represented by its famous Cham Museum, and a Cao Dai temple second only to the Cao Dai Holy See in importance. However, not counting the DMZ, Hue, My Son and Hoi An, there are places worth visiting not far away.

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My Khe Beach

Made famous by the American War, the actual location of the GI’s rest and relaxation area is a small section of My Khe beach, part of the long stretch of sand that runs south alongside the coast for hundreds of kilometres. Nearby, is the Furama, Vietnam’s premier first class resort hotel, the only First Class hotel within reasonable reach of Hue.

My Khe Beach is down the sand from the Furama - it’s easy enough to spot. You can still see the old aircraft hangers at the back of the beach. The American forces used them to house bombers, unwittingly in full view of the Vietcong who maintained a spectacular network of tunnels in the Marble Mountains.

The Marble Mountains

The Marble Mountains are a popular spot for Vietnamese visitors, about ten kilometres from Danang.

Also known by their Vietnamese name of Ngu Hanh Son (Five Mountains Range), they face the East Sea and contain some of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam. The colour of the marble in the five peaks differs: the Thuy Son mountain has pink marble, while the Moc Son mountain’s is white and the Hoa Son mountain’s is brown.

It’s a commercialised site, but the shrines and pagodas built into the caves in the limestone hills are interesting if not too crowded. At its base is Non Nuoc, a stone carving village with more than a thousand people involved in making fine art works and Buddha statues from high-grade limestone, mostly for export worldwide.

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