Places

The northwest town of Sapa in Lao Cai province occupies sixth place on the list.According to the Rough Guides, Vietnam die-hards will know that this former hill station is where to come for a taste of heart-stirring Southeast Asian scenery.Established by the French in the 1920s as a summer escape from the north’s blistering heat, its popularity has ballooned in recent years, but the adventures remain time-honoured.Visitors can hike to the tiered rice terraces in the plunging Muong Hoa valley, before spending a night in mist-wrapped hills, or ascending Mount Fan Si Pan, the highest peak in Indochina and an unbeatable experience in the smoky light of dawn.Coming in at 10th place, the charming town of Hoi An in central Quang Nam province feels a world apart. Unlike Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, which have an unholy obsession with the motorbike, Hoi An is lost in a Zen-like communion of days gone by, a legacy of the French, Portuguese, Japanese and Chinese who once traded here.From … [Read more...] about Two destinations in Vietnam rated among the best places in SEA

In the 16th year of the awards, TripAdvisor has highlighted the world’s top properties based on millions of reviews and opinions collected in a single year from travelers worldwide.This year, the awards celebrate hotel winners in various categories, including Top Hotels Overall, Luxury, Bargain, Small, Best Service, Romance and Family.Janet Fitzner, general manager of Sherwood Residence, said that the award is a motivation for the hotel to make greater efforts to provide better services for customers in the coming time.This is not the first time that the hotel has won recognition from global travelers. It received the 2016 Gold Circle Award from leading hotel booking website Agoda.com for its outstanding facilities and superior service.TripAdvisor is known as the world’s largest travel site providing hotel and restaurant reviews, and accommodation bookings so that guests can make the best choice for their trips.Sherwood Residence is a luxury serviced residence offering … [Read more...] about Sherwood Residence wins 2018 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award

Pham Phao is a peaceful Catholic diocese in Hai Minh commune. The village name contains the surname of a majority of the villagers - Pham. The Pham clan is one of the four clans credited with having reclaimed Hai Hau district. From above, the village resembles a cannon, or phao, hence the name Pham Phao.In the early 16th century, Catholicism was introduced to the village. When Pham Phao Cathedral was built in 1908, a brass orchestra was established. Ever since that date, the orchestra has been maintained to perform at church services and village events.At first all the orchestra’s brass instruments were imported. If they broke, it was expensive and took a long time to send them abroad to be repaired.Villager Nguyen Xuan Phat told VOV: “The Western brass orchestra played music for religious and social events. This led to a need to have their brass instruments repaired. Eventually, the villagers learned how to fix the broken instruments themselves and then how to make … [Read more...] about Pham Phao villagers make brass instruments

Located 110 km from Hanoi, Thung Nai is a large valley surrounded by forests and mountains which are home to a large number of deer. In the afternoon, the deer come to the Da river to drink.The construction of the Hoa Binh hydro power plant in 1994 created a large lake in the valley. Seen from above, the valley is spectacular.Thung Nai is most crowded in the spring because that’s the best time to admire its beauty. Visitors can also explore Thac Bo cave and temple, Thac Bo market, and villages of the Muong ethnic minority.From Thung Nai wharf, visitors can take boat tours around the lake. Their first stop is Thac Bo temple which honors two women of the Muong and Dao ethnic minorities who helped King Le Thai To cross the river to fight enemies in 1431. The two women are now worshiped as Thac Bo genies.Dang Thi Lien from the Thac Bo temple said, “You need a boat to reach the Bo temple. You can never forget a tour of Thung Nai and Thac Bo temple. The scenery is so marvelous … [Read more...] about Thung Nai – miniature of Ha Long Bay in northwest

HCM City, the southern metropolis, took the 9th position when Hanoi secured the 7th spot, as shown in the Cost of Living Index 2018 conducted by Numbeo, the world’s largest database of user contributed data about cities and countries worldwide.Valenzuela in the Philippines is the city with lowest cost of living in the region.Aside from the two Vietnamese cities, the rest in the top ten are in the Philippines (PHL) and Indonesia (IDN).Numbeo measures the cost of restaurants, house renting, groceries and the purchasing power to come up with the average index for the cost of living in each country.The top five most expensive cities in Southeast Asia are Singapore, Bangkok of Thailand, Makati of the Philippines, Phuket of Thailand and Johor Bahru of Malaysia.In February last year, Vietnam was ranked as one of the cheapest destinations by Forbes after the magazine interviewed 14 travel experts who made it their business to keep track of the best bargains around the world to … [Read more...] about Hanoi, Saigon among Southeast Asia’s cheapest cities

All wall surfaces and columns for the exterior and interior are stunningly decorated with nearly 30 tonnes of broken porcelain pieces, including chipped plates, bowls and vases, making it the only porcelain pagoda in HCM City.In 2007, the place was acknowledged by the Vietnam Record Book Centre as Vietnam’s largest temple made of ceramic pieces.Two candles, weighing 1,800 kg each and measuring 3.4 metres in height, have been recognised as the heaviest and largest in Vietnam in 2005.The pagoda has now become one of the most-visited religious destinations in the city and attracts a large number of Buddhists and tourists on full moon days or during Tet (the Lunar New Year) holiday. … [Read more...] about 170-year-old pagoda is popular tourist site in HCM City

Located about 16 km west of Hanoi, Hoai Duc district is an agricultural area that grows rice and fruit trees and is home to some traditional craft villages.The district is one of the leaders in new-style rural development. They signed a commitment in 2011 to encourage communes to compete with each other in building new-style rural areas; launched a movement in 2013 to involve everyone in the district in building commune and hamlet roads and irrigation systems; and organized competitions on new rural development for young people.Ly Van Huong from Van Yen commune said, “Under the new rural development program, more investment has been made in infrastructure, schools, and social security. People have benefited from new roads, electricity, and safer water.”Yen So commune was selected to pilot the new-style rural development program. By the end of 2016, all communes in Hoai Duc had met the new-style rural criteria. To date all local communes and towns have met national health … [Read more...] about Hoai Duc set to become modern urban center

The online marketplace and hospitality service Airbnb announced a list of the world’s top 10 destinations for the year, in which Da Nang ranked fifth in booking surges of up to 255%, while Hanoi was ninth on the list, with a 212% year-on-year increase over the same period this year. In the annual Top City Destinations Ranking report issued early last month at the World Travel Market event in London, Hanoi ranked 52nd among the world’s 100 leading cities in terms of international tourist arrivals. In 2017, it welcomed 4.3 million foreign travelers, up 7.5% over 2016. Da Nang, which hosted the APEC Economic Leaders Week last November, attracted nearly 2.3 million international tourists in 2017, up 37% compared to a year ago, according to the City’s Tourism Department. … [Read more...] about Hanoi, Da Nang among world’s top destinations in 2018