Vietnam travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

Phu Quoc is a splendid island with crystal clear aquamarine water, idyllic beaches, quaint fishing villages and a serene island-style atmosphere. It is the largest island of Vietnam (about 600 sq. km) and its beauty is often compared to Phuket. It is called the Island of 99 Mountains because there are really 99 mountains covered in green forests with majestic waterfalls.

 Also Phu Quoc Island is home to nature reserve with a total are of 37,000 ha. The diverse flora and fauna is unique – there are nearly 929 tree species of which 19 newly-found species are first recorded in Vietnam.

The island has something for everyone – ringed by over a dozen bays and beaches, with an archipelago of islets off its south coast, there is enough to do for a longer stay than you may be planning. Adventure comes in many forms here – from motor-biking the empty dirt roads circling the island to sea kayaking its quiet inlets, scuba diving the coral reefs or simply having a bang-up seafood meal followed by a cocktail on the beach.

The good weather and clear waters start mid November and last until early June. Then the rainy season usually starts and diving conditions are not so good. For more  info click here

Children jumping in Cai Lay!Going downstream the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam affords a kind of eye-level communion, whcih you can't get on a bus or train.

Most of the delta's roads are built atop narrow levees so the only way to get round is by bike. These are rice paddies near by the village Thu Thua.

Clothing, fruits, souvenirs and much more can be found in the trading post of Cai Be.

The game Pick-up soccer in Cai Be is playing on a field enclosed with hand-tied nets.

A farmer cuts lemon grass to sell at the Cai Lay market.

Today in Vietnam golf is becoming more popular. One of the greatest golf club there is the Dalat Palace, which sits in the heart of the small old city at 5,000 feet above sea level. There are a dozen clubs or courses and as many as 30 more are being planned.

The Sofitel Dalat Palace is in fact a renovated palace of the Francophile emporer Bao Dai’s, with breathtaking views over the lake that touch the golf course. With its quiet staff and air of formality, it is the kind of place where whispering seems most appropriate.

Squeezed between the South China Sea and the largely unimpressive southern city of Phan Thiet, a slow, four-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City, Ocean Dunes is essentially a renovated 1980s Russian beach hotel with a golf course out back. The Ocean Dunes course, designed by Nick Faldo, has a more Floridian feel. Ocean Dunes is a narrow corridor of palm trees ending on a green with stunning views of the water. The greens at Ocean Dunes are aerated by hand.

“Tet”—the Vietnamese Lunar New Year—is an eagerly anticipated holiday that has been celebrated by Vietnamese for thousands of years. “Tet” for Vietnamese is as big as Christmas, if not bigger! It is a time of families and friends, warm wishes, and lavish spending. It is an occasion to celebrate the cultural heritage, pay homage to ancestors, and pray for peace, health, happiness, and prosperity. As we ring in the Year of the Pig, the Vietnamese American Youth Alliance (VAYA) is pleased to announce the second annual hosting of the Tet Festival in San Diego entitled “Spring of Hope”.

The Tet Festival is a long standing tradition for Asian communities worldwide, and the year 2007 marks the 25th Lunar New Year celebration for the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California. Beginning in 1982, in recognizing the cultural significance of Tet, UVSA organizes an annual celebration of Tet for Southern California in order to maintain a core tradition of the Vietnamese community.
Tet Festival in San Diego entitled “Spring of Hope”. proud to bring the biggest The Kids Tet Festival back to Qualcomm Stadium! VAYA hopes to take the festival to even greater heights by creating an ambiance that depicts true Tet in Vietnam and to increase the number of attendees from the broader communities. Pageant Show is created to allow young Vietnamese American to show the true beauty, talent, and essence of their Vietnamese Culture. Winners will be judged on, but not limited to: punctuality, charisma, ability to comfortably speak in Vietnamese, ability to answer questions, ability to sing, and most importantly, the knowledge of his/her culture. If interested, please read guidelines and rules for participation and mail complete application with picture to the VAYA office no later than Saturday 1/20/2007.

“Tet” – Lunar New Year in Vietnam – is the most important festival tradition, observed by all Vietnamese, even those abroad. Every family in Vietnam, whether they have money or not still tries to buy traditional goods such as flowers, sweets and square rice cakes for this special occasion.