Junks - Halong Bay
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keywords: description: Junks - Halong BayMonday, December 20, 2010 Ha Long Bay, Con Dao Islands among best tourist destinations
Two of Vietnams coastal destinations have been listed among the worlds ten most outstanding tourist destinations by Lonely Planet Magazine, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).
Ha Long Bay, in the northern province of Quang Ninh, has made it onto the list of the 10 most outstanding coastal destinations.
About 500 ships ply the waters of Ha Long Bay, designated as the World Heritage site in 1994, carrying millions of tourists every year, according to the VNAT.
Quang Ninh has attracted 5.3 million visitors so far this year, 2.5 million of whom visited Ha Long Bay.
The other nine locations were the Norwegian Fjords, the Amazon River, the Franklin River in Australia, the Quetico
Provincial Park in Canada, the Kerala backwaters in India, New Zealand's Milford Sound Bay, the Greek islands, Disco Bay in Greenland, and the Galapagos Archipelago off the coast of Ecuador.
Con Dao Islands, an archipelago off the coast of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, was listed in the top 10 most mysterious and outstanding islands in the world for an ideal holiday.
The island was featured for its unspoiled beaches and dark history as a site for inhumane prisons often known as the Alcatraz of Southeast Asia.
The list includes Socotra off the coast of Yemen, Australias Torres, Yaeyama from Japan, Iles du Salut of Guyana, Ulleungdo from Korea, San Blas Islands from Panama, Taiwans Penghu; Bay and Hog Islands of Honduras and Ugandas Ssese.
(Source: Agencies)
Supported by Indochina Sails
A photo exhibition in Ha Long City displays 130 candid photos taken from aerial and ground level of Ha Long Bay, a natural world wonder.
Young photographer Do Khanh Giang took many risks to take these photos, which were selected from more than 1,500 photographs taken by him over the past three years.
Many visitors to the exhibition of his photos, which started on November 2, said the artistic works have introduced a new, splendid and intact Ha Long Bay.
Some of Giangs photos displayed at the exhibition are shown below:
(Source: VOV News)
Supported by Indochina Sails
Indochina Sails (www.indochinasails.com ) has just won the Guide Awards 2010 for the Years Best products and services in the tourism sector in Vietnam in Furama Resort Danang, celebrating their award winning service.
The Guide Magazine has choosen 125 tour operators hotels and travel suppliers in Vietnam who make contribution to Vietnam Tourism such as protect travel environment, supply sustainable travel services and responsibility to local people. Besides, The guide Magazine have shown the beautiful pictures of landscapes and daily life in Vietnam
Indochina Sails (www.indochinasails.com ) has just won the Guide Awards 2010 for the Years Best products and services in the tourism sector in Vietnam in Furama Resort Danang, celebrating their award winning service.
Indochina Sails is the first company to offer overnight cruises on the bay and now widely known as the number one choice for discerning travelers, operating a fleet of four newly built wooden junks designed in time-honored traditional style, with contemporary and luxurious cabins and facilities.
This award winning luxury cruises are also offering terrific deals, to tempt travelers who travel with family members and are keeping their wallets tightly closed these days.
INDOCHINA SAILS
Hanoi Office
Add: 27 - A6 - Dam Trau Quarter - Hai Ba Trung District - Hanoi - Vietnam
Tel: +84 - 4- 39842362
Fax: +84 - 4 - 39844150
Email: info@indochinasails.com
Website: www.indochinasails.com
Legend says Ha Long Bay was formed by a Mother Dragon and her children, sent by the Jade Emperor to protect the Viet from foreign invaders. The dragons flocked from Heaven, spitting out pearls which formed small islands and stopped the invaders and destroyed their ships. Mother Dragon and her children didnt return to Heaven after the battle, but settled into the bay; the Mother Dragon forming Ha Long Bay and the children forming Bai Tu Long.
Exploring the islands of Ha Long Bay almost makes this incredible story seem true. Weaving through the almost 2000 islands while sitting atop jade-green water is surreal to say the least; spiritual at most.
Halong bay, Vietnam
Islands
Ha Long Bay is dominated by Cat Ba Island. The local inhabitants are concentrated toward the southern end at Cat Ba village. These people generally make their living from the sea but tourism has seen a boom in the last ten years and hotels have sprung up to meet this demand. Nearly half of the island was designated a national park in 1986 and protects the islands incredibly diverse ecosystem. Subtropical evergreen forests, freshwater swamps, and coastal mangrove forests, along with small freshwater lakes and offshore coral reefs, are all included under national park protection. With very few roads built on the island, visitors have an excellent opportunity to hike along trails weaving through these ecosystems to explore either the numerous waterfalls and grottoes carved in the limestone hills or the rocky coastline searching for elusive beaches.
Tuan Chau Island is a 2.2 square miles schist island located north of Cat Ba Island with a thick forest and warm white beaches. A road connects this island with the mainland, making it easy to stay here without taking a boat ride. Tuan Chau Island has been slowly turning into a tourist resort with villas by the sea and attractions including dolphin and seal performances, golf courses, and a market among others. As a contrast to these modern tourist attractions, Tuan Chau has a variety of archaeological sites dating back 3,000-5,000 years as well as a shrine to President Ho Chi Minh.
Ngoc Vung Gem Island lies south of the city of Cam Pha on the mainland and southeast of Ha Long City near Phuong Hoàng Phoenix Island. This island is rich in mother-of-pearl and has long been famed for its white sand used in making high quality glass. Rising from the center of the island is Van Xuan Mountain which recently revealed an ancient village letting archaeologists dig into Ha Longs past civilizations.
On the southeast side of Ha Long Bay lies Cong Do Island, an island that displays numerous lagoons and a coral reef on its southwest side. This reef is more than 700 meters long and 300 meters wide and is nearly undamaged after preservation in the World Heritage program. Plans are underway to make a part of this reef a zone for scuba-diving. Vestiges of a city were found as well on the southwest side of the island. These confirmed the existence of Van Dong, an ancient commercial port important in foreign trade.
Ti Top Island, named after an astronaut from the former Soviet Union, welcomes travelers to its large, crescent-shaped beach and white sands. Various tourist services are available on this island including hotels, kayaking, and scuba-diving opportunities.
Dau Be Island, off the southeastern tip of Cat Ba Island, is home to the famous Ba Ham Lake. This lake is made of three pits joined by narrow caves at the waters level. Travelers can journey from outside the island through all three lakes by these caves. Schools of fish and shrimp can be seen swimming through under the water while stalactites and other rock formations hang from the ceilings above.
Grottoes
Dau Go Wooden Stakes Cave lies just southeast of Tuan Chau Island, easy reach for a day trip from Tuan Chau. Dau Go is made of three connected caves; the largest is able to hold three to four thousand people and sports the most stalactites and stalagmites of the three. The middle chamber has a large crystal that refracts light into rainbows against the cave walls. The last chamber is famous for its multicolored stalactites and freshwater springs. This grotto is one of the most famous in Ha Long Bay and has long been visited by dignitaries from Vietnam and other countries. Inscribed next to the caves entrance are words of appreciation from King Khai Dinh, the last of the Nguyen dynasty.
Kim Quy Golden Tortoise Grotto is named after the story of a golden tortoise that helped Emperor Le Loi defeat his enemies. After Le Loi was done the golden tortoise left back across the sea, but encountered numerous evil spirits. The tortoise fought these spirits and won, but was tired from the battle. He found this grotto to rest in and turned to stone once inside. A large rock inside this grotto is said to be the golden tortoise. There is also a spring that flows from this grotto year-round under the delicate snow-white stalactites. This grotto can be found just off the north side of Cat Ba Island.
Toad Islet rightly gains its name because it looks like an 8 meter tall toad waiting for rain. It is located east of Cat Ba Island.
One of the more famous islets, But Pen Islet is a large pillar of rock balanced on a narrow neck barely extending out of the water. 30 minutes away from Con Coc Islet, there is a small beach available for visitors to rest.
These are just a few of the many sights available in a trip through Ha Long Bay. Scattered throughout the thousands of islets are natural wonders, hidden beaches, and fantastic shapes needing only and imagination to recognize them.
Source: BootsAll World Adventure
To have more information about Halong bay, Vietnam, enter www.indochinasails.com
No comments: Sunday, July 25, 2010 Two months in Southeast Asia - Travel Vietnam, Laos, ThailandSince my second backpacking trip through Europe, I wanted to journey to Southeast Asia.
I chose to visit Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, and developed a loose itinerary, starting in Bangkok, Thailand.
Halong Bay, Vietnam
Bangkok was everything I expected. The number of people everywhere was staggering, but before long I got used to the crowds, the heat and the food.
I visited many temples and shops, including the Grand Palace and the famed Khao San Road. The Grand Palace was amazing. Inside there were countless statues of Buddha. To my disappointment, Khao San was the typical tourist trap, with vendors selling T-shirts and bootlegged CDs.
After a few days I headed to Phuket, where I played beach bum for a few more days before flying to Saigon, Vietnam.
Scooting around Vietnam
Now, that was exactly what I pictured an Asian city to be - scooters everywhere! Crossing the street in Bangkok was like crossing a street in Des Moines compared to trying to cross the street in a Vietnamese city. The first time in Saigon was a big leap of faith. The trick is to just walk and keep your head turned to oncoming traffic.
I spent three weeks in Vietnam traveling from south to north. The highlights were eating the food in Hoi An, enjoying Hanois famed Bia Hoi beer gardens and eating snake, and seeing the rock karsts of Halong Bay.
I had many choices of border crossings into Laos from Vietnam but I chose the crossing near Vinh in central Vietnam. This meant that I had an eight-hour bus ride from Hanoi to Vinh followed by a 14-hour bus ride to Phonsavan, Laos.
Phonsavan is famous for its Plain of Jars fields. These are fields of stone jars, each about 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide, scattered everywhere. Other jars are scattered in jungles surrounding Phonsavan.
Floating through Laos
After a day in Phonsavan I headed to Luang Prabang for a few days and then to Vang Vieng. My time in Vang Vieng was some of the best. There I went on a two-day trek that included hiking over mountains, spelunking through caves and kayaking the Nam Song River that runs through the town. The town has become a hotbed for young tourists who tube down the river. The river has a number of bars along its banks. Some have zip lines, bungee jumps and slides for the patrons to enjoy and all blare techno music.
Cambodia was the biggest surprise of the trip because I knew the least about it. The biggest draw to Cambodia is Siem Reap where Angkor Wat is located. Many people go only to see Angkor Wat but there are many more temples around Siem Reap and Cambodia. I felt like I was on another planet when I went to Angkor Wat to watch the sun rise over the temple.
I spent two months in Southeast Asia and there are still parts I didnt see. I enjoyed every minute. Many people ask if I felt safe. I did.
Recommendation in Halong bay, Vietnam: Indochina Sails
Last April, I finally had a chance to get a glimpse of the country where my maternal grandfather fought in the Vietnam War. Based on the stories my grandfather told me while I was growing up, I arrived in Vietnam expecting to see evidence of the war. Instead I was surprised to see how modern the country is.
Halong bay view
But honestly, the thing that really impressed me was the food, and the bakeries in particular. Although we have bakeries in Korea, the coffee and bread in the bakeries of Vietnam overwhelmed me with their flavors, a mix of tastes and textures from France and Asia, surely a remnant of the countrys colonial past.
I was in Vietnam at the invitation the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry and Asia Europe Foundation to report on an Asia-Europe Meeting workshop that took place from April 28 to 29 in Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province in the northeastern corner of Vietnam. At the workshop, ASEM workshop participants agreed to forge stronger ties through cultural diplomacy linking Asia and Europe.
On the last day of the workshop, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry took us on a cruise of Ha Long Bay, which covers 1,553 square kilometers (600 square miles) and has 1,969 islands. After the 10-minute ride from the Halong Plaza Hotel where we were staying we arrived at the pier and boarded a waiting cruise ship.
The other passengers and I sat down at tables set out on the deck and were treated to a feast that was a mixture of Western and Asian cuisine. Around us, thousands of limestone islets rose out of crystalline emerald waters that glistened in the sun.
Pham Sanh Chau, director general of the department for cultural relations and UNESCO under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, said Ha Long Bay is the first World Heritage Site in Vietnam. UNESCO recognized it as a World Heritage Site in 1994 and again in 2000 in recognition of its natural beauty and geological value.
Ha Long Bay deserves to be named as one of the seven new wonders of nature because its like paradise. There is nothing like it anywhere in the world, Chau said. Its not an area just for tourism. It also serves as buffer zone against climate change. Its rich in marine biodiversity and many scientists say this should be a geological park.
As we sat back with our plates full of food, fishing boats large and small passed us on their way to their next catch. People exclaimed in excitement when they saw a small tent set up on the waters of Ha Long Bay. The tent, we learned, had been built to accommodate fishermen in need of a break or a place to sleep.
Our trip around the bay was nothing if not idyllic, but our tour guide explained that tourists who visit the area usually take overnight cruises to Ha Long Bay. The cruise starts with lunch aboard the ship and continues with stops at various caves for kayaking and swimming. Guests then sleep on the boat that night.
Because of my tight schedule, I had to return to my hotel that night and wasnt able to take advantage of what sounded like a lovely diversion, but before I did I took a tour of the boats lower deck, where the sleeping rooms are located. The rooms are cozy and designed to accommodate two people. Each one is fully furnished with a bed, sofa, shower booth and toilet, just like in a hotel.
Although my journey to Vietnam was short, I picked up a few tips for my next trip that Id like to share. First, you dont have to set an alarm because there is an endless stream of honking motorbikes whizzing by every morning in Hanoi and the noise is enough to force your eyes open. Most Vietnamese people start the day early and most offices open at 7:30 a.m.
Second, you need to be extremely brave when crossing the street. There are no street lights like the ones you find in other major cities. When you try to wade into the traffic that is rushing by, drivers of cars and motorcycles swerve around you without slowing down. On my first day in Hanoi, I stood on the street for 10 minutes waiting for the right time to cross when I finally found a group of Vietnamese women intent on jaywalking.
Third, although the traffic is insane, make sure you stroll around the city on foot. This is the best way to experience a typical day in the life of the Vietnamese people. Women balance poles laden with heavy baskets of vegetables and flowers on their shoulders, passing people who squat on the sidewalk or sit in plastic chairs, sipping tea and eating pho (beef noodle soup) at outdoor food stalls. This is where you can feel the energy of the people.
If you are planning a trip to Vietnam, I recommend you go to Hanoi first, take a tour of Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter and then take the overnight cruise of Ha Long Bay.
By Kim Mi-ju [mijukim@joongang.co.kr]
Recommendation in Halong bay, Vietnam: Indochina Sails
No comments: Thursday, April 22, 2010 Indochina Sails donates Cua Van School in Halong bay , VietnamOn 12 March, 2010 the Staff and Management of Indochina Sails made a gift of twenty new desks and chairs, along with a large assortment of school supplies to the students of the Cua Van Floating Primary School. The school is located in the Cua Van Floating Fishing Village and has about 70 students aged from 6 to 14 years old. The village itself is home to about 600 people, who live there permanently, on about 130 floating houses.
Cua Van Primary School in Halong bay, Vietnam
The school is an important part of our daily itinerary. We visit the Fishing Village every afternoon and on days that school is in session our guests are allowed to visit. It is a fascinating experience, as you can see from the pictures. The schoolrooms and equipment are very basic, and the dedicated teachers do a fantastic job with limited recourses.
In the past, Indochina Sails has made cash donations for the betterment of the village in general. However, recently, one of our staff suggested; What if we collect some money ourselves and try to fix up the school somehow to make it better for the kids?
So, the idea was born. Donations were collected from every member of our staff, and added to that was a donation from the companys Management Team. We then asked the teachers how best we could use the money to help the students.
Mr. Jerry Bowes, the General Manager of Indochina Sails makes donation in Cua Van Primary School in Halong bay, Vietnam
If any guest coming to Ha Long Bay would like to help the young students of the Primary School we suggest you bring donations such as pens, pencils, markers, crayons or chalk. Also, coloring books for the younger students and notebooks for the older ones. And what kid wouldnt like some sweets!
Indochina Sails
Add: 27, A6, Dam Trau Quarter, Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel: 84-4-39842362
Fax:84-4-39844150
Email: info@indochinasails.com
Website: http://www.indochinasails.com
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