Why Vietnam? 10 Reasons Everyone Should Know

Most travellers place Vietnam in a comparison chart as they decide where to go next: will Thailand, Laos, Hongkong or Vietnam be worth my precious vacation? Will my kids have fun in that place? Will I encounter any problems as a single woman traveler? VietnamOnline will tell you the top 10 reasons why Vietnam should be on the agenda for your upcoming trip.

WHY VIETNAM #1: Breathtaking landscape: 

There are no matches to Niagara Falls, Sydney Opera House or the Grand Canyons. However, Vietnam is a truly hidden gem that only those visiting the country themselves will be able to tell. To put it correctly, Vietnam is not short of World Heritage Site: Halong Bay, Phong Nha Ke Bang caves, Hoi An Ancient Street and Cham Islands are all recognized for their intense beauty. However, it is the bits and bites of the non-heritage site that will surprise you further. Da Lat, for example, is too picturesque to miss. French style villas sitting next to a pine forest, bordered by strawberry garden- you feel like Europe but the market scenes speak otherwise. Keo pagoda in Thai Binh province also exemplifies well the no-name beauty of Vietnam: feel the serenity of a religious place, situated amidst greeneries of paddy farms. Whether a must-see site or an off-the-beaten-path attraction, you will not be disappointed.

WHY VIETNAM #2: Friendly and hospitable Vietnamese:

Like many other neighbor countries in Southeast Asia, Vietnam has a precious treasure: its people. Everywhere you go, you will be welcomed by smiles and kind helps from the locals- whether they know Vietnamese or not. People from Hue, for example, are famous all over the country for their royal-like attitude: elegant and sweet. Those from Hoi An, on the other hand, are known for being honest. If you have time to spend in the Mekong delta of Vietnam, you will even be more surprised and inspired by the way you are received by local farmers. Get impressed!

WHY VIETNAM #3: Affordability 

Vietnam is a well-known destination among budget travellers. Though the price is climbing monthly at a daunting rate, it is still much cheaper than travelling in other continents. There is almost every price for every wallet: a 5 star resort in Da Nang will cost you an equivalent amount to a 3 star hotel near JFK airport. For lower end market, there are a plenty of hostels and guest-houses in most cities. Food costs even lower and street foods are among the best in the world. That says, even in biggest metropolitan areas like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, you can get by a day with $15.

WHY VIETNAM #4: Coffee coffee coffee

Who do not like coffee (excuse me, tea fans)? There is no Starbuck with the humongous frap and latte but there is the French drip coffee that can be found in EVERY single street of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Why rush in a country like Vietnam? Enjoy a cup of black coffee (ca phe den) or iced coffee with condensed milk (cap he sua da) and watch life goes by on a corner of the street- you will never forget Vietnam. For those who would like to take some coffee home, visit Café Mai (79 Le Van Huu, Hanoi) or Highland Coffee (26 Le Loi, Ho Chi Minh City).

    

WHY VIETNAM #5: A nowhere-to-be-found travel experience

Vietnam has all the off-the-beaten-path experience that you are all looking for. From staying with an ethnic family in the Northern mountain area of Sa Pa to taking photos over the sunrise in Hoi An to sand-surfing with local kids in Mui Ne- you name them all. A unique travel experience is all about yourself- and the best part about Vietnam is that there are so much to discover after all. Read our “Best of Vietnam” page for more suggestions.

      

WHY VIETNAM #6. Exquisite cuisines 

Have you always been a fan of Vietnamese food? Pho Hung on Spadina- Toronto, Nam Son near Bowery- New York, Le Lotus Blanc on Bourgogne of Paris- They can never be as authentic as the food served in Vietnam (though they all do an awesome job). Vietnamese food goes beyond pho and spring rolls and varies by regions: fresh vegetables continue to dominate the tables, while meat and poultry are rising in popularity. Near the beach such as Nha Trang and Da Nang, you can find plenty of fresh seafood caught in the morning and served in your dinner at very affordable price. A big size king crab costs about $8 and can be shared between 2 people.

WHY VIETNAM # 7. Fast and easy immigration process 

Applying for a visa to Vietnam seems stressful at first- why would you need a visa to Vietnam while you are granted free 30 day entry to Thailand and Ecuador? Vietnam requires you anyway, and to alleviate the pain, the process has been made quite easy. Besides visa at the embassy, Vietnam visas can also be granted upon arrival. All you need to do is to apply online for your approval letter via a number of online travel companies, which are plentiful on the net. The visa letter will be emailed to you after 2 days. If you leave close to the embassy, it will take only about a week.

        

WHY VIETNAM #8. It’s a natural thing 

Think Vietnam and many still think about a war-torn country- not necessarily but that is usually the case. Vietnam is more than just its war memory: its natural resources are something worth talking about. National parks abound, and you can enjoy a variety of activities you could never enjoyed back in your country: camping and bird-watching in the tropical forest of Cuc Phuong or Cat Ba; renting a jeep and touring Cat Tien national park; wind-surfing crash course in Nha Trang. The bad news is that tourism has brought a lot of commercial activities into the nature. The good news is that there are still a lot more to see, and enjoy.

      

WHY VIETNAM #9. Traditional festivals

Thanks to its long history, rich tradition and Buddhist influence, Vietnam has festivals organized all year round- many of which are unheard of in the West and really fun to learn about. Tet holiday, for example, is an ideal time to see how families celebrate their love for their ancestors and for each other. Tet should not be mistaken or called Chinese New Year, which may even be an insult to some nationalists. It resembles the Lunar New Year in many ways, but modified with a Vietnamese feel in it. For example, in the countryside, people stay over night and make chung cake- over a bit of fire and some end-of-year gossips. In Hai Phong, the buffalo fighting festival is a well-known occasion: the winning buffalo will get killed and presented to the village god. Even public holidays in Vietnam are worth joining: come to Vietnam on the 2nd of September and you will see nation-wide parades. The whole streets will be lighted by the red flags- and fireworks take over the sky at night. Check our events page to see what events you can join in your next trip.

              

WHY VIETNAM #10. World famous beaches 

What is more relaxing than spending time in the blue water under the shining sun. Let the waves of Da Nang, Nha Trang or Mui Ne relieve all the stress of the busy day-to-day life. Vietnam has several of the world’s top beach listing. Most of them are safe to swim and there are opportunities for water-sport activities as well. In Nha Trang, for example, you can do kite-running and wind surfing. In Da Nang, enjoy one of the world-class beach resorts- a romantic get away for couples and families alike. In Mui Ne, enjoy the quite with some added wildness while planning for your seafood dinner venture. For beach fans, Vietnam should really be on your list.

Source: vietnamonline

Beef Pho Vietnamese Soup (Pho Bo)

Steve Cylka

• 6 quarts water (24 cups)
• 4 pounds of beef short ribs (or beef neck or ox tail)
• 3 inch piece of ginger
• 3 garlic cloves
• 5 star anise
• 7 whole cloves
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 5 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 package rice vermicelli noodles
• 1 pound thinly sliced beef (Korean style, or any lean tender beef)
• lime wedges
• 4 green onions sliced
• 3 cups fresh bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil

It was a handful of years ago that I experienced my first bowl of pho. I was with a couple other people and one of them was craving Vietnamese food. I love Thai, Chinese and Japanese so I was game. It was winter and I was desiring something that would warm my bones. Entering into the restaurant I noticed that almost every table was full and more than half had ordered the soup. I sat down and looked that the menu only to decide that I also was going to try the soup. The bowl that came was enormous. I have never seen an individual bowl of soup that large. I finished it and had discovered a new love. Pho and I were going to be friends forever!

The word for soup in Vietnamese is pho and there are many different varieties but the more popular was pho bo. It is a beef soup that is served with thinly sliced pieces of beef. Most restaurants serve it with the beef actually rare. The soup is very hot so once the rare meat is stirred in it cooks the beef. There are many garnishes that come alongside the pho. Along with the beef and rice noodles are bean sprouts, Thai basil, cilantro and lime wedges.

Many people also squirt a little sriracha  or hoisin sauce in their pho. Have I ever shared with you my love of sriracha sauce? It is an incredible Asian chili and garlic sauce. It has a great level of heat that I use all the time with Asian cooking. Janna and the kids prefer to add hoisin sauce to the pho. Some people refer to it as Asian BBQ sauce. Hoisin sweetens the pho nicely.

Pho is an excellent choice of soup during these winter months. It is also a great soup to have if you or someone in your family has a cold.

Pho Bo is a beef broth and there are many cuts of meat (short ribs, beef neck and even ox tail) you could use to build the broth. Along with the meat you could add garlic, ginger, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise and black peppercorn to the broth as it boils away and builds its flavour.

Directions

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot with the short ribs, ginger, garlic, star anise, whole cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and fish sauce. Once boiling lower the heat to a low rolling boil and let the broth cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
2. Remove the broth from the heat and strain the broth. Stir in the vermicelli noodles and wait 10 minutes so the noodles will soften.
3. Ladle a scoop of the soup with plenty of noodles into a large bowl. Stir a few slices of the raw beef into the bowl along with some of the garnishes. Add some sriracha for heat or hoisin sauce for some sweetness.
4. Note: if you prefer your beef to be fully cooked prior to serving, add the beef at the same time as the vermicelli noodles.

Source: theblackpeppercorn

CU CHI UNDERGROUNDS TUNNELS

Located 60km from HCM city, Cu Chi is now considered a heroic district for its role in the anti American war in Vietnam.

It is legendary for Original tunnels system of over 220km and is a popular spot for both Vietnamese and foreign visitors.

The peacefully rural rice paddy scenery contains ducks and water buffalos swimming in the rivers alongside the road. Visitors will find it hard to imagine the destructions, damage and defoliation all over the area, caused by bombing and mines, When Cu Chi was" A Free Target Zone ". The remnants visitors will see, show Cu Chi still has her evidence to prove the fierce battleground that took place there and visitors will see the remnants

Tourdesk Hoang Hai Long Hotel

Traffic in Vietnam

 The traffic can be a nightmare for visitors to Viet Nam for the first time. Believe it or not, there are transport rules but people don't seem really interested in following them. Chances are, you will see people cross the street anytime they want instead of walking all the way to the zebra-crossing. 

For those who come to Vietnam for the first time, the incredible volume of motorbikes on the road, added by car and non-name vehicle maybe intimidating. The traffic is worst during the rush hour when everyone is attempting to get to work or get home quickly. Some people ride their motorbikes on the pavement rather than waiting in the a traffic jam. The people walking are just as likely to get hit on the pavement as they are crossing the roads at such times.  Road users become very impatient, constantly using their horns when there's obviously nowhere to go, even shouting at others to get out of the way. You have to be quite aggressive or you get nowhere.
Crossing over the jam is actually not that bad. You will just have to do it. The magic is that no-one will ever run into you. The relatively small size of the vehicle, the unobstructed view and especially the riders’ experience in managing around the city mean that they will take caution in the road, at least to avoid crashing into any walking-by passengers.
Of course it is advised you respect the traffic law and consequently set the example for others, do not feel scared crossing the road. Continue walking past while looking left and right at times. You can also raise your hand lower than your shoulders to signal to vehicles that you are crossing.

A Brief Guide to Riding a Motorbike

For motobike , just for adventurer only, you will need more experienced and good skill with professtional tour guide.
Driving Licences
It is illegal in Vietnam to drive without a licence. An Interational Driving Permit is acceptable. Make sure it is endorsed for motorbikes.
To legally drive in VN you are legally required to carry:
1. An IDP or VN licence
2. The moto registration papers
3. Moto insurance papers
4. Identification (ID card for locals or passport for you)
Police most of the time will not bother you, but from time to time they have a blitz and will suddenly start stopping EVERY foreigner driving a bike and checking for the above documents.

How To Cross the Street in Vietnam?

* Don't look both ways. In fact, it's better if you don't look at all, lest you lose your nerve. It's also a mistake to focus on the oncoming traffic. If you make eye contact with other road users, you automatically forfeit the right of way.
* Don't hesitate. Waiting for a lull in traffic is hopeless, so if you want to get across, just go. And when you're in the middle of the street, don't stop: Traffic will immediately adjust to you as a stationary obstacle, and you could be stuck for a while.
* Don't run! If anything is going to get you killed in Vietnam, it's attempting to run across the street. Take it slow, walk in a straight line, keep a steady pace, and traffic will flow smoothly around you.
You can wait for an old lady to cross and then shadow her. Watch out for motorcycles on the sidewalk too - a common occurrence when road traffic is heavy!

Source: hoian-tourism