Cao Dai Temple

Head out to Tay Ninh to view the colourful midday service of the intriguing Cao Dai sect held in a large temple almost Disney-esque in style. The followers wear red, blue and yellow robes and chant to the accompaniment of a traditional orchestra. En route, scramble through the tunnels at Cu Chi, from where the Viet Cong successfully launched attacks against US forces.

Central Highlands


Dalat is as far as most people go into the Central Highlands but head further into the mountains for stunning views and waterfalls. You are assured of a warm welcome in Buon Ma Thuot, a coffee growing region and home to the Montagnards. The Ho Chi Minh trail is easily reached from Kontum.

Cooking lessons


Learn the subtleties of Vietnamese cookery at a class in ancient Hoi An. Submerge into the hustle and bustle of the market to buy provisions before retreating to the calm of the kitchen. The best part of the day – you get to eat what you have helped prepare!
Dalat


To escape the heat of the plains, head for Dalat, a former colonial hill station, reminiscent of a French town, with faded, elegant villas evocative of another era. Colonists from Saigon headed to its cool climes as well as the emperor and his entourage. The romantic lakes and alpine scenery are magnets for Vietnamese honeymooners.

ha long Bay

Sure it is touristy, and if you take a boat trip you'll be among a flotilla of dozens of old converted junks, but Halong Bay still remains one of the most impressive sights in the world. Take the opportunity to borrow a kayak (all boats should do this) and paddle through the limestone karsts dramatically rising up out of the sea. Or spend the night on one of those junks and explore the caves hidden deep in the islands, pass floating villages and at night enjoy a sundowner on the top deck and look out for shooting stars.

Hanoi


Hanoi is a city of contrasts with the wide, leafy boulevards lined by beautiful colonial buildings in the French quarter, the maze of narrow streets of the Old Quarter and the tranquil lakes. Wherever you are, the background noise is the buzzing of the motorbikes that crowd the streets of the capital.

vietnam hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City by train


A trip on the Reunification Express is a must. However, the trains between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are certainly not express. It can take between 30 and 40 hours to travel between the two cities so best to do one section only. Popular is the 18-hour journey between Hanoi and Hue.

Hiking


There are hundreds of long distance hiking trails around the country, and a significant infrastructure for visitors wanting guided hiking tours. Head south from Hanoi into Cuc Phuong National Park, a wilderness of forest-covered limestone mountains which rise up from the green rice paddies, home to many rare species and the primate rescue centre. Spend the night with a family from the Muong hill tribe in their traditional stilthouse.

Ho Chi Minh City

Gleaming skyscrapers sit side by side with ramshackle buildings and crumbling colonial houses. Monks pass deluxe car showrooms collecting alms and walk along sun-baked streets crammed with honking motorbikes. The Saigon River is constantly crossed by small boats and ferries weaving through larger boats.

Ho Chi Minh Trail history tour


See some of the Vietnam War sights by walking part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, used as supply routes by the North Vietnamese during the war. You can't fail to be intrigued by the network of tunnels excavated by the Viet Cong from which they launched regular attacks on the US forces. For a taste of life underground scramble through one of the narrow tunnels, specially widened for Western visitors.

Hoi An

Meander the narrow streets with their tiny shop houses, relax in a riverside bar and savour tasty local dishes. This is the place to buy souvenirs, silk items, T-shirts and ceramics. Whatever you do make sure you treat yourself by having clothes made at one of the many tailors.

Hué


The former imperial city of Hue is crammed with wonderful sights. The Imperial Citadel, suffering from the ravages and war and the tropical weather, is slowly being painstakingly renovated; riverside is the Thien Mu pagoda where novice monks peek shyly at the visitors; and the mausoleums of the Emperors, each unique in style.

Meet the locals


The best way to meet the locals is to pull up a low plastic chair in the pavement bar order some beer, order fresh peanuts and quails eggs and chat to the locals. Even with a language barrier, you'll be clinking glasses long into the night.

Mekong Delta

Explore the watery world of the Mekong Delta where channels of the might Mekong Delta crisscross the land and provide a fertile place to grow vast swathes of rice and fruit. Discover riverine towns, floating markets and small riverside industries and spend the night in a homestay with a farming family.

Motorbiking


It is becoming increasingly popular to hire a motor bike - invariably a Russian made 125cc Minsk - and ride it from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. Riddled with all sorts of dangers, not least the vast amount of bikes in the cities, it is nevertheless an exhilarating way to see the country.

River markets


The river markets on the Mekong Delta are an unmissable sight. Life here is dominated by the mighty Mekong and much of Vietnam's rice crop is grow, and the floating markets are still an essential part of life in the south. Get up early to experience Can Tho floating market at its best. Dozens of wooden boats, many that have seen better days, carry the freshest fruit and vegetables. Smaller boats weave through them perusing the wares and the morning air is filled with the sound of good-natured haggling over price.

Sapa Vietnam hill tribes


Sapa's stunning alpine scenery is home to several hill tribe villages where life continues pretty much unchanged. Many can be reached by jeep but to get to the more remote villages be prepared to hike. The reward is an overnight in a stilthouse with a family resplendent in riotously colourful traditional costume.

Though the construction of Bai Dinh Pagoda has not yet finished, the reputation of this new Pagoda was far-resounding. The visitors received some information from the backstage “whisper in each other’s ears”, have come to burn incense before the bronze statues of Buddha which are still being covered by scaffolds. While far from the large site 2km, if sharp-sighted the passers will see a humble three-door temple gate loacated next the roadside. Through the three-door temple gate, turn to the small path rather slope, go up to the top of mountain we will see the Bai Dinh Pagoda (old), full of green moss and quiet. There is virtually none knowing to a “Great Buddhist Pagoda” will be going to set the record of Asean being executed at the site over there.

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Chewy noodles, smoky pork, crisp greens, crunchy croutons and refreshing bean sprouts: it may sound like an odd medley, but together these ingredients compose one of Vietnam's most iconic dishes, also its most mysterious. The dish is called cao lau, and it hails from Hoi An, a town in central Vietnam.

Hoi An is a special place for many reasons. An important port from the 15th to the 19th century, Hoi An was a critical center of trade for Vietnam and became home, temporary or permanent, to foreigners from all over, most importantly the Chinese and Japanese. From Chinese temples and pagodas, to the iconic Japanese covered bridge, influences from Hoi An's trading days are still visible everywhere in town, and the French colonial architecture added to the mix makes Hoi An effortlessly charming. The town retained much of its old-world character by a turn of bad luck when the Thu Bon river silted up, preventing ships from docking there and essentially halting all commerce and development, and then a turn of good luck when the tourism industry revived the town in the early 1990s. Hoi An was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1999, and today it is a flourishing tourist center. Mustard yellow colonial buildings with vine covered terraces line dusty streets, and lanterns light up the old city at night. The delightful atmosphere alone makes Hoi An worth the visit, but perhaps the best reason to visit Hoi An is the food.

Because of all the international influences, Hoi An is something of a melting pot when it comes to cuisine. All of Vietnam can make the same claim, but Hoi An, a small city of only 120,000 people, is a concentrated mecca of international and homegrown flavors. From the lively street food scene to the renowned restaurants, there is no shortage of places and ways to eat in Hoi An -- at all hours of the day. The central market is at its busiest before 7 a.m., when locals can be found slurping noodle soups and doing their daily food shopping. And the city comes alive at night when the temperature cools and the night market wakes up. Hoi An is also home to a few specialty dishes that are unique to the city. There's com ga: a chicken and rice dish in which the rice is cooked in chicken broth and topped with shredded chicken, coriander and onions. There's white rose dumplings: shrimp and pork dumplings topped with crispy garlic. And then there's cao lau -- Hoi An's signature noodle dish.

Cao lau consists of thick rice noodles, pieces of barbecued pork, greens and crunchy croutons. The pork is sliced thin and cooked in the traditional Chinese method known as char siu. In addition to adding greens on top of the dish, it's also common to add bean sprouts, which together with the greens adds a burst of freshness and crisp texture to the chewy noodles and meaty pork.The final touch is the crunch of the croutons, which are made from dried cao lau noodles.

The cao lau noodles are the star of the show and the ingredient that makes this dish unique to Hoi An. While the exact recipe is known only to a few people, the tale behind the noodles is legendary. First, cao lau noodles are said to be made using only water from one ancient well in Hoi An called Ba Le well. The well is surprisingly unmarked in a town that depends on tourism and would undoubtedly profit on making it a better-known stop on the tourist circuit. Tucked inconspicuously in an alley, however, wedged right up against a house, the well looks like nothing special and could be easily missed if you're not looking for it. This obscurity makes the well all the more mystical, adding to the esoteric quality of the noodles made with its water.

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In addition to the water for cao lau noodles supposedly coming from this one, special well, the water is also supposed to be mixed with a specific type of ash to create a lye solution. The ash is said to come from a type of tree found on the Cham islands, which are off the coast of Hoi An.

>>> Things to do in Sapa Vietnam

>>>A comprehensive list of things to do in Hanoi, Vietnam. Includes all the major sights and activities in and around Hanoi.

From the beginning of August in lunar calendar, the atmosphere is changed by scene of splendidly lighted shops along the streets selling lanterns, moon cakes, masks and other children’s toy. The street at night time becomes more crowded with people wandering around buying things or just enjoying the pleasure mood.

Moon cake

Photo: www.tinfood.vn

On the night of 15th, in some big cities for instance Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, there are many lion dances in different places. People can stop by to watch the show and give some lucky money to the performers. The children wear mask and participate in parades with lanterns of various forms and colors. It is believed that lanterns were a vital part of Mid-Autumn festival since Ly dynasty. Nowadays the using of handcrafted lanterns has experienced a decline due to the introduction of plastic lanterns which gain more children’s interest. Although the festival is a day for children, it is also the occasion for outdoor reunions among friends and relatives.

Lion’s dance

Photo: www.vietanhmunchen.wordpress.com

The Mid-Autumn festival is also celebrated in South Korea, China and several nearby countries. Each country has its own customs, for example in South Korea, this celebration emphasizes the meaning of family gathering as well as the children’s gratitude towards their parents. It truly can be seen as an intangible cultural heritage.

>>>Things to do in Sapa Vietnam

It is best places to visit in vietnam

Travel to Vietnam, tourists not only enjoy unique Quan ho performances but also learn about cuisine in Quan ho. Quan ho group uses phoenix wing-shaped quid of betel and areca and Thai Nguyen tea. In meal, it must use red tray (mam son) which is made of timber and painted red to express hosts emotion to visitors. Dishes in the meal depend on each villages custom but must include a plate of chicken, two plates of lean pork paste, lean pork; especially no fat dishes to avoid damaging voice. In performances, costumes of male and female are different. Female costumes include quai thao hat, scarf for wrapping the hair, camisole, tunic, skirt, scarves tied about the waist and slippers. Costumes of male consist of scarf around his head, umbrella, shirts and long dress. Quan Ho singing was recognized as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO on its cultural and traditional values in September 30th, 2009. Read more thing to do in dalat

She was a native of the former capital city of Hue, but she’d never really cared or taken the time to listen to ca Hue, a music form that her parents and grandparents were proud of.

“Amazing! It was great to find out that the music has so many different melodies, both sorrowful and cheerful. I could feel the harmony between the music and the lyrics.”

Thao had left Hue for studies as an adolescent, and stayed on to work in HCM City. She would visit home very year, but still had paid no attention to what she considered an archaic form of music.

This April, since a friend was visiting Hue with her, she attended a free ca Hue performance, and it was revelation.

Her friend from HCM City, who accompanied Thao on her visit, said he felt he could glean elements of rock music in some of the songs that the ca Hue artists played in robust fashion.

The exposure that this form of music is getting among the youth could turn out to be crucial in preserving it for posterity, experts say.


Steeped in tradition: A free ca Hue performance in Hue Museum of Culture. — VNS Photo Phuoc Buu


Feudal beginnings

Ca Hue, also known as “the Hue tune”, took root in the region about 500 years, and experts say it has similarities to other Vietnamese traditional music forms like don ca tai tu (Southern folk music) and ca tru (ceremonial singing) found in the northern region.

It is also said to be a variation of nha nhac (Hue royal court music). It sets to tune some Hue folk songs and others composed by scholars, mandarins and royal family members used to stage these performances in their homes as an exquisite hobby.

Originally, ca Hue had a total of 60 basic tunes. It is said to have grown out of a need for entertainment among members of the royal family as well as mandarins looking for a more common form of the court music.

The participation of intellectuals in composing new tunes and lyrics earned the art form the title of chamber music. But it also had grassroots features thanks to the use of Hue folk songs for the lyrics. This mixing of different classes in a feudal setting increased the art-forms popularity.
Melodious: A ca Hue song performed in Hue Museum of Culture. — VNS Photo Phuoc Buu

This music is typically performed with traditional Vietnamese musical instruments, some of which are used in performances of Hue royal court music, including the dan tranh (16-string zither), dan nhi (two-string fiddle), dan nguyet (moon-shaped lute), and sanh tien (wooden clappers).

Researchers have not been able to ascertain when teacups were included in the instrument line-up for ca Hue performances. However, they have proved to be a highly popular addition, with listeners never failing to be charmed by the rhythms, the skills and the uniqueness of the instrument.

Some experts have said that the song lyrics were basically developed on the Hue dialect locals produced in daily conversations. Another distinct characteristic is that while singing forms in other regions use repetitions of a word for modulation, ca Hue creates modulating effects by using the same sound on different words.

There are many who see the art as quintessentially Hue.

“Visitors cannot get a feel of Hue and understand locals if their visits don’t have time for ca Hue,” asserts poet Vo Que, who formed the Ca Hue Club 32 years ago and has managed it until now.
Rhythmic: Women play teacups and wooden clappers on a river boat in the central city of Hue. — Photo courtesy of HGH Travel

Nowadays, ca Hue performances are a part of visits to the ancient city for both Vietnamese and foreigners. It is performed on modest home stages and “dragon” boats. Listening to this music on the tranquil waters of the Huong (Perfume) River on a moonlit night with a cool breeze is said to be an unforgettable experience, a throwback to another era, with singers and musicians dressed in the ao dai.

Que feels ca Hue has so far been able to hold its own in a modernising nation, and will do so in the future as well. Read more thing to do in dalat

“I believe the art will be develop well in the future as there are more artists, musicians and vocalists,” he said.

Family training has so far been a crucial factor in passing on the art through generations.

Ton Nu Le Hoa, a 16-string zither musician with more than 40 years of experience, said she learnt the music from her parents. Today, thanks to her training, three of her children are experts in singing and playing several instruments although they do other work.

Ca Hue has also been added as a major in the music academy, with enrollment open every year for both vocalists and musicians. Que says veteran artists, some older than 80, continue to be active in the club, teaching young performers.

With enough people being groomed to take over performances in the future, it is not manpower, but management that is emerging as a problem in preserving the traditional art, artists and other experts say.

They say that local culture authorities have failed to stop very low-quality performances that are not authentic. They say visitors have complained that they’ve had to pay for “fake” shows, including Hue songs.

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There are also complaints that organisers sometimes overcharge audiences and try to ask visitors for more money after giving them lanterns to float on the river after a show.

The city’s culture department has said it has licensed 500 performers and attempted to address problems over the last two years. It has issued several regulations as well as a pricelist for the shows that lays out how much an artist should be paid for each show.
Setting the stage alight: Hue artists perform folk songs at the biennial Hue Festival in April last year. — VNA/VNS Photo Tran Le Lam

Inspections have found out that regulations are often violated. Shows are cut short so that the artists can move to another boat. Poet Que, who initiated Hue singingshows on river boats, is distressed. He says the soul of the art should be protected and there is no room for such violations.
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It’s free!

Standard ca Hue shows, free, are held at the Hue Museum of Culture at 25 Le Loi Street, Hue City. Shows are held every Tuesday and Friday evening at 7.30pm.

Musician Hoa has appealed to young performers, calling on them to maintain their self-respect.

“I believe that working decently in the shows could earn enough for performers, so there should be no overcharging,” she said.

These hassles apart, experts have hailed the healthy preservation of the art form, deeming it worthy of UNESCO recognition.

“I believe folk tunes can get the recognition if culture authorities work efficiently in developing and preserving the art,” said Que. He also suggested that ca Hue be added to the music curriculum at local primary schools.

Institutional actions and recognitions are one thing, but the art’s sustainable future is likely to depend on increasing the number of young listeners like Thao.

She said: “I used to think it was boring and something only older generations bothered about. But this is really fascinating!”