Hanoi Travel Information

Impressive Vietnam – Great Summer Promotions

hanoivietnam — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:09:53 +0000

Lotussia Travel, a Hanoi based travel company which is specialized in providing adventure tailormade trips has just launched its biggest Summer Promotions campaign namely “Impressive Vietnam” targeting foreign tourists from Australia, France, UK, US, Germany, New Zealand, Singapore.

The 18 day promotional package starts with a seven day trip in the North of Vietnam and then enjoys a leisurely beach vacation in the central provinces of Hoian and ends with some following day in Ho Chi Minh city, the Mekong delta area and short extension to Cambodia.

This package always gives a large number of people a chance to travel to Vietnam even during this world economic crisis period since the campaign has been whole-heartedly supported by more than twenty local tourism service suppliers offering sensational discounts up to 30% including car rental agencies, airline firms, hotels and restaurants…

This is the best opportunity for foreign tourists to come to Vietnam and experience all the major travel highlights of Vietnam with a tiny budget, said Nguyen Khuong, Managing Director of Lotussia Travel.

The most impressive highlight is Halong Bay, one of the world’s natural wonders, and the most attractive tourist destination of Vietnam, featuring more than one thousand grandiose limestone karsts and islands of various sizes and uncanny shapes along the 120-km coastline of Bai Chay Beach.

Another highlight is Sapa, an incredibly picturesque village lying on the mountain chain Hoang Lien Son near the Chinese border in Northern West of Vietnam. Sapa is also the starting point for many climbers and scientists who would like to reach the top of Fansipan Mountain, the highest in Vietnam with the height of 3,143m as an interesting adventure or an extreme sport.

Moreover, Hoi An, one of the major trading centers of Southeast Asia in the 16th century also needs to be stated out by its distinct style from Chinese culture with low, tile-roofed houses and narrow streets; some of them still remains the original structure comprehensively intact.

What a flexible promotional trip! The whole package or just a short extension can be thoroughly booked based on your liking and budget.

For further information, please email us at info[at]lotussiatravel.com or visit this link here

Short Excursions

hanoivietnam — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:12:19 +0000

If you are the adventurous type or simply bored temporarily of the city atmosphere, then consider a cruise in the northern countryside. A round trip will bring you to a lot of charming villages and through hills and valleys with stunning nature. Main roads are generally in good condition and you can easily do a couple of hundred kilometers a day. The villages and provinces are generally safe at night, and you get to see a lot of Vietnamese culture such as various tribe folks. Here are a few suggestions:

The Perfume Pagoda:

The Perfume Pagoda is a Buddhist pilgrimage site about 60 km southwest of Hanoi. A full-day excursion involves a boat trip, hiking up a mountain, and visiting various temples and grottoes.

Bat Trang Ceramic Village:

Bat Trang is a village world-famous for its pottery, 9 km southeast of Hanoi.

Cao Bang:

Cao Bang, featuring the beautiful Ban Gioc waterfall, is five hours away by bus, near the Chinese border.

Cuc Phuong National Park:

The Cuc Phuong National Park is the largest national park in Vietnam, and an easy day-trip from Hanoi.

Halong Bay:

Staying overnight in a boat on the breath-taking Ha Long Bay (or in a hotel on Cat Ba Island) is the most popular side-trip from Hanoi.

Sapa:

The northern village of Sapa, home to ethnic minorities, gorgeous mountain scenery, and trekking paths connecting many tiny mountain villages, is also a popular two or three day trip. It is accessible by train (to Lao Cai) followed by a minibus link to the town. The trekking paths have no signs, so a hiring a guide is well-advised.

Tam Coc / Hoa Lu:

Located in Ninh Binh province, this day trip is a combines heritage tourism and natural landscape tourism. Hoa Lu is the site of the first capital of Vietnam in the 10th century, and was home to two kings – Dinh Bo Linh (Dinh Tien Hoang) and Le Hoan, there are now two shrines dedicated to these two kings. About 30 mins away from Hoa Lu is Tam Coc [three grottoes]– also known as Halong Bay on land. It features karst landforms surrounded by padi fields, and is accessed by little wooden boats. This is an excellent alternative to Halong Bay for those who have short attention spans, as the boat trip takes a mere hour vis-a-vis Halong Bay boat trips, which take 5 hours – 2 days.

Hanoi History

hanoivietnam — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:54:12 +0000

Invading forces from every direction agree: Hanoi makes a fine capital. It has held that title for more than a thousand years, through several invasions, occupations, restorations, and name changes. The Chinese conquered the imperial city of of Đại La in 1408 and renamed it Tống Bình. Le Loi repelled the invaders in 1428 and applied the name of Lê Thái Tổ (黎太祖); for his efforts, he received the crown and a slew of legends about his heroic exploits, many centered around the Hoan Kiem Lake in the Old Quarter. The Nguyen Dynasty gave the city its modern name of Ha Noi in 1831, but they had transferred power to Hue by then; it remained there until 1887, when the French made Hanoi the capital of all Indochina. It changed hands again in 1954, when it was ceded to Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh after almost a decade of fighting, and it became the capital of North Vietnam; upon reunification in 1975, it assumed that title for the entire country.

The first Western-style universities in Vietnam were founded in Hanoi, and today, it is the leading center of scientific study and research in the country. Hanoi retains much of its older colonial charm, despite the battles that have raged over it; conflict had the side effect of making it largely oblivious to modern architecture, and as a result, few buildings in the city center area are higher than five stories. The Old Quarter is second only to Hoi An for uninterrupted stretches of colonial and pre-colonial architecture, well-preserved on dense warrens of narrow, wonderfully atmospheric streets. It trades the commercial boom and sprawl of Ho Chi Minh City in the South for a more understated charm, worth enjoying for an extra day or two, and with countless transport options and travel agents, it makes a perfect base for exploration of the North.