Five Really Simple Travel Time Savers

What with organizing flights, hotels, cars, airport parking, baggage, child – minders, pet – minders (the list goes on…) it’s no wonder so many travellers are frazzled! Slow down for a moment, chill out and follow these tips to save time and hassle on your travels.

Pack Smart – This goes for your main luggage and carry-on baggage. Bear in mind the security restrictions, i.e. no nail scissors or tweezers in your hand luggage and the restrictions on liquids. If you can travel without checking in a suitcase then do so as this speed thing up no end. And if you do need that suitcase make sure it’s under the weight required for all of your flights.

Frequent Travellers – If you travel frequently store all your travel essentials in a box, i.e. passport, driving licence, documents etc so everything is in one place for a quick getaway! Put together a capsule wardrobe as well so you have several guaranteed outfits.

Dress Smart – Not literally, but make sure you have slip-on shoes, no metal on your belt or others accessories and remove any piercings etc that you know set off the detectors. Do all you can to pass through the security checks as speedily as possible?

Be Prepared For Delays – Fact of life; delays happen! Equip yourself with a book, magazine, mp3 player, mobile phone and notepad or laptop. That way you can fill your time with some useful activities, and make sure you have all your travel related phone numbers programmed into your phone so you can call ahead and make sure your plans still run smoothly.

Use Your Local Tour Operator – If you’ve booked a tour package with a local tour operator then ask them to book you local restaurants and scout out any local services you might need, i.e. pharmacy, clothing, gifts etc. They are best placed to know all the local haunts and you’ll benefit from their local knowledge!

Misty Tam Dao Is A Beautiful Spot

Around 60 kilometers from Hanoi, Vinh Phuc is famous for many attractions such as Dai Lai Lake, Huong Canh Temple, Phu My Communal House and Binh Son Tower.

But in Tam Dao, there is not only the most popular site for tourists in the Province, but also the most picturesque.

Tam Dao is endowed with a lot of beautiful landscapes, the romantic combination of forests, streams and mountains; clouds driven by the wind; the sounds of the cascades echoing far and wide, mingled with the songs of forest birds.

Tam Dao is a huge mountain range which is about 80 kilometers long and 10 – 15 kilometers wide. In 1904 French settlers built 200 villas, hotels, restaurants, a sports court, swimming pool and dance venue. With three magnificent peaks which are over 1,000 meters above sea level, people said Tam Dao resembles a giant man with his hands to the sky and standing imposingly in the mist.

There is Ban Thach in the middle which is 1,338 meters, Thien Nhi Mount to the left at 1,375 meters and on the right is the 1,400 – meter Phu Nghia.

Tam Dao is blessed with ideal temperatures of about 21 degrees Celsius and it appears to have four seasons in one day. The cool wind in the morning makes people think of spring, the sun at noon is like summer, the romantic sunset makes you think of autumn, while the chill at night is like wintertime.

The sunset coming over Tam Dao Township makes for a peaceful, vaporous and misty scene.
People coming to Tam Dao often say that they feel like they are in Sapa or Dalat City such is its beauty.

In Tam Dao, tourists should visit Bac Waterfall to witness the magnificence of the fall which is akin to a white silk carpet stretching down from heaven.

Thuong Mau Temple is where tourists can find tranquillity, appreciate nature and revel in a sacred atmosphere.

Trekking into Phu Nghia Mount is a challenge and a half. However, the splendid surroundings, wild flowers and the poetic Xa Huong Lake on the way, especially the panoramic view of Tam Dao, will make the trek more than worthwhile.

Coming to Tam Dao, tourists should also visit Tay Thien, a complex of many relics and temples such as Chan Suoi, Dau, Ca, Thong, Co, Cau or Dong Co Pagoda.

The journey to Tay Thien is rather difficult, though, as travellers need to pass many streams, slopes, forests and torturous trails. However, the stunning scenery makes it all worthwhile, especially if you get a rush out of adventure.

Vietnam Jeep Tours is organizing adventure, trekking, biking and motorcycle tours from North to South of Vietnam, especially to Tam Dao in Vinh Phuc Province, for more information about Vietnam Jeep Tours, click here or contact via adventure@vietnamjeeptours.com / hotline: +84 909 602 370.

Slovakia TV Promotes Vietnam Tourism

TA3, one of the biggest TV channels of Slovakia, aired a 30 – minute program introducing Vietnam’s landscapes, history, culture, daily life, gastronomy, customs and policies.

In the program, a Slovak man named Branislav Stefanik, who has visited Vietnam many times, said Vietnam has a high economic growth rate, and its people are industrious, friendly and dynamic.

Vietnam is home to many beauty spots, including Hoàn Kiếm Lake, One-Pillar Pagoda, Củ Chi Underground Tunnels, Hạ Long Bay, Nha Trang Beach, Huế Ancient City, it said.

According to the TV program, hotel services in big cities are very good. In some Northern Mountainous Provinces, tourists can stay in houses on stilts comfortably at very low prices.

On August 20, The Gulf News, a daily major newspaper of the United Arab Emirates, ran the 3 – page article “Discover Vietnam” featuring many photos about Vietnam’s landscapes and people.

Vietnam’s National Highway – World’s Best Cycling Route

Vietnam’s 1A National Highway has been nominated as the world’s best cycling route by ‘Lonely Planet’, a travel guidebook owned by BBC Worldwide.

“This iconic road runs the length of the narrow country from North to South. It is the most popular cycling route in Vietnam, a long but immensely rewarding trip along the best parts of Vietnam’s coastline. The route has some reasonable hills, climaxing in the mighty Hai Van Pass (496m) (the border of Thua Thien – Hue Province and Da Nang City in the Central) – with a breathtaking descent as pine-clad mountains loom to the West and the sea vanishes into the east. Take the time along the way to gaze at networks of lush rice fields blanketing the hidden valleys below; fish, snorkel or dive the turquoise waters of the coast; and soak up the atmosphere of delightful rural hamlets”, the book described.

Other cycling paradises mentioned are in Isle of Wight, England; West Coast, Tasmania, Australia; Luberon and Mont Ventoux, Provence, France; San Juan Islands, Washington, USA; County Clare, Ireland; La Farola, Cuba; Otago Peninsula, New Zealand; Cape Breton Island, Canada; Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy.

Vietnam Jeep Tours have offer a biking tour 19 Days on Bike from Saigon to Hanoi from South to North of Vietnam, for more Vietnam biking tours, click here or contact via adventure@vietnamjeeptours.com / hotline: +84 909 602 370.

Plans For Ten Major Tourism Areas To Be Outlined

Vietnam will devise a master plan for ten major national tourist areas between: 2013 – 2015 to boost tourism development, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

The ten selected areas include: Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark in the northern province of Ha Giang; Lang Co - Canh Duong sea tourism area in the Central Coastal Province of Thua Thien - Hue; Hai Van - Son Tra eco-tourism in Da Nang and Thua Thien – Hue Province; and Da Krong eco-tourism area in the Central Province of Quang Tri, as well as Thac Ba Lake in the Northern Province of Yen Bai and Yok Don in Dak Lak in the Central Highlands. The mangrove forests in the Southernmost Province of Ca Mau; Xuan Dai Bay in the Central Province of Phu Yen; Pa Khoang Lake in Dien Bien Northwestern Province; and the Con Son historical and cultural tourism site in the Northern Province of Hai Duong are also on the list.

The country plans to have 39 national tourist areas by 2030. The master plan for key national tourism areas aims to draw investment for them and promote national tourism products and services.

Vietnam Jeep Tours is professional at organizing tour packaged for individual or small group of travellers from North to South of Vietnam. For more details about Vietnam Jeep Tours, click here or contact via adventure@vietnamjeeptours.com / hotline: +84 909 602 370.

Hue Festival To Open In April

As many as 23 art troupes from 12 countries around the world have registered to participate in the Hue Festival, scheduled to take place April 7-15, 2012.

Deputy Chairman of the Thua Thien Hue Provincial People’s Committee and head of the Festival’s organising board, Ngo Hoa, said the event, with the theme "Cultural Heritage Combined with Economic Development and International Integration," will open National Tourism Year 2012.

Highlights of the festival will include the Nam Giao Offering Ritual, an Ao Dai (Traditional Dress) Grand Show, Royal Night, Legends of the Huong River (Perfume River) and Oriental Night.

The 13th plenary meeting of the Association of Historical Cities will also coincide with the festival.

Related programs to Hue:
3 Days Ancient Royal City Discovery
Hue - Paddling the Perfume River (3 Days 2 Nights)
Biking Through The Ancient Paths - Hue & Hoi An 4 Days 3 Nights
19 Days on Bike from Saigon to Hanoi

More details about Hue accommodation, click here.

Travel Attraction: Tiger Fighting Arena In Hue City – A Unique Architecture

The open – air tiger fighting arena in Hue City in the North Central Coastal Province of Thua Thien – Hue dates back to the Nguyen Dynasty of Vietnam.

Built in 1830, during the reign of Emperor Minh Mang, it served as a place for holding sacrificial ceremonies and entertainment events for the king, his mandarins and the public.

The original tiger fighting arena, a site of many gruesome battles between elephants and tigers, was a solid stone complex of ancient monuments, located in Truong Da Hamlet of Thuy Bieu Commune in Hue City.

The arena comprises of two concentric round walls made up of wood, brick and mortar with a yard covered with grass.

The exterior wall is sloping, 4.5 meters in height and 45 – meters in diameter, while its interior wall stands 6 meters high having a 35 – meter diameter. Both the walls are positioned four meters apart at the base and three meters apart at the top.

The rectangular grandstand for spectators is 96 square meters and built 1.5 meters higher than ground level and also higher than other stands. From this vantage point, people could get a clear view of the arena.

Two entrances lead to the stands. The first was for the king and royalty with 20 steps, the other for soldiers and commoners with 15 steps.

Between these two entrances was another gateway, 1.9 meters wide and 3.9 meters high, for elephants to enter the arena.

Opposite the royal grandstand were five tiger cages with trapdoors.

A stone plaque with the words “Hổ Quyền” (tiger fighting) carved in the Han script is placed on the centre of the walls of these five cages.

Tiger and elephant battles were held annually. During the Nguyen Dynasty rule and particularly under the reign of Emperor Thanh Thai, much emphasis was placed on training elephants to fight.

Elephants represented the goodness whilst tigers represented evil in all the battles.

While elephants were taken good care of, tigers were starved and had all their teeth and claws removed to incapacitate their strength. That’s why elephants were always the ones to win the battles.

The tiger fighting arena is a remarkable work of architecture, and although it cannot compare with the Coliseum in Rome, Italy, it never fails to impress visitors with its own uniqueness, as well as the atmosphere it exudes.

Related programs to Hue:
3 Days - 2 Nights True Local Experience
3 Days Ancient Royal City Discovery
Biking Through The Ancient Paths - Hue & Hoi An 4 Days 3 Nights
Ancient Cities By Bicycle 4 Days
19 Days on Bike from Saigon to Hanoi
25 Days Vietnam Expedition

More details about Hue accommodation, click here.