Home-stay in Duong Lam Ancient village

Duong Lam is 50km to the west of Hanoi. The unique village, which was recognized as a National Cultural-Historic Relic, has houses which are around 200 years old. Of the nine hamlets within Duong Lam Village, Dong Sang and Mong Phu have maintained the most ancient houses: 441 and 350, respectively, among the total 956 traditional houses. The old Duong Lam Village is famous for its homes made of laetrile, a type of red soil. Most of these houses have their own courtyards surrounded by a laetrile wall.

From 2009, in order to meeting a highly increasing home-stay demand from our clients, the owner of mother company of Mekonghalongbaycruise.com invested and completed a very special product which would bring unforgettable memories of an ancient-style house. The house romantically named Vuon Trang (Moon Garden) offers visitors not only a peaceful atmosphere of Hanoi suburban but a specious chance to really join in and explore daily activities of Vietnamese in countryside

The house is designed strictly following the Viet ancient architectural style with 3 double beds (1.6mx2m) + 1 extra bed (1mx1.8 m) + 2 toilettes (1 toilet inside + 1 toilet outside) + kitchen. The surrounding is design with vegetable garden, small pond, bonsai garden, and playground in front of welcome house where will be the perfect place for enjoy fragrant Vietnamese tea under moonlight in full moon evenings

With the concept of preserving the quite and peaceful atmosphere and avoid the mass tourism attack to countryside, we decided the maximum capacity of Moon Garden is at 4 adults in double and 3 children. This group size is large enough for funny team-joining activities while small enough to avoid noisy and disturb to neighbors.

One night home-stay in Moon Garden will include

- Accommodation in Moon Garden house
- Meal plan: 1 Breakfast, 1 Diner (1 drink included), 1 lunch (1 drink included)
- Explore and understand Vietnamese culture and daily life activities:

+ Learn about herbs and fragrant vegetables
+ Have a bath with fragrant leaves (pomelo, herb leaves ect). Visitors collect all kinds of leaves around village gardens by themselves with the owner’s help
+ After dinner, wash hands in fragrant water with lemon leaves in ancient-style cooper basin
+ Smoothly foot massage in hot water with traditional medicine ingredients: ginger, salt and absinth.
+ Learning Vietnamese with locals
+ Introduction of traditional Vietnamese costumes (visitors can try)
+ With the house owners, joining in family worshipping activity
+ Help the house owner to prepare food offerings, cooking Vietnamese dishes, trimming and decorate ingredients. In case of not interesting in cooking class, visitor can go for fishing.
+ Visit some neighbor houses and friendly talk to house’s owners
+ Join in some farming activities (depending on farming seasons): Fishing, harvesting, gardening ect.)
+ Cycling or soft trekking to nearby villages
+ Free Internet connection

* Supplement for riding “xe trau” (buffalo wagon): 5 USD/pax

Price based on PRIVATE HOUSE
Group of 2 persons: 80 USD/person (double sharing)
Group of 3 persons: 70 USD/person (double sharing)
Group of 4 persons: 60 USD /person (double sharing)
Supplement for single bed: 15 USD
Child under 6 years old (shared bed): 25 USD
Child under 6 years old with extra bed: 40 USD
Child from 6 – 12 years old with extra bed: 55 USD

Private transfer: Hanoi – Moon Garden – Hanoi: 25USD per person
Hanoi – Halong – Moon Garden – Hanoi: 65USD per person

To book this excursion, visit site http://mekonghalongbaycruise.com or contact us
Via Email at: sales@mekonghalongbaycruise.com
Via Tel: 0084-43-6339577 Ext: 203 (Ms Liz - English speaking) or Ext: 202 (Ms Thao - French speaking)
HOTLINE: 0084-902 24 36 37

Tags: Vietnam Halong bay cruise, Halong bay excursions, Home stay, Hanoi excursions, Halong overnight, Hanoi tours, Optional tours Hanoi, Duong Lam village, Ancient houses, Halong bay trips, Holiday Indochina, Vietnam holiday

Flow on Mekong Delta (1)

With time to watch the ebb and flow of a river's life, Graham Reilly floats from Vietnam to Cambodia. I stare from the riverbank at this astonishingly vast and lively world of water. Here, in the charming provincial city of Can Tho in the heart of southern Vietnam's Mekong Delta, it is as if the land is merely an afterthought. Everything is about the river and the way of life it sustains.

It is a world of colour and movement, of a comforting spray of cool water on your face as you are rowed back to your hotel at night in a slim stick of a boat, of the sleepy glint of dusk as you trail your finger across the river's surface, of the cough and splutter of a small passenger ferry as it crosses the river to Vinh Long, of the throaty gurgle of a rice boat as it slowly motors to Ho Chi Minh City or Cambodia.

Can Tho sits on the banks of one of these tributaries, the Hang Giang river, also known as the Bassac, an impossibly broad, bustling expanse of brown water. It is a pleasant capital of 300,000 people, with tree-lined boulevards, cool grassy squares and 19th-century buildings that are remnants of French colonial days. One of the great pleasures of Vietnamese provincial towns such as Hoi An or Nha Trang is the local markets and Can Tho is no exception.

Selling vegetables, fruit and seafood, its large market spreads over an entire city block on one side and follows the curve of the river on the other. There is much to do here and it is a good place to organise a home stay with a farming family. It is also a good place to do nothing much at all. Gazing out from the pleasant promenade, I see boats of all shapes and sizes, one of which takes my friends and I early next morning to the famous Cai Rang floating market. Boats from all over the region – from Bac Lieu, Vinh Long and Camau – come here to sell what seems like every fruit and vegetable ever imagined: jackfruit, oranges, rambutan, bananas, longans, pineapples and sweet potatoes.

An, 30, is our guide. It is her father's boat and her husband navigates it safely through the shifting mass of craft on the river. "He is a good husband," she says, smiling. "He is happy to cooking and washing with me at night." We nod in agreement. A good husband can be hard to find.

I explain to her that we want to travel to Cambodia by boat, from Can Tho to Chau Doc, across the border and up to the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, and then on to Siem Reap, home of one of the great wonders of the world, the temple complex of Angkor Wat. We've got six days for the journey of more than 400 kilometres. An offers to arrange the journey and a few phone calls later we agree to meet at the Can Tho dock at 2pm the next day.

I tell her I have visited these places before but always by road or air. This time I want a gentler, more romantic mode of transport along the mighty Mekong and its tributaries. I want to hear the gentle slap of the water against the boat, feel the tropical breeze on my skin and watch people go about their lives on the riverbanks. I want to be part of the landscape. I want to make the journey as important as the arrival.

Can Tho has several restaurants along the waterfront and that night we decide on the Thien Hoa. We settle happily at a pavement table in the evening balm, show no restraint and order a feast – fried snake with onions, sea bass soup with tamarind, prawns steamed in beer, catfish hotpot and coconut ice-cream. It is a meal to remember and a harbinger of culinary experiences to come.

Loaded up with fruit and sandwiches we've borrowed from the sumptuous breakfast buffet at the Victoria Hotel, we board the "fast boat" to Chau Doc, a journey An tells us will take about three hours. She says the slow boat, which leaves at 6.30am, takes about eight hours.

The boat seats about 30 people in something more or less resembling comfort. Sitting on the deck munching on a bag of rambutan, it becomes immediately clear to me that this is a working river. Large boats, washing fluttering in the breeze and overloaded with bananas, take their produce to market. Other boats dredge silt from the riverbed to be used in the construction industry. The weight of their cargo lays them so low in the water it is as if just one more grain could tip them into the muddy depths.

The riverbanks jump with activity. A line of brick kilns several kilometres long puffs smoke as families stack freshly baked bricks or load them on to waiting boats, the children straining under the burden. The smell of fermenting fish sauce wafts from factories onshore. Much of the riverbank is lined with sandbags to protect stilted houses from the river, which swells dramatically during the wet season.

There is so much of interest to observe on the water and the riverbanks that the journey passes quickly and before I know it we are approaching Chau Doc, a journey of 5 hours. The river seems to settle in the dusk and takes on a kind of dreamy indolence, as if it has done enough work for the day. Meanwhile, I have been lulled into a sense of well-being I've never experienced when travelling by road or air.

Impressed with our stay at the Victoria Hotel in Can Tho, we decide to spend a few nights at the Victoria in Chau Doc. It is another elegant, splendidly positioned, colonial-style building perched on the banks of the Bassac. The view from our room across the spreading river takes my breath away.

Chau Doc shuts down early and we are lucky to get to the Bay Bong restaurant while it is still serving dinner. The restaurant forgoes interesting decor for delicious Mekong cuisine. It's another feast. We start with canh chua, the local sweet-and-sour fish soup, and follow this with steamed fish and prawns, including ca kho, stewed fish in a clay pot. It's so good we return the next night.

Chau Doc is another attractive and welcoming provincial town of about 100,000 people with an enormous market that snakes along the riverfront. The fish section alone – which has not just fresh fish but dried, spiced, marinated and salted – is wondrous.

(to be continued...)

- Source Brisbancetime.com -

Book a cruise on Mekong delta, Vietnam: http://mekonghalongbaycruise.com or http://holidayindochina.com/crusie-mekong.

Tags: Vietnam mekong cruise, Mekong delta cruise, cruises mekong, Luxury mekong cruises, Deluxe mekong cruise, Cruises bassac, Cruise to Cambodia, Mekong river cruises, Indochina Cruises, Vietnam Cambodia cruises, Cruises between Vietnam Cambodia, Mekong delta tours, Excursions Mekong delta, Tours in south Vietnam, tours from Hochiminh city, Premium tours Vietnam, Vietnam premium cruise, Vietnam Halong bay cruise, Luxury junks Halong, Vietnam Junks and boats, Holiday Indochina, Vietnam holiday, Vietnam packages, Excursions Vietnam

La Marguerite cruise waives surcharge 300$ for X-mas and NYE cruise

Mekonghalongbaycruise.com would like to send warmest wishes to our value clients on Christmas and New Year coming. In this special occasions, La Marguerite cruise offer surcharge $300 waived. The offer applied for X-mas cruise MK-19 and New Year Eve MK-20 only. Email us to book at sales@mekonghalongbaycruise.com

The detailed cruise description:
La Marguerite, 46-cabins river vessel, raises the bar of river cruising in the Mekong Delta, offering unparalleled cruise experience, top notch excursions between Saigon and Siem Reap. World Class paired gourmet dining experiences add sparks to your personal journey while its carefully researched excursions to cultural destinations allows for passion revival.
Amenities: Onboard laundry, Bakery, Fully equipped galley and refrigeration storages, Air-conditioning in all inside areas, restaurant, bar, library, gym and spa
Safety: Smoke Detector in all cabins and Public places, Emergency lighting and generator, fire pump, hydrants and hoses, fire extinguisher, life jacket for all on board and life raft. la_marguerite_view
Water: Treatment plants for desalination, de-sedimentation and purification using UV and osmosis.
Sewage: Micro biotic treatment plants
Length : 71.6m
Main length : 65.6m
Width : 12.5m
Depth : 1.8m
Free Board : 1.5m
Air Draft : 9.65m
Engines : 2 x 700 h/p (Yanmar)
Generator : 2 x 320 Kva Cat (USA)
Crew : 38 (International)
Passenger cabins: 46
Passenger berths: 92
Registry : VIRES S1
Home port : Saigon
Build in VN : July 2009
Ship Design : Colonial
Interior Design : Boutique

Stateroom:
Twin beds form into double bed placings. The cabins are equipped with air-conditioning, wardrobe, writing desk, sofa, mini-bar, safe box, in-house telephone, bathroom & shower, hairdryer, in-house television, kimono and slippers. Each cabin measures 21m2 (226ft2).

Sadec Suite:
King size bed, long sofa, bathroom with bathtub and separate shower. The cabins are equipped with air-conditioning, wardrobe, writing desk, sofa, mini-bar, safe box, in-house telephone, hairdryer, in-house television, kimono and slippers. Each cabin measures 27m2 (284ft2).

Indochina Suite:
King size bed, bathroom with Jacuzzi and separate shower and private balcony. The cabins are equipped with air-conditioning, wardrobe, writing desk, sofa, mini-bar, safe box, in-house telephone, hairdryer, in-house television, kimono and slippers. Each cabin measures 42m2 (443ft2).

RESTAURANT

Mekong Restaurant: Paired legendary international cuisine of France, traditional and Vietnamese-Cambodia fusion highlights Marguerite Duras' passion for exploring multi sensory dining. A culinary celebrations of aromatic taste and texture adds pleasure to the palate, senses, memory and emotions.
Saigon Lounge: Indulge in a splendid afternoons and evenings with a variety of soothing and relaxing chill out music. The Saigon Lounge gently sets the mood for sophisticated tastes and discerning palates.
Panoramic Lounge: The Panoramic Lounge is set right in front of the vessel and one could see the panoramic views of the Mekong River thus allowing the travelers to revel in the beauty of the countryside. The Panoramic Lounge allows one to quieten the mind, and opens all the five senses necessary for the reviving the passion for everyday living.
Sun Deck Bar & Pool: Head to the Sun Deck and enjoy the sun by the dipping pool where you'll find refreshing and invigorating concoctions and snacks that are created and served using the freshest ingredients. You can sip to your heart's content with relaxing views of the Mekong Delta. la_marguerite_panorama_lounge

DECK PLAN:

Mekong Deck (Lower deck): 8 Staterooms with 21m2 (226ft2) each & Business Center.
Tonle Deck (Main Deck): 16 Staterooms with 21m2 (226ft2) each with fixed window, balcony, Mekong Restaurant measuring 196m2 (2110 ft2), Gift Shop at Reception Area.
Saigon Deck (Upper deck): 14 Staterooms each measuring 21m2 (226 ft2) with fixed window and balcony, Saigon Lounge & Panoramic Lounge measuring 230m2 (2476 ft2).
Sadec Deck (Sundeck): 6 Sadec Suites each measuring 27m2 (284ft2), 2 Indochina Suites each measuring 42m2 (443ft2), Sundeck Bar & Whirlpool measuring 275m2 (2960ft2), Beauty Salon, Treatment Spa, Gym. la_marguerite_sundeck

Spa Treatments:
The spa onboard RV La Marguerite is a sanctuary - a refuge from the hurried pace of modern life with its pristine and exquisitely colonial and Zen vibe, an ideal environment in which to explore the remarkable restorative powers of quiet repose, personal attention and total indulgence on the mind, on the body, and on the soul.

Detailed itineraries including Upstream and Downstream, click this links: http://mekonghalongbaycruise.com/La-Marguerite-cruise

Tags: Vietnam Mekong cruise, Merry Christmas, Christmas cruise trip, La Marguerite cruise, Mekong luxury cruise, New Year holiday, Indochina Sails

Cruising through Halong bay to Cat ba island

Another early morning start and the weather was still grey and overcast but at least it had stopped raining. The minibus picked us up at 7.45 and we spent the next hour doing a city tour picking up the other 10 people on the tour. Three hours later we boarded our ‘luxury’ boat which would take us to explore Ha Long bay. There were only 6 of of us on the our 16 berth boat which made things all the more personal with our tour guide ‘Suan’. Suan was a mine of information and we later found out she had studied tourism for 7 years at university.


After boarding we sailed for 2 hours to LanHa Bay and disembarked. We were shown the impressive caves and the million year old stalactites and stalagmites inside the limestone mountains. Ha Long bay has over 1500 square kilometres of limestone and dolomite islets which have recently been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We both really enjoyed the caves……..is this a sign we are getting old?

From there we sailed into the next bay for kayaking. After 15 minutes we returned with wet bums, aching arms and goosebumps. Kayaking is not for us!

Dinner was sea food again, we are both feeling a little ’sea fooded’ out. The following morning was my birthday, oh joy of joys I’m now 40 and unemployed, only kidding.

We got off of the boat at Cat Ba and then 4 of us and Suan went for a 2 hour mountain bike ride. What a wonderful way to spend my birthday. The scenery was stunning,we felt really welcome as all the locals shouted and waved as we passed through.

After the cycle ride we checked into our hotel in Cat Ba town. It is a strange place where it is very obvious the local population are desperate for the US$. It has a growing number of high rise hotels, karoke bars, water fountains and bright lights to entice the overseas visitor.

Having said that we both spent a very entertaining evening with 40 or so other drunken travellers in a karoke bar until we were thrown out. There were 2 of us celebrating birthdays and somehow we were forced into a duet. Last time I sang karoke I said never again…..this time I mean it! Steve even got photographic evidence, trouble is, I look like I’m enjoying it. I’ll never admit it though.

- Source: Free-press-release -

Posted by Cruise expert
Web: http://mekonghalongbaycruise.com
Tel: 0084-43-6339577 / 633 9334


Tags: Halong kayaking, Kayak Halong bay, Vietnam Halong bay cruise, Luxury cruise Halong bay, Cruise to Cat ba Island, Vietnam adventure tour, holiday indochina

Holiday Indochina moved to new office building

Holiday Indochina has moved its office to 4th floor, VP bank building, 61 Xa Dan street, Dong Da district, Hanoi, Vietnam. Our new location at the center of Hanoi, offer a convenient access to famous sites in Hanoi such as: Hochiminh Mausoleum complex, Temple of Literature, Fine Art Museum and West Lake. Check out our websites for various tours offer and hot deals.

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Halong Indochina Sails cruise- 2days
The fleet of 3 luxury cruises can guarantee for the request at any time.Each boat features spacious, well-appointed cabins and suites with large ensuite marble bathrooms, a large sundeck with comfortable lounging furniture and an elegant dining room and bar. The cruise designed and fitted to international standards while maintaining traditional Chinese Junk styling, creating the perfect balance of modern comforts and nostalgic ambiance.
Trip general information:
* Tour type: Luxury cruising trip on Halong bay
* Operation mode: joined-in cruise - Length: 2days
* Stop at: Halong bay, Vietnam
* Price from: 219USD/cabin

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Vietnam classic trip in distinguished way - 4days
Halong is the most well-known site of Vietnam. This tour offers the top-end services featuring most highlights in Hanoi and Halong bay including the luxurious transfer by Mercedes E-class, stay in top hotel in Hanoi - Sofitel Metropole and most luxurious Halong - Valentine cruise, Suite cabin
Trip general information:
* Tour type: Classic, luxury tour and fully escorted
* Operation mode: Private tour - Length: 4days
* Stop at: Hanoi capital city, Halong bay
* Price from: 1831USD/person

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A creative downstream by La Marguerite cruise - 8days
This week long cruise offers a distinctive way of experiencing the Mekong as seen through the passionate French Novelist Marguerite Duras, who glamorized the Mekong with a unique cross cultural love epic “The Lover”. The guided tours to historic and cultural sites, local attractions, museums and galleries are developed with personal enrichment in mind.
Trip general information:
* Tour type: Luxury cruising trip on Vietnam and Cambodia
* Operation mode: joined-in cruise - Length: 8days
* Stop at: HCMC - the most modern city in Vietnam, Sadec, Phnompenh - the capital city of Cambodia, Tonle river and Siemreap - the land of Angkor complex
* Price from: 2092USD/cabin - Special Offer

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Bac Ha colorful market - 3days
This tour offers you a special visit to colorful market at Bac Ha. Being a minority ethnic people market, the town of Bac Ha is famous for its Sunday market which is a trading centre and meeting place for couples, friends, and relatives every Sunday.
Trip general information:
* Tour type: Soft trek and escorted by local guide
* Operation mode: Private tour - Length: 3 days
* Stop at: Sapa soft trek to Cat cat village, Bac Ha Market
* Price from: 165USD/person

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Sapa discovery 4days
Sapa is a former French hill station situated in the valleys near the Chinese border. Its high elevation of 1,600 meters creates a cool climate. Today, Sapa attracts visitors for its stunning scenery, comfortable climate, colorful markets, and a variety of ethnic hill tribes living in nearby villages. This is the perfect itinerary for those seeking a retreat with unique experience
Trip general information:
* Tour type: Classic soft trek and escorted by local guide
* Operation mode: Private tour - Length: 4days
* Stop at: Hanoi capital city, Sapa mountainous town
* Price from: 256USD/person - Special Offer

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North Vietnam expedition 5days
The Ha Long bay, dotted with 3000 limestone islets rising from emerald water, is the best known natural wonder of Vietnam. Most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by a human presence, the islands feature beautiful beaches and grottoes. The tour also goes to Mai Chau, mostly inhabited by Thai and Muong minorities to enjoy a pure atmosphere in a remote area
Trip general information:
* Tour type: Classic excursion and escorted by local guide
* Operation mode: Private tour - Length: 5 days
* Stop at: Hanoi capital city, Mai Chau valley and Halong bay
* Price from: 332USD - Special offer

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Nha Trang Hideaway Vacation 5days
Nha Trang is another scuba centre in Vietnam, and although big animals are hard to find there (apart from the local morays), the abundance of other marine life makes for fascinating diving. Indeed, Nha Trang is renowned for its vibrant nudi-branchs and extensive coral biodiversity, and over 350 species of coral can be found at dive sites there
Trip general information:
* Tour type: Beach vacation and non-escorted
* Operation mode: Private tour - Length: 5 days
* Stop at: Nha trang beach
* Price from: 239USD

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Hoi an beach break vacation 5days
Hoi An is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Vietnam. It attaches the tourists with the ancient charm of temples, shrines with amazing masterpiece of Chinese style tile-roofed wooden houses and a unique blend of Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese architecture.
Trip general information:
* Tour type: Beach vacation and non-escorted
* Operation mode: Private tour - Length: 5days
* Stop at: Hoi an beach
* Price from: 121USD/person

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Vietnam Discovery - 14 days
This 14 day program visits the most interesting places in the country. It’s the perfect introduction to one of Asia’s most fascinating cultures. Your experience will be diversified from the vibrancy of the south to the ancient and solemn of the former citadel in the center then picturesque view of legendary bay and majestic mountains in the north
Trip general information:
* Tour type: Vietnam Overland and fully escorted
* Operation mode: Private tour - Length: 14days
* Stop at: HCMC, Cu Chi, My Tho boat trip,Nha trang, Dalat, Hue, Hanoi, Halong bay

And much more options at http://holidayindochina.com and http://mekonghalongbaycruise.com.

Tags: holiday indochina, Vietnam luxury vacations, Vietnam excursions, Indochina tours and travels, Vietnam holidays, Vietnam Halong bay cruises, Vietnam Mekong cruises, Halong luxury cruise, Luxury Mekong cruise, Indochina luxury cruises, Halong bay junks and boats, Cruise Mekong delta, Vietnam packages, Travel to Vietnam, Vietnam travel guide, Vietnam beach vacations