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.
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
The Mekong River is one of Asia's most prolific waterways, extending from the Yunnan province of China, through Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and emptying into the South China Sea. Parts of the river have an infamous past as a major thoroughfare during World War II and more notoriously, the Vietnam War, but today the Mekong makes for more leisurely pursuits as visitors choose to cruise through some of the most colorful cities and traditional floating villages in this picturesque region of South East Asia. En-route, travelers visit historic sites and magnificent temples and experience the intersection of traditional and modern life on the water.
Most multi-day cruises depart from Vietnam and make their way to Cambodia over the period of a week or so, depending on the Cruise Company and number of stops. You will find that many itineraries are similar (the names Saigon and Ho Chi Minh City are used interchangeably, as are Siem Reap and Angkor Wat) and there are really only a handful of shipping companies that cover the Mekong route, including Pandaw, Bassac, Le Cochinchine, and Toum Tiou. There are also a few smaller boat operators whose trips are wholly within Laos and shorter Cambodian and Vietnam adventures. Cruises depart throughout the year but routes can vary because of seasonal fluctuations in water levels and access. Wet season may mean rain, but it also means access to more remote fishing villages and canals. Most trips will include interaction with local communities through visits to schools, businesses and sometimes to private homes.
Pandaw Cruises and La Marguerite cruise are two of the main operators of replica steamer boat trips from Ho Chi Minh City to Angkor. These smaller scale ships allow for greater access to narrow waterways and fishing villages. Their eight-day Mekong River Exploration trip is priced from approx 2000USD per person based on a twin share basis. This price includes hotel-to-ship transfers at the start and end of voyage, seven nights' accommodations in luxury, air-conditioned en-suite cabins with twin or double beds, English-speaking guides, all meals, non-alcoholic beverages, and admission fees to all sightseeing locations. Highlights of the trip include a traditional junk boat to explore evergreen islands and the former Imperial residence, An Kiet House; The National Museum with its display of Khmer crafts; and the 8th century Chenla Empire Wat Hanchey; the 12th century Angkorian temple of Wat Nokor; the twin holy mountains of Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei; and Tonle Sap with its prolific bird life and floating fishing villages. Please note that prices indicated on the Pandaw website are generally per cabin (except for single cabins), not per person. You can also purchase this cruiser through a number of Vietnam-based tour operators and on-sellers who professionally focus on cruise bookings
Refer at http://mekonghalongbaycruise.com or contact to Liz Mai who will always actively support you in choosing a right cruise trip on Halong bay (in North Vietnam) or Mekong Delta (in South Vietnam). Her email: sales@mekonghalongbaycruise.com or her cell: 84 (0) 915216661
Warmest greetings and special thanks for your consideration on our services so far.
We are the Sales Team of Vietnamholidaynow.com and Vietnamhalongbaycruise.com - both managed by Holiday Indochina Ltd., Co. We have been received valuable consideration and interests of Internet viewers from lauching dates of these websites and we are very happy and highly appreciate your responds
However, after several adjustments and changes in the modules on these websites, we considered these domains have not been most suitable with their content any longer. Then our Board of Director decided to carry out domain changes as follows:
All text content, travel services details and price which were posted on these websites keep unchanged. All requests in negotiation and/or being confirmed already are stayed remain. Should you have any question or concerns on your request or for further information on specified case, please feel free to contact to our Sales Team at: Sales@holidayindochina.com (for tour, packages or travel services in general ect.) or sales@mekonghalongbaycruise.com (for Halong and/or Mekong cruising trips) / Tel: 0084 - 43 - 6339577 / Hotline: 0084 - 915216661
From 20th September 2009, the email addresses of sales@vietnamholidaynow.com and sales@vietnamhalongbaycruise.com will be stopped their operation on our system. And from then on, Holiday Indochina Ltd., Co do not take any responsibility for information coming from these email addresses as well as these domains.
In parallel with the domains changes, Holiday Indochina's Sales Team commits to bring better changes in methods of services delivery to our current and potential customers.
Once again, thank you very much and we look forward to welcoming you soon in Vietnam and Indochina countries with our services. We are always at your services
The Mekong Delta became famous world wide during what locals call the anti-American War. The Delta is also famous for its floating markets which are typical of the Phung Hiep and the Cai Be. On arriving in the Delta, you can start the motorized boat to visit the Cai Be floating market, experience how people exchanging goods, fruit and many other commodities on their vessels.
Farmers from the region bring their goods, fruits and vegetables mainly, to the markets and sell them to local dealers. These dealers sell the products to shops in the neighboring towns and to wholesale dealers from the big towns. In the picture you can see a local farmer with fruits for sale. All big boats have a pole. Each wholesaler hangs the goods he buys/sells on this pole. This way, people on small boats know where they have to go from a certain distance. In this case, this is a floating vegetable supermarket. On the floating markets you do not only find people buying and selling goods, you also find floating restaurants, floating bars, floating gas stations, and many other floating shops. Canals are here the easiest and fastest way of transportation.
The biggest floating market in the Mekong Delta is the busy market of Phung Hiep. The market open at 4.00 am and are open till 11.00 am. To visit the floating market, you should stay in the Mekong Delta area, wake up early and take one of the boats first hour in the morning. If you do a one day excursion, the market will be already closed by the time you get here. On a typical day, you might see coconuts, mangoes, a heap of turtles, a box of snakes or even a pot-bellied pig being paddled from a riverside village to be haggled over in the floating market. Trading begins as early as 4.00 am, and by sunrise, the waterways are clogged with the sampans of marketeers and customers. Vendors of smaller items hoist a sample of their wares on a bamboo pole. Shoppers come by land and water, and as they stumble from boat to boat, they often interrupt their shopping to enjoy bowls of noodles prepared, rather alarmingly, on open fires in special ‘fast food’ sampans.
Cai Be, one of the many well-known floating markets in the western region of southern Vietnam was formed in the Nguyen Dynasty in the 19th century. The Cai Be Floating Market is always busy, bearing all the characteristics of the locals’ life in the western region. All the goods are transported to the market by rafts and boats.
The floating market lies in the Tien River, adjacent to three provinces of Tien Giang, Vinh Long and Ben Tre. The market is divided into two parts: buying and selling places. Rafts and boats are anchored along the two sides of the river for kilometres. Approximately 400 to 500 boats filled with fruits, vegetables, and other products are anchored along the banks of the river. The merchandise sold in each boat is hung on a pole in front of the boat to attract customers. From the floating market, goods are shifted for selling at inland markets or small boats take them for delivery along canals in the Plain of Reeds.
From three 3.00 am in the early morning, rafts and boats are crowded because Cai Be is one of the biggest wholesale markets in the region. Traders live on the river and some link their lives with boats like their mobile house for generations. Cai Be seems to be an inseparable part of their daily lives. On each boat, goods are hung on poles that are called dialectically “cay beo”. Hundreds of such poles point the sky wards. Boats also operate like “taxis,” very convenient for tourists around the region. Along the criss crossing canals, people in the Plain of Reeds take not only goods of each countryside to the Cai Be Floating Market but also their unique cultural characteristics, creating such a beautiful river painting.
