Top 3 foods in Ha Giang

Top 3 foods in Ha Giang
Shan Tuyet Tea in Ha Giang
Ha Giang is one of the provinces has the oldest Shan tea area in the country. From the early 20th century, the French investigates tea in Ha Giang and take attention to the ancient highland tea. It is Shan tea with big leaves, many snow-white hair covered buds and have good quality. So that people called Shan tuyet. SONG XANH CRUISE

In the natural forests of Ha Giang, Shan Tuyet tea grown mixed with other forest trees. In Ha Giang, Shan Tuyet tea located throughout most of the districts in which the ancient tea areas have 300-1000meters height. So far, some areas of province has highly specific for the an ecological tea such as: Lung Phin, Phin Ho, Tham Ve, Bo Duot,… that represents the oldest tea area of Vietnam. This is the local that produces the famous Shan Tuyet tea. The reputation of Shan Tuyet tea conquered not only the consumers but also the connoisseurs in enjoying tea. North Vietnam travel Packages

The Shan Tuyet tea in Ha Giang can be divided into two main types, there are: small Shan tea leaves, tea in Lung Phin with typical characteristics as raspberry or candle shape. Raspberry shape tea has a small leaf tea is less than candle shape tea. In addition to the perennial tea, Ha Giang still grows tea in the lowland. Paradise Cruise

Ha Giang Dried Buffalo

Dried buffalo is special food in the meals of Black Thai. This meat is usually made from muscle of buffaloes and cows freely on the northwest mountains. When making it, people cut meat into pieces with the grain then smoked by charcoal from the mountains. With the dried buffalo, the flavor of smoke is almost intact. The processing techniques are traditional secret but products are quite homogeneous. People use some spices such as pepper, ginger, especially “mac khen”- a type of forest pepper of Northwest upland ethnic minorities.

Ha Giang Dried Buffalo

You can contemplate the spices in each meat. Dried meat still retains the flavor characteristics, especially, the sweetness of the meat. When people often shred with the grain, it can eat immediately or use with corn wine. This dish is made completely natural, so it can reserve about 1 month.

 Today, cultural exchange scale between ethnic people becomes more and more develop, dried buffalo not only is the dish of the Thai but also follows the guests to nationwide. Therefore, the method to enjoy this dish is different and depends on each place.

If the Thai often enjoys their special dish instead of eating foods, especially on the rain, floods or lack of food… but now, this dish can be served with hot pot or baking dish. However, the unique flavor of buffalo meat only intact when taken directly from the kitchen, still smell of smoke, spicy peppers, flavor of “khac men”.

HA GIANG STONE BRYOPHYTE

For many years, bryophyte is regarded as the aquatic without effects. However, ethnic people in Xuan Giang commune, Ha Giang province, bryophyte is considered as special food. The food is made from it called “que”. This is not only delicious dish but also good for health.

According to local people, when looking bryophyte, they usually choose the fresh and great bryophyte. Then, it is cleaned and then is processed into many dishes. The bryophyte exists in 7 days, when it grows up to 3-4 days people should pick up right away.

Good bryophyte is less and it can eat depend on season, so it is precious dish. Bryophyte can be processed into many dishes such as fried bryophyte, dried bryophyte but the most unique dish is bryophyte mixed with spices and then grilled.

When grill, people cannot turn it several times but grill one side then grill the other. Since bryophyte dish depends on season people often make dried bryophyte. Special customers are eaten the special dish: dried bryophyte. Grilled bryophyte not only is favorite food of ethnic people but also can cure many diseases, help blood circulation, detoxification, heat stability, blood stability and strengthening resistance.

The Perfume Pagoda

One of the most popular excursions on the outskirts of Hanoi is The Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong). The Perfume Pagoda, contrary to what its name may indicate, is a set of pagodas and Buddhist temples located 70 kilometres south-west of Hanoi, on top of the mountain of the Perfume (Ha Tay Province). In addition to being one of the most famous spiritual places of Vietnam, the Perfume Pagoda is a natural with views and incredible landscapes. North Vietnam tours Packages

Tour of the Perfume Pagoda

To get to the Perfume Pagoda, we have to take a bus from Hanoi, which usually takes 2 hours to reach the Jetty Ben Duc. Once on the Jetty we will have to mount them on a metal red boats pushed by oars, with capacity for 6 people, which will lead us through the Yen saw River until reaching the foot of the mountain of the Perfume (Huong Son). Halong Indochina Sails cruise

The Perfume Pagoda is located in the interior of a cave to the top of the mountain of the Perfume, to be able to access it well can climb a long and steep staircases road (4 km, usually takes 1 hour) take the cableway that will leave us at the top of the mountain (option we recommend) where will begin our visit the pagodastemples and caves that make up the tour by the Perfume Pagoda. PANDAW CRUISE MEKONG

The Embarcadero Ben Duc

Although you can go directly overland from Hanoi up the same mountain of Perfume, no doubt recommend stop at the Jetty Ben Duc and take a rowing boat. Price round the 2€ per person but worth it, since it is one of the most beautiful and peaceful areas of all visit parts.

The Perfume Pagoda

In Ben Duc wharf have wooden boats and boats painted metallic red. Each barge has a number that we have to aim if we use the same boat to return from the Perfume Pagoda. In the boats usually fit 6 people and the river walk Yen Vi 45 minutes.

As a curiosity, we know that in 1998 he tried to replace these boats rowing by motor boats in order to transport tourists and visitors faster. Fortunately this initiative did not prosper and today we can enjoy a peaceful and quiet ride.

The Rio Yen Vi

To reach the mountain of Perfume will have to navigate the 4 kilometers of the River Yen Vi (or River Yen), a gentle river surrounded by Karst formations in the style of Tam Coc punctuated by a landscape of green grass, rice fields and crops of medicinal herbs. Usually be delayed one hour to travel the river, to which must be added the same time to return.

The Mountain Cableway Perfume

After landing the Yen saw River, we have an 4 km climb to the top of the mountain of the Perfume, this ancient road is of Earth and stones that added to the tropical climate of Vietnam will make dent in our legs. As an alternative, by a price 2€ / way can you ride the cable car that climbs in less than 5 minutes to the top of Perfume mountain, more than option recommended since not everyone is able to climb the steps of 4 kilometers from the River to the Perfume Pagoda temples complex.

For those have minimal physical condition, we recommend you go up to the Perfume Pagoda by cable car and walk down the road, which offer spectacular views of the area.

The first temples that make up the Perfume Pagoda dating from the 17TH century, built by a Buddhist monk who was in search of spiritual enlightenment. During the following years, due to the beauty of the place, we were adding new buildings and pagodas, of says that in this place there were more than a thousand temples, but after the indochina war against the French, many of them were destroyed.

Although they needed several days to visit this vast place, highlights from the Perfume Pagoda are Den Trinh shrine, Thien Tru pagoda, the Pagoda Hinh Bong, Giai Oan Pagoda, the Thanh Son Pagoda, Huong Tich cave and the temples Long Van, Cay Khe, Tuyet Son y Mau Me.

Recommendations to visit the Perfume Pagoda

The visit to the Perfume Pagoda vary much if we go when turnout is low or if instead visited the resort in high season.

At the Perfume Pagoda is the busiest time during festivals (usually between February and March) and also during the lunar new year (Tet Festival). If you visit this place during those dates, must be taken into account that we will share with thousands of people visit (some years figures of 60,000 people has been achieved).

If possible, we recommend you visit the Perfume Pagoda outside these dates or during weekdays, in order to enjoy this spiritual place without crowds (in the following photos have the Perfume Pagoda a day with few people and one day maximum number of visitors during festivals).

As a final recommendation does not hurt to bring an umbrella or parasol to protect us from the sun during the boat ride on the Yen Vi river, especially in the summer months.

Our walk along the River Yen saw ends at the Den Trinh shrine which is the start of our visit to the Perfume Pagoda. The literal translation of this place is the sanctuary of the presentations, where the tradition instructs burn sticks of incense to the gods of our presence and that we granted good luck for the road that begins.

This sanctuary also called Temple Den Trinh, is nothing more than a striking stone structure equipped with two heights with 5 arches in on the floor below and a note, at both ends of the door have statues of elephants.

Thien Tru Pagoda

After a visit to the Den Trinh shrine the next stop before ascending to the top of the mountain of the Perfume is the Thien Tru Pagoda, also called Pagoda Chua Nhãn (outer pagoda). The literal translation of Thien Tru is the kitchen of the sky, from name of Vietnamese legend and imagination in which the rocks of the mountain resemble a Cook working in your kitchen. Perhaps this natural enclave surrounded by rocks and green forests not resembles a kitchen, and a chef, but the beauty of the place anyone can put it in doubt.

The Thien Tru Pagoda was built in the 18th century by Emperor Le Thanh Tong, made of brick and fitted with decorative curved roofs who remember to the Temple of Literature Hanoi.

Destroyed and subsequently rebuilt in 2 occasions, the highlight of this Pagoda which is one of the many temples of the Perfume Pagoda complex, is a monolith of granite called Tower Thuy Tien is located in the middle of the courtyard of this Pagoda, in that same courtyard have other sculptures with the shape of dragons, etc... Although one of the most photographed spots of this Pagoda is the exterior door, 2 heights with 3 arches on each height from which we can see the Pagoda.

For those travelers who want to spend the night at the Perfume Pagoda, near Thien Tru Pagoda of small lodges can be found and places to sleep.

Tien Son Cave

A few meters from the Pagoda Thien Tru Tien Son cave, famous for his 5 sculptures in granite and suggestive ways to the walls of the cave we have. These battered walls being sound like a traditional percussion instrument Vietnamese called Khanh, whose sound resembles the sound of a Bell.

Huong Tich Cave (Cave of Perfume) and Perfume Pagoda

One of the most interesting parts of the visit to the Perfume Pagoda is the Huong Tich cave (also called Cave of the perfume), discovered thousands of years ago (the Vietnamese say that this cave is similar to the mouth of a dragon). We descend 120 stone steps from the main road to gain access to the inside of the cave of the Perfume, which contains the well-known Perfume Pagoda, main pagoda of the complex with a very striking altar, several statues of Buddha and other historical characters and also a 1.24 bronze Bell meters height.

The highlight of this cave is an inscription engraved on the rock dating from the year 1700 which says the cave more beautiful under the sky of the Southeast.
The interior of the Huong Tich cave is filled with stalactites and stalagmites, where Vietnamese have been giving names based on forms that evoke these elements, this mode can find stalactites shaped rice plant, forms that resemble children, trees of gold and silver, etc...

Popular beliefs are still many couples who have no children to this place for the birth of your firstborn pray.

A curious fact about the entrance to the cave entrance Perfume is that this is said to find the way to heaven, you have to go down the road to hell, referring to the stone steps and entrance ways suggestive of cave.

The Perfume Pagoda

We have the Perfume Pagoda in Huong Tich cave inside. The cave, which is 50 meters high is lit by the rays of Sun that enter from the main entrance and also by the lights of candles to the pilgrims and believers left in place. The altar of the Perfume Pagoda, known for his sculptures of Buddha.

If we are lucky during our visit to the Perfume Pagoda perhaps we are making offerings to Buddhist monks, praying with incense sticks and singing hymns in honor of Buddha.

This place in Vietnam, Perfume Pagoda, is the scene of many legends, popular songs and place of inspiration for poets, philosophers, writers, painters and all kinds of artists.
Recommendations to visit Huong Tich Cave

Inside the cave often cold, so we recommend you bring warm clothes and especially not enter directly if you have traveled the way up to the mountain of Perfume walking, because the sudden temperature change can play tricks.

Festivals in Perfume Pagoda

The Perfume Pagoda is a perigranacion of the Vietnamese people during the first months of the lunar calendar (February to March) coming en masse to pray and make offerings to have luck and prosperity in the year that begins.
Traditionally a Vietnamese pilgrims can spend 3 days touring and praying for all the temples of the complex of the Perfume Pagoda.

The most important festival, called the Perfume Pagoda festival is held on 15 to 20 of the second month of the lunar calendar. This place also hosts other celebrations during the first day of the lunar year (Tet Festival) and also the 6 day of the first month of the lunar calendar. These dates mean celebrations during the months of February and March.

As a curiosity, we know that this festival is a popular place for young people to find a partner because legend has it that this magical place is the ideal place to begin a romance.

The Perfume Pagoda is located 70 kilometers southwest of Hanoi in Ha Tay province.

Traversing to the Perfume Pagoda

Best to go to the Perfume Pagoda is to hire an excursion at any tourist office in Hanoi (in the old town there are many agencies). The average price for a whole day trip round the 30€, it is important to look at the price includes the entrance to the cable car.

If we want to go to the Perfume Pagoda for free, we will have to take a bus from Hanoi to Ben Duc Wharf, if on the other hand we don't want to make the boat trip along the River Yen saw (walk that we recommend you do), you should take a bus from Hanoi to the perfume mountain. From the center of Hanoi, take the bus No. 1 to Ha Dong (Ha Ðong) and take the bus No. 75 to perfume (Chùa Huong) pagoda.

The displacement bike or ride to the Perfume Pagoda not recommended, since the pier Ben Duc have to park the bike in a secure place and also because the road through the village Van Dinh is not very comfortable. The taxi to the Perfume Pagoda is very expensive compared to the price of an organized tour or a bus for free.

The entrance to the Perfume Pagoda is free, the ticket to the cable car costs 2€ / way and boat trip along the River Yen saw costs 2€.

Everything about traveling Can Tho

As the centre city of Mekong Delta region, Can Tho is one of the most attractive and interesting destinations in the region as it gathers the most featuring beauties of a water land along Mekong River tours Vietnam
Everything about traveling Can Tho
Time to travel
With favorable weather condition, you can come to visit Can Tho any time in year. However, visiting in summer is the best chance to enjoy delicious fruits. South Vietnam tours
How to travel
There are 2 means of transports which can travel to Can Tho
Airline: there are 2 airlines opening the flight Hanoi- Can Tho
Vietnam Airlines: the price of return tickets are from $114 USD to $214 USD. Besides, there are other flights from Can Tho to Phu Quoc and Con Dao Islands.
Vietjet Air: the price of return tickets are from $85 USD to $130 USD for the flight Hanoi- Can Tho. Moreover, the Da Nang-Can Tho flights are also available from July 2014.
Bus: From Ho Chi Minh City or other province on the South, you can take a bus/coach and get to Can Tho in few hours. The price ticket is very reasonable.
Accommodation
Can Tho is a big city of Vietnam. Thereafore, you should not worry about where to stay because there are plenty of hotels in the city. Besides, you can choose to homestay at the orchards which is a very interesting experience. Indochina Sails cruise

What to eat
Fish paste hot pot: it is the most featuring food in Can Tho. The hot pot is the mixture of many kinds of seafood such as fish, shrimp, squid and other local herbs. Especially, the broth of the hot pot contains fish sauce and coconut milk, which makes it different from other hot pot.
Xeo Cake: one of the famous street foods in Vietnam. And in Can Tho, the special things in this cake are its stuffs inside (including chicken, river shrimp, duck meat, sesbania sesban, etc. It is also served with various species of vegetable and herbs.
Everything about traveling Can Tho
Ca loc nuong trui (grilled snakehead fish): one of the most idyllic and delicious food of the Mekong Delta region. The way to make it is very easy but also requiring a skillful hand. The grilled fishes are put on banana leaves, removed the black burning layer outside to expose the interesting part inside. The food is eaten with various fresh herbals and vegetables as well as tamarind fish sauce.
Grilled snail with pepper: it is simple-made but really amazing street food.
What to see

Everything about traveling Can Tho

Cai Rang floating market
Everything about traveling Can Tho
Cai Rang floating market is one among three biggest ones in Can Tho. It opens all day but busiest from the sunrise to 9:00AM. In the river area of about 1km length, there are hundred boats and canoes gathering together, selling and buying diversified products, from local agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood to other services such as foods, coffee, drinks,… Visiting this special market, you can get to know the amazing cultural aspects of southerners.
The best time to visit Cai Rang is from 6 AM to 8 AM every morning, except for Tet Holiday and Doan Ngo Festival (5th in the fifth months of Lunar Calendar). From city centre, you can take motorbike taxi or taxi to Cai Rang wharf, then take a boat to visit the floating market.
Bang Lang stork sanctuary
It is the gathering address of thousands storks in every afternoon. There are 11 different kinds of flork such as fly stork, egret, heron, pelican, woodpecker, etc. Watching thousands of storks flying around and gather in the garden is very exotic scenery. The Bang Lang stork sanctuary is located in Thoi Thuan Ward, Thot Not District.
Orchards: like other provinces in the Mekong Delta, Can Tho has a lot of orchards with many kinds of fruits, especially the ones in Phong Dien and Tan Loc district. Walking under incredible trees full of fruits and pick them by yourself and eat them right away are wonderful experience.
My Khanh ecotourism village
Built in 1996 in a nice position between Cai Rang and Phong Dien floating market, My Khanh is an ecological complex, containing various services and green space. You can enjoy the beauty of Southern countryside with water, green mangrove forests and peaceful surrounding. There are many interesting services in here that you can join such as fishing, rowing, exploring the life of ancient landlords and farmers or joining traditional games. You also have chance to enjoy special ancient foods of the South.
Binh Thuy ancient house
Everything about traveling Can Tho
Located in Long Tuyen ancient village, the ancient house are very unique in architecture, beautiful in narutal scenery (lying along Can Tho River) and valuable in history and culture. It was built in 19th century; with the architecture is the combination of Orient and Western style.