Phong Tho
Phong Tho is around 8 hours from Dien Bien Phu. This is in quite a remote area and as a result some of the roads will be fairly rough and uneven as a result of which there will be fewer tourists along the way to spoil views of the beautiful and dramatic scenery along the way. Phong Tho's local market is becoming popular with visitors that make the extra effort getting here, as it is one of the most colourful markets in Vietnam.
Hai Phong
Hai Phong City, an urban maritime centre, is one of the largest areas for tourism in Vietnam. The city is situated on the coast of the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean. It is a large port located near a major international maritime line, and for hundreds of years, the Chinese, Japanese, French, Spanish and Portuguese have been coming here to trade. At the present time, Hai Phong is a trade centre, an ancient industrial city and an important communications hub.
Ha Long Bay
Halong literally means descending dragon and legend has it that an enormous dragon caused the phenomenon of Halong Bay by thrashing it's tail against the earth, creating the huge bays before descending into the sea. Another legend says that actually the giant limestone rocks themselves are dragons, protecting Vietnam from hostile invaders. Certainly from a historical point of view the bay has played an important part in protecting the country from foreign aggressors. On at least two occasions the Vietnamese repelled marauding Chinese fleets near here. The second naval battle was fought in 1288 by Vietnam's legendary General Tran Hung Dao who successfully sunk Kubilai Khan's mongol fleet. His cunning plan involved submerging wooden stakes in the nearby Bach Dang River and luring the Chinese ships into the trap where they were later scuppered.
You can visit the Hang Dau Go cave where it is believed the General stored his wooden stakes immediately prior to the battle. Halong Bay is an impressive collection of over 3,000 islands covering an area in excess of 1,500 km in the Gulf of Tonkin, 170km east of Hanoi. The bay was formed as a result of millions of years of erosion on the limestone rocks. Then when the last ice age finished, the seas rose as the glaciers melted, flooding the entire area transforming hills into the islands we see today. The bay is dotted with literally hundreds of secluded bays, lagoons and coral beaches making it an ideal location for tourists to explore. Now it is a major tourist attraction and recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.
Ngoc Vung
Ngoc Vung Island is soil covered and 12 sq.km in area, it is located 34km to south east of the Tourist Wharf. Surrounding the island are many beautiful sandbanks. The 182m high Van Xuan Mountain stands in the middle of the island and there is an ancient village about 4,500 m2 in area, which belonged to Ha Long Culture. To the north is Cong Yen Culvert Island which was an ancient port in the trading area of Van Don in the 11th and 12th centuries and there are the remains of ancient ramparts from the Tran and Nguyen Dynasties.
Quan Lan
Quan Lan is located 35km to the south east of Cam Pha Town. In the 11th century, this island was a bustling and important centre for trade in Viet Nam. Besides, there is a complex of historical vestiges to be found on it such as: ancient communal houses, pagodas, shrines and trade ports. Especially, Quan Lan Village Festival is typical of the old festivals and is held annually from the 10th to the 26th of June according to the lunar calendar, involving a boating competition.
Sapa & the Northern Highlands
Sapa is a charming former French hill-station, created during the 1920's so that Hanoi's colonial residents could escape from the stifling summer heat in the plains. At an altitude of 1,650m Sapa boasts warm days and cool evenings. Nowadays it is still a popular destination due to its beautiful scenery and colorful ethnic people.
Situated in the country's northwest in an area still referred to as the Tonkinese Alps, Sapa is reached via a winding 40km road from the town of Lao Cai. The drive provides a taste of what is to come as the road winds its way up through some breath-taking scenery. Lush rice-terraced valleys and mountains covered in pine trees tower over the ethnic minority villages nestled below.
The valleys surrounding Sapa are home to several of Vietnam's 54 ethnic minority groups, each with their own distinctive dress, customs and dialects. These tribes can all be seen at the weekend market in Sapa town to trade with one another as well as the growing number of tourists who make the journey up from Hanoi on the overnight train.
The various ethnic peoples here are relatively easy to identify due to their particular attire. For example the H'mong wear dark clothing, usually blue or black. The dye is fashioned from the indigo or hemp plant that is native to the area. H'mong women wear long aprons with embroidered waistcoats and have their hair rolled up into a turban-like hat, whilst the men wear a black skullcap, long waistcoat and loose trousers.
Another equally distinctive minority are the Dao (pronounced Zao). Dao women are particularly striking as they shave their hair and eyebrows and wear a large red turban often covered with old coins or jewelry.
Apart from its fascinating ethnic diversity, Sapa is also renowned for its trekking. With Vietnam's highest peak, Mt. Fansipan (3,143m) only 9km away the valleys and mountains provide the perfect backdrop for some great treks. Some of the villages now have local homestays where you can overnight with a family in their traditional home.
