Phan Rang

Phan Rang is the favourite sister, and Thap Cham is very much the neglected step-sister - there is no place to stay there and few reasons to visit. You may pass through it on your way to Po Klong Garai Tower and you’ll see what we mean.
Vietnam Travel
Phan Rang is typical of the large town hubs that are found throughout Vietnam, providing a sizable central market and a variety of services useful to locals living in the region. It is often recommended as the place to stay if you’re interested in the surrounding sites, but wed couples recommend staying on Ninh Chu beach seven kilometres to the west rather than in town. Surrounding sites on offer include a few worthwhile Cham towers - in fact a lot of Cham people still live in the area - you’ll notice the men, in particular, going about their business wearing their traditional white headdresses. You can try impressing them with a greeting of saalam, rather than xin chao.

Other than the towers, we found Phan Rang to be a good stop for craft lovers - there are two Cham villages nearby, one specialising in weaving and the other in pottery - and it also serves as a base if you are interested in exploring beaches like Ca Na or Cam Ranh Bay. If you are a fan of dragon fruit, you’re in the right place - Phan Rang is said to grow the best in Vietnam.

Phan Rang is mostly clustered around Thong Nhat St which runs north-south. In the middle of town is the market, inside and behind an imposing white edifice. It would make sense to base yourself here, though we only found one place to stay in the area, and we found better places to eat near the rest of the accommodation, a kilometre to the south, past the roundabout. Head north out of town to reach the craft villages, Po Ro Me Tower, the Tra Cang Temple, and 32km from town, Ca Na (Vinh Hao is another 21km further). Head south on Thong Nhat St and take a right for Ninh Chu beach and a left to get to the Po Klong Garai Cham Tower.

Source: Vietnam Travel

Son La

Son La belongs to North-West Vietnam, shares border with Yen Bai, Lao Cai, Lai Chau provinces in the north, Dien Bien Province on the west, Phu Tho and Hoa Binh provinces in the east and Laos in the south. The province has many mountains, rivers and mineral sources. Abundant water supply is suitable tohydroelectricity. Moc Chau Plateau is an ideal place to breed milk cow, plant tea and fruit. Annual average temperature is about 21ºC. The weather is cold, dry in winter and hot in summer.

Tourism Vietnam Travel
Son La owns following interesting sites. Son La Former prison and Museum preserves revolutionary remains and exhibits precious objects introducing the historical and cultural traditions of the 12 ethnic groups living in Son La. Stretching out 150m long, Tham Tet Toong Cave is a wonder of nature. Along the walls of the cave, there are numerous stalactites and stalagmites. Ban Hin (Hin ethnic minority hamlet) is marked by the traditions and culture of the Thai. There, tourists enjoy drinking ruou can and watching xoe dance by Thai women. Then visitors like to go to Yen Chau Site to try special bananas, longans and mangoes. In 2nd lunar month, when ban flowers begins to blossom, coloring the mountains in white, Thai ethnic group held Hoa Ban Festival. Boys and girls go flower picking to celebrate the spring and entertain themselves by singing, playing tinh and khen flute, dancing xoe.

Transportation:
Son La connects Hoa Binh by National Highway No. 6, Yen Bai by Highway No.37, Lao Cai by Higway No.279. Son La Town is 328km from Hanoi. In Na San Airport, Vietnam Airlines has daily flight from Hanoi to Son La.

Source:Vietnam Travel

Muong Lay

Muong Lay is situated on high mountainous region in the North West of Vietnam, northern of Da River. Its neighbors are Yunna (China) on the north, Laos on the west, Lao Cai Province on the north-east, Dien Bien, Son La provinces on the south.A range of mountain following Northern West - Southern East makes up the terrain. The Pu Sa Leng point is 3,096m in height. There are sloping mountains, hill, valley, plateau, spring alternately. Falls and waterfalls with high flow are potential of hydroelectricity in Lai Chau.

Climate:
Belong to tropical monsoon zone; the climate of Muong Lay is divided into two seasons: rainy season and dry season. The annual average temperature is 21ºC - 23ºC.

Tourism:
Tourists are interested in custom of ethnic groups in Sin Ho Village or Tam Duong Townlet. They are also fond of other sites such as: Tien Son Cave, Muong Lay Spring.

Transportation:
The transportation is mainly by road. National Highway No.12 connects Dien Bien Phu City to Ma Lu Thang Border Gate crossing Lai Chau, and National Highway No.4D links Lai Chau with Sapa Townlet. Lai Chau Town is 406km from Hanoi.

Source: Vietnam travel

My Son Sanctuary

My Son, located 69 km southwest of Danang, was an imperial city during the Cham dynasty, between the 4th and 12th centuries. My Son Sanctuary is a large complex of religious relics that comprises more than 70 architectural works.

They include temples and towers that connect to each other with complicated red brick designs. The main component of the Cham architectural design is the tower, built to reflect the divinity of the king. According to records on the stone stele, the prime foundation of the ancient My Son architectural complex was a wooden temple to worship the Siva Bhadresvera genie. In the late 16th century, a big fire destroyed the temple. Step by step, historical mysteries were unveiled by scientists. Through stone stele and royal dynasties, they proved My Son to be the most important Holy Land of the Cham people from the late 4th to the 15th centuries. For many centuries, the Cham built Lip, a mutually linked architectural complex, with baked bricks and sandstone. The main temple worships the Linga-Yoni, who represents the capability of invention. Beside the main tower (Kalan) are several sub-towers worshipping Genies or deceased kings. Although time and the wars have destroyed some towers, the remaining sculptural and architectural remnants still reflect the style and history of the art of the Cham people. Their masterpieces mark a glorious time for the architecture and culture of the Cham, as well as of Southeast Asia.

Each historical period has its own identity, so that each temple worshipping a genie or a king of a different dynasty has its own architectural style full of different impression. All of the Cham towers were built on a quadrate foundations and each comprises three parts: a solid tower base, representing the world of human beings, the mysterious and sacred tower body, representing the world of spirits, and the tower top built in the shape of a man offering flowers and fruits or of trees, birds, animals, etc., representing things that are close to the spirits and human beings.

According to many researchers of the ancient Cham towers, the architectural art of the Cham towers at My Son Sanctuary is the convergence of different styles, including the continuity of the ancient style in the 7th-8th centuries, the Hoa Lai style of the 8th-9th centuries, the Dong Duong style from the mid-9th century, the My Son and My Son-Binh Dinh styles, etc. Among the remnants of many architectural sites excavated in 1898, a 24 metres high tower was found in the Thap Chua area and coded A I by archaeologists and researchers on My Son. This tower is a masterpiece of ancient Cham architecture. It has two doors, one in the east and the other in the west. The tower body is high and delicate with a system of paved pillars; six sub-towers surround the tower. This two storey tower looks like a lotus flower. The top of the upper layer is made of sandstone and carved with elephant and lion designs. In the lower layer, the walls are carved with fairies and water evils and men riding elephants. Unfortunately, the tower was destroyed by US bombs in 1969

After the My Son ancient tower complex was discovered, many of its artifacts, especially statues of female dancers and genies worshipped by the Cham people, worship animals and artifacts of the daily communal activities, were collected and displayed at the Cham Architecture Museum in Danang city. Although there are not many remnants left, those that remain display the typical sculptural works of cultural value of the Cham nationality. Furthermore, they are vivid proof, confirming the history of a nationality living within the Vietnamese community boasting of a rich cultural tradition.

Source:Vietnam Travel

About ODC Travel

vns Travel commenced its operation in Vietnam since 1997 and has been expanding up till now. Since then we have carved out a name for ourselves as a reputable provider of quality tours at affordable prices in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos to travelers throughout the world.

Over the last ten years, we are always proud of providing quality travel services including tour programs, visa services, ticketing services, hotel reservations, transportations and other services to travelers in Vietnam as well as in Indochina. From the beginning, we have established very good relationship with local suppliers and nationwide and international hotel networks.

Moreover, we also equipped ourselves high standard facilities such as cars, bicycles, kayaks and cruise in order to supply increasing travel need of travelers at the most negotiated rate and quality standard.

With our over forty professional, knowledgeable and enthusiastic staffs, our team is a diverse group of men and women who share a deep commitment to our unique style of travel to provide you with the holiday experience of a lifetime. They are not simply “couriers” who travel with you, but professionals who understand local history and culture and with a passion for their work.

Traveling with ODC Travel, we know how to listen to, to advise and to offer you, let you travel on the right side with unforgettable memories.

Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta covers an area of 67,000 square km in the Southernmost region of Vietnam and often referred to as Vietnam’s rice basket, is the biggest rice –growing region in the country, the rich alluvial soils producing 3 harvests a year and delta products include coconut, sugar cane, fruit and fish.

Mekong Delta is periodically flood so the traditional transport station is by boat, along a vast network of canals. A cruise along these canals with their floating market always proves to be a fascinating and rewarding experience for travelers.

Off the eastern coast of the delta in the Gulf of Thailand, nearer Cambodia than Vietnam, is the island of Phu Quoc, the largest island in Vietnam and is also called the Emerald Island because of its natural treasures and infinite tourism potential. The island is well known throughout Vietnam for the production of black pepper and its fish sauce.

Floating Market

Floating markets are held every morning from 5:00 to about 11:00. Phung Hiep market is the biggest since it is located at the intersection of 7 major canals. It is also a photographers delight because it can be seen above from a bridge. Cai Rang and Phong Dien are two other notable floating markets in the delta.

Boats loaded with produce from nearby orchards of the Mekong Delta converge to the floating market. They carry mostly fruits but also coconuts, vegetables and fishes.Buyers are local traders with bigger boats snapping everything by the bushels and resell at local markets or to wholesale dealers from big cities, often for a handsome profit. Large floating markets are not complete without its floating restaurants, floating gas stations and an occasional tour boat filled with tourists.

Source:Vietnam Travel

Da Lat

Dalat is located in the Lam Dong Province - Tay Nguyen region, 300 km from Ho Chi Minh City and 200 km from Nha Trang. Situated at 1,500 m above sea level, Dalat has a cool climate. The annual average temperature is 18oC. The population is mainly composed of Kinh people, along with Kho Mu, Ma, Hoa, Nung, Tay, and Chu Ru ethnic minorities.

The city is decorated with a vast variety of flowers. Beautiful flowers such as rhododendron, cherry, mimosa, hydrangea, rose, daisy, and dahlia are all grown here. Dalat offers an harmonious combination of natural scenery and historical sites.

Lam Dong is the third and the largest plateau province on the Central Highlands. It is also the highest province lying on a plain the average height of which is about 1,500 meters above sea level. Lam Dong is a forest province with forest coverage accounting for 70 per cent of the total area. The mountain resort town of Dalat is the capital of Lam Dong. The climate Dalat boasts is that of a temperate zone. Few places in the tropical Vietnam have been endowed with that gift.

More than 50 years ago Dalat has become famous for its favorable climatic conditions which are very useful for rehabilitation purpose. Perches on a plain 1,500 meters above sea level, Dalat offers an average temperature of about 10oC in winter time and 20oC in summer. Meteorologists have rated Dalat the city of ever lasting spring due to its favorable climatic conditions.
Thanks to the warm weather the whole city of Dalat is a great garden of flower in blossom the year round. Dalat is also famous for its expanse of pine forests and many beautiful waterfalls and lakes.

This is a natural lake enlarged by a French - built dam. The lake is six kilometers to the north east of the city. It is situated on top of a high hill covered with pine forests. The lake-scape looks very poetic with the vast and tranquil water surface being compared to a human being in meditation. Standing on the edge of the lake visitors can see a small earth path running towards the forests. The only sound that can be heard comes from the pine forests where the path disappears. The continuous sound from the forests make ones think of repeated sighs from an invisible human being. The existence of the lake has been surrounded with many love stories and legends with sorrowful endings when the heroines always drowned themselves in the lake to keep forever their true love they had once enjoyed. One legend has it that Mai Nuong and Hoang Tung met here in 1788 while he was hunting and she picking mushrooms. They fell in love and sought their parents permission to mrry. But at that time Vietnam was threatened by a Chinese invasion and Hoang Tung, heeding Emperor Quang Trungs call-to-arms, joined the army without waiting to tell Mai Nuong. Unaware that he had gone to war and afraid that his absence meant that he was no longer in love with her, Mai Nuong sent words to Hoang Tung to meet her at the lakeside. When he did not turn up she was overcome with sorrow and, to prove her love to him, threw herself into the conveniently located lake and drowned. Thereafter, the lake has been known as the Lake of Sighs. Dalat has three magnificent and big palaces which are always referred to as Palace 1, Palace 2 and Palace 3. The architectural designs for the three places are made to French design. They were built on top of the hills which are located in beautiful natural surroundings. The places are accessible through long flights of brick steps for walk and gently descending paths for cars. The path is completely covered with broad canopy of pine trees.

Palace 1 and Palace 2 were owned by French high ranking officials during the French domination of Vietnam more than 40 years ago. The third and last palace was owned by the last king of the Nguyen Dynasty, Bao Dai. Interior arrangement of the palace is open to public viewing. There remain some pictures and photographs of the king, the queen and their princes and princesses.

Source: Vietnam Travel