Intrepid travelers across Vietnam are stepping out of their stuffy offices and fleeing the noisy, crowded city for a taste of life on the farm.
Farm Tours in the Mekong Delta have taken off, with weary city dwellers opting to enjoy the quiet, space and freshness of the rice paddies alongside local farmers.
Mu Cang Chai, lying at the foot of the Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range in Yen Bai Province about 350 kilometers from Hanoi and 1,000 meters above sea level, is one of the poorest mountainous regions in Vietnam and is home to many terraced fields which have been recognized as a national heritage and as Asia’s most beautiful terraced fields.
Mai Chau is 130km northwest of Hanoi. Tourists can take a car to Highway 6 from Hanoi to Hoa Binh City and then continue going about 70km along Son La Road to the first intersection behind the mountain range, then turn left onto Vang Street and going about 5km further to Mai Chau Valley.
Demand for the tourism type of "chadventure" which combines adventurous tours and charitable activities or voluntary works has been on the rise worldwide, even pushing several tour operators to join hands with non-government organisations for the development of the tours. Vietnam should grasp the trend for the tourism development this year.
Ba Be Lake, which is called the green pearl amidst Tay Bac Forest and has been recognized as a national forest reserve area, is suggested as a must-visit destination for those who want to flee the heat, smoke and busy city life to relax in nature. Those who once drift on Ba Be Lake can not forget the splendid surroundings and daily activities of the ethnic Tay people living along the lake.
Vietnam isn’t known for its flower markets, but maybe it should be.Early each morning, the streets around Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake are the site of small, slow flower parades. Vendors circle the lake on bicycles full of roses, lotuses, daisies and many other flowers.
Diving is a must for sea loving tourists when travelling to the coastal city of Nha Trang, tourists said to each others. Beside Mun Island, a place famous for diving service in Nha Trang, Monkey Island is also ideal for this exciting sports.
Tra Su forest in Tien Bien district of An Giang province, Vietnam, is more attractive destination for tourists who love the beauty of nature.
This forest is also home to over 100 species of wildlife in Vietnam, some are extinction of animals in the world.
In some parts of the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta, one can see the amazing sight of westerners and other foreigners wading in swamps and mud, foraging for shellfish and picking waterlilies.
But not to many farmers in the area – not only are they used to this but also spread their arms to welcome these people into their homes.
Tan Quy Dong Flower Village, located in Sadec Town in the Mekong Delta’s Dong Thap Province, is busy in the peak flower-growing season to brace for the coming Tet holiday.