Yacht under Rach Mieu Brige watching the architecture

The guides of Ham Luong Tourist Co. Ltd., Ben Tre Tourism Joint Stock Company, Mien Tay Tourism, South Mekong Tourism, Bao Duyen Tourism and other travel company of Ben tre pick up passengers in HCM city or Tien Giang or Ben Tre.

Along the National Road 60 the coach takes you through Rach Mieu Bridge – A cable-suspension bridge 2.878m long, connecting the two banks of Tien Giang, Ben Tre … Cars land the wharf and boats take you through clusters of Islet such as Long – Lan – Qui – Phung watching, Rach Mieu bridge from the boat, through the formidable localities Rach Gam – Xoai Mut, exloring the raft-fish villages in the river, the vast water coconut forests, visiting coconut candy workshop – Ben Tre specialties and craft producers along the Tien river bank. Boats take you to the garden tourist site to enjoy fruit, honey, amateurish traditional music, visiting the handicrafts from coconut by artisans with unique hands and innovative-impressive designs to put out hundreds of different items from coconut shell and coconut trees ... Tourists will eat lunch at Con Phung restaurant or at the tourist communes along the Tien River in Chau Thanh district, Ben Tre province. To rest, visit Dao Dua relie. And continue to explore the small canals worming the way in to the water coconut forest by rowing boat. Then to the carriage station riding to enjoy the journey ashore by the horses running clanging on the village road of Ben Tre.

Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary

Vam Ho at Tan My commune, Ba Tri district, Ben Tre city about 54 km, located on the right bank of the Ba Lai River, an area 68 hectares, is the coastal estuary ecosystems, typical of mangrove forests.

Here, there are 84 species of resident birds such as ibis, heron flies, white storks, night herons, white chest, water-hen, tailorbird, boucal, black drongo, crow, so on … Wild animal black mink, weasels, … reptiles are snakes, pythons, lizards, turtles, … inside the bird sanctuary is a system of interlaced canals so there are many shrimps fish, mainly goby, crab, crayfish … Coming here, tourists go boating down Ba Lai river, watching the vast water coconut forest. When the sun is about to set, it’s time hundreds of thousands of birds storks, from many places to go back to their warm shelter of Vam Ho, a large bird sanctuary, to replace the night herons with the start of taking off for night eating.

Bat Trang Traditionnal Pottery Village

Situated only 15km south west of Hanoi, Bat Trang Traditionnal Pottery Village can be reach either by boat or by road. The number 47 bus from Hanoi to Bat Trang sets out from Long Bien Bridge of Hanoi every 15 minutes and stop outside the ceramic market area of Bat Trang. Bat Trang is a true craft village ans has achieved fame inside and outside Vietnam for over hundred years.

All members of the population are involved in some aspect of the making of marketing of ceramics. The villages do not grow food so this is all brought in. A recent innovation has been to open workshop, where the visitors to Bat Trang village and students can learn the basic skills, of forming a pot on a wheel. Because this has brought many visitors to the village, restaurants and food stalls have also opened.

The history of the ceramic making in Bat Trang can be traced to the fact there is such an abundance of good quality clay, and its close proximity to the Red River and Hanoi. Blue and white ceramics are exported to Asia and beyond.Most of the ceramics are still produced in small family workshops with the skill being passed down from parents to their children.

Visitors to Bat Trang should not leave without going to the market, where an amazing array of ceramics is for sale. Tourists of Bat Trang also should not miss the large communal house and the old Van Chi (Temple of Literature).

www.vietnamtravelguidelines.com -  Bat Trang Traditionnal Pottery Village.

More Ancient & Handicraft Villages Around Ha Noi

Making it happen in THEIR community!

From left: Taryn, Zu, Caitlin, Steph, Kristine, and La

One of the strengths with working in Lao Chai village is the community of local Hmong guides who call Lao Chai home.

As children, girls like Lyly, Chai, Zu, Za, and La followed groups of tourists as they trekked through their village and onto the neighbouring village of Tavan. The afternoons would have been spent befriending some of those trekkers from all over the world. A product of those friendships was an uncanny knack for picking up different languages including English. The ability to speak English along with their local knowledge made them the perfect candidates to become tour guides.

Lyly and Zu leading a community mapping workshop.

Today this community of guides, most of them girls, are famous for their friendly, charismatic and cheeky approach to guiding. They make up the greater majority of guides in the Sapa region, and have moved on to leading and managing tours throughout Vietnam.

Za teaching her mother and sister-in-law how to cook pancakes for breakfast.

Over the past week we have had five of these guides join our CBT Vietnam team. With little direction Lyly, Chai, Zu, Za and La have transformed from translators – both from Hmong to Vietnamese and Hmong to English – to community based tourism experts. They are leading community discussions, acting as homestay consultants, and delivering training to THEIR communities, neighbours, friends and family.

Lyly, Chai, Zu, Za, and La, from the entire CBT Vietnam team from Capilano University and Hanoi Open University, thank you for your support. Your enthusiasm and spirit have been instrumental over the past week.

A Night in Taphin

A key objective for this trip is to, once again, bring the women entreprenuers of TaPhin back to Hanoi to meet tour operators.  We did this last October and have found some success in operators sending tourists to the Taphin homestays. 

There is a reason why people enjoy staying at these homestays and last night I had the pleasure of staying at the homestay of Ms. May Kieu.  I met May Kieu on our last trip, she has a quiet demeanour and a smile that lights up a room.  She is passionate about her homestay business and always ready to share her culture and engage in a participatory experience.  

She spent time showing me some of the items she plans to take to Hanoi and how she makes them.  Each is hand embroidered and each section has meaning, some show girls and boys, some have trees and flowers.  The piece is then sewn together with a sewing machine.

Showing me how she makes wall hangings

Her homestay is beautiful, with private rooms, platform beds, full washroom with heated shower and a kitchen with a huge fireplace.  All of this makes for a comfortable atmosphere. 

Beautiful Fireplace for Cooking

One aspect that is special about these homestays is the fact that the villagers grow almost everything they eat.  It puts 100 mile diet in a whole new perspective.

Tonight’s dinner consisted of rice which came from their fields, grated pumpkin and steamed pumpkin leaves from her garden out back and chicken which was brought in the house squawking at 7:00pm and we ate at 8:00pm.  During dinner she informed me that she also keeps chickens specifically for eggs and grows carrots and eggplant for additional vegetables.  I noticed a shelf full of pumpkin leaves on one side of the room, she said that those ones were no longer good and will be fed to the pigs.  When it comes to food waste, there is very little.

But that was not the best part of the evening.  That came when her husband, Loua, went out to their beehive and collected fresh honey.  This honey was bottled to give as a gift to one lucky tour operator next week in Hanoi. I had never tasted honey fresh from the hive and was able to sit and pick pieces off from a huge bowl with her mother-in-law and grandma.  It was delicious!

Enjoying Honey

It is this kind of experience that tour operators look for and they are fortunate to have May Kieu and the other Taphin homestays providing such a great product.

For more information on May Kieu’s homestay visit www.taphinhomestay.com and the Taphin homepage at http://www.taphin-sapa.info/ 

Submitted by: Stephanie Wells

It's More Than 'Build It And They Will Come'

One of the challenges, and concerns, of developing homestays in a new village is ensuring that tourists have a reason to stay. These homestay owners are putting money into their homes to make them welcoming for tourists.  Lao Chai is about a 30 minute motorbike ride from Sapa which is close and tourists can easily visit for a day.

Stephanie With Su

One product that we believe will assist in bringing the right group of tourists through is a 15km trek from Sapa to Lao Chai through the hills.  It is just long enough to challenge tourists and enable them to end in Lao Chai at a homestay for the night.  So, how do we make sure that the trek will work?

We do it of course!!

On Monday,  we were guided by a local tour guide, Su, who we hired from SapaO’Chau to take us through this route of Sapa - Cat Cat Village - Y Linh Ho - Lao Chai.

Waterfall at Cat Cat Village

All I can say is...stunning!

We meandered down a trail of stairs to the the waterfall at Cat Cat village.  It was incredible to see so much rushing water and the sound is deafening. While there we listened to some traditional music, looked at handicrafts and picked up some smoked buffalo to munch on along the route. 

Rice Terraces

It was difficult to not stop every few minutes and just take pictures of the sweeping views of rice terraces, bamboo forests and weaving rivers.  There are several ‘pinch me’ moments along the trek. 

Along Y Linh Ho

We stopped for lunch where we were served fried noodle with pork and egg (my xao). We then continued until we reached the homestay of Ms. Mai where we were ready to sit and just relax. Reward earned! Based on our day (with a variety of fitness levels) we completed the trek in six hours and just as we thought, a fantastic route for travellers who really want to trek and experience what Vietnam has to offer.

Submitted by: Stephanie Wells

3 Successful Days In Hanoi

We have been in Hanoi for only 3 days and have had great success! Here's a quick synopsis of what we've been up to and who've we met.

We met with the dedicated Hanoi Open University volunteers who gave us a very warm welcome and who we look forward to getting to know even better as we travel to Sapa to work hand in hand on the CBT Vietnam Project both in Taphin and Lao Chai villages.

We have met with many PATA members including Jewel Tours, Buffalo Tours, 365 Travel and Hanspan Travel. who are all excited about the CBT Vietnam project. They are looking forward to meeting the Red Dao woman of Taphin to learn about their homestays and herbal bath product and look forward to sending travellers to Taphin to enjoy an unforgetable authentic village experience. Equally excited were Footprint Vietnam Travel and Little Hanoi Hostel.

We have also gathered many supplies from Hanoi's shopping streets including what is needed for the environmental lessons we will deliver to the school children in Lao Chai.

 

Tonight we take the night train to Sapa.

One week to go!!

Wow! After weeks of preparation and hard work, the team is now one week away from departure. We have spent the summer meeting weekly, sharing meals and laughter, planning our itinerary and putting together some exciting new ideas. We are now in the final stages, assembling our packing lists and brushing up on some Vietnamese phrases. Personally, this will be my first trip to Asia and I have never been more excited! I am thrilled to not only be part of an amazing and cohesive team, working on an inspiring project, but also to be travelling to a beautiful and interesting part of the world. 

One of the new ideas we have for the project is the creation of an environmental youth group in the Sapa region. This idea fits in well with the project's aims to reduce impacts in an environmentally  sensitive area and builds on the rich human capital found in the villages. Together with Sapa O'Chau, we will be facilitating meetings for passionate young people to learn more about how to maintain the natural environment in the region, particularly as this is one of the most noted features for many visitors. Sapa O'Chau aims to create a positive space for local H'mong to gain English language skills, particularly so that they can participate in the growing tourism industry as trekking and tour guides. Successful environmental stewardship is a long (and often winding) road but we know that we will be working with enough dedicated individuals to bring about some powerful change in the region. 

We look forward to sharing more about our adventure and we hope you'll check back regularly over the next few weeks. The team will be posting photos and updates to our blog and social media channels, so stay tuned and be sure to share with your friends!

Hotels in Hanoi, Vietnam

Top-end:

Bao Son International Hotel

50 Nguyen Chi Thanh St., Dong Da Dist.
Tel: 3835 3536
Fax: 3835 5678
95 rooms, US$70-160

Best Western Muong Thanh Hotel

C2 Bac Linh Dam St., Hoang Mai Dist.
Tel: 3641 3182
Fax: 3641 3178 168 rooms

Capital Garden Hotel

4 Hoang Ngoc Phach St., Dong Da Dist.
Tel: 3835 0373,
Fax: 3835 0363
87 rooms, US$99-169

Crowne Plaza Hotel

Lot X7, Le Due Tho St., My Dinh commune, Tu Liem Dist.
Tel: 62706688
Fax: 62706666
US$135-2000

Danly Hotel

22-24 Dao Tan St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 6273 0565
Fax: 6273 0567
50 rooms, US$55-300

Flower Garden Hotel

46 Nguyen Truong To St., Ba Dinh Dist
Tel: 3715 2688
Fax: 3715 2699
83 rooms, US$95-165

Fortuna Hotel Hanoi

6B Lang Ha St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3831 3333
Fax: 3831 3300
200 rooms, US$128-228

Hanoi Daewoo Hotel

360 Kim Ma St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3831 5000/3831 5555
Fax: 3831 5010
411 rooms, US$240-4800

Hanoi Horison Hotel

40 Cat Linh St., Dong Da Dist.
Tel: 3733 0808
Fax: 3733 0888
250 rooms, US$160-290

Hanoi Hotel

D8 Giang Vo St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3845 2270
Fax: 3845 9209
218 rooms, US$208-308

Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel

1 Le Thanh Tong St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3933 0500
Fax: 3930 0530 269 rooms, US$115-685

Hotel Nikko Hanoi

84 Tran Nhan Tong St., Hai Ba Trung Dist.
Tel: 3822 3535
Fax: 3822 3555
257 rooms, US$130-1200

Intercontinental Hanoi Hotel

1 Nghi Tam St., Tay Ho Dist.
Tel: 6270 8888
Fax: 6270 9999
359 rooms

Lake Side Hotel

23 Ngoc Khanh St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3835 0111
Fax: 3835 0121 78 rooms, US$120-290

Melia Hanoi Hotel

44B Ly Thuong Kiet St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3934 3343
Fax: 3934 3344
306 rooms, US$180-300

Mercure Hanoi La Gare

94 Ly Thuong Kiet St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3944 7766
Fax: 3944 8317
102 rooms, USS85-179

Movenpick Hotel

83A Ly Thuong Kiet St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3822 2800
Fax: 3822 2822
151 rooms, US$280-500

Sedona Suite Ha Noi Hotel

Quang Ba St., Tay Ho Dist.
Tel: 3577 1211/13/14
Fax: 3577 1215
175 rooms, US$280-500

Sheraton Hanoi Hotel

11 Xuan Dieu St., Tay Ho Dist.
Tel: 3719 9000
Fax: 3719 9001
299 rooms, US$205-450

Silk Path Hotel

195-199 Hang Bong St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3266 5555
Fax: 3938 1288
106 rooms; US$159-900

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel

15 Ngo Quyen St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3826 6919
Fax: 3826 6920
363 rooms, US$204-2500

Sofitel Plaza Hanoi Hotel

1 Thanh Nien St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3823 8888
Fax: 3829 3888
317 rooms, US$120-278

Sunway Hotel Hanoi

19 Pham Dinh Ho St., Hai Ba Trung Dist.
Tel: 3971 3888
Fax: 3971 3555
145 rooms, US$75-350

Thang Loi Hotel

200 Yen Phu St., Tay Ho Dist.
Tel: 3829 4211
Fax: 3829 3800
178 rooms, US$79-410

Hotels in Hanoi, Vietnam

Mid Range

Central Ha Noi Asia Hotel

23 Nguyen Cong Tru St., Hai Ba Trung Dist.
Tel: 3821 2045
Fax: 3821 5872
60 rooms, US$62-200

ATS Hotel

33B Pham Ngu Lao St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3824 3428
Fax: 3824 8152
52 rooms, US$25-50

Binh Minh Hotel

27 Ly Thai To St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3826 6442
Fax: 3825 7725
39 rooms, US$28-33

Bro&Sis Hotel

65 Cua Bac St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3716 4777,
Fax: 3716 4779
40 rooms, US$56-95

BSC Hotel

77B Kim Ma St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3823 2502
Fax: 3823 3754
23 rooms, US$25-30

Camellia 1 Hotel

12 Pho Hue St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3822 5140
Fax: 3822 5949
35 rooms, US$25-35

Cinnamon Hotel Hanoi

26 Au Trieu St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3938 0430
Fax: 3938 0429
10 rooms, US$75++
Email: info@cinnamonhotel.net
Website: www.cinnamonhotel.net

Cherry Hotel

235 Hue St., Hai Ba Trung Dist.
Tel: 3976 3562
36 rooms, US$50-95

Classic 1 Hotel

22ATa Hien St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3826 6224
Fax: 3828 1727 40 rooms, US$18-40

Classic 2 Hotel

49 Luong Ngoc Quyen St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3926 1106
Fax: 3926 1107
12 rooms, USS18-40

De Syloia Hotel

17ATran Hung Dao St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3824 5346
Fax: 3824 1083
33 rooms, US$75-120

Dien Luc Hotel

30 Ly Thai To St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3825 3167
Fax: 3825 0456
69 rooms

Dong Do Hotel

146 Giang Vo St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3831 4227
Fax: 3831 4928
30 rooms, USS25-40

Eden Hotel

94 Yet Kieu St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3822 7465
Fax: 3822 8235
25 rooms, US$20-40

Eden Hanoi Hotel

78 Tho Nhuom St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3942 3273
Fax: 3942 4619
35 rooms

Galaxy Hotel

1 Phan Dinh Phung St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3828 2888
Fax: 3828 2466
60 rooms, US$109-160

Golden Key Hotel

65 Quan Su St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3822 2428
Fax: 3822 0892
44 rooms

Hacinco Hotel

110 Thai Thinh St., Dong Da Dist.
Tel: 3857 4040
Fax: 3857 2626
54 rooms, US$27-60

Heritage Hanoi Hotel

625 La Thanh St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3834 4727
Fax: 3834 3882
68 rooms, US$35-75

Hoa Binh Hotel

27 Ly Thuong Kiet St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3825 3315
Fax: 3826 9818
105 rooms, US$80-150

Hoang Long Hotel

185 Lo Due St., Hai Ba Trung Dist.
Tel: 3972 0369
Fax: 3972 0373
40 rooms

Holiday Hanoi Hotel

27 Quoc Tu Giam St., Dong Da Dist.
Tel: 3747 4106
Fax: 3747 4338
60 rooms, US$28-48

Hong Ngoc 2 Hotel

14 Luong Van Can St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3826 7566
Fax: 3824 5362 - US$31-52

Huong Giang Hotel

80 Mai Hac De St., Hai Ba Trung Dist.
Tel: 3978 4616
Fax: 3976 4697
21 rooms, US$15-35

Huyen Trang Hotel

36 Hang Trong St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3826 8480
Fax: 3824 7449
19 rooms, US$35-45

Khan Quang Do Hotel

189 Hoang Hoa Tham St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3845 6987
Fax: 3722 4764
73 rooms, US$50-70

Kim Anh Hotel

132 Ton Due Thang St., Dong Da Dist.
Tel: 3823 1291
Fax: 3845 9122
30 rooms Kim Lien 1

Hotel

7 Dao DuyAnh St., Dong Da Dist.
Tel: 3852 2522
Fax: 3852 4919
276 rooms, USS25-150

Lucky Hotel

12 Hang Trong St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 38251029
Fax: 3825 1731
20 rooms, US$30-50

Mango Hotel

118 Le Duan St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3942 3704
Fax: 3942 3966
35 rooms

Melody Hotel

17 Hang Duong St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3928 3029
Fax: 3824 3746
66 rooms, US$25-40

Nam Hai 1 Hotel

37 Ma May St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3926 3632,
Fax: 3926 3633
52 rooms, US$38-80

Nam Hai Hotel

55 Duong Thanh St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3928 6630
Fax: 3928 6629
23 rooms, US$20-35

Nha Tho Hotel

9 Nha Tho St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3928 8118
Fax: 3828 5793
20 rooms, US$40-70

Nhat Tien Hotel

44 Hang Bun St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3716 4368
Fax: 3716 4369
38 rooms, US$30-40

Ocean Star Hotel

48 Tran Nhan Tong St., Hai Ba Trung Dist.
Tel: 3822 7725
Fax: 3822 5977
40 rooms, US$50-85

Orient Hotel

16 Lang Ha St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3834 5398
Fax: 3834 5396
62 rooms

Pacific Hotel

30 Cua Nam St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3936 2587
Fax: 3936 1798
40 rooms, US$22-41

Paradise Hotel

45 Nguyen Truong To St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3716 4126
Fax: 3716 4917
71 rooms, US$60-80

Phung Hung Hotel

2 Duong Thanh St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3825 2614
Fax: 3826 9279
60 rooms, US$28-45

Polonez Hotel

6ATran Nhan Tong St., Hai Ba Trung Dist.
Tel: 3822 5715
Fax: 3822 5228
18 rooms, US$30-45

Saigon Hanoi Hotel

80 Ly Thuong Kiet St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3942 4499
Fax: 3942 2631
44 rooms, US$59-89

Salute Hotel

7 Hang Dau St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3825 8003
Fax: 3934 3607
15 rooms, US$32-85

Suncity Hotel

59 - 61 Hang Than St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3826 6655
Fax: 3927 0808
32 rooms, US$25

Thanglong Opera Hotel

ICTong Dan St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3824 4775
Fax: 3824 4784
71 rooms, US$75-140

Trade Hotel

25 Ngoc Khanh St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3834 4677
Fax: 3834 3165
61 rooms, US$40-65

Trung Nam Hai Hotel

27 Phu Doan St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3928 8228
Fax: 3928 8268
18 rooms, US$20-40

Viet Anh Hotel

11 Ma May St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3926 1302
Fax: 3926 1306
25 rooms, US$18-60

Viet Bac Hotel

23 Hang Than St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 6273 3018
Fax: 6273 3015
26 rooms, US$25-40

Vietnam Trade Union Hotel

14 Tran Binh Trong St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3942 1776
Fax: 3942 0760
120 rooms, US$75-150

Volga Hotel

34-36 Nguyen Khuyen St., Dong Da Dist.
Tel: 3823 2910
Fax: 3843 5803
24 rooms, US$20-30

Greater Hanoi

Au Co Hotel

19 Au Co St., Tay Ho Dist.
Tel: 3823 8044
Fax: 3719 2699
22 rooms, US$25-30

Cau Giay Hotel

110 Cau Giay St., Cau Giay Dist.
Tel: 3833 2951
Fax: 3833 3012
56 rooms, US$35-75

Dragon Hotel

48 Xuan Dieu St., Tay Ho Dist.
Tel: 3829 2955
Fax: 3829 4745
30 rooms, US$39-86

Noi Bai Airport Hotel

Noi Bai International Airport, Soc Son Dist.
Tel: 3886 4745
Fax: 3884 0353
37 rooms, US$25-30

Sport Hotel

Lang Sinh Vien Hacinco, Le Van Thiem St., Thanh Xuan Dist.
Tel: 3558 9113
Fax: 3558 4201
100 rooms, US$55

Tay Ho Hotel

58 Tay Ho St., Tay Ho Dist.
Tel: 3823 2381
Fax: 3719 8690
115 rooms, US$35-75

Vesna Hotel

137B Nguyen Van Cu St., Long Bien Dist.
Tel: 2220 7733
Fax: 2221 7734
60 rooms, US$60-99

Hoang Tu Thai Binh Duong Hotel

95 Hang Bong St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3828 6708
Fax: 3824 6331
25 rooms

Hotels in Hanoi, Vietnam

Budget

Central Ha Noi

Anh 1 Hotel

42 Chau Long St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3829 4000
Fax: 3829 4889
31 rooms, US$20-35

Hanoi Trade Union Hotel

1 Tang Bat Ho St., Hai Ba Trung Dist.
Tel: 3821 4070
Fax: 3826 7427
60 rooms, US$12-14

Hoa Duong Hotel

1A Hang Mam St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3926 1686
25 rooms, US$10-25

Hoa Hong Hotel

88A Mai Hac De St., Hai Ba Trung Dist.
Tel: 3821 6006
Fax: 3821 6441
14 rooms, US$17-30

Prince I Hotel

51 Luong Ngoc Quyen St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3828 0155
Fax: 3828 0156
14 rooms, US$15-30

Prince II Hotel

42B Hang Giay St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3926 1203
Fax: 3828 0156
10 rooms, US$15-30

Huong Duong Hotel

16A Nguyen Cong Tru St., Hai Ba Trung Dist.
Tel: 3971 3627
Fax: 3821 1770
30 rooms, US$15-20

Huu Nghi Hotel

34 Nam Ngu St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3942 4061
Fax: 3942 4272
14 rooms, US$20-30

My Lan Hotel

334 Ba Trieu St., Hai Ba Trung Dist.
Tel: 3976 4063
Fax: 3976 1070
45 rooms, US$11-23

Phuong Nam Hotel

1 Chua Boc St., Dong Da Dist.
Tel: 3852 1982
Fax: 3852 2640
55 rooms, US$10-22

Sunny Hotel

1 Ngo Gach St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3928 3803
Fax: 3928 4136
32 rooms

Sunshine 1 Hotel

42 Ma May St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3926 1559
Fax: 3926 1558 12 rooms, US$20-30

Thanh Lich - Ha Long Hotel

297D Kim Ma St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3823 3048
Fax: 3846 1191
32 rooms, US$25++

Thien Duong Hotel

3A Phan Dinh Phung St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3828 3896
Fax: 3828 4066
30 rooms

Tien Thuy Hotel

9 Hang Thung St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3934 3608
22 rooms, US$21-26

Trang An Hotel

41 Hang Bun St., Ba Dinh Dist.
Tel: 3716 4985
21 rooms, US$20-29

Greater Ha Noi

Binh Minh Hotel

10 Trau Quy St., Gia Lam Dist.
Tel: 3876 7059
20 rooms, US$10

Ha Long Hotel

29 Nguyen Van Cu St., Long Bien Dist.
Tel: 3872 0924
Fax: 3872 3914
32 rooms, US$10-20

Hoang Long Hotel

Xuan Dinh, Tu Liem Dist.
Tel: 3836 2510
Fax: 3836 9961
42 rooms, US$15-25

Nang Huong Hotel

Km 9 Nguyen Trai St., Thanh Xuan Dist.
Tel: 3854 4249
Fax: 3854 8565
56 rooms, US$20-35

New Century Hotel

16 Nguyen Van Cu St., Long Bien Dist.
Tel: 3872 1132
Fax: 3872 1131
22 rooms, US$15

New Hotel

17 Nguyen Van Cu St., Long Bien Dist.
Tel: 3650 0901
Fax: 3650 0897
32 rooms

Quang Ba Trade Union Hotel

98 To Ngoc Van St., Tay Ho Dist.
Tel: 3829 3812134
Fax: 3829 3825
82 rooms, US$5-25

Hotels in Hanoi, Vietnam

Rental:

Somerset Grand Hanoi

49 Hai Ba Trung St., Hoan Kiem Dist.
Tel: 3934 2342
Fax: 3934 9988
185 rooms

Somerset Hoa Binh Hanoi

106 Hoang Quoc Viet St., Cau Giay Dist.
Tel: 3755 5888
Fax: 3755 5999
206 rooms

Somerset West Lake, Hanoi

254D Thuy Khe St., Tay Ho Dist.
Tel: 3843 0030
Fax: 3823 6916
90 rooms

More Hotels 

Bao Nam Hotel

Km2 Phung Hung St., Phuc La Ward
Tel: 3352 1239,
Fax: 3351 4125
20 rooms

Nhue Giang Hotel

110 Tran Phu St.
Tel: 3382 4052,
Fax: 3351 0446
54 rooms, US$8-12

Song Nhue Hotel

150 Tran Phu St.
Tel: 3351 2415
Fax: 33510 446
64 rooms, US$15-22

Cau Am Hotel

9 Chu Van An St.;
Tel: 3382 4514
10 rooms

Hotels - Son Tay Town & The Western Area of Ha Noi 

Ao Vua Hotel

Tan Linh Commune, Ba Vi Dist.
Tel: 3388 1020
Fax: 3388 0544
85 rooms, US$10-100

Asean Resort

21AHoa Lac, Thach That Dist.
Tel: 3368 8688
Fax: 3368 8886
51 rooms, US$72-220

Bavi Homestead

Van Hoa Commune, Ba Vi Dist.
Email: trangtraidongque@gmail.com
Website:www.bavihomestead.com
Contact: ATC Vietnam Co.,Ltd.
1 Nguyen Dinh Chieu St., Hai Ba Trung Dist.
Tel: 3943 8205,
Fax: 3822 9354

Cao Son Hotel

Cam Tan Village, Cam Linh Commune, Ba Vi Dist.
Tel: 3386 5965
18 rooms

Khoang Xanh - Suoi Tien Resort

Van Hoa Commune, Ba Vi Dist.
Tel: 3388 1206
Fax: 3388 1437
160 rooms, US$8-12

Tan Da Spa Resort

Tan Linh Commune, Ba Vi Dist.

Thac Da Eco-tourism Resort

Muong Chau Hamlet, Van Hoa, Ba Vi Dist.
Tel: 3396 9411
Fax: 3396 9040 US$5-30

Hotels in Hanoi, Vietnam

Hai Duong Provinces Tourist Destinations

Con Son Vestige Site

The Con Son Vestige Site is located in Cong Hoa Ward, Chi Linh Town, about 70km from Ha Noi, between the two mountain ranges of Phuong Hoang and Ky Lan. The highlights of this site are the pagoda, a tower and well-known remains pertaining to national history, as well as the natural beauty of the mountainous landscape, pine forest and stream.

Con Son Pagoda

Con Son Pagoda, also known as Tu Phuc or Hun, is situated at the foot of Con Son Mountain. During the Tran Dynasty, the Con Son Pagoda was one of three centres of the Buddhist True Lam Trinity. Under the Le Dynasty, it was restored and magnificently expanded. Today, it is a small pagoda that remains hidden underneath the shade of ancient green trees. It was built according to the shape of the Cong Chinese character. It includes a hall, an incense house and an upper chamber. The upper chamber contains a 3m-high statue from the Le Dynasty and is a worshipping place for Buddhists. Behind the upper chamber is a house for worshipping ancestors with statues of the three Patriarchs of Truc Lam Sect (Tran Nhan Tong, Phap Loa and Huyen Quang). There are also a 600 year old frangi-pani tree and four stela houses on the grounds of the pagoda.

Nguyen Trai Temple

The temple was dedicated to Nguyen Trai, built at Con Son in December 2000 and inaugurated in 2002 in celebration of the 600th birthday anniversary of Nguyen Trai.
The constructions of the temple cover an area of 10,000 square meters. The main temple stands at the foot of To Son Mountain, flanked by two mountains An Lac and Ngu Nhac. To its right is Con Son Stream. Inside the temple there are also the right and left ceremonial halls, inside and outside gates, stele house, the urn for burning votive offerings, and Nhan Nghia Lake. The Temple is a token of gratitude of the Vietnamese people to Nguyen Trai, the World Cultural Celebrity.

Nguyen Tra Temple in Hai Duong

Gieng Ngoc (Pearl Well)

Gieng Ngoc is located on the slopes of Ky Lan Mountain. On its right, the road leads to Ban Co Tien (Fairy Chess Stone) and Dang Minh Tower. According to legend, the Buddhist monk Huyen Quang was informed in a dream that the divine would give him a precious source of water. The water of this well is clear, blue and fresh. The monks use the well for the pagoda's ceremonial water.

Thach Ban (Flagstone)
Beside Con Son Stream, there is a flagstone called Thach Ban, where President Ho Chi Minh once rested while visiting the area. To reach this large flagstone with an even, polished surface,travel from the upper mountain down along a stone path to the foot of the mountain. It is said that, in the past, Nguyen Trai used the flagstone as a mat for relaxing, admiring the scenery, writing poetry, and thinking about the affairs of the country.

Kiep Bac Temple

Located in Hung Dao Commune, Chi Linh Town, approximately 80km from Ha Noi and 5km from Con Son, Kiep Bac is in fact the junction of Van Yen (Kiep Village) and Duoc Son (Bac Village). Located in a rich valley surrounded by the Nui Rong Mountains, the surroundings give Kiep Bac a secretive, poetic, and dreamy quality.
In the 13th century, the hideout and residence of national hero Tran Hung Dao, who com manded the Resistance troops in the war against Yuan-Mongol aggressors, were located in this area. A temple was built in the beginning of the 14thcentury in the centre of re the Kiep Bac valley. In the temple, bronze statues of Tran Hung Dao, his wife, his two daughters, Pham Ngu Lao, Nam Tao, and Bac Dau, as well as tablets for the cult of his four sons, still remain.

Cao Temple

The temple is situated on Thien Bong Mountain in An Lac Commune, Chi Linh Town, 80km from Ha Noi. The temple is dedicated to Vuong Due Minh, a general of King Le Dai Hanh (10th century).
Climbing more than 100 steps covered with moss, visitors will see stone elephants and horses on the ground of the temple. Legend has it that those were elephants that, along with their owners, defeated the invaders. The main shrine has horizontal boards engraved with Chinese characters. In addition to Cao Temple, this complex boasts four other temples with unique architectural styles.
Cao Temple is a place for the visitors who love national history and culture.

Kinh Chu An Phu Site

Situated in the Duong Nham Mountains, An Sinh Commune, Kinh Mon District, Kinh Chu An Phu looks like a giant rock-garden among the vast waves of rice fields in the Kinh Thay valley. In the Duong Nham Mountains there are some relics relating Tran Hung Dao and many peculiar caverns such as Kinh Chu, Vang, Luon, and Trau. Among these caves is Kinh Chu Grotto, which is regarded as "Nam thien de iuc dong" (the sixth largest cave in Viet Nam).
To get, fo this famous area from Ha Noi, follow National Highway 5 over Phu Luong Bridge, continue about 16km to Phu Thai Town, then turn left.

Phuong Hoang Site

This site belongs to Van An Ward, Chi Linh Town. This area has 72 mountains covered with pine tree forests, streams and old pagodas. Chu Van An (1292-1370), the headmaster of the first Viet Nam's university, was buried and worshipped in this place.
This area is suitable for picnic, sightseeing and studying history.

Chi Lang Nam Stork Village

Stork village in Chi Lang Nam Commune, Thanh Mien District, 25 km from Hai Duong City is noted for numerous genera of storks. The village boasts a small island that lies in the middle of a lake. It is home to thousands of storks, including white, black, fiery stocks, herons and egrets. In addition, there are night herons and precious species of birds, such as pelican, teal also reside in this island.
At Chi Lang Nam Stork Village, at dawn or sunset, visitors will be attracted by the interesting "change of the guard" activities between the storks that are active during the day and the nocturnal herons. 

Hai Duong Provinces Tourist Destinations