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Must-Try Cuisines in Ha Giang in Buckwheat Season

You can enjoy cuisines in Ha Giang in the markets to fully feel its unique flavour and atmosphere.

Triangle cake (buckwheat cake)

From mid-October, Ha Giang stone plateau is filled with pink purple colour of triangle circuit (buckwheat) flower. The local people here can process the flower into healthy rustic dishes with high nutritional value: buckwheat cake.

These tiny buckwheat seeds are crushed into fine powder and then people mix the powder with water until dough is good enough for making cake. After that, the dough is put into the mould to have small cakes then steamed on fire. You can enjoy the cake at the local markets or bring it back home as a gift for your loved ones with a price of 15,000 VND/each (0.6 USD).

Thang Co

Thang Co is famous among tourists when visiting Ha Giang as an important dish to try as it’s featured as the highland’s culture. Authentic Thang Co should be made from viscera of horse and cow and it should be always hot in the meal. Salt or seasoning can be used to fit each person’s taste. The aroma of cardamom, lemon grass, chilli, pepper mixed with the fat of the meat warms up the space among the freezing air of mountain. You can eat the dish at the fairs in Dong Van, Meo Vac, Lung Cu … for about 1$ a bowl.

Egg roll cake

Rice paper cake is mixed with egg then wrapped up by the cake itself. It is served with a hot bowl of sauce and some white Vietnamese sausage slices. You can enjoy this dish on Ly Tu Trong street (Ha Giang) or Dong Van Market, the old town of Dong Van at about 1 USD/set.

Au Tau Porridge

Au Tau Porridge is made from Au Tau tubers – a local plant with powerful poison growing on rocky hills in the northern. It is immersed in special rice water through the night, then stewed during at least 4 hours until becoming soft and smooth powder. Sticky rice and normal rice is well cooked with pork broth and the tubers powder. The bowl of porridge is the combination of fragrant sticky rice, sweet taste of pork leg, greasy taste of eggs, sour taste of bamboo and finally slightly bitter taste of Au Tau tubers. A bowl of Au Tau porridge cots from 1 USD, sold in Ha Giang Square, Dong Van market …

Special pork of ethnic people

The original name in Vietnamese “lợn cắp nách” is to refer to a special kind of pig that is so small that people can nip the pig in their armpit to bring it out. The pigs are normally grown in mountainous areas like Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Son La… by ethnic minorities people.

If travelling to Ha Giang’s fairs, visitors will see many people holding or driving their pigs to markets where the small pigs are put in the basket. The pork meat is processed into many dishes, such as grilled and boiled pork, not to mention the most delicious dish: steamed viscera and ribs. The dishes are popular in Ha Giang so you can enjoy it in the restaurants along the way.

Five-coloured sticky rice

The famous five-coloured sticky rice in Ha Giang often includes: white, red, blue, purple, yellow colours which represent the Wu Xing (five elements): metal, wood, water, fire and earth. Except for the white, remaining colours are made by soaking rice with water and leaves or roots of forest trees rather than chemical pigments. Visiting the fair in Ha Giang, tourists hardly can ignore the beautiful eye-catching pot of sticky rice. It’s just only 5000 VND/set (0.3 USD).

Top 8 Awesome Street Foods for Winter Travel in Hanoi

Hot pot: hot boiling broth radiates attractive steam, warm pink flames, hot delicious meat and vegetable pieces… these reasons are enough for hot pot to always be called whenever the cold weather is with you in Hanoi tours. There are countless kinds of hot pot for guests to choose from: hot pot of chicken, beef, duck, seafood, crab, ribs… There are many streets famous for hotpot like Phung Hung, Pho Duc Chinh, Truc Bach …

Barbecue: In the cool air of the winter in Hanoi, sitting together with friends by the red warm charcoal fire, grilling the meat skewers, eating the hot barbecue is the pleasures of many people. The list for grills increasingly stretches: pig belly meat, pork, beef, mushrooms, ribs, vegetables, bread, stomach, seafood,… The delicious level depends on marinating skill, sauces and spices of each restaurant. The most famous places for this dish are Quan Su, Gam Cau Street, Bach Mai, Bich Cau …

Steak: hot steak with undercooked beef, eggs are also not bad choices when it’s cold outside. Most restaurants serve steak on an iron pan to keep heat and continue to make the food well cooked when bring it to their guests. In addition to beef, the indispensable food to eat together including fried potatoes, some pate, egg, sausage, meatballs and many more kinds of vegetables.

Hot banh duc: Not a popular dish but hot banh duc is mentioned a lot in the winter. Not simply banh duc with fish sauce, nowadays this rustic dish is added with more attractive components to increase its taste, for example: minced pork, fried tofu, quail egg, onion and aromatic broth. The famous address for this dish is in an alley on Le Ngoc Han Street

Rib Porridge: This dish can be eaten all year round without bored but not until it gets cold, diners can fully feel all the pleasure of enjoying it. The hot bowl of rib porridge spreads warmth from your hand to the whole body. The fat in your porridge flour mingles with the aroma of crispy oil stick (Chinese cruller), sweet taste of dried meat and of cartilage. The sidewalk restaurant on Ly Quoc Su Street is the most famous place for this dish.

Banh troi Tau – Chinese stuffed sticky rice balls: The sweetness of the cake seems to be milder and softer in the cool air, so even those who are not sweet tooth also miss this dessert when the time for winter comes. A bowl of Banh Troi Tau usually consists of 2 balls with 2 different kinds of filling: black sesame and green beans, served with a little greasy roasted peanuts. This dish is also attractive with the hot brown liquid made of water, sugar, and grated ginger root. Address for the dish: Hang Can, Hang Dieu, Bach Mai

Hot sweet soup: The green bean, black bean sweet soup for winter has a different version from the summer version: it is viscous, always put on the stove to keep hot. The seller only put it on the bowl when clients come and add some more thin slices of coconut, which is so attractive. In Hanoi, there is another version of this dish which is very famous: ba cot sweet soup, made from sticky rice, sugar and ginger in Bat Dan, sometimes it is served with some green bean sticky rice.

Hot oil stick (Chinese cruller): Commonly eaten as a side dish but oil stick with sweet and sour sauce is very suitable for winter. Compared to the kind served with noodle, hot oil stick is often more fragrant and more delicious. In addition, the secret is also in the bowl of sauce with pickled kohlrabi and carrots. You can try out the giant hot oil stick on Nguyen Khang Street.

Lepont Bungalow – The Straw Hostel in Cat Ba Island

As one of the most impressive hostel in Cat Ba, LePont Bungalow hostel is truly a great stop when you visit this paradise island. Situated on an extremely prime location, with 3 faces facing the sea, LePont Bungalow hostel features unique eye-catching bungalows, making it so special to anyone visit the place.

The room are made mainly from wood, palm leaves – very eye-catching, inside each room is comfortable bed and clean bath room.

Bedding is available in dorm rooms, double rooms share bathrooms. Or if you want more privacy, there are also rooms which can accommodates 4 people, family room with private bathroom, but most special is still the straw bungalow with sea view.

The advantage of the rooms here is the new look and the frames which are so “deep” for those who like to take pictures. Services in this area are quite diverse as kayak, dinner on the beach by the candlelight. Currently, this is one of the hot spots in Cat Ba, so if you want to stay please book early, even before a month to avoid fully booked.

The hostel also has a common area, with lots of entertainment that you can enjoy for free with everyone. Here, you have the opportunity to get acquainted with a lot of international friends, improve communication skills, as well as find new companions during the trip to the Cat Ba islands.

With its open design, LePont Bungalow hostel also has a courtyard with beautiful wooden tables with sea view, where guests can relax and chat. In addition, LePont Bungalow hostel also has a nice and comfortable kitchen, equipped with a BBQ for those who like to have BBQ parties.

Staying here, you will not believe you are in a hostel, LePont Bungalow has the comforts of a standard hotel, you can relax after a hard day in the exciting space.

Hue Tourist Attractions Places of Interest

Almost all tourists to a romantic and poetic Hue are unintentionally mesmerized by the picturesque beauty of 5 following destinations. This charming land definitely enables you to indulge yourself into “Hue” scenery.

The poetic Huong River

The characteristic feature of Hue, Huong River, is gentle and calm as the life of the local residents. Perhaps, the flow of time can’t help falling in love with this alluring river, it seems to be quieter. The small boats on Huong River take tourists to rustic and beautiful villages and the “picturesque” Vi Da hamlet that was impressively depicted in one of the most famous poem of the former talented poet, Han Mac Tu, named “Day thon Vi Da”. The peal of bells of Thien Mu Pagoda clanging amid the cloud smoke rising from houses of locals at sunset draw a stunning water painting.

The ancient imperial city – Hue Citadel

The Citadel Complex of Hue, set up under Nguyen Dynasty, is now a relic of Hue ancient Capital and recognized as the World Cultural Heritage. This historical place is featured by the “wonderful” combination of both Western and Eastern architecture, the harmony of modern and classical design. Visiting Hue Citadel, visitors probably access to an essential historic site that they often learn through the historical documents. During the daytime, the Citedal looks solemn and ancient due to the presence of vestiges of time. At night, however, it turns into a new appearance, shimmering and sparkling. These defining characteristics definitely fascinate its visitors.

Lang Co Beach – A charming attraction

Talking about attractive beaches, which highly impresses tourists by the poetic but lively beauty, Lang Co is definitely worth mentioning. Hiding at the foot of Hai Van Pass, Lang Co beach enables tourists to hold a panoramic view of the immense nature, then, feel safe and peaceful amid that majestic scenery. Moreover, get there, tourists have chances to indulge themselves into the pristine blue water, smooth white sand, open blue sky, and even the friendliness and hospitability of the fishermen.

The poetic Tam Giang Lagoon

Tourists have been intimately familiar to Tam Giang Lagoon, which intentionally makes them regretful for not visiting sooner. Featured by the vast lagoon of water and shrimp farming fields of all shapes and sizes, it promises to fascinate visitors for the first time they get there. Moreover, the sun colors this lagoon orange. It is such an ideal activity to greet the sunrise in Tam Giang lagoon in the early morning because you probably have “crush” on this ‘’picturesque” lagoon at that moment.

The majestic Hai Van Pass

One of the important contributive factors that feature the romantic beauty of Hue is Hai Van Pass. Traveling on this spectacular pass, you can see winding roads surrounded by the immense blue sky, massive mountains, and blanket of thick smog. They promise to be unforgettable experiences during your trip to this the “poetic” Hue city.

Top 9 Destinations for Your Trip to Can Tho, Vietnam

Being the center of the Mekong Delta, Can Tho tourism brings you a unique and interesting experience of the life along the Mekong.

1. Cai Rang Floating Market

Regarding to Can Tho, it is sure that Cai Rang floating market is well known. This is almost a must-see when traveling to Can Tho. Floating market is a typical culture of people in the South West that you can hardly find in other localities. Especially Cai Rang floating market is one of the five largest floating markets in the Mekong Delta.

You should visit it in the morning – the time when the market is active and crowded. All the shopping and dining activities are held on the river, and you will definitely enjoy the experience here.

2. Can Tho Bridge

Can Tho Bridge is a bridge across Hau River, connecting Can Tho City and Vinh Long Province. Completed in 2010, this is the longest cable-stayed bridge in Southeast Asia: 550m long. Total length of the whole route is 15.85km and width is 23.1m.

On the weekends or holidays, the Can Tho Bridge is lit by thousands of colorful bulbs that make the Hau River glitterig. At Ninh Kieu wharf, there is a boat service to take you out to the middle of the river to see the beautiful Can Tho Bridge at night.

3. Binh Thuy ancient house

The ancient house of Binh Thuy in Can Tho city is a wooden house with two roofs, built by the Duong family in 1870. The house is designed in French style from the outside but traditional style inside with Vietnamese decorations.

The items in the house are made of rare and exquisite carved wood, associated with activities in the south-western wetland. Moreover, this place has preserved many valuable antiques for more than 140 years.

4. Ninh Kieu wharf

If the capital is proud of One Pillar Pagoda, Sowrd Lake and Turtle Tower, Hue has a tomb system, Can Tho people are proud of Ninh Kieu wharf. Ninh Kieu wharf is now called Ninh Kieu Park by the locals. It is not only a waterfront but also a place of tourism and culture.

Ninh Kieu Wharf, overlooking the Hau Giang red river, is located in the prime location, interference on the right bank of the Hau River, at the confluence of Hau River and Can Tho River. The area of Ninh Kieu wharf now has a night market and a lot of restaurants and eateries for you to enjoy exploring Mekong Delta nightlife.

5. Love Bridge

Although newly opened, the Love Bridge in Ninh Kieu wharf connects Cai Khe Islet attracts many visitors to admire. The pedestrian bridge is located in a nice place: between the Hau River junction, standing on the bridge can look quite clearly Can Tho Bridge, Au islet and almost panoramic Ninh Kieu wharf.

In addition, in the afternoon, the pedestrian bridge is a familiar place for travelers to Can Tho and people in the city.

6. Can Tho Sea

Can Tho Sea is a man-made beach, about 400 meters bank of the river was filled by more than 1 million cubic meters of sand to make a beach without mud. From the sea, visitors can see Can Tho bridge at a close distance. Here there are attractive water games such as water motor, kayak, banana float …

The cafés along the beach displaying chairs along the beach are covered by coconut trees with wide, close and cool shade. The right time to come here is in the afternoon, because the weather is cool, mild, very suitable for enjoying the atmosphere and landscape.

7. Truc Lam Phuong Nam Monastery

Truc Lam Phuong Nam Monastery is located in My Nhon hamlet, My Khanh commune, Phong Dien district. It is the largest monastery in the Southwest. The main hall is of the Tran dynasty’s style roof. Drum and bell tower was built in the style of Keo Pagoda in Thai Binh province.

Inside the main hall, in the middle is a 300-ton bronze statue of Buddha Shakyamuni carved in a sitting posture and holding a flower, the two sides are the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra and Bodhisattva Manjushri which are very lively and delicate. .

8. My Khanh orchard

From Can Tho city, follow Nguyen Van Cu road to Soc Trang direction, you will find My Khanh garden – a famous garden in the South. With over 20 kinds of trees planted along the path such as: plum, mango, rambutan, jackfruit, berry, durian … The trees are always fresh, fruitful, with unique taste, will bring you a relaxing and gentle feeling.

Especially, there are many interesting folk games such as: pig racing, dog racing, monkey circus, crocodile hunting … suitable for groups of friends or family to relax over the weekend.

9. Noodle house

From the city about 4 km along the direction of Cai Rang, to the foot of Rau Lam bridge, you can turn right along the asphalt road about 500m to the house of Mr. Sau Hoai. This is a famous place for domestic and international tourists because he combines doing business in gardening, processing noodle, eco-tourism and culinary tourism. Visitors will visit the traditional noodle production facilities (flour milling, baking, drying, spinning, wrapping), fruit orchards and enjoy dishes prepared from noodle products such as: pork noodle soup with pork bone, fried noodles, crispy fried noodles, coconut milk.

2-Day Itinerary to Travel from Ho Chi Minh to An Giang

Tra Su cajeput forests, Ta Pa Mountain, Ba Chua Xu Temple … are the destinations for you to visit on the exploration from Ho Chi Minh to An Giang in 2 days 1 night.

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City – Chau Doc (An Giang)

6 pm: Depart from Ho Chi Minh City to Chau Doc. You can buy bus tickets at the Mien Tay bus station at around USD 6-8/person. Travel time is about 6 hours. If you take the bus, you should consider starting at 21-22h. Thus, you will be in Chau Doc at around 6 am.

If driving a motorcycle, you can depart from Ho Chi Minh City to Chau Doc in 2 directions. — From Highway 1 – My Thuan Bridge – turn right on Highway 80 – Vam Cong ferry – Long Xuyen – Highway 91 – Chau Doc.

– From Highway 1 – Long An – turn right on highway 62 – Moc Hoa – Chau Doc.

The schedule of 2 days 1 night in the article is based on an itinerary for motorcycle.

7:30 am: Stop at Tien Giang city, eating My Tho rice noodles.

8 am: Continue to Chau Doc.

12pm: Lunch.

13:30 pm: Arrive in Chau Doc, get a hotel room.

14.30 pm: depart for Binh Thien Lake – about 30 km from Chau Doc. Boat rental price to discovery is USD 5 – 8/ride depending on the number of people. Time for you to explore it is about an hour. From Sep to Nov, the lake is wonderful with colourful flowers of lotus and many other kinds of water flowers.

16h: Discover Cham’s cathedral nearby. Do not forget to buy and enjoy the snacks selling by local people in front of their house.

17 pm: Drive to Sam Mountain. Enjoy the sunset on the mountain and watch Chau Doc from above.

18h30 pm: go down the mountain, visit Ba Chua Xu temple and admire the scenery. In addition to Ba Chua Xu temple visiting, you can also visit many other temples in the foothills of like Tay An ancient temple, Thoai Ngoc Hau Tomb …

19h30: Dinner with dishes such as crab vermicelli, soy milk at the night market near the temple or go to the local restaurants in Chau Doc, where famous for beef hotpot and renowned beef porridge.

20h30 pm: drive around and see the nightlife in Chau Doc.

Day 2: Tra Su cajeput forest –That Son – Ta Pa – Ho Chi Minh City

6 am: Depart for Tra Su cajeput forests. It’s about USD 2.5/person including entrance fee and boat rental. Each boat can carry 4 people. In the mangroves forest, you can admire the beautiful natural painting with green water-fern, birdsong…

9am: Visit Cam Mountain (Forbidden Mountain). Admission fee is USD 1/per person. An important note is: it is difficult to go up the mountain. To be safe, you should hire a motorbike-taxi (USD 3-4/ per person for two-way ride). On the mountain, you can enjoy beautiful natural scenery of big old trees, waterfalls, lakes and views from above.

12pm: Lunch.

13h: Leave the Forbidden Mountain to Mount Ta Pa. From atop the hill, you will see the field with towering palm trees in the blue sky.

14h: Leaving Ta Pa and depart for Ho Chi Minh City. End of the discovery to Chau Doc – Binh Thien (An Giang) for 2 days and 1 night.

Top 4 The Most Beautiful Homestays in Sapa, Vietnam

Sali House

Just 20 minutes by car from Sapa, located at the end of Ta Van village, Sali House owns a lovely name which is so easy to remember . At any location of homestay, you can also enjoy the view of green nature. This will definitely be an unforgettable experience for any guest staying here.

Staying at Sali House, you will enjoy the freshest nature ever. You can explore the ancient rock field dating back over 2,500 years ago, discovered in 1923by the French-born Russian scientist Victor Goloubev. A 10 minute walk from Sali House is a small stream of clear water. And yet, try to conquer the nearby hills to go to Giang Ta Chai village, go to the Cloud bridge, learn more about the life of the local people, or enjoy Sapa’s delicious specialties like Thang Co, chicken hot pot, three-colour sticky rice … After a day discovering, you can enjoy a relaxing foot massage service by the local ethnic people.

Many people who come to Sali House simply want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, so do not be surprised if someone stay here all week without being bored. They just need a cool, airy, comfortable and quiet place to read book. Every day, they can buy food at the market, cook it themselves and enjoy in the cool air of Sapa, it’s enough for a trip.

Phori’s House is a beautiful little house located in Ta Van village, about 10 km from Sapa town. In front of the house there is a small stream, on the days with good weather, you can go to the stream, sit on a large rock to read books. In the afternoon, you can hike a little higher up, sit down on a terraced rice field and look down the immense terraced fields below, watching the smoke … such a sense of peace that cannot be expressed in words.

Room rate is about $ 30 / night / room for 2 people. Additional 3rd person will be surcharged 10 USD / person. The whole house can accommodate 14 people with enough good mattress and pillow for all, price is $ 120 per day for the whole homestay. In particular, the price remains the same even in Tet – New Year Day and holidays.

In addition, the plus point that makes Phorri’s House so famous in Sapa is the kitchen for those who like cooking. You can go to the market, use cloth bags available in the kitchen to go buy food. Vegetables are available in the garden. There are many drinks like wine, tea and coffee. There is hot water in the bathroom and warm blanket from Germany for the snowy season … All these things will bring you a peaceful holiday in Sapa.

The Haven Sapa Camp Site

The Haven is located on the way to Cat Cat village, about 2km from the center so it is very convenient if you want to walk to the town. The atmosphere is very fresh and close to nature, promising to bring visitors a very different and interesting experience in Sapa.

Located on the Vong Canh hill, from here you can enjoy panoramic view of Sapa with beautiful view. Especially, from any corner of The Haven, you can also take “super nice” pictures of yourself. The special point here is a nice place to enjoy clouds and beautiful moon. On the moonlit nights, you can watch the shimmering sky and breathe a little cool air of Sapa.

The Haven has two 30-bed collective dorms that are well suited for backpackers, travellers or groups of staff in a company to make team-building events. Room rates are around 150,000 VND (6 USD)/ person / night (breakfast included). In addition, there is also an Outdoor Bar & Camp Site (outdoor bar and camping area); 360 Lounge (bar with 360 ° views on the top of the hill among Muong Hoa valley), Cinema & BBQ Terrace and Haven Restaurant

Eco Palms House

Eco Palms House is located in Lao Chai village with views of Hoang Lien Son and beautiful Muong Hoa valley. Eco Palms House consists of 5 bungalows, each bungalow is designed as a typical house of ethnic minorities living in Sapa including Mong, Dao Do, Tay, Giay and Xa Pho.

The bungalows are designed with materials close to nature and eco-friendly like wood, bamboo, leaves … Hence it’s very cool in summer and warm in winter.