Wednesday, April 20, 2011

The world’s best secret islands

Con Dao Islands, Vietnam has listed on Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2011 guide as one of the world’s best secret islands.

Another prison-turned-paradise, the Con Dao islands were home to the most notorious penal colony in Indochina, and continued its grim work until the end of the Vietnam War. Now preserved as Con Dao National Park, the 16 islands are a natural wonderland of dense jungles, jade-coloured waters and white-sand beaches, home to dugongs, dolphins, turtles and spectacular coral reefs. For now, tourist developments on the islands are limited to a single dive shop and a handful of resorts in Con Son township.


Timing is everything with Con Dao – the islands are lashed by squalls from the west from June to September and squalls from the east from September to January.  

Read more at http://www.lonelyplanet.com/vietnam/travel-tips-and-articles/76176

Source: Lonely Planet


You are looking for a beach vacation, craving a romantic spot to celebrate your love affair? Pick Con Dao Islands and do a tour with Vietnamjeeptours.com.

Vietnamjeeptours.com, a local professional tour operator offering a wide range of activities that might suit your various adventure travel needs. It is all about the passion for adventure inspired by the love for the great nature, distant destinations.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Floating lodge on Mekong River

Mekong floating house is a unique accommodation service in Mekong River Delta. Floating house has been a kind of traditional stay of the Mekong habitants for a long time and now they strive to offer the Mekong lovers with a new experience of the real life in the Mekong heart, a feel of complete relaxation in a beautiful landscape and pure nature.

Mekong floating houses
Floating houses are constructed in traditional methods: each one designed beautifully on floats with original materials such wooden and bamboo frames and covered by a roof of palm. All this brings a cozy feeling and friendly to the nature. We would like to recommend to enjoy this special stay by taking a tour of deep into Mekong by motorbike with sightseeing, then admire the impressive sunset over Mekong River while having a candlelight meal. Those are indeed highlights bringing you a memorable experience.

To get to know further about the special trip, you can contact with www.vietnamjeeptours.com via adventure@vietnamjeeptours.com to have one-to-one personal consulted.

Mighty Mekong on riding

The hidden beauty of Mekong on motorbike is the name of a tour program has just created by the adventure travel portal of Vietnamjeeptours.com

The three-day program is a like-no-other truly experience in Mekong Delta for those ones craving for the exploration of nature and Mekong people. The tour organizer also advised that motorbike is the most reachable way to attain to three must-to-do things in Mekong Delta: rounding on off-the-beaten-paths with sightseeing of the tranquil scenery, dining when stay overnight at local house and have cultural interactions and floating on rivers to learn from the traditional way of bartering.

To get to know further about the special trip, you can contact with www.vietnamjeeptours.com via adventure@vietnamjeeptours.com to have one-to-one personal consulted.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

The cultural heritage of Ca Trù singing, Hanoi Vietnam

Hanoi is preserving and developing its cultural heritages by offering to the public as well as visitors an opportunity to see and enjoy the performances at first-hand.

Of these is Ca Trù singing, a kind of traditional folk art in the north of Vietnam using the sung poetic forms in different melodies combined with unique musical instruments. Ca tru first appeared in the 11th century and was performed at royal receptions and religious rituals. It was later performed more widely in singing parlors.

A Ca Trù performance comprised by three artists: a female singer who uses breathing techniques and vibrato to create unique ornamented sounds, while playing the clappers or striking a wooden box, and two instrumentalists who produce the deep tone of a lute-like instrument with three strings and the strong sounds of a praise drum.

Ca Trù was inscribed on the list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding in 2009 by UNESCO.

(A Ca Tru group of  three performers)
Ca Trù is a must see to know about the old Vietnamese culture in the past. Coming to Hanoi, visit French colonial architecture styles, talking to Vietnamese cultural researchers, local artists, explore the old quarter called 36 old streets and enjoy Ca Trù singing is a part of Vietnam northern cultural experience for what is recommended highly by professional tour-organizers.

Find the difference and truly values in your trip by contacting us to get consulted most appropriate from local expertise.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Vietnam sees 22% rise in arrivals in February

Vietnam welcomed 542,700 visitor arrivals in February 2011 – a 21.6% year-on-year increase. The latest figures, released by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), revealed that a surge in visitors from China helped boost the monthly fi gures. Chinese arrivals climbed 65.4% year-onyear last month to 114,700, making it the largest single source market for Vietnam last month. All top 10 source markets recorded year-onyear growth, with arrivals from South Korea (+14.5% to 102,500), Japan (+29.9% to 49,800) and Australia (+12.8% to 40,800) also seeing strong double-digit growth. For the fi rst two months of the year, arrivals to increased 19.5% to 1.05 million. Vietnam is targeting 5.3 million visitor arrivals in 2011. 
Source: Traveldailyasia.com

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Monday, March 28, 2011

Vacation in Vietnam’s top beach resort

Vietnam resort ranks 1st on top ten hideaways

Water Villa Deck, Six Senses Ninh Van Bay.
Photo: http://www.sixsenses.com
Six Senses Ninh Van Bay resort in Vietnam’s central Nha Trang city has topped a list of ten romantic beach retreats released by boutique hotel collection Mr & Mrs Smith (www.mrandmrssmith.com).

The other nine include Cap d'Antibes Beach Hotel, Côte d'Azur (France), Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef (Australia), The Datai, Langkawi (Malaysia), Masseria Torre Coccaro, Puglia (Italy), Zeavola, Ko Phi Phi, (Thailand), Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel, Sagres, (Portugal), Cocoa Island (Maldives, Indian Ocean), Shore Club Miami, Miami (United States), and Alila Villas Soori, Bali (Indonesia).

Details about the ten are as follows (from Reuters):

1. Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, Nha Trang, Vietnam 
Set on a private peninsula that's just a sexy speedboat ride from coastal town Nha Trang in south-central Vietnam, romantic boutique hotel Six Senses Ninh Van Bay offers luxury for lovers. Its 58 dreamy villas all feature seductive beds and bath tubs open to the outdoors, with private pools for cooling dips (choose between beach, spa or waterside settings). You can also dine alfresco by the bay, the pool or up on the rocks for serene sea views - or book a table for two in the atmospherically lit Wine Cave, perfect for popping the question. After quality pampering at the Six Senses Spa, make a date with a sunlounger on the secluded beach.

2. Cap d'Antibes Beach Hotel, Côte d'Azur, France 
With design as glittering as the surrounding sea, chic Côte d'Azur retreat Cap d'Antibes Beach Hotel in the south of France is all about Gallic glamour. Once a beachside club for the jet-set, including film stars Sofia Loren and Cary Grant, this heavenly hotel has its own beach for sandy sojourns. With just 27 rooms, it's intimate, too; Deluxe Room 208 has dazzling views, but Room 201 has a fabulous fish mural. Even the restaurant is named Les Pecheurs (The Fishermen) after the maritime setting. Dine here for gastronomic gravitas, or casual beachside Le Cap serves up pasta, fish and local dishes by the waves. Bring this season's swimwear for poolside posing.

3. Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia 
For a romantic hotel on the Great Barrier Reef, look no further than Australian boutique retreat Lizard Island, a short flight from Cairns off the Far North Queensland coast. With just 40 secluded rooms and 24 ivory-white beaches to choose from, you're likely to have a seductive cove of sand all to yourself for that picnic by the waves. Swim off the beach, take a kayak or boat out, or go snorkelling or diving at famous Cod Hole on the outer reef with turtles and rays for company. Back at base camp, enjoy a hot-stone massage at Azure Spa, then dine on fresh fish and seafood at airy Osprey's restaurant. This idyllic island has honeymoon written all over it.

4. The Datai, Langkawi, Malaysia 
Set on beach-blessed Langkawi Island, a back-to-nature getaway off Malaysia's northwest coast, the Datai occupies a dramatic perch between pure white-sand beaches and verdant rainforest. Famed for its opulence, this beachfront luxury hotel attracts the great and the glam, with 112 wood-crafted rooms, including standalone villas in jungle pockets. The striking main pool boasts beach views, and is for adults only, so you can relax in peace. Alternatively, take a couple's cooking class, enjoy a spa or yoga session, or go on a guided nature walk (look out for monkeys and eagles). With delicious Malaysian and Thai dishes up for grabs, as well as a beach club restaurant, dining is an affair in itself.

5. Masseria Torre Coccaro, Puglia, Italy 
A fortified farmhouse set amid sea-scented olive groves, Masseria Torre Coccaro boutique hotel in Puglia offers refined romance on Italy's Adriatic shores. Located between Brindisi and Bari on the country's south-east coast, its 37 stone-walled rooms are exquisitely decorated with linen bedding, silky sofas, baroque mirrors and antique furniture. Chill out in a poolside hammock, warm up in the Turkish baths or treat yourself in the Aveda spa. For nautical romance, commandeer Masseria's private 14-metre yacht, then relax at the beach club restaurant. The hotel also runs a horse riding centre, if you fancy a trot along the sand.

6. Zeavola, Ko Phi Phi, Thailand 
One of the only boutique hotels on the intimate twin islands of Koh Phi Phi, Zeavola resort is a sandy seaside hamlet of traditional Thai huts blending relaxed rusticity with mod-con indulgence. An affordable spot to savour beautiful shores, it offers 52 freestanding villas (beachfront ones are the most romantic - plump for number 51, nearest the sea). Inside, net-draped beds, teak surfaces and Thai furniture keep things simple. When you've overdosed on swimming and sunbathing, learn to dive at the PADI centre or take a speedboat trip around the islands, then settle in at Tecada beach bar and restaurant for some serious sunset-scoping.

7. Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel, Sagres, Portugal
Set at Sagres on the wild south-west coast of Portugal's Algarve, Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel is beloved by beachcombers, with an inviting stretch of sand and a national park for neighbours. Natural materials rule in the 38 rooms, from cork to timber, wicker and stone, ensuring ocean views remain the star of the show. The Beach Rooms are the most private, with sea vistas from airy balconies. Floor-to-ceiling windows bring the outdoors in at O Terraço restaurant, too, where sea urchin roe with scrambled egg is a must. Distractions include tennis courts, a sports club, pools, watersports, a spa, sauna and steam rooms, but strolling along the seductive beaches at Sagres' fishing port takes some beating.

8. Cocoa Island, Maldives, Indian Ocean
To rev up the romance, escape to serene sanctuary Cocoa Island, a cluster of 33 suites and villas set over the Indian Ocean in the Maldives. A hit with honeymooning couples and lovers of pristine diving, it's the stuff of faraway island fantasies. All rooms are individual at-sea dwellings sited off a snaking wooden pier, with private sun-decks, walk-in showers, roll-top baths and vintage-style ceiling fans. Resembling Keralan boathouses, they promise over-water views, soothing white interiors and teak flooring for laid-back romance. Scuba diving and snorkelling on the reef are mind-blowing, or just explore the holistic Como Shambhala Spa. Cocktails at poolside bar Faru beckon for re-intoxicating after.

9. Shore Club Miami, Miami, United States 
Miami meets Marrakech at Shore Club Miami, a stylish 309-room retreat in the heart of South Beach. This art deco hotel is a hedonistic playground for grown-ups by day or night, with a sexy retro lobby, sprawling lawns, the slinky Skybar and a branch of acclaimed Japanese restaurant Nobu. The party people may flock here, but it's a romantic spot, too. Bag a sleek white room with a balcony sea view, loaded with hi-tech treats, then head down to the steamy hot tub and two elevated infinity-edge pools, fringed by decadent cushion-strewn day-beds. Luxurious, tropical and right by the beach. You've so arrived...

10. Alila Villas Soori, Bali, Indonesia 
Strung along Bali's south-west coast between black-sand beaches and jade-green rice paddies, just-remote-enough Indonesian retreat Alila Villas Soori is seriously seductive. All 48 of its pool villas are sublime, minimal havens with ocean views, but book a second-storey Ocean Pool Villa for a blue bonus: a sea-view bath tub. After lazing by the beach or 25-metre infinity pool, enjoy a slumber-inducing Balinese massage at Spa Alila. Surfing, horse-riding and cycling are all on offer, or ask the Leisure Concierge to hook you up with bespoke visits to local food markets, artisans or romantic temples. Just steps off Kelating Beach, the resort's casual restaurant Coast grills fresh seafood over charcoal or clink glasses at more formal restaurant Cotta.
(News: Tuoitrenews.vn)

Summer is coming, mark your summer vacation memorably and enjoy the valuable stay in Vietnam’s most beautiful beach resorts with the hottest deals by us Vietnamjeeptours.com

Please contact us if you need any help of more information at adventure@vietnamjeeptours.com  or see us on www.vietnamjeeptours.com

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Vietnam Adventure: Soak up U Minh Thuong National Park- the emerging site of nature-lovers

Vietnam Travel Depot and its member vietnamjeeptours.com have launched an impressive tour program of exploring the vast freshwater wetland, U Minh Thuong National Park in the Mekong Delta.

U Minh Thuong belongs to Kien Giang province, about 300km in the southwest of Ho Chi Minh City metropolis, which is recognized as one of three highest priority sites for wetland conservation by its outstanding values of biodiversity.

The park is an ideal destination for visitors who have passion of the nature and love ecosystem. The tour is actually a deep view of Mekong Delta, a chance to immerse yourself by an on-water visit into one of the few primary forests where you can discover as much as it was. It is home to a 44-hectare bird sanctuary with more than 70,000 birds and the presence of 185 bird species where you can get close to see their bird-life such as nest setting, breeding and feeding…Beside is a diversity of flora with 252 species, especially is the a dense cajuput forest. Of these are endangered and have global conservation concerns.

Nature lovers can pick out this discovery tour as an extension part after their Mekong Delta visit and even keep traveling to Cambodia with a stopover in Chau Doc. Or else choose a beach relaxation in Phu Quoc Island after stopping at the neighbour town Rach Gia.

How to get there: 

- Around 300km from Saigon, travel by car down to the Mekong Delta area. The trip takes you around seven to eight hours drive crossing most of the delta provinces such as Vinh Long, Can Tho, and Dong Thap. Take two river ferries on the way

- By airplane from Saigon at 6.45 AM to Rach Gia (50 minutes flight) then by car from the airport to the forest (60 km) with around 2 hour drive.


Further details of the tour, please have a look here http://vietnamtraveldepot.com/vietnam-tours/Adventure-Tours/Discovery-the-Wet-land-of-U-Minh-Thuong-National-Park.html

Need to get one-to-one consulted, please mail us at adventure@vietnamjeeptours.com or sales@vietnamtraveldepot.com or call direct to (+84) 917 28 44 55