TRADITION AND REVIVALVIETNAM
ETERNAL ASIA WHICH REINVENTS FAR FROM THE STEREOTYPES

Discovery

The travel in the Viêt - Nam evokes the Bay of Along, the mountains covered with rice plantations in terrace, the Mekong delta, the deserted beaches but also an attractive culture enriched by the contribution by the various ethnic minorities. At the time of a circuit in the Viêt - Nam you will be able to pass by the old imperial capital of Hooted and its richly decorated temples, the historical capital Hanoi, older capital of South-East Asia or Hô-Chi-Minh-City, ex Saigon, economic capital formerly called “small Paris of the Far East”.

Identity

Located east of the Indochinese peninsula, the Viêt - Nam is bordered by China, Laos and Cambodia. Its 3444 km of coasts are bathed by the Gulf of Tonkin, the sea of Chine Méridionale as well as the Gulf of Thailand. This country offers a splendid diversity of landscapes which inspired several writers such as Marguerite Duras. Between rice plantations, white sand beaches and mountains, a stay in the Viêt - Nam will leave you an indelible memory.

Put except for the diversity of the landscapes, the Viêt - Nam has an impressive cultural wealth. Indeed the population Vietnamese is made up of 54 ethnic groups. The Vietnamese soldiers account for 86% of the population. The rest of the population breaks up between Khmers, Chams, Chinese Hoa, Hmong and other mountain ethnos groups. At the time of your stay do not hesitate to go to the meeting of these ethnic minorities to impregnate you with their culture.

Culture & Traditions

THE BAY OF ALONG

According to the legend, a giant dragon would have notched the mountains with its tail and while plunging in the sea, water would have invaded the cracks. What would have created Bay of Along. It is more than 2000 small islands that you will be able to admire at the time of a cruising on bay.

WITH THE WIRE OF MEKONG

The Viêt - Nam is crossed by the river Mekong, the river with the nine dragons. In order to leave the crammed beaten paths tourists, a cruising along the river is ideal. Mekong is in the middle of the daily life of certain Vietnamese inhabitants. You will be able to then live this experiment closest to the people by visiting the floating fishing villages and markets.

ETHNIC MINORITIES

The 86 million Vietnamese inhabitants belongs to 54 different ethnic groups. The ethnic minorities, for the majority live in the mountains where they have their own culture. We find the Khmers originating in Cambodia, Bahnar, Cham Moslem, the Daughter-in-law, Mnong, the Thais, Hmong Flowers as well as Dao Rouges considered for their red turban.

GASTRONOMY

Your stay in the Viêt - Nam is also opportunity of discovering one of the most beautiful gastronomies in the world. The kitchen Vietnamese is famous for the freshness and flavours of its dishes. The food of bases is rice and the nuoc mam (sauce containing fermented fish). At the time of a traditional meal, all the dishes are served at the same time. Here some traditional dishes: Banh Bao (fritters), Pho Bo (soup), Semi Xao (noodles and trimming), Bun Cha (grill), Banh Cuon (raviolis) as well as famous Bo Bun (salad of vermicelli).

Essential

20°-25° WINTER / 30°-35° SUMMER
Le dong
+6H SUMMER / +5H WINTER
VIETNAMIESE
HANOI
PHO / BANH BAO / BANH CUON

Form your trip

The stages

HANOI

Capital of the Viêt - Nam, the city counts nearly seven million inhabitants. Hanoi is a city which abounds in historic buildings. Cathedral Saint-Joseph, vestige of French Indo-China, with the many pagodas which the city shelters, it is all the history of the city which is to be discovered through its monuments. Since 2008 the city experienced an incredible development. Its population doubled and a first skyscraper left ground. Since, one counts of it more than one hundred. These buildings, symbols of modernism, share the city with the old typical districts of production which made the characteristic of these districts at last century.

BAY OF ALONG

Located in the gulf of Tonkin, the emblematic Bay of Along is made up of approximately 1,900 islands and small islands, thus forming vastest karst marine of the world. According to the legend, the beauty of this landscape would be due to a dragon which would have notched the mountain with its tail. Registered to the world heritage of UNESCO, this site offers indeed an exceptional panorama and shelters a great wealth as regards biodiversity. Thousands of animal species live in the middle of the mangrove swamps and the coral reefs. The travellers can visit fishing villages, caves, bathe or leave in cruising on junks tradionnelles.

HUE

Classified by UNESCO, the old capital of the dynasty founded Nguyen 1802, evokes imperial splendours in spite of the damage caused during the wars of Indo-China and the Viêt - Nam. Its site at the edge of the river of the perfumes takes part in its charm and its peaceful atmosphere. You will discover there the immense citadel with the 10 km long and thick walls of 2 meters surrounded by ditches in zigzag of a width of 30 meters whose fortifications external take as a starting point the military architecture of Vauban.  It shelters part of the population of Hooted as well as the imperial city from which you will be able to admire the palaces with the evocative names “the city prohibited crimson” booked with the personal use of the emperor, “the Palace of the supreme Harmony” where were held the official ceremonies, the “View-point of the five Phoenix” where the emperor sat enthroned at the time of the special occasions as well as temples dedicated to the sovereigns.

HOI AN

Registered with the World heritage of UNESCO, Hoi An has an architectural heritage without equivalent in the Viêt - Nam. The Chinese, Japanese commercial rich person or Europeans who resided downtown at the time where it was a large international port, between 16th and the 19th century left behind them rich residences, temples, vaults, common houses of congregation or the photogenic Japanese covered bridge so representative of the city. Its exceptional location at the edge of the river Thu Bon, near to the splendid beaches to Cua Dai and Nam Hai, to the site of My Son; vestiges of the kingdom of Champa and a preserved campaign where live mountain ethnos groups makes a privileged stage of it. In spite of its tourist development, the city preserved its relaxed and peaceful atmosphere that the little of circulation contributes to preserve.

HO CHI MINH

Ho Chi Minh, formerly called Saigon is strongly marked by his history. Initially larger port of Cambodia before becoming Vietnamese, it was also conquered by French who called it then Paris of the Far East. A history which one can discover in particular thanks to the palace of the reunification, the cathedral Notre-Dame or the museum of the war of the Viêt - Nam. But it is also a town of culture and traditions with its opera, the Temple Cao Dai Tay Ninh and the market Ben Thanh.

CAN THO

With its 1.1 million inhabitants, Edge Tho is more the big city of the delta but also that which offers best accommodation. Edge Tho is an excellent starting point for excursions towards the market floating of Cai Rang who gathers the wholesalers, recognizable thanks to the fruits or vegetables hung on a pole to indicate the goods to be sold, or those more authentic of Phong Dien or Phung Hiep which double of a market on the ground. In all the delta, you will regale yourselves excellent fruits of which some are even unknown better French early products. Edge Tho has also two very pretty very different temples; the Ong pagoda vis-a-vis the river and the Muniransyaram pagoda in the style of Angkor.

DALAT

This city built in 1912 was one moment populated of more than 20% from abroad who left 2,500 colonial villas of which the original Madness Hang Nga with the strange archiecture which points out a little that of Antonio Gaudi. Saved during the war, it kept this European environment of spa with its artificial lake, its pedal boats in the shape of swan, its large cathedral whose stained glasses come from Grenoble and its station which resembles that of Deauville. You will be able to also visit the Palace of summer of the last emperor of the dynasty Nguyen Bao Dai and his French gardens, to level you skewers at the central market or to discover the villages of the ethnic minorities of which the village of Lang Dinh An (“village of chicken”) dominated by a colossal concrete gallinacean and populated by the ethnos group Co Ho.

NHA TRANG

Important fishing port, Nha Trang became the most important seaside resort of the Viêt - Nam. In addition to, its paradisiac beaches surrounded by green mountains, its fishing fleet at the bright colors, its water activities, its desert islands and its restaurants of seafood, Nha Trang has turns cham of Hindu style of the 13th century dedicated to the goddess Po Yang Inu, protective of the city as well as a very beautiful cathedral and some beautiful colonial buildings.

SAPA

At an altitude of 1,650 meters, this old health resort rested by the French in 1922 benefits from an exceptional framework. Encircled high summits whose mount Fan Si Pan which culminates with 3,143 meters and dominating a staged valley of rice plantations, the city of Sapped is an important point of return of the mountain ethnos groups which come avoided from their more beautiful attire to sell their goods at the market. Splendid excursions can be organized to leave to the meeting the ethnos groups Hmong and Dzao reds and to share their daily newspaper for one or more nights. Most courageous will try the hard rise of the Fu Mount If Side.

CON DAO

More known under the name of Poulo Condor for its prison, the islands of Con Dao attract today the travellers amateurs of deserted beaches, diving and especially of exclusiveness. Transformed to 80% into national park, the archipelago shelters sites of laying of marine tortoises and you will be likely to see the famous dugong, this rare mammal of the family of the manatees. As water of the islands is protected, one finds there a large variety of fishes and corals. The balneal city of Con Son with his colonial buildings in the course of restoration still releases a peaceful atmosphere very far from the vibrating seaside resorts.

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