Angkor Thom

Angkor-Thom

It’s hard to imagine any building huger or more gorgeous than Angkor Wat, but at Angkor Thom the sum of the parts add up to a greater whole. There are the gates that grab you first, flanked by a monumental representation of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, 54 demons and 54 gods engaged […]

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Around Angkor Thom (Part 1)

angkor thom

Sights Ta Prohm BUDDHIST TEMPLE The final Indiana Jones fantasy, Ta Prohm is hidden in stippled darkness, its decomposing towers and walls locked in the relaxed, strong encirclement of huge primary systems. If Angkor Wat, the Bayon and other temples are witness to the mastermind of the ancient Khmers, Ta Prohm reminds people equally of […]

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Things to do Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum

HoChiMinh_mausoleum

Things to do Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum In the tradition of Lenin, Stalin and Mao, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is a monumental marble edifice. Contrary to his desire for a simple cremation, the mausoleum was constructed from materials gathered from all over Vietnam between 1973 and 1975. Set deep in the bowels of the building […]

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Things to do War Remnants Museum

Things to do War Remnants Museum

Things to do War Remnants Museum  Ho Chi Minh City , Vietnam  Address Street 28 Ð Vo Van Tan Extras cnr Ð Le Quy Don  Telephone +84 8 3930 5587  Prices admission 15,000d  Opening hours 7.30am-noon & 1.30-5pm Once known as the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes, the War Remnants Museum is consistently popular with Western tourists. […]

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Things to do Jade Emperor Pagoda

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Things to do Jade Emperor Pagoda  Ho Chi Minh City , Vietnam  Address Street 73 Ð Mai Thi Luu  Opening hours 7am-6pm, on 1st & 15th of lunar month 5am-7pm Built in 1909 in honour of the supreme Taoist god (the Jade Emperor or King of Heaven, Ngoc Hoang), this is one of the most spectacularly atmospheric temples […]

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Vietnam things to see and do

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Beautiful beaches The beaches of Vietnam are superb. Nha Trang is the perfect combination of a long sandy beach for relaxing days under the palm trees and a town with restaurants and bars to pass the balmy evenings. Boat trips take you out to nearby islands and divers can explore the nearby coral reefs. Alternatively, […]

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Vietnam Food and Drink

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Vietnam Food and Drink Vietnamese cooking is varied and usually superb, as the profusion of Vietnamese restaurants in New York, London and Berlin contest. It is a mixture of Vietnamese, Chinese and French traditions, with a plethora of regional variations. As in all countries of the region, rice or noodles usually provide the basis of […]

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Vietnam Shopping and nightlife

saigon

Shopping in Vietnam For anyone who likes handicrafts and a bargain, Vietnam is nirvana. Wooden water puppets, with ingenious mechanisms, silk, lacquerware, ceramics, colourful hill-tribe bags, clothing and hand-painted silk greetings cards are all a must-buy. Clothes are particularly good value and tailors can make up clothes within 24 hours in many places, particularly Hoi […]

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Travel to Vietnam

Vietnam

Travel to Vietnam  Flying to Vietnam The national airline is Vietnam Airlines (VN) (www.vietnamairlines.com) who run direct flights from London Gatwick to Hanoi. It is served by many airlines via nearby hubs, including Cathay Pacific (www.cathaypacific.com) and Thai International (www.thaiairways.com). Flights to Vietnam are at their most expensive around Christmas, New Year and Tet (January/February). Air […]

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Introduction in Sapa

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337km (209 miles) NW of Hanoi; 37km (23 miles) E of Lao Cai Sapa is a small market town that has been a gathering spot for many local hilltribes for nearly 200 years. Hmong and Dao people, among others, still come here to conduct trade, socialize, and attend an ephemeral “love market” where young men […]

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