Sapa, Vietnam - Travel Guide, Info & Bookings – Lonely Planet Established as a hill station by the French in 1922, Sapa is the one place in the northwest where tourism is booming. It’s now firmly on the European and North American package tour circuit, and well-equipped trekkers toting lightweight walking sticks and wearing technical all-weather gear are a common sight around town. The town is orientated to make the most of the spectacular views emerging on clear days. The town overlooks a plunging valley of cascading rice terraces, with mountains towering above on all sides. Views of this epic scenery are often subdued by thick mist rolling across the peaks, but even if it’s cloudy, Sapa is still a fascinating destination, especially when local hill-tribe people fill the town with colour. The town’s French colonial villas fell into disrepair during successive wars with the French, Americans and Chinese, but following the advent of tourism, Sapa has experienced a renaissance. Read more
Hanoi's French Quarter | The Vietnam blog If you need a break from the chaos of Old Quarter, wander down to Hanoi’s French Quarter, where wide open streets, majestic buildings and high-end hotels, restaurants and shops await. The centrepiece of Hanoi’s French Quarter. Hanoi’s French Quarter lies to the southeast of Hoan Kiem lake. In the late 19th century, when the French occupied Hanoi, they demolished many of the old Vietnamese buildings and replaced them with imposing French-style villas. As well as the architecture the area is characterised by wide tree-lined streets which, while still busy with traffic, are far easier to navigate than the narrow alleyways of Old Quarter. Start at the statue of Ly Thai To, to the east of Hoan Kiem lake. Next to the park is the famous Sofitel Metropole Legend Hotel, built in 1901. The best… and the most expensive. Rather than walking past the front of the hotel, double-back and walk between the park and the hotel. History hides within. More still » Previous post: Vietnam’s most famous bahn mi?
Hotel Elite, best hotel in Hanoi in the French Quarter - Hanoi Elite Hotel, Hanoi Traveller Reviews We stayed last may 2012 in Hotel Elite in Hanoi. Absolute a wonderful experience. They picked us up from the airport. When you enter the hotel it is an oasis of rest, peace and quietness, airco on and you first need to sit down and you are offered a nice refresshing drink.... The reception staff booked us our trip to SAPA, arranged all! Very helpful and knowledgeable staff, clean rooms, in the middle of the French Quarter, nice breakfast and good service. On return from our trip to SAPA the hotel offered us a room to clean up, shower and rest for a minimal charge and even arranged a transfer to the airport. So, looking for a good place to stay in the French Quarter in Hanoi......look no further and book asap as they have limited availability... This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Hidden Hanoi - Would you like to see through the clouds of incense and understand the religious beliefs behind Vietnam’s colourful temples and pagodas? Or plunge into Hanoi’s labyrinth of streets, knowing you won’t get lost? Why not try the delicious array of local street food and learn what it is and what to call it next time? Our completely fluent guides are guaranteed to communicate their enthusiasm for Vietnamese culture as well as their knowledge of the city. Take a walk with us. Topics: Traditional architecture, Vietnamese social structure and life in the Old Quarter We begin this experience in a very local coffee shop located at the bottom of the Old Quarter over looking Hoan Kiem Lake (the Lake of the Returned Sword) that shows the traditional style of architecture in the Old Quarter. The guests will learn why the houses in the old quarter are very narrow? The tour is beautifully finished by 30 minutes relaxing on cycles watching around the streets full of only one type of product.
What I Ate In...Malaysia - Farsickness | travel. eat. write. If my last post didn’t have you scouring the internet for flights to Malaysia, this one might give you the extra push toward financial irresponsibility that you need. Because it’s about food. Delicious Malaysian food that, if you’re anything like me, you might not be too familiar with. Sometimes though, not knowing anything about a country’s food is a good thing. Malaysian food does bear some resemblance to its Southeast Asian neighbors, most notably Thailand as you move north in Malaysia, but the country also owes a lot of its culinary traditions to the diversity of its people. Here are some of my favorite dishes that I tried in Malaysia. 1. I could never wait to photograph my roti, so here’s a photo that Tara took. Usually these lists are not in order of preference, but in this case, number one has been reserved for the best dish. 2. Satay is a traditional Malay and Indonesian food where meat is grilled on sticks and served with peanut sauce. Tastes better than it looks. 3. 4. 5.
The MoveMint | Events & Record Label Taiwan | A Fat Girl's Food Guide to Eating in Korea Dear readers, sorry for my absence this past week but I have been very busy entertaining my best friend in the world, Miss Rachel Verney. I have busy showing her the sights of Seoul, then we took a jaunt to Taipei for Buddha’s birthday. Taipei was not the foodie trip I had imagined it to be, as we spent a large quantity of out time drinking. I did manage to pack in a few culinary delights for you to enjoy which I shall present to you now. Most of the eating that we did went on at our Hotel. Lazing by the pool can really take it out of you so to keep up our strength we ordered some chicken quesadillas and french fries with truffle mayo’ and a truffle, rocket, and fontina cheese pizza. Being the lazy trollops we are we also enjoyed various delights from the room service menu, including a Reuben sandwich, a club sandwich and some bircher muesli. The star of the W show really was the cocktails, I was too drunk to remember all the names so i’ll just show you the pictures instead. Like this:
a hungry girl's guide to taipei Discovering Taiwan: Eating My Way Across l’Ihla Formosa Two months ago, in August, I went to Taiwan on a week-long press trip - a Foodie Tour, at the invitation of the Taiwan Tourism Board. An opportunity to eat my way around the island, with visits to cultural, spiritual and historical places – all while indulging in authentic Taiwanese cuisine, 10-course meals, night markets, tea houses and even beer breweries. You name it, it was on the itinerary – the first of its kind planned by the Taiwan Tourism Board, on occasion of the country’s centennial anniversary. When MatadorU first posted the opportunity for its graduates, I jumped on it. A couple of weeks later, I was selected by the Taiwan Tourism Board, along with eight other travel writers and bloggers from around the US. It would be my first time in Asia, and lucky me – that first time would be on an island (we all know my penchant for such places). Shortly after that selection, I was offered a spot as Matador’s second Road Warrior in Belize. Belize and Taiwan, all in one summer?! Phew.
北海岸夜行磺火船 - 預告篇 Two days on a budget in Hanoi | The Vietnam blog Most people travelling through Hanoi give the city a couple of days before heading to Halong Bay, Sapa or down to the centre and south of the country. Here are our suggestions for what to do on a tight budget if you have just two days here and want to make the most of them. Very small people or a very big one pillar pagoda. On day one, explore Old Quarter. Make sure you include a stop at Bach Ma Temple on Hang Buom Street, wander along Hang Ma and Lan Ong Streets and do check out the stalls around the outskirts of Dong Xuan, the market along Phung Hung, shopping around Hang Giay, St Joseph’s Cathedral and of course Hoan Kiem Lake. Despite modernisation, traditions die hard. Then take a detour from the south of Hoan Kiem Lake for a peek at the Opera House and Sofitel Metropole Hotel, in the French Quarter. End day one, or start day two, with a visit to a wet market. Not white bricks, but tofu. And no visit to Hanoi is complete without a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex.