Posts Tagged ‘Vietnam’

Cao Dai is one of the most visited temples in Vietnam for people visiting Ho Chi Minh city or Saigon. It is located near Tay Ninh, about 100 kilometres to the north east of the city and is a popular organised day trip where visitors usually visit the Cu Chi Tunnels as well.

The temple was built between 1933 and 1955 and is one of the most spectacular buildings to be seen anywhere with stunning architecture and amazing colour and artwork. The interior walls of the main temple are an amazing display of fluorescent shades of yellow, pink. There are rococo walls and an array of colourful mosaic mirror tiles which light the beautiful structure, which is part mosque, part cathedral and part pagoda.  The temple and the worshippers celebrate a mix of three great religions, Christianity, Buddhism and Hindu.

Read the rest of this entry »

Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay is one of the most spectacular bay’s in the world. The bay a UNESCO World Heritage Site features thousands of limestone islands and outcrops covered in thick vegetation. Being only 185 km north of the Vietnamese capital Hanoi it is only a 4-5 hour journey to see this amazing place. The best way to see the islands is on the water, there are plenty of tour operators ranging from traditional junks to luxurious cruisers. Some of the cruise companies will stop at different islands so you can see the grottos and caves up close. Make sure you do your home work as prices and quality of tours can vary. Your hotel should be able to put you on the right track. Local folk laws say that the islands are a result of dragons descending from the heavens and spitting jewels of jade into the sea, its not hard to see why the place is spectacular. Once back on dry land visit the Halong Bay night markets, this is the best place for a cheap meal and some souvenirs, like laquerware, chopsticks and other trinkets – make sure you bargain- start at about 50% of the starting price- it’s all part of the fun. Read the rest of this entry »

Starting out as a two story garage complex for the French in the late 1950’s and later being renovated into a trading centre with cinemas, cafeterias and dance halls what is now Ho Chi Minh City’s Rex hotel has seen a lot of changes in this vibrant city. During the Vietnam War the building located in District 1 the hotel’s rooftop bar was a favorite place for the American troops to relax within a magnificent view of the city. It is also beloved the hotel was used by the CIA during the 60’s. Today the hotel is pretty interesting and fairly kitschy although it has had a serious makeover, bamboo detailing and huge crown shape lampshades and plenty of bud lighting to make it feel like Christmas. The location, atmosphere and history its of this hotel makes it worth cent. Even if you are not planning to stay there make sure you visit the upstairs bar, its open around the clock and serves great food and refreshing drinks. Read the rest of this entry »

A trip to Vietnam is not complete with out visiting one of the world’s most beautiful religious buildings, The Great holy See temple which is the headquarters of Caodaism which is a religion which is made up of a mix of Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism. The temple was built in 1926, the 9 storey high structure is part pagoda and part cathedral. Inside the temple is the most magical the nearly florescent colours of pinks, blues and yellows are amazing. There are four prayer times a day so if you are lucky you will be able to witness this special religious event. The temple is just under 100km from the centre of Ho Chi Minn City or Saigon in the district of Tay Ninh and is usually packaged as a day tour with the close by Cu Chi Tunnels.

Read the rest of this entry »

Many people would know Khe Sahn from the classic Australian song of the same name by Cold Chisel or for references in Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA. Khe Sahn was the site of a very bloody battle fought in the Vietnam War. In 1968, Khe Sahn was one of the most remote outposts of the war and ended in one of the biggest sieges of the war between the American Forces and the People’s Army of Vietnam. Today Khe Sanh’s horrid history has been mostly overgrown with wilderness except areas including the old airstrips which were poisoned during the war. The old combat base now houses a small museum of relics from the war and the area is extensively farmed for with coffee and banana plantations. There are several tourist operators from Dong Ha which offer tours to Khe Sahn and the DMZ and give you a good insight into this terrible time in Vietnam’s history. Just as a post note the term sappers refers to the people who extracted sap out of rubber trees.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ho Chi Minh was a revolutionary who later became president of the Republic of Vietnam, he died in 1969 and his body is till on display to the public in a huge granite mausoleum Hanoi the capital of Vietnam which was modeled of Lenin’s Tomb in Moscow. He wouldn’t be too happy lying there like a wax model as he really wanted to be cremated and spread over the hilltops of Vietnam. Thousands of people pass through the mausoleum to honor the man or just to take a look. If planning a visit there are strict rules on clothing and what you can take with you. No cameras and no talking- you must keep walking and don’t stop, this is all part of respect. The mausoleum is open every morning but in November he is taken away for a bit of a makeover.

Read the rest of this entry »