I considered staying the night in Plei Ku, but folks there confirmed that local police will not allow foreigners to go anywhere in the province of Gia Lai except the highway and the city itself, without a licensed government tour guide. So, I continued on to Kontum, where I was allowed to travel with more, though not complete freedom…
Dak Lak Province is north of Lam Dong. It was once Vietnam’s largest province, but was split in half a number of years ago to create Dak Nong province to the south. The capital, Buon Mat Thuat is famous for coffee and one of the world’s top growers of the beans. The province is politically volatile, and the government only allows foreigners to visit a limited number or locations…
Below are the highlights from my 2-week solo motorbike road trip from Phan Thiet to Dalat to Lak Lake, to Buon Ma Thuat, with a diversion to Yuk Don National Park, then on to Plei Ku, Kon Tum, and east to Quang Ngai, then finally a train ride to Phan Thiet.
I’m told I drove nearly 1000km (620 miles), and traveled through 6 provinces (Binh Thuan, Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Kon Tum and Quang Ngai), and the territories of 9 different ethnic minorities (Cham, Rag Lai, K’ho, Ede, Ja Rai, M’Nong, Bahnar, Sedang and H’Re, not to mention the dominant Kinh or ethnic Vietnamese). This doesn’t include the ride back by train…
Posted on : 17-11-2009 | By : Vietnam720 | In : HCMC (Saigon)
The opening hours of Saigon tourist attractions are not by default the usual 8am to 5pm. Some of these attractions in Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon, have lunch breaks where they’ll be closed completely. Use this guide to plan your visits in maximizing your time and tour in Saigon…
Posted on : 16-11-2009 | By : Vietnam720 | In : HCMC (Saigon), How-To-Get-To
While I’ve titled this post as ‘How to get to Notre Dame Cathedral Saigon’, it should really be ‘How to get to Notre Dame Cathedral AND Saigon Post Office’. This is because the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Saigon Post Office is right next to each other. And if you are thinking this makes ‘killing 2 birds with 1 stone’, it gets even better since the Reunification Palace is also a stone throw away…
Posted on : 15-11-2009 | By : Vietnam720 | In : HCMC (Saigon)
Panoramic images of the 3 main backpackers streets in Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon…
Posted on : 14-11-2009 | By : Vietnam720 | In : Mui Ne
Sankara, Mui Ne hottest new nightspot, had a soft opening this weekend, in preparation for the big date, at the beginning of tourist season. Sankara has more floor space than any venue on the beach, with numerous indoor and outdoor seating environments. Likewise there is also an indoor and outdoor beachside bar. A lit swimming pool sits at the middle of the outdoor patio, with a stage inside at the entrance for live music. DJ Nic Ford mixes the tunes till the wee hours, with lighting that synchronizes to the music. This new million-dollar bar is set to become a destination in-and-of itself and is sure to lead the wave of new upscale establishments and the next stage of evolution in Mui Ne growing nightlife…
Posted on : 13-11-2009 | By : Vietnam720 | In : Hue
Hue, being an imperial capital in Vietnam during the Chinese rule in the 1800s, is where you’ll find many ancient temples, palaces, tombs and pagodas in Vietnam. Hue is a Unesco World Heritage site since 1993…
Posted on : 12-11-2009 | By : Vietnam720 | In : HCMC (Saigon)
Vietnam720: Graham from NoodlePie gives us a break down on Pho 24, the popular noodle-soup chain in Vietnam.
Posted on : 11-11-2009 | By : Vietnam720 | In : HCMC (Saigon)
Vietnam720: Bennett from Good Morning Vietnam gives us a review on Gia Linh Hotel of Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon.
