Dining etiquettes of Vietnamese

Each country has its own way of organizing and tasting meals. Also, Vietnamese have their own beliefs and habits of eating.

Vietnamese usually have breakfast, lunch and dinner without tea or coffee break in between. Because most Vietnamese are early risers, breakfast is eaten before 9, though many restaurants serve breakfasts until much later. Foods for breakfasts are as diverse as you can imagine. Some of the most popular are the “notorious” pho-noodle soup; baguette stuffed with pate, ppq porked and veggies; rice congee with minced pork; banh cuon (rice crepes), xoi (sticky rice). Contrary to the Western diet, breakfasts in Vietnam involves more salt than sugar.  

Bowl of fish sauce is an indispensable element

Lunch is served from 12-1 p.m. Most office workers have lunch at one of street stores where they can choose a main dish-fish, beef, pork, chicken or tofu with side vegetables and steamed rice. Some others order lunch box from a nearby restaurant if they want to avoid the heat and traffic. Lunch in Vietnam is quick yet does not lack any nutrients.

Dinner is the main meal where family gathers and report back their day. Women are usually responsible for preparing the meal, with or without the help of their mother or daughters. Some better-off families have a dining table while the rest, though you may find it bizarre, have dinner on the ground floor. It is Vietnamese tradition to share food while eating.

As a result, the whole family circumvents a tray of food, each with a bowl of rice and taking food from the common dish. Dinner foods usually include one or two main dishes such as stewed pork, steamed chicken or fried fish; one dish of boiled or stir-fried vegetable and one bowl of broth. Steamed rice is considered as inevitable in most meals.

Time for gathering and sharing

  Eating out is not a habit of Vietnamese until recently and nowadays, it is popular in cities ad better off family only. Eating out used to take place on the occasion of daddy receiving salary, or family celebrating an achievement or weekend gateway. However, as modern life leads to lesser time and interest for cooking, eating out is also in the sharp increase.

Vietnamese also have the habit of organizing meals together; members in families gather in time and have close depend on others, which is totally different from Westerners because they ignore to talk during the meals. In the contrary, Vietnamese really like talking during the meal and talking during the meals is the crucial need of Vietnamese because it is also the time for them to gather, express their interests about health, life and share experience of working together or freely discuss about some of their favorite problems.

Foods are delicious while the weather is not good that the meals aren’t delicious. Good places for having meals without good friends make them feel that the meals aren’t delicious.

Vietnamese are both simple and casual. Normal etiquette apply in dining time and fewer expectations are placed on foreigners. If you are invited into a family dinner, make yourself at home and open your eyes, ears and mind to learn about this special aspect of Vietnamese culture

The Sparkling of Dray Nur waterfall

The waterfall is created by the water of Krong Ana and Krong No Rivers. There's a cave underneath the waterfall that brings exotic experience to the adventure travellers.

The 30m falls, which are also known as Cai or Vo (wife), originate from the Krong Ana River. According to a ancient story, a long time ago, a man of Kuop Hamlet fell in love with a girl who lived on the other side of the Serepok River.

Their love remained hidden from their parents until they were inseparable. Unfortunately, they were in a sort of Romeo and Juliet situation, where the two families were old and bitter rivals. Naturally the parents did not approve, and all their efforts to stay together seemed destined to fail.

So one night, rather than being separated, the couple committed suicide in the Serepok River. Suddenly, there was a thunderstorm, water leaped up from the river and sounds came from the forest. The next morning, the people of the hamlet were surprised to see that the river had been separated in two, isolating the two families.

Ever since then the one river has been two: the Duc (husband) creates the Dray Sap Waterfall in Dak Nong Province, in the central highlands, while the Cai (wife) river feeds the Dray Nur waterfall in Dak Lak Province.

Water still flows down the falls in small streams, only to be united at the bottom. Many say that the sound it makes are echos of the delights and reproaches of that “star crossed love”.

These are some photos of the waterfall.

King Bao Dai’s Palace

Located on Trieu Viet Vuong Street, Da Lat in Lam Dong Province, Bao Dai’s Palace is a charming structure with a European renovated architectural style that helps beautify this romantic city.

The old palace, also known as Palace III, belonged to King Bao Dai, the last emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) in Vietnam’s feudal regime. It was built from 1933 to 1938 according to a design by a French architect and Vietnamese architect Huynh Tan Phat. The palace has been evaluated as one of the most beautiful architectural works in Da Lat with a hamorny between pine forests and parks, Thuong Uyen (royal garden), Ai An Forest and a small lake. 

During his reign, King Bao Dai used the palace as holiday house during the summer. During his holidays in the palace, there were always a regiment of imperial guards, a train of cars called “Cong xa biet dien” and private airplanes to serve him and his family. In 1948, when the French persuaded Bao Dai to serve as “head of state” and then established “Hoang trieu Cuong tho”( Domaine de la Couronne in French) in 1950, Bao Dai’s Palace was renamed “Biet dien Quoc truong” (the palace of the head of state). 

Bao Dai’s Palace is imbued with the European renovated architectural style.

A room of King Bao Dai for receiving guest.

A great pair of elephant’s tusks are hunted by himself.

Lobbies in Bao Dai’s Palace communicate with each other. 

The showroom of images and belongings of King Bao Dai.

Bed room of Princess Phuong Lien and Prince Bao Thang.

Bao Dai’s Palace was designed with 25 rooms with a system of well-disposed flat roofs. After entering the main gate is the great hall with eaves to shade the car park. The ground floor was used for parties and meetings with foreign guests and government officials. The palace also includes working rooms, King Bao Dai’s office, a library, rooms for entertainment and a large dining room. The working room was designed with small architectural miniatures to create a hamonious combination between the living space inside and nature outside through doors and steel framed windows. At present, in the reception room many precious objects of King Bao Dai are displayed, including a painting on Angkor Wat presented by Cambodian King Shihanouk, and three tiger skins and an elephant’s tusk hunted by himself.

The first floor of the palace was used as the private space of the royal family with bedrooms of King Bao Dai and his wife, Queen Nam Phuong, and their three daughters and two sons. Near the bedroom of the king stands a beautiful tower called Vong Nguyet (waiting for the moon). The bedroom of Prince Bao Long who was selected to ascend the throne was painted yellow and all decorations have the same colour.

The garden on the grounds of the palace.

A tourist poses for a photo in royal dress. 

Visitors are interested in a classic car placed outside the palace.

Foreign tourists record images inside the palace.

/Bao Dai’s Palace attracts a large number of visitors.

Outside, to the right of the main gate and in the back of the palace are small parks with a style often seen in French palaces. Around the palace are small paths shaded by pipe trees.

When visiting the palace, tourists will feel the solemn, close and warm space of the palace where imprints of a historical character, the last king of the feudal regime that existed for over thousands of years in Vietnam, are preserved.

An afternoon on Lap An Lake

Being a part of Lang Co Bay (in 2009, Lang Co Bay was ranked as the most beautiful bay in the world), Lap An Lake is famous for its charming beauty. The best time to explore Lap An Lake is in the afternoon.

Lap An Lake has an area of 800 hectares, near Phu Gia mountain pass. Because of its attractive beauty, it has been a familiar place to many photographers. Nowadays, local people take advantage of the lake to breed oyster. This has effect on the environment and ecosystem a little bit. Lap An Lake is one of famous tourist spot in Thua Thien – Hue city and is considered as the Elysium. The water in Lap An Lake is very clear. Sitting on the boat, you can see the bottom of the lake. Surrounding the lake, there are roads curving around the foot of the mountain, which makes charming landscape. Lap An always attracts a lot of travelers by the blend of colours of sky and mountain. If you have a chance to contemplate the dawn here, you will never forget. It will surprise you by its picturesque beauty. Lap An has an important role in the protection of coastal areas and it is home of many valuable marine species.

An excursion on still water in Van Long

Experiencing an excursion on still water in Van Long is very comfortable and great.

Since 1999, Van Long has been known as the largest wetlands in Northern Delta, spreading over nearly 3,000 hectares of seven communes in Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh. Scouring to see langurs with white legs Until now, according to Mr Tilo Nadler’s report, director of Cuc Phuong Animal Rescue Center, there are still more 40 langurs with white legs. Nowadays, the number of langurs in van Long is the largest all the country. However, tourists is quite difficult to see them.  If you have a chance to see them, you will be surprised by their fash movement on vertical cliffs. Contemplating the natural beauty and storks flying Storks are the most popular birds here. Local people really like these storks because they eat yellow snails that are very dangerous for agriculture. It is interesting that a stork ccan eat a kilogram of snails. Storks here have long beak and legs so when they fly, they are very beautiful. Many photographers often come here to capture beautiful moments of hundreds storks flying on Van Long at sunrise. Being considered as  “the bay without wave”, Van Long has a tranquil and peaceful beauty. Travelling here means leisurely contemplating the nature to relax for your tired soul.

Green village rolls out bamboo bicycles

For those seeking refuge from the bustling tourist town of Hoi An, this ecotourism village offers a quieter vacation spot. Instead of cars and motorbikes, bicycles fill the peaceful streets.

Float on: Tourists can ride bamboo boats called coracles through the forest swamps. Cam Thanh Village outside Hoi An Town is a favourite eco-tour destination for visitors. They love its 30ha of nipa palm forest and handicrafts made from palm and bamboo. Soon, they will have a choice of riding around on bamboo-frame bicycles being produced by a village craftsman – green bicycles in a green village. The village, which has a population of 2,000, offers bicycle tours, trips in primitive coracles, floating trips among the palm trees and visiting craft people making traditional bamboo furniture. Cam Thanh is an option for visitors visiting Hoi An along with craft villages making lanterns, silk goods, timber furniture and pottery. Visitors can pedal along 5km of winding flat roads around the tranquil village, just 3km from the major tourism hub of Hoi An. Bikes, available for rent in Hoi An, are the perfect stop-start way of travelling throughout the area. Eco-friendly: The village offers a range of sustainable bamboo transport options, on both water and land. The nipa palm forest shadows the Thu Bon River, where tourists can explore the wetland ecological system in coracles, craft of woven bamboo covered with pitch that date back to prehistoric times. The forest swamps are home to shrimps, fish and bird life. Tourists can use nets or lines to fish from the odd little craft. If they like, they can spend a full day in the forest. Lunch can be prepared on site, hopefully heaps of grilled fish and prawns caught in the morning. Pham Vu Dung, a Hoi An tour operator, said the combination of bicycle rides and fishing from coracles was a unique combination that appealed to visitors. For the past 100 years, villagers have been planting nipa palms to protect the village from the Thu Bon River when it floods and to make handicrafts. Simple life: A traditional thatched roofed house in Cam Thanh Village. The forest, which is part of the world recognised bio-reserve Cham Island, has also helped protect the village from storms, while, at the same time, created a stable income for the villagers. Craftsman Vo Tan Muoi, 71, and his son Vo Anh Tan, create unique bamboo furniture and can also build houses using bamboo and palm leaves for the roof and walls. "Local people used to make their houses from bamboo and palm. A house with walls made of split bamboo panels and palm-leaf roof can be used for 30 years," Muoi said, adding that the structures kept cool in summer, but warm in winter. He said new-style buildings had gradually replaced the old-style houses. But villagers preserve some old houses to please the tourists. The old man said his family produces furniture, souvenirs and interior decorations from bamboo. Muoi's son, Vo Anh Tan, has even created a bamboo bicycle and unique decorations. "I have replaced parts of the steel frame with bamboo for those who would enjoy such an unusual environmentally friendly vehicle in a green village," Tan said. "However, I just started production last year and the new design is still being tested." Tan also creates many other objects from bamboo, including beds, sofas, jars, and an old manual telephone. The whole village is drawn into the craft work in its different stages. Vo Tat Thang, 40, who began the trade at the age of 12, said the bamboo was soaked in water for six months before being left out to dry in the sun for 10 days. "The process helps eliminate termites and wood-borers. Palm leaves dry in about two weeks and can then be used," he said. Thang said he and a group of 10 craftsmen often made traditional houses from bamboo and palm leaves to fill orders from around the nation. "We have built bamboo houses at many resorts, restaurants and cafes following orders from owners. The houses create are unique in the days of concrete and steel," he said. "Each house can be completed in 15 days for a cost of VND400,000 (US$20) per square metre," he said. "We get local householders to finish the processes to save time and create more work for our neighbours," he said. The traditional houses are free from iron. "All bamboo panels are tied together with bamboo string, while beams and posts are locked in with bamboo nails." Huynh Anh Phien, 61, earns around VND100,000 ($4.8) a day from processing palm. "It's a hard job, but the craft earns more than rice farming. We plant palm trees and harvest the leaves after five years. The main crop is between February and June." Vo Thi Thuong, 45, makes VND150,000 ($7) a day working in the palm forest cutting leaves and putting them out to dry. "I've lived well for 20 years by growing palms. They need careful care in the first five years to grow well," she said. "The forest protects the village from landslides during the October flood season." Vice chairman of the city's people's committee, Truong Van Bay, said the green tours can not only provide income for villagers, but help preserve the district's green heritage. "There are plans to build a craft production centre on 15ha in Cam Thanh Village to display the arts and crafts we make," Bay said. He said the centre would be near the village entrance, making it more convenient for tourists and villagers. Dinh Thi Thu Thuy, head of the city's trade and tourism office, said Cam Thanh Village was the best local village to explore by bicycle. "The forest of nipa palm, which connects with Tra Que Village and Cua Dai beach, is a full-day tour option. Tourists can also learn how to plant vegetables and rices with farmers in Tra Que before testing their skills on bamboo and palm furniture production at Cam Thanh," said Thuy. She said Hoi An hosted 1.6 million tourists last year, including 600,000 foreigners, who enjoy its peace and beauty. Mark Wyndham, who runs a motorbike adventure tour company based in Hoi An, said the town was safe and easy to live in. "I lived for a long time in Ha Noi and HCM City, but Hoi An is the right location for me to do business. I find life here very comfortable and was given a residential permit from the city's administration," he said. The evergreen rice fields, friendly people and quiet life in Cam Thanh inspired Jean Cabane, 64, from Nimes in France to settle in the area four years ago. Japanese Hirukawa Yuki found the ancient town a good place to live when he gave up the fast-paced life in Tokyo two years ago. "Local people treat us like friends. There is no space between us. They shared our difficulties from the first days we moved to Hoi An. My neighbours even invited me to a party with their family for Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, Yuki said. "Life is so easy. I love the peace and quiet and the smile of local people." Meanwhile craftsman Muoi and his son keep producing bamboo furniture from their bamboo house in the centre of the village. Tan expects to soon finish two bamboo bicycles as prototypes for mass production.

Conquering Ma Pi Leng Pass in Ha Giang

For those who love to explore the highlands, “the happy path” is a really special journey. To reach Ma Pi Leng Mount, visitors have to pass the high mountain passes such as Bac Sum Pass, Heaven Gate Pass, Can Ty Pass…

Ma Pi Leng Pass is in the complex of geological park of Dong Van (Ha Giang), which is recognized as a global geological park. Explaining the real mean of this name, the local people said Ma Pi Leng means “horse’s bridge of the nose”. It expresses that this is a craggy Pass that horses are afraid of going through.

Ma Pi Leng has a height of approximately 2,000m, a length of 20km, connecting Dong Van district to Meo Vac District, based on ancient sediments formed hundreds of millions of years ago.

Looking down from Ma Pi Leng, there is a winding river named Nho Que that is just seen as a thin yearn crossing ravines.

Nho Que river is looked down from Ma Pi Leng

Nho Que river originates from Nghiem Son mountainous area (Van Nam-China) that is called Pho Mai river with a height of 1.5000m, flowing to the Northwest-Southeast.

Nho Que river flows into Vietnam from Seo Lung village, Lung Cu commune, Dong Van district, and it continues to flow through Dong Van town, Ma Pi Leng, and Ma Pi Lung…then be into Gam river at Na Nat, Ly Bon commune, Bao Lam district, Cao Bang province and flowing downstream.

Dong Van Plateau

It is about 12km in length from Ma Pi Leng to Nho Que River below. Therefore, It takes you about 30 minutes to reach the Nho Que river by motorcycles or cars. The road to Nho Que river is so dangerous. But with the youth, this is a great challenge that they want to conquer once in their life.

Looking down from Ma Pi Leng, the scenery becomes more intriguing and majestic that enchants every visitors coming here.

Visitors take photos to keep memories on " Happy Path"

Ethnic children

Coming here, visitors not only admire or conquer the majestic beauty of mountain, but also learn daily life of ethnic people here.

Ha Giang is a really tourist attraction for anyone who love to explore nature and people.