5 Reasons Why You Should Travel In A Kayak and Travel in Halong Bay, Vietnam.

Kayaking is not just one of the most adrenaline-pumping sports, but it is also a way to greet the natural beauty and exult on the sea and rivers. Traveling to nearby places using a travel kayak can serve you multiple purposes. It can drop you to your desired destination, and it can also give you that much-needed thrill and revelry.

Here are some top reasons why you should travel in a kayak:

Kayak

i. Exciting: If your life is short on excitement, then you can try this method of traveling and see your hormones flowing heavily. With kayaking in your schedule, you would find new vigor in your boring life and would be able to work with some added energy.

ii. Affordable: Travel kayak is very affordable and can be bought without making any major investment. They come in different sizes and if you need a single or double person one, then you can get them at just a small budget. 

iii. Observing the sea life: While traveling with kayak, you can observe the sea or river life and learn a lot about ecology. You are bound to zip through some really rhapsodic and photogenic corners where your heart would skip a beat in exhilaration.

iv. Easy to handle: Most kayaks which are manufactured these days are very easy to handle and offer complete convenience. Being light and user-friendly, they make for perfect allies during such adventurous journeys. 

v. Rediscovering the zest of life: If your spirits are sagging and your morale is going down, then you can rediscover that lost zest by trying this adventure sport. With travel kayak, you are bound to get goose bumps all over your body. 

So where can you travel kayak in another country, such as Vietnam. We recommend you a great and suitable destination for kayak: Halong Bay_one of New Seven Wonders of the World. Halong Bay is famous for its natural beauty and thousands of limestone islands and islets. When you are on board, you admire the majestic beauty of the Bay but when you GET closer to the limestone islands, discover the beauty yourself, you admire its nature. But… how to get closer? The best way is joining kayaking activity .

Some images about kayaking activities in Halong Bay we guess you'll enjoy it:

Many kayaks for rent

Kayaking in Halong Bay

Kayaking in floating village

Kayak in Lan Ha Bay

ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA provides you with high quality traditional sea kayaks and equipment, delightful meals, kayak technique instruction, and an overall ecstatic time in paradise.

If you would like to know more,  you can visit: http://www.activetravel.asia/ata_adventure/kayaking/

Have a good journey!

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Performances open 2013 Ha Long Carnaval, Vietnam

The 2013 Ha Long Carnaval opened on April 27 with an arts performance in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh’s Ha Long city which was attended by local and regional leaders, as well as thousands of visitors.

This year’s theme is “The Colours of Quang Ninh – Convergence and Continuation”, featuring the traditional ethnic minority cultures.

The Dao ethnic group from Bang Ca commune, Hoanh Bo district, performed folk dances at the carnival’s opening ceremony to ask the gods for fine weather, good health and a prosperous, fortunate life.

In addition to the opening ceremony, the carnival includes stage performances and a parade which attracted nearly 5,000 amateur and professional actors and actresses, as well as a number of art troupes from China, the Republic of Korea and Laos.

Quang Ninh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Deputy Director, Hoang Quoc Thai, said the event aims to promote the province and encourage tourists form home and abroad to visit the province and learn more about its colourful local cultures.

Source: VOV

Some ATA photos of the opening ceremony:

Over tens thousands of tourists attended Carnaval Ha Long at 27/4/2013.

Opening the festival is the dragon dances

With the theme "Colors of Quang Ninh - Convergence and spreading", this year's festival with bold traditional culture of Vietnam, combine culture of Latin America.

Traditional games of Vietnam

The girl in the Carnaval dress attracts the attention

The girl in the Carnaval dress attracts the attention

Image represent of the 5-star yacht in Ha Long Bay

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Lucky Adventure Travel Indochina – Summer Promotion 2013

ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA has launched “Great summer holiday with lucky travels” for summer promotion 2013 in Vietnam, Lao, Cambodia. The program applies for all customers request tour on website from 25 March to 30 September 2013. Variety gifts such as discount up to 15% on tour request, free city tour, free one night at a luxury cruise or at hotel, free meal at elegance restaurant and others are in listing lucky gift. 

ATA's SUMMER PROMOTION 2013

Escape to learn from difference. Instead of staying at home, let’s trek through the jungle closer with wildlife, actively ride on bike or motor along the legendary trail to hotspots, the remote place in Vietnam, Lao , Cambodia to live like local people,  enjoy the amazing  food, learn new language, experience in  rich culture, gain the historic knowledge. Leave everything behind to see the life in the different way. Why not?  

ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA would like to assist all customers to travel in period between 01 May 2013 and 30 September 2013. Just have fun and get luck by request tour on website – get ticket number. Customers chance to receive summer promotion 2013. Each Monday ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA will announce lucky people via website, social network channel. 

Customers have right to get the summer promotion 2013, following the Terms & Conditions:

• The offer applies for all customers send the request and book tour with ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA from March 25th to September 30th, 2013 for travel period between 01 May 2013 and 30 September 2013.
• The offer applies for all request of package tour (from 2 days more), cannot be applied to airfares, travel insurance, extra accommodation…
• The promotion is only valid for request & booking tour in Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia.
• The request applies for booking which is not too different from the original request in terms of location, activities, duration.
• The prizes are not transferable and cashable.
• End of promotion time, the prizes will be no longer available.

For more details: http://www.activetravel.asia/special_offer/2013_summer_promotions.html

ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA (ATA) offers a wide selection of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia adventure tours, including hiking and trekking, biking, motorcycling, kayaking, overland touring and family travel packages. For more information, please contact ATA for tailoring your very own tour via:

ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA (ATA)

Telephone: +844 3573 8569

Fax: +844 3573 8570

Email: info@activetravel.asia 

Website: www.activetravel.asia

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Exploring the Islands of Ha Long Bay

Legend says Ha Long Bay was formed by a Mother Dragon and her children, sent by the Jade Emperor to protect the Viet from foreign invaders. The dragons flocked from Heaven, spitting out pearls which formed small islands and stopped the invaders and destroyed their ships. Mother Dragon and her children didn’t return to Heaven after the battle, but settled into the bay; the Mother Dragon forming Ha Long Bay and the children forming Bai Tu Long.

Exploring the islands of Ha Long Bay almost makes this incredible story seem true. Weaving through the almost 2000 islands while sitting atop jade-green water is surreal to say the least; spiritual at most.

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Travel to Vietnam – Top 10 Things to do

1.Take a tour around the legendary Halong Bay Paddle around Halong Bay in Quang Ninh which is similar to the islands found along the , this is one of Vietnam’s most beautiful areas, Halong Bay has fascinating limestone formations, coves for night-time excursions, sheer cliffs, grottoes, arches and scores of small islets. There are plenty of activities such as Kayaking that are well worth taking time out for as this is one way to really appreciate the beauty of the area as well as a good way to see the fauna and flora without disturbing the nature around one. 2. Get your shirts and suits tailor-made at Hoian Visit Hoian. From the 16th to 18th centuries, Hoian was a thriving international commercial port for Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Arab traders. These people came to trade primarily for the high-grade silk, which is still produced in the area, and ceramics. The area is now one of four world heritage listed sites in Vietnam and there are lots of interesting things to see and do in the area. 3. Visit Hanoi for an insight of Vietnamese’s past and present Hanoi has lots to offer the tourist but if you are in the city you can’t afford to miss the History Museum that includes artifacts from Vietnam’s prehistory: proto-Vietnamese civilisations (1st and 2nd millennia BC), the Dong Son civilisation (7th century BC to 3rd century AD), the Oc-Eo (Funan) culture of the Mekong Delta (1st to 6th century AD); the Indianised kingdom of Champa (1st to 15th century), the Khmer kingdoms, various Vietnamese dynasties and their resistance to Chinese attempts at domination, the struggle against the French, and the history of the Communist Party. It gives the visitor an excellent understanding of Vietnam’s past and a better understanding of the present. 4. Shop at Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City This large market is close to the backpacker area of Pham Ngu Lao in Ho Chi Minh city. The market was formally established by the French colonial powers after taking over the Gia Dinh citadel in 1859. This market was destroyed by fire in 1870 and rebuilt to become Saigon’s largest market. In 1912 the market was moved to a new building and called the New Ben Thanh Market to distinguish over its predecessor. 5. Explore the Imperial City of Hue Hue is one of the most popular destinations for visitors to Vietnam. Straddling the Perfume River, this mysterious, somber city is a historian’s dream come true, with numerous 19th century ruins, royal tombs and an excellent museum. 6. Join the hiking and trekking tour up in Sapa A perfect Sapa tour will give you a fun experience with combination of trek and journeys away from the crowds. More interesting if you have time with staying at traditional Dao home with local people. Learn and participate in village life and truly feel the warmth and hospitality of these incredible people, or visit the most colorful tribal market in Sapa 7. Enjoy a hillside retreat at Dalat Dalat is the place to be if you want to visit interesting tribal villages. Although most are located further out of town, you can visit the villages of some of the hill tribes, such as Lat Village and the Chicken Village (with a huge statue of a chicken) close to Dalat itself. Don’t forget your camera as the photo opportunities are endless! 8. Relax by the premier beach resort in Nha Trang Nha Trang is Vietnam’s beach resort town. A major face-lift in 1995-96, and the opening of two upscale hotels later in 1996, vaulted Nha Trang onto the playing field with places like Phuket, Thailand, and Cancun, Mexico. Today, it’s a popular destination for both foreign and domestic tourists. In addition to sun bathing, popular attractions include boat trips to the nearby islands and tours of Nha Trang’s historic sites. If you like typical beach resort towns, then Nha Trang is for you. 9.Cruise in Mekong Delta: Meander along the Mekong on one of the many boat trips that are available taking you across the water or through the local canals on many interesting sightseeing excursions that definitely require a camera. Larger boats venture up the Mekong River and this is a definite MUST DO if you are in the area of Cantho or one of the other cities or villages that rely on this massive sourse of water for both transport and food. Climb Sam Mountain near Chau Doc if you want to see dozens of temples, pagodas and the like as it is well worth visiting. Located about 6 km from the city, temples abound and the trek to the top of the mountain is also popular…though one can go by motorised vehicle if you so desire. 10. Experience the historic Cu Chi tunnels Crawl through the Cu Chi Tunnels This extensive network of nearly 500 km of Viet Cong tunnels used in the French Indochina and American wars. The tunnels have complete facilities, from kitchens to printing presses and even street signs, all of which were used to aid the NLF (National Liberation Front) military. Tours involve a description of the tunnels, after which tourists are allowed to crawl about the maze. Located in Tay Ninh a suburb it is 39km northwest of central Ho Chi Minh City.

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“A memorable first visit to Viet Nam”

As their name suggests, ATA is at their best doing active travel; take advantage of it to get away from the crowds and experience Vietnam in a more direct and authentic way.

We arranged a private, two week, multi-tour package in Vietnam with ActiveTravel Asia (ATA) in October 2011. ATA staff, especially Sunny, worked with us to put together a customized itinerary that met our needs and interests. The result was a remarkable and challenging vacation of dramatic landscapes, intense cultural exposure, physical activity, great food, and beautiful people. Our trip had three major components: a 5D/4N sea kayaking tour of Ha Long Bay (including Cat Ba Island), a 3D/2N trek with homestays in the Sa Pa area, and a 2D/1N bicycling tour with homestay in the Mekong Delta

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My Ha Long Bay Visit

 May 7, 2012  

Before I moved to Vietnam, one of the things that most impressed me about the country were pictures I had seen of Ha Long Bay. The beautiful pictures showed romantic views of limestone islands sitting in gorgeous blue water, and I knew this would be a place that I would have to visit!

Much to my surprise, when I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City I realized that this magical place was pretty far away. Unfortunately, after a year of working in, and traveling around, this impressive country I had yet to accomplish my goal of visiting the bay. Recently, while on a business trip to Hanoi, I took a few extra days and finally got to Ha Long Bay.

I booked a tour with a local Hanoi travel agent recommended by a friend. I knew that I didn’t want to go for a cheap, low budget tour on my first visit to the bay so I decided to go for one of the nicer, but still affordable, options. When I had everything booked I could barely sleep because I was so excited.

A bus picked me up in Hanoi in the morning and we made the long drive to the boats. I was surprised how long the drive took as I originally thought that Ha Long Bay was closer to the city. Still, the ride was comfortable and we made it to the water with few complaints. Plus, while we drove along, we got the chance to introduce ourselves to the other travelers who would be joining us on our adventure.

We boarded a small boat at the somewhat chaotic and crowded marina and rode out to the larger boat we would be spending the night on. The boat was beautiful with a rustic, wooden exterior that fit perfectly with the timeless location that surrounded us. Although the boat looked like a more traditional vessel, inside it was equipped with all the modern amenities that you would expect in a modern hotel room. The beds were comfortable and the rooms were surprisingly large for being on a boat.

Slowly, the boat moved into the area of the towering islands. Although I had seen many pictures I was unprepared for how truly impressive the rock formations are in real life! They were truly amazing to look at and compared to nothing else I had ever seen.

Eventually, the boat came to a stop where the rocks formed a kind of natural harbor. Here we exited and got the opportunity to check out a large cave toward the top of one of the large islands. The inside of the cave was massive, bigger than any other cave I had been to and I was surprised that it was in as good of shape as it was, considering the amount of tourists that pass through it daily. While I thought the cave was nice, the best part was the view it afforded from its high location. The boats resting on the calm water next to the islands were truly a sight to see, it reminded me of something you would see in a ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movie!

After exploring the cave, we had a couple of hours to kayak around in the clear, blue water. I had really been looking forward to the kayaking and it didn’t disappoint. Although the outside temperature was cooler than in HCM city  I was surprised by how warm the water was as I paddled along.

Once we were finished it was time for dinner on the boat. We ate some delicious seafood as the sun sat around us and the rocks were bathed in an orange light. Once night fell I retired to my room where I peacefully went to sleep. I rested peacefully as the water was gentle and there was barely a sound outside.

In the morning we watched the sun rise over the landscape, had a simple breakfast and cruised out of the bay. Overnight, clouds had crept into the area and we got the chance to see a more mystical, foggy side of the bay. This was charming in its own way and I felt like an early explorer discovering a new land.

Finally we made it back to the mainland, boarded a bus and returned to the city. I didn’t want to leave such a magical place but I knew this would be the first of many trips as I don’t think I could ever spend enough time in this picturesque land that is truly a natural wonder.

Angela Schonberg

Source: Tuoi tre news

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