Helping Hands Cambodia

The April Newsletter for Helping Hands Cambodia is out and it's well worth spending 5 minutes of your day to have a look!

Founder, Deborah Groves is well known for her hard work through out Cambodia, but as you'll quickly realize in this newsletter, she is also a highly talented photographer.

So don't just sit there looking at this, click on the link below and check it out!

Helping hands Cambodia - April Newsletter (PDF)

And if you're digging it, check out some more amazing photography from the Kingdom and the official Helping Hands website listed below:

www.grovesphotography.com
www.helpinghandscambodia.com

Helping Hands Cambodia is a great organization so help spread the word.

Forward this post to all your friends. Heck tell your plumber, butcher, accountant even tell your mother-in-law...............it's free and easy to help!

Novotel Hotel - Ha Long Bay

By Thanh Bui 

Novotel Ha Long Bay Hotel is a 4-star luxury hotel situated at an ideal place in Halong city. This luxurious hotel is a part of Novotel Hotels Group whose other elegant hotels are situated in other big cities in many different countries. Featuring deluxe accommodations, and large meeting rooms, the hotel is an ideal choice for business travelers as well as leisure holidayers.

Opened in October 2008 and managed by international hotel chain Accord, the Novotel Ha Long Bay has brought a modern look to the town of Ha Long.

Staying a night abroad a boat is not for everyone, according to the hotel's General Manager, Tina Senfter.
Those with children or mobility problems often prefer to stay in a hotel. Spacious and stylish in their contemporary design, the rooms are equipped with the latest appliances, such as flat screen TV and complimentary, high-speed internet. The 12-storey building offers splendid views across the bay, especially from the private balconies of the 118 superior bay view rooms. The hotel can arrange day trips around the bay. It has contracts with five boats, but provides its own tour guide and catering, to ensure the highest quality.

Guests choose between four and six-hour trips. They even decide their own embarkation time,s o there's no need for any early morning call for late owls. Novetel can also arrange overnight trips.

A great option for business and incentive trips, a morning meeting can be combined with an afternoon cruise around the bay and an evening gala barbecue dinner around the pool. Who said business can't be fun?

Go the following sites for more information: Vietnam Holiday and Ha Long Hotels

Travel by Bamboo Trains in Cambodia - True Ingenuity!

By Douglas Michaels Jr.

Bamboo train transportation performs a key role during the advancement of societies. Sumerians invented the wheel in 3500 BC to aid during the movement of hefty stone as they designed their temples; Romans created a vast network of roads across their Empire so soldiers could march and conquer more efficiently; Egyptians constructed ships to access more markets for trade and later on, canals were created to give additional passage. In the 1800s, America's own Industrial Revolution was spurred on by expanded transportation including the Cumberland Road (now part of Interstate 40), the creation of the Steamboat, the opening of the Erie Canal and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.

Their selection of materials is an unusual combination from the strong and abundant bamboo that surrounds them and parts from abandoned military tanks. Described as a "bamboo slab on wheels," these trains sprung up within the late 70s where they were controlled by a series of levers and hand-cast controls. They have since upgraded to wooden footbrakes and small motors that poured into the country, courtesy from the United Nations relief effort during the 1980s.

Efficiency is key for this train system. They use the existing railroad tracks and spurs to travel. When they meet an additional bamboo train on the tracks, whoever has the least passengers merely lifts their train off the track to let the other one by. They keep a razor-sharp ear out for the infrequent freight trains that come through and when they reach their destination, they simply pick the train up and turn it around to head back.

These bamboo trains, or "Norries" as they are known as by locals, offer a link between villages, a way to get produce and animals to the market, a way to transport lumber to building sites and a means of income for several as rich tourists pay up to $2/day to ride them. In Cambodia, that may equal two months wages to most citizens. A local village has even turned into a "little Detroit" and builds up to 10 trains a month for sale and use. Not only are they building them, but they want to make them more beautiful to help encourage the tourists to ride them.

Necessity is the mother of invention and in a nation that desperately needs (and wants) to rebuild itself, these bamboo trains are an ingenious solution.

Douglas Michaels Jr. writes educational articles for Green Earth News, the authority on everything Bamboo. Read the full article on Bamboo Train Cambodia. Check out Green Earth Bamboo for bamboo sheets, bath towels, duvet covers, womens clothing, all made from the world's most sustainable and renewable resource on the planet

More travel articles from Cambodia!

Saigon Traveling - A Travel Guide

By Ramon Van Meer

Ramon Van Meer
Level: Basic PLUS

Ramon van Meer is a travel expert and a manager of a online Travel Agency Let's Fly Cheaper. Ramon has more than 9 years of ...

Saigon, also called Ho Chi Minh City, was initially a really humble fishing village. During its early days of a fishing village it had been called Pery Nokor then. Today, Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City is now a destination hot spot of the world for its many marvelous beauties. Saigon is draped with large stylish boulevards, a well persevered past and rich art and culture. Its historic buildings built during the French occupation are preserved and have become some of the most popular tourist attractions in the city.

Other famous structures in the city is are the Ho Chi Minh City Hall, Reunification Palace, Municipal Theatre, State Bank Office, City Post Office, and historical hotels such as the Hotel Majestic, Rex Hotel and Caravelle Hotel which were also built during the French colonization of Vietnam. The city also features of its grand museums such as the Museum of Vietnamese History, War Remnants Museum, Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, and the Ho Chi Minh City Museum. It will surely have the tourist in delight as they witness and experience the many wonders of the city.

The majority of the city's revenue also originates from its active entertainment and film industries where private film companies are also based. It is home to hundreds of cinemas and theatres which are very active daily without fault. If you merely want to have a high-class form of relaxation, the greatest fun places to visit while in Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City are the Dam Sen Tourist and National Park, the Suoi Tien Amusement and Tradition Park and the most popular Can Gio Eco Beach Resort

Ho Chi Minh City offers experienced huge transformations since its early days and has now turn out to be the largest town in Vietnam with a dense population count of 9 million, one of the most populated metro areas in the country. This Vietnam city was once under the French occupation for several years and was one of the most chaotic cities affected by the Vietnam War during the seventies. However that may be read in history books now, and has become one of the quickest developing economies in Asia. Its financial growth is actually well manifested via its gorgeous and modern day buildings and plazas and now holds the title "financial center" of Vietnam with 1000s of huge businesses, electronics, technology, retail, and entertainment industries.

Climate: The best time to visit Saigon is throughout the Christmas holidays or December where the weathers become extremely gorgeous especially in the mornings. Generally, Ho Chi Minh City experiences humid times throughout the year. During the wet or wet season, heavy down pours are usually experience quite often. Such things happen among the months of May and November. Its dry time occurs from December to April. Its temperature during the dry season may shoot up to 39 degrees Celsius.

Transportation: Xichlos or Cyclos is the most popular public transport in Ho Chi Minh City because it is man-powered. It looks like a little carriage with only one seat and two wheels that it is being pulled by a person. Taxi cab fleets are plentiful in this city day and night. Commuters can take bus lines, motorcycle taxis, ferries and boats. You may also find a great number of car rentals within the city.

Ramon van Meer is a travel expert and of Lets Fly Cheaper.com, an Online Travel Consolidator. Lets Fly Cheaper offers Last Minute Cheap Flights with the best personal service. Ramon has more than 9 years of experience in the Travel Industry and had appeared on several travel television shows in Europe. For more information about how to get the cheapest airline tickets like Frankfurt Cheap Flights go to the website.

Read More From HCMC

Adventure's In Hoi An

PHAT TIRE VENTURES

If you are the kind of person that isn’t thrilled about having clothes made when it’s 35 degrees Celsius it may time to reconsider your options. Maybe you’ve seen all the cultural sights in Hoi An, you’ve done a sunset boat cruise on the Thu Bon River, you’ve gorged yourself on fresh seafood at Cua Dai Beach and yet you are still looking for something to do why not throw yourself down a big dark hole?

On Saturday 6^th March that’s exactly what I did. I went out with the guys from Phat Tire Ventures a Dalat based company that has set up another office in Hoi An and they run climbing/abseiling trips and mountain bike tours amongst other activities. I chose the half day option and went climbing and abseiling.

At 8.00am I met Thanh the lead guide at their office and we threw all the gear into the waiting van, harnesses, ropes, helmets, climbing shoes, hardware and ropes and set off for Marble Mountains where we arrived 20 minutes later.

Instead of stopping to marvel at the marble carving we made our way up all the steps to the top. Thanh and his crew then set about rigging a practice abseil on a small slope for me to get comfortable with things before setting a 15 meter abseil right next to “Heaven” cave.

The hardest part of abseiling (rappelling) is getting to the “jump off” point and by the time I got there I was a sweaty puddle of a human. Geared up it was time to take the plunge and with excellent guidance and instruction from Thanh and his team I was perched on the edge ready to let gravity do it’s thing.

It was all over very quickly but great fun coming down to the cheers of all the locals gawking at the odd folk in helmets and harnesses.

The second abseil was in to a small cave, a 25 meter drop which set me right for the final one in to “Hell” a cave called An Phu in Vietnamese. This was going to be the big one – 50 meters down into a gaping abyss, no clue what was below. Was I afraid? Perish the thought! I had supreme confidence in the rigging done by the guides, the explanations and instructions made sense and the previous abseils set me on the right track, so all I was feeling was excitement.

My turn came up second and I couldn’t wait. Once attached it was time to make like a tea bag attached securely to my rope complete with a safety back up line.

How can I describe it? Amazing? Over used. Awesome? Too cliché. Bloody bonza! Yep, that’ll do just fine. How cool is it to vanish into your unknown, into a cave called Hell attached to ropes and landing in a chamber behind an altar lit by subtle lighting, a cave that hid the Viet Cong during the war.

Truly incredible!

Whilst the boys broke down the gear it allowed me the opportunity to wander around An Phu Cave a place dotted with demons and small statues in various states of trauma, experiencing Buddhist “hell”. It may sound a little “Stephen King” but I can assure you going from Heaven to Hell with Phat Tire Ventures is well worth it!

P.S We squeezed in a short climb too which had the locals admiring our fearless skills.

Contact:

www.phattireventures.com

info@phattireventures.com

Tour Guide: Mr Thanh

Mobile: 0989 686 898

Hoi An Motorbike Adventures

Now, all this adrenalin fueled activity could leave you feeling all pumped up and ready for more excitement. Why not combine the climbing/abseiling with a half day motorbike tour on the mighty Belorussian Minsk motorbike as made famous by the team from Top Gear?

You can drive yourself or if you haven’t had any experience riding a motorbike, go on the back with a professional driver and head out on a 60 km loop through the countryside surrounding Hoi An.

A great journey off the beaten track, via villages, past swimming water buffalo, kids screaming “hello”, single track through forests, past war cemeteries, over floating bridges, amongst rice paddies not seeing another tourist en route.

The Minsk motorbike has it’s own character as do the guides (Mark – Australia, Simone – Germany) that take you out on the tour.

You can’t have more fun in a day, see parts of Vietnam that others don’t, get the blood racing and it all goes to making the beer at the end of the day taste so much better!

Contact:

www.motorbiketours-hoian.com

54A Phau Chau Trinh St

Tel: 0510  3911 930

Mobile: +84 (0) 918 230 653

Email: info@motorbiketours-hoian.com

------------------------

This article was written by Adam Martin. Check out Adams photography from around Asia at http://www.asianimages-adammartin.com

People of Vietnam

Through out Vietnam, there are a total of 54 Ethnic Groups living. The largest is the Viet, or Kinh people, which accounts for some 88% of the population.

Other major Ethnic groups include:

• Tay – 960,000 people

• Hoa – 930,000 people

• Thai – 770,00 people

• Khmer – 720,000 people

• H’mong – 441,00 people

• Dao – 340,000 people

• Giarai – 184,000 people

• Nung – 152,000 people

• Ede – 140,000 people

For more detailed information, displays and explanations on traditions and customs on all 54 groups, visit the Museum Of Ethnology in Hanoi. This museum has detailed exhibits showing rituals, housing, dress, customs and much more.

Museum Of Ethnology
Nguyen Van Huyen Street, Hanoi

Open: 8.30am - 5.30pm (except Mondays)
Admission - 25,000VND
Website: www.vme.org.vn

Army Engineers Museum - Hanoi

Not as well know as many of the other sights in Hanoi, the Army Engineers Museum makes for an interesting visit!

As the name suggests, the museum covers the extraordinary history of the Engineers with displays outlining their work in the battle of Dien Bien Phu, the construction of the Ho Chi Minh Trail to the efforts of the of the Engineers in rebuilding the Long Bien Bridge (Hanoi) after it was repeated bombed during the Vietnam War.

There are many photos showing Vietnam’s wartime “Heroes”, it’s Generals and the many men and women that took up arms to fight numerous foreign armies.

The Army Engineers Museum is not a popular hang out for travelers, so grab a motor bike taxi and tell them to go here:

Army Engineers Museum (Bao Tang Cong Binh)
290 Lac Long Quan Street
Huyen Tu Liem, Hanoi

Soc Trang - Vietnam

With 28% of their population Khmer, Soc Trang is somewhere you can visit to experience both Vietnamese and Khmer cultures at the same time. The township it self is very basic and offers little for the traveler, however hope a motor bike taxi or a bicycle and you’ll be wow’d by the temples and pagoda’s just a short drive away.

Kh’leng Pagoda (Chua kh’leng)

Rebuilt in 1905 using concrete, Chua Kh’leng was originally built using bamboo way back in 1533.

This amazing pagoda is home to some 20 monks who accommodate several hundred students who arrive from around the Mekong to study at the nearby Soc Trang Buddhism School.

The monks and students are all very welcoming and love to practice their English with travelers passing through. They will normally also give you a tour of the pagoda. Donations are welcome, donation boxes are normally found near the main alter.

Clay Pagoda

Chua Dat Set in Vietnamese, the Clay Pagoda was built some 200 years ago by a Chinese family.

When you enter this amazing pagoda, you will see hundreds of brightly colored sculptures’ and statues, all of which have been made by hand using clay. The pagoda is very popular with Vietnamese and is actively used for worship.

Located at 68 Mau Than Street, you can easily walk to the Pagoda from the town centre.

Khmer Museum

Sitting opposite the Kh’leng Pagoda, the Khmer Museum has been put together to show the history of the Khmer Minority in Vietnam. Small but worth a visit, this museums opening hours vary greatly.

Ask at your hotel or a local about the opening hours.

Bat Pagoda

Just 4km outside of Soc Trang Town, the Bat Pagoda (Chua Doi) has become a must see for both Vietnamese and western travelers.

Whilst the Pagoda itself is large and beautiful, many come to see the thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of fat bats that have made their home in the surrounding trees. The bats, many of them HUGE, are extremely noisy thanks largely to the locals consistently shaking the trees!

Due to its popularity, the front gate is often guarded by an army of young children who beg and ask for money and food. A few are also not shy in putting their hands into someone else pockets, so watch the wallets!!

The pagoda can be reached by bicycle or motor bike in 10 minutes. Monks living in pagoda are friendly and very helpful, some speak a little English. Again, donations are welcome.

So are ear plugs!!

Note: If you visit a pagoda during your travelers, please pay due respect by dressing correctly (shoulders covered/long pants), removing shoes/hats when you enter the pagoda, doesn’t use camera flashes and always remain quiet.

Free in Hanoi - Vietnam

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam is a great city to just wonder and take in the sights. Many of the things you can see will cost nothing, but will make your journey more memorable. Here are a few ideas on where to go.

Wonder through the lakes of Hanoi. In the central area there is Hoan Kiem Lake, a beautiful and shady to wonder around this city. Get there early in the morning to see locals out doing their morning exercise and practicing Tai Chi.

Further out of the city to the north, is West Lake, Hanoi’s largest lake and next to that is Truc Bach Lake. Splitting the two lakes is Thanh Nien Street. Following this street you will be able to visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, the cities oldest pagoda. West Lake generally has fewer travelers and fewer kids selling postcards etc.

Markets are also a great way to experience the local culture and to get a feel for a city. Hanoi is no different! There are some 50 markets around Hanoi, the largest being Dong Xuan Market. A number are also located in the Old Quarter making them easy to reach. Other great markets include 1912 Market on Hai Ba Trung Street and the fabric market on Pho Hue.

If you’re into Art, then Hanoi is a great place to wonder through the galleries and check out the local talent. Many art shops have popped up along Hang Gai and Hang Bong Street, along with the streets running of them. Check out the Vietnam News Paper (English) for other local exhibitions in the city.

It really goes with out saying, but just walking the streets and lanes of the Old Quarter is a great experience. You will get lost, but that’s have the fun! Make sure you take your camera; you’ll some amazing shoots of building, people and markets.

Hotelscombined.com - Search 30+ Search Engines With One Click!

6 Things to do in Nha Trang

1. Po Nagar Charm Towers – Northern side of of Ha Ra Bridge. Stunning Charm Towers built between the 7th and 12th centuries. The towers sit on a large knoll giving visitors a fantastic view of Nha Trang, the harbor and river.

2. Nha Trang Beach – The city of Nha Trang is set along the beach and it makes a great place to swim, relax, get a massage or eat some local seafood. Many parks are being developed along the beach giving plenty of shade for all. During weekends and holidays the beach is packed with Vietnamese early morning and late evening. If you can brave the midday sun, you’ll have the beach to yourself!

3. Island Boat Tour – Tours can be booked at any travel agency around the backpacker area. Full day tours are a great way to see the islands, taste the local seafood, visit a fishing village and swim in the South China Sea. Most leave at 8am and return between 3 – 4 pm.

4. Long Son Pagoda – Built in 1963, this pagoda is famous for it’s 14m statue of Buddha, seated on a huge lotus flower. It’s also great for the legs, as you’ll need to climb 154 steps to reach the statue! Once there, you’ll have sweeping views of Nha Trang and near by paddies.

5. Night Out On The Town – Nha Trang is a great party town. My two favorite hang outs are the Sailing Club (72 Tran Phu St) and Guva Bar (Biet Thu St). The Sailing Club is an old favorite with travelers and open late, set on the beach you could spend all day and night there! They also have great food. The Guva Bar is just as good, with great music and relax atmosphere. Canadian owned, the Guva is opened late and also offers great food.

6. Bike Tours – Nha Trang is quite flat so it makes a great place to hire a bike and ride around. Follow the coastline or head west and negotiate the crazy roads of this coastal town!

Besides the things above, you can also visit the Nha Trang Cathedral, Oceanographic Institute, Bao Dai’s Villas and the Pasteur Institute. Finish at the beach for sunset and a cold drink!

Heading to Nha Trang? Check out Hotelscombined.com for the best hotel deals online!

Ba Chuc – Bone Pagoda - Vietnam

Relationships between neighboring Vietnam and Cambodia are quickly improving with every day. You could say politically, the two countries are quite friendly. However that wasn’t always the case.

We have heard a lot about the Khmer Rouge, the Killing Fields and its leader Pol Pot. Millions were killed and massacred in Cambodia during Pol Pots reign. What is less know is that prior to the invasion of Cambodia by the Vietnamese, is the Khmer Rouge attacked and tortured some 3157 Vietnamese people at Ba Chuc - An Giang Province.

This happened between the 12th and 30th April 1978 and while there were no doubt other reasons for the invasion, this was the straw that broke the camels back.

Ba Chuc is about 30 minutes away from Chau Doc. The roads are in fairly good condition so it can be easily reached by car or motor bike. The site has a tower of skulls, similar to that in the Choeung Ek Killing Fields of Cambodia. There are also plenty of photographs which graphically outline the results of the attack. This is not a place for the light hearted, but even with its horror, it makes for an interesting visit and it’s something we should all see.

It is believed that two people survived the massacre and one of the survivors runs a small cafe next to the entrance of the site.

I have personally visited Ba Chuc, the Killing Fields of Cambodia and many other similar sites and the saddest thing for me – it’s still happening today, even as I write this post....................