Every weekend, hundreds of people flock to the U Minh Thuong National Park in the southern province of Kien Giang to fish as a leisure activity. Here there are different kinds of huge fish far beyond their wildest dreams.

That’s why it’s not rare to find a long line of cars queuing up along the road that leads to the park. Most of the vehicles have travelled from HCM City, 365km away.

For many people, fishing in this remote area is a way to escape from the bustle of city life and enjoy the primitive cajuput forest, where they are greeted by bird songs and insect chirps.

Proclaimed a National Park in 2002, U Minh Thuong covers a 22,918ha area of freshwater wetlands, peat forest, seasonally inundated grassland and swamp. The core zone of the park is surrounded by a canal and dyke system, creating an ideal environment for aquatic species.

One of the last significant peat forests remaining in Viet Nam, the park has also been recognised as one of the three highest priority sites for wetland conservation in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta.

U Minh Thuong is home to more than 250 and 500 species of plants and animals, respectively. Nine species of bird living in the park have been listed in the Red Book: the oriental darter, spot-billed pelican, painted stork, lesser adjutant, black-headed ibis, glossy ibis, greater spotted eagle, grey-headed fish eagle, and the Asian golden weaver. In addition, at least eight species of economically valuable fish have been found at this park.

In order to maintain the natural environment, tourists are allowed to travel only within a 500ha area of the park’s central zone.

When fishing, most of the tourists use the humble cajuput-wooden tents scattered by Hoa Mai Lake. The lake is considered to be the “tourist centre” of the park because it is the only place in the area offering catering and other basic services.

Visitors pay VND40,000 for admission to the fishing grounds, with a rod and bait included in the price.

Professional fishermen prefer to hire a wooden motor boat for VND30,000 per person to go deeper into the forest, where they can catch much bigger fish.

However, due to the limited number of service boats, tourists have been encouraged to book them in advance through the park’s management board.

While the boats glide along the water, visitors may have surprise encounters with the thousands of bats that hang themselves on tree branches. If they are lucky they may even see monkeys, who then quickly flee deep into the jungle at the first sign of humans.

“I often spend my weekends going fishing here together with my family and friends. The feeling of being in nature is amazing. More importantly, that feeling can help refresh me after a long, hard week of working,” said HCM City visitor Le Cong Thanh.

Nguyen Van Minh, another regular visitor of the park, equips himself with all the necessary items whenever he goes fishing: a modern rod, different kinds of bait for various species of fish, a palm-leave conical hat, a raincoat, plastic boots and food.

According to him, the swamp is a perfect place for fishing because the aquatic plants are home to many fish.

Being a professional fisherman, Minh also knows about the habits of each species. “Tilapia (ca ro) often go searching for food in mid-morning, around 9 o’clock. As for snakefish, you can never catch them before noon. While ants are a favourite food for tilapia, small frogs are the most effective bait for snakefish.”

Thanks to that great knowledge, Minh is able to catch tens of kilograms of fish whenever he goes fishing in U Minh Thuong.

For many tourists, it is ideal to have a meal prepared with fresh fish and other local indigenous vegetables right on the spot, and then lie down on a hammock to enjoy the forest’s tranquillity.

Non-fishing tourists can climb to one of the several watchtowers and enjoy a panoramic view of the reserve. An immense green zone stretches as far as the eye can see, and the harmonic melody created by the sound of the wind blowing and birds singing can purify the spirit of any visitor.

Unlike Minh, who goes fishing alone, Anh Nguyen and his friends gather into an eight-member group.

“We share a rental car from HCM City to the park. It’s much more fun when you have companions, who also have the same hobby,” he explained.

His group has travelled to different regions in the south to fish but he said they’ve never seen so many fish as in U Minh Thuong. “Each one of us catches at least 6-7kg of snakefish whenever we go fishing at the park.”

According to the park’s chief tourist manager, Nguyen Van Nhien, since the park opened to tourists in 2004, the number of visitors has increased every year.

Now, an average of 2,000 tourists visit the park every month, promoting the eco-friendly development of the region. — VNS

On the line: Fishermen hire motor boats to go deeper into the wood, where they can catch much bigger fish.

In the shallows: A fisherman drops his line in the swamp in U Minh Thuong National Park. — File Photos

The old cafe building in rocky plateau town of Dong Van town was built in 1912 and became a coffee bar in late 2008 after a boost in tourism and UNESCO recognising Dong Van Karst Plateau as Viet Nam’s first Global Geopark.

The Ancient Town cafe has become a popular destination for all tourists, and its central position at the end of the only ancient street in the town, near the old market, makes it very accessible.

However, the cafe owner wants to preserve the house as an open-door museum rather than a coffee bar.

“I’ve spent a lot of money restoring the old house, which was in ruins in the late 1990s, as its original design is over a century old. The house is actually a local treasure of the town,” said owner Hoang Anh Tuan, who was born and grew up in Ha Giang Province.

“The cafe is a really interesting stop for visitors coming to the town, and tourists can explore the house while tasting coffee and getting an overview of the old street through the windows,” Tuan said.

He added that he uses Central Highlands coffee and sells it for only one dollar per cup and also offers different types of fruit juice.

Nguyen Trong Nhan, a Tay ethnic man, said he has worked and lived in the cafe since last year.

“The Central Highlands coffee requires a coffee-pot, which takes visitors five minutes to taste. We let tourists explore the house and understand its history, while waiting for a hot cup of coffee,” the 20-year-old said.

“Visitors can order 20 different drinks at the cafe, but the story of the 100-year-old house always lures domestic and foreign tourists.”

The 20-year-old cafe worker said he offers a simple cocktail called Malagjista, which is mixture of sugar, lemonade and local maize wine.

An old woman from the town said the cafe was built by an ethnic Tay man named Luong Trung Hung, who won the construction tender from the old market in 1908.

He began building the house two years after the market was completed in 1908.

The 100sq.m two-storey house sits at the foot of Don Cao Mountain and looks southeast to the market 20m away. The house’s architecture shows harmony between French, Chinese and local ethnic Mong design.

The three-arch entrance is from the early 20th century French style, while the indoor decor derived from masons in Sichuan, China.

A wall was built from earthen bricks and from blocks of rock. Molasses, lime, straw and soil were used to bond the blocks together.

“The house is mixture of local Mong, Chinese and French influences and all visitors are interested in the house’s architecture and preservation. As the cafe’s receptionist, I often introduce visitors to the history of the house during their coffee-break from the town,” said Duong Thi Chien, who comes from Hung Yen Province.

The house’s roof is formed by four panels of double terracotta tiles, creating a 20sq.m of ventilation in the middle of the house.

Stone blocks pave most of the first floor, while the second floor is all pine boards and wooden walls.

“The hosts reserve three bedrooms on the second floor for guests at the back of the house and the U-shaped corridor is a place for drinking tea,” said Can Ngoc Minh, another of the cafe’s staff members.

“The air ventilation is a very special part of the house because it both air-conditions and lights up rooms with sunlight.”

He also said visitors can sit on chairs to enjoy the Central Highlands coffee or sit cross-legged on the ground.

Cafe owner Tuan added that travellers can stay at the house, even if it’s not as comfortable as a hotel room.

“Bedrooms at the cafe are warm, but some guests find it slightly uncomfortable as there is no toilet on the second floor and because the house is a busy cafe,” Tuan said.

He said the cafe local ethnic Mong men and women often perform khen (bamboo panpipe), leaf-horn and dance during the weekend. usy time in Dong Van town as it hosts travellers who flock to the rocky plateau on Sunday mornings when the market is on.

The market includes long pavilions built from in the early 1900s, and is situated along the town’s ancient street. A row of 20 old houses similar to the market pavilions sit opposite the street made with similar materials.

Tourists often see thang co (a soup of horse, goat or buffalo meat) made in the Dong Van market on Sunday morning and can find out what makes the food so special for the Mong people.

With nearly 2,000 people living in the district, the famed weekly market is a veritable cross-section of Mong life, brimming with thang co and maize wine. — VNS

Tourist destination: The old cafe in Dong Van Town provides a cosy place for clients. — VNSPhotos Hoai Nam

Relaxed: Friends sip coffee in a warm space.

This museum belongs to Robert Taylor, an English man and  Nguyen Thi Bong, his Vietnamese wife.

This private museum showcases a collection of more than 1000 antique army costumes and weapons from England, France, Mongolia, Turkey, Vietnam and China. Famous battles such as Waterloo are also represented on the walls.

Taylor said he has been collecting antique army costumes and weapons since he was 19 years old. He also said he will leave this collection to Vietnam, his second homeland.

The museum is located at No 14, Hai Dang street in Vung Tau City.

Entrance is free.

A report Friday in VnExpress said, under the decision issued on Thursday by Quang Ninh’s People’s Committee, all tourist boats, except dragon boats, will be white with brown sails. Boats which fail to follow the decision by April 30 will have their licenses revoked.

The move aimed to tighten government control over tourist transport,especially the boats providing over-night accommodations in Ha Long Bay, an unnamed official from Quang Ninh’s transport department was quoted as saying.

He said it also aimed to renovate the image of local tourist boats after the bay was named on the preliminary list of seven new natural wonders of the world by the Switzerland-based New7Wonders Foundation last November.

However, soon after the decision came down, which would affect more than 500 boats, the Association for Ha Long Tourist Boats sent a letter to the provincial People’s Committee and related agencies expressing disagreement, the newswire reported.

Pham Van Hoa, director of Bai Tho Transport Co., said the change was unnecessary, because tourists tend to like the traditional brown of Ha Long Bay’s wooden boats.

White is only a suitable color for large steel boats and cruisers because it makes wood susceptible to blackening and would end up making such boats look worse, not better, he said.

Moreover, to repaint all the boats would cost businesses too much, Hoa said, adding that his company would probably have to spend some VND1 billion ($47,500) to repaint 20 boats.

“If the provincial authorities have made up their mind, local businesses have to follow along, but I think that it will change back to the old paint,” he said.

Doan Van Dung, chief of the tourist boat association, agreed. He said by painting all boats white, Ha Long Bay will lose an endearing characteristic – the traditional brown of Asian culture.

“It costs between VND30-40 million ($1,400-1,900) and three to four months to repaint a boat,” Dung said. “Before issuing the decision, Quang Ninh’s authorities should have consulted tourists and travel companies.”

Meanwhile, Dao Hong Thuong, vice director of Vietsky Travel Center, said it was unreasonable to ask all the bay’s boats to have the same paint, as each of them is already identified by different logos and designs.

Foreign tourists are always impressed by the black and brown boats of Ha Long Bay, since they look welcoming and authentically Vietnamese, so local authorities shouldn’t’t switch them to white paint like that of foreign yachts, according to Thuong.

In December, Quang Ninh’s authorities also drew criticism for their decision to nearly double admission fees to Ha Long Bay. Citing inflation and the New7Wonders Foundation’s recognition, authorities asked tourists to pay between VND40,000 and VND100,000 (US$1.9-4.7) each, from December 1.

However, many said the sudden increase was unreasonable due to the lack of improved services and would burden local tourism, already facing difficulties due to wild price hikes in fuel and airfares, as well as the worldwide economic recession.

Weaving đệm has been a traditional vocation for over 400 years in this Phong Dien District village.

Almost all the women here, and even girls of nine or ten, weave the mats and it is not unusual to see a half-finished one in every house.

The women usually gather to weave mats together, working dexterously even while chatting or watching TV. Many women work until late at night so they can sell a new mat at the market the next morning. Girls from other villages have to learn how to weave if they become a daughter-in-law of the village.

The mats are made of cỏ bàng, a species of sedge that grows in deep water at the edge of rice fields, lives for a year, and grows up to a meter in height.

By the middle of the first lunar month, people harvest the sedge and empty the field for seedlings to grow from the old stumps. The harvested sedge is dried, tied in bundles, and stored on the kitchen loft.

The sedge is beaten flat with a chunk of wood. Each of the four hamlets in Pho Trach Village has a communal tool placed on the main road for weavers to use. Every day the sounds of the grass being beaten ring out early in the morning. Beating sedge is a hard job that is left to the men.

The mats themselves have one or two layers. Single-layer mats have no decorative patterns and are sold for VND20,000-30,000 (10-15 US cents).

When a layer is added, it has decorative patterns and costs VND80,000-100,000. But this kind of mat is only made on customers’ orders. A highly competent worker can produce a single-layer mat every day and a two-layer mat every two days.

The Pho Trach sedge mats remain a favorite household product in rural areas of Thua Thien-Hue. They are smooth to lie on, easy to wash, and dry quickly. They can be spread on the bed or floor and keep people warm in winter and cool in summer.

Sacks, hats, and handbags are also made of cỏ bàng. Nguyen Thi Xuan Dao, 84, a villager who has been weaving for more than 70 years, said most people in her village use these products.

Today Pho Trach villagers also make more of the eco-friendly products like carpets, seat cushions, and trays.

They have won many prizes at handicrafts exhibitions and competitions.

The old cafe building in rocky plateau town of Dong Van town was built in 1912 and became a coffee bar in late 2008 after a boost in tourism and UNESCO recognising Dong Van Karst Plateau as Viet Nam’s first Global Geopark.

The Ancient Town cafe has become a popular destination for all tourists, and its central position at the end of the only ancient street in the town, near the old market, makes it very accessible.

However, the cafe owner wants to preserve the house as an open-door museum rather than a coffee bar.

“I’ve spent a lot of money restoring the old house, which was in ruins in the late 1990s, as its original design is over a century old. The house is actually a local treasure of the town,” said owner Hoang Anh Tuan, who was born and grew up in Ha Giang Province.

“The cafe is a really interesting stop for visitors coming to the town, and tourists can explore the house while tasting coffee and getting an overview of the old street through the windows,” Tuan said.

He added that he uses Central Highlands coffee and sells it for only one dollar per cup and also offers different types of fruit juice.

Nguyen Trong Nhan, a Tay ethnic man, said he has worked and lived in the cafe since last year.

“The Central Highlands coffee requires a coffee-pot, which takes visitors five minutes to taste. We let tourists explore the house and understand its history, while waiting for a hot cup of coffee,” the 20-year-old said.

“Visitors can order 20 different drinks at the cafe, but the story of the 100-year-old house always lures domestic and foreign tourists.”

The 20-year-old cafe worker said he offers a simple cocktail called Malagjista, which is mixture of sugar, lemonade and local maize wine.

An old woman from the town said the cafe was built by an ethnic Tay man named Luong Trung Hung, who won the construction tender from the old market in 1908.

He began building the house two years after the market was completed in 1908.

The 100sq.m two-storey house sits at the foot of Don Cao Mountain and looks southeast to the market 20m away. The house’s architecture shows harmony between French, Chinese and local ethnic Mong design.

The three-arch entrance is from the early 20th century French style, while the indoor decor derived from masons in Sichuan, China.

A wall was built from earthen bricks and from blocks of rock. Molasses, lime, straw and soil were used to bond the blocks together.

“The house is mixture of local Mong, Chinese and French influences and all visitors are interested in the house’s architecture and preservation. As the cafe’s receptionist, I often introduce visitors to the history of the house during their coffee-break from the town,” said Duong Thi Chien, who comes from Hung Yen Province.

The house’s roof is formed by four panels of double terracotta tiles, creating a 20sq.m of ventilation in the middle of the house.

Stone blocks pave most of the first floor, while the second floor is all pine boards and wooden walls.

“The hosts reserve three bedrooms on the second floor for guests at the back of the house and the U-shaped corridor is a place for drinking tea,” said Can Ngoc Minh, another of the cafe’s staff members.

“The air ventilation is a very special part of the house because it both air-conditions and lights up rooms with sunlight.”

He also said visitors can sit on chairs to enjoy the Central Highlands coffee or sit cross-legged on the ground.

Cafe owner Tuan added that travellers can stay at the house, even if it’s not as comfortable as a hotel room.

“Bedrooms at the cafe are warm, but some guests find it slightly uncomfortable as there is no toilet on the second floor and because the house is a busy cafe,” Tuan said.

He said the cafe local ethnic Mong men and women often perform khen (bamboo panpipe), leaf-horn and dance during the weekend. usy time in Dong Van town as it hosts travellers who flock to the rocky plateau on Sunday mornings when the market is on.

The market includes long pavilions built from in the early 1900s, and is situated along the town’s ancient street. A row of 20 old houses similar to the market pavilions sit opposite the street made with similar materials.

Tourists often see thang co (a soup of horse, goat or buffalo meat) made in the Dong Van market on Sunday morning and can find out what makes the food so special for the Mong people.

With nearly 2,000 people living in the district, the famed weekly market is a veritable cross-section of Mong life, brimming with thang co and maize wine. — VNS

Tourist destination: The old cafe in Dong Van Town provides a cosy place for clients. — VNSPhotos Hoai Nam

Relaxed: Friends sip coffee in a warm space.

Out of more than 100,000 Cham people living in Vietnam, half live in Ninh Thuan, 40,000 of them in the province’s Ninh Phuoc District.

Ninh Thuan is on the coast and enjoys sunshine all year round, and so is also trying to exploit its beaches and sand dunes. However, it is the Cham culture that provides a strong attraction with its famous ceramic village of Bau Truc and floral cloth village of My Nghiep, both in Ninh Phuoc.

Bau Truc is famous for its unique way of making ceramic products. Its traditional items like pots and jars are seen less these days because a larger variety of products are being made to cater to the needs of tourists who are more interested in statuettes of the Po Klong Garai towers and the lingam and yoni, the symbols of Lord Shiva and his consort.

Many trading households also sell other items like animals, mascots, and small, decorative pots and vases.

Bau Truc is its traditional name while its formal name now is Phuoc Dan. Situated 10km south of Phan Rang Town, it can be reached by road.

A sign at the entrance tells visitors they are headed in the right direction, and the road leading to the ceramic village has been asphalted.

The ceramics used to be piled up haphazardly but no longer – now they are displayed properly so that customers can choose. The prices are fixed and tourists do not have to worry about being taken for a ride either. Both have helped and it is not unusual to see some tourists buy dozens of items.

Bau Truc ceramic items are made from clay collected from the Quao River. What is unique is that the Cham do not use a potter’s wheel to throw their products unlike pottery makers almost everywhere else, preferring to shape them by hand.

Once they are made, the items are sprayed with colors before being baked by burning straw and firewood rather than heating in a kiln. Baking outside in the open air gives the items unusual shades.

Visitors to Bau Truc can watch the craftsmen make the products, take photos, and even learn themselves.

After visiting Bau Truc, tourists are usually invited to see another specialty of the Cham – the floral cloth makingvillage of My Nghiep, which the Cham call Ca Klaing in their language. It is situated two kilometers away from Bau Truc.

Bau Truc came into existence in the 12th century, but the craft of making floral cloth in My Nghiep was not established until the 17th century.

In those days they grew cotton to use as the main raw material and used different plants to color the cloth for use mainly by themselves rather than for selling.

It did not develop as a business in until 1991 when tourism began to flourish in the area.

But what remains now is just the loom and the floral designs because in this day and age they no longer have to grow the cotton themselves, and can simply buy the threads and industrial colors in HCMC.

Tourists can see Cham girls making floral cloth on looms or can visit “showrooms” like the shop called Inrasara and buy bags, purses, jackets, and scarves.

Inrasara also displays other tools and devices that the Cham use in their daily life, a bookcase with books in the Cham language, and some musical instruments.

At the shop we met 30-year-old Dang Thi Den, who said she was a niece of Inrasara, 54, a famous poet and researcher of Cham culture. She learnt to make the floral cloth when she was young, and showed us how skilled she was on the loom.

The province has 420 households making the cloth, with each making 2,000-6,000 items a year. In My Nghiep Village alone, there are 20 outstanding artisans.

Floral cloth products from My Nghiep can be found in all major cities and are also sold at traditional trade festivals. That is one reason why more and more tourists come to Bau Truc and My Nghiep, fetching considerable revenues to the province’s tourism sector.

White H’mong girls

Luala café near the Opera House offers contemporary gourmet cuisine, light meals and high-quality beverages in the four-story luxury outlet.

The menu, designed by Swiss chef Marcel Isaak, includes Italian pizzas, Australian steaks, grilled and cold sandwiches, soups and salads, Vietnamese specialties, and vegetarian selections.

Herbal juice, imported beers and champagne are among the drink list.

Luala also carries lines from upscale fashion brand clothing, including Philip Lim, Missoni, Thakoon and Vera Wang.

The café is the second such outlet operated by Press Club in Hanoi, which has won numerous local awards including “Best Business & International Culinary Venue 2002” and “Best International Restaurant 2003 & 2004” awarded by Vietnam Economic Times.