Vietnam
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Introduction to Vietnamese Language: Alphabet, Intonation and Writing
Today, I will give you some fun facts about Vietnamese. This isn’t necessarily to encourage you to learn it, but at least to learn more about my language and writing. To read one of my articles written in Vietnamese (and see what it looks like), click here Most people are surprised to discover that Vietnamese uses the Latin alphabet. This writing system (phonetic transcription based on the Latin alphabet) called“chữ quốc ngữ” (national script) was developed by a French Jesuit priest: Alexandre de Rhodes. Before this system, during 1000 years of Chinese domination, we used Chinese characters (“chữ hán“). Once we got rid of this $ù%#0ç!! enemy of several centuries…
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Ha Long Bay (Vietnam): A Wonder of Nature (travel book + guide)
I am asked questions about Ha Long Bay and Sapa Bay, while my blog does not contain any article about these two top destinations… I feel a little guilty 😀 while I am Vietnamese and well placed to give you some advice to enjoy your trip in my country Let’s say I visited these destinations before the creation of this blog. So, I bring you to Ha Long Bay from 2010, which I visited with JB. The agency programs still haven’t changed, so this article is still useful if you travel in 2018/2019 Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary For this trip, we opted…
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Speed / internet connection speed in Vietnam (Hanoi, Hoi An)
To learn more about these surveys, click here. Date of measurement Type of connection Location Donwload speed Upload speed Ping speed 03/02/2018 4G Hanoi 34 30 14 04/02/2018 Wifi Hanoi 8 10 18 07/02/2018 Wifi Hanoi 23 12 4 09/02/2018 Wifi Hanoi 32 11 16 10/02/2018 Wifi Hanoi 2 2 593 11/02/2018 Wifi Hanoi 0,01 0,01 42 11/02/2018 Wifi Hanoi 2 5 32 13/02/2018 Wifi Hanoi 0,02 0,08 16 14/02/2018 Wifi Hanoi 5 4 26 15/02/2018 Wifi Hanoi 38 5 7 24/02/2018 Wifi Hoi An 4 8 4 24/02/2018 Wifi Hoi An 2 7 2 25/02/2018 Wifi Hoi An 19 39 8 25/02/2018 Wifi Hoi An 9 34 6 25/02/2018…
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10 Things to know before your First Trip to Vietnam
I think Vietnam is very different from the countries in Southeast Asia. Those who make the tour Thailand – Laos – Cambodia – Vietnam are perhaps a little shocked when they come to Vietnam, after having visited the 3 other countries, because Vietnam has NOTHING to do with these 3 countries indeed. Vietnam isn’t a Buddhist country! while the 3 other countries are Buddhist, hence the cultural difference. I am Vietnamese and objectively, after visiting the 4 countries, I can say that the most beautiful landscapes are in Vietnam. The landscapes are so varied, we have such a culinary richness that Vietnam is really a must see destination. To minimize…
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Itinerary Vietnam: 3 weeks, Budget & Advice
Recommended itinerary I have already written an article about the beautiful landscapes of Vietnam here. Here is the itinerary that I recommend if you want to visit Vietnam in 3 weeks. The destinations are rather touristic, but I assure you, even the Vietnamese go there. Some new popular local destinations are Co To, Binh Lap, Binh Ba… but Vietnamese people rent a car to go there, or pay an agency to get there, there is no open bus for that yet. The links go back to my travel diaries.The links to the bus or train schedules refer to the site 12go.asia, a very famous Singaporean site.Although it is a very…
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Prepaid 4G SIM card in Vietnam: how much does it cost? Where to buy it?
Why should I buy a SIM card in Vietnam? Because you need the Internet to order your Grab (equivalent of Uber in Vietnam)Tourist agencies tend to call you to confirm the imminent arrival of your bus / any change related to your trip. Vietnamese telephone operators Viettel MobiFone VinaPhone Vietnamobile Viettel is the operator Irecommend if you can find a SIM card from this operator at the airport because it is the only one for the moment (2018) to offer a very good 4G service. It belongs to the army so the infrastructure is better, you can get better reception.Other operators offer 3G, and are just starting to deploy 4G.…
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Da Nang (Vietnam): Visit of Ba Na Hills, Golden Bridge, Nui Than Tai
During our stay in Hoi An, my parents came to visit us and we went to Da Nang together. Da Nang is the most promising city in Vietnam at the moment. Located between the ocean and the mountains, Da Nang offers many tourist activities. In addition, its beautiful beaches several km long, its high-speed Internet connection, its airport not far from the city center, its abundant and juicy food, its international fireworks competition, and its many job opportunities are attracting more and more talents, who prefer to leave the polluted cities like Ha Noi or Ho Chi Minh City. If you ever take a plane to Da Nang, choose a…
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Hoi An Travel Guide (Vietnam): What to visit, When, Budget, Transportation, Money…
After a month spent in Hoi An, we discovered the best addresses of this pretty and small town. We will share them with you in this guide (long but complete). Let’s get started! How to get there? By train: there are trains that stop in Da Nang, a seaside town 25km from Hoi An. Then you can take an Uber/Grab (more info about Grab here) to Hoi An (for about 270,000VND). Use our code GRABTOURDUMONDE for a 1st free ride By plane: the nearest airport is also in Da Nang. If you take the plane, sit near the window, the landscapes are breathtaking From the airport, there are shuttles to…
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Travel Guide to Custom Clothing and Tailoring in Hoi An (Vietnam)
If you fell in love with custom-made clothes in Hoi An, know that you aren’t alone! Hoi An is very famous for its tailors. They are everywhere, you can’t miss them! The prices being very affordable, it is difficult to resist. It is also a great experience to have clothes specially designed for you. For JB, it was a first. The particularity of Hoi An is its express service: a custom-made garment in 24 hours, this allows us to answer the orders of tourists who stay only 2 or 3 days. Usually, in Ha Noi, I have to wait a month, if the dressmaker wants to take care of my…
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A jump into the past in Hoi An (Vietnam): Travel Diary
After Ha Noi, it is in Hoi An that we decided to settle for a month. But don’t worry, you can do everything we did below in 2 days 😀 Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary How to go to Hoi An? We chose to fly from Ha Noi to Da Nang (75€/person checked luggage included with VietJet Air), then a cab from Da Nang airport to Hoi An (300,000VND a 4-seater car). Our hotel As the city is very small, most tourists stay only one or two nights. So, with our 25 booked nights, all the hotels gave us sick discounts, and we…
