Bargain is simply like a game of negotiation, where you take advantage of all reasons to down the price and enjoy the victorious feeling somehow.
Some tips for you to win the seller in markets:
1. Is it bargainable?
Try to bargain in a fix-price supermarket is a useless idea, so you can ask whether sellers accept bargaining. Most countries in southeast asia allow bargain as a culture.
2. Half-price/ wholesale price
The very first price seller give you worths a fortune, mostly. You can estimate these stuffs by comparing to similar ones in your hometown, by your instinct, your buddies’ hints,… then bargain for it,
Another way I usually apply is to ask for half price first, then slowly up-price to seek good price.
Some vendors offer special low price for a wholesale purchase, so you just pretend to be a wholesaler searching for goods and ask for better price.
3. The more vendor you ask, the cheaper you possibly get
My experience shows that when the first vendor give you the price, as a natural reflection, you turn on your suspicion mode, feel like they try to cheat you or rip-off. How to deal with it?
Politely ask for more details like the quality, wholesale price and of course half-price strategy to have a reason that “I can not accept the price you give, I’ll get around to look for better deals, maybe I reconsider”, then there are probably two scenarios: the seller accepts your price or just up a bit to their real price to close deal (because when you’re gone, they lose chance to earn money from you), or they let you go.
At the second vendor, you have very good information about the goods before, use it to choose better ones. If the goods are similar to the first vendor, so you can bargain cheaper price by trick the seller with your price but saying that the number the first vendor tells you. It usually works and save you more 5-10% price.
You may continuously apply half-price again to leave for the third vendor. When you check over three sellers for a thing, I’m sure you know the best price for it, but it takes your time a lot. I think three is maximum number of vendors you should check.
4. Watch for local/ previous customer deals
There are usually different price for locals and foreigners that someone consider it as rip-off. So the best way is to watch how much the local pay for goods and do the same. When sellers ask for higher price, only explain that the previous customer buy it for…., why I should get overpriced.
5. Try to find some disqualifications
While the price is so fixed, try to find some bad points, disadvantages compared to other goods to lower price. Sometimes it works and save a little bit more.
6. Research travel budget from bloggers
Budget travelers should always add price preferences, advices and tips of destinations they travelled, so read them first to expect what you would deal with.
7. Be fun
Bargain is a game, someone will be good players, someone not. Because it’s a game, try to practice and have fun as much as possible, your trips will much more cheaper and the experience is also more funnier.
Warning: These simple packing tips may save you tons of time and frustration !
Travelling is awesome, but exhausted, especially when you have to change constantly hostels to hostels, these places to those places, on trains, planes or open bus,… And your “house” is your backpack.
So if you know how to pack well then everything is easy.
Otherwise, it’s hell when you have to put stuff in-and-out dozen of times (and sometimes forget something -> too bad).
You will do this quite often so this is actually an important skill but few travellers admit. Whether you are beginner backpackers or travelling for years but never notice packing problem, this post is for you.
After many times packing, I come up with some strategies-to-go:
Packing tips #1: Grouping (and put them in right containers)
We usually face a problem: we can’t get what we want because of the disorganization. Have you ever get wet because you put your back-up rain suit at the bottom of the backpack or you’d thought you lost your travel documents but finally you found it right in your backpack, but a place you didn’t expect.
So that’s why being organized is essential.
Clothes
Packing cubes are a great tool to keep your clothes organized and minimize clothing wrinkles.
They are a lightweight cube/box/ bag to pack your stuff in. There are various size: big ones for sweaters and other warm clothes, the smallers for shirts and pants/ the smallests for socks and underwear, for instance. Grouping makes it easy to locate whatever it is you’re looking for.
Toiletries
After a long day of travelling, you would want to take a shower and relax, but because most of hostels offer shared-bathroom, so you have to walk for it with toiletries in hand. It’s also important to keep your toiletries organized and handy.
A travel waterproof portable toiletry bag is very essential in this situation. It’s small enough for backpacking light, built-in hook to hang up and along with some travel-sized for liquids/ gels (shampoo, bodywash, etc).
Note: If you’re going to take flights so don’t forget the rules of liquid restriction. Make sure your liquids/ gels are contained in small (usually under 100ml) bottles/ tubes and total volume is not over 1 liter. They are easily accessible at security check so you don’t have to unpack entire backpack to reach.
Plastic (ziplock) bags
Ziplock bags are very handy in storing multiple things and keeping liquids from spilling over all your stuff (I always keep my passport in a plastic bag for safe, anyway, it’s paper right?)
Remember to vacuum (get air out of the bags) to prevent it from opening unattendedly because of the air pressure.
Compression bags
A compression is nice for keeping dirty/wet stuff away from the clean clothes (especially in rainy days), or the inflated like warm clothes to save more space. I usually take advantage of compression of my sleeping bag to keep my stuffs when it’s not in use.
Electronics container
These can mostly be packed in your backpacks pockets but I recommend a small (waterproof and shock-absorbing, if possible) container for your electronics. Your electronics are very vulnerable to moisture and temperature so a good container is worthy investment.
A small with built-in pockets bag works really well to protect electronics and part them perfectly to use at your fingertips.
Packing tips #2: Arrangement in handy order
I come up with five simple rules:
Rule #1: Put rarely-used stuffs but soft (clothes/ sleeping bag/ dirty stuff/etc) at the bottom because you won’t unpack them often and they probably play as shock-absorbing thing also.
Rule #2: Electronics/ fragile stuffs should be above/ inside soft ones or in built-in socket of backpack.
Rule #3: What you use frequently (water/ food/ camera/ charger/ earplug/ etc) should put in quick accessable places (ziplock part, usually at the front)
Rule #4: liquid/ spillables should put side pocket in case something wrong happen, they won’t damage your clothes and electronics.
Rule #5: veryImportant stuff (PASSPORT, BACKUP MONEY, TRAVEL DOCUMENTS, SELF-DEFENSE TOOLS, etc) should be put in a secret but handy place. You never know what is worse so just prepare for it.
Packing tips #3: Practice and optimization
Last but not least, Practice is the key to be fluent in mostly everything. In fact, few people consider packing is a big problem among planning, experiencing and sharing the trips. But if you’re planning to travel for long, you should take packing skill into account.
The practice is simple: make a list of “what if…” like “what if I want to use my camera/ wear rainsuit/ use laptop/ etc then how to take it quick?” then optimize the time by put things in more appropriate places in your backpack.
For instance, I wonder if it rains then where should I put my rainsuit so that it doesn’t take so long to take and get dress. Or if I do love photography, then where should I put my camera bag in handy but well-protected location in my backpack.
Keep practising and optimizing your placements and when you master the skill, there’s no worry for your stuff because they are well-protected while at your fingertips.
Small tips
Roll your clothes to save more space and minimize clothing wrinkles (especially your shirts or kaki pants).
If you have an extra pair of shoes, stuff socks or other small things in them so you don’t waste that extra space.
Put all liquids in sealable bags just in case there is a spill.
You also have an opportunity to take a cruise discovering one of three largest artificial lakes in S-shaped country.
Constructed on Chay River (sông Chảy), Yen Binh district, Yen Bai province, this is the very first Vietnam-built hydropower plant, which was assisted by the former USSR, now the Russian Federation. The plant commenced construction on August 19th 1964 and inaugurated on October 5th 1971, when the first unit was commissioned. Thereafter, the second and third units were commissioned on March 10th 1972 and May 19th 1972, respectively.
The dam by the Thac Ba lake
The construction of this hydrodam also gave birth to Thac Ba Lake, one of three largest artificial lakes in Vietnam and well-known for its diverse ecosystem. Thac Ba reservoir covers a total area of 23.400 ha, of which 19.05 ha is water area and the remaining 4.35ha of islets on the Reservoir.
Thac Ba Lake, one of three largest artificial lakes in Vietnam and well-known for its diverse ecosystem.
Significantly, this man-made lake houses 1,331 islands and hills with various ecological environments. The water in the lake reflects vividly the surrounding ancient forest, creating a blue and clear background of the water.
This lake surprised me at the first sight, since in the map, it bears an interesting resemblance to other “archipelago” lakes I’ve been to, like the majestic Tà Đùng lake, with the natural beauty of original forest and thousands of islands and rocky mountains. Some typical sightseeing spots are Xuan Long and Thuy Tien cave, or Cao Bien and Chang Re mountain, and Trinh Nam island, to name a few.
The other part of Chay river behind the damThe landscape park was created for public use
Moreover, Thac Ba Lake is also a national vestige. My findings show that the Thu Vat Battle (trận Thu Vật) took place here in 1285, under the command of Tran Nhat Duat against Mongolian invaders. In modern times, during the resistance war against the American, Thuy Tien cave is the revolutionary base of Yen Bai provincial committee of The Resistance.
Surrounding Thac Ba reservoir, there are 12 ethnic minority groups such as Dao, Tay, Nung, Cao Lan, Phu La, who feature their own special and colourful traditional festivals.
The hydropower plant also sows seeds of a local town in the neighborhood, where the electricity operator – HPC Thac Ba invests some facilities like the sports-cultural centre and football field.
Under the dense canopy of trees in the landscape park by hydrodam
These days, the popular tourism activity in the lake is to embark on a cruise on a traditional boat, stop by islands and discover the particularities of this area: villagers paddle their boats, the exotic animals living around, the peaceful beauty of the huge lake as well as the lifestyle of the Dao among the thousands of islets.
A look at Chay river downstream in the late afternoon
Or simply just take a leisure stroll under the dense canopy of trees in a well-planned landscape park by hydrodam, or have a seat in a local vendor and watch the sun rise and set on the mirror-like lake surface on a nice day and enjoy the very special peace of the atmosphere.
Read this carefully or you lose your value travel money on trips.
Some basic concept you need to know
Currency: Most of the countries have their own currency and you cannot use the other kinds of dollar there so you have to exchange your money (Vietnam law only allows people to use ONLY domestic currency (Dong) so the payment in USD is illegal).
Some regions (like EU) use a common dollar, it’s quite handy because there’s no need to exchange money. You save not only time but an amount of exchange fee.
Some countries where people accept multi dollars, you need to do research what kind of dollar can be used there (For instance, you can pay directly USD in Cambodia or I read that Singapore dollar is also accepted in Brunei, etc).
Exchange Rates: The exchange rate is simply show how much one currency is worth in terms of the other. Because the rates are up-and-down daily in tiny numbers but in a long time it possibly becomes a big chunk , especially most of budget travellers are booking tickets in advance. It’d better check the current exchange rate so that you know how much budget may change compared to your plan.
There are many apps and website to check exchange rate but I see Xe.com and its app are quite a popular tool. If travelling for several days, try not to exchange twice [your home currency -> strong currency (USD/EURO) -> local currency] because you’ll charge more fee. It’d better exchange money at your city before departure.
ATM – my best way to get cash
I usually use ATMs for cash – no paper and very quick. Also, they are mostly everywhere in most cities. Every ATM is English-friendly interface so you won’t face language barrier like local hell banks. Sometimes, you take the exact current exchange rate while money changer booth often give you a bad rate.
Something you should know if you wanna save money when withdraw cash from ATMs:
Credit Card matters: You SHOULD NOT use credit card at the ATM because it will be considered as “cash advance” and hitting huge fees. Only use an ATM or debit card at ATMs.
Bank Fees: Your bank probably charges a fee when you use another bank’s ATM — this also applies to international ATMs too. The fees will either be only a flat number between $2-$4 and plus a small percentage of the withdraw of 1-3%
The best way to save these fee is to sign up for no-fee card. I wrote a post “Budget travel website to save more money” mentioning some ways to find these card.
Withdrawal Limits: a budget traveller should notice this: set a low limit to force yourself to save money on road, and in case your card is stolen, it won’t damage so much. However, when you plan for a leisure trip spending a lot of money, then raise the limit should be done before departure.
Friendly-ATMs: just a fun adjective. I mean there is third party ATM existence not affiliated with your banks and might charge higher fees.
Security: Many banks may warn you but I warn you once again so that you raise your alert enough when using ATM overseas or money gone. Some useful notices: check ATM whether it’s weird, no one behind you, no look-like-robber people surrounded and take advantage of your intuition also. Afterall, money is quite important, right?
Backup Card: Sometimes ATMs accidentally eat your card, without a backup card means saying goodbye to your easy cash.
Purchase using credit card/ debit card
Note: Cash is king, most of the developed countries accept cards but the developing I’m not sure for all.
Inform the bank before travelling overseas: read newspaper daily and sometimes there’s news telling a man is sleeping at home but his money in credit card is used overseas so his provider blocks card immediately to prevent further fraudulence. So you need to inform your bank that you’ll be using your card overseas or they see it big trouble.
Purchase with ONLY a credit card/ or cash: Why? Waiter or shopkeepers possibly easily clone your credit/debit card and steal your value money with a special card reader and making hundreds of charges before you notice.
A credit card case is much easier to dispute but Debit card is connected directly to your account. So it’s YOUR MONEY, not bank money. The money is gone when thieves use your card. Luckily, it takes weeks to get your money back. Unluckily, you say goodbye to your money.
Again, a debit card should only use at ATMs.
Pay in local currency: Some “good guy” will ask if you want to be billed in your home currency for your “true convenience” but you’re rip-offed, dude. You’ll usually be charged more this way.
Surcharges: Some restaurant/ hotels charge an extra if you use a card, so cash is very important, especially in developing countries.
Some tips in exchange money overseas
Money exchange booths in every major airport/ train station will mostly offer the worst rates. It’d better look for exchange booths or local banks in the downtown.
Avoid currency exchange booth looking not professional. W
Why so many backpackers choose hostel to overnight. The answer with dozen of tips to book a perfect hostel is included in this hostel guide.
Hostels is A Place to …
Meet other travelers, save travel budget and offer a very cosy atmosphere. Most of them locates in backpacker hubs, which are usually very close to downtown so it’s also easy to explore around.
I remember my first stay in BeePub – a hostel in Da lat, Vietnam. It was great to me: Live music at night, cool bunk bed and I met 2 amazing Australian roommate girls, took them around to explore local food. How freak their faces were first time seeing a balut. So crazzy !
Most of my buddies have no idea what the hell ‘hostel’ is so this guide is to break the questions: why your stay is so cheap !!
A hostel in Con Dao, Vietnam
Hostels in Southeast Asia
My general reviews about this kind of accommodation in the SeA.
It’s in Malaysia where hostels are very cool along with Thailand. I love these two countries, they offer many good stays with reasonable prices that surprise you.
Vietnam is just a new guy to hostel world. There are many hostels in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh city but it’s hardly to find out in other province.
Cambodia is also a good country of hostel.
In Laos, hostel is very cheap.
I’ve not been to Myanmar and Indonesia so no idea what they looks like
In BSB, Brunei capital, there is only one hostel (it names “Youth Center”), powered by the authority but most of the time it’s closed (I don’t know why, I had a night outside lonely for this).
Philippines is just average. Maybe because I stay in quite cheap hostel in Manila.
What Is A Hostel ?
Hostel is a kind of budget accommodation where most people stay in dorms filled with dozen of bunk beds. I think the idea coming from Dormitories in University, but applied to travelers, whose first priority is to save as much cost as possible while meeting other like-minded is a pleasure.
Most of hostels have 3 options: private room, dorm room and (sometimes) female room. While dorm room is perfect for solo, private room with two bed is great way to save even more budget when you travel in group or couple.
Why Hostels?
I love hostel because It’s full of interesting people and dozen of travel stories, inspiring and lovely.
I love hostel because it helps me stay on a budget.
(And you? Leave your ideas in comments below)
How Much It Costs in Southeast Asia (Cheapest Region In The World)
The price of hostel in Southeast Asia is various. So I just follow the cheapest options to compare.
Brunei: one dorm names Youth Center “Busat Belia” – the only and cheapest stay in BSB (10 B$/ night) but very uncertain (whether it’s open? I don’t know).
Malaysia and Thailand are super good compared to its price. They are my favorite.
Lao, Phillippines, Cambodia and Vietnam is quite equally cheap. I can even stay in ultra-low hostel/ homestay with just 3 USD/ night.
Singapore is the most expensive. I could only find 15-SGD hostel in Little India neighorhood. Most of bunk bed starts from 20 SGD/ night.
a hotel with built-in dorm room in Hua Hin, Thailand
How To Choose The Best Hostel For You
Location
It’s usually that hostels are stick to downtown or backpacker hubs, so no worry about the location. However, if you purposely want to live near some attractions for quick moving around, it’d better consider the hostel location.
Check-In Times
If you’re usually taking red-eye flights like me, it’d better search for a hostel with 24/7 receptionist service or you likely to couchsurf … on street. (I did one in Kota Kinabalu, it’s romantic but I was worn out after a flight, it’s too bad)
Security
If you don’t want your luggage lost, check the security system, whether locker area is monitored by CCTV, or the lockers are still good. Some hostels provide you with key to room areas. It reduces the chance of outsider stalking your belongings. You should buy your own locks because some of lockers may not be built-in or equipped with locks.
Tips: Some cities like Manila, the criminal rate is high and you can not trust the lock, so raise your alert and try not to show your expensive stuffs unpurposely to your roommates.
Rooms
The more people in dorm room, the cheaper you pay. (So the private is costly here if you travel solo, but sharing room is also a great idea to save budget). If you are solo female then looking for female-only dorms.
Toilets
In my opinion, bathroom is one of the most important areas that you should check just after your bed. Nice or terrible, it makes a great impact on your living in hostels.
So check whether the faucet is good, toilet and shower are seperated (the smell may affect), and there are any alternatives (in case the room is full and your stormache is in hell). If toilets are bad, ask the host to change the room.
Lounge
There are a lot of interesting stuffs to enjoy and people to chat here. Lounge is a real landmark of a hostel, it makes up community aspect, compared to cold ambiance of hotels.
It possibily has TV, DVD player, books (I love travel-inspiring ones), board games (nice to make friends), and big couches to rest after a travel day. In the end, this is a great place to meet other people and exchange travel stories.
Note: This is usually also the strongest wifi signal area.
Hostel Bar
You may want it or not, just depending on your style. You love quietness then avoid hostel with bar, but if you love more social atmosphere with some noise and music then bar is perfect.
The drink is usually affordable compared to other bars in downtown (maybe because these built-in bars generally serve budget travelers). Get some shots and few steps to the bed is a great idea for some bad days in your trips.
Kitchen
Three reasons why to book a hostel with a kitchen:
First: If you don’t enjoy local food, then a kitchen may help you produce what you like (or edible).
Second: Eat-out sometimes is very costly, cook is much cheaper.
Third: why not warm up and make friend with other travelers by hosting a meal and people cook together. It’s a brialliant idea, you know!
Note: hostel rule but no one would tell you: clean your mess before leaving kichen.
Free Breakfast
Along with kitchen, as a budget traveler, I always prefer free-breakfast. You can save a lot, especially in high-cost countries, though it’s just sandwich and some jam, cereal and coffee. Some hostel won’t offer free (mostly in Vietnam, too bad).
Free Wifi
I don’t think you will choose a non-wifi nowaday. Free WiFi is becoming standard in hostels but ones in remote areas. Some hostels equip computers but whether it’s weird, charge to use or occupied every time. Some countries with bad internet, the situation is even worse.
Washing Machines
Most of hostel I’ve stayed don’t have washing machines but outsourcing third-party laundry service. There’s no difference because we all have to pay, whether for using machines or laundry services.
How To Find A Good Hostel
Traditional: Walk around
I usually walk around backpacker streets to ask for a bed in several hostels, check the facility before booking. You may even find a good deal that is not available in any booking platforms.
Modern: Apps
Booking a hostel is incredibly easy these days. I prefer hostelworld.com for hostel, along with other booking website like agoda, booking,… to check best price before booking. It’d better read reviews of other travelers to expect the hostel conditions.
Booking may ask you for a small deposit. It sometimes doesn’t work (some Chinese hostels may relocate you when you visit the hostels, but mostly host obey strictly booking rules).
Small Tips to go
Remember to take hostel business card, which usually show its location and address. In case you get lost, show the card to the local and ask for help.
In shoulder and low season, it’s no need to booking ahead in some traveler hubs but festival time (I got full hostel when I visited Chiang Mai for Yi Peng, so tired walking for the other).
Snores and a lot of annoying factor is real in dorm rooms so you should bring ear plugs and a sleeping mask to sleep. (I always bring ear plugs, no problem).
Read the hostel’s policies clearly to avoid misunderstanding when you stay.
A weekend getaway selected by French, just 80km from Hanoi.
Tam Dao is such a well-known destination thanks to its poetic scenery and spectacular cool climate all year round. Its name means three highest mountains (or “islands” on the cloud) named as Thien Thi, Thach Ban and Phu Nghia, which constitutes a basin where the cloudy town is situated, just a stone’s throw away from the borderline of two provinces Vinh Phuc and Thai Nguyen.
Tam Dao town in the evening
People in the capital usually seek to travel here for leisure experience on the weekends, especially during the summertime and occasional hot days since the average temperature in Tao Dao is approximately 18 degrees at any season.
The location and climate here bear a surprising resemblance to Genting highland, which is less than 60km from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. However, the small Malaysian town houses a cluster of considerable high-end resorts, hotels and residences, as well as huge luxury plazas and recreations, while the infrastructure in Tam Dao is still in development with a diverse array of private-built villas, homestays and restaurants.
Welcome to the cloudy town
Travel from Hanoi to Tam Dao town: bus, drive or ride?
Due to the highly invested infrastructure, travelling back and forth between the tourism town and Hanoi is kinda convenient. This popular route is expectedly busy on the weekends, you’d better pick some weekdays instead. A cluster of busline operators are ready to carry you on budget for 50,000 – 70,000 vnd/ pax and up to 130,000 vnd/ pax for premium ride (usually labelled ‘limousine’ – the hell knows why) for one-way ticket. Just hop on the bus, take a nap for an hour and open your eyes to witness the little “sleeping beauty” Tam Dao town.
Driving a car to Tam Dao town these days is super convenient with quick and clear route: From Nhat Tan bridge, follow Vo Nguyen Giap road (AH14) – (same route to Noi Bai airport), then into the Noi Bai – Lao Cai expressway, and out at the intersection with Highway 2B.
Lacking of proper parking space is still a problem in the tourism town
For riders, the journey is also no big deal (but still tricky a bit and requires opening the map app often as there is no straightforward route). The shortest route I recommend is to follow Highway 2A – Nguyen Tat Thanh road – DT31 – Highway 2B.
The main road connecting to the town – Highway 2B is beautiful and wide with clear lanes divided (but its middle thin strip was pretty bad during my ride in April, 2021). At the end of the highway, there is only one beautifully-paved climb to Tam Dao, about 10km long with steep slope drive (ascending sharply upwards the town at 1,000m high latitude) and continuous hairpin turns, requiring steady steering.
It is also greatly noticed that Tam Dao town is actually located on the basin formed by mountains higher on the east, and the road follows a mountain crest on the western side of the whole range. As a result, the best time to ride or drive to the town is in the late afternoon, so that you are at the climb in time for a gorgeous sunset on clear days. I also urge you to admire the sunset when you are in town. Bet it would be worth your efforts.
the accommodation in town is not fully indexed on booking platforms – search on site to get good price
How to find accommodation in Tam Dao, smartly?
You should have a little deep pocket to consider accommodations in Tam Dao which range from 400,000 – 700,000 VND/ night on weekdays while some villas or premium homestays cost up to 1,500,000 vnd. All might rocket during holidays and weekends, so don’t be surprised with the findings when you seek cheap accommodations on various booking platforms.
Making reservations in advance to grab your rooms quickly is definitely recommended since the availability is extremely scarce in the town which is small yet a victim of overtourism. Imagine just a wave of eager tourists flock, there will possibly be few rooms left. I still remember how aggressively crowded it was at the central park during the holiday. Tourist next to tourist, motel next to hotel (and) next to homestay, food stall next to restaurant. The little signs written “fully booked” hung at the doors and gates.
It is interesting that the accommodation in town is not fully indexed on booking platforms, which means travellers actually have opportunities to get a bed as long as you spend time to seek and the good luck finds you.
The town is often aggresively packed during holidays
What to do in (and around) Tam Dao town
Sightseeing activities are very promising in and around the mountainous town, which may take you the whole time on the weekend.
Tam Dao ancient church (Nhà thờ đá)
Built in 1937, this intact structure joins many French buildings left in the town, most of which were almost destroyed during the wartime. It is such a fantastic site with a nice view to watch all of Tam Dao nature, as well as take part in religious ceremonies of Christianity.
Telecommunication tower (Tháp truyền hình)
The 93m-high tower is located on the Mang Chi peak (Đỉnh Máng Chì) of Thien Nhi mountain at 1400m high. The trail up to the mountain is quite challenging yet romantic with a dozen kinds of flowers that may surprise you: Orchid, mexican sunflower and a handful of other wildflowers. The spot provides a panoramic vista towards vast stunning surrounding areas of clouds, mountains, forests & villages.
Silver Waterfall (Thác Bạc)
At the height of 50m, this attraction is the most beautiful waterfall in Tam Dao. Hidden in a mountain, the romantic waterfall also offers a nice watch towards surrounding valleys.
Cloud Bridge (Cầu Mây) and Sky Gate (Cổng Trời)
While Sky Gate is within a walk from French Church, Cloud Bridge is located right at the conjunction of the side road and main drive. Both offer the visitors a worthy experience: spectacular panorama of surroundings in clear sky as well as humid days with “sea of cloud” by chance.
Tam Dao Tinh Vien Van Son (Chùa Vân)
Located by the slope drive upwards the town, The impressive pagoda was built in 2009 with a religiously peaceful atmosphere along with the beauty of green surroundings. In particular, you can also stay overnight here.
Tam Dao National Park (Vườn quốc gia Tam Đảo)
Tam Dao National Park houses a diverse array of flora and fauna, consisting of hundreds of species, with a great deal of rare and valuable plants and animals. An interesting place attracts those who love forest hiking. For convenience, you can book a Tam Dao trekking tour to conquer peaks in Tam Dao national park or take part in bird watching tours for indigenious rare bird types or insect or plant research tours as well.
Tam Dao golf & resort (sân golf Tam Đảo)
If you are a golfer and seek some leisure to pamper, it’d better take a look at this course. Its ideal location among the mountains of Tam Dao offers year-round chilled temperatures and gives golfers a more comfortable feeling despite the fact that it is a tropical Asian golf course!
Opened in 2007 at the foot of the mountain en route to Tam Dao town, The Tam Dao golf course was designed with the natural land contours and local flora and fauna to create a visual treat for golfers. Massive mountains in the backdrop frame each hole, giving the best impression to seduce golfer’s eyes. The golf course plays through a series of lakes and streams, making it one of the most scenic golf courses near Hanoi. In case you don’t play, a sip of coffee in the clubhouse with the open view towards the green golf course is also worth your morning.
Xa Huong Lake (Hồ Xạ Hương)
Hidden among mountains which are close to the golf course, Xa Huong lake is a great choice when you want to immerse yourself in nature and moments of peace, as wilderness is the most attractive feature of the lake. In fact, Xa Huong is an artificial lake built in 1984, covering an area of 83 hectares. Both tourists and locals find it an amazing hub for leisure fishing, entertaining with Stand-Up Paddleboarding and absolutely camping on weekends. Don’t miss it!
These final checklist before boarding will be sure you get a well-prepared trip.
Passport
This is the most important document right? Indeed, when you just travel overseas. If you’re Vietnamese, you can summit for a passport for 200,000 dong and it takes one week, then you can receive at the office.
Visa
It depends on your target countries. If you travel to visa exemption countries then no need to add it to the list. For Vietnamese passport, you can travel around Southeast Asia region at no cost, except for Timor East.
Credit/ Debit cards
Remember to bring them because most of the time we can have quick money from ATMs.
Note: If you travel overseas and don’t want to be charge transaction fee, be sure to register for no foreign transaction fee at bank. (Read budget travel websites to extend saving money).
Travel insurance
Travel insurance is also a smart investment, you don’t know what the hell your journey turns out to be, so it’s likely to save you a lot of money then.
Photocopies of the travel documents and credit cards
Make a few copies of your passport/ visas and credit cards, then put ones in your backpack, then email yourself copies, leave some at home with ones you trust. There’s no need to bring your passport all the time.
I usually just carry a copy and leave the passport locked up in the hostel. You’ll probably never get asked to show your passport in case you did something wrong. And if you’re required to get your passport by officers, Make sure those are REAL guys.
These copies will speed up the replacement time if you lose your documents.
Travel note
It should include Passport number, phone numbers, credit card info, every reservation number you receive, address/ directions to places you’re staying,… Anything you think you’re in need of in most situations.
Foreign currency
If your home country owns strong and popular currency, then you have no trouble exchange it at almost every oversea countries. Otherwise, you should get foreign currency at home. Some local money will make you feel calm in some cases (especially you’re beginners).
You possibly withdraw local money at ATM machines at the airports but at some transaction fee and foreign exchange rates, which you can save if get currency at home.
First hostel address
Booking your first-day hostel, then note down the hostel address because the Immigration Officers probably ask you where you’re staying before allowing you to enter the country. Some countries is very strict about this. I was asked while travelling to Malaysia and Singapore.
Basic local language note
Some words like “hello”, “please” and “thank you”,.. they may help you get warm welcomes that you’re even not expecting.
Subscription services suspension
Remember to suspend your mobile phone service, Internet, gym memberships, etc. to save more money.
First aid kit and medical prescriptions
packing any medicine you’re required, your health status reports so that when you get trouble, local doctors know what to do.
This is my very first English book for New Year Resolutions. It’s a big work of sci-fi and honestly it’s tough to read, too. Here is what I learned from Brave New World, mostly about happiness (and the reason why backpacking is still a joyful lifestyle for some of us, me included!)
(Spoiler alert: I would partly reveal the plot below, so if you’d like to read, then read it, before continuing)
Interesting distintives
The iconic novel by Aldous Huxley introduces a world where human beings are perfectly conditioned, well-planned, fully content, even infantile a bit, hence, full of … happiness. On top of that, the people are cloned in clusters and born in bottles, predestined by “World Controllers” with a few certain “caste” roles to play. Due to the poverty of combination, there are a large number of twins, alike. It is such a scary imagination that everybody looks identical, indistinguishable and lacks distinctive signatures. In fact, people now seek similar perfection. We change the appearance to reach for the common beauty, as a result, we lose our own identity! So, the next time, when you look in the mirror, regardless of your being old or ugly in terms of the social norms, just be happy, at least we are not the same, and we all contribute to the diversity of humanity. That’s a big deal!
Discontent to content
In “Brave New World” universe, it seems people are cloned (not born, definitely) with the silver spoon in their mouth, despite the different castes or designated social classes. Following the “Rules for happiness” as German philosopher Immanual Kant once said “something to do, someone to love, something to hope for”, most of people depicted in the novel are “happy” – They are assigned certain jobs requiring skills that they’re trained throughout “teenager” via hypnopaedic therapies. For love, the discriminated sex is a commonsense, so “everyone belongs to everyone else” which means you can love anyone and vice versa. How easy it is! Hope is the least important deed as all needs are almost met. But is that perfectly organized reality too boring for some of us, who would love to think differently, act differently to reach our end differently? A few unpredictable events turns out to save our life from boredom too. So actually, our “real” life now is perfect basically
Predestined to be wilderness-oriented
The Savage (who was brought up in a primitive tribe) refuses to absorb the civilization after being brought back. Instead, he eventually flies to a countryside neighborhood to live among the wilderness and enjoy his ultimate freedom, like some of us. Admittedly, there are moments when the full living in comforts becomes weirdly boring, and we wish to camp among evergreen forests and endless running streams, birds singing and flowers blooming. An irresistible beauty, simply undeniable nature!
You’re weird, but not the only one, thankfully!
The protagonist always feels his strange differences from the others. When he shares his thought to a fellow, It turns out that he is not alone! I used to be like him when I was younger, especially as a teenager, when we often wonder “who we are and why must be me”. Getting older and I never question myself about my differences. I embrace them all, then happiness comes, naturally!
Embrace unexpectancy or get mad
At the end of the story, one of the protagonists gets mad as he’s surprisingly acknowledged that he is exiled to an island due to his condemned actions. It is like a termination to his life before he “resets”, to say sorry and embrace the fact.
Basically, life stays between orders and chaos, as well as events as planned and unexpected, that we could not change. So getting mad or keeping calm to come up with solutions is our choice. Life on road is divergent from time to time, then be prepared to steer hard to get it back on track and get rewards!
A memorable ride can fool you in the mysterious mist even in daylight, en route to the resort from the French colonial era with dozens of old houses now abandoned.
For me, traveling by motorbike to the resort area of Mau Son mountain range (dãy núi Mẫu Sơn) was a tough, rough but irresistible ride, especially when wheels were rolling on a small road side by majestic cliffs.
Turning my head and I admired a panoramic vista towards green slopes dotted by local terrace fields with one or two lodges nearby sometime. The area is said to comprise up to 80 mountains one after another, boast rich flora and fauna with 1,500 wild plants and animals, and also home to a small population of the ethnic minority groups of Yao, Tay and Nung.
But I could not be distracted like that for long, as the road condition was not well maintained, the potholes are frequent obstacles, along with U-shaped curves, misty scenes ahead and slippery surfaces due to the high humidity, coupled with the considerable chill in the air freezing my hands on the handlebar. Pre-checking your motorbike/ car thoroughly before the trip is absolutely a must. Imagine the vehicle breaks down in the middle of nowhere – that’s a terrible situation you would’nt like to come across at all, trust me.
The closer to the top Mau Son resort, the more we came across deserted villas, resorts and wine cellars built by the French in the 1930s, all immersed mysteriously in rusty mist. That’s such a memorable ride to challenge the rider’s maneuverability.
Welcome to a French resort once upon the time
A popular story spreading on the internet tells that, around seventy years ago before the road to the resort existed, there were only two ways to the top: walking or riding horse. At that time, this panoramic area attracted the French to Mau Son for relaxation, since the weather was cool all year round. In addition, the Dear Mountain View of the northeast was the gateway to China, where the French already built a military base in the early 20th century to guard the border.
To make way for the French settlement, the site’s original inhabitants, a group of the Dao (Yao) ethnic minority, were relocated. Only authorized personnel were permitted to enter the base. Later, Mau Son tourists were welcome to the hill station. The great milestone was marked in January 1936, when Dr. O.Pflot, a student of the famous bacteriologist Dr. Alexandre Yersin, visited Mau Son. Some local people believe that the doctor first came to Mau Son to collect traditional medicinal herbs cultivated in the region. Later He petitioned Mr Tholace, the then French governor of the north, for permission to build tourist villas at the site. In 1936, he got the go-ahead to buy land and start construction, which required thousands of local people working on the project, from breaking to carrying stones to build a number of massive villas.
Today, these villas have crumbled to ruins. Blocks of moss-covered stone are scattered throughout the site, and lie among the old foundations, where it’s still possible to identify the houses’ former kitchens, fireplace and staircases. Like a sleeping beauty, after almost five decades, it was all but forgotten. Until 1987, motorbikes were not even allowed onto the torturous road up the mountain like a bending snake.
Mau Son was waking up eventually when the residents of the surrounding area first came to admire the views, followed by visitors from China and lowland Vietnam.
When is best time to travel Mau Son?
For “snow hunters” – the tropical-born travelers who rarely see white cold flakes, the winter spans from November to March with the average temperature ranging from 7 – 13 Celsius degrees. Sometimes it drops down to below zero (and snowfall as a result) in January, so this is absolutely the best time to travel to Mau Son mountain to admire miraculous snowfall.
Summertime, from April to October, often experiences foggy scenery because of the heavy rain coupled with a temperature range around 15 degrees. We travelled to Mau Son on late April and the journey was very tough after all. Travelling should be most pleasant on September – the shoulder season!
Courtesy of Isaac
Best way to travel to Mau Son
Just 30 kilometers to the north-east of Lang Son city, you can rent a motorbike at the hostels and ride yourself to the mountain, following 4B highway then turning to the provincial road DT237B. Riding until you see an intersection where a old mansion named “Đền cổ Mẫu Sơn” located on the left, turn that way to the top.
Following 4B highway then turning to the provincial road DT237B. Courtesy of Trang HinhThe creepy mist surrounding Mau Son ancient temple (Đền cổ Mẫu Sơn) during our trip. Courtesy of Isaac
Driving will be very challenging, so be well prepared before departure as the road is narrow, dotted with continuous u-turns from time to time, rough terrain also, and possibly experiences unexpected conditions owing to the severe weather. Ultimately, drivers should keep a moderate speed while watching for vehicles coming from the opposing direction.
What to see in Mau Son
Mau Son wine cellar
The very first attraction to us was the wine cellar “Mẫu Sơn Đỉnh” with the architecture look like a miniature of a castle. It was a pity for us that the gate was closed silently, and everything was dimmed in heavy fog. There are here a couple of sets of stone tables and chairs, playing an ideal for a rest stop to the top. We couldn’t help posing some photographs ourselves there, resting among the heavy fog before departure to town at the top.
Courtesy of Isaac
According to the letters on the outside wall, the wine here was made of the pure water from the mountain which enjoys the comfortable chill all year round at Mau Son 1000 meter high in altitude, combined with the know-how in fermentation and distillation of Yao ethnic group as well as the technology from Scotland. I definitely have to try on my trip to Mau Son next time.
The cloudy resort
Due to covid impact, the town was less visited recently by eager travelers. Indeed, Mau Son mountain is well-known for its distinctive feature: snow. In a tropical country like Vietnam, snow is usually a good reason for any slightly high altitude destinations to attract curious wanderers, like Sapa, Lao Cai or Meo Vac, Ha Giang in Vietnam, during unusual extreme cold weather. The thick fog coupled with the serious lack of visitors turned this place into a “ghost town” scene like in horror movies, which partly attracted our curiosity.
Shelter in a local vendor’s hut and heat the body by warm food. Courtesy of Isaac
What we did enjoy (like most of the time traveling back and forth the mountainous routes of Northern Vietnam) was to shelter in a local vendor’s hut and heat our body by warm food like roasted meat, sausage, sweet potato, egg and dried fish, while sipping hot tea (sometime it’s not actually tea but a mix of various indigenous herbs good for health).
The vendors usually sell local specialties, like wild lemon, hand-picked plum, harvested honey and even spirits.
Less tourists meant less stores and hotels open, so finding a toilet in that situation was tricky for us, too. We had to ask around, navigate through the misty neighborhood and luckily find one (not well cleaned indeed). The service infrastructure in the low season of tourism was terrible, at least, for us!
Staying overnight at Mau Son resort: Should or Should not
We parked by a homestay. It looked old, abandoned with blurred windows, a little rusty in metal components – all still in progress of degradation due to the long exposure to the high humidity. The situation was universal among most of the buildings in the area. While praising the ancient architecture and basic comforts at reasonable prices, most guests having stayed overnight complained about the degradation of the common accommodation at Mau Son.
Limited to some local specialty dishes like sturgeon fish and chicken, the food served at the local lodges also costs considerably (double or even triple priced) due to the isolated location of Mau Son resort. I bet one experience that would be very ideal during a chill and mist here: herbal bathing (we did several days later in Sapa and it was definitely note-worthy, like bathing in a hot spring but also absolutely different).
In our case, we planned to stay overnight at first, but our reality proved it was not ideal. The isolation of the town meant we had few choices of entertainment here at night. Worse, the thick fog blurred our vision that we could only see within several meters even in the late afternoon (we had to use the location feature of the map app to navigate around the town, imagine what would happen when it went dark!) In addition, the fusty old hotels weren’t attractive enough to get over the obsessive seclusion and high price of food (we were travelling on a budget).
I wish to come back on sunny days, when everything is dry and comfortable with spectacular vista, instead of a misty “ghost town” like the creepy ‘Silent hill’ video game series.
The telecommunication tower was ‘lost’ in the mist
If you have serious intention to stay, the consideration limited to a few motels and hotels like Hương Sơn, 9 Gian, Cẩm Tú Cầu, Bạch Trà Sơn, Xứ Anh Đào and Yến Yến. No outstanding one, they are all so-so.
Other attractions nearby
Yao Village
In Khuổi Cấp, Yao ethnic community is believed to successfully preserve its own customs and tradition. On a daily basis, visitors will come across Yao women wearing black trousers with broad legs and hems embroidered with yellow patterns, while men wear black coats decorated with embroidered thick wool thread lines of light green colour. The herbal bathing is also a must here, beside local alcohol drink production.
Mau Son Ancient Spiritual Site
Located at 1,190 meters high above sea level in Lặp Pịa commune, Mau Son ancient spiritual site (Linh địa cổ Mẫu Sơn) worships the guardian of Mau Son mountains, requires a long adventurous hike from the village, following the trail cutting through primitive forest, whose the scenic landscape is worth a try. To reach the site, departing from Lang Son city, following 4B Highway to DT236, then head to Lặp Pịa school. From here, you’d better have teachers here hire a local guide and well prepare for a 2 – 3 hour trek.
Sung Peng Waterfall
This off the beaten track Sung Peng waterfall (Thác Sùng Pèng) is located less than one kilometer away as the crow flies straight ahead from the resort town, but the ride is another story as it might take hours to circle around the mountain to reach the fall. Considering a few photographs taken here, it is suggested that this place may still rarely be visited by tourists. What is it promising? The landscape is stunning for sure: a high thin fall flows water like a dedicated silk during summertime, down dozens of rock levels, surrounded by the indigenous wilderness. I bet camping here is definitely great for nature lovers. Let’s add the box in to-travel list now!
To reach Hua Hin, you can depart from Bangkok – The capital city of Thailand with several means to choose at your demand.
Hua Hin is a tranquil city to the south of Thailand. It’s really renowned for beaches, delicious food, interesting tourism destinations and many distinctively exquisite sights. That’s reasons why tourists, both domestic and foreign, always choose this city for their holidays.
There are 3 main ways to get to Hua Hin: by taxi, by bus or by train.
1. By bus or minibus
Bus and minibus are the most preferred ones of top tips to travel from Bangkok to Hua Hin on a budget. If you choose bus to move from Bangkok to Hua Hin, it takes about 3 hours with the ticket price of 8$.
To reach Hua Hin by minibus, these figures are respectively 3,5 hours and 6,3$. For those who want to cut down traveling costs, bus and minibus are great choices because you can get to Hua Hin quickly, especially for people who only have little time to spend in Thailand.
Usually, minibus to Hua Hin will depart from Monument Victory station and you need to take one another 30-minute minibus from the airport to this minibus station. The final destination of this minibus is Sasong Rd..
One more thing you should remember is that minibus space is rather small and narrow. Therefore, if your luggages are too much or too big, no minibus can accommodate them. This minibus doesn’t run after 7 o’clock in the evening.
If you move to Hua Hin by bus, you should take the Roong Rueang departing from Suvarnabhumi airport and arriving at Hua Hin Soi96 station. You can easily buy tickets right at the airport.
You must know that the bus frequently starts departing in the early morning and the waiting time is quite long (about 30 minutes -1 hour). At night, it doesn’t run anymore so you should jot down this.
Hua Lamphong train station
2. By train
Moving to Hua Hin by train is considered to be one of the most interesting experiences when you’re in Thailand. From the train windows, you can see a lot of picturesque sceneries. Among these top tips to travel from Bangkok to Hua Hin on a budget, train is a must-try means for the best of your journey.
You should go to Hua Lamphong railway station in Bangkok to catch the train heading to Hua Hin. The total time (both waiting time and trip duration) is estimated at about 5 hours. The ticket price is based on your needs (the first class 5,8$; the second-class 3$ and the third-class 1,3$).
You can buy in advance or go to ticket office to buy them. You also keep in mind that there’s no train departing at night so if you’re coming to Bangkok in the nighttime, you should take taxi or find some shelters until the morning light.
3. By taxi or transfer
If you travel to Hua Hin from Bangkok, it will take a 2.5-hour driving for approximately 199km distance. The cost for moving by transfer or taxi is about 70$ at least. If you’re travelling with your family, accompanied by abundant luggage, children or old people, you should take private transfer for the best. If you travel alone or travel in group, you can find another options to make yourself feel at ease.
When you’re planning for your trip to Hua Hin, remember to book in advance a transfer from Bangkok to Hua Hin. If not, you can catch a taxi instead, but it may cost a little bit more.
