Overseas Field Trip Workbook (Vietnam 2013)

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Co7organized'by'CCSC'Geography'Panel'&' Social'Services'Team' Name:_____________________'('''')'

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ITINERARY

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DATE 27 March (Wed)

28 March (Thu) 29 March (Fri) 30 March (Sat) 31 March (Sun) 1 April (Mon)

2 April (Tue)

ACTIVITIES - Dragon Air KA297 Hong Kong to Hanoi (08450950) - Old quarter - SOS Children’s Village - Municipal Puppet Theatre - Coach to Halong Bay - Sightseeing in Halong Bay - Coach to Ninh Binh Province - Limestone monoliths of Tam Coc - Hoa Lu’s ancient temples - Night train from Hanoi to Sapa - Baguette & Chocolat Café - 3-hour hike to Cat Cat Village in Sapa (6 km) - Bac Ha Market - School visit - 1-hour hike to Ban Pho (3 km) - HamRong Mountain - Lao Chai Village (terraced farmland) - School visit - China-Vietnam boundary - night train from Sapa to Hanoi - Ba Dinh Square - Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex - Dragon Air KA294 Hanoi to Hong Kong (19502245)

ACCOMMODATION Anise Hotel in Hanoi

Van Hai Halong Bay Hotel On train (TSC Express) Hanoi -> Lao Cai (20300530) Sapa Cat Cat View Hotel Sapa Cat Cat View Hotel On train (TSC Express) Lao Cai -> Hanoi (19300500)

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INTRODUCTION Topography and drainage Hanoi is located in the Red River Delta, in the center of North Vietnam.

It is encompassed by Thai Nguyen, Vinh Phuc provinces to the north, Hoa Binh and Ha Nam to the south, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh and Hung Yen provinces to the east, Hoa Binh and Phu Tho to the west.

Hanoi means "the hinterland between the rivers" (Ha: river, Noi: interior). Hanoi's territory is washed by the Red River (the portion of the Red River embracing Hanoi is approximately 40km long) and its tributaries, but there are some other rivers flowing through the capital, including Duong, Cau, Ca Lo, Day, Nhue, Tich, To Lich and Kim Nguu.

Climate Hanoi is situated in a tropical monsoon zone with two main seasons. During the dry season, which lasts from October to April, it is cold and there is very little rainfall, except from January to March, when the weather is still cold but there is some light rain.

The wet season, from May to September, is hot with heavy rains and storms. The average annual temperature is 23.2ºC and the average annual rainfall is 1,800mm.

The average temperature in winter is 17.2ºC, but can go down to 8ºC. The average temperature in summer is 29.2ºC, but can reach up to 39ºC. History From 1920 to 1953, Hanoi served as the capital of French Indochina. Hanoi was proclaimed the capital of Vietnam after the August Revolution of 1945, but it was not until the Geneva Accords of 1954 that the Viet Minh, driven from the city by the French in 1946, were able to return.

During the American War, US bombing destroyed parts of Hanoi and killed hundreds of civilians. As recently as the early 1990s, motorized transport was rare; most people got around on bicycles and the only modern structures were designed by Soviet architects.

Today Hanoi’s conservationists fight to save historic structures and the city struggles to cope with a booming population, soaring pollution levels and an inefficient public transport system.

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PHYSICAL LANDSCAPES OF NORTH VIETNAM Halong Bay & Tam Coc Since becoming part of the world natural heritage in 1994, Ha Long Bay has become an internationally popular travel destination. The fascination exerted on humans by the islands of northern Vietnam is due particularly to the fact that the limestone formations in the tropics produce a particularly spectacular treasure chest of shapes – karst formation.

Ha Long Bay, the world’s most extensive and best-known example of tropical tower karst invaded by the sea, is located along the boundary between Vietnam and China at 20ºN, approximately 160 km to the east of Hanoi. It is part of the Gulf of Tonkin, an extension of the southern Sea of China and covers an area of 1,566 km2 within which 1,969 island rise out of the water.

Tam Coc is located about 90 km south of Hanoi in Ninh Binh province. Tam Coc which means 3 caves, is a zone of Vietnam that elapses between rice paddies, bathed by the Ngo Dong River punctuated by karstic rock formation and limestone caves.

Development of Ha Long Bay Generally, the term “karst” subsumes all surface limestone formations, whose development results from chemical dissolution processes. Rainwater always contains a certain amount of acids determined, among other factors, by the presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. (H2O + CO2 → H2CO3) When rainwater enriched with acids comes into contact with limestone (calcium carbonate), the later is dissolved until a chemical balance is reached, namely the saturation of the water with lime. The visible result is “cavities” in the landscape – hollow formations – which form the typical wealth of shapes in karst depending on local factors of tectonics, composition of the stone and climatic conditions.

As a characteristics development of the full tropical karst formation, these islands appear as steeply rising limestone mountings with a distinguished crest shape which can reach heights of between 50 and 100 m, some even as height as 200 m.

The limestone originates from the Carboniferous and Permian eras. During the Caledonian mountain formation 300 million years ago, northern Vietnam was part of a region consisting of alternating mounting chains and deep oceanic depressions in the shape of waves. Lime with thickness between 2,400 and 2,600 m was deposited in these depressions. The later geological history of this region is very complex and still unclear in many details.

The strong pure limestones of Ha Long Bay have been eroded into a mature landscape of fengcong and fenglin karst. This evolved by normal subaerial erosion of the limestone, but was then invaded and slightly modified by the sea at a late stage.

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The hundreds of rocky islands which form the most beautiful and famous landscapes in the bay are individual towers in a classic fenglin landscape where the intervening plains have been submerged by the sea. Most towers reach heights of 50 to 100 m, with height/width ratios up to about 6. Many towers have vertical walls on all or most sides; these continue to evolve by rockfalls and large slab failures. In 1997, a large slab peeled off a small island north of Cat Ba, to create a new vertical face; the main failure surface was on vertical fractures, part of which had been opened to form a cave subsequently partly refilled with large stalactites, and the fallen block of around 500 m3 now lies in the sea where it is being eroded by dissolution and wave action.

Many of the towers have very old cave remnants preserved within them, and many have foot caves that are relicts of their undercutting at various levels. Clusters of limestone hills form the larger islands within Ha Long Bay, and represent fine examples of fengcong karst.

Summits are generally at around 100 m above sea level, and the highest peaks reach heights of over 200 m. Their profiles are mostly very steep cones; except around their marine margins, vertical cliffs are only minor components, as they have not been subject to lateral undercutting where their internal dolines do not reach down to base level. These conical hills also contain remnants of old cave passages. Some of the fengcong hills have individual slopes or sides which are formed on steep bedding planes within the limestone; beyond these sites the geological structure has very little influence on the limestone hill profiles.

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Marine invasion of the Ha Long Bay karst has added an extra element of lateral undercutting of the limestone islands. The most conspicuous feature is the main marine notch cut into most of the rocky coastlines. Its deepest zone is generally nearly 3 m high, occupying the levels between normal high and low tides. Further notches at higher levels were cut at times of higher sea level and are no longer active. Features below low tide level have not been observed, but there is no evidence of any wide wave-cut platforms.

Across the bay, there is no variation in the size of the notches which relates to exposure to the larger waves that derive from the open sea. This indicates that the notches have been cut largely by dissolution of the limestone. Sea water is normally saturated with respect to calcium carbonate, and limestone dissolution is therefore dependant on aggressive microenvironments created by algae in the surface layers of the limestone. The dark crusts with blue-green algae, that are ubiquitous on the subaerial limestone outcrops, do extend down the cliffs into the tidal range; marine algal forms are probably equally widespread, but have not yet been documented. Limestone dissolution is also enhanced at sea level by the mixing of sea water and fresh water within the fissure systems of the islands. Notches are a feature of limestone coastal cliffs worldwide, but those of Ha Long Bay are exceptionally well developed, and at many sites extend back into arches and caves (see below).

Undercutting in the marine notches is presently the major process in the erosion and retreat of the limestone cliff faces. Marine erosion has not only added the notches to the profiles of the limestone islands, but it also maintains the steep faces of the fenglin karst towers, and thereby perpetuates the spectacular nature of the karst landscape.

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1. Surface streams lose water to cave systems developing in the limestone.

Surface drainage is diverted down sink holes to below the water table.

2. Peaks develop from the land left after erosion by the streams. The cave system gets larger as fast-moving subsurface streams bore through the limestone, and the water table drops.

3. Much of the limestone has eroded past the caves down to a layer of shale.

Limestone peaks remain, many fractured with small, waterless caves.

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Terraced fields In order to make the best of poor soil, water conservation, and mountainous terrain, terraced farming was introduced by various cultures around the world. Extremely labor intensive to build, terracing allowed the land to support civilization’s increased need for crops, livestock and poultry. Erosion was avoided, rain and runoff water was preserved, and otherwise unused hillside became arable due to terraced agriculture. Not only do these terraced fields provide essential goods for the local people but they also feature some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world.

Sa Pa is a town in northwest Vietnam not far from the Chinese border. The rice terrace fields, among the most popular tourist attractions in Vietnam, can be found in the Muong Hoa valley between Sa Pa town and the Fansipan Mountain, on a backdrop of thick bamboo woodlands. Local mountain people, the Hmong, Giay, Dao, Tay, and Giay, grow rice and corn on these paddy terraces, along with vegetables. Because of the climate, only one rice crop a year can be produced, resulting in abundant malnutrition.

Observe the terraced fields and answer the following questions.

1.

How many types of crops do you find? What are they?

2.

What kind of farming methods do they use? Do they use any machines?

3.

How many farm workers are working on the fields? What kind of farm work are they doing at that time?

4.

How do they maintain the soil fertility on the terraced fields?

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Bac Ha Market Every Sunday, Bac Ha hosts the biggest fair near the mountainous highlands and the Chinese border. It is the largest and most colourful market in the area and attracts throngs of villagers from the surrounding hill tribes. Some walk several hours for the weekly opportunity to trade and barter food, animals, clothes and household goods. 80km from Sapa, Bac Ha Market is not only the place for buying and selling, but also a place for cultural and sentiment exchanging. On the market days, right from the early morning, all paths and mountain roads are full of people and horses pouring to the market. People usually sit in groups around a soup pan ("thang co") eating and chatting.

Many different ethnic groups such as Flower H'mong, Phu La, Black Dao, Tay and Nung minorities gather to buy and sell local products that cannot be found elsewhere. The market was very crowded, local products for sale orbarter are carried on horseback.

Besides the usual items like pigs, cows, chickens, and ducks, Bac Ha Market sold dogs. As dogs were available as cuts of meat, they were also available live, right next to the live pigs, chickens, and other livestock. There was a brisk trade at the market for everything from hand-embroidered skirts to all manner of 4-legged animals. The “fresh” meat section is not for the faint of heart and might steer more than a few visitors in the direction of strict vegetarianism.

Though tourists were not in short supply, they were not the focus. Most locals paid little attention to them, rather choosing to focus on their business and the short Sunday-sized window of opportunity. Rounding the corner and pungent fumes of alcohol accosted your senses of smell, from corn whiskey, a Bac Ha specialty. The potent moonshine is decanted by vendors from large white plastic jugs to used bottled water containers. If you doubt the ability of a vendor's hooch to peel paint or light your senses on fire, you can try a shot for free.

At the fair, adventurous gastronomes can try “thang co” blood porridge, a popular dish of the H’Mong and other local people. The Flower H’mong minority is the most common here, and their colourful dresses makes is a beautiful sight.

In conclusion, according to a tourist from Tokyo (Japan), “The trip to Bac Ha Market was amazing! On the way, the scenery was beautiful and the local people were so friendly. I will come back again!”. Let’s once visit Bac Ha Market and you will be able to experience a wide range of different colorful ethnic minorities and more interesting things of life in the mountains…

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SOS Children’s Village SOS Children's Villages Vietnam is a child development organisation that has been providing a loving home to children at risk from 1987. We enable children who have lost the care of their parents to become again part of a family and to grow-up in the most natural way possible. We support these children to become independent, responsible and contributing members of society. We guide them on their path from childhood to adulthood. At the same time SOS Children's Villages supports families in difficult circumstances so that children are not abandoned and can go to school. http://www.sosvietnam.org/ Hao Sua School Since its establishment on 8 November 1994, Hoa Sua School for Disadvantaged Youth has always tried to maintain and develop its objective as “participating in the poverty reduction effort in Viet Nam through vocational training and employment generation for disadvantaged and disable youth�.

With the architecture style completely integrated with the inner design of the Museum of Ethnics, Baguette&Chocolat provide you a peaceful place and isolated from noisy outside world. The restaurant can accommodate a great number of people with various sections that tailored for various demands of customers. The main part which can accommodate up to 50 people with air-conditioning and modern lighting is a relax place for customers after walking a long way to visit the museum. The Bamboo and Tree-Roofed restaurant with the same accommodation capacity is the ideal place for enjoying unique specialties of various ethnic regions of Viet Nam being surrounded by the green garden. The Drink shops can provide cold drinks for summer time and hot drinks for winter time. The restaurant is a connection of open spaces with the combination of both modern and traditional architecture to provide a variety of sceneries for various guests calling on.

Baguette&Chocolat serves breakfast, lunch, and tea-break with a variety of choice from its European and Asian menu. For the breakfast, plenty of Hoa Sua cakes, coffee, sandwiches, pizza, quiche, pasta or dozens of Asian breakfasts from very traditional to adapted ones are served. Baguette & Chocolat has spaces and menu that can accommodate specific needs of customers. Having coffee or meal, talking and enjoying the view of the museum are really a reward for the busy time you have spent.

Visiting Baguette&Chocolat is a reward you grant for yourself with relax moment enjoying food and the service and at the same time, you are helping Vietnamese disadvantaged youths with opportunities for social equity and advancement in their life. http://www.hoasuaschool.com

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Type of Tourist attractions

 According to the table below, what are the types of tourist attractions we have visited?

7 types of Tourist Attractions

Physical attraction

climate, natural features, vegetation & wildlife

Historic attraction

Cultural attraction

Religious attraction

historic site,

tradition, food, music & dance

pilgrimage places, religious site

famous construction

Itinerary Day 1- Hanoi Van Mieu Temple 36 Street 36 Watch a Water Puppet Show Day 2- Halong Bay Day 3- Tam Cốc Tam Cốc

, Ninh Binh

Bich Dong Pagoda Day 4- Tả Phìn, Sapa TaVan Cat Cat Village Day 5- Bắc Hà Bắc Hà Market Ban Pho Day 6- Lào Cai HamRong Mountain Lao Cai village& rice terraces Day 7- Hanoi Presidential Palace Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex Others

Built attraction

architecture,

theme & amusement park

Special events & Festivals

sports events, commercial event

Leisure, Amusement & Sports

sunbathing, gambling, skiing, shopping

Type of tourism attractions & evidence

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What is Responsible Tourism?

9 criteria for Responsible Tourism 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

minimizes negative economic, environmental and social impacts generates greater economic benefits for local people and enhances the well- being of host communities improves working conditions and access to the industry involves local people in decisions that affect their lives and life chances makes positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage embracing diversity provides more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections with local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues provides access for physically challenged people is culturally sensitive, encourages respect between tourists and hosts, and builds local pride and confidence is integrate in the local ecosystem

 Reflect on your service experiences in this trip, which of the above criteria of responsible tourism can be achieved and why?

Service experience Day 1- SOS Children’s Village Day 4- Baguette & Chocolat café Day 4- Cat Cat Village Visit Day 6- School visit at Lao Cai Others

Criteria met & evidence

[FIELD'TRIP'TO'VIETNAM'2013]! 15! !  Any interesting things happen in the interaction with Vietnamese students and children?  What can you learn from these service experiences?

Discussion questions:

 What do you think about Vietnam?

(Recall your experience in the country and interaction with the people)  Can northern Vietnam become a major tourism region in Asia? Why? (Consider the following factors: geographic location, transportation, infrastructure, availability of physical and human tourism resources)  What are the positive and negative impacts of developing tourism in Vietnam?

(Consider three different aspects: economic, social and cultural, environmental)  As a tourist, what should we do to minimize the negative impacts brought to host?  After the study trip, do you enjoy travelling? What is/are the best part(s) of the trip? !

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Further information A) Clothing 1. Trainers should be sufficient or light-weight walking shoes. The weather should be fairly dry but there may be some heavy downpours, and some of the trails are can be muddy and wet underfoot, also rocky.

2. Light-weight shoes or sandals for wearing around the hotels, walking in Hanoi etc.

3. Socks for wearing with the above. Trousers, shorts and Tops: Excessive skin exposure by men or women is generally regarded as lewd and exposes you to significantly increased risks of mosquito bites and painful sunburn. Legs should preferably be covered by thin, loose trousers; Any shorts should be at least knee length and worn with circumspect; shoulders should covered by tops with at least short sleeves. If shoulders or legs are exposed temple guards may refuse entrance and you may suffer other indignities. Hill tribes abhor sleeveless shirts and exposed upper legs. You should also consider taking one or more long-sleeved shirts for cool (even cold) evenings (e.g. at Sapa) or where mosquitoes can be a problem.

4. Jumper/sweater for visiting the hill areas (it can be cool during the day and cold at night).

5. Underclothes and nightwear.

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6. Sunhat and sunglasses.

7. Light-weight rain gear, e.g. plastic poncho. Some days are likely to be wet!

B) Hand (cabin) luggage In your hand luggage (which could be a small rucksack) please carry: 1. Lightweight clothes if you intend to change on the plane.

2. Drinking water (avoid getting dehydrated during the long flight). Buy at the duty free shops at the airport as you are not allowed to take liquids > 100 ml through security.

3. Any snacks or sweets that you want to take.

4. Books/magazines to read 5. Your camera and spare batteries or charger.

6. Mobile phone, if needed, also binoculars, if you want to watch wildlife.

C) Health & Safety A) Health It is important that you look after your health while in Vietnam, and be aware of possible hazards.

Most illnesses experienced by visitors to the tropics are caused by: (1) eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water, (2) over-exposure to heat or sun.

1) Food poisoning and intestinal infections. Vietnam have generally high standards of food hygiene. Very few students on the University's previous field modules to South East Asia have suffered food poisoning or intestinal infections, and in almost all cases they recovered within a few hours.

However, you will need to be wary while travelling in Vietnam because food and drink quickly deteriorate in the hot climate. Minor cases of upset stomach, vomiting or diarrhoea can be due simply to food allergies or over-eating, especially over-consumption of fruit.

Excessive alcohol intake can also cause stomach upsets and diarrhoea. Many of the more serious cases of diarrhoea result from eating food or drinking water contaminated by micro-organisms, such as bacteria and protozoa. As local chefs are not used to cooking western food, you are recommended to order local food, which in Vietnam can be delicious. Only opt for western food in upmarket restaurants or hotels but these will be expensive.

You are strongly recommended to: 路 Drink water sold from sealed bottles, whenever possible. Avoid bottles with broken seals that could have been refilled with tap water. Water will be provided each day on the coach and in most hotel rooms. . Clean your teeth with bottled water. 路 Avoid drinking straight out of bottles that you are sharing with friends. Mouth saliva can quickly transfer bacteria. Also remember to wipe the tops of canned and bottled drinks, and use a drinking straw if at all possible. Cans and bottles kept in store may get coated with rat urine, which can carry a fatal disease. 路 Refuse ice cubes in drinks (unless you can be reasonably sure that they are made from sterile water).

[FIELD'TRIP'TO'VIETNAM'2013]! 19! ! · Always wash your hands before eating. · Do not eat raw fruits or vegetables unless you have washed them in clean water or can peel them prior to eating. · Avoid eating left-overs (especially warmed-up rice or mixed seafood prepared the day before). Travellers to the tropics are usually advised not to eat fish soup or ice cream. If you get a bad attack of diarrhoea or a major stomach upset it is generally a good plan to take no solid food for 24 or 48 hours. Drink plenty of bottled water with added salt.

2) Coping with the heat. Over-exposure to heat or to the sun has caused some serious problems on previous tropical field modules.. The weather in northern Vietnam is likely to be quite cloudy, but further south you will need to be especially careful: · Sunburn. Too much exposure to sunlight can cause serious sunburn (redness, soreness or blistering) and even skin cancer, especially if you are fair skinned or freckled. Use a high protection sun barrier cream, and cover up unless you are cultivating a tan. Wear a broad rimmed hat to shade the back of your neck and ears. Remember: it is all too easy to miss areas of skin when applying barrier cream! · Prickly heat. This red skin rash is caused by inflamed sweat glands. It develops on parts of the body where sweat fails to evaporate and the skin becomes waterlogged. Take frequent showers and wear loose cotton clothes. Applying zinc-oxide powder helps to relieve the condition. · Heat exhaustion. This state of exhaustion or extreme fatigue, often accompanied by headache, dizziness and confusion, is caused by water or salt deficiency, and normally comes on gradually unless you have put your body under stress by strenuous exertion.

Heat exhaustion is easily avoided. Wear a hat, and sit in the shade whenever possible.

Make sure you drink a lot of water (initially about 3 litres per day until your body gets acclimatised) and also consume enough salt to replace sweat losses. · Heat stroke. This is a rare but dangerous condition, which is due to a failure of the body's heat regulating system controlled by the hypothalamus in the brain. Although often called sunstroke, it is brought on by heat stress and does not always result from over-exposure to the sun (i.e. it can occur on an overcast day). It can come on quite suddenly, unlike heat exhaustion.

3) Malaria. Malaria exists in most of Vietnam, though reportedly not in Hanoi and the adjacent Red River Delta. The mosquitoes that carry malaria tend to be active only at night. Avoid mosquito bites as much as possible by applying insect repellent and wearing light coloured long sleeved shirts and trousers, especially in the evening. Dark clothes tend to attract mosquitoes. Our visit to Vietnam coincides with the transition from the dry to the wet season when the mosquitoes are not very active.

4) Dengue fever. Day flying mosquitoes can transmit dengue fever ("breakbone fever"), against which there is no prophylactic or vaccination. Dengue fever is most prevalent in the rainy season (May to November) and near habitation. Unfortunately it is becoming ever more common. Sometimes it produces quite mild flu-like symptoms, but it can cause violent aching, internal bleeding and even more serious complications. It is definitely a disease that you should try to avoid. Two students who holidayed in Thailand after a field module contracted dengue fever, and became very ill. Always use mosquito repellent if there are day flying mosquitoes and/or reported cases of dengue fever in the

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5) Other diseases. Night flying mosquitoes and ticks in some parts of Vietnam can give you Japanese encephalitis, particularly in the rainy season (May to November). Your doctor may advise you to have a vaccination against Japanese encephalitis (unfortunately, it can have serious side-effects), and also immunisations against polio, tetanus, typhoid, hepatitis A and B, rabies, TB and other diseases (see also the Masta health briefing).

6) Medical facilities in Hanoi are generally good, and pharmacies are often well stocked.

7) Road hazards. Traffic drives on the RIGHT, so ensure you look in the correct direction before attempting to cross roads. Streets in Hanoi and Ho Chi Min City are crowded with fast-moving motorbikes and other vehicles, and road surfaces, especially in country areas, can be badly pot-holed. Motorbikes sometimes travel on pavements or in the counterdirection to that allowed so exercise care when crossing roads and alighting from vehicles..

You may need to take travel-sickness tablets.

8) Thefts and assaults. Be on your guard against pickpockets, especially in Hanoi. Do not tempt fate by keeping your money or credit cards in a purse or a wallet that is easily snatched, or leave your camera unguarded. Thefts from bags in locked hotel rooms are not uncommon. Keep your passport with you as much as possible (you may be required to leave it as a surety with the hotel where you are staying), and carry a photocopy in your luggage. Do not hand your passport over to strangers or third parties.

9) Photography. Many Vietnamese (especially hill tribe villagers) are camera shy or simply fed up with being photographed by Westerners. Others are very happy to be photohgraphed but will expect a small payment. Have consideration for people's feelings, and always obtain permission before taking their photograph. Photographing police stations, military installations etc. could get you into serious trouble.

10) Etiquette. The Vietnamese are kindly, forgiving people, but they do have a stronger sense of decorum than Westerners. Remember to: · Take your shoes off before entering a temple. Talk quietly. Always show respect for statues of Emperors or the Buddha. · Avoid wearing shorts or skimpy tops (even bare shoulders, upper arms or mid-riffs are regarded as offensive) in temples, hill tribe villages and other “traditional” places. The Vietnamese regard topless bathing as highly embarrassing. · Remove your shoes when entering a Vietnamese home. It is rude to sit in such a way that other people can see the soles of your feet. Also avoid pointing your soles towards statues of the Buddha or the ancestral shrines that are found in many homes. · Never leave chopsticks standing vertically in a rice bowl – this signifies death. · If you are wearing a cap, you should take it off when talking to people, especially elders.

Never touch children (or adults) on their head. · At all times, avoid arguing or raising your voice. Speak softly and smile! The Vietnamese consider that any form of confrontation is a serious breach of good manners (in their eyes you will have lost face).

My Travel Journal

Day 1 36 Street District, SOS Children’s Village, Municipal Puppet Theatre 27 March – Hanoi

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My Travel Journal

Day 2 Halong Bay Karst Landscape 28 March – Halong Bay

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My Travel Journal

Day 3 29 March – Tam Coc Tam Coc Karst Landscape, overnight train to Sapa

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My Travel Journal

Day 4 Cat Cat Village in Sapa 30 March – Sapa

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My Travel Journal

Day 5 Ba Hac Market, Ban Pho Village 31 March – Sapa

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My Travel Journal

Day 6 Ham Rong Mountain, Lao Chai Village, overnight train to Hanoi 1 April – Sapa

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My Travel Journal

Day 7 Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex in Hanoi 2 April – Hanoi

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