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Geography : Vietnam lies on the eastern seaboard of the Indochina Peninsula. It borders China to the north and Laos and Cambodia to the west. To the east and south lies the South China Sea, which Vietnamese call the East Sea. Mountains and Hills covers four-fifths of Vietnam’s territory with the Truong Son range strecthing over 1,400km. Mount Fansipan (3,142m) is the highest peak in Southeast Asia.
The most populated areas in Vietnam are the lowland alluvial plains: the Red River Delta (15,000 sq.km, with a 3,000 km-long dyke network) in the north, and the Mekong Delta (39,000 sq. km) in the south. Vietnam’s two biggest rivers, the Red River and the Mekong River, respectively discharge 122,109 and 1.4 million cubic metres of water a year. Vietnam’s 3,260km-long coastline features beautiful beaches like Tra Co, Lang Co, Nha Trang, Vung Tau, and Ha Tien. National parks include Ba Vi, Cat Ba and Cuc Phuong in the north, Bach Ma in the centre and Cat Tien in the south. Resources : Minerals: coal, iron, aluminum, tin and oil. Agricultural and forestry products: rice, maize, sweet potatoes, peanuts, soy beans, rubber, lacquer, coffee, tea, tobacco, cotton, coconut, sugar cane, jute, and tropical and subtropical fruits. Climate : Vietnam is essentially a tropical country with a humid monsoon climate. The annual mean temperature is over 20 degrees Celsius throughout the country (Hanoi 23.4 C., Hue 25.1 C., Hochiminh City 26.9 C.). In July, the average temperature in Hanoi is 28.6 C., in Hue it is 28.9 C., and in Hochiminh City, 27.6 C. Lowland areas receive around 1,500mm of rain per year, while mountainous areas receive 2,000mm to 3,000mm. Humidity can reach 90 percent in the rainy season. Vietnam has two seasons: cool and dry from November to April and hot and rainy from May to October. The different between summer and winter temperatures is dramatic in the north (varying up to 20 or 30 degrees Celsius). The south is warm all year round, with seasonal variations in temperature everaging just three degrees Celsius. Administrative Divisions : Vietnam has 64 provinces, including five muni-capitality (Hanoi, Hochiminh City, Haiphong, Can Tho and Danang). History : Vietnam’s history may be devide into five periods: - Prehistory: There is evidence of human settlements in Northern Vietnam as far back as 500,000-300,000 BC. In the third century BC, King An Duong Vuong founded Au Viet. - Chinese occupation: Northern Vietnam was occupied by China from 189 BC to 939 AD. - Independence: Local kings ruled the area from 939 to 1860 AD. - French colonialism: The French colonized Vietnam from 1860 to 1945. - Independence: The Socialist Republic of Vietnam was founded after the 1945 revolution, when Presiden Ethnic groups: There are 54 ethnic groups living in Vietnam. The Viet, or Kinh, people account for 88 percent of Vietnam’s population and are mostly concentrated in the lowlands. In contrast, most of the country’s 5.5 million ethnic minority people live in mountainous areas. Major groups include the Tay (960,000 people); the Nung (152,000 people); the Thai (770,000 people); the Muong (700,000 peolple); the H’mong (441,000 people); the Zao ( 340,000 people); the Hoa (930,000 people); the Khmer (720,000 people); the Bana (100,000 people); the Giarai (184,000 people); and the Ede (140,000 people).
Religions : The three main religious influences in Vietnam are Buddhism, Confucianism and Ancestor Worship. Vietnamese Languages and Scripts : More than 80 percent of the population speaks Vietnamese or Kinh/Viet, the national language. Many ethnic minority people speak Kinh and their own native language. Three scripts have influenced Vietnam’s history: - Han Chinese ideograms were used until the beginning of the 20th century. - The Nom script, created between the 11th and 14th centuries, was decrived from Han script to transcribe the Vietnamese language. - European missionaries in the 17th century developed Quoc Ngu, the Romanised transcription of the Vietnamese language used to this day. Business Our : Government offices and museums open early, around 8am, and close between 4pm and 5pm. Avoid doing business from 11:30am to 2pm, when people are either at lunch or napping. Currency : The currency in Vietnam is the Dong (VND), which currently trades at about VND 20,800 to the US dollar & VND 27 700 to EURO. US dollars remain widely accepted at hotels, but you should have local currency for use in taxis and shops. Credit card acceptance, especially for Visa, is spreading in high-end hotels, restaurants and shops in big cities. Electricity: Vietnam uses 220V electricity nationwide. In the South, outlets are often US-Style flat pins. In the North, many outlets fit round pins. As the electrical current varies, use a surge protector when running sensitive electronic equipment like laptops. Hotels & Registration : There is a wide range of accommodation available, at least in Vietnam’s major cities. Hanoi and Hochiminh City feature a choice of five-star hotels, while guesthouses and mini hotels offer no-frills room for around US$ 15. As hotels and private hosts must register your presence with the police, you’ll be expected to hand over your passport, along with your entry/exit form. Food : Eating in Vietnam ranges from cheap noodle soups on the street for about 1 USD to a banquet in one of the luxuary hotels. Vietnamese restaurants offer a broad selection of international fare including French, Italian, American, Indian, Chinese and Japanese. The most typical Vietnamese food is PHO, the noodle soup with meat in it, It is very cheap at USD 2 per bowl and usually well spiced. The main types are: PHO Bo with beef, PHO Bo Tai with rare beef fillets and PHO Ga with chicken. COM-steamed white rice is eaten for lunch and dinner. NUOC MAM is the termented fish sauce used to spice absolutely everything in Vietnam. Seasonal fruits such as dragon fruit, rambutan and longan, fresh vegetables and local seafood are widely available, although supply can vary by region and season. All fruits and vegetables should be cooked or peeled before eaten. Drinking water or ice is generally not recommended, even in the cities. Bottled water is cheap and readily available, so we recommend you do not take the risk. Vietnam is a bear culture. There are plenty of local as well as imported brands. 333, Carlsberg, Hanoi Beer, Huda Bear, Tiger Beer, Saigon Beer, LaRue, San Miguel and Heineken are some common brands. NATIONAL HOLIDAYS 2013 1 Jan HOCHIMINH GOLFING
· 1428 EUR - iin DBL per person min 4 pax Tour cost: EUR /pax Valid Apr-March 2017
• 1408 EUR - iiin DBL per person min 4 pax
- Hotel accommodation with daily breakfast as indication or similar class
- International & domestic airticket |