Recommend July 2011 - (Page 20)

experiencing the not-so-familiar continued from page 18 vietnam Visiting the hill tribes with Geographic Expeditions is an immersive experience. welcome they receive from the vietnamese people themselves. “the people love americans, they’re not holding a grudge or anything like that, particularly in the south,” ney points out. “We went to a couple of restaurants (vietnam’s ubiquitous “fa” or noodle restaurants—fa is a noodle dish) where Bill Clinton apparently had been and they’ve got Bill Clinton’s pictures all over the walls.… there’s no resentment wherever you go.” a fact you should point out to north american travelers unnecessarily wary of their reception in the country. ney also points out that the geographical and political borders imposed on the country when it was divided into the two countries of north vietnam and South vietnam following the collapse of the French colonial powers in the 1950s, left a residue that’s apparent even today, despite the fact it’s been unified since north vietnam won the decadeslong war in 1975. “there’s a huge contrast between the north and the south. the north is more culturally oriented, whereas the south is more hustle and bustle,” ney says. “When you go to Hanoi, you’re going to see historic buildings, art galleries—more of the arts. When you go down to Saigon, there are millions of bikes on the street and commercial vendors selling things on the street. it’s two completely different countries in one country, if that makes sense.” ney points out that the bulk of Brendan vacations’ programs are customized off of a basic itinerary. “You’ll fly to Hanoi, you’ll do your standard city tour, you’ll probably take a cooking class, you’ll head out to Ha Long Bay for an overnight cruise and then you’ll come back to Hanoi and fly down to Da nang, which is in the central part of the country. there are two cities there—one’s called Hue and the other is called Hoi an, then down to Saigon. this is your classic itinerary, i guarantee you this is what 80 percent of the people do.” typically, city tours in Hanoi include the Ho Chi minh mausoleum and the One Pillar Pagoda. then it’s on to the temple of Literature, a visit to the museum of ethnology, Hoan Kiem Lake and the ngoc Son tem20 july 2011 ple, before finishing with a cyclo tour through the old quarter. Cooking classes are probably one of the most popular hands-on experiences for travelers, most of which are held in Hanoi. On Brendan’s tours, guests meet a member of the Hanoi Chef association for a trip to the markets to choose fresh ingredients before driving out to his home for a handson cooking class. Water puppet shows, too, are a unique vietnamese art form dating back 1,000 years. the performances show scenes from rural life as well as ancient myths and legends. “if there’s one thing i wanted to do when i was in Hanoi, it was the water puppet shows,” ney says enthusiastically. “You sit in the grandstand and the puppets come up from underwater. that is a must-see and no one should go to vietnam without seeing the puppet show.” Day tours out of Hanoi with Brendan include a 3-hour drive out to Ha Long Bay where guests embark on a 4-hour cruise through the nearly 2,000 islands in the clear emerald waters, along with a seafood lunch served on board. But if you want to avoid the 6-hour roundtrip transfer on the day tour, ney says, “…you can buy a three-star overnight cruise on a junk, or up to a five-star luxury vessel—you have a choice of all different types of cruises.” Brendan can also take travelers out to the mai Chau valley, southwest of Hanoi in Hoa Binh province where many ethnic minorities live, including the white thai and as they walk through the villages, travelers learn about the people, their way of life, and their traditional arts and crafts. they’ll also enjoy a typical lunch and sample some rice wine with a local family before returning. the central part of the country, ney says, where travelers begin in Da nang before heading down to Saigon, is more cultural where you’ll spend at least two nights in Hoi an and Hue where they’ll see all the ancient temples, many of which go back thousands of years. Here, too, thanks to the old merchants, ney explains, “…there’s Russian influence, there’s French influence, there’s Japanese influence—it’s a pretty amazing part of the world to visit.” hill tribes But it’s the heart of the country and the myriad cultures of the hill country and the mekong Delta where travelers will find the exotic experiences they’re seeking. Geographic Expeditions, which, according to product developer Sara Barbieri—is a company that tries to “…make our trips with our itineraries and their components so that they make people feel they’re really there and not just skimming the surface”—has a program called Hill Tribes of North Vietnam, offering day hikes into the remote Ha Giang Province. “there’s a lot of hiking but it can be modified to the clients’ desires and their abilities,” Barbieri says, but it’s worth it because these are amazing areas to go. “they’re very beautiful with the rice terraces and the landscapes. When you’re up in the heights and looking down into the valley, it’s absolutely stunning.” Barbieri warns that, “…things will be very, very simple there. the roads won’t be very good, it’s much less frequented so you will get a more authentic experience. But you do have to be willing to travel in a very simple manner because the roads, the accommodations, the kinds of food that will be available, it will all be very simple. and there is a 2-night home stay that is included. So you actually spend 48 hours livcontinued on page 22 recommend.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend July 2011

Editor's Notes
Design Hotels
Gap Adventures
Spiritual India
Experiencing the Not-So Familiar Vietnam
Sailing the Seas
New World Adventures in Food
Little Whale Cay, The Bahamas
Into the National Parks
Journeys Beyond the Ordinary
Heritage Tours to Europe
Grand Solmar at Land's End Resort & Spa

Recommend July 2011