Da Nang, a worth-living city in Vietnam

For the foreigner travelers, Da Nang might fall insignificant due to its lack of long-standing and unique cultural attractions than its neighbors – Hoi An and Hue. However, if you ask the locals if they want to travel to Da Nang, most of the time, the answer will be “Yes.” Now, let’s find out why this city is so loved even it seems to be low-key and unpopular.

The Da Nang people are always proud of their city “Da Nang – my city”

If the people in Ha Noi love the antiqueness and the traditional lifestyle of their city, and the Saigon people love their city’s sleepless nights and nonstop lighting buildings, the Da Nang people love their food, their local government, their beautiful coastal city.

They are proud of everything they have, from the local food to the culture. Together with their proud, they always want to improve their hometown. This is an extremely valuable love for their city.

Watching the “super bridges” at night

The bridges in Da Nang are highly appreciated by their beauty as well as their investment and the ideas, therefore, many people have said that “Da Nang city is the place of the super bridges in Vietnam”. Typically, the Dragon Bridge can breathe fire and water, the Han River Bridge can be rotated 90 degrees. Visiting Da Nang without contemplating these bridges is really a shortcoming.

Out-of-earth seafood

One thing that cities like Ha Noi or Ho Chi Minh could not afford is seafood. As a coastal city, Da Nang has a wonderful scene of seafood. The fish are fresh, you can even buy fishes and other sea creature right after it is caught. If you can make it to the beach, there would be nothing better with 100% fresh food which is available on the beaches for you to choose. You can also enjoy seafood with an open view of the beach. That is “luxurious.”

A feeling of “Ha Noi in Da Nang”

While travelling in Da Nang, you can easily meet your acquaintances, your cousin, your friends, or your ex here, which make you think that this is Ha Noi. You wonder why? The answer is very simple. In recent years, Da Nang has developed rapidly with a lot of famous buildings and works that attract more and more tourists from everywhere, especially the youth in Ha Noi. Whenever they come here, Da Nang atmosphere always makes them feel comfortable and satisfied. Therefore, that is a big reason for many people want to come here again and again. Da Nang is considered the number 1 city that attracts people to come back after visiting.

Non-stop entertainment

If lazing on the beach is not for you, it is easy to keep entertained while in Da Nang. The city is home to plenty of young locals and expats who are always looking for a good time and organised events such as beach yoga, language exchanges, lunch meet-ups and board game nights are all weekly occurrences.

Da Nang also boasts a wide variety of fun and interesting attractions including a small ice-rink, several museums, a concert venue and Asia Park, one of the largest theme parks in South East Asia. Thrill-seekers can get a kick out of the roller-coasters and other fast-paced rides here before taking it down a notch on the 115 metre-high Sunwheel. Meanwhile, party animals eager for a night on the town should look no further than Bach Dang Street that is lined with dozens of lively bars, restaurants and late-night venues.

Read more: The fascinated spots in Da Nang

Source Internet

The unique experiences you can only have in Laos

Laos is full of undiscovered riches, mysterious legends and secluded wonders. You do not have to try very hard to find something, or somewhere, so far outside of the realms of conventional tourism that no postcard will do it justice. Almost everything in Laos is a unique experience. Here are some favourite experiences that are unique there.

Take boat from the border to Luang Prabang

If you are entering Laos from the Lao-Thai border in the north, Nagi of Mekong offers a two-day river cruise on a 118 foot (36m) traditional Lao river boat. Start in Houay Xai, stay overnight in a guest house, and arrive in Luang Prabang the next day. Cruises are available upstream from Luang Prabang to Houay Xai as well.

Sleep nestled in the jungle canopy

The well-known Bokeo Nature Reserve lies just outside the town of Huay Xai. It was discovered here, thanks to the regions ongoing conservation work, that the black-cheeked gibbon, thought previously to be extinct, was rediscovered. Nowadays, the park is a protected area staffed with exerts tasked to increase gibbon numbers. The park also allows you to spend the night in vertigo-inducing tree houses which give visits a bird eye view of the forest canopy below, allowing you to catch a glimpse of the elephants, bears, birds, tigers and buffalo who call Bokeo home.

Soak up the island life on Si Phan Don

Si Phan Don, as known as “Four Thousand Islands”, is a valuable destination for anyone looking for some laid-back days in their Lao trip. Accessing to some of Laos’s most spectacular natural wonders, Si Phan Don is so graceful with the smell of wildflowers in the air, the scene of buffalos grazing grass, and lazy fishing boats flowing in the river. A visit to this destination will give visitors exciting experiences including discovering the majestic nature, eating Lao food at one of the islands’ many stilt-mounted restaurants, biking on the island roads, and kayaking among the more navigable stretches of the Mekong River nearby.

Go tubing in Vang Vieng

No guide mentioning the fun stuff to do in Laos would be completed without mentioning tubing in Vang Vieng. Once a favourite of partying backpackers, the government restrictions on raucous bars along the river edge has now meant that everyone should feel welcome to come give it a go. The concept of tubing is simple. You reach a starting point with a large inflatable rubber ring. You then get into said ring, and proceed to float along the river with your pals, family, or fellow tubers, stopping at will at any bar or scenic spot along the way. How to stop, you ask? Simply call out ta the bar of your choice, where someone will be ready with a rope to pull you in. Whilst thousands of people still take to the tubes every year without injury, some basic swimming skills are advised, as well as reasonable alcohol consumption.

See more: 5 activities to do in Vang Vieng, Laos

Get lost in Tham Kong Lo Cave

Tham Kong Lo is a majestic karst limestone cave located in Khammouane Province of Laos. The karst formation is dramatic and the cave has been cited as a “one of Southeast Asia’s geological wonders”. This otherworldly cave can blow you away, with its majestic charm and unique kart forms just like a reminiscent of the Greek underworld. The underground stretch of the river goes on for about four miles; from Ban Kong Lo village, you can hire a motorized boat to enter the cave, where you will gape at the show provided by colored floodlights bouncing off the intricate cave interiors.

Source Internet

Top must-try non alcoholic drinks in Thailand

If you're having street food, you'll likely get to choose from water and soda, and if you're going for an alcoholic beverage, Thai beer can't be beaten. But if you want something without alcohol in it, here are some of the most popular drinks in Thailand. They tend to be very, very sweet, though, so be prepared.

Cha Yen

You may be familiar with this Thai iced tea, it's the milky, orange drink that's often served in Thai restaurants in the United States and Europe. In the typical Thai iced tea, you'll find black tea brewed with boiling water using a cloth strainer, plus some sweetened, condensed milk, served over ice with sugar and a little evaporated milk on top. These days the reddish-orange color is the product of food coloring, though traditionally it may have come from a natural source. If you prefer your Cha Yen without extra sugar, you can ask for it mai waan, which means "not sweet." You'll still get a little sweetness from the condensed milk but at least you won't get the scoop of sugar on top of that.

Cha Manao

If you want the iced tea but don't want all the dairy products that are typically served with it, you can ask for a cha manao, which, translated into English, means "lime tea." That's brewed just the same as cha yen but instead of being served with condensed milk, is served with freshly squeezed lime juice. The default is to serve it very sweet, so if you do not want any sugar, as for it mai waan as you would with cha yen.

Nam Manao

Nam manao is just lime juice, water, and sugar served together. Like similar drinks you'll find in India and other countries with hot climates, it's a basic, refreshing tropical beverage. If you order a nam manao from a street vendor it's likely to be sweetened, but if you order one at a restaurant you'll be served sugar syrup on the side. Nam manao is a great complement to spicy Thai curries.

Manao Soda

This is just fresh lime juice served with soda water and sugar syrup if you want. This is a great substitute for sweetened sodas and any restaurant in the country will serve this up.

Sweet Sodas

These are usually ordered by indicating the color of the flavor you want mixed with your soda water, so, for example, if you want a cherry-flavored soda you'd order a red soda. Same goes for lime (green) and orange (orange). These are made by mixing a colored, flavored syrup into ice and soda water and are very popular, even among adults, in Thailand.

See more: The best Thai desserts to indulge in

Source: Internet