If you’re seeking both relaxation and a tingling massage, why not go for a fish massage, available at cafes and spas in Ho Chi Minh City? Although fish massage has been a service offered in the southern city for some time, its novelty has not worn away yet.

The practice is simple: one simply places their feet and calves into a fish tank and enjoys the tingling bites from schools of tiny “massage fish,” which feed on their “prey’s” dead skin.
Fish massage at cafes
At a café that offers fish massage services on Truong Chinh Street in District 12, a group of local high school students arrived on a hot weekend for a 30-minute massage.
The students’ initial anxiety changed to intrigue and delight as they put their legs into the fish tank.
Instantly a school of thousands of tiny fish swarmed between their legs, enthusiastically ripping away the youths’ dead skin with their small, toothless mouths.
“It was quite tickly at first, and then it began to tingle curiously. We had a great time, having smoothies, making jokes, and watching the fish gently gnawing at our legs,” shared Thao, a member of the group.
According to attendant Thuy Vy, the tank is the café’s largest, home to over 7,000 fish.
“The fish’s sense of smell is particularly acute; one just needs to put their legs in the water for a few seconds before they swim over. The school can serve up to some hundred clients a day without slowing down a bit,” Vy said.
The attendant’s job involves serving drinks, watching over their clients, and making sure that they move their legs gently so as not to accidentally crush the fish to death.
A 30-minute massage session and a drink costs VND50,000 (US$2.4) each. Students get half-price discounts, so the venue is invariably packed on weekends.
Clients gather around the fish tanks, with their drinks placed on the edges of the tanks or on a small floating platform in the middle of the water.
Several local families have also chosen the place for weekend outings.
“My children told me to come here so that the fish will eat away all my peeling leg skin. The small creatures did an excellent job, and it was really fun,” said 70-year-old Tran Thanh, of Tan Binh District, who came with his grandchild.
A number of female clients also request a body fish massage, believing that dipping their bodies in the water and having the fish “sanitize” them some 40 minutes a week can help perfect their complexion.
Before doing so, clients must shower to cleanse themselves of all cosmetics and chemicals, which may poison and kill the fish.
Fish massage enters spas
A sign advertising “Fish Massage” is hung at spa B. on Dong Khoi Street in downtown HCMC, drawing attention from tourists, particularly foreigners.
The spa, which boasts two round fish tanks and some 2,000 fish, can serve up to 100 clients, mostly foreigners, a day.
Tourists at the spa enjoy dipping their feet in warm water and having them washed by the spa attendants before “falling prey” to the fish.
Attendants also make sure that clients do not have any open wounds or skin diseases.
“Many American and Australian tourists really love fish massage, as such services aren’t as popular in their countries. Several also ask to immerse their entire bodies in the water, but we don’t allow that. When the attendants aren’t looking, some even hold their breath and soaking their faces in the water for the fish to ‘massage’ them,” Nhat Linh, spa manager, said.
While the fish intensely work on clients’ legs, female masseuses massage their arms, shoulders, and necks.
Clients can also relax over hot ginger tea. The 30-minute massage package costs some VND210,000 ($10).
Kazuo Ito, a 29-year-old Japanese tourist, once took his 6-year-old daughter to the fish massage spa.
“My elder sister found the service relaxing during her trip to Vietnam and told everyone back in Japan about her rewarding experience. During our 4-day trip, my daughter insisted that I take her here,” said Ito, adding that the service is not so popular in Japan.
According to Vuong, manager of spa Z. on Bui Thi Xuan Street in District 1, the service requires painstaking care of the fish.
Fish massage enters homes
According to fish massage dealers in HCMC, to prevent sharing the tanks with others and risking their health, some people choose to install their own tanks at home.
La Nghia Hung, of Tan Hung Ward in District 7, one of the local major dealers, said that those with spacious houses and gardens prefer building cement tanks, while those with less space choose to have glass aquariums.
Such tanks cost some VND20-25 million ($1,179).
Hung also warned that on the local market, several types of fish are advertised as massage fish and fetch considerably high prices, some VND20,000-40,000 ($0.95-1.9) apiece, but not all of them are actually capable of massaging.
“Without careful inspection, one may buy Chinese anabas fish, which grow teeth when they are older. Their bites can be painful and cause bleeding,” he warned.
Healthful, but …
According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Dieu My, of HCMC-based Dermatology Hospital, just like any massage method, fish massage beneficially stimulates nerve ends, relieving stress and tension.
However, fish massage can directly transmit disease-carrying parasites to humans or serve as the medium of transmitting human-to-human diseases.
Dr. My stressed that though the risks do exist, they can be minimized if fish massage providers strictly comply with safety and hygiene procedures.
They can also arrange separate tanks for those suspected of having transmittable diseases.

At first glance, Hanoi is a hornet’s nest of motorbikes swarming Vietnam’s capital city. But look beyond the sea of roaring engines and beeping horns and a land of old-world Asian charm awaits, with wide tree-lined streets shading old French colonial-style villas.

Vietnam remains very cheap by Western standards, so it’s possible to grab a big steaming bowl of pho — a brothy, aromatic beef or chicken noodle soup that serves as the country’s staple dish — off a sidewalk cauldron for the price of a cup of coffee.

Hoan Kiem Lake

Still, in a city dotted with sleepy lakes and Buddhist temples where much of life is lived on the street, some of the best experiences truly are free. Here’s five picks:

STROLL AROUND HOAN KIEM LAKE
The lake is the centerpiece of central Hanoi in Vietnam travel. Its shady banks are a meeting place for young teenagers chatting on mobile phones alongside aging war veterans playing chess. Early in the morning, the lake comes alive with crowds of Vietnamese doing an array of exercises, ranging from serene tai chi to booming aerobics.
Take a walk around the water and look for the famous turtle that many Vietnamese believe is sacred. If you spot it surface, make a wish because it’s considered good luck!

HO CHI MINH MAUSOLEUM

The embalmed body of Uncle Ho, as Vietnamese affectionately call their late founding president Ho Chi Minh, can be viewed inside an enormous granite mausoleum. For many Vietnamese, the trip to Hanoi to see the famous revolutionary who liberated them from French colonial rule is considered a must-do. The mausoleum offers regular changing of the guard ceremonies, but is only open during certain hours and days. Proper dress and a respectful attitude are required. Cameras are not allowed inside.

OLD QUARTER WALKING TOUR
The 36 ancient streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter are a maze of madness filled with treasures. The streets are narrow and so are the houses, but that doesn’t stop the constant crush of motorbikes and the increasing number of cars mixing with bicycles, tourists and rickshaws known as cyclos. Despite the chaos, the Old Quarter should not be missed.
Its lanes are overflowing with everything from touristy trinkets to fine silks, along with the wares for which each street is named. Locals still go there to buy everything from bamboo to buttons. Tuck into a small traditional market within the Old Quarter or a big one, such as Dong Xuan, for another colorful glimpse of daily Vietnamese life and foods. 

TEMPLES AND CATHEDRAL
Hanoi is packed with beautiful Buddhist temples, many of them ancient. Just follow the scent of burning incense and step away from the chaotic streets to take a moment to reflect and soak in the calm. The One Pillar Pagoda is among the city’s most famous sites, but many Vietnamese flock to the Tay Ho Pagoda overlooking the city’s large West Lake to leave offerings and pray, especially on auspicious days.
Another option is to visit St. Joseph’s Cathedral or attend a mass inside the landmark neo-gothic Roman Catholic church with its weathered facade and stained glass windows.

FRENCH ARCHITECTURE

Close your eyes on many wide, leafy streets in Hanoi, and it’s easy to be transported to another century. A short walk from Hoan Kiem Lake stands the French-built grand Hanoi Opera House, which has been beautifully restored and is a favorite spot for young brides and grooms posing for wedding pictures.
Just across the street is the landmark Sofitel Metropole Hotel — where Graham Greene penned parts of his famous novel, “The Quiet American” — and the nearby Government Guest House, both great examples of French colonial-style architecture full of history. The stately Presidential Palace near Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum is another popular site located not far from many elegant foreign embassies and villas.

Source: dtinews

Travel to Buon Don Village are memorable for an experience of a lifetime – riding on the back on an elephant.

Buon Don village is the only place in the country where it is legal to ride these great beasts in the beautiful Central Highlands. If tourists with Vietnam travel guide  fancy braving it from Saigon you take National Road No. 14 for 500km to Binh Phuoc and Daklak Province. Located about 50 kilometers northwest of Buon Ma Thuot City, is Buon Don which is home to the M’Nong, Ede, Lao and Thai ethnic minority groups and for the last two centuries has been the center of elephant hunting and taming in Vietnam.

Buon Don is the name for the three villages of Yang Lanh, Buon Don and Buon Tri in Krong Ana Commune, Buon Don District in Daklak. The elephant riding festival is annually held at the old airport area in the immense forest and it attracts thousands of tourists from over the country and beyond. The festival is amazing due to its number of fun performances such as elephants playing football and wading down the river.

Walking along the stilt houses under the shade of giant trees, tourists in Vietnam tours will be amazed to see elephants tramping on the street with locals or tourists on their back. Sitting on the elephants’ back and ambling with careful steps, tourists will feel life in the slow lane and more peaceful. You can ride elephants through the forests and rivers to explore splendid and wild scenery after getting some valuable advice from mahouts who take care of these amazing animals.

If you have time and feel adventurous, you can hire an elephant to cross the Serepok River. Then walk across the 100m-long Buon Don Bamboo Bridge under the shade of banyan trees. It is veiled by vines and roots but the swinging bridge is not for the feint-hearted.

To have more fun, tourists in Vietnam tours should buy some sugarcane or some other fruits to lure the elephants.

Recently, visitors, who come to Hà Nội capital, have just had a new and attractive selection. That is Bảo Sơn paradise park for entertainment and cultural travel. Being in An Khánh urban project of Bảo Sơn group, Bảo Sơn paradise is the first work of entertainment and cultural travel, which meets the international standards in the North of Việt Nam. 

Bảo Sơn Paradise Park

Visiting to Bảo Sơn paradise, visitors will be see the zoomed-out image of Việt Nam together with the unique cultural and traditional features, ancient works of architecture containing historic values, sophisticated handicrafts made by skillful hands of artisans in everywhere in the country, beautiful and diversified landscapes and technological services meeting the international standards.  

Visitors will surely feel satisfied when they come to “Ocean World” with thousands of fish from all continents such as rays, seals, sea lions…, many kinds of corals and precious sea creatures. “Museum area of ancient streets” with area of 5000m² is the place in where life and living activities of Hanoians from ending of the 19^th century to the 20^th century are reappeared. Visiting here, tourists will see ancient and warm houses, pedicabs unhurriedly driving on “the streets”, graceful girls with a mobile stall carried on a shoulder stick etc. or visiting a small stall to enjoy a cup of tea, a bowl of hot snail noodles… Area for multi-functional stage, colorful water-music, presenting a film with laser, performing dolphin and seal circuses in area of 30.000m² with stand including 7000 seats is one of the largest places for organizing cultural and artistic events in Việt Nam and in the region. Palace garden imitates old-style gardens of kings and lords with orchid house displaying about 500 precious orchids in Việt Nam and South Asia; butterfly garden and butterfly museum consisting of many kinds of colorful flowers of the temperate zone and tropical zone …

It can not help telling about Việt Nam traditional trade villages, which has reappeared famous trade villages such as Phù Lãng pottery, Đồng Kỵ oyster-inlaying and interiors village, Vạn Phúc silk village, gold and silver manipulating village, handicraft village… Coming to the traditional trade villages, tourists will see images of the house at ending of the 19^th century and at beginning of the 20^th century, image of banyan tree, wells, and grounds of communal house in villages… which are very familiar but unique.

Furthermore, Bảo Sơn paradise has villas, entertainment places, plant area, swimming pool area, food area, public area… which will make tourists feel satisfied. 

Location: Con Dao Island is situated in Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province 

Characteristics: Con Dao Island is also famous for its nice beaches shaded with evergreen trees, fresh air, clear blue waters, and primitive forests. Looking at a map, Con Dao Island looks like a bear rising from the sea to south east of Vietnam. Originally a prison for patriots and revolutionists during the French and American resistance, Con Dao Island sheltered brave revolutionary spirits of the Vietnamese people. More than 22,000 prisoners who dedicated their lives to national independence were incarcerated on the isolated island of Con Dao.

Con Dao was recognized as a nature reserve in 1984 and a national park in 1993. The total protected area of the park is 20,000ha, including 14,000ha of sea and 6,000ha of forest on 14 islands. There is also a buffer zone that is 20,500ha wide. Con Dao National Park encompasses oceanic and coastal ecosystems such as mangrove forests, coral reefs and sea grasslands. Over 1,300 species of sea animals have been identified here. The park is the most important egg-laying area in Vietnam for sea turtles. The island also has many precious animals, the most important being dugong (called “sea cows” by locals). Between late 1996 and early 1997, officials at the park counted 10 dugong in the sea surrounding the island. With high oceanic biodiversity, Con Dao is classified as one of the areas given optimum priority in the world's system of oceanic reserves.

The best time to visit Con Dao Island is from March to June, when the sea is calm. Some of those beaches include Dam Trau, Hang Duong and Phi Yen where visitors can relax and enjoy the warm temperature. The ocean around Con Dao Island is a heaven for sea life and the splendid forest cloaks the land. This is ecotourism at its best. Clean, smooth sand banks, blue sea, dolphins jumping and racing after boats, tropical almond trees swinging in a cool sea breeze, peaceful narrow roads, and forest covering most of the island, make Con Dao seem like heaven to visitors from far and wide.

Con Dao is one of the few places in Vietnam that is home to rare dugong, sea turtles, and dolphins, and to varieties of orchids found nowhere else in the country. In addition, the island has large and diverse coral reefs comparable to the most famous ecotourism spots in the region. This peaceful island district has 5,000 people whom nature seems to have created with kind hearted and generous characters and adventurous enough to choose the remote island as their home. Visitors will arrive there to enjoy themselves in an intact natural environment and have a good time with dugong, sea turtles and dolphins playing freely around the island paradise

Ninh Binh is about 90 km away from Ha Noi to the south. Ninh Binh is located on Red river delta with geographical co-orrdinate from 19050' to 20027' at Northern latitude and from 105032' to 106033' at Eastern longitude. Ninh Binh shares the administative border with Ha Nam in the North, Nam Dinh in the East, the East Sea in the Southeast, Thanh Hoa in the West and Southwest, and Hoa Binh in the Northwest.

With over 1,400km2 of natural area, Ninh Binh has forests, sea and a diverse system of fauna and flora. Ninh Binh topography encompasses plains and the mountains of the Vietnam northwest mountain range. Ninh Binh also keeps a strategic position for military security and social development. Here, troops were usually rallied on their way to the north or south of Vietnam, creating famous victories in Vietnamese national history.

Ninh Binh is endowed with many places of particular interest which have been welknown inside and outside Vietnam such as Tam Coc – Bich Dong, Cuc Phuong National Park, Trang An Grottoes and Van Long Nature Reserves. There are also many historical relics, for instances Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Bich Dong Pagoda, Thai Vi Temple, Phat Diem Stone Cathedral, Tam Diep Defense Line.... All of them are attractive to both Vietnamese and foreign tourists. Ninh Binh is the charming land of myth and unique landscapes.

 

Ninh Binh’s topography comprises three different types of landscapes: wetlands, coastal delta, hills and mountains. With such a variety of landscapes, Ninh Binh offers many tourist attactions as primitive rain forest, mountains, hills, river delta and the coastal delta. Furthermore, Ninh Binh is endowed with numerous historical relics dating back to the Dinh, Early Le, Ly and Tran dynasties from the 10th-13th century. Anually, Ninh Binh has many traditional festivals reflecting the cultural identites of Red river delta villages.

 

With a deeply rooted history and cultural tradition, the people of Ninh Binh are traditionally very industrious, hard working, studious, kind, patriotic and particularly hospitale.

Most tourist attractions are situated within a radius of 50km from the provincial city of Ninh Binh and the linking with all major transport systems as the national highway No 1A and the South – North railway.... Therefore, long distance busses and trains from Hanoi to Hue, Ho Chi Minh city and vice versa stop here making Ninh Binh an ideal place to spend several days relaxing.

Known as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Non Nuoc Beach with clear blue water and white sand runs for 5 km against Danang Marble Mountains. Tourists in Vietnam travel are mostly attracted to the beach, aiming to bathe and enjoy the seafood. This fine sandy beach with sunshine all four seasons makes it suitable for tourism in all year round.

Danang has a coastline of 30 kilometres long, famous for many beautiful seashores stretching from the north to the south such as My Khe, Thanh Binh, Tien Sa, Son Tra and so on. Non Nuoc Beach also pertains to Da Nang Sea and has been voted as one of the most beautiful and attracting beaches of the planet, 2005, according to Forbes, the leading magazine of America. This beach has gentle slope, mild waves, and purely blue sea water during the four seasons. The unpolluted water source here has attracted a number of tourists coming to bathe, enjoy local special sea foods and take a rest for weekends. The beach Non Nước is also a place that exist precious and rare seaweeds such as gracilarias "yellow thread" and glacilaria "screw" that have high value of exporting.

With green water and white sand, Non Nuoc Beach stretches five kilometers along the shore of Hoa Hai Ward at the foot of Ngu Hanh Son (The Marble Mountains). The beach is famous for its seaweed, which reaches exportation standards. Many five-star hotels were built in Non Nuoc to accommodate the domestic and foreign tourists in Vietnam travel. Together with its feature of wave degree, climate, weather and salinity, Non Nuoc Beach is suitable for water sports, especially surfing. In 1993, there took place an international champion with the participation of nearly 40 athletes from many countries around the world.

Along the beach, on the white sand is a forest of age-old casuarinas which is shady, green and is waving in the whistling wind. This is an ideal place for resting and camping. When the darkness falls and the moon rises, you can set yourself free on smooth benches along the beach to listen to melodious sounds of the waves and enjoy the occult space.

The beach is managed by the Non Nuoc Tourism Company that has  three hotels with more than 100 rooms on the beach. They provide entertainment services including photographs for souvenir, handicraft shops, massage, restaurant, tennis and some gymnastics. A chain of tourism resorts is planned to cater for international tourists including seaside hotels and restaurants, especially an international standard golf court.

Besides convalescence and bathing, tourists to Non Nuoc Beach can also combine their journeys with traveling the relic Marble Mountains, which boast some ancient pagodas and sacred monumental caves go around fine art stone handicraft villages right at the foot of the Mountains or go boating on Co Co River (Stork Neck River) to enjoy peacefulness of the Marble Mountains.

If you, foreign tourists, are making tours to Vietnam, I myself, a Vietnamese, advise you to come to Danang, a city of central Vietnam where there is Non Nuoc beach. It's an ideal destination in Vietnam travel that you should not ignore.

With the length of a 30-kilometer coastline, Danang is famous for many beautiful beaches stretching from the north to the south and My Khe Beach is no exception. It is considered as one of the most beautiful beaches and also an attractive resort of Danang city. Annually, the beach attracts a number of tourists in Vietnam travel.

With the length of a 30-kilometer coastline, Danang is famous for many beautiful seashores stretching from the north to the south such as My Khe, Nam O, Xuan Thieu, Thanh Binh, Tien Sa, Son Tra, Bac My An, Non Nuoc. They are calm seas with green water during four seasons, not being polluted with 60% salination and high safety. With 900 meters in length, My Khe Beach is the most crowded of Da Nang beaches and popular to the locals.

The beach is located about 6km east of Da Nang and about 24km north of Hoi An. It is a nine-kilometer stretch of smooth sand with an average width between 50m and 70m. The gradient is gentle, and its sheltered position in the lee of the Son Tra peninsula softens the autumn winds that restrict swimming further down the coast.

My Khe is an ideal and huge beach with smooth sand and a slight slope. Behind the beach is a dark green poplar forest, and beside, the Kinh River carries crystal water to the sea. The beach has coral, abundant plants and creatures along bankside and under sea. Especially, the beach is next to the city centre, in roads easy to come and by various means of transport. Sea water in My Khe is cool with little wave so you can bath all year's round, especially in summer from May to August. The lack of large waves, less than average pollution, and an annual mean temperature around 25oC, makes it a safe place for both adults and children to go swimming.

Here, there are hotels, pleasure-houses and various abundant services, creating favorable conditions for tourists in Vietnam travel to relax on the seashores. There are 50 well-equipped and comfortable bedrooms and lots of services in My Khe hotel. Many luxurious seaside villas with over 100 rooms are available for families. You can come here to play and rest at weekend. Around the hotel area, there are lots of seafood restaurants and stalls, and large numbers of local vendors traverse the beach selling all kinds of foods and drinks. Visiting My Khe beach, the tourists will enjoy coastal specialties like shrimps, crabs, fish, cuttles, etc. in hundreds of small shops with reasonable price.

Before 1975, American soldiers occupied a part of the beach. They established some premises for their relaxation and recreations. With some enabling conditions such as being near the city’s center, large space, beautiful landscapes, and qualified services (hotels, restaurants, vehicles keeping site, fresh water bathing, sunshade and buoy lease), My Khe Beach is now convenient for developing kinds of services such as fishing, water-skiing, diving, yatch race and so on.

Moreover, the safeguard team of Da Nang seashore work from 5 a.m to 8 p.m every day to guarantee safety for visitors in Vietnam tourism to bath and relax on the beach. There has been a steady increase in the number of tourists visiting the beach.

Thanks to the completion of Han River suspension bridge which links the east to the west area, making transportation possible. As a result, My Khe Beach becomes an attractive resort to domestic and international tourists.