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Activetravel Asia asked:


Among the tourist sites surrounding Hanoi, the Bat Trang pottery village with 500 or more years of history, is an ideal place to visit, attracting a large number of people from the city – and foreign tourists. Slow and steady: Japanese visitors enjoy a buffalo cart tour around the pottery village.

Just 14km from central Hanoi, the village is easily reached by motorbike – the most popular transport means in Vietnam.



If you’re too lazy to drive yourself or are not game to sit on the back of a xe om or hired motorbike, you can catch a bus at Long Bien Bus Station.

This way takes three times as long, but it’s so cheap! Tickets only cost VND3,000 – about US$0.10. The bus will take you to the village pottery market, where more than 100 stalls present tens of thousands of ceramic and pottery products.

The items include fine celadon from an ancient tradition and other great examples of ceramic arts and crafts. The high quality porcelain is decorated with dragons and phoenix, flowers and images of people and landscapes, all reflecting daily and spiritual activities in Vietnam.

Visitors can spend several hours just browsing among the endless little shops, each with different wares produced in a different family kiln.

According to the head of the market management board, Tran Quoc Viet, the market welcomes a large number of visitors every weekend.

A group of middle-age women look happy with heavy sedge bags containing pottery products they bought in the market.

“Although my family has every household product, sometimes I and other neighbours call each other and go to the village. It’s the way we unwind,” a woman cheerfully said.

For these women, beautiful ceramic objects, mostly at surprisingly affordable prices, are the main attraction. “I’ve bought a charming vase with the lotus motifs for just VND20,000,” another woman said.

Thuy Linh, a grade-10 student, said she sometimes went to Bat Trang with a group of her friends. “Unlike other people who usually buy ceramic household products, we only pick up cute stationary or ceramic jewellery,” she said.

“I’ve just bought a black-and-white Japanese Monokuro Boo pig, plus a keyholder with the ceramic initial ‘L’, the first character of my name, carved on it. My friend bought a wind chime and a cute piggy bank,” she said.

There’s more than just searching among the stalls, tourists can also experience pottery artists a work – on the spinning wheel, painting objects when they dry or loading up the kilns.

Visitors can also make their own cups, dish, bowl, vase or animal – and they will receive the finished, fired product within a few days. Many villagers offer this service for VND10,000 to 30,000, depending on the size of product. “I relived my childhood when fiddling with a piece of clay,” said Tuan Nam, a first-year student.

Recently, a new and relaxing way to see Bat Trang has been offered. A buffalo cart takes tourists around the village.

According to Nguyen Minh Hai, director of the Minh Hai Ceramic Company, who offers this first-ever service in the village, most who tour the village this way felt relaxed and interested because they could view the scenery at their leisure.

“The idea of using a buffalo cart to carry tourists was initiated when I went to Japan looking for business opportunities for our products. I realised the buffalo was easily recognised as a symbol of Vietnam – a rice producing country. So why not use farm animals to transport tourists around the village?” he said.

Before starting their cart journey, tourists are shown the way ceramic products are made in a workshop. Teams of young men and women work on production lines, baking, sanding and painting.

A journey around the village, a distance of about 2km, takes an hour. The price ranges from VND50,000 to 100,000 depending on the duration of the tour and how many stops are made. There are two buffalo carts working in the village, providing tours for about 100 visitors a day.

Like other villages in the north, the village hold its main festival in the second lunar month. This year, this fell in March. During the three-day festival, many traditional activities were held in and around the village temple, situated close to the steep banks of the majestic Hong (Red) River.

Among the various ritual activities held during the festival, the most important is a boat procession by village elders and monks to the centre of the river to collect the purest flowing water.

Before they set out, the boats made offerings to ask the Water Genie for permission to take the water.

The water was then scooped from the river by two prestigious elders, brought to shore and then paraded around the village before being taken to the communal temple.

Source: Viet Nam News

Related sites:

City Guides in Vietnam

Hanoi tours

Jane Gsudpe asked:


It is not only couples that travel to the Mediterranean coastlines for honeymoons passing through sophisticated resorts in such countries as Spain, France and Italy because those searching for perfect destinations for vacations also do. Actually this happens to be the best feature that describes Europe and borders other continents such as Africa and Asia.

The visitors that decide to go there get a chance to experience wonderful ride in Mediterranean cruise ships where they also get to appreciate different cultures associated with high-class arts and architecture among other issues. They could opt to cruise at the Western or Eastern Mediterranean or Holy Land and each direction selected has plenty of entertaining features the visitors could view.

In fact all those people that are wedding in the coming year 2010 need to book these cruises as their first choices because it is fan traveling to the world leading fashion and style cities of Europe located along these coastal lines. If they decide to take the western route of the Mediterranean, the traveling honeymooners or individuals should expect to depart from or dock in Barcelona or Rome after passing through the southern coasts of France, Spain and Italy.

Apart from passing along Adriatic, the cruise ships headed to the Eastern Mediterranean also do so at Greece, Italy and Turkey in no specific order here in this article after docking or embarking from Rome, Venice and Athens. The Grand Canal that many of us just read in history is located there while not forgetting the hallmark of oldest and finest Venetian glass, Murano town.

There is a lot to gain from choosing to visit this part of the Europe and in order to learn more about the natural tourist attractions that can be found in this area it is imperative to do research online on travel website to have a clue on best honeymooning parts. The Mediterranean cruises depart or dock in a couple of Ports of call or major cities and when that happens the travelers can have time for excursions taking photographs for their memories. The other advantage those who decide to go for a holiday get is the fact that they do not have to travel only during summers but they can also do it all year round especially from May to October.

So anyone who is wedding soon is sure to find active cruise lines to the Mediterranean and perhaps snatch hot deals. Some of these cruises move to and fro the main embarkation points such as Rome, Barcelona, Athens, Royal Caribbean and others while some make one-way journeys. With these the families, couples, individuals or friends can spend from seven to fourteen nights.

Because they may dock overnight, visitors get to tour these beautiful Mediterranean coastal cities and it is good to include accommodation or arrange for transport to those historic sceneries of Europe. Some of these cruise lines do offer these mainland tour services and this is something that should be researched well before selecting the cruises to Mediterranean so as to account that on the budget.

Alexander asked:


Continent Tours

West African tourism is experiencing a boom as travelers throughout the world are becoming more aware of the spectacular attractions in these African countries.

With full-service offices in Mali and Ghana, and affiliate offices throughout West Africa, no one knows the region better than Continent Tours’ operations personnel.

These African travel specialists are the most knowledgeable West Africa travel guides to Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. For more information on West African travel visit www.continenttours.com

Continent Tours’ goal is to introduce visitors to the ‘real Africa. Known for exceptional value, service with a personal touch, and experience that can be trusted; Continent Tours offers affordable Africa safaris that can be customized/ tailor-made to the travelers’ requirements for memorable African safaris and tours.

At Continent Tours working with travel professionals is our priority. Travel agents are offered unique African travel packages at the most affordable rates. Each itinerary is supervised by Continent Tours’ staff which guarantees personalized, reliable, professional service and provides substantial savings to be passed along to travel industry partners.

Whether it is a Ghana trip to participate in PANAFEST, a Mali tour to Festival in the Desert or the Saint- Louis Jazz Festival in Senegal, West African travel is now more exciting. View these fantastic tours at www.continenttours.com

Continent Tours’ staff has extensive experience in all aspects of tourism, and in-depth knowledge of the local culture, languages and traditions. They are familiar with the African map and understand the meaning behind each African flag. African vacations will have added significance for these African travel agents.

Services provided include ecotourism, group tours, hotel contracting, meet and greet service, meetings and conventions, pre and post conference tours, tailor-made tours and tour operator representation.

More details on Continent Tours can be found at www.continenttours.com

Arundel Hotels asked:


Comfort Inn Arundel – is One of the Best Hotel in heart of St.Albans in West Sussex. Cheap and Discount Bed and Breakfast is avaialble in this hotel in Arundel England. Cheap and Discount Hotels in Arundel West Sussex. Discount Bed and Breakfast Hotels in Arundel. Online Rooms Booking Hotels around Arundel West Sussex UK. Budget Accommodation with Bed and Breakfast Hotels in Arundel West Sussex UK. Arundel is a large village which still has a feeling of community and offers much in the way of history in West Sussex, a visit to one of the pubs will confirm this.If you would like more information to enable us to make your stay that bit extra special, or can,t find the right room available on line then please e mail or phone us. Bed and Breakfast Hotels Stay gives you access to thousands of hotels throughout the UK. Our simple user interface enables you to find and reserve single rooms, double rooms or twin rooms, 1 star hotels through to 5 star hotels and bed and breakfasts through to a large hotel chain quickly and easily in Arundel. You can find a hotel with a room rate to suit your requirements and budget bed & breakfast and within a couple of clicks you can book and reserve your room online. Weekend breaks, Winter breaks, midweek breaks, Holiday breaks, vacations, family hotels accommodation, family resorts, cheap restaurants reservations, valentine’s day breaks, mother’s day and father’s day breaks at Arundel West Sussex UK. Cheap online Rooms Booking Hotels near Arundel West Sussex UK. Special Offers B and B Hotels in Arundel West Sussex UK. Discount Bar and Restaurants with in Arundel West Sussex UK. Bed & Breakfast Beach Hotels around Arundel West Sussex UK. Bed and Breakfast Seaside Hotels near Arundel West Sussex UK.

For More Information log on to www.comfortinnarundel.net

John Wellington asked:


Everyone wants to take a vacation at some point in their life. Most people, deserve some time off more than they realize. However, not everyone has the money to be able to do so. If you’re on a budget and want to take a much needed and nice vacation, you may be able to find some wonderful cruise deals if you’re willing to do some research. The best way to find cruise deals is to remain flexible. For some people, their schedules don’t always allow that. They may not be able to escape work with incredibly short notice. But, if you’re able to get a scheduled week off ahead of time and wait to the last moment to find cruise deals, you may end up saving a great deal of money.

There are lots of different vacation options. I recommend cruises simply because they may not always be filled to capacity and if the cruise line can get people to fill the vacancies, they obviously make more money. So, they offer some amazing last moment cruise deals. These cruise deals usually do have specific times and days that they are leaving, meaning that your schedule does need to be flexible. I’ve known people who have gotten cruise deals for half price and come home raving about their luxury vacation. I personally do not have the flexible schedule that allows me to travel at the last moment, so I utilize my own creative research skills. If I’m looking for cruise deals, which happens once a year, I am not content to settle for and purchase the first price quote that I receive. I get at least 5 different quotes and schedules to choose from. That way, I know that the best cruise deals are and feel like I am in control. It amazes me at how much more some cruise lines charge for the exact same vacation

as another competitor. Had I settled for the first cruise deal I had found in my research, I would have paid almost $1,200 more than what I ended up paying.

Finding cruise deals isn’t as difficult as you would think. It does require some time on the internet or on the phone. If you don’t enjoy researching vacation or cruise deals, you may want to utilize a travel agent. You can tell them what your schedule and budget is and let them do the work for you. Sure, you may end up paying a small fee but still end up paying less than what you would have if you’d settled for the first deal you came across. Travel agents can find you cruise deals and get everything organized for you.

No matter what method you choose for finding your dream vacation or last minute getaway, make sure you have a wonderful time.

Activetravel Asia asked:


With 10 Years of local travel Expert’s experience, ATA has a deserved reputation for innovation, for quality of service and for providing once-in-a-lifetime active holidays. ATA’s accumulated expertise allows travelers to maximize traveler’s precious holiday time and to experience the very best of traveler’s chosen destination.

ATA runs the most adventure tours available in Indochina and Asia. ATA’s active trips are designed for all levels of outdoor enthusiasts, real people seeking real fun and adventure. Of course, a reasonable level of personal fitness, good health, and interest in outdoor activities is advisable, but travelers don’t need to be a tri-athlete or be an expert in any of the activities travelers will undertake.

ATA’s advisors are there to share with travelers and guests and internet surfers about the ultimate local knowledge as well as providing trends, news, advice and travel stories across its Asian destinations.

ATA always listens to travelers, read traveler’s feedback and comments as well as provides the right travel guide, experience, information and tips for travelers who plan to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Asia.

ATA confirms that the facebook “Active Travel Asia” will be provided to travelers with the ability to exchange point of views, experiences and connect with the prospects with ATA’s formers travelers who share stories, loved photos, find useful travel info and right experience and perhaps, plan trips together. Travelers are free to exchange whatever travelers want with ATA’s prospects, talk with ATA and about ATA

Source: ACTIVETRAVEL MAGAZINES

For more information at:

ATA’s facebook

ATA’s twitter

Hedin Johan asked:


Where am I? Karon

 

The rise and shine call goes at 5am sharp, and we get our sluggish *** bodies into a shower and try to shake off that old bleary eye. I manage to prise open one good eye to take a peek out of the arch window of my room-which unfortunately reminds me exactly where I am; near Karon Beach in Phuket Thailand.  This room is quite large, hardly what you’d call luxury-but then that’s to be expected for staff accommodation.

 

I am currently a staff member at this resort beach hotel, here on loan to study a bit of real life in the Thai hospitality business. It’s a paid holiday leave training seminar from the hotel I work for in the UK. Me, and a few others who’d thought it’d be a good idea to join this seminar week to tune up our skills were surprised at what we’d let ourselves in for. A few hours seminar a day, then off to the idyllic squeaky Karon beaches for the rest of the day-not to mention the nightlife we’d looked forward to.

 

NOT! One WWII Japanese POW camp in Thailand might be nearer the mark! We worked, worked heavy and hard. “This is how you are intended” explains Mr Su the hospy teacher. “Coming here to learn Thai hospitality-not of the western style you know, this morning’s lessons are the five rules of hospitality. Number 1 courteous, number 2 resourcefulness, number 3 punctuality, number 4 promises and delivery and least but not last number  5 extended service by going beyond the needs of CS having the genuine interest in customer knees. ” (I presume he meant needs) ” First we look at  number 1…” . Mr Su drones on until his voice becomes an all but distant background murmur and my mind drifts back to a real holiday I had a few years ago.

 

Now I’d learnt quite a few things from that beach hotel-I thought to myself. For all the wrong reasons, five rules of how “not to”. Serve the dishes by throwing them at the customers. Hang around hallways chatting and smoking with other staff. No terrible CS, but we had a ball anyway and you would if you weren’t after the luxury of five star hotels and excellent food and service. And then there was the holiday romance, the ugly head that rears itself into the form of temporary love and lust. “I promise, I will” we promised each other…”Over promising” shouts Mr Su “is bad because why Wendy? ” he points his stubby finger at me, obviously caught me day dreaming.  “um” I stumble with my words “better to under promise, then over deliver”. I reply.  “yes, yes, yes example please, Wendy” .

 

“um say that you were going to the beach and would be back in an hour, I say to the guest that I would start preparing his or her BLT and pina colada  when they arrived back, this is what you would call under promising. There’s nothing special about my offer.  However, what I do is, over deliver, by not only having his/her blt &drink ready by the time he or she gets back but actually delivering the beverages to his or her sunbed on the hotel Karon beach ” I wave a nonchalant hand toward the beach outside the window “the customer will be very impressed with this hotel service”.

 

“Very good!” replies Mr Su “So what if customer changes their mind or shoots off from beach to another place, then what would you do? Bloody problem there I see” He chimes on oblivious to the fact that his accent has just gone Australian. “Well it was just an example” I reply casually. Didn’t expect the Spanish inquisition and I try hard to ignore his sense of humour and get my mind back to my dreams of luxury hotels on idyllic palm fringe beaches, from where I wade into a turquoise sea of tropical fish- gold and yellow and blue. Places like Karon in Phuket, where we can enjoy real holidays away from places like this and people like these. Where am I again?

Diving Bali asked:


iving in Bali

 

Choosing the right SSI ITC Bali  facility for your SSI / PADI scuba diving career training is not easy. At Absolute Scuba Bali we are committed to providing you with the most current and comprehensive Diver Training to help you attain your career goals in the Scuba Diving industry. The Absolute Scuba Bali approach to Scuba Diver and our SSI & PADI Instructor training Staff that enables us to make our programs more personal, informative and enjoyable. In particular, having your accommodations right at our facility and meals included within the SSI ITC Bali & PADI Dive Courses, 17 Bali Dive Sites with 15 minutes eliminates the worry about those things, allowing you to concentrate 100% of your energy into becoming a successful SSI or PADI certified diver / PADI Divemaster Internships / SSI Instructor Programs in Bali

 

Diving Bali Safari

 

Bali diving safaris are multi-day programs designed to maximize your in-water time, minimize traveling time and also experience more of the local Balinese culture. Our standard overnight safaris combine a host of different locations around Bali. Absolute Scuba Bali has many years experience in the local area and have found some excellent resorts around Bali that offer excellent value, location and facilities. We have personally inspected every location and ensure that all of our outsourced facilities match our own very high standards.

 

Daily Dive Trips :

 

Bali Sunfish Safaris dive trips depart daily from our Bali Dive Centres in Kuta & Sanur SouthBali Along with Ubud. Divers joining our Bali Sunfish Safari Overnight Safaris will still be on the same dive vessels as those Scuba Divers on our Padang Bai Beach Resort Mola Mola dive packages. At the end of the Overnight package, you will have a Scenic drive back to your accommodation Returning to south Bali approximately 5 30 pm

 

Includes:

Pick up from Hotel south Bali

Scenic drive to Padang Bai Beach Resort

Light refreshments in Narcosis café

Check Equipment & Dive Briefing

Depart for 3 dives looking Mola Mola & Manta Rays

Snack – Lunch & light refreshments on boat between dives

Return to Padang Bai Beach Resort

Afternoon Local Balinese Massage

Returning to south Bali / Your accommodation approximately 17:30

 

Daily Dive Trip Price for 3 Dive Day



Us$ 125.00 per Certified Diver own Equipment

Us$ 140.00 per Certified Diver with Equipment Rental



Bali Diving – Diving Bali – Scuba Dive Bali

Neeraj asked:


Beaches are always been a dream place for the vacation. Whenever you go either in summer season or winter season it gives you an expectant pleasure. People like to go at the beach in summer but from my experience Beach Holiday provides you an enormous excitement any time. Summer is now at its last stage and you still have not made your vacation plans. Why not spend some times at the beach? A beach vacation is affordable, relaxing and enjoyable for people of all ages.

The choice of beach holidays in India is endless. There are many exotic and beautiful beaches in India that appeals tourists from all over the world. When we think about the Indian beaches the first place comes in our mind is Goa Beach. God has blessed Goa with many beaches and these beaches are a hot favorite among the tourists. Though most of the beaches in Goa are quite often frequented by the tourists, there are some of the beaches in Goa which still manage to look quite pristine and untouched. All these things make Goa a biggest tourist place.

There are many online beach packages that makes you travel more comfort and convenient.

You can also choose some more packages from the following -

- Wild life Package

- Hill Package

- Pilgrimage

- Weekends break

- Holidays idea

- Corporate Package

- Children Pckage & many more

These packages provide excellent services to their tourists and also lots of different kinds of Hotels and Resorts in Goa that provides a better stay and superb services. Except Goa there are many more beaches in India to visit. There are so many options available for a beach vacation in India, how can you possibly choose the perfect beach for you? Are you going with friends who want to spend time partying? Are you going with your sweetheart to enjoy some relaxing time alone? Or are you taking the whole family for fun in the sun? Consider what you want out of the vacation. Beaches in India provide the most inviting mishmash of sun, sand, sea and surrounding luxuriously green flora that is too hard to refrain. We can do lots of fun at the beach for instance, you could indulge in any of the exciting water sports such as surfing or parasailing, or go swimming in the clear blue sea, or even try your hand at building a sand castle or playing a game of beach volleyball.

So friends there is nothing to think just choose a beach package and plan your vacation and live a totally different time at the Indian Beach. You can book your reservation online to experience the excitement of vacation at the Indian beach without any effort.