Though our trip was not preplanned, we did not have to suffer the tension of catching the last minute flights. All major airlines in our region such as Korean Air, Philippines Airlines etc are plying flights to Istanbul. Besides, there are a few not so known companies also operating in this region. We did not wait for the cheapest airline; still we were lucky to fly in one of the cheap flights to Istanbul.

As mentioned earlier, there are many active cultural hubs across the city and most of the celebrations were being conducted there. The organizers have provided us the accommodation near to such venues and the local transportation also being arranged by them. Hence we did not have to face any difficulties during our stay over there. We got enough time after our performances and most of the extra time we spent for watching the performances of other artists. There were artists from all over the world and the locals told us that such type of events are common here. After the introduction of cheap tickets to Istanbul by many airlines, the number of foreigners coming to participate in such events has increased enormously.

Apart from the cultural events, there are many other attractions in the city. There are many structures that showcase the rich heritage in architecture and also having historical importance. Hagia Sophia was one such structure. It has been built in the 6th century as a church. Later on it has been converted to a mosque and now it is a museum. We spend almost a day over there seeing many articles displayed there and also simply sitting on the lawn outside the main structure.

We have visited Istanbul Archeological Museum and many other places too. However, the experience over there was totally different from the experience I received from visiting other cities in the world. That cannot be explained using words. It will be better to experience it once.

Three PTD volunteers are retiring this year from dedicated service to the division.

Other trips require a lot more planning–sometimes as long as a 12 months in advance. Here are a few tips for planning those longer and/or further trips.

If the trip is state or out-of-state, the places, resorts, meals, etc., have to be pre-planned well in advance. It’s important that the trip planner does a minimum of one “dry run” (sometimes more) to make sure that the trip flows efficiently for those who attend. If you’re planning a journey like a saturday and sunday event, make sure to perform the dry run on a weekend when crowds might be very much like what the party will encounter.

Moreover, it is such a romantic private space for your dinner under the full of stars Halong bay’s sky. White Dolphin have well-trained and professional crew who are friendly, hospitality and informative, they can also provide all kind of information about Halong bay and its inhabitants. On Board passengers can do as they please, leave when you’re ready and go where you’d like even to untouched sea, exploring every tranquil scenery in Halong bay and Bai Tu Long bay. We guarantee you a hassle free sailing holiday in the world heritage site- Halong bay. Join us and see the way White Dolphin perfect your honeymoon in Halong Bay.

Exclusive: lunch on beach or dinner in cave!

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Enjoy and explore the stunning views of the Bai Tu Long Bay and Vong Vieng floating village (L/D)

Vung Vieng Village – Bai Tu Long bay

• 08h00: Pick up from your hotel in Hanoi. Drive to Halong Bay. Enjoy the peaceful scenery as we travel through the countryside, farmlands and Red River delta.
• 12h30: Arrive at Hon Gai wharf – Meet the captain, crews and join us for a welcome drink, cruise briefing, safety instructions and check-in cabin.
• Lunch with fresh seafood is served while cruising towards Vong Vieng floating village, passing through extraordinary shaped-islands.
• Drop anchor at Vong Vieng: visit local houses, fish farm, schools and have a chat with the friendly fish men. (You also swim here if you like) The other option is to travel by kayak (passengers row kayaks for themselves).
• Back on board, enjoy the sunset and continue cruising to Luom Bo for anchoring.
• 19h00: Dinner is served.
• Enjoy the comfort in your cabin or night fishing… and overnight on junk.

Day 2: Kayaking, swimming or climbing up to the top of the mountain for panoramic views of Halong Bay (B/L/D)

Private fishing tours – Bai Tu Long bay

• Enjoy the bay’s morning landscape with a cup of tea or coffee.
• 7h30: breakfast is served.
• Tour guide on board will give you to some untouched areas for interesting activities.
• 13h00: Lunch is served on board or BBQ on beach and relaxes times
• Continue kayaking to Bat Cave and explore the Natural World Heritage in your style.
• Get back to the overnight place.
• 19h00: Dinner is served on board or in the Cave
• Leisure time to enjoy a chat around the bar or enjoy night fishing and overnight on junk.

Day 3: Visit the most famous cave “Sung Sot cave” & Halong Bay (B/L)

in side the Sung Sot Cave

• Enjoy the bay’s morning landscape with a cup of tea or coffee.
• 07h30: Light breakfast is served.
• 08h00: Explore the mystery of Sung Sot cave, one of the most beautiful cave in Halong Bay.
• Back on board, continue cruising, enjoy the stunning views of the Bay and relax.
• Brunch is served on board while cruising back through Halong Bay to the pier.
• 11h30: Arrive Hon Gai wharf. Farewell.
• Return from Halong to Hanoi.
• 15h30: Stop-over in Dong Trieu town to visit a ceramics workshop.
• 16h30: Arrive in Hanoi. The trip ends.

The Tour Inclusion:

• Full equipped luxury en-suite cabin with A/C, hot water
• All meals onboard
• Complimentary mineral water
• Complimentary morning tea and coffee
• Welcome drink
• Team building games
• Cookery demonstrations (on request)
• Entrance and sightseeing fees
• Kayaking
• Fishing equipment
• English speaking guide

The Tour Exclusion:

• Mini bus per person round trip
• Private car (upon request)
• Additional drinks
• Tips and other personal expenses
• All other services not clearly mentioned above

Extend your journey:  Halong Bay is a perfect location to join in one of our Small Group Journeys or tailor-made touring through Vietnam.

ITINERARY

(B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner)

Day 1

Hanoi – Halong bay (L, D)

In the morning we will meet you at your hotel in the old quarter. Arrive at Halong city around 12pm, it take sometime to do the check in procedure. We’ll get to the Cruise by tender. Noon start around 1 to 1h30 pm. The Cruise will inch though the Bai Tu Long bay while you are having lunch.

Our First spot is Vong Vieng floating village, it’s perfect place to kayak, swim, or experience the traditional Bamboo boat ( basket boat) around the Vong Vieng floating village.

After the floating village, we cruise back to Halong bay finding safety place to sleep. Dinner and squid fishing will be happened here.

Day 2

Halong bay – Hanoi (B, L)

It’s recommend to wake up early in the morning, in order to get to breathtaking sunrise before a light breakfast. And we will visit Sung Sot cave , one of the biggest caves in Halong bay. You will need 1 hour to wandering around the cave.

After the Sung Cave we cruise back to the harbour. On the way back, lunch is served arounf 10h30 am.

Your tour ends with transfers to your hotel in Hanoi.

Inclusions:

• Transportation.
• Accommodation based on twin/double sharing
• Set-menu meals
• English speaking tour guide on board.
• Sightseeing and entrance fee.
• Insurance on board.
• Welcome Drink (soft drink, tea or coffee).
• Kayaks, life jackets

Exclusions:

• Drinks and other services not clearly mentioned
• Personal expense
• Tips
• Government taxes
• Highlight:
• Exploring world heritage listed halong bay
• Overnight in a luxury cruise.
• Kayak around the bay to discover beautiful beaches and hidden parts of the bay
• Experience tradition Vietnamese meals.
• Board view the most “surprise” halong cave- Sung Sot cave

Note:

special requests on food to be informed before departure. Time of activities may vary slightly.

Itineraries are subject to change due to bad weather, tide levels and operating conditions.

ITINERARY

(B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner)

Day 1

Hanoi – Halong (L, D)

08h00-08h30: early start to halong city on an air-conditioned mini bus that picks you up at your hotel

12h00-12:30: Noon arrival in halong city with the warmest Greeting at Hon Gai wharf (close the old ferry wharf). After Embark your cruise, join your fellow travelers for a Welcome Soft Drink and check-in registration.

Pleasant sail to halong bay while fresh sea food lunch is served on board. Cross variety of spectacular rock formations like Monster Face, Tea pot & cup, Swan Rock.

15h30: arrive later afternoon at Vong Vieng floating village, transferred by bamboo boat and take an excursion to a large and age old village. Here there is chance to discover villager’s daily life as well as tradition culture. There also is time to swimming, kayaking around the bay and paddle throughout the hidden cave or relax and soak up the sun.

19:30: as the evening descends, return to the boat and set sail for charming islands ten mot vai cai islands. Enjoy traditional Vietnamese dinner before leisure time as there is option of activities such as squid fishing, karaoke, dancing, chatting with neighbor boat, etc.,

Day 2

Halong (B, L, D)

06:00-07h30: early breathtaking view of amazing sunrise before soft Breakfast.

your sightseeing tour this morning is exploring the Bai Tu Long Bay. After be transferred by smaller boat ( what kinds of boat), it is time to discover exotic “Doi” Cave ( Bat Cave). Here, an option is kayak through the grottoes to discover the mysterious beauty of nature, and get your cameras ready to picture some wild monkey surrounding as you cross Sea Mussel farm

12h30: log back in your cruise as Lunch be already set

13.30: your early afternoon sightseeing is to visit Van Gia fishing village, see and learn more about cultural life of fishermen, chance to be instructed sail by villagers, drop and catching fish net, etc..

15.15: cruise to Titop Island. You are at leisure for hanging around, swimming or climbing up to the top of the island and admire overlooking of wonderful Ha Long Bay.

17h00: back on mother boat. Time is free with complimentary cool drink

19h00: experience traditional Vietnamese Dinner and enjoy boat’s facilities at night

Day 3

Halong – Hanoi (B, L)

07h00: early pleasant cruise in time for a breakfast. Then see the Man Head rock, the Turtle, and Heaven Gate formations while heading to Sung Sot Cave which is one of the most beautiful cave in Halong Bay

Time – 12:30: Lunch is served on board before disembark to meet up the coach and back to hanoi

14.00: have a short break around 30 minutes in Dong Trieu town where you are relax and little shopping or take a cup of coffee

16.30: your tour ends with transfers to your hotel

Inclusions:

• Transfer to and from Halong by shared mini bus.
• Accommodation based on twin/double sharing
• Kayaking
• Set-menu meals
• English speaking tour guide on board.
• All entrance and sightseeing fees
• Insurance on board
• Welcome Drink.

Exclusions:

• Drinks and other services not mentioned in the program

Learning to surf here is special. Polynesia was the birthplace of surfing – he’e nalu (wave sliding) was first observed here by Europeans in the 18th century – but Hawaii remains the focal point for the world’s coolest lifestyle. Plenty of surf schools and instructors will patiently teach you how to read the ocean for swell, paddle into a wave and, critically, learn to stand and ride at beginner spots such as Waikiki Beach and Puena Point. Between sessions you can watch the pros shred heaving monsters at reef breaks such as Pipeline, Off the Wall and Sunset Beach. Learn to bottom turn with the Waikiki Beach Boys; two-hour lessons cost US$99 and run twice daily from Monday to Saturday.

2. Cooking in Hoi An, Vietnam

On the banks of the Hoi An River, the Red Bridge Restaurant and Cooking School is one of many restaurants offering courses to meet the growing demand for tutorials in quality Vietnamese cuisine. One-day and half-day cooking tours will match your culinary skills, from non-existent to cordon bleu. Starting with a trip to a local market, where you’ll select ingredients and learn by observing street vendors, you’ll then return to the restaurant for an expert demonstration before putting your new-found knowledge into practice. Expect to serve up rice-paper rolls and marinated beef, decorated with a pineapple boat. Classes usually last about three hours, include four dishes and cost around US$40 per person. Take a camera so you can remember each dish you master.

3. Archaeological research trips at Crow Canyon, USA

Crow Canyon Archaeological Center offers up to 11 trips annually for those willing to get their hands dirty as they dabble in amateur archaeology. Visitors’ accommodation is in one of 10 ‘hogans’, circular log cabins built in the traditional Navajo style, at the centre’s 28-hectare campus. The campus is part of a site that was occupied by Ancestral Puebloans of Mesa Verde more than 1000 years ago. The trips, lasting seven to 10 days, allow visitors to explore the land in relation to what is known about the region’s indigenous occupants, through studying the interaction of light, landscape and architecture, or participating in a dig. Find out more about resources for teachers and students at www.crowcanyon.org.

4. Yoga in Rishikesh, India

A trip to the birthplace of yoga is an obvious choice if you’re looking for a mystical experience inside and out. Not only does yoga promote relaxation through meditation; research conducted by the University of Texas has revealed it can help alleviate the negative side effects of cancer treatment. At Rishikesh, in the serene foothills of the Himalayas, special retreats invite novices to practice stretching, breathing and contemplation alongside qualified yogi masters. Depending where you stay you might also be encouraged to help out in the organic garden and cook for the group, in between soul-enriching excursions into the mountains. Ashrams offer courses to suit your level, from a few weeks to three months; get a feel for serenity at www.yogashramrishikesh.com.

5. Spanish in Patagonia, Argentina

The small town of Bariloche, surrounded by glacial lakes, forests and the valleys and mountains of the Andes, is so inspiring you’ll probably learn more Spanish here in a month than you might elsewhere in a whole year. Sometimes called ‘the Switzerland of South America’, Bariloche is the base for most Patagonian language schools, so there’s always a good mix of international students should you wish to slack off from speaking Spanish. There are plenty of optional excursions too, from nearby skiing at Cerro Catedral, South America’s premier downhill resort, to a refreshing day trip through thick forest to the glorious Cántaros waterfall. Select courses from one-week intensives to six weeks of private tuition; visit www.spanishinbariloche.com.

6. Calligraphy in Kyoto, Japan

Anyone looking to make their mark using the traditional characters of Japanese calligraphy will find the course run by the Women’s Association of Kyoto simultaneously frustrating and rewarding. Calligraphy written in Japanese is not at all easy, so you’ll need to keep focused if you want to make your instructor proud. After receiving a lecture about the history of the Japanese literary art form, you will be shown and told how it’s done. Then it’s over to you, grasshopper, as you sketch your favourite Japanese character, such as the symbol for ‘peace’ or ‘love’, before adding your signature. One lesson is enough to ensure you pity Japanese school kids forever. WAK JAPAN offers courses based in Kyoto; book online for a discount.

7. Mountain biking in Marin County, USA

Thanks in large part to the pioneering efforts of bike designer Joe Breeze, Marin County, and in particular Mt Tamalpais, has become famous worldwide as the birthplace of mountain biking. Located just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge, there’s no more rugged or exciting arena to develop a passion for downhill riding. Throughout summer, countless tour operators, catering to kids, women, amateurs and pros, offer tuition and guided trail riding, including bike hire and transport to the start of hundreds of trails among more than 2550 hectares of redwood groves and oak woodlands. Trails range from the gently sloping and visually spectacular to the you-must-be-kidding-me steeply insane. For trail maps, customised tours and bike hire information visit www.mountainbikingmarin.com.

8. Kung fu at Shaolin Temple, China

Every year foreigners can apply to attend classes at the Shaolin Temple, amid the beautiful Song Shan mountains in China’s Henan province. Trainees at the 1500-year-old monastery, the birthplace of kung fu, embark on a steep learning curve led by extraordinarily disciplined ‘warrior-monk’ tutors. You won’t notice who you’re sharing a dorm with, as the gruelling regime starts at 8.30am (Chinese students begin at 5am) and lasts until at least 7pm. For inspiration, watch the coaches prepare for daily tourist performances, in which they snap iron bars with their heads and break glass by throwing a pin at it. Visitor opening hours are 8am–7pm daily, all year; http://www.infohub.com offers a 10- to 30-day training tour for budding Bruce Lees (around US$2000).

9. Bush-survival skills in Esingeni, South Africa

If you can last a one-week survival course in South Africa‘s pristine wilderness, then chances are you’ll emerge feeling more human than you’ve ever felt before. Qualified field experts lead small-group tours from the Esingeni Bush Camp, based on a private game reserve. Participants learn how to construct a shelter, make a fire, locate and prepare food, and extract water from plants. You will also be taught how to navigate using the stars as you traverse the countryside, which is abuzz with unfamiliar sights, sounds, smells and animals. Anyone who has imagined what life was like before the agrarian revolution can find out here. Book a five-day bush survival course at www.conservationacademy.co.za.

10. Stove building in Cadmalca, Peru

At the Cadmalca Community Lodge in Peru’s remote northern highlands, a simple but potentially life-saving ecoproject allows travellers to do something challenging and useful, while becoming immersed in a culture they would otherwise find difficult to access. In return for being lodged and shown around by a local host family, visitors will source the construction materials for a cooking stove that’s ideally suited to high altitude conditions – and then build it. The stoves have been shown to help reduce serious respiratory conditions associated with cooking over the open fires that are contained in the majority of mountain huts. Tours last seven days and depart from Lima; book before you arrive and expect to pay around US$1600.

©LonelyPlanet

Beef noodle soup for breakfast? Once youʼve tasted a good pho, youʼll crave it for lunch and dinner, too. Pho is the moreish national dish of Vietnam, though its genesis is relatively recent. In the early 20th century the colonising French introduced beef stock to local cooks, who then threw in some chillies, fish sauce, spices and rice noodles to give it a local twist. The dish originates from the countryʼs north and, though now widespread, Hanoi is still the phocal point. Every morning, street-side stands and no-frills restaurants go into beef-slicing, broth-boiling overdrive, producing bowl after bowl of Asian ambrosia for the passing crowds.

Vietnamʼs rainy season runs from May to September; visit from November to April for drier, cooler weather.

2. Locro de Papas, Andean Highlands, Ecuador

You need something to warm your cockles in the Ecuadorian Andes: villages teeter at breath-stealing altitudes, and nights can be cold indeed. Given this land is the home of the potato, itʼs no surprise the traditional hot belly-filler in these parts is hearty locro de papas – potato soup. The Spanish conquistadores first came across it in the 1560s, and its popularity hasnʼt waned since. Variants exist (thereʼs always garlic and hot peppers, often cheese and avocado, and sometimes beef or guinea pig), but after a day hiking up volcanoes or across parámo, a generous dollop of any kind is more than welcome.

Cotopaxi National Park, a 1½-hour drive south of capital Quito, offers a range of trekking and horse-riding trails.

3. Borscht, Ukraine

The first rule of botany states that the country with the most variants of a particular species is probably where that species originated. Translate this to cuisine and Ukraine is the top contender for the homeland of borscht. Although the eye-poppingly purple beetroot soup is slurped across Eastern Europe – filling tummies in Poland, Russia, Lithuania and beyond – itʼs in Ukraine that youʼll find the greatest glut of recipes, which differ from Kiev to Lviv to Odessa. It always looks utterly fabulous, though the girlie colouring is offset by a manly accompaniment of pampushky (fried doughnuts), which turn this shrinking violet into a real meal.

Trains are the best way of getting around Ukraine; a few words of Russian will help when booking tickets.

4. Obe Ata, Nigeria

Locals call it a pick-me-up, a medicinal dish to reinvigorate those feeling under the weather. The uninitiated might call it hell-in-a-ladle. It doesnʼt necessarily taste bad; itʼs just like eating Satanʼs pitchfork, fresh from the furnace. Essentially Nigeriaʼs national dish, obe ata (pepper soup) is a fiery beast, especially if Scotch bonnet chillies are in the mix. It can also have some unusual ingredients, including tripe, dried fish and the whole head of a goat. But if you can brave a bowl on the streets of Lagos, know that youʼre experiencing the real taste of West Africa.

Temperatures in Nigeria are hot year-round, though October to January is a little cooler. Check security advice before travelling.

5. Waterzooi, Ghent, Belgium

Thereʼs something fishy going on in Ghent. Inventor of the Flemish seafood-soup, waterzooi, this river-port city now seems to be using chicken in the dish… This preference for poultry allegedly occurred when Ghentʼs waterways became polluted, killing off the recipeʼs main ingredient. Thankfully, today you can still find the original fish version (often made with pike, carp or bass) in the narrow medieval streets of the Patershol quarter. Here restaurants cook up the soup with various veggies and thicken it with egg yolks and cream. Hunks of bread are provided for dunking, and a Belgian beer is near-obligatory for washing it down.

Ghent is 30 minutes by train from Brussels. Visit in July for the Gentse Feesten music and theatre festival.

6. Cullen Skink, Morayshire, Scotland

If you saw it on a menu, you’d just have to try it, wouldnʼt you? First cooked up on Scotlandʼs northeast coast, in the comely village of Cullen, this irresistibly named soup used to sustain the sailors of the Moray Firth – back when fish were both abundant and a fair bit cheaper than the traditional beef base. Its ingredients are simple yet simply superb: the finest locally smoked Finnan haddock, the best Buchan tatties, plus onions and cream. And though the dish has spread beyond Cullenʼs harbour, for a taste of skink at its most authentic, try it at the 18th-century Seafield Hotel.

Cullen is a 2½-hour bus ride from Aberdeen. The Seafield is at 17-19 Seafield St.

7. Callaloo, Trinidad

Trinidad itself is a bit of a soup. Here, African, Indian, Spanish, French, Chinese and Native American influences are stirred together, and simmered under the hot Caribbean sun to make a tasty, addictive treat of an island, best washed down with a slug of Black Label rum. But one dish prevails out of this cultural cook-up: callaloo. A rich green gloop made from fresh dasheen leaves and pureed okra, perhaps with coconut and delicious with chunks of crab, its flavours are as zingy as a Trinidadian street party. Hunt out a simple eatery, order callaloo and foo-foo (pounded plantains), and melt into the mix.

Trinidadʼs Carnival, the regionʼs biggest, will take place on 20–21 February 2012.

8. Clam Chowder, New England, USA

In the kitchens of New England, clam chowder (or chowda, in Bostonian) is a very serious business. So serious, in fact, that a law was almost passed in the 1930s to ban tomatoes from its mollusc mix. You see, tomatoes mean Manhattan chowder – a newfangled New Yorker fad and literally a different kettle of fish. Threaten this seafood soup with fruit in New England and you might as well declare your support for the Yankees. No, from Massachusetts to Maine, chowder is made with cream. Period. Very good it can be, too. And if it’s not, just don’t ask for ketchup…

Try a range of soup varieties at Newport Rhode Islandʼs Great Chowder Cook-Off, held every June.

9. Gazpacho, Andalucía, Spain

Itʼs a poor manʼs supper – but it tastes so good. For the hard-up labourers toiling in the fields, gazpacho was a way to make something of almost nothing: a stale crust of bread softened by garlic, vinegar and a slosh of olive oil. But from its humble roots, gazpacho (perhaps drawn from the Arabic ʻcaspaʼ, meaning fragments) has become a dish of kings. During the stultifying Andalucían summer, when the tomatoes and peppers are at their very ripest, and when all you can face eating is something refreshing and cool, gazpacho is just the dish to tantalise torpid tastebuds.

In July and August, temperatures in Andalucía soar over 40°C. April to June is best for mild weather and lush countryside.

10. Ajiaco, Bogotá, Colombia

Soup is traditionally a starter, right? But begin your dinner with a bowl of ajiaco santafereño and you wonʼt be eating again for a while. This dense Colombian super-fuel food combines three different types of potato – yellow papas criollas for thickening, plus waxy red sabaneras and squishier white pastusa – infused with handfuls of gausca, an aromatic herb. And thatʼs just how the native Chibcha people left it. Subsequently the Spanish rocked up, liked what they tasted but added some protein (chicken) and a side of cream to concoct the belly-warmer now beloved across Bogotá and beyond.

In Bogotá try the Sopas de Mamá y Postres de la Abuela (Soups of Mum and Grandmother’s Desserts) restaurant chain.

What regional soups would you add to the list?

©LonelyPlanet