Famous tourism in Viet Nam

Top Destinations

	Hanoi City: Vietnam's small and pleasant capital lies at the heart of the northern Red River Delta, and is a city of lakes, leafy boulevards and open parks with a French colonial feel. Hanoi was founded in 1010, and became the centre of government for the Indochina Union under French rule in 1888. In 1954 it became the official capital of independent Vietnam. Today ancient crumbling buildings dating from the 11th century lie scattered among grand French colonial residences, while shrines and monuments to Vietnam's first president, Ho Chi Minh, sit in the shadow of modern high-rise buildings. The streets of the Old Quarter preserve age-old customs, where trade takes one back half a century, and temples, pagodas and monuments reflect the historic character of Vietnam. Hanoi is fast becoming one of the most enticing and interesting cities in Asia. As a cultural centre there are traditional water puppet shows, and music and dance performances. It is also a good base for excursions to the beautiful Halong Bay, or into the Hoang Lien Mountains inhabited by several hill tribes.
	Hoi An was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, and a visit to this old-world gem is a sure cultural highlight of any tour in Vietnam. The quaint riverside town of Hoi An was an important port town and one of the major trading centres in South East Asia during the 16th and 17th centuries. The cultural influences of the Japanese and Chinese merchants are still evident today in the town's architecture, with the famous Japanese Covered Bridge and the distinctly Chinese atmosphere of the Old Quarter part of its unique character. Lining the narrow streets are two storey Chinese shops with charming wooden facades and tiled roofs, merchants' homes, Assembly Halls and temples that preserve its ancient character. On the 15th day of every lunar month the ancient character of this sleepy town takes on fairytale propotions as porches, streets and windows are lit by the glow of colored lanterns, a practice reminiscent of the old days and aimed at retaining the ancient spirit of the past.
	Dalat - The Highlands around Dalat is where we specialize and base our activities. Dalat is a quiet town in the south central highlands of Vietnam, about 300 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, and is set in a landscape dotted with lakes and blanketed with pine forested hills and jungle covered valleys. It was first established as a hill station by the French, and many of the fabulous villas they built are still here. The cool climate, clean air and escape from the heat and congestion of Saigon provide the perfect setting for the adventure sports we love to do. At an altitude of between 1,500 and 2,000 meters the cool, hilly terrain is fantastic for mountain biking, trekking, canyoning, kayaking, rappelling and rock climbing.
	Phan Thiet (Mui Ne) - Located in Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan province, has long been considered the "Hawaii" of Vietnam. It boasts shady roads under coconut trees, a beautiful beach and cliffs battered by the waves of the sea. The typical scenery of Mui Ne lies in the moving lines of golden sand caused by the wind and when they are seen from afar they look like moving waves. The scenery looks more fascinating at dawn, when young Cham girls in green dresses go to work. Mui Ne is an ideal place for rest and relaxation. Away from the beach, the key attraction of Mui Ne are its sand dunes, of which there are three sets which can easily be visited from Mui Ne. Best visited in the late afternoon when the light is sublime, you can also catch the sunset from above Mui Ne village which, with its bevy of fishing boats, is particularly scenic.
	Ho Chi Minh City: Once romantically referred to by the French as the Pearl of the Orient, Ho Chi Minh City is still called Saigon by almost everyone who lives there. It is a modern city by Asian standards and has only been under firm Vietnamese control for a little more than 200 years. The city's character remains essentially French with wide boulevards, colonial villas, and a lively café society but also resolutely Asian. It has more of a cosmopolitan feel than Hanoi, although much of the old French colonial city is vanishing beneath the rapidly rising skyline and the sheer weight of recent history. Combined with this vivacious street life, the city's French influences have bred a charm all their own. But it is the people even more than the city that you will remember most. The Mekong Delta is the southern rice bowl of Vietnam. The Mekong River, one of the famous river of the world, is known to the Vietnamese as Song Cuu Long (River of the Nine Dragons). The Mekong originates high in the Tibetan plateau, flowing through China, between Myanmar (Burma) and Laos, along the Lao-Thai border and through Cambodia and Vietnam. The Mekong splits into two main branches in Phnom penh, the lower river cross Chau Doc, Long Xuen and Can Tho and flows to the sea, the upper river splits into several branches at Vinh Long and empties into the sea at six points. Half of the delta region is fully covered with rice fields. The region is dotted with small villages and towns and several large centres like Can Tho, My Tho, Rach Gia, Chau Doc and Ca Mau. There are many Khmer temples and relics dating from previous centuries. This is an area of endless paddy fields and mangrove swamps, small villages and communities and, along the coast, deserted beaches. Special features include Vinh Long with the most charming hotel in the Mekong Delta, Chau Doc and the temple hill, Ha Tien with the best beach in Vietnam and Soc Trang and Tra Vinh with their Khmer temples.

Halal food products represent future for Thailand's manufacturers

Thailand's Central Islamic Committee said that halal food products, or those complying with Islamic rules, could dominate an $80 billion world market within one year, if the government and private sector worked together to boost exports, reported Bangkok newspaper Business Day.

Islamic committee Halal Activity Chairman Phaisal Phromyong is said to view the market as a promising one, recognising the financial help from the government for the development of food production systems as an important benefit.

Phaisal said: "Several educational institutions have already launched development and training programmes for halal foods." He added that Thai Halal food currently accounts for less than four per cent of the world market because the country is not prepared to compete in international markets and because of fierce competition from giant food producers like China, which is also interested in the multi-billion dollar industry.

"Malaysia is not considered a major rival since it currently uses raw materials from Thailand," Phaisal noted.

Phaisal also claimed that given full support from the government, Thailand could become the world's biggest Halal food exporter by 2004.

However, deputy director general of the Export Promotion Department Songchai Saisawatevaree said that Thai Halal food exports were worth $ 6.3 billion last year, a small sector of the $80 billion market.

According to Songchai, the major markets for Thai Halal foods are Singapore (for re-export), Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. "The new potential export market is Africa which has the world's second largest Muslim population after Asia," he said.

There are currently more than 600 local Halal food manufacturers in the application process for a Halal seal of approval from the Central Islamic Committee. Thirty per cent of them are new companies.

The Islamic committee has also appointed 250 Halal food inspectors to inspect the food processing plants that have already been granted the Halal approval in order to ensure that these plants comply with the Islamic food law.

New World City Hotel

Halal Food Bangkok(Muslim Hotel and Restaurant Thailand)

Welcome to New World City Hotel, the hotel for both business and leisure travelers.Our friendly atmosphere is evident the moment you arrive.The friendly and courteous staff is always ready to greet you with a smile and Sawadee, Thai custom for a warm welcome.

Situated in a quiet location, the New World City Hotel located in the heart of Bangkok.The hotel provide its guests with 171 modern, bright, well appointed en-suite bedrooms : 3 Suites, 54 Deluxe, and 114 Superior. All rooms have windows and balconies, private bathrooms with hot & cold showers, telephone with IDD, color TV with satellite, in-room safety deposit box, mini bar and refrigerator.Our Suites and Deluxe rooms also offer hairdryer and bath room scale. A broadband Internet connection can be set up for all room types.

Sara Halal Restaurant and our 24 Hrs Room Service offer Thai, European, and variety of Asian cuisine. Cafe' de Canal, an outlet among greenery area and lots of trees that make your drinks and snacks become very relaxing. Fitness Centre and hi-speed internet will make your stay even more pleasant.Our conference and meeting rooms will help your business become a successful one.

Thailand Halal Food Everywhere....

* * * * * * * * * BANG SAN THAI CUISINE is 100% Halal food. We are the original Thai Halal restaurant in the Bay Area! Our soy sauce, fish sauce, and other cooking sauces are made in Thailand and they are certified Halal! Contrary to popular misconceptions Coconut Milk and Coconut Oil are 'healthy' fats. READ BELOW! (SOME FACTS AND INFORMATION ON COCONUT MILK AND COCONUT OIL...) Our food is traditionally cooked Thai food. The difference is the meats Halal certified meat meets strict health requirements. The meat is raised in a humane environment, and does not contain any chemicals (steroids, hormones, etc). It is slaughtered by hand, and contains less adrenals than machine slaughtered meat. There is also a health inspector present at the time of slaughter to ensure no sick animals are passed through. The animals have not been fed any meat or meat by-products (cause of many meat orientated diseases). YOU CAN TASTE THE DIFFERENCE! We hand select all our produce at various markets to ensure our food is the freshest possible. and use only the finest ingredients we can find. YOU CAN TASTE THE DIFFERENCE! Ameena (Pin) Khan, owner and chef, has had 16 years experience cooking in the Bay Area since coming from Thailand. She prepares all sauces personally from only the freshest of ingredients. Vegetarians: Bang San is proud to also present a 100% vegan vegetarian menu (at our O'Farrell location). We do not use fish sauce, oyster sauce, etc in our vegetarian dishes. We can substitute most of our meat dishes with imitation beef, chicken, or fish.

YourSingapore.com - Rojak

YourSingapore.com - Rojak

One rojak variation is adapted from Malay and Chinese cuisines, which is a veritable toss of beansprouts, greens, tau pok (or deep-fried soybean cake), yu tiao (a crispy long strip of fried flour) pineapple, cucumber, and a generous sprinkle of finely chopped roasted peanuts well-tossed (which gives it ample texture and a lovely crunchy bite) with a spicy fermented prawn paste sauce.

The other is the Indian version, which is also tossed in peanut sauce, although this version has an added red flavouring and colour for that tinge of spiciness. The Indian rojak can be personalised to one’s specific tastebuds as most stall vendors allow their patrons to choose the ingredients that they want – which includes baked potatoes, steamed fishcakes, prawn fritters, octopus, a mix of fried greens and many more.

Yet again, this is a popular dish in Singapore, so finding a rojak stall near you won’t be too much of a hassle. While the best rojak stalls are found outside the city (like in neighbourhoods like Bukit Merah and Katong) there are still reasonably good places within the CBD or in the Orchard Road area where you can find them. The Food Republic food courts in Wisma Atria and 313@Somerset are easy enough to find; but also do check out Straits Kitchen at the Hyatt Regency hotel along Scotts Road for a sampling of this true-blue Singapore dish in a stylish, sleek setting.

Singapore's Sensous Signature

There are two versions of this classic; the Malay (original) version has a straightforward offering of ikan bilis (fried anchovies) and nuts, fried fish, cucumber and sometimes an egg; whereas the Chinese version, like Chong Pang Nasi Lemak and the Changi Village Nasi Lemak (take the Bus No.2 to the Changi Village market to sample this unforgettable version) have a whole bunch of things like deep fried drumstick, chicken franks, fish cake, curried vegetables and luncheon meat (Asian Spam) in it.
Like the chicken rice, the accompanying chilli condiment can make all the difference; sometimes the chilli and plain lemak rice is enough for a satisfying meal.
Nasi lemak is always enjoyable whether at breakfast or any other time of day, and some stalls still retain the tradition of wrapping the rice in a banana leaf to enhance its flavour. It is commonly found at food centres in Singapore, with the more famous nasi lemak stalls being the ones at the Adam Road Food Centre.

The most famous laksa lemak recipe can be found in an area in Singapore called Katong, where the noodles are cut up such that that they can be slurped directly from a soup spoon, without the need for chopsticks. Princess Terrace Café also boasts a mean laksa that packs a punch, so while you’re in Singapore, don’t forget make a visit to sample this ever-popular dish.

Thailand: Halal Food Options

Thailand is popular with visitors from nearby Muslim countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia as well as countries from the Middle East. Although Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country there is a significant Muslim population particularly in the southern region and places such as Krabi and Phuket.

Even in Bangkok you will find halal food and Muslim restaurants along Silom Road and a wider selection on Sukhumvit Soi 3 (also known as Nana Nua). In shopping malls such as MBK you will find food courts that will have a halal vendor, usually they would be Indian restaurants and its worthwhile asking as not all places will have a halal certificate. This does mean you are reliant on verbal assurances.

Some of the KFC branches in Bangkok claim to be halal. Even near the prestige hotels such as the Shangri La, you will find a halal restaurant such as Little India which is near the small mosque in the vicinity of the hotel.

In Krabi and Phuket halal food is plentiful. In Phuket itself you will have a wider choice of restaurants in Patong and Phuket town. Note that in Phuket the KFC will carry a Halal certificate. Again most halal restaurants in Patong tend to be Indian restaurants near the vicinity of the Jungceylon mall. In Karon beach you will find several Kashmiri restaurants, but again more often that not you are reliant on verbal assurances.

Welcome to Viet Nam

Vietnam officially is known as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnamese: Cộng hòa xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam), is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea, referred to as East Sea (Vietnamese: Biển Đông), to the east. With a population of over 86 million, Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world.

The people of Vietnam regained independence and broke away from China in AD 938 after their victory at the battle of Bạch Đằng River. Successive dynasties flourished along with geographic and political expansion deeper into Southeast Asia, until it was colonized by the French in the mid-19th century. Efforts to resist the French eventually led to their expulsion from the country in the mid-20th century, leaving a nation divided politically into two countries. Fighting between the two sides continued during the Vietnam War, ending with a North Vietnamese victory in 1975.

Emerging from this prolonged military engagement, the war-ravaged nation was politically isolated. The government’s centrally planned economic decisions hindered post-war reconstruction[citation needed] and its treatment of the losing side engendered more resentment than reconciliation. In 1986, it instituted economic and political reforms and began a path towards international reintegration.[citation needed] By 2000, it had established diplomatic relations with most nations. Its economic growth had been among the highest in the world in the past decade.[vague] These efforts culminated in Vietnam joining the World Trade Organization in 2007.

Where to find halal food in Viet Nam

EATERIES

If you are planning to visit Vietnam but don't know where to go for halal food then please check out these places: (We are in the process of compiling this list, please have patience with us)

South Vietnam
You need a local Muslim to take you to these places (just ask the Imam from the Dong Du Mosque for assistance):

66 Dong Du, District 1: Indian, Vietnamese cuisine. This mosque has a halal food court where you can buy lunch or dinner. Many Muslim foreigners come here to eat.
26 Bui vien, District 1: Indian, Pakistani.
45 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia: Malay, Indo cuisine.
443- 445 Le Hong Phong street, District 10: SHAMSUDIN RESTAURANT
459B Tran Hung Dao: Pho (noodle).
94/4A Huynh Van Banh (near fashion shop of Ms.Basiroh): Budget food.
52 Nguyen Van Troi: Goat Cari (cari de).
An Giang

Café Vila, 25 Nguyen Huu Canh, Chau Doc town.
phone: 867129; Indian food
North Vietnam

53 Ba Trieu, Hanoi.
10 Hang Thung, Hanoi.
Nisa Restaurant: 90 Nguyen Huu Huan: Malay and Indian cuisine. Email: nisarestaurant@hn.vnn.vn

Muslim Population in Viet Nam

Islam in Vietnam
Posted on September 23, 2009 by abuaina
Islam in Vietnam is primarily the religion of the Cham people, a minority ethnic group related to Malays; however, roughly one-third of the Muslims in Vietnam are of other ethnic groups. There is also a community describing themselves of mixed ethnic origins (Cham, Khmer, Malay, Minang, Viet, Chinese and Arab), who practice Islam and are also known as Cham, or Cham Muslims, around the region of Chau Doc in the Southwest.

Uthman, the third Caliph of Islam, sent the first official Muslim envoy to Vietnam and Tang Dynasty China in 650. Seafaring Arab traders are known to have made stops at ports in the Champa Kingdom en route to China very early in the history of Islam; however, the earliest material evidence of the transmission of Islam consists of Song Dynasty-era documents from China which record that the Cham familiarised themselves with Islam in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. The number of followers began to increase as contacts with Sultanate of Malacca broadened in the wake of the 1471 collapse of the Champa Kingdom, but Islam would not become widespread among the Cham until the mid-17th century. In the mid-19th century, many Muslims Chams emigrated from Cambodia and settled in the Mekong River Delta region, further bolstering the presence of Islam in Vietnam. Malayan Islam began to have an increasing influence on the Chams in the early 20th century; religions publications were imported from Malaya, Malay clerics gave khutba (sermons) in mosques in the Malay language, and some Cham people went to Malayan madrasah to further their studies of Islam.

After the 1976 establishment of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, some of the 55,000 Muslim Chams emigrated to Malaysia. 1,750 were also accepted as immigrants by Yemen; most settled in Ta’izz. Those who remained did not suffer violent persecution, although some writers claim that their mosques were closed by the government. In 1981, foreign visitors to Vietnam were still permitted to speak to indigenous Muslims and pray alongside them, and a 1985 account described Ho Chi Minh City’s Muslim community as being especially ethnically diverse: aside from Cham people, there were also Indonesians, Malays, Pakistanis, Yemenis, Omanis, and North Africans; their total numbers were roughly 10,000 at the time. However, Vietnam’s Muslims remained relatively isolated from the mainstream of world Islam, and their isolation, combined with the lack of religious schools, caused the practice of Islam in Vietnam to become increasingly syncretic. Command of Arabic is not widespread even among religious leaders, and some Muslims are reported to pray to Ali and refer to him as the “Son of God”.

Vietnam’s largest mosque was opened in January 2006 in Xuan Loc, Dong Nai Province; its construction was partially funded by donations from Saudi Arabia.

Vietnam’s April 1999 census showed 63,146 Muslims. Over 77% lived in the Southeast Region, with 34% in Ninh Thuan Province, 24% in Binh Thuan Province, and 9% in Ho Chi Minh City; another 22% lived in the Mekong River Delta region, primarily in An Giang Province. Only 1% of Muslims lived in other regions of the country. The number of believers is gender-balanced to within 2% in every area of major concentration except An Giang, where the population of Muslim women is 7.5% larger than the population of Muslim men. This distribution is somewhat changed from that observed in earlier reports. Prior to 1975, almost half of the Muslims in the country lived in the Mekong River Delta, and as late as 1985, the Muslim community in Ho Chi Minh was reported to consist of nearly 10,000 individuals. Of the 54,775 members of the Muslim population over age 5, 13,516, or 25%, were currently attending school, 26,134, or 48%, had attended school in the past, and the remaining 15,121, or 27%, had never attended school, compared to 10% of the general population. This gives Muslims the second-highest rate of school non-attendance out of all religious groups in Vietnam (the highest rate being that for Protestants, at 34%). The school non-attendance rate was 22% for males and 32% for females. Muslims also had one of the lowest rate of university attendance, with less than 1% having attended any institution of higher learning, compared to just under 3% of the general population.

The Ho Chi Minh City Muslim Representative Committee was founded in 1991 with seven members; a similar body was formed in An Giang Province in 2004.