Experience Canada Like A Local: Insider Tips You Can’t Miss

BY  Abdul Aziz Nov 7, 2023

A blend of natural beauty, a rich history, and a dynamic culture make Vietnam in southeast Asia perhaps one of the most attractive nations on the continent. It has become a popular travel destination. Vietnam offers a really unique experience with its broad range of scenery. You will find breathtaking coasts, towering mountains, lush deltas, and dynamic towns in Vietnam. Vietnam is a land of contrasts. It is the site of some of the world's most stunning beach locations, including Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc Island. Crystal-clear waters and white sands form a tropical paradise abound on these beaches. On the other hand, energetic hubs with bustling marketplaces, active street life, and a vibrant food scene, Vietnam's cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi provide a vivid fusion of modernity and tradition. If you want to know the best time to visit Vietnam, we are spilling all the details here. Best Time To Visit Vietnam Image Source: onewanderatatime.com Your best bet to visit this beautiful country is between November and April. From Sapa's verdant rice terraces to Ha Long Bay's spectacular limestone karsts, Vietnam is home to some breathtaking vistas. For those who enjoy being outside, it offers plenty of chances. Adventure seekers have a variety of activities. It includes trekking in the northern mountains, visiting caverns in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, or sailing the Mekong Delta. In coastal regions, water sports like kayaking, diving, and snorkeling are also very popular. Vietnam has a rich past that is evident in its many historical sites and is firmly anchored in ancient traditions. The Complex of Hue Monuments, Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Sanctuary, and the Citadel of the Ho Dynasty. These are some of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Hue, an imperial city that has a Citadel and other royal tombs, also preserves the splendor of earlier Vietnamese eras. Vietnam now is a far cry from its turbulent and war-torn past. Its cities and towns are bursting with tall and imposing skyscrapers. It also has charming floating markets and mopeds zipping through the streets. You may complete the experience with the consistently delicious traditional Vietnamese cuisine. Vietnam is becoming more and more well-known on a global scale. Try well-known meals such as pho (noodle soup), banh mi (baguette sandwich), fresh spring rolls, and mouthwatering seafood. Vietnam is unique in that it offers a wide range of experiences. It offers a range from the craggy peaks of Ha Giang to the Mekong Delta's backwaters. Chase dragons in Hue join the crowd inside the canary-yellow walls of Hoi An's UNESCO Ancient Town. Finally, find space to breathe in a remote northern Vietnamese village. There are sand dunes in Mui Ne, tea fields in Thai Nguyen, waterwheels in Pu Luong, and hundreds of charming hamlets and intriguing little cities. The small villages dot the velvety rice terraces of Sapa and Mu Cang Chai. They also abound in the spiky limestone karsts of Halong Bay and Ninh Binh. Things To Do In Vietnam Image Source: www.travelinsurancedirect.com.au Now that you know when is the best time to visit Vietnam, here are some things you can try out when you visit: Learn To Prepare Vietnamese Cuisine- It's one thing to enjoy great Vietnamese cuisine. Consuming it after learning how to prepare it is another! Dive Underwater At Nha Trang- Although Nha Trang offers some fantastic diving, you would not think of Vietnam as a major dive destination. Visit The Canyons In Dalat- Climb, slide, leap, and rappel your way across canyons in this breathtaking location! Visit Da Nang's Marble Mountains- These stunning mountains have amazing vistas and temples to stop at along the trip. They have been quarried for marble for years. Sandboard Along Mui Ne's Sand Dunes- Similar to snowboarding, but you will go down enormous sand dunes! Embrace the rush! Go To Ghan Da Dia's Giants Causeway- Located in Northern Ireland, half a world from the Giant's Causeway, be awed by this extraordinary geological formation. Outside Of Ho Chi Minh City, See The Cu Chi Tunnels- Without visiting these famous tunnels that were utilized during the war, no vacation to HCMC is complete. Ride A Bike Over The Hoi An Pass- This is regarded as one of the most stunning stretches of road in the entire globe. Enjoy! Read More: Walking On Sunshine: Exploring The Magic Of Vietnam’s Golden Hand Bridge! Where To Stay Image Source: images.squarespace-cdn.com Vietnam is currently home to a wide variety of lodgings thanks to the country's construction boom. It includes glitzy sky pads in Ho Chi Minh City and rustic mountain retreats with nearby hill tribes. For the extravagant, there are opulent beach resorts with world-class spas. Whether you're on a tight budget or can afford to splurge, Vietnam excels in providing quality lodging at affordable prices. You can discover family guesthouses, flashpacker hostels, and fantastic local businesses. Wink Hotels, which recently launched in Ho Chi Minh City's hip District 3 with fusion cuisine and artsy rooms, starts at £30 per night. The most expensive option is to book a night at a landmark hotel like the Park Hyatt Saigon or Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. Boutique hotels abound in this region of Southeast Asia, so you won't have to travel far when looking for something more design-focused. The InterContinental Sun Peninsula Resort Danang, Hotel de la Coupole Mgallery Sapa, JW Marriott Phu Quoc Bay, and Capella Hanoi are some of the hotels. They were created by hotel designer Bill Bensley. Labels like An Lam, Fusion, Azerai, and Zannier promote a more eco-chic look. Wrapping Up Despite having one of the longest wars of any country, a third of Vietnam's 97 million residents are under 30. This vibrant fusion of the ancient and new is what has propelled the nation from post-war destitution. It has become one of Asia's fastest-growing economies and one of the most popular tourist destinations. Vietnam has over 2,000 miles of majestic coastline, a profusion of golden beaches, fishing villages, and idyllic tropical islands. It has national parks and mind-boggling biodiversity. Its spectacular inland waterways stretch from its northern border with China to the Gulf of Thailand in the southwest. Halong Bay is one of Vietnam's most famous spectacular inland waterways. Vietnam has a patchwork of undulating mountains, dizzying rice terraces, and 1,000-year-old temples. Its vibrant cities, and life-giving rivers, most notably the Mekong, help dazzle its interiors. Along the way, you can munch your way through the trip. You can choose between mountains of zingy fresh food. There are meaty banh mi sandwiches, prawn-filled spring rolls, and sizzling banh xeo pancakes. You can pick up a whole new wardrobe from cheap-as-chips tailors. Or you could immerse yourself in a variety of historical treasures. If you have thoughts to share or questions to ask on when is the best time to visit Vietnam, please leave a comment. We would love to hear from you! Read Also: THIS Is When You Should Visit Maldives! Island Paradise Unveiled: Best Time To Visit The Philippines This Is The Best Time To Visit The Seven Magic Mountains In Vegas! Singaporean Expert Says Vietnam Tourism Needs Better Destination Management: Report

BY  Sibashree Sep 11, 2024

Kobuk Valley National Park is surreal! Have you ever thought to meet sand dunes in the Arctic Circle? The unique geology of the park makes it possible. That’s not all! The Great Kobuk sand dunes stand here, along with the remains of the North American continental glaciers.  Three of the sand dunes in this national park are active or alive. The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, Hunt River Dunes, and Little Kobuk Sand Dunes here cover a mesmerizing 20,000 acres of area in the park.   Today, hiking through these dunes is one of the most popular activities in the Kobuk Valley National Park.   While it is visually unusual or unexpected to see sand dunes in an Arctic National Park, you also need to understand that the Arctic region gets very little rainfall every year. So, this is also a desert region.   “Sand dunes in the Arctic landscape are not what you would expect. Since most people associate sand dunes with a hot desert environment, it is a visually unusual thing to see. In fact, what most people don't realize is that the Arctic is also a desert with very low levels of rainfall.”   - Christian, a Kobuk Valley National Park Worker  Having said that, how the sand dunes came to be here, and the experience of exploring them will be a great thing to discuss in this article.   This Is How The Kobuk Valley National Park Became The Land Of Sand Dunes   https://www.instagram.com/p/BWatGdVFuis/ Much of Alaska, including the Kobuk Valley National Park, falls in the Tundra region. Tundra, the coldest of the biomes, gets only around 150 to 250 mm of rainfall and snowfall yearly1. So, the national park has less rainfall than some of the most well-known deserts in the world.   Further, the sand dunes in the Kobuk Valley are as old as the Ice Age. Now, as the mighty glaciers moved forward and made a retreat, the rocks beneath got ground. Now, the blowing wind transported the sand into the empty and ice-free Kobuk Valley. The sand dunes in the park are up to 150 feet high, and they are the biggest, high-altitude, and most importantly, “active sand fields”  in the earth.   In The Land Of The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes  https://www.instagram.com/p/BgmZYDdAA_r/ Are you in the Sahara? No, you are around 35 miles above the Arctic Circle and still find the largest active sand dune field in the world. Today, it is a popular backpacking, hiking, and camping destination in the National Park. You must attend the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center to learn more about the outdoor pursuits in the land of sand dunes.  Let’s quickly look at why the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes is a preferred destination for camping, hiking, and backpacking.  The sand is steady enough for the landing of an aircraft with wheels.  You can put up your tent on any level surface.  Also, you can hike in any direction.  Further, you can board a float plane and reach the Kobuk River. From there, you can take a backpacking tour for around two miles and reach the dunes.  You must visit the Kotzebue Visitor Center if you have plans to take this backpacking journey to and from the Kobuk River.   There is no marked route for hiking.  In summer, the temperature in the sand dunes can reach up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, fall is the season to see caribou migration here.   However, there’s more to it! Let’s learn about the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes as relics of the Ice Age and how life thrived here.   Great Kobuk Sand Dunes: The Relics Of The Ice Age   https://www.instagram.com/p/BYwfdMYlr-0/ To know about the formation of the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, we must go back to the Ice Age. Around 28000 years ago, glaciers in the mountains formed. I have already discussed how the glaciers ground the rocks and wind deposited them in the Kobuk Valley.   Further, approximately 14000 years ago, the glaciers made a massive retreat. As a result, there were 200,000 acres of sandy land formation on the river banks. Complex holocene activities and geomorphic preservations keep the sand dune field at the Kobuk Valley National Park active or alive. Along with the Kobuk Valley, small lakes in the park have also accumulated sand over thousands of years.   However, most of the landscape today is occupied by the vegetation of the national park, and the sand dune area consists of only 20,000 acres. The vegetation found here consists of the following varieties.  Wild rye  Grasses  Sedges  Kobuk locoweed  Wildflowers blooming occasionally  These species grow on the shifting sand, and they function as stabilizing agents. You can see shrubs, lichens, mosses, and algae following this vegetation. Finally, there are spruce, birch, and aspen trees covering the landscape.    The slopes of the Kobuk Valley sand dunes are the only place where Kobuk locoweeds grow. These plants belong to the pea family, and they are known for their purple flowers. If you want to see these flowers, you must visit the park in late June and July.   The inland dune field of Kobuk Valley National Park is surrounded by boreal forest.   Humans And Wildlife In The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv0EhpdLsJ5/ It’s amazing to see the Western Arctic Caribou walking through the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes. Fall and spring are the migration seasons for these animals. The north of Brook Range is the caribou herd’s calving ground, and they migrate to and from this place.   As the caribou herds pass through the sand dunes, their footprints remain in the ground for the longest time. According to National Park Service data, around 250,000 caribou pass through this national park annually.   No wonder that the Kobuk Valley National Park is one of the “last great migrations” remaining in the world. The table below gives you a brief idea about the animals and birds in the sand dunes.  Birds Sharp-shinned Hawk Golden Eagle Bald Eagle American Wigeon Northern Pintail Rough-legged Hawk Marsh Hawk Mammals Caribou Wolverine Muskox Snowshoe Hare Moose Gray Wolf Grizzly Bear Beaver Arctic Fox American Pine Marten Amphibians Wood Frog Fish Longnose Sucker Salmon* Northern Pike Alaska Blackfish Alaska Whitefish Humpback Whitefish Alaskan Stickleback Ninespine Stickleback  Human history in the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes is at least 8000 years old. They lived by the Kobuk River and were mainly focused on fishing, hunting, and trapping for survival. It is fascinating to visit the thousand-year-old hunting camps on the edges of the sand dunes.  The golden and shifting Great Kobuk Sand Dunes are located a few miles away from the Kobuk River. Further, the sand dunes soar up to 100 miles in the air.   Kobuk Valley National Park Is Also The Land Of Iñupiaq Subsistence  https://www.instagram.com/p/BWdjyOBl_Lw/ Human life, which started in the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes 8000 years ago, is still thriving with the mantra of subsistence. The Iñupiaq people here use the available natural resources to fulfil their physical needs and safeguard their spiritual and cultural requirements.   For example, they depend on caribou and salmon to feed themselves and their dogs. At the same time, caribou skin hide is extensively used to make parka jackets to combat Arctic winter. They also make mukluks or boots using reindeer skin to walk through the snow.   Further, the local people made baskets using birch and willow. Moreover, in darkness, caribou tallow or seal oil were the only ingredients to light up their stone lamps.   Irrespective of the trade with the coastal communities, the “customary, traditional and non-commercial” use of natural resources is still important in the park.   Iñupiat Ilitqusiat And Respecting The Ecosystem   https://www.instagram.com/p/CzjboNfsc4Y/ Aboriginal people in the Kobuk Valley National Park are committed to passing on their values from generation to generation. The Iñupiat Ilitqusiat value asks them to transfer the knowledge and skill of hunting and everything about life.  In addition, this transfer of knowledge helps to make the most of various seasons and subsistence opportunities. For example, the caribou season comes to this park after the salmon season.   Earlier, Noatak Valley was the destination for these people during the caribou season, and even today, some families move to Noatak Valley. Again, summer camping around the Kobuk River is common for fishing, especially catching salmon and whitefish.   Summer is also the season for harvesting berries and wild greens for the local people.  If you want to learn about the local people and their values, you must be respectful and understand their seasonal activities as a part of their subsistence practices.   Overall, the Kobuk Valley National Park is not just a place to see sand dunes and wildlife. It is a tapestry of human lives depending on nature.   Things To Know Before You Visit The Kobuk Valley National Park   For me, the sand dunes and Iñupiaq subsistence practices are the most fascinating things in the Kobuk Valley National Park. However, keep the following information handy if you are to pay a visit anytime soon.   Mode of Transport: Authorized air taxis from Kotzebue or Bettles  Visitor Center: Northwest Arctic Heritage Center  Entrance Fee: Free  Permits Required:  Commercial Use Authorization or CUA for commercial activities, Research Permits, Filming and Photography Permits  Activities to Do: Boating, fishing, camping and backpacking, hiking, flight-seeing and exploring nearby attractions  Best Time to Visit: June to July   Area: 1,750,000 Acres  Established: 2nd December, 1980  Number of Visitors: 17,616 (2023) (National Park Service Data)  Snowfall, downpours, and extreme weather conditions can occur in any season of the year. So, follow the instructions shared at the visitor center and keep your gear ready for survival!  

BY  Arnab Jul 3, 2023

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