Although it was burned into the world's consciousness, mainly due to the brutal Vietnam War that took place between 1964-1973, in today's North Vietnam - there is almost no trace of that war.
On a trip to the country, I met a green, beautiful agricultural land rich in water and simple, hardworking people who work the land and make a living from its produce, and indescribable beauty.
The population of Vietnam consists of over 50 different ethnic groups, including the Hmong and the Tai tribes.
All of these constitute a fascinating and unique cultural mosaic.
In a photography trip I recently led, we traveled for 12 days in the northern part of Vietnam during the most fascinating time of the year in September: the end of the monsoon season and the beginning of the rice harvest in the villages.
An amazing reflection in the village of Tam Kok, Ninh Bin (photo: surfers' photos, Ortal Sabar)
A farmer plows the land with oxen in the village of Mu Cang Chai (photo: surfers' photos, Ortal Zabar)
Asia's most magnificent cultivated topography
In the village of Mu Cang Chai (Mu Cang Chai) you will find the most magnificent cultivated topography of Asia.
We discovered there rice terraces that wind like ribbons around the hills and create a spectacularly beautiful effect.
Terraces sculpted over hundreds of years by small growers.
When we arrived at this wonderful land, it seemed to us that we had entered a Van Gogh painting, as if the hand of an artist had painted with a brush the terraces in shades of green and yellow with indescribable perfection.
More in Walla!
Good morning Vietnam: War scars have become a hot tourist destination
Erwin Feller in collaboration with Pegasus
Rice terraces winding like ribbons around the hills.
Mo Chang Chai (photo: surfers' photos, Ortel Zabar)
The terraces were sculpted over hundreds of years by small towers (Photo: Surfer Photos, Ortal Zabar)
The rice terraces in Mu Chang Chai (photo: surfers' photos, Ortel Zabar)
A tourist trap who can't resist the charm
We climbed to the top of the Mam Xoi terrace - from there we have an amazing view of the terraces.
If you have difficulty climbing, a group of motorcyclists is waiting to drive you to the top for a nominal fee (a short ride of less than km).
At the top, smiling Hmong girls in their traditional clothes came to meet us. They tried to sell us bracelets, traditional clothes and textiles made by themselves. The small children, and their special beauty, are also used as a tourist trap who cannot stand their charm.
In these wonderful paths and hills, the Hmong people walked for hundreds of years and created a network of paths up the valleys and to the mountains connecting the different villages.
The children and their special beauty are used as a tourist trap.
A member of the Black Hmong tribe in traditional clothes (Photo: Golish photos, Ortal Zabar)
A sweet girl from the Hmong tribe (photo: surfers' photos, Ortal Zabar)
The Hmong girls dressed me in traditional clothes (photo: surfer photos, Ortal Zabar)
An older peddler from the Black Hmong girls (photo: surfers' photos, Ortal Zabar)
Sapa - a deep valley of magnificent rice terraces
Sapa is in the northwest of Vietnam, along the border with China.
It is located at the top of a deep valley of spectacular rice terraces, which are still cultivated today as they have been for centuries.
The setting is spectacular in its beauty.
The roads wind their way to the valley floor, with rivers of white water flowing between rice paddies and lush green mountains stretching into the distance.
Today's Sapa is a tourist town for all intents and purposes, and at its foot are the traditional villages.
Above the town of Sapa rises Mount Fansipan (Fansipan) to a height of 3,143 meters.
In recent years, they built a cable car there that takes visitors to the top.
The setting is spectacular in its beauty.
Sapa (photo: surfer photos, Ortal Zabar)
An elderly peddler in Sapa.
The age determines the size of the earrings (photo: surfers' photos, Ortal Zabar)
The West has not penetrated here
At the foot of the town we discovered amazing agricultural villages, where the beautiful rice terraces are cultivated as well as corn and tea fields.
We visited four different and fascinating villages, each one different from the previous one: Lao Chai, Ta Van, Ta Phin and Cat Cat.
The first three are more authentic and in them all the signs of the traditional life of the villagers have been preserved.
Impressive locations in the tourist village of Cat Cat (Cat Cat) is a tourist village - a living museum - which includes tourist attractions and recreation of village life, overlooking a breathtaking view.
The first tribes that inhabited the hills of Sapa, arrived in the area from China around 500 BC.
Their main occupation is agriculture with an emphasis on growing rice.
We were amazed to see how the tribesmen preserved their customs and culture and did not allow western culture to penetrate them and affect their lifestyles, thanks to their distance and isolation in northern Vietnam.
Most of the villages are inhabited by members of one tribe.
The tribes differ from each other in their style of clothing, their way of life and their customs.
When we arrived in Lao Chai, we were surprised to see how the whole village had mobilized for the work of harvesting and gathering the rice: between the terraces, the men and women of the village were working on the harvest, others were transporting the stalks on motorcycles to the place where an old machine was operating, which separated the rice from the stalks, and collected it into sacks.
The harsh living conditions of the mountain tribes forced them to maintain a tough tradition.
We met children who helped their parents in farming and field work and looking after their younger siblings.
Some of the women lack basic education, and some have been engaged since the age of 14, and can find themselves from a young age in their partner's family home, when they are considered the property of the family that paid a dowry for them.
The pregnant woman and her husband pack the sacks of rice (Photo: Surfers Photos, Ortal Zabar)
The Buddha statue on the top of Mount Fansipan (photo: surfer photos, Ortal Zabar)
Ha Long Bay
Another crazy location that should not be missed is Ha Long Bay, located 160 km from Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. In the bay there are thousands of islands formed from amazing limestone rocks, special rock formations and stalactite caves that were shaped over millions of years by wind and water, and they are breathtaking. You can get there by boat daily, and you can spend the night on one of the luxurious ships for a night or two, and sail between the various islands. In the bay area you will also find small stalactite caves that are reached by rowing boats, managed by local women who row with their hands and feet.
Impressive locations in the tourist village of Kat Kat (photo: surfers' photos, Ortal Zabar)
Women rowing boats in the rivers (photo: surfers' photos, Ortal Zabar)
Nin Bin - Tam Cook
Ninh Binh, known as 'Ha Long Bay on Earth' thanks to the magical river view with clear limestone mountains rising from the fields.
Take a one or two hour boat ride along the rivers overlooking the impressive mountains.
If you fancy a bird's-eye view of Ninh Binh at Hang Mua Temple, climb 500 steps carved into the mountain to a vantage point that offers a surreal view of the river winding between fields and limestone outcrops.
Nin Bin, Tam Kook (Photo: Surfers Photos, Ortal Zabar)
Foot rowing in the Batam Kok river (photo: surfers' photos, Ortal Zabar)
Hanoi - over 80 percent humidity
Hanoi is one of the most humid cities I have ever met - over 80 percent humidity.
However, this does not diminish the charm and attraction of the city that preserved the ancient quarter, the monuments and the colonial architecture, while giving room for modern developments.
The city has not forgotten its past, as evidenced by sites such as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.
Lakes, parks, shady boulevards and more than 600 temples and pagodas add to the attractiveness of this city.
That weekend when we arrived in Hanoi, the country celebrated its independence day.
The city center was closed to vehicular traffic and was crowded with crowds of young men and women who came from all over Vietnam to celebrate in the capital city with music, drinks and food.
On the edge of the beautiful sword lake in the center of the city, a group of musicians sat on the sidewalk playing pleasant rhythmic music, and the lake is decorated with colorful lamps that contributed to the festive atmosphere that prevailed in the city.
Food is an integral part of the charm of Hanoi, and you will find food stalls serving different and unusual foods and a variety of restaurants on every corner of the street.
There are also food tours that are worth doing.
Anyone who comes to Hanoi knows that two-wheelers are an integral part of Hanoi's identity.
Did you know that in Hanoi alone there are 8 million two-wheelers out of 9 million inhabitants?
Try to cross the road here - not an easy task.
Works in a home factory of incense sticks, North Vietnam (photo: Surfers Photos, Ortal Zabar)
The Red Bridge on the Sword River in Hanoi (photo: surfers' photos, Ortal Zabar)
Monuments and colonial architecture, alongside modern developments.
The lakeside in Hanoi (Photo: Surfer Photos, Ortal Zabar)
8 million two-wheelers in one city.
Riders in Hanoi (photo: surfer photos, Ortal Zabar)
In the morning, when we left our hotel, we met women sitting on the sidewalk opening a small "basta" - selling their wares to passers-by - vegetables, fruits, meat, spices and other various and odd products, most of which we did not recognize.
The economy of the Vietnamese is largely based on vegetables and rice, which they cook in a variety of ways: noodles, rice porridge, steamed rice and more, and all these in combination with meat, chicken and fish make Vietnamese cuisine rich, interesting and delicious.
There are many more experiences from Vietnam, which the canvas is short to describe.
It is worth dedicating at least three weeks to experience it from north to south.
Ortal Zabar - nature and environment photographer in Israel and around the world.
Visit
her website.
tourism
Travels in the world
Asia
Tags
Vietnam
Travels in the world