The Hanoi train

The route is designed to offer visitors a deep dive into Hanoi’s cultural heritage while also enabling exploration of nearby attractions.

The Hanoi Train

Hanoi (VNA) – Hanoi’s Department of Tourism, in collaboration with the Vietnam Railways Corporation (VRC), has launched a survey aimed at developing a new inner-city and suburban railway tourism product that connects the capital’s key cultural and historical sites.

The proposed route will include stops at Hanoi Station, Long Bien Station, Gia Lam Station, the Gia Lam Train Factory, and Co Loa Station. These locations span cultural, historical, and creative industry hubs across the city, and are expected to form the backbone of a distinctive heritage rail experience.

The route is designed to offer visitors a deep dive into Hanoi’s cultural heritage while also enabling exploration of nearby attractions.

Along this route, each stop will be transformed into a cultural space with live performances and interactive experiences that tell the distinct stories of each destination. Travel companies have proposed incorporating Hanoi’s cultural elements, such as traditional music performances, signature dishes, and craft stalls, directly into the train itself, creating a mobile cultural exhibition.

Tour operators also suggested bundling rail travel with accommodation and sightseeing services to offer comprehensive packages. They recommended adjusting train schedules and aligning the operating hours of heritage sites to better serve tourists.

To support the initiative, the railway sector is considering the renovation of Long Bien, Gia Lam, and Co Loa stations into cultural spaces and venues for exhibitions and public events. A dedicated railway museum is also planned at the Gia Lam Train Factory.

The new inner-city and suburban heritage rail route is expected to offer an innovative and engaging way to experience Hanoi. A double-decker tourist train named “Hanoi – Five City Gates” is scheduled to debut on August 19 to mark the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2), as well as the 71st anniversary of Hanoi’s Liberation Day (October 10)./.

A cultural experience train journey is operated from Hanoi Station to Gia Lam Station as part of the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023.

The Hanoi Train – Launching August 19 2025

Vietnam’s first double-decker heritage train is here! With 10 carriages, including 5 themed after Hanoi’s iconic city gates (Ô Quan Chưởng, Ô Cầu Dền, Ô Đống Mác, Ô Cầu Giấy, Ô Chợ Dừa), The Hanoi Train offers a unique cultural journey.

🕰️ Daily Departures from Hanoi Station:

8:00 AM | 2:00 PM | 8:30 PM

Stops: Long Biên, Gia Lâm, Yên Viên, Từ Sơn (Bắc Ninh) 🎶 

Onboard: live music, mini exhibitions, and cozy cultural spaces that bring Hanoi’s memories to life. 📸 

Hop on for a vibrant ride through history—day or night!

:o

:-((

:-h

10 Animals Found In Vietnam

Pangolins, tigers, lemurs, and gibbons are just some of the animals that are native to Vietnam.

Vietnam is among the most naturally diverse countries in Asia. The country’s coastlines, caves, mountain ranges, swamps, rivers, and tropical forests provide a habitat for wildlife but habitat loss and poaching are serious challenges facing the wildlife of the country. There are four UNESCO biosphere reserves and 30 national parks in Vietnam all of which are under the protection of the government. The following are some of the animals found in Vietnam.

1. Sunda Pangolin

The Sunda/Malayan pangolin is one of the species of pangolin that is found across Southeast Asia. The pangolin is found in Laos, Singapore, Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, Brunei, Vietnam, and Thailand. It prefers living in forests and plantations. The pangolin is among the most trafficked animals on the planet, a factor that is threatening the population of wild pangolins and pushing them to extinction.

2. Edward's Pheasant

The Edwards’s Pheasant is a bird native to Central Vietnam. It is critically endangered and was extinct in the wilderness after the population was decimated during the Vietnam War. The bird was saved from total extermination by the domesticate population that was reintroduced to the wild.They are rarely seen in the wild but it estimated that there are about 50-249 individuals.

3. Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey

The Tonkin snub-nosed monkey is listed among the most endangered species of primates in the world. It is the largest primate in Vietnam and the most endangered. It was once considered extinct until a wild population was discovered in 1989. The Tonkin snub-nose is native to northern Vietnam. They are found in forests in altitudes of between 700 to 3,900 ft. There are about 250 left in the wilderness of Vietnam.

4. Spinner Dolphin

Spinner dolphins get their name from their behavior of leaping and spinning above the water. They live in social groups of about 20-30 members. The spinner dolphins are found in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In Vietnam, they can be seen along the coast of the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. Their association with yellow-tuna makes them a considerable bycatch. Their number along the coast of Vietnam has reduced threefold with no sign of recovery.

5. Slow Loris

The slow loris is found in the Vietnam, China, and Cambodia. It inhabits the evergreen, semi-evergreen, and tropical forest. It is a nocturnal and arboreal animal moves from one branch to another in search of prey. The slow loris feeds on insects, fruits, floral nectar, and tree sap. During the Vietnam War, the clearing and extensive burning destroyed the habitat of the slow loris. Today, hunting, trade, and destruction of habitat threaten them.

6. Red-shanked Douc

The red-shanked douc is among the most colorful monkey species and is sometimes referred to as the "costumed ape". They are found in Laos and Vietnam but a small population has been sighted in Northern Cambodia. The population in Laos is significantly larger to that of Vietnam because of the conservation efforts in the country. In Vietnam, they are found in Kon Tum and Nghe An Province where they inhabit dense forests. They are hard to come by because they prefer living at the canopy of tall trees away from predators.

7. Black Crested Gibbon

The black crested gibbon is a rare species with a continuous distribution in Northwestern Laos, Southwestern China, and Northern Vietnam. Its habitat consists of dense deciduous, evergreen, or semi-evergreen forests especially those located at high altitudes. The Black crested gibbon was once widely distributed across Central Asia but poaching and habitat destruction have threatened the animals to near extinction. The global population is estimated at less than 2,000 with only 100 in Vietnam.

8. Sunda Flying Lemur

The Sunda/Malayan flying lemur is not a lemur and does not fly as the name suggest. It is a species of colugo and one of the two flying lemurs, the other being the Philippine flying lemur of the Philippines. The Sunda flying lemur is also found in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia. This animal glides with help of a thin membrane that stretches from from its face to the tips of its fingers before extending right down to the end of its tail.

9. Orca

Orcas or killer whales are the largest of the dolphin family. They are fierce predators with the ability to hunt and kill young whales. In Vietnam, orcas can be found in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. They eat fish, porpoises, seals, dolphins, and sea lions. However, some orcas specialize in a particular prey and are not likely to switch diet. The orcas of Vietnam are threatened by the pollution, whaling, boat and ship accidents, and in some cases, they are trapped in nets left by fishermen in the open sea.

10. Tiger

8 UNFORGETTABLE WILDLIFE EXPERIENCES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos are home to some magnificent scenery, including lofty mountains, lush jungles, wide plains, vast lakes and verdant river deltas. This amazingly varied topography has allowed a diverse array of wildlife to flourish – from great elephants to delicate orchids.

There are a great variety of ways to get out into the countryside and interact with all this wildlife – but we’ve chosen a few of our favourite experiences to get you started:

1. Spot dolphins on the Mekong

Vietnam is one of only a few places in the world to spot the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin in its natural habitat. Heading out from Kratie in Cambodia, you’ll float out on a small boat skippered by a local fisherman to an area 15 kilometres north of the town – one of the best places on the Mekong to catch a glimpse of these elusive mammals.

The Irrawaddy dolphin population once numbered around 1,000 in this area, but after being hunted for their oils during the civil war there are now thought to be only 70 left.

Spot dolphins on the Mekong

2. See baby turtles hatch in Con Dao

The Con Dao Islands are a tiny pocket of paradise just an hour’s flight from Ho Chi Minh City. Most of the islands in the archipelago have national park status, and on the main island there is a protected breeding site where visitors can watch as hawksbill and green turtles inch their way up the beach to lay their eggs. Visit at the right time, and you may even be able to assist in the release of recent hatchlings!

N.B. The nesting season is from April to September.

A turtle on the beach on Con Dao Island

3. Go bird-watching on the Tonle Sap Lake

Snakebird spotted at Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia.

Tonle Sap is Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake, located at the heart of Cambodia. During peak season, the lake swells to an incredible six times its average dry-season size, engulfing the surrounding fields and forests and concealing the teetering supports of the area’s stilt houses.

For those with an ornithological bent, Tonle Sap is a great place to spot all kinds of bird life, including black-headed ibis, painted storks, milky storks, greater and lesser adjutants, spot-billed pelicans, grey-headed fish eagles, cormorants and snakebirds. Visit the Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary for a chance of spotting these fascinating creatures.

4. Gibbon sanctuary in Nam Cat Tien National Park

On “Monkey Island”, deep in Vietnam’s Nam Cat Tien National Park, is the Dao Tien Endangered Primate Species Centre. An offshoot of a UK-based NGO, this sanctuary rescues gibbons, loris and langurs from poachers or the pet trade, rehabilitates them in large enclosures and compounds, then releases them back into the wild. Depending on the animal and its history, this process may take a number of years.

Since the focus of the sanctuary is on rehabilitation, visitors cannot have close contact with the primates – but you can view them from a distance and watch them interact in their natural environment.

One of the gibbons at Nam Cat Tien

5. Meet the elephants in Cambodia & Laos

One of the most exciting, hands-on wildlife experiences to enjoy in Southeast Asia is a meeting with the largest land animal in the world: the elephant. We have three favourite elephant sanctuaries where you can rest assured that the elephants are happy, healthy and well looked-after.

In Mondulkiri, Cambodia, the Walking with Elephants Project exists to provide a home for retired working elephants – as well as to protect the natural habitat of the country’s few remaining wild elephants.

In Laos, meanwhile, animal-lovers can head to the Elephant Village, a conservation project 40 minutes from Luang Prabang, or the Sayaboury Elephant Conservation Centre, which is supported by the non-profit charity ElefantAsia. Feed, ride, wash, and learn about these amazing animals while helping to support conservation efforts!

A resident of the sanctuary in Sayaboury.

6. Visit a bear sanctuary in Phnom Tmao

Run by the charity Free the Bears, this sanctuary 40 kilometres from Phnom Penh in Cambodia rescues bears from restaurants, poachers, hotels, bile farms and the pet trade. The sanctuary has 21 enclosures built over seven hectares of land, housing a mixture of over 100 sun bears and Asiatic black bears. All of the enclosures are spacious, with climbing frames, toys and vegetation to keep the bears occupied and happy.

A rescued bear at Phnom Tmao.

7. Night safari in Nam Cat Tien

Visit Nam Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam for one of the best wildlife experiences around – a night safari through the jungle and the Nui Trong grasslands, where your guide will use a spotlight to search for wildlife from your jeep. Amongst other animals, you might spot samba deer, wild boar, civets, fishing cats, loris, pangolin, gaur and nocturnal birds.

The Forest Floor Lodge in the national park offers eco-accommodation and runs night safaris, as well as exciting day treks to nearby Crocodile Lake.

Nam Cat Tien National Park as the sun begins to set.

8. Diving at Nha Trang or Con Dao

Last but not least, Southeast Asia has an incredible array of underwater life – and you can get up close and personal with it on a scuba diving trip to the magnificent reefs surrounding Vietnam. Our favourite spots for snorkelling and scuba are found at Nha Trang in central Vietnam, and the Con Dao Islands.