All aboard the Victoria Express!

Travel to Sapa in real style on the 10 hour overnight Victoria Express train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, and enjoy one of the world’s greatest rail experiences.

Located 380 km northwest of Hanoi among the Hong Lien mountain range near the Chinese border, Sapa is one of the most spectacular and unspoilt regions of Vietnam. The Victoria Sapa Resort, a low-rise French chalet-style property high up on a mountainside, is the only luxury hotel in the region, and the perfect base to explore the many local hill tribe minorities.

And what better way to get to this stunning colonial resort, than on board its luxury locomotive?

Elegant wooden carriages with plush seating and luxurious sleeping cabins hark back to colonial-era travel and offer guests traveling to the Victoria Sapa Resort a uniquely romantic and memorable journey. A comfortable night’s sleep is guaranteed in the train’s luxury sleeping carriages, each of which has five superior cabins (four berth) and two deluxe cabins (2 berth). All cabins are air-conditioned and wood paneled, with individual reading lights, baggage storage and toilets. Cabins also feature oversized windows allowing guests to really enjoy the lush, verdant scenes rushing past.

Speeding through the exotic landscapes of North Vietnam, between the charming cities of Hanoi and Lao Cai, passengers can admire the view comfortably from their seats, snooze in their cozy sleeping carriage, or wander down to Le Tonkin restaurant car for a fine selection of wines and traditional Vietnamese and Western dishes. All food served is freshly prepared, and French-trained Executive Chef, Alain Nguyen and his staff, offer a gourmet, 4-course meal. You can even bring your own wine along, so why not pick up a bottle in Hanoi before boarding?

The train departs six times a week and can accommodate 48 passengers. Reaching Sapa has never been more appealing.

Interested in jumping aboard? Have a look at our 5-day Sapa Mountain Retreat & Ethnic Market tour.

Victoria Express Train Schedule

Beginning 1st January 2007, all departures will be in the evening, and there will be no trains running on Saturdays. Departures from Hanoi to Lao Cai is at 22.00, while departures from Lao Cai to Hanoi is at 21.15. For more information, please contact us.

Bagan Ancient Lunar-cy :: Ananda Pagoda

The Ananda Pagoda, is said by many to be the finest, largest and best preserved of all Bagan’s 2,000 holy temples and monuments, and in January each year, hundreds flock to the site for the epic, 23 day celebrations.

The Ananda Pagoda, also known as Ananda Pahto, was built by King Kyansittha in the early Bagan Period (circa 12th Century), and is said to symbolize the limitless wisdom of the Buddha. The annual Ananda Pagoda Festival is a highlight of Myanmar’s cultural calendar, and is a spectacle that attracts locals, pilgrims and tourists from all over Bagan and beyond!

Like a country-fair, you can see locals roll up to the temple with bull carts and horse carts, and remain there for the duration of the festival. Red-robed monks line up with their alms bowls to receive rice and crops from merit makers. A lively market fills the temple’s grounds, and evening performances of ‘Zats’ and ‘Anyeints’ , traditional variety and slap-stick comedy shows, keep the crowd entertained.

Undoubtedly, the busiest and most interesting day of the celebration is the full-moon day of the lunar month. This special day, called Pyartho, is the main focus of the festival, and the consecration is a big crowd puller.

This year, the Ananda Pagoda Festival runs from 26th December until 17th January. It’s a great opportunity to witness a fascinating Buddhist ritual, and get a real insight into the living ancient culture of Myanmar.

Experience the beauty of Myanmar's famous temples and much more besides on the Mystical Myanmar tour, one of the most selective tours by the leading tour operator in Asia, Exotissimo Travel.

Lakes and boulevards - Hanoi, Vietnam

The phrase 'faded grandeur' could have been coined specifically for the city of Hanoi. Nowhere in is the architectural heritage of the past so well preserved.

Many of the grandiose villas and palaces built by the French are still in use today, mostly as government buildings. Wide, tree-lined boulevards skirt the misty lakes of the city and amongst it all are ancient temples and busy markets. is a truly fascinating and charming destination and few who visit fail to fall for the romance of the city.

The day begins in long before dawn as traders bring their goods into the city by bicycle and handcart, stocking the markets for the morning trade. The highlight is the impossibly colourful and vibrant flower market, a truly unforgettable experience for the early riser.

As the watery sun rises over the city and mist rises from the lakes, seemingly the entire population of the city takes to the lakesides, parks and streets for their morning exercise. Elderly citizens display astonishing suppleness and control as they practice Tai Chi in the dawn light.

As the sun warms the city, the real business of the day begins – business. The ‘Old Quarter’ of has been a shopper’s paradise since the 15^th century, when the 36 streets of 36 Guilds were first created. The guilds of craftsmen sold rice, silk and even gravestones in those days, but today you are more likely to find boutiques selling exquisite silk clothing, intricately embroidered table cloths, hand-painted wooden sandals or a fine art gallery. Many travelers to regard foraging for bargains around the Old Quarter as a highlight of their trip to Vietnam.

Hanoi has a burgeoning scene of trendy, up-market boutiques and designers, most of whom can be found around the carming Nha Tho (Church) Street. Modern day beatniks lounge in hip cappuccino bards while shoppers hunt for interesting finds in the small, independent boutiques like Ipa Nima, Song and Mosiäque. Almost all of life in is lived out on the street, and this is a wonderful area ofr people watching. You can even see traders who, like characters from Oliver Twist, call out their traditional songs of goods for sale.

After a few days, visitors may even begin to distinguish between the song of the noodle vendor, the shoeshine boy and the rat catcher!

Having explored the shops, the markets, the temples, the lakes and the cafes, what’s next? Lunch, of course! is a delight for the epicure, with thousands of delicious secrets to discover. Bobby Chinn’s offers some of ’s finest fusion cuisine, while the Press Club and le Beaulieu tempt fans of fine French food. But is famous for one dish above all others – ‘Cha Ca Hanoi’. This spiced fish is a cultural legend in Hanoi, and must rate as one of the world’s most unusual dishes, delicately flavoured as it is with a couple of drops of perfume extracted from the scent gland of a water beetle!

Dusk again brings a wonderful atmosphere to the city as young couples congregate beneath lakeside trees and the air is filled with delicious smells as street hawkers do a brisk trade in steaming noodle soup, plump dumplings and spicy sandwiches made with fresh warm baguettes.

If you would like to go and get a taste of this romantic atmosphere in this city or other seductive cities in Vietnam, may we recommend you to view sample tours by Exotissimo which may help you get an idea of your next trip?