English editor and marketing online at Hanoi Nonprofit Hostel

Our hostel and tour organizer are looking for a part-time employee to work at the hostel as english writter and editor for the company website and marketing online. He can be a tourguide in the free time aswell.

And looking forwards to have a long contract if posible, we can provide you free foods, accommodation if you need and give you chances to travel around Vietnam

We are looking for a young 20 - 25 years old, excited, knowledgeable, and friendly.

He or she can come from: UK, USA, AUS or countries which speak Enghlish as mother's language.

Feel free to contact me: 0946888804

Flexible working hours: in the morning, afternoon, part-time or full-time

Many thanks

Do Manh

www.hanoinonprofithostel.com

Characters of Vietnam Do Duc Manh - The Dream comes True

After 7 years working hard, finally i can open a hotel for by my own. This is not only a hotel , it also a home for everyone who wanted to get closer to a true Vietnamese people and cultures. And if you would like to know more about me and my family and to see how do i do to build my dream and why do i do this you can read the story below or visit the original like for the story. This is not an advertisement for me or the hotel. This's just to show how much do i love working in Vietnam tourism industrial and how much do i love my country and people. So i do hope that everyone will feel like me and together with me to keep the beautiful of Vietnam's images.

Do Duc Manh

Although Manh is just 25 years, his is a fascinating story, a story of great foresight, of exceptional entrepreneurial skill......


BACKGROUND

I met Manh in Mai Chau; the owner/operator of the small tourist bus on which I would travel to & from Hanoi to this enchanting village.

With my ankle broken I was positioned near Manh at the front of the bus. In an endeavour to make some conversation I asked him relatively straight forward questions about his life. I was intrigued by what he started to tell me. I asked if he would mind if I took some notes explaining I wrote posts ongt-rider........

He took some encouraging telling me: "It's difficult to talk about oneself, difficult to relive certain memories, but I know my mother, my family and the people who helped me will be happy to see this......." We would talk at length on that return leg to Hanoi; I recall how all those on the bus that day sat forward in their seats & listened in amazement.


THE STORY

In Manh's own words: "My parents divorced when I was 9 years old. At the time my oldest brother was in the military and my sister was planning to study at the Vietnam Police University. My brother sister & I were so sad - my brother, a good man, moved to Saigon & turned to drinking; my sister became depressed to the extent of needing hospitalisation.

The three of us lived with mum at the time; we were left with no land on which to live, no farm to work. My brother moved shortly afterwards to Sai Gon; my mum, sister & I moved to my mother parent's house but there was no room for us and we were not made welcome. By chance a farm worker let us stay for free in an unoccupied house he owned. My mum worked hard to take care of us. At times when she would cycle some 30km to the hospital in the city to see my sister and stay there for the night, I would stay at home alone. I remember we had nothing in the house except 1 bed & a few chairs, no television or radio because we had no electricity.

After a year my sister had recovered and she went to Sai Gon to work. She would meet the man to whom she is still married there. My mum & I moved to another village. She worked so hard at so many jobs but it was still not enough for us. I didn’t have any new clothes or books, in fact, everything I had was from my aunt. At 12 years of age I had to go to another aunt's house as, given it had electricity, it enabled me to do my homework and I could stay there. My mum was left at home alone; she would go to the pagoda to pray - pray for a better life for us all.

I had no any information concerning my dad, I couldn’t even remember his face. We did not see him after the divorce. Suddenly one day when I was 14 years old my dad unexpectedly arrived & would ask my mum if I could go with him. I wanted to stay with mum but given our lack of money I had to agree to go with dad. My dad took me to Lai Chau, a place I had not heard of before. I lived with him, he was not as bad as I thought but he was a gambler so sometimes we were full, sometimes not......" (sometimes we had money, the means to buy our needs, but sometimes not).

"After a year I started hearing rumours that my mum had entered Perfume Pagoda, cut her hair & would become a monk. Many times I wanted to run away, to go to work, but I couldn’t because I was thinking of my mum, how she loved me very much, how she wanted me to study."

Manh was a good student graduating from high school aged 17 years. With a love & aptitude for languages, he started studying for a degree in English at Lai Chau Teacher Training College. Although his initial thoughts were of a career in teaching, the possibility of an alternative career in tourism was never far from his mind.

Manh continued: "I decided to run away from Teacher Training College because I needed to make some money feeling that I could not continue my studies for 3 years knowing that my family had no money. I had found english to be a good subject so I decided to seek work in tourism. I had come to this decision recalling that as a child the father of one of my first friends could speak English & that he spoke to me in English & it enthralled me despite my being able to understand it all".

After only 3 months at university, & not wanting to shame his father through discontinuing his university studies, Manh felt the only honourable course of action was to run-away. He headed to Sapa knowing that he could gain experience there with the many tourists who travelled that way. He found a job as a housekeeper in a hotel, being paid 500,000vnd/month with his board & nourishment included, but he was on call 24/7 & worked long hours with no days off. The hotel, however, had a Vietnamese rather than foreigner clientele & so each night when he had an hour free, Manh would head out & undertake a 1hour course in english at Sapa Secondary School.

With his first pay Manh bought a warm jacket for his father & posted it to him. His father checked the postage stamps, determined it had come from Sapa & headed there to retrieve his son. Manh was taken back home, advised he was to return to his English studies when college restarted in 6 months & banned from going out.

As the 6 month wait neared Manh decided once again that he had to 'escape'. This time he wrote a note to his father urging his father not to look for him. His intention was to head to Da Lat where he had heard there were many tourists. Still only a boy at heart, Manh became frightened by the distance involved in travelling to the unknowns of Da Lat &, in reality, he did not have the funds to do so. He would once more decide to base himself in Sapa.

He found a job in a restaurant as a bar attendant which pleased him as it offered him the chance to practice his English. In Manh's own words: "I returned to Sapa and worked & worked & worked..… With some money saved & fearing my dad may again find me I decided to go to Dalat. I was also finding Sapa a little small, not offering the chance to study English for which I yearned". Some 8 months after returning to Sapa, Manh would encounter several monks who came from Da Lat & so decided to return with them to Da Lat. He would get only as far as Hanoi, a city had had not previously visited, before the fear set in. The monks would leave him at Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi's Old Quarter & he recalls that he only had 200,000vnd in his pocket. He began to search for accommodation only to find that rooms, for any length of time, started at a price beyond his total savings. So nearby the Metropolitan Hotel he approached a cyclo driver, explained his predicament to a sympathising ear & was offered accommodation at the cyclo's home for 4,000vnd/night.

Manh recalls that the house was crowded with other motorcyclists staying there & noisy under the constant aura of gambling. He asked if he could therefore sleep on the roof where there was a 60 year old lady who sold vegetables at the markets living. He recalls that she would leave at 2am each morning for the markets. He lived frugally on local-style meals costing around 5000vnd/meal.

After 2 days & having regained some sort of composure he returned to Hoan Kiem Lake where he bought a map for 10,000vnd on which all the hotels were marked with an 'H'. So off he set; he'd move from hotel to hotel until he got a job. He recalls his disappointment after the first half a dozen hotels knocked him back - they all wanted a stamped residency certificate (which he did not have as he'd run away) to prove he was not, for example a prison escapee or whatever. Distraught that employment was seemingly out of his reach he decided he would go & write a CV, a CV covering 'his story' - the fact that he simply wanted to work so that he could afford to study so that he could pursue his dream to work in tourism.

Armed with this CV he again pounded the pavement leaving a copy of the CV at every hotel he could find. It worked - after 4 days of foot slogging a hotel manager offered him a job in security. He was told to get a haircut & report for work the next morning. So excited was he that he rushed off for a haircut; so excited that he did not even ask the price....the haircut would cost 25,000vnd - never before had he paid more than 3,000vnd - which took every remaining dong he had!

He recalls returning to the cyclo's home where he was staying but before he could even explain his 'no money' predicament, but would pay after he received his first pay, the motorcyclist who'd offered him the accommodation said he'd decided that he would not charge him rent for the time that he'd stayed!

Manh told me that his new boss was a good man. Knowing that Manh had no money he advanced him 400,000vnd so that Manh could enrol in his English class & have something to live on before he received his first pay. Manh was given accommodation in the hotel - his room was a store room on the roof of approximately 3m2 in which a bunk bed was squeased. Manh told me: "I stayed there for 3 years & it became my paradise where I didn't have to pay rent & where no-one would disturb me whilst I studied." In addition Manh was given one free meal per day; for his second daily meal he would pay the hotel 200,000vnd/month. His salary was 800,000vnd/month

Whilst working in security Manh would meet Colin, a retired Scotsman, who would pass each day & give Manh an extra half an hour english lesson each day. Manh adds: "One day Colin and his friend took my sister, her son & I to Perfume Pagoda to see my mum. I was so happy to see her but it was also so very sad - I couldn’t call her mum, because it is the Pagoda rule. She took me to the wharf and stood there to say goodbye until we could not see each other. My sister & I cried all the way back. It was the first time I have seen my mother since she entered the pagoda".

Colin:




Manh learnt rapidly & within 6 months became the hotel receptionist. In his spare time he would accompany, unpaid, the tourists on various tours - to Halong Bay, Tam Coc & so on - so as to improve his english & also become familiar with the various sites that appealed to tourists. "I learnt so much from the guests", Manh tells me -he became so knowledgeable that he was quickly promoted to become the hotel's tour seller!

The promotions came quickly & he was still studying english & had even undertaken a basic course in french for 1 month. At this time he would meet his Japanese girlfriend also studying. He would stay with her for 3 years & at the same time study Japanese & become fluent in the language. She ultimately had to return to Japan but Manh would keep studying, hoping one day to have the funds to travel to Japan. She, as an only child, had a family wanting her to stay in Japan & marry; he without the necessary funds could not support her.....love could not withstand the pressure.

Manh's mum & his (ex) Japanese girlfriend:




The incident prompted Manh to look for ways to ease his mind & he decided to open his own tourist office using everything he'd been able to save from 4 years of work with no going out, no drinking, not smoking...... Now 22 years of age he still required some funding & his Scottish friend, believing Manh could succeed but was severely undercapitalised, came to his aid lending him 50,000,000vnd. The office performed satisfactorily but his former boss who had been so good to him called & asked that he return as manager of the hotel where Manh had started work. It would be for 6 months before the property was to be reclaimed by its owners but Manh took on the job notwithstanding.

With the closure of the hotel Manh found himself approached by 2 investors who wanted him to manage a hotel that they were opening. A youth hostel concept operating from a building on a short-term (1 year) lease only, it performed so well that the investors decided to open a 2nd after only 9 months of operation.



In a disagreement with the owners who sought higher rates of return which Manh felt could undermine the concept, Manh decided it was time again to move forwards. He made the decision to look for a need in the tourist industry that no-one was servicing - he noticed that there was no regular, daily transport system between Hanoi & Mai Chau. He put all his resources into buying a small bus, obtained his bus drivers licence & opened for business. It was October 2010.

The first month he had only 1 client, but it moved to 30/month in the second month - still not enough to deliver a profit. Manh persisted & was soon moving a full busload of tourists up to Mai Chau & another full load back down to Hanoi each day.

It occurred to Manh that if he was moving all the tourists he could perhaps funnel them staying into a hotel, his hotel, if he could open one. So he rented a stilt-house in Lac village & opened Mai Chau Nature Lodge putting his elder sister into cook & his brother to clean. Its proved a winning combination & Manh has now opened a second, more upmarket, 'resort' in the area. He now has drivers & a number of skilled guides around him. With a massive wrap in the latest edition of Lonely Planet business is set to boom (something he was truly surprised to hear me say).

Now married to a local girl he intriguingly met in his Japanese class he is expecting their first child in May.

Manh summarises matters as follows: "In working in tourism I am making more money but that is not what I really want. I am so sad to see the people trying to get money from the travellers - the selling ladies around Hoan Kiem lake, motorbikes, the photo takers in Tam Coc or little kids selling souvenirs in Sapa. Vietnam has a great culture, but after we opened the country to tourism many vietnamese disregarded their cultural heritage of niceness. People became selfish, always in a hurry …......I am concerned that this is destroying the good image of Vietnam.

Nowadays I feel that I have achieved half of my dream - I can provide for myself & have rebuilt the family and the connection between its members. The balance of my dream is to open a Non-Profit travel center where I can help people get more information about Vietnam and also provide people with the opportunity to connect to the Vietnamese people themselves.

I did have to think a lot before saying all this. I cant keep the tears when I talk about the family especially my mum. But thank you very much too! Thanks to you I have chance to say myself and say thank you to my family and people who helped me a lot".

the original page: http://www.gt-rider.com/thailand-motorcycle-forum/showthread.php/36275-Characters-of-Vietnam-DO-DUC-MANH

Last edited by Rod Page; 27th March 2012 at 10:32 PM.

The Hostel's Lobby

The Triple room

The Dormitory Room

The Twins Room

The Double Room

The morning view

The City View at night

Please visit us at: www.hanoinonprofithostel.com

Beautiful pictures travel mai chau

About Mai Chau The Thais originated from southern China and have the same origins as the Zhuang, Tay and Nung minorities. Under pressure from the Han Dynasty in the north and east, Thais gradually migrated south and southwest to Vietnam from the 7th to13th century. They initially moved to around Dien Bien Phu, 250kms from Mai Chau. From here, they moved all around Southeast Asia, including Laos, Thailand, Burma and even India. In 1880, the French started to colonize Vietnam and established borders between Vietnam, China and Laos. By 1953, the French general, Navarre, had set up his headquarters in Dien Bien Phu. He picked Dien Bien Phu because of its importance on the way to Laos and Cambodia, which were also under French control. In addition, the French used the high ground to their advantage with their airplanes, which the Vietnamese army, known as Viet Minh army then, did not have. Mai Chau was used by the Viet Minh army on their way to the final battle at Dien Bien Phu. The locals supported the Viet Minh with night transportation, to hide from the French. Caves in Mai Chau were used to shelter troops and supplies. After the defeat of the French on May 7, 1954 at Dien Bien Phu, the Northern Vietnamese government aided Mai Chau. Ethnic majority Vietnamese families moved to Mai Chau to improve farming skills, education and technology. Mai Chau Information Area: 564km²            Population: 55,000 Minorities: Thai, H’mong, Muong Agriculture: Rice, Corn, Cassava, Bamboo Livestock: Cow, Buffalo, Pig, Goat, Chicken, Duck, Fish Thai Culture Thai villages are famous for their communal living. Families help each other with building houses, working in the fields and eat meals together. Even the traditional alcohol, ruou can, is drunk in a group through long straws. Dancing is a part of life and festivals. The dances symbolize their daily dreams, health, happiness, prosperity and love. Thai architecture is unique with its stilt house (nha san) made of bamboo and other wood. These techniques originated in the past to protect against floods and wild animals. Mai Chau is famous for showcasing this culture.

source: http://hanoinonprofithouse.com/maichau-tours.html

City Tour Viet Nam

Activities: Cruise on the bamboo boat, cycling in the beautiful countryside

Visit:  First Vietnam Capital in 968, beautiful countryside, grottos

Hanoi capital is located on the banks of the Red River with tranquil Hoan Kiem Lake at its heart, Hanoi is the capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. North of the lake are the bustling streets of the Old Quarter, each street named after the trade that used to take place there. Sightseeing with a Local Guide; water puppets performance; visit Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh Museum, Presidential Palace, and Temple of Literature, Ethnology Museum, take a “cyclo” ride through the Old Quarter.

  ITINERARY

AM: 08:00-08:30 Our guide & driver will pick you up at your hotel in Hanoi Old Quater. Then visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum. Enjoy the architectural and historical aspects of Uncle Ho’s final resting-place. Just next door is Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. Lying to one side of the Mausoleum is the One Pillar Pagoda, founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049 the structure has become an important symbol for the people of Hanoi . Continue to visit the Quan Thanh Temple ( Taoist – dating from the Ly Dynasty ) and Buddhist Tran Quoc Pagoda on West lake ( One of the oldest in Vietnam ). Lunch.

PM: After lunch proceed to visit the Ethnology Museum, continue to visit the Literature Temple and Quoc Tu Giam. Vietnam’s first university constructed in 1070,  it’s gardens and well-preserved architecture offers a relaxing glimpse into Vietnam’s past.  We will take you past Hoan Kiem Lake – see the peaceful waters – and visit Ngoc Son temple. For the end of the tour journey visit by coach trip along the Hanoi Old Quarter.  Free for shopping.

Tour ends around at 15:30. If you book Deluxe Tour, you will enjoy Water Puppet Show from 15:30 to 16:15, and then back your hotel around at 16:45

Note:

·         Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum close from 7th Sep to 6th Nov 2012.

·         On Monday and friday morning, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ethnic museums are closed. Bat Trang pottery village will be arranged as substitution.

·         On Saturday and Sunday~ enjoy the water puppet show in Museum of Ethnology and 01 hour visiting the Old Quarter by Cyclo.

All rates are US Dollar per person.
Included: Full transfers by A/C tourist car, entrance fee, lunch, English speaking guide.
Excluded: Accommodation, Visa arrangement, drinks, travel insurance, personal expenses.

* Children rates:

·         Free of charge for children under 4 years sharing bed with parents.

·         Surcharge 50% rate of adult for children (5-11 years) sharing bed with parents.

·         Over 11 years is adult’s rate.

* The itinerary can be changed due to weather, tide levels and operating conditions.
* Special request (diet or vegetarian, …) should be sent before your departure date.

Note:

·         16-seater bus used for 12-14 passengers

·         24-seater bus used for a maximum of 18 passengers

·         29-seater bus used for 18-20 passengers

sources: http://hanoinonprofithouse.com/index.php?route=static/static&staticid=45&catid=35

About Ha Noi

Landmarks

As the capital of Vietnam for almost a thousand years, Hanoi is considered one of the main cultural centres of Vietnam, where most Vietnamese dynasties have left their imprint. Even though some relics have not survived through wars and time, the city still has many interesting cultural and historic monuments for visitors and residents alike. Even when the nation's capital moved to Huế under the Nguyễn Dynasty in 1802, the city of Hanoi continued to flourish, especially after the French took control in 1888 and modeled the city's architecture to their tastes, lending an important aesthetic to the city's rich stylistic heritage. The city hosts more cultural sites than any city in Vietnam, and boasts more than 1,000 years of history, and that of the past few hundred years has been well preserved.

                                                                -The Huc brigde-

Hanoi Old Quarter

The Old Quarter, near Hoan Kiem lake, has the original street layout and architecture of old Hanoi. At the beginning of the 20th century the city consisted of only about 36 streets, most of which are now part of the old quarter. Each street then had merchants and households specialized in a particular trade, such as silk traders, jewellery, etc. The street names nowadays still reflect these specializations, although few of them remain exclusively in their original commerce. The area is famous for its small artisans and merchants, including many silk shops. Local cuisine specialties as well as several clubs and bars can be found here also. A night market (near Đồng Xuân market) in the heart of the district opens for business every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening with a variety of clothing, souvenirs and food.

Some others prominent places are: The Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu), site of the oldest university in Vietnam 1010; One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột); Flag Tower of Hanoi (Cột cờ Hà Nội). In 2004, a massive part of the 900 year old Hanoi Citadel was discovered in central Hanoi, near the site of Ba Dinh Square.

Lakes

A city between the rivers, built from lowland, Hanoi has many scenic lakes and it is sometimes called "city of lakes". Among its lakes, the most famous areHoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, Halais Lake (Hồ Thiền Quang in Vietnamese), and Bay Mau Lake. Hoan Kiem Lake, also known as Sword Lake, is the historical and cultural center of Hanoi, and is linked to the legend of the magic sword. West Lake (Hồ Tây) is a popular place for people to spend time. It is the largest lake in Hanoi and there are many temples in the area. There are small boats for hire and a floating restaurant.

Colonial Hanoi

Under French rule, as an administrative centre for the French colony of Indochina, the French colonial architecture style became dominant, many examples remain today: the tree-lined boulevards (e.g. Phan Dinh Phung street) and its many villas and mansions, Grand Opera House, State Bank of Vietnam (formerly The Bank of Indochina), Presidential Palace (formerly Palace of the Governor-General of French Indochina), Saint Joseph Cathedral, and the historic Hotel Metropole. Many of the colonial structures are an eclectic mixture of French and traditional Vietnamese architectural styles, such as the National Museum of Vietnamese History, the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts and the old Indochina Medical College.

Museums

Hanoi is also home to a number of museums:

-  National Museum of Vietnamese History

-  Hanoi Hostel

-  Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts

-  Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

-  Vietnam Museum of Revolution

-  Hanoi Hilton (Hoa Lo Prison)

-  Ho Chi Minh Museum

-  Contemporary Arts Centre

-  Vietnam Military History Museum

-  The Hanoi Museum (currently under construction until 2010)

    (Wikipedia copyrights Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanoi)

Hanoi Hotels & Hanoi Hostels:

·         Hanoi Elegance Hotel

·         Hanoi Art Hotel

·         Hanoi Tu Linh Palace

·         Hanoi Especen Hotel

·         Hanoi Backpackers Hostel

·         Little Hanoi Hostel

·         Hanoi Driff Backpackers Hostel

·         Hanoi Nonprofit House

·         Hanoi Calypso Hotel

Hanoi Restaurants & Cooking Class

.         Quan An Ngon Phan Boi Chau

.         Highways 4

.         Cha ca La Vong

.         Banh Tom Ho Tay

.         Bun Cha Hang Manh

.         Bun Bo Nam Bo

Ha Noi Classic Tours

.         Hanoi City Tour

.         Bat Trang Ceramic Village

.         Cyclo Tour

Sources: http://hanoinonprofithouse.com/index.php?route=static/static&staticid=50&catid=35