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History: The Black H'mong immigrated from China approximately 300 years ago.

Language: The spoken language belongs to the H'mong - Dao language family. The H'mong writing was romanized in 1961 but is not widely used today.

Costume: The Black H'mong women are famous for making cloth from hemp and dying it a deep indigo blue. They wear long blouses decorated with batik flowers over short trousers, and wrap long scarves around their legs. They wrap their long hair around their head and wear a blue turban. The men wear long jackets with shirts and a long waist coat embroidered at the collar, and a small hat. Today some H'mong wear Viet or western clothes.

Social organisation: H'mong women are respected in their community as being equal with H'mong men. Husbands and wives are very affectionate and do many of their tasks together like going to the market, working on the field and visiting relatives. In this way, they help each other to develop a strong community life.

Marriage: For the Black H'mong it is important that a girl knows how to embroider and work well in the field. These skills are more important than her beauty. Boys and girls are allowed to get to know each other before they get married. They go to the love market where they eat and sing songs together. After this time, the boy can propose marriage and if the girl agrees, she goes to live in his house. She is put in a small room and visited by the boy’s mother and sisters who give her food to persuade her to accept the marriage.

The boy must give the bride's family silver coins, pigs, chicken and rice wine for the wedding ceremony. The bride has some time to decide if she accepts the marriage - even after living with her husband for a few days, she can choose to break their agreement. If the boy doesn’t have a dowry to give to the girl’s family, he lives in her house until he is able to marry her.

Funeral: When there is a death in the family, the deceased’s children fire a gun to let everyone in the area know. People in the village come to deceased’s house with anything they have - chicken, rice, a small pig or rice wine - to help the family. Everybody sings and eats until the deceased is wrapped in a mat and carried to a grave by one group, while a coffin, which has been kept in a cave somewhere near the grave, is carried by another. Both groups have to run very fast to meet at the grave to make the deceased forget the way home. If the deceased’s family is not able to supervise the funeral rituals, they can wait for a few years before organising a special one called ma kho. They invite people in the village to a place by the grave for the funeral for a celebration, at which they sing and dance.

Beliefs: Many places are reserved for worshipping in a H'mong house - there's a place for ancestors, for the house spirit, for the kitchen spirit, even the door spirit. There are different rituals which forbid people to walk into the H'mong house or their villages. For example, a green tree branch on the front door indicates that entrance is forbidden.

Artistic activities: The Black H'mong are very good at making agricultural tools, wooden furniture, musical instruments and jewelry. They are also famous for their handicraft and embroidery. They generally only make such items to meet their own needs, but other minorities in the area buy their produce because of its high quality. Since the advent of tourism in Sappa, many H'mong women make decorated cloth to sell on the town's main streets.

Festivals: Like the other minorities, the Black H'mong have lots of different festivals during the year. They ensure that there is always time for community activities, which play an important role in their life. One of the most important festivals is the New Year, which they celebrate for an entire month. It happens about one month earlier than Vietnamese Tet. During this time, boys play flutes and girls play an instrument made from two leaves. They all spend time together playing traditional games.

The Blue H'mong minority

The Blue H'mong share the same origin as the Black H'mong. Most of their rites and rituals are the same - only their clothes are different. The Blue H'mong women wear long skirts over long trousers, with a blue bib worn over the top.

There are 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. The resultant diversity in culture and history of these minorities has created one of the most complex human environments in South East Asia. The main ethic group, the Kinh (Viet), accounts for approximately 87% of the population. The remaining 13%, some 8.5 million people, occupy a variety of midland, upland and highland areas, though are mainly concentrated in the western part of the country where they inhabit two-thirds of the border areas. The ethnic groups vary in size, ranging from over 1 million to less than 200 persons. The ten major groups account for about 85% of the ethnic population. Most minorities are found in equal or greater numbers in southern China, Laos, Cambodia, northern Thailand and Burma.

Facts regarding the origin, distribution, subdivisions and cultural character of the minorities remain uncertain. The classification of ethnic groups varies, in a number of cases Vietnamese, Chinese, French and British designate the same people by different names. The distinction between ethnic groups is made on the basis of linguistic criteria. The minorities are divided into three major language families: Austro-Asiatic, Austronesian and Sino-Tibetan. However, the 54 ethnic groups included many local groups of different denomination with a multitude of dialects. Also, minority groups who share the same language often have distinct thought and behaviour patterns. Thus, a system of classification based on language alone would be imprecise. Groups may be sub-divided by differences in dialect relationships geographical position, altitude of settlement, socio-political structure and traditional dress.

Political & administrative history

Before the French rule (1859-1954) many minorities had developed patterns of social organisation, either living as rural communes or under a feudal system where one minority often dominated another.

Under French rule most minorities were required to carry out unpaid labour and were subject to heavy taxes. As with many minorities, the ethnic groups in Sapa were actively opposed to the colonialists, and immigration into Vietnam, particularly of H'mong, continued between 1864 to 1892 to augment guerilla forces made up of mixed minority groups. During the 40 years preceding the 1945 August Revolution the French faced at least seven minority revolts.

Between 1945 and 1975 the government of Vietnam aimed to achieve the co-operation of ethnic groups in the war of reunification. This was attempted by granting them constitutional rights equal to those of the Kinh majority. In the mid 1960s relations between the government and northern minorities improved due to the introduction of an official policy based on the principle of self-government centred on Soviet communist practice for ethnic groups. The government established two Autonomous Regions in the north and north-west of the country led by a People's Council and its administrative body, on which the various minorities in the region were proportionally represented. These Autonomous Regions were abolished in the post-reunification period.

Minority participation in the two Indo-China wars contributed to their integration in to the political, economic and life of the country. This is reflected in the delineation of their political and civil fights as written in the 1981 constitution.

The present government approach to the minorities is through a settlement programme aimed at further integration the minorities into national life. Ethnic groups are represented at a country level by the National Assembly. In 1987, 14% of members were minority peoples, in-line with their proportion of the total population. Other political legislative and executive bodies exist for and with the participation of minorities, such as the State Committee for Ethnic Affairs and civil committees at provincial and district level.

Ethnic minorities in the Sapa district

Excluding the Kinh people or ethnic Vietnamese, eight different ethnic groups are found in Sapa; H'mong, Dao (pronounced Zao), Tay, Giay (pronounced Zai), Muong, Thai, Hoa (ethnic Chinese) and Xa Pho (a denomination of the Phu La minority group). However, the last four groups comprise less than 500 people in total. The population of the district is estimated at 31,652 (1993) of which 52% are H'mong, 25% are Dao, 15% are Kinh, 5% are Tay and 2% are Giay. Around 3,300 people live in Sapa town, the remainder are peasant farmers distributed unevenly throughout the district.

The minorities are governed under the same legal and administrative systems as the Kinh majority. Each province is sub-divided in to a number of districts which hold a degree of autonomy in local government. The district is further divided in to communes which have an elected president and small committee responsible for agricultural and legal issues, amongst other thing. There are 18 communes in the Sapa district, with populations of between 970 and 4,500. These communes are made up of between two and six villages, each with an elected leader.

Education and Health

Education and health care are supplied free to the minorities by the state. Every commune in Vietnam is supposed to have a primary school, and each of the 550 districts typically has at least one upper secondary school. However, in Sapa not every commune has a primary school and school attendance rates by minority child are low since formal education is not a traditional part of minority culture.

Primary schools provide classes in Vietnamese, basic arithmetic and Vietnamese culture. These classes are held between three and six mornings each week and are attended by less than 3% of each commune. Children attending school are able to participate in household chores or agricultural work during the afternoon. In the summer months some communes offer similar classes to adults during the evenings. There is a secondary school in Sapa attended by about 120 minority children. Pupils board on a full-time or part-time basis depending on family commitments.

Few communes have trained health staff and most refer serious cases of diseases such as malaria, dysentery and measles to the hospital in Sapa. Traditional herbal remedies are primarily used by the minorities, comprising medicinal plants gathered in the forest. A traditional medicine garden is located near the bus station in Sapa. This is supported by the Institute for Medicine in Hanoi and most of the plants are used in Hanoi. Other traditional gardens exist within province, for example at Lao Ca, for use by local people.

There are very basic water treatment, sewage or waste disposal facilities in the district, and many communes have no means of dealing with their waste. It is therefore important that visitors take sensible health precautions, particularly regarding drinking water. Similarly, it is important not to increase the existing burden the environment by adding to the waste disposal problem. Minimize the effects of your visit by disposing of rubbish sensibly and re-use plastic bottles by sterilizing drinking water if possible. Many locally produced drinks come in glass bottles which are recycled.

Agriculture

The majority of people in Sapa are subsistence farmers in forest areas with some traditional practicing “swidden” agriculture (slash & burn) which has led to much forest clearance. The annual calendar of events is centred around agriculture.

Rice cultivation is the main economic activity, though production is limited to one crop per year due to the winter climate being unsuitable for optimal rice growth. Between March and May, depending on the weather and the number of fields to be cultivated, rice is planted in the terraced paddy fields. Before planting the fields are ploughed using buffalo as draught animals. In July weeding of the rice crops takes place. Between September and October the rice is harvested. Between February and March maize is planted and crops are harvested between June and August.

As a result of population growth there is high pressure on existing land. As rice is limited to only one crop per year and there is limited scope for expansion of agricultural land the ethnic minorities in Sapa face an annual deficit in food production. This shortage varies between families but most can only produce enough to provide for between four and eight months. The poorest families in each village receive rice provided by the government, usually surplus stock from the Mekong Delta.

Livestock is reared to provide food during periods of rice shortage or on special occasions and also for sale to enable basic necessities to be bought. Livestock kept by local people includes cattle, water buffalo, pot-bellied pigs, goats, ducks and chickens.

The minorities also gather natural produce from the forest, both to supplement their income and for domestic use. These include dead wood for fuel and building materials, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and ginger. Men from the ethnic groups are skilled hunters using homemade flintlock rifles, traps, crossbows, knives and dogs to catch animals in the forest. Hunting is now illegal though animals such as monkeys are still trapped if they are raiding crops.

Opium cultivation exists in the north-western provinces of Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Lai Chau and Son La. Addiction in minorities has been reported, as has the use of opium for medicinal purposes. Opium farming war banned in Vietnam in 1954, though cultivation for personal use was permitted. In 1986 all cultivation and possession for sale or personal use became illegal. Punishment includes fines and prison sentences for re-offenders. To discourage opium cultivation in Sapa the H'mong have been permitted to cultivate Panax Pseudo-ginseng within the remaining forest areas. This cash crop is sold to the Chinese for use in traditional medicines.

There is no traditional delineation of work between the sexes. Each member of the family carries out jobs to which they are suited. Men are responsible for heavy work including ploughing, threshing, building, repairing the house and making agricultural implements. Women are responsible for planting, weeding, harvesting, food preparation and making clothes. Children are responsible for tending buffalo, and they, together with the elderly, help with lighter work and household chores.

Tree Planting

Tree planting programmers exist in Sapa to provide alternative sources of wood for fuel and building materials. This alleviates pressure on the remaining natural forest. These reforestation projects are supported by the Vietnamese government. A number of foreign aid and development agencies are also contributing to tree planting efforts as an integrated approach to raising the standard of the ethnic groups.

Protective forest legislation acts as a disincentive to "swidden" agriculturalists, and those clearing land for cultivation are fined. Economic lumber species such as Fokienia hodginsii are used in furniture production and command high prices in Lao Cai ($400/m3) and China ($900/m3) for furniture production. The trees are cut by local people, though they are only paid a small fraction of the commercial value of the wood. Economic timber species are included in the tree planting programmes to reduce the incidence of illegal logging and provide an alternative source of income to the district.
Sapa ethnic minorities

H'mong ethnic minority

Red Dao ethnic minority

Tay ethnic minority

Xa Pho ethnic minority

Giay ethnic minority

History: The Giay immigrated from China 200 years ago. They are strongly influenced by Chinese culture.

Language: The Giay people speak a language of Tay - Thai group. They don’t have their own writing.

Costume: Like the Tay minority, the Giay women dress in simple clothes. They wear a five panel blouse split at the sides and buttoned on the right with dark indigo trousers. The blouses are different colors depending on the age - old women usually wear the darker shades. Women wrap their hair around their head and fix it in place with red threads. Giay, like other minorities, have adopted elements of Viet and Western clothing.

Social organisation: Before the Revolution of August, 1945, the Giay society was divided into different classes. The upper class was composed of administration officials who owned the land. They paid soldiers and housekeepers to take care of weddings and funerals. Farmers working on their land had to pay taxes as well as doing the hard labour.

Birth: Pregnant women have to avoid many things - wood is not burned from the top to the bottom to avoid difficulties when giving birth, and they are not allowed to attend funerals or visit a place for worshiping for fear of losing their spirit.

When it is time to give birth the pregnant woman makes offerings to the Mother spirit. When the baby is one month old, they make offerings to the ancestors. At the same time they give the child a name and establish his or her horoscope, which will be used later when it is time to choose a partner for the marriage, and the right time to be put in a coffin when he or she dies.

Marriage: The procedure for marriage is based strongly on Chinese traditions. A go-between is very important as they help propose the marriage to a potential bride. Once this has happened, the groom’s family gives the bride a necklace and a bracelet to show their intentions - a kind of engagement. For the wedding, the groom’s family must offer the bride’s family food and money, and give close relatives a chicken, a duck and a silver coin. Once married, the bride is carried to her new house on the groom’s back, as if she walks her spirit will find its way back to her parents.

Funeral: Giay people believe that if a funeral is well organised, the dead will go happily to heaven with their ancestors. If not, the dead will be forced to live in hell or become animals. In a rich family, the funeral can last from five to seven days with extra rituals such as running along the river to lead the spirit on a procession. The children must mourn their parent’s death for one year.

Beliefs: The Giay altar is located in the middle of the house. There are three incense bowls set from the left to the right to worship the Kitchen God, Heaven and Earth, and the family ancestor. If the master of the house is a son-in-law who wants to worship his real parents, he must set up a fourth incense bowl to the far left. If a family has no altar for the Mother spirit, they set a fifth incense bowl to the right. Some families set up a small alter beside the big one to worship their parents-in-law.

History: The Xa Pho came to Vietnam about 200 - 300 years ago. Some believe that their clothes indicate they immigrated from the southern islands of Asia, such as Malaysia and Indonesia.

Language: Their language belongs to Tibeto - Burmese language group. Other minorities say that Xa Pho people can speak most of the other languages in the area, but it is "difficult to hear their language which sounds like birds singing".

Costume: The Xa Pho’s clothes are very different from other minorities. Women wear a short shirt with a long skirt made from indigo-dyed hemp fabric. They use a bright red thread to embroider decorations all over their clothes.

Social organasation: The Xa Pho community is particularly strong and neighbours play an important role in their villages. If a family has no food, they can visit their neighbours for every meal. If both families have no food, they will go to another family together. When no one in the village has any food, they all go to find fruit and vegetables in the forest. When a family kills a chicken or a pig, everyone in the village can come to have some without an invitation.

They are semi-nomadic; they do grow dry rice, but most of the time they live on what nature has to offer. While other minorities may live together in villages, these timid people live in isolation. There is only one tribe who live in Sapa, and they have a very low living standard compared with other minorities in the same valley.

Birth: After a women gives birth, strangers are prevented from coming into the house. The family either hang a hat on a pillar in front of their house, or use a blackened pilllar with leafy branches attached called dum dum to warn people away. A name-giving ceremony is carried out 12 days later. Each person has two names - one is used in a normal situation, and other when worshiping the ancestors and being worshipped after death.

Marriage: Young Xa Pho have the right to have sexual relationships before marriage. The Xa Pho has a very low population, so the man wants to make sure his partner can have children. The marriage will be organised after the young couple know the woman is pregnant. The future bride starts making her wedding dress while her groom prepares pigs, chicken and other food for the wedding.

Funerals: The deceased is placed in the middle of the house, with the head in the direction of the household altar. Water used to wash the deceased’s face is left to evaporate. There must be a bowl of rice with a pair of chopsticks and a barbecued or roasted chicken next to the alter. The deceased’s children put straw around the wooden coffin, as they used to use straw as mattresses. The coffin is buried in a grave or a tomb. Lots of people must attend the funeral to ensure that the spirit of the dead doesn’t stay at the tomb or cemetery.

Housing: The Xa Pho live in houses built half on stilts and half on the ground. Furniture is very simple and made of bamboo or rattan.

Artistic activities: The Xa Pho dance for many occasions - marriage, funerals, births, even when they have run out of food. Their dancing style is very different to other minorities. Accompanied by a drum beat, they join hands and dance in a circle around a fire.

History: The Tay are the earliest known minority in Vietnam, who are thought to have arrived from inland South East Asia about 500 BC. They settled in valleys in the north west part of Sapa.

Language: Tay language belongs to the Tay - Thai language group. Their alphabet is based on the Latin alphabet devised in 1960, similar to the Viet alphabet.

Costume: The traditional dress is made from indigo dyed cotton. It is usually plain, with little embroidery or other decoration. The women wear a simple shirt with silver buttons down the front teamed with black trousers. Both sexes wear colorful head scarves. Nowadays the Tay are often seen wearing Viet and western clothes.

Social organisation: The Tay social system used to resemble a feudal society. One man in each village owned the land, forest and rivers. He ruled over the people living on that land. This regime appeared very early and ended in 19th century.

Tay now live in villages of mixed ethnic groups, enter into mixed marriages and leave their traditional settlements to work in other areas. They have adopted other elements of Kinh culture and of the Tai speaking people, are considered the most integrated into main stream Vietnamese culture.

Birth: While pregnant and even after giving birth, the mother and father have to avoid many different things in order for both mother and child to be healthy, for the child to grow up quickly and strongly and to avoid evil spirits. When the new born is three days old, there is a ritual in honor of the midwife. One month after the birth, there is a celebration and party to name the baby.

Marriage: Young Tay men and women are free to love, but the decision to become husband and wife rests with their parents. The boy's parents need to know the potential bride’s fortune so they can compare it to their son's. To do this, they consult an astrologer who judges how well matched they are. If the signs look favorable, the marriage can take place.

After the wedding, the wife stays with her parents until she is pregnant. She will only go to live at her husband’s house in the late stages of pregnancy.

Funeral: The funeral rituals are quite similar to Vietnamese. The funeral brings deceased’s spirit to the world of the after life. Three years later, there is a ritual to bring the spirit to the ancestors and to end the mourning period. There is an annual day in honor of the deceased.

Beliefs: The Tay worship ancestors, the house spirit, kitchen spirit and the midwife.

Housing: The Tay live in houses built on stilts originally designed to protect them from wild animals. Nowadays, they use the first floor for storage and cooking. When building a new house, the owner has to choose the right place very carefully. Many factors are considered, including his age and horoscope. On the day that he and his family move to the new house, the head of the family must start a fire and keep it burning all night.

Food: The Tay used to eat sticky rice most of the time, but now eat regular rice. For festival occasions, they make many kinds of cakes such as square rice cake (banh trung - symbol of the earth), round rice cake (banh day - symbol of the sky) for the New Year Festival and pounded young sticky rice that is roasted (com) for the Mid Autumn Festival.

Production activities: The Tay use traditional wet rice cultivation. The rice is grown on the hills with very little water, which is well utilised using irrigation methods like digging canals and laying water pipes. They produce high quantities of food by practicing such intensive cultivation methods.

History: The origin of the Red Dao is uncertain. It has been surmised that they arrived not long before the H'mong during the 18th Century.

Language: The Red Dao spoken language belongs to the H'mong - Dao language family. Their writing is based on Chinese characters adjusted to accommodate their own spelling.

Costume: Red Dao women usually wear a long blouse over trousers. Their clothes are colourfully embroidered with designs that appear on both sides of the material. The men typically wear a short shirt with long trousers, and a head-scarf. Both men and women have a square piece of fabric on the back of their shirts which represents that they are children of God. They wear similar hairstyles - long on top, with the rest smoothly shaved. Many women shave their eyebrows as well. Women also wear a distinctive red triangular shaped turban decorated with silver coins and red tassles.

Social organisation: The Red Dao men play a dominant role in the family, community and the economy. They also play a major role in ceremonies such as marriages, funerals, and building new houses.

The Dao people have many different family names. Each lineage has its own system of different middle names to distinguish people of different generations.

Birth: The Red Dao women usually give birth in their bedroom with help of their mother and sisters. The new born is given a bath with hot water. The family hangs green tree branches or banana flowers in front of the door to prevent evil spirits from bringing harm and wickedness to the baby. When the baby is three days old, they celebrate a ritual in honour of the mother.

Marriage: Parents select partners for their sons. When a boy is fourteen or fifteen years old, his father takes him to have a look at a girl he thinks is fit and healthy and can help with the housework. The couple chosen to be married then have to consult a diviner who judges their compatibility based in a ritual using a chicken leg, and their horoscopes.

The girl's value is shown by how many silver coins, chickens, pigs and jars of rice wine the boy's family have to give her family.

During the marriage ceremony, it is customary to stretch a piece of string in front of the procession. The groom carries the bride on his back, and she must step over a blessed pair of scissors to cross the threshold into his house.

When a family has no son, the parents can buy a groom who will live happily with his bride’s family. However, if a boy is so poor that his family can’t afford a dowry, he has to live in his bride’s house - which causes him great shame.

Funerals: When there is a death in the family, the deceased’s children have to invite a man called thay tao to supervise the rituals and find the right piece of land for a grave. The deceased is wrapped in a mat, placed in a coffin inside their house and carried to a grave built of stones. In the past, if the deceased was over 12 years old the body was cremated.

The funeral rituals celebrated ensure that the deceased rests in peace. The ceremony, which lasts for three days, usually coincides with initiation rites for Red Dao boys. The first day liberates the spirit of the deceased, the second day is a time to worship the deceased in the home, and the third day is the boy’s initiation rite.

The boy has to sit on a throne at the highest place in the village until he falls into hammocks hanging below him. This represents him falling down from the sky to be born on earth, another symbol of the Dao belief that they are the direct descendents of God.

Housing: The Dao ritual to select land for a new house is very important At night, the household digs a bowl sized hole and fill it with rice grains that represent people, cows, buffalos, money and property. The family will know where to build the house based on the dreams that follow during the night. In the morning, the family inspects the hole to see if the rice remains - if not, the house will be built elsewhere.

Beliefs: Dao religion has elements of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. They worship the ancestors of the family together with the legendary holy man Ban Vuong, who is considered the earliest ancestor of the Dao people.

Environmental and social sustainability policy.

The environmental and social sustainability policy of Topas Ecolodge has been developed and signed by the management.

This policy is the foundation of our daily eco-management and of future planning and improvements undertaken in Topas Ecolodge. Topas Ecolodge management and staff understand and support the environmental and social policy and are committed to continuous improvement of environmental performance by identifying ways to minimize both wastage of natural resources and pollution of the environment, as well as taking social responsibility.

Topas Ecolodge is committed to complying with all local and national environmental legislation and will continuously seek to evaluate and improve our environmental performance. As a Danish Vietnamese joint venture, Topas Ecolodge will act in accordance with the Danish Environmental Rules and Regulations (country specific for Vietnam).

Topas Ecolodge will work with local minorities in the Sapa area to create a mutually rewarding relationship. We will support the education of children in the local area, and respect local leaders and local natural resources.

Topas Ecolodge shall provide guests with the opportunity to experience nature in ways that lead to greater understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in accordance with our membership of eco-tourism organizations (GreenGlobe 21 and eventually others). Topas Ecolodge will identify and implement practices that optimize energy and water usage without affecting the quality of services provided to our guests.

Topas Ecolodge will support the purchasing of initiatives that are committed to sustainable environmental development, and continuously seek environmentally friendly products and services. We will encourage and influence our suppliers to take part in environmental protection initiatives and to provide products and services that have minimal adverse impact on the environment.

We will work with the awareness that our environmental behaviour must create a spin off in the community, and aim towards the sustainable use of resources and eco-tourism. Topas Ecolodge will seek to implement eco know-how and behavior suitable for the local area.

The Topas Ecolodge will actively participate in external environmental activities, as well as various training and development programmes, to broaden our horizons. Furthermore, Topas Ecolodge will share our environmental experience in the Hoang Lien National Park with other interested organisations in the community.

Topas Ecolodge shall comply with GreenGlobe 21 and the above mentioned legislation requirements at all times and we shall review our environmental and social policy every year.

Signed on July 27. in Sapa.

Morten Sejrskilde

General Director

Ever since the collapse of the Iron Curtain starting in 1989, the number of countries calling themselves communist has been on the decline. Sure, there are still quite a few places with governments that have elected “communist” leaders, but that’s not the same as states with a brutal single-party system that makes all other political parties illegal and takes a firm grip on every aspect of its citizens’ lives.

If Karl Marx were alive today he’d be down to only six possible places to go on holiday, and he’d probably be disappointed in most of those, since they have recently been allowing some free market capitalism and foreign investment in order to stay afloat, while they keep many of the horrible parts of the doctrine like a near complete lack of freedom and oppressive policing.

Karl Marx’s travel agent would only have these brochures left, and a few of these are already on shaky ground:

North Korea

Long known as the most secretive nation on the planet, it’s actually not terribly difficult to visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as they like to call themselves. The only real catch to visiting is you can’t do it on your own. You must be part of an official tour group that applies for entry with all details well in advance, but the group can consist of as few as a single person. If they think you are a journalist your chances of getting in are about as good as your chances of getting to sit on Kim Jung Il’s throne while you watch a movie together, but non-journalists don’t usually have a problem.

The other small catch is your group is monitored every minute of the day, and you are forbidden to interact with normal citizens, just as they are forbidden to interact with you. The trips are also not cheap. A 5-day “carefully planned tour” can run around $3,000 per person, including airfare from Beijing. Lately the government only allows Americans in during the famous Arirang Mass celebration, which is an enormous stadium show featuring about 100,000 performers whose choreographed moves and card stunts help show that theirs is the greatest country on earth. Another highlight is seeing the infamous Ryugyong Hotel, if your handlers let you. The 105-story pyramid in Pyongyang was mostly built between 1987 and 1992, after which they ran out of money and the thing was deemed unsafe for occupancy. It’s become such an embarrassment that it’s rarely spoken of, and it’s been airbrushed out of government photos, but there are reports saying they’ve started working on it again as of April, 2008.

Cuba

Up until the 1959 revolution, Cuba was one of the most popular resort areas for Americans, but since then it’s been officially off limits and subject to a strict trade embargo. Much of the country remains like a dilapidated time capsule thanks to that embargo and the general lack of wealth or major industry, but there have long been beach resorts that until recently have prohibited locals from even visiting. Cuba continues to be popular with adventurous tourists from Europe and Canada, and many Americans continue to slip in, usually by changing planes in Cancun or Mexico City.

The capital of Havana has seen better days, but the eye-catching colonial architecture and spirited locals give it a charm not found elsewhere in the region. Of course the cigar industry is part of the draw, as none of the other nearby islands seem to be able to duplicate the quality. Varadero is the most famous beach resort city, with about 12 miles of gorgeous sandy beaches lined with all-inclusives and other nice hotels that the locals can one day hope to stay in. Now that Fidel’s health has forced him to step down, and his brother Raul is running the show, reforms are coming at a nice pace, and better things might be on the horizon for all.

China

The People’s Republic of China combines some of the fun aspects of communism, such as a single-party system with power guaranteed by the constitution so there is no need for voting and whatnot, with an economy that has been steamrolling half the world for the past few decades. Starting in 1978 they began reforms that allowed for private ownership and foreign investment, so even though they are still officially “communist” it doesn’t really show when you visit. No need to get into that pesky human rights stuff here, but as long as that doesn’t bother you it’s incredibly easy to visit this enormous country, and it’s quite cheap once you get there too.

Modern Beijing (home of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games) is the most popular stop, and where you’ll find the breathtaking Forbidden City, and the most popular section of the Great Wall of China just outside the city center. And Shanghai has become perhaps the most advanced city in the world in the past decade or so, with dazzling skyscrapers and modern architecture at every turn. Decent hotels for under US$40 are easy to find in both places, and meals are cheap as well. But once you get outside those giant cities you’ll see countless more amazing sights that don’t change every week like in the urban centers. Even some of the hardcore backpacker/independent travelers find that booking tours of China is the best way to go, since they tend to be very affordable and they help you see things that are difficult to reach on your own if you don’t speak the language.

Vietnam

Vietnam is yet another country that is officially communist, but aside from operating under an oppressive single-party system, they don’t really take the rest of it too seriously. Since the late 1980s they’ve given up on the collective farms thing, encouraging private ownership and foreign investment instead. Today it’s still quite a poor country, but market reforms have done a lot to increase output and the standard of living. It’s also incredibly cheap as well, which is only one reason it’s a major draw among the adventurous backpacking and independent traveling crowds. Living decently for around US$20 per day is definitely possible for experienced backpackers, and those willing to spend more can even afford some luxury.

The two major cities are the capital of Hanoi, which still carries an unmistakable French influence alongside its traditional Chinese-inspired city center, and the sprawling Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon), which is modern and growing by leaps and bounds every year. But getting out of the cities leads to even more exotic adventures, and cheap tours from Hanoi to the stunning Ha Long Bay (A UNESCO World Heritage Site), are probably the most popular things for newcomers.

Laos

While Laos’ northwestern neighbor, Burma/Myanmar, does have a strict military dictatorship, it also has a messed up and corrupt version of socialism, so it doesn’t really qualify as communist. Laos, on the other hand, still officially calls itself communist, even though they’ve been experimenting with market reforms for a while now. Forget looking for parades of thousands of goose-stepping soldiers demonstrating their loyalty to the country, the single-party here doesn’t get too involved in anything, and there is a massive divide between the haves and the have-nots, so it’s not exactly a workers’ paradise either.

This landlocked country that straddles the Mekong River is one of the better-kept travel secrets in an area that is extremely popular with low budget backpackers. Hotel rooms for around US$5 are very common, and meals under US$1 are available nearly everywhere.
Vientiane is the capital and largest city in Laos (the “s” in Laos is silent, by the way), and it’s the mellowest big city in the entire region, although it’s been picking up the pace lately. The city is about 1,000 years old, and there are plenty of temples decorating the place, but the countryside also has its share of sights. The mysterious and ancient Plain of Jars is one of the most famous attractions, and they’d be easier to visit if not for the thousands of unexploded bombs in the area.

Nepal

Under a monarchy for 240 years, the Communist Party of Nepal started a somewhat bloody civil war in 1996, which finally met its goals of forming a republic 10 years later. In April 2008 the party won the most seats in the new parliament, so this landlocked country in the Himalayas is the newest member of the communism club, although things are still sorting themselves out. It’s hard to imagine this country that has recently been one of the hottest new tourist destinations shutting things down and trying to nationalize everything, but we won’t know for a while yet.

Of course the country is best known for being home to half of Mount Everest, alongside its controversial neighbor Tibet/China, but there is plenty more to see here for those not wanting to meet some insane personal goal of climbing to the top of the world. Trekking in other forms is huge in Nepal, and tours that are suited for people with moderate fitness levels are getting more popular every year. The capital of Kathmandu is also jammed with temples and ancient sites, and is considered one of the major highlights of the whole region.

Vietnam borders with China in the north, Laos and Kampuchea in the West, and the Pacific Ocean in the east. Its lies in the centre of South-East Asia. Vietnam's territory stretches from Lung Cu village (Ha Tuyen province) in the north to Rach Tau hamlet (Minh Hai province) in the south. It is a S-shaped pennisula, with thousands of off-shore islands and archipelagoes; the biggest of which are the Hoang SA (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelagoes. Vietnam's mainland covers 331,689 square kilometres .

You don’t have to be a cowboy-wannabe to find the idea of riding exotic animals around the world enticing. After all, it’s not everyday you get a chance to climb on the back of an elephant or a water buffalo, right?

You’re already making some great travel memories on your trip, and this is just another chance to add to that tally – not to mention get a few interesting travel photos in the process. If horseback riding just isn’t enough to get your blood going, here are some of the animals you can ride around the world.

Ride a Water Buffalo in Vietnam

In Vietnam, and throughout much of Asia, water buffalo have long been (and remain) a typical farm animal for many families – like cows or chickens are to farms in other countries. For tourists, however, the opportunity to ride what looks like an animal you’d see in a zoo somewhere can be really tempting. The locals might think you’re a little wacky for wanting to ride their livestock, but if you’re willing to pay them for the chance then they’ll probably minimize their laughing until after you’ve left.

The Mekong Delta region of Vietnam is a good target destination if you’re intent on riding a water buffalo, and you should know that if you’re in the Philippines when the idea to ride one strikes you, the animal may be called a Carabao. Whatever it’s called, when it starts to move, hang on.

Ride an Ostrich in South Africa

The concept of riding a bird might just be the pinnacle of weirdness, but in South Africa you can easily arrange to hop on the back of an ostrich for a crazy spin around a corral. In the Little Karoo region you’ll find the town of Oudtshoorn, which is famous for having the world’s biggest population of ostrich.

As you might imagine, the big birds do end up on many a local dinner plate, but if you prefer the idea of interacting with nature while it’s still alive then head for one of the many ostrich farms in the area that offers ostrich rides.

Riding an ostrich is inelegant (to put it mildly), and although the ride will typically last no more than a minute or so you may feel the effects of the bird’s spastic movements for quite awhile. Make sure you get all the necessary tips from the ostrich handlers about how to stay on the bird before they remove its blindfold. Because by that point, you probably won’t be able to pay attention to anything other than holding on for dear life.

Ride a Camel in Egypt

Some call it one of the world’s biggest tourist traps, but riding a camel in Egypt is still on many travelers’ to-do lists. The good news is that a quick spin on the back of a camel is really easy to accomplish – and if you’re looking for something a bit more adventurous, you can also arrange for multi-day camel treks into the desert.

Almost anywhere around the Giza Pyramids in Egypt, you’ll find camel wranglers poised to get you on one of their charges so you can get your picture taken. But here’s a fair warning to anyone who must have this photo in their album – be prepared to pay a hefty price for it. Some tourists have been so eager to get onto the camel that they haven’t negotiatied the price in advance. Then the camel guide doesn’t let them dismount until they’ve paid some exorbitant fee. Others report that even though they agreed to a price before climbing on board, the camel guide then led them far away from their tour bus (and tour guide) and demanded more money before they’d take them back.

Although these shady practices are less common now than they once were, your best bet is still to have your trusted tour guide arrange a camel ride for you rather than approaching a camel keeper outside the Pyramids. Fortunately, those of you who are interested in a longer camel trek can generally book these in advance of your trip with companies that have good reputations.

Ride a Llama in the United States

If you’ve ever seen a llama up close, you’ll know that they’re not the burliest of animals. Although you can probably easily picture an elephant or a horse carrying an average-sized human being on its back, that idea just seems cruel when you’re looking at something the size of a llama. So it shouldn’t be surprising that llamas are really only suitable as either light pack animals or as riding animals for small children.

In some of the U.S. National Parks, including Yellowstone, there are llama-packing trips you can go on where the llamas are enlisted to carry some of your equipment. But if you’re traveling with the wee ones (and the llamas are agreeable), there’s nothing like the look in a child’s eyes when she sees the world from the back of a furry four-legged creature. Even more memorable is the look of terror in that same kid’s eyes when the llama decides that it’s had enough of being your beast of burden.

Ride a Yak in China

Like the water buffalo, the yak is an animal not uncommon in several parts of Asia where it’s used primarily as a pack animal. But any animal that big is bound to have a saddle thrown on its back at some point, whether by locals who just get tired of walking or by tourists who just think it’s fun. In China, it’s possible to take a quick ride on a yak as part of a trip to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain near Lijiang in the Yunnan province.

The area around Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Park includes mountains (obviously), gardens, and wide streams – and it’s at these streams where the yaks come in. You can hop on the animal’s back to get across the water in order to keep your feet dry, and get a great photo in the process. And the best news of all is that these animals generally move slowly enough that the ride won’t make you, umm, yak. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.)

Ride an Elephant in Thailand

One of the most popular things to do during a trip to Thailand is to ride an elephant. Like most of the other animal riding opportunities on this list, you can choose a quick on-off photo-op or you can go for something a bit more adventurous and actually go on an elephant safari. And while the cost of a multi-day elephant trek is going to be higher than a simpler half-day excursion, you’d be surprised at how affordable these treks can be.

Generally speaking, your best bet for riding an elephant is around Khao Sok National Park, Chiang Mai, or Phuket Island – and because each of those destinations offers its own set of great sight-seeing, you’ll have to read about your options in each place to choose where you want to go. And be sure to wear clothing you don’t mind getting wet, as you’re likely to get sprayed by the elephants when they go through water – nevermind that they’re supposed to keep you high above the water in the first place.

Ride a Giant Tortoise in Kenya

Like the llama, a giant tortoise isn’t immediately going to conjure up the image of "beast of burden." But these oversized aquarium creatures are plenty big and sturdy enough to give a small kid a few minutes of entertainment – albeit at a very slow pace.

At the the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy in (you guessed it) Kenya, where the goal is rescue and return wild animals to their natural habitat, there’s an Aldabra Giant Tortoise who’s a permanent resident. Her name is "Speedy," and she’s also the oldest animal at the conservancy.

Perhaps the best part of letting your child hop on Speedy’s back is that they’ll never look at those tiny turtles back home the same way again.

Ride a pony that’s painted to look like a zebra in China

When you’re thinking of animals it would be logical to think about riding, you’d probably think first of animals that look like horses, right? So it seems reasonable that riding a zebra would be not only possible but common, right? Well, just because something "seems reasonable" (or because that something was the subject of a childrens’ movie) doesn’t mean it is reasonable. Let that be a lesson to us all.

I spent some time hunting online for places where you can ride zebras, but got nowhere. But after my fruitless searches, I was sent this glorious piece of ridiculousness. Evidently, a park in China painted black stripes on a white pony, called it a "zebra," and charged people to get their picture taken riding it.

And if that’s not brilliant enough, we have the "zebra" feeder’s reply when he was asked if it was, in fact, a real zebra: "It’s from Africa. What do you call it, if it’s not a zebra?" Umm, I have some ideas…

In all seriousness…

As an animal lover, I can’t finish this article without reminding all you travelers to be aware of the treatment of the animals you’ll encounter around the world. For instance, not all elephant safari companies are created equally – some mistreat their elephants, while others use some of their profits to aid sick elephants. You won’t always be able to determine the moral standards of the people who are handling the animals you’re thinking of riding, but often a little research is all it takes to weed out the bad apples. And if you’ve got any doubts, don’t give in to temptation. No photograph on an animal’s back is worth the heartache of knowing you’re contributing to animal abuse, after all.

And while I think most of you are going to be intelligent enough not to need this additional warning, I still somehow feel compelled to urge you – for the love of gawd, people – not to fancy yourself some kind of zebra-whisperer who’s going to tame whatever random wild beasts you see in your travels. If you’re going to ride an exotic animal, do it where such actions are sanctioned and organized. I’d hate to think of you chasing down a giraffe with a lasso or trying to wrestle a saddle onto an alligator.