Michelia Hotel is offering a sweet Valentine in one of the world’s most beautiful bays -- Nha Trang in central Vietnam.
The romantic package, valid between February 13 to 29, will allow couples to enjoy three nights together in a romantic setting in well-equipped rooms with champagne, chocolate, breakfast in bed, and roses on the bed every evening.
A candlelight dinner to the sound of a violin will be served on February 14 by the hotel pool. Couples can take photos with a Cupid to record the moment.
The package also offers free use of the gym, Internet, and the hotel’s exclusive beach, and a 20 percent discount on laundry.
It costs just VND3.83 million (US$182).
The four-star hotel at 4 Pasteur is located in the heart of the central town, which in 2010 was listed by Worldbays as having one of the 29 most beautiful bays in the world.
It takes around a minute to walk to the beach, and several minutes to shopping centers and many of the town’s attractions.
Showing posts with label viet nam travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label viet nam travel. Show all posts
* This is an advertorial.
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Lanta Viet director Konstantin Prikhodko |
Russian-invested tour operator Lanta Viet has resumed its operations in the Mui Ne resort area on February 2 after its sudden close following the bankruptcy of its parent firm Lanta Tour Voyage the previous week.
Nguyen Van Khoa, chairman of the Binh Thuan Tourism Association, said Lanta Viet director Konstantin Prikhodko opened the office in the late afternoon.
“Dozens of resort owners immediately came to the office to request him to sign debt notes for hosting the company’s Russian tourists over the past several days,” he said.
At a meeting with Vietnamese tourism authorities and the People's Committee of Binh Thuan Province on February 1, Prikhodko said he and his employees left the office in fear that some frustrated people could surround the place as happened at Lanta’s office in Thailand.
However, the resort owners said they had taken good care of the Russian tourists to maintain their reputation despite being aware of Lanta Tour Voyage’s bankruptcy.
Meanwhile, tourism authorities said they had instructed the resorts to continue taking good care of the tourists as a move to promote Mui Ne tourism.
Dozens of Russian tourists stranded in Mui Ne have left Vietnam over the past days and all of those sent to Vietnam through Lanta Viet are expected to leave by February 8.
Prikhodko committed to pay the resorts but did not offer a payment time.
Lanta Tour Voyage, one of Russia’s largest tour operators, declared bankruptcy January 27 and shut down after being unable to provide funding for contracted services, leaving thousands of Russian tourists stranded abroad including 309 in Vietnam.
Russia's state development bank VTB on February 1 said it will lend Lanta Tour Voyage US$7 million at an interest rate of 12 percent, according to the Russian daily newspaper Vedomosti.
Nguyen Van Khoa, chairman of the Binh Thuan Tourism Association, said Lanta Viet director Konstantin Prikhodko opened the office in the late afternoon.
“Dozens of resort owners immediately came to the office to request him to sign debt notes for hosting the company’s Russian tourists over the past several days,” he said.
At a meeting with Vietnamese tourism authorities and the People's Committee of Binh Thuan Province on February 1, Prikhodko said he and his employees left the office in fear that some frustrated people could surround the place as happened at Lanta’s office in Thailand.
However, the resort owners said they had taken good care of the Russian tourists to maintain their reputation despite being aware of Lanta Tour Voyage’s bankruptcy.
Meanwhile, tourism authorities said they had instructed the resorts to continue taking good care of the tourists as a move to promote Mui Ne tourism.
Dozens of Russian tourists stranded in Mui Ne have left Vietnam over the past days and all of those sent to Vietnam through Lanta Viet are expected to leave by February 8.
Prikhodko committed to pay the resorts but did not offer a payment time.
Lanta Tour Voyage, one of Russia’s largest tour operators, declared bankruptcy January 27 and shut down after being unable to provide funding for contracted services, leaving thousands of Russian tourists stranded abroad including 309 in Vietnam.
Russia's state development bank VTB on February 1 said it will lend Lanta Tour Voyage US$7 million at an interest rate of 12 percent, according to the Russian daily newspaper Vedomosti.
thanhniennews.com
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| Several foreign tourists give their hands to Yasaka Saigon Nha Trang Hotel to prepare the 37-meter long banh tet |
It is gargantuan by any measure. The 37-meter-long banh tet (traditional Tet glutinous rice cake with meat or vegetable filling), to be showcased at a ceremony at the Yasaka Saigon Nha Trang hotel today, weighs an unbelievable 810 kg.
It took 100 of the hotel’s staff two days and 420 kg of sticky rice, 67 kg of mung bean paste, 110 kg of pork, 550 bananas, and other ingredients to make it.
The cake is wrapped in 410 kg of banana leaf and 32 kg of strings.
The ingredients were added yesterday afternoon at the hotel, and the cake was then boiled in water until this morning.
According to the hotel management, the proceeds from selling the cake tonight are completely meant for charity.
Reported by Nguyen Chung, Thanh Nien News
No visit to the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang is complete without a bowl of the local poison, called the “poisonous porridge.”
To many natives in the province, which seems even colder than it really is thanks to the grey rocky mountains, it is not just the plum and peach blossoms in the first lunar month or the golden terraced fields in the tenth month that make the place attractive.
A major winter attraction is a porridge made from the poisonous “ấu tẩu,” a hard, rough and thorny root known scientifically as Aconitum sinense paxt, the Tuoi Tre newspaper said in a recent report.
The root is as hard as rugger rock and can only be found on the top of Tay Con Linh mountain in the province. The first use of the root is to poison arrows in hunting.
But the poisonous root has been cleverly processed by local ethnic groups like Muong and Dao into a thick and grey dish that is not only delicious but can also cure cold and strengthen one's bones, said Nguyen Thi Huong, who runs a famous shop of the porridge at 171 Tran Hung Dao Street in the province's capital, Ha Giang Town.
The recipe has since been learnt by people in the lowland as well.
Huong said the dish needs painstaking preparation over a whole day to make diners feel the fragrance, the taste of fat and the bitterness of the roots on the tip of the tongue, as well as the sweetness of meat and bones.
Before cooking, the roots are cleaned and soaked in rice water, with which rice has been washed, from early morning until noon, or at least four hours. The roots are then cleaned once again before being boiled for four hours until they become loose, the chef said.
 A bowl of boiled ấu tẩu (Aconitum sinense paxt) |
They are then left to dry and smashed until smooth. The root broth, which is red, will be mixed with boiled rice porridge and pig’s feet, before the mashed root is added and the mixture is cooked over a weak fire until it is served.
Huong said the name of the porridge is so attractive that her shop has been crowded with customers every night for more than ten years now without any advertisements.
But if the root is not properly processed, the delicacy will “poison the diners, causing numb jaws and constricted legs and arms, and even kill people if they are not treated in time,” she said.
A delicious bowl of ấu tẩu porridge should be complemented with lean meat, pepper, onion and balm mint leaves.
Diners are recommended to rest after having the porridge, thus the shops are only open from the evening until midnight.
Video by youtube.com
But Huong also recommends that children under 18 not try the dish, as too much of root will make their bones fragile.
Thanh Nien News
Recognised as one of the world’s ‘Most Beautiful Bays’ almost a decade ago, Nha Trang is famous for its pristine beaches, splendid islands and magnificent mountains.
It is also renowned for watersports with its high-speed canoes, sailing boats, small ships and many high-quality resorts near the beaches offer scuba diving, squid fishing and island cruises. Nha Trang Bay stretches 507 square kilometers and has 19 islands. It is home to rare marine species such as salanganes, red coral, yellow-lip pearl and oval abalone.
Some striking places in the bay are Chong Islet and Tru Beach as well as the islands of Hon Tre, Bich Dam, Hon Mun and Hon Tram which are ideal spots for local and international tourists.
Hon Tre is the biggest island in the bay and reaches for 3,000 hectares. Located five kilometers from the center of Nha Trang City, it is famous for its pristine floral system and mild weather. It is an ideal location for eco-tourism development and is a great place for tourists to kick back and put their feet up.
Hon Mun is regarded as the most poetic island in the bay. It is renowned for its black stone cliffs which are formed into caves. It was the country’s first sea biodiversity preservation centre.
It is endowed with 350 species of coral while there are only 800 species in the world.
Hon Tam looks like a green silkworm with its head toward to the east as it is 110 hectares wide.
On the island, tourists can take a panoramic view of Nha Trang City to the north and Cam Ranh Peninsula to the south.
Noi and Ngoai islets are home to salangane nests in their stone cliffs. Tourists to the islands can discover the splendid surroundings and have a gander at the bird’s nests.
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| Nha Trang Bay shines at noon - Photos: Mong Binh |
Some striking places in the bay are Chong Islet and Tru Beach as well as the islands of Hon Tre, Bich Dam, Hon Mun and Hon Tram which are ideal spots for local and international tourists.
Hon Tre is the biggest island in the bay and reaches for 3,000 hectares. Located five kilometers from the center of Nha Trang City, it is famous for its pristine floral system and mild weather. It is an ideal location for eco-tourism development and is a great place for tourists to kick back and put their feet up.
Hon Mun is regarded as the most poetic island in the bay. It is renowned for its black stone cliffs which are formed into caves. It was the country’s first sea biodiversity preservation centre.
It is endowed with 350 species of coral while there are only 800 species in the world.
Hon Tam looks like a green silkworm with its head toward to the east as it is 110 hectares wide.
On the island, tourists can take a panoramic view of Nha Trang City to the north and Cam Ranh Peninsula to the south.
Noi and Ngoai islets are home to salangane nests in their stone cliffs. Tourists to the islands can discover the splendid surroundings and have a gander at the bird’s nests.
dtinews.vn
Hue people usually offer hand-made bamboo flowers in their new year prayers for health and happiness.
Handmade bamboo flowers at An Cuu Market
Every year, when Tet comes, small traders in Hue busily craft bamboo flowers for the new year markets.Nguyen Thi Hanh, a handicraft bamboo flower trader at An Cuu Market said, "The flowers are sold out in two weeks. Every year I earn VND50,000 (USD2.37) a day selling them at VND4,000(USD0.19) a pair. This kind of flower sells well because of what it represents: the bamboo tree is the symbol of Vietnamese villages and tradition. It also represents the strong, everlasting spirit of the country. Natural bamboo flowers are a precious masterpiece of nature since the bamboo tree only flowers once every 100 years. That’s why a New Year tray of offerings always has hand-crafted bamboo flower."
A hand-crafted bamboo flower is easy to make. A young bamboo tree is chosen and sawn into pieces approximately 20 centimetres long and as big as a thumb. Then a broad blade is used to strip and curl the bamboo. Lastly, the makers use their hands to curb the bamboo into the shape of a flower. The bamboo flowers are available in many colours but red is the most popular since it’s believed to bring good luck.
Each kind of flower has its own beauty and meaning, but the handmade bamboo flowers have become a unique tradition of the former capital of Hue.
An old trader selling flowers in the rain
Colourful hand-crafted bamboo flowers
Red bamboo flowers are the most popular
Bamboo flowers flood the markets
Trader offering flowers
A good sale for trader and customer
Hue people continue to buy handmade bamboo flowers
Fowers displayed with betel and areca nuts
Traders earn good money from hundreds of flowers
The famous citadel in the former imperial capital of Hue drew more than 50,000 tourists, including 30,000 foreigners, during the recent Lunar New Year festival (Tet).
The number of holidaymakers represented an increase of 40 percent against the same period last year and brought VND23 billion into the provincial coffers.
As host of the 2012 National Tourism Year, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue expects to attract 2-2.5 million visitors, including 1.1-1.2 million from foreign countries, and gain VND2,500 billion in revenue.
In addition to the ancient monuments in Hue city, the Huyen Tran Culture Centre southwest of the city is also a well-known tourist attraction with its beautiful landscapes, royal tombs and famous pagodas.
According to Ngo Hoa, Vice Chairman of the Hue Municipal People’s Committee, the management of tourism services has been improved and strengthened to ensure the best quality.
On January 24 (the second day of the Lunar New Year), the city welcomed the Superstar Aquarius cruise ship, which brought nearly 1,500 visitors to the city through Chan May port.
This year Chan May port is scheduled to receive 47 cruise ships with more than 92,000 international tourists on board.
The number of holidaymakers represented an increase of 40 percent against the same period last year and brought VND23 billion into the provincial coffers.As host of the 2012 National Tourism Year, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue expects to attract 2-2.5 million visitors, including 1.1-1.2 million from foreign countries, and gain VND2,500 billion in revenue.
In addition to the ancient monuments in Hue city, the Huyen Tran Culture Centre southwest of the city is also a well-known tourist attraction with its beautiful landscapes, royal tombs and famous pagodas.
According to Ngo Hoa, Vice Chairman of the Hue Municipal People’s Committee, the management of tourism services has been improved and strengthened to ensure the best quality.
On January 24 (the second day of the Lunar New Year), the city welcomed the Superstar Aquarius cruise ship, which brought nearly 1,500 visitors to the city through Chan May port.
This year Chan May port is scheduled to receive 47 cruise ships with more than 92,000 international tourists on board.
dtinews.vn
The central province of Thua Thien-Hue on January 30 launched a year-long series of activities within the National Tourism Year in the northern central coastal area for 2012.
With the theme "Hue-Old Citadel-New Experience", the programme will incorporate the performance of Hue songs and “nha nhac cung dinh” Hue ( Hue royal court music), which has been recognised as a world intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. Traditional games, art installations and carnivals will also be held as part of the programme.
Tourists will be welcomed to witness the week-long schedule, which includes the Huyen Tran Temple Festival and a ceremony where people pray for the country's prosperity and peace. A film festival and tree planting festival will also be held in the province.
Director of the provincial culture department Phan Tien Dung said there will be 20 major cultural events organised throughout the year, 12 of which will be held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
"The National Tourism Year 2012 in the north central coastal area is part of the development strategy for tourism in central provinces , which will help promote inter-provincial connections and raise tourism revenue," Dung said.
During the year-long programme, there will also be “ao dai” (Vietnamese traditional dress) performances on March 24-25, a cuisine festival between April 30-May 1 and a traditional instruments festival in May.
The 13th annual congress of the League of Historical Cities, which includes 80 cities from 55 nations, will also be held during Hue Festival 2012.
With the theme "Hue-Old Citadel-New Experience", the programme will incorporate the performance of Hue songs and “nha nhac cung dinh” Hue ( Hue royal court music), which has been recognised as a world intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. Traditional games, art installations and carnivals will also be held as part of the programme.Tourists will be welcomed to witness the week-long schedule, which includes the Huyen Tran Temple Festival and a ceremony where people pray for the country's prosperity and peace. A film festival and tree planting festival will also be held in the province.
Director of the provincial culture department Phan Tien Dung said there will be 20 major cultural events organised throughout the year, 12 of which will be held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
"The National Tourism Year 2012 in the north central coastal area is part of the development strategy for tourism in central provinces , which will help promote inter-provincial connections and raise tourism revenue," Dung said.
During the year-long programme, there will also be “ao dai” (Vietnamese traditional dress) performances on March 24-25, a cuisine festival between April 30-May 1 and a traditional instruments festival in May.
The 13th annual congress of the League of Historical Cities, which includes 80 cities from 55 nations, will also be held during Hue Festival 2012.
dtinews.vn
The annual New Year boat race festival opened on Ly Son island in the central province of Quang Ngai on January 26.
The annual event, which aims to express appreciation to the gods, and pray for a safe, sound and good harvest, is held in An Vinh and An Hai villages. The festival will last until January 30.
Ly Son Boat Race Festival takes place annually from 4 to 8 January of lunar calendar. Assumedly, this is the most important festival of coastal inhabitants in Quang Ngai in particular and in the south of Central Region as well in terms of the size, time, continuity (annually), and the participation (tens of thousand participants) of the festival. Ly Son Boat Race Festival is not just an amusement but also a chance to commemorate the founders of the island and a time to pray for well-being and prosperity.
Ly So has 8 racing boats (8 m long, named after 4 sacred animals: Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle, Phoenix) all very well decorated with carvings.
The festival has two levels: village level and district level.
The elder performed rituals before the boat race.
dtinews.vn
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| Foreign visitor numbers surged by 80.9 per cent in October compared with the previous month, totalling 518,477, the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism said. |
The figure increased by 17.8 per cent compared with October last year.
Of those, about 445,612 international visitors arrived by plane, accounting for 85.9 per cent of the total visitors; 1,500 by sea, 0.3 per cent; 71,365 by road, 13.8 per cent.
The number of foreign visitors to Viet Nam by plane increased by 24.6 per cent in comparison with the same period last year while the number of international visitors arriving by sea and road decreased 66.7 per cent and 8.5 per cent respectively.
| East Russians flock to central coast Khanh Hoa — A Russia OrenAir plane carrying 190 passengers from Krasnoyarsk city landed at Cam Ranh International Airport in Khanh Hoa Province last Saturday, starting the winter holiday service from eastern Russia to the central coastal cities of Nha Trang and Phan Thiet. The air service, which will last until April next year, connects nine cities in far eastern Russia such as Kharbarovsk, Vladivostok, Novosibirsk and Kemerovo with Viet Nam's popular beach resort cities. Director of Khanh Hoa provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Truong Dang Tuyen said about 70 per cent of Russian tourists using this route would stay in Nha Trang, the rest in Phan Thiet City in neighbouring Binh Thuan Province. He said local tourism operators had designed tours for sight-seeing, relaxation, and discovering the Vietnamese culture.Khanh Hoa Province received 400,000 foreign tourists so far this year, including nearly 30,000 Russians. — VNS |
In the first 10 months of the year, of a total 4.83 million international tourists to Viet Nam, 2.9 million visitors came for tourism purposes.
During the same period, the country saw the highest increase from Cambodia, 56.9 per cent, followed by China, 45.8 per cent, Malaysia, 11.7 per cent and Japan 8.5 per cent.
The number of foreign visitors from South Korea, Taiwan, France, Australia, the US was also on the rise. Only the number of visitors from Thailand declined (20.7 per cent) in comparison with the same period past year. — VNS
vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn
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"My first trip is to Ben Tre Province (or the land of coconuts) because I learned about it a very long time ago but only through books and the internet. Now I want to see it with my own eyes to enjoy its beauty and landscape, as well as the cultural and historical sites," said businessman Duong Quang Thieu, 45, who has returned home from the United States.
Thieu started his trip by visiting fruit gardens in Cho Lach and Chau Thanh districts.
Tour guide Tran Thi Ha said visitors can satisfy their curiosity by taking an exploratory stroll through the gardens while enjoying the taste of fresh fruit hand-picked from the low branches.
"The fruit are sold by kilogramme, or by the ‘belly', a popular way to sell food in the Delta region similar to a buffet which allows you to eat until you are full for one price," garden owner Huynh Van Sam said.
Thieu said he saw coconut everywhere but he preferred to eat Cai Mon durian, rambutan and mangosteen because of their unique flavours and freshness.
"You could come here to enjoy fresh fruit year round," Sam said. Ha said eco-tourism excursions to fruit gardens are booming and drawing an increasing number of visitors, leading fruit garden owners in Cho Lach and Tan Phu to add special food services to their catering programmes.
Some of their special dishes include rice gruel, made with free-range chicken, ensuring the natural quality of meat, mussel rice gruel, and rice pancakes with mussels from Phu Da Islet in Cho Lach District.
"Visitors shouldn't miss these specialities on their tour to Ben Tre," said Ha.
Ben Tre also hosts three very interesting festivals, including the Nghinh Ong Festival, Nguyen Dinh Chieu Memorial Day (July 1) and Concerted Uprising Anniversary (January 17). Each has its own social and historical significance to the public life in the province, said Ha.
The Nghinh Ong (Whale Greeting) Festival, which takes place on the 15th and 16th days of the sixth lunar month in Binh Thang Commune, Binh Dai District, is the largest festival in the province. It is significant because it provides a forum for local fishermen to worship and celebrate the sacred merit of the Whale they regard as Ong – their saviour whenever they face mishaps and adversities on the high sea, fisherman Hoang Thuy told the guests.
During the festival, all fishing boats and fishermen, wherever they are at the moment, must completely stop their work and gather on the commune's seashore. There, hundreds of local fishing boats and others from neighbouring localities such as Tra Vinh, Tien Giang and Can Gio in HCM City get together for the annual ritual offering, said Thuy.
For the ritual, participating boats are brilliantly decorated with lanterns and flowers. A tray of offerings including fruit, steamed glutinous rice, a pair of boiled ducks, a pig head and some other ritual items are placed on the prow of each boat.
On the first festival day, locals and travellers get together at the Ong Temple to pray for peace. On the second day, the main ceremony of the festival is held early in the morning, drawing the attention of all fishermen and people who depend on fishing for their livelihoods.
From the Ong Temple, the crowd of worshippers follows bonzes carrying ritual items onto boats made ready for the offshore rites. A boat of unicorn performers follows the lead boat which is in turn followed by a flotilla of hundreds of boats, all of which sail out to the high sea to perform the formal rites. Then, the bonzes are silent while waiting for Ong (the Whale) to surface, said Thuy.
"People here believe that the village will be lucky and happy for an entire year if Ong surfaces during the ritual. Then fireworks are set off to begin a rollicking time that lasts until the entire flotilla returns to shore. Here, the chief ceremonial bonze will lead the final rites at the temple in what is called the Forefather Celebration. At this time the bonze requests well-being for the village and a good fishing season," he said.
Thieu said he was very interested in the festival and would bring his mother to return to participate in the next sacred festival.
After leaving the Ong Temple, Thieu and his group travelled to Nguyen Dinh Chieu Tomb in An Duc Commune, Ba Tri District, where the teacher-poet has been lying in rest for more than a hundred years.
After the south was liberated in 1975, Ben Tre, with support from the Government, upgraded the tomb into a memorial complex in a meaningful effort to celebrate and honour the great poet who devoted his entire life to supporting poor people in the rural community where he once lived and taught Confucianism.
Chieu held many roles. He was not only one of the great poets who used his poetic powers to fight the French invaders but also a whole-hearted Confucian teacher and physician in the late 19th century.
On leaving Chieu's tomb, Ha led Thieu and his friends to visit the Concerted Uprising Memorial Complex in Dinh Thuy Commune, the breakout point of the movement, which was built to let later generations know of their homeland's unyielding tradition of fighting foreign invasion in order to foster their patriotic spirit and nurture their national pride, Ha said.
The uprising movement was the first large-scale political and military action against the US-backed Sai Gon regime. The triumph of the Ben Tre uprising led to the establishment of the National Front for Liberation of South Viet Nam on December 20, 1960, said Ha. The complex covers 5,000 sq.m and includes a two-storey museum. A 12m-high model of a red flame made of reinforced concrete was built on the roof, representing the symbol of the Dong Khoi eternal flame in the land of coconuts. A grandiose exhibit of objects, dummies, images, charts and home-made weapons used during the uprising is on display in the house.
"The complex is currently one of Ben Tre's most visited tourist sites. It was classified as a national historical site by the Ministry of Culture and Information in 1993," said Ha.
The last leg of Thieu's Ben Tre visit was the grand home of Huong Liem in Thanh Phu District's Giong Luong, now Dai Dien Village, which was built in late 19th century. Liem paid his workers according to the volume of sawdust and wood shavings they produced.
Little more than a century later, his descendants are working with heritage managers to prevent the home from returning to dust.
The house is currently occupied by 76-year-old Huynh Ngoc Chat, who said there was no record of exactly when the mansion was built.
Local residents still remember stories of Huong Liem as one of the first people to settle in the area in the middle of the 19th century and begin cultivating the land.
Many other legends about the house are in circulation, such as how long it took the workers Huong Liem brought down from the north to build the house.
"When the workers first arrived here, my family invited them to eat in our home. The workers spat their orange seeds on the ground, and by the time the house was finished the orange trees were bearing fruit," Chat said.
The home includes 48 thick ironwood columns, which, along with the beams and bars, were carved or inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
Visitors to the house can see the everyday life of the turn of the century captured in the images on the roof tiles, while the walls bear landscapes and pictures of animals, said Chat.
One of the most unique features of the house is outside. The building has a square well lined with slabs of rock which provides more than enough water to meet the needs of dozens of local families year-round.
Despite the effects of war and time, the more than 100-year-old home still stands – but the elements have taken their toll.
"Whether or not the State contributes to the conservation of the building, my family is still responsible for maintaining the home of our ancestors," Chat said.
"We aim to preserve the architectural heritage of this building for future generations, and honour the craftsmanship of our forebears."
Thieu said he was really impressed about Ben Tre, saying he would invest in building a hotel complex in a lucrative tourism site in Cho Lach or Chau Thanh districts.
Tran Duy Phuong, deputy director of the Ben Tre Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said Ben Tre had passed master plans for tourism development until 2015 and 2020.
Under the plans, the province aims to develop its tourism potential: eco-tourism, cultural and historical tourism, and entertainment tourism while also encouraging community tourism.
"We will invest billions of dong to upgrade tourism sites in villages along rivers in Chau Thanh, My Thanh An and Giong Trom districts," said Phuong, adding that his province was calling on business people to invest in constructing more quality hotels and restaurants to lure visitors while it takes care of promoting personnel training for tourism businesses.
In addition, Ben Tre has announced that it sees the importance of co-operating with HCM City and other Delta provinces such as Can Tho to develop a sustainable tourism market.
Ben Tre was expected to welcome 1.2-1.5 million visitors by 2020, said Phuong. — VNS
vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn
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Jens Pickhan, a German businessman, had time to explore the Old Quarter and suburban areas of Ha Noi after participating in a marketing survey for a travel agency.
On a hot summer day, Pickhan and his group of 10 friends decided to explore some of Ha Noi's most visited sites, including Son Tay citadel, the historic villages of Duong Lam and Tay Phuong Pagoda.
Pickhan was invited to join an off-road bike trip through the capital's surrounding towns and villages.
At the suggestion of a local guide, the group took an off-road route, crossing rice fields and riding along dirt paths in the countryside.
Chung, a former tourist guide and biking instructor in Ha Noi, accompanied the group on their half-day trip.
Chung chose a difficult route for the first-time riders.
The group left Ha Noi in a van, while another van carried their bikes and luggage.
After a 30-minute drive, they reached their departure point in Xuan Phuong Village, 30km west of downtown Ha Noi.
There, the guide explained how to avoid problems with muddy and uneven terrain.
At about 8.30am, group leader Pham Ha urged the team to begin riding in order to make a lot of progress before the sun reached its peak.
"I've experienced summer weather, so I know to hurry in the morning and reserve energy for hotter afternoon travelling," Ha explained.
They arrived at Thay Pagoda after an hour and a half. The 20-km route from Xuan Phuong Village to the Thay Pagoda proved challenging for the group; they had to carry their bikes crossing trenches and several riders got flat tires.
But the group agreed that terrain bikes were the best vehicles for their journey across fields of maize and harvested rice.
"It's amazing. We tackled slippery roads and immediately tested the skills we learned from our guides," said Pham Thi Hien, a member of the group.
"We also had the chance to talk with local people, who offered us tea and fruit when we took a short break near their gardens."
The monumental Thay Pagoda, which was built in the 11th century during the Ly dynasty, has statues for the worship of the Zen Buddha and his incarnation as King Ly Nhan Tong.
The upper pagoda's main gate features two four-metre statues made of a mixture of clay, honey, egg white and chopped paper; they were lacquered more than 500 years ago and remain the largest clay statues in Viet Nam.
"I was fascinated by the statues. They reminded me of little clay toys that I used to make when I was a kid, but this was the first time I've seen a giant statue made from clay," Hien added.
"We climbed up to the top of Sai Son Mountain to look down on the pagoda. A pavilion in the middle of the lake, which was set in front of the main building of the pagoda, looks like a match box from a bird's-eye-view angle on top of the mountain."
Having lingered at the pagoda for two hours, the group headed on to Tay Phuong Pagoda, where a unique collection of Buddhist statues has been housed since the 17th century.
The pagoda was built on the top of a mountain and visitors must still climb up 239 steps to reach it.
"It's quite high and we were exhausted by the uphill path to the pagoda after our long ride. But it felt so good to get to the top. It was as if the fatigue disappeared," Ha recalled.
A lunch at a local restaurant revitalised the group, before they continued another 8km to Tay Phuong Pagoda.
The pagoda is renowned for its lacquered wood arhats, considered to be among Southeast Asia's most beautiful statues.
It was built in the late 16th and early 17th centuries during the post-Le dynasty era on Tay Phuong mountain in Thach Xa Village.
The pagoda has 62 jackfruit wood statues from the 18th century, each featuring a different aspect of the Buddha.
The group then went on to visit Son Tay Citadel and ancient village of Duong Lam by van.
"We made sure to select a favourable route that would take only one or two hours and would help visitors get a taste of rural life," said Ha.
The centuries-old village includes Mia Pagoda and the tombs of Viet Nam's first two kings – Phung Hung (791-802) and Ngo Quyen (939-944) – who were famous for their struggle for Vietnamese independence.
The temple of Va, 5km from Duong Lam Village, was the last stop of the biking group, before they got in the van to drive back to Ha Noi. By sunset at 6pm the group was tired, but pleased by their interesting trip through the countryside. — VNS
vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn
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| HMS Rickety: A small boat takes tourists around the lake to discover caves.
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By chance, last month I found myself in a group of five travellers going to the northern province and was able to see the famous lake, which mesmerised us with its beautiful sapphire-blue surface.
Located in Tra Linh District, just 25km from the provincial capital, Thang Hen Lake was definitely as beautiful as I had heard.
A small boat sailed my group around the lake and the deep blue water was a window into world of sea creatures. The only thing that prevented me from enjoying the beauty of the peaceful lake was the noise from the engine so I asked the navigator to stop it for a while.
When he did this, we could hear the sounds of the different creatures around the lake, small birds singing and the sound of water as we glided through the lake. We also had a chance to hear a local musician who played a song which reflected his feelings about the area.
Tran Viet Soi was born in the district more than 50 years ago and has lived in the province since then. He thinks the beauty of the lake has softened his soul allowing him to become a musician.
Soi, who belongs to Tay ethnic people, said Thang Hen Lake means "fox tail" and was named so due to the elongated, oval shape of the lake, according to the history of his ethnic group.
Thang Hen is a mountain lake comprised of 36 different lakes that stretch for 3km in length. During the rainy season, the water level of the lakes rises, linking them all together. The surrounding mountains stand up to 660m above sea level, and are covered in green foliage and tall trees, which are reflected on the water's surface.
While Soi entertained us with a sweet song played on a local music instrument that looked like a guitar, the boat glided along the lake, allowing us to catch the best views of the surrounding mountains which were mirrored by the water's surface.
The navigator again turned off the boat engine as we entered a small cave at the base of a mountain known as Thang Hen Cave. Its large opening gave way to a ceiling of stalactites, silhouetted against the lake's surface, which runs into the cave. These shapes give the dark cave a strange atmosphere, as do the plants growing on the rocks.
Fishing is popular here and fishermen can be seen on the water's edge, casually casting a line and relaxing under the shade of an umbrella.
One member of my group shouted that he felt bad for forgetting his hook at home on such an occasion. I selfishly enjoyed the feeling of doing nothing but sitting on the moving boat and watching the amazing scenery in front of me.
Around the lake, the thick, green forest is set against the blue sky. Soi told us that the surrounding forestland was full of local wildlife and many species of insects, and advised us to bring bug repellent should we venture into the forest.
Lake specialities
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| Waterworld: A view of the peaceful Thang Hen Lake. |
This is the only facility providing visitors with food and accommodation close to the lake, and has been praised by local people as one of the best restaurants offering Cao Bang cuisine.
Before coming we knew the restaurant was famous for wild bamboo shoots, special sticky rice, and a special kind of leaf called mac mat – a speciality of the northern mountain area which has a strange scent.
Restaurant owner Huong Thom introduced us to one type of cuisine of which she is particularly proud: a small wooden container full of three different coloured varieties of sticky rice. The colours of the dish were all from the same plant, which was cooked with local sticky rice.
Accompanying the delicious and colourful meal was the famous maize wine that is kept in a bamboo tube and serving with two spoons, which amazed our group.
According to local tradition, each drinker must have two spoonfuls, and drink one while offering the other to someone else. This drinking ceremony signified the hospitality and strong relationship between the host and the guest and after drinking you must shake hands.
It can be a tough trip to the lake from the capital, but enjoying the natural scenery and culture around the lake makes it worthwhile. Like me, you can lie in a boat and soak up the view of the stunning chain of limestone mountains and experience a perfect meal with special way of drinking. — VNS
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My friends and I travelled to Ninh Van Bay on a glorious day. The morning was just dawning, the sunlight starting to wander on the sea. With the clouds drifting and bobbing. I was sitting on the car taking in the seascape before my eyes. The way to the bay is like the dress of a pretty girl who is lying on the sand and wallowing in the beauty of the sea. I was really eager to explore the bay, one of the most beautiful areas of Khanh Hoa Province.
Ninh Van Bay is located on Ninh Hoa District's Hon Heo Peninsula. It is about 60km from Nha Trang City, and it took us about 20 minutes to reach the bay by boat. The bay is famous for its natural beauty, with fabulous coral reefs, white sand beaches and an impressive mountain backdrop. Its natural charms have enticed many investors to build luxurious resorts, which help visitors escape from city life.
From far off, Ninh Van Bay has a quaint air about it. Small wooden houses line the beach, perched on rocks or hills that bring a sense of calm to the landscape.
However, this region of Ninh Hoa Town was the location of brutal fighting during the war. It was deemed the perfect place for a resistance base because of its rugged mountainous terrain, many reefs and narrow harbour passages.
Although few people know that Ninh Van Bay was a maritime base of the "Ho Chi Minh Trail" on the sea, local residents are proud of its history, which includes a fierce naval battle between liberation forces and US and Sai Gon ships and aircraft. An officer of the liberation navy, Nguyen Phan Vinh, captained a ship in the skirmish.
On March 1, 1968, Vinh's ship reached Hon Heo Peninsula to unload weapons and other supplies intended for Khanh Hoa's combatants, and came under attack suddenly by enemy ships. Instead of surrendering, Vinh ordered his crew to ready themselves for a fight. Ultimately, his vessel was destroyed along with 13 of the crew who sacrificed themselves for their mission.
Pham Thi Huong, a long-time resident of Ninh Hoa Town's Ninh Thuy Commune, says that a few days after the boat exploded, around 9,000 enemy soldiers were sent to mop up the area.
"We all avoided capture and found five survivors from the battle the next day," she recalls.
The image of Vinh's ship anchored in Ninh Van Bay still lingers in the minds of many local people. They are now fighting a new war against poverty and are determined to develop their town into a successful tourist destination.
You can see the evidence of their victory in the many tall buildings and spacious houses that differentiate Ninh Van from other coastal areas in Viet Nam. Even as nearby as Van Phong Bay's Son Dung Island - one of Asia's most beautiful beaches about 20km from Ninh Hoa Town - the economic situation is demonstrably worse. There are only 30 people on that island, which offers another striking contrast with busy Ninh Van Bay.
Chair woman of Ninh Van Commune Tra Thi Bong Sen says that "in the past, travel to Ninh Hoa Town was inconvenient and difficult, but today a new road links our commune with others in the region. When the road opens, we will begin the implementation phase of four more projects".
During the war, Ninh Van was home to only five families, but now there are nearly 400 households of about 1,700 people. Residents mainly cultivate garlic, cashews, beef and seafood, as well as engage in the tourism industry. According to Sen, a household cultivating garlic can earn an average profit of VND300 million (US$14,285) per hectare.
In the future, Ninh Van Bay is looking to continue developing its tourism potential, and is welcoming further investment from companies, organisations and individuals.
Ninh Van has tranformed itself completely in recent years: the bay looks like a girl wearing a new dress. It has pulled itself out of poverty and recovered from war to become a kind of paradise. Visiting Ninh Van, I was really overwhelmed by the sight of it all.
While there, I visited the Six Senses Hideaway Resort, which gestures towards Vietnamese culture with its huts thatched with coconut leaves, set against the clear blue lake. The calm atmosphere can lull you to sleep and it is an ideal hideaway from the chaos of modern life. If you walk just a short way from the bungalows, you can dip your toes in the water and look out at the coral reef.
The resort offers a variety of accommodation. "Beach villas", according to the Ninh Van Bay Holiday Club, are perfect for people who wish to wake up in the early morning with the view of naupaka trees and explore the preserved coral reefs close to shore. "Hilltop villas" are nestled against the cliffs within the lush forest, offering a more secluded experience. And finally, sited on forbidding granite stone boulders, are the "villas over the sea" that allow guests to "merge with the vast ocean and whispering waves".
As transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson from USA wrote: "Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air."
The sea has transformed the lives of Ninh Van residents, first through war and now through tourism, and it will be a crucial part of their future, ushering in economic growth with its gentle waves. — VNS
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