Some essential tips in Motorbike tour

1. Reasons for choosing motorbike

Motorbike is considered the best means of transportation for traveling mountainous areas due to its convenience and initiative. With a motorbike, one is free to go wherever he loves, despite all kinds of road’s condition. He can stop whenever he feels like to take photographs or relaxing, instead of depending on the driver or tour guide. Motorbike helps integrating people with nature and fresh air, and one will never be afraid of motion sickness. If choosing a car, people are likely to waste hours sleeping in passenger’s seat with air condition, not to mention the car sick caused by consecutive slopes and mountain passes. Riding on the motorbike means living on every single kilometer of your itinerary! Moreover, one can ride a motorbike in any kind of terrains, and it is much easier to repair in case of breaking down.

  

                                        

        

                          

2. Which kind of motorbike and when?

100 cc-or-more semi-automatic motorbikes are all suitable for roads in  Northern Vietnam ’s mountainous area. The main criteria for choosing motorbike are strong engine, gasoline-saving and flexible packing space.

Weather is one of the most essential issues regarding planning for motorbike trip. The best time for exploring those mighty areas is from late September to the beginning of December or after Tet Nguyen Dan, when there is almost no rain and the temperature is cool. The spring’s rain and summer’s heat in high region somehow are hazardous for health as well as damaging to the road’s quality.

                                     

3. Be well-prepared!

There are indispensable things that one has to bring whenever traveling to remote areas such as specialized clothes and shoes, personal stuff, map, contact information and medical bags. However, a motorbike trip requires more than that. One will have to be well-prepared with a protective helmet and a motorcycle repair tool kit, and of course, certain skills of mending engine. An extra spark-plug and motorbike’s key are always in need. Remember to maintain the whole motorbike before setting off, change the oil and check its tyres, brakes, mirrors, horn and light. Fill up your motorbike with gasoline and know the location of gasoline station!

4. On the way

If possible, traveling in groups of two or three motorbikes with one experienced leader is advisable. All members of the group are required to have detailed itinerary to get rid the risk of getting lost. People should not ride parallel to each other and talk while controlling the motorbike, thus, stop the bike if feeling a need for a conversation.

Pay attention to the bend and ones driving contrariwise and do not drive into other lane. Sometimes, there may be animals like buffaloes, cows, dogs or even pigs crossing the road, so one should decrease the speed and avoid making them panic. At night or in rain weather, when the vision is limited, travelers had better pause the  journey  for resting and safety reasons.

5. Other things to remember

• Do not ride when you feel tired or sleepy.

• Do not ride after drinking alcohol.

• Avoid riding too fast or stop without noticing.

• Observe carefully and pay attention to road signs.

• Bring your identity paper and driving license because there will be police checking along the road (however they will not be very strict to foreigners)

• Be extremely careful when crossing the stream; be sure about the depth of the water to have the best arrangement.

• Respect the ethnic minority people and their distinctive culture.

• Protect the environment and always remember: Safe is of primary important.

Northern provinces promote tourism potential

 

 

A promotion aimed at the tourist industry, themed ‘three nations, one destination’ took place in the northern province of Quang Ninh on October 29, with numerous travel agencies from Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand taking part. 

The promotion hoped to expand the tourism sector in Quang Ninh province, by promoting culture, popular destinations and quality services around the province. It will also give domestic and overseas travel agencies the opportunity to meet new partners in the field. 

At the event, representatives from the provincial Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism gave an overall picture of Quang Ninh’s potential and its advantages for developing tourism in the province. 

Home to the world’s natural wonder, Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh also has several cultural sites and popular tourist spots such as Tra Co beach, Yen Tu tourist area and Bai Tu Long bay. 

The province is always an attractive destination for visitors from both home and abroad. 

During the first ten months of this year, the province welcomed almost 6 million tourists, up 10 percent over the same period last year. Of this number, foreigners accounted for 2 million, a year on year rise of 7 percent. 

On the same day, over 60 travel companies from Vietnam , Thailand and Cambodia attended a similar promotion in the northern province of Ninh Binh, where they shared their experiences in organising tours and developing new tourism services and products. 

Chhaysivlin, Director of the Cambodian company CSL Travel and Tours , said that the event gave tourism companies the chance to look for investment opportunities and establish partnerships in the sector.

Source: VNA

 

Experience rustic homestay in Can Tho

Homestay is a form of tourism that allows visitors to rent a room from a local family to learn more about the local lifestyle as well as improve language ability and enjoy a cultural exchange.

Coming to the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, tourists should try to experience a homestay service to learn about daily life such as garden farming, fruit tree growing, fishing and producing cacao in My Khanh Commune, Phong Dien District.

 

Tourists pass a bamboo bridge in My Khanh Commune, Can Tho City

We were picked up at Ninh Kieu Wharf by a tac rang – a wooden boat which can surf on the river and squeeze into small canals.

The tac rang ride took us along the Can Tho River over Cai Rang Floating Market and Ong De Canal to reach Mr. Muoi Cuong’s home – the first homestay venue in our journey. We toured on the flooding season so the canal was abundant with water which made the countryside scenery more peaceful with ever green coconut lines and orchards.

The homestay area of Muoi Cuong was very spacious and airy with many houses together with a striking front large yard with colorful flowers and ornamental trees.

After a warm welcome from his three-generational family, Cuong took us to our rooms equipped with air conditioning thankfully.

After taking a short rest, we followed the family to the farm to take care of cacao trees and harvest ripe fruits which are very sweet and sour and can be served with ice.

We were taught the process of producing cacao without breaking the fruit to take the seeds, keeping seeds on banana leaves, drying under the sunlight for a couple of days, frying them on a grill, peeling off their husk, grinding them into flour. The chocolate is handmade but really good.

With the sunset about to come over the farm, we came back home and joined in the production of Southern spring rolls made of rice paper cake with stuffing of shrimp, pork and potatoes. That was not enough for dinner so we had to go fishing and picked some vegetables in the garden. The interesting thing was that we didn’t cook on the electric stove but on firewood and we had to keep an eye on it at all times.

We had dinner with the family, with much laughter and a cozy atmosphere as if it was our real family. While eating, we together talked about farming and local customs.

Early  the next morning, we walked deeper into the village on winding trails and enjoyed the fresh and peaceful surroundings.

We hired bicycles and rode along Ong De Canal through orchards and bridges. On the way we saw bananas, pomelos, mangos, papayas and pineapples on sale so we stopped by to try some for a vitamin rush as well as to taste the local specialties.

Our journey continued in Hai Robert’s garden where he makes wine from spondias. We started to explore his wine cellar where he has dozens of wine barrels with hundreds of liters. He makes wine in the traditional craft method and is also an experienced carpenter.

The next destination was Miss Mai’s who makes soy juice, tofu and cake. We again had a chance to witness her demonstrating how to bake cakes and enjoy them.

The next homestay area was Ba Xinh house by a bamboo bridge. The living room is not too big but contains the custom of Southern people with ancestor’s alters, memorial pictures and decorations. The guest rooms were equipped with air conditioning, wardrobe, a small table set and many images of delta landscapes.

After a long day, we feasted on a very rustic but fabulous dinner with delta specialties chum ngay vegetable (moringa oleiferay), grilled dieu hong fish and fried bitter melon with eggs. In the dark, we heard whispers and buzzes of many kinds of insects and frogs. We were suggested to go to the field to catch frogs with a flashlight to have some food and of course frogs taste surprise. It was an amazing memory that I will never forget.

The next morning, we continued our education on growing rice, making bamboo baskets and the Oc Eo culture.

The homestay trip ended in extreme happiness and relaxation, with stresses and worries of city life left behind but we were on our way back buoyed. We said goodbye and swore to come back again and when the flooding season returns.

Prices are US$30 for a couple for one night in an air-conditioned room and US$20 for a room with an electric fan. Bicycles can be hired for US$5 a day.

Some suggested addresses for homestay tourism in Can Tho are Ba Xinh Homestay at 303, Rach Sau Street, My Khanh Commune, Phong Dien District, tel: 0710 3845511, and Homestay The Cuong at 275 My Ai Hamlet, My Khanh Commune, tel: 0710 3942 573.

 

 

Tourists cook at a homestay in My Khanh Commune

 

Tourists swim in a river during their homestay trip - Photos: Lam Van Son

Tripartite conference boosts regional tourism links

More than 60 tour operators from Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia discussed ways to promote their tourism potential at a conference in Hanoi on October 29.

They shared information on organising tours and developing new kinds of services to attract visitors.

Chhaysivlin, Director of CLS Cambodia, said the event helps tourist companies find partners from different parts of the world to seek out opportunities for investment and cooperation.

Deputy Head of the Ninh Binh Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Nguyen Ngoc Luyen, said his province has over 1,000 historical, cultural and scenery sites.

It is improving its infrastructures and the quality of services and offering preferential investment policies to boost the local tourism industry and make it a spearhead economic sector in the future.

The conference, jointly held by the Hanoi and Ninh Binh Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism, aims to promote the 2013 National Tourism Year focusing on the Red River Delta Civilization.

Dishes of 25 countries to be introduced in city

 

 

Around 50 restaurants and hotels will introduce international dishes to diners in Ho Chi Minh City from December 12 to 26 as part of the city’s annual food festival.

According to the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, at the food festival 'Tastes of the World', there will be 80 international food stalls at September 23 Park in HCMC’s District 1. The festival will also feature cooking demonstrations, art performances and traditional games reflecting the cultural identities of countries.

Highlights of this year’s food festival are the food cooking and introductions of international cuisine on the nights of December 12 and 15, special activities of chefs of five-star hotels and a bartender competition.

Following the food festival is the Sweet Festival which will also take place at the park on January 25-28. Around 65 confectionery firms will participate in this festival held for the first time in HCMC. Participating firms will introduce products, materials, equipment and supporting services of the confectionery industry to visitors. 

Source: Saigon Times

 

Travel firms launch charity tours diffidently, exploring situation

 

Charity tours have been added into the lists of tourism products offered by travel firms. However, the firms still keep very cautious in developing the new product.

Go traveling and making charity

In fact, charity programs have appeared on the “menus” of many inbound tours designed for high end travelers for a long time. However, charity tours have just become a new tendency among people who love traveling for discoveries.

Vietravel Hanoi has become the first travel firm in Vietnam that runs an advertisement campaign for charity tourism, having designed the tours to northern mountainous provinces, where ethnic minorities live.

With the new tourism products, travelers not only can enjoy the sightseeing, explore the nature and culture of the high land, but also can be closer to local people with charitable activities to be organized at schools, mountainous villages. They would also be able to donate books, mosquito nets, blankets and clothes to local children, to help improve the quality of local people’s meals, or deliver medicines to them free of charge.

Duong Mai Lan, a senior executive of Vietravel Hanoi, said the launching of the tours associated with social purposes has led to the sharp increase in the number of travelers since 2011 and the diversification of the travelers.

Hanoi Redtours and Vietran Tour have also added charity programs into the tours from Hanoi to the northern provinces of Ha Giang, Lai Chau, Cao Bang, Bac Kan and Dien Bien. With the tours, travelers would be able to visit nursery schools, primary schools, donate clothes and join extracurricular activities with ethnic minority children.

Especially, an executive of Hanoi Redtours said the firm sets up low fees for the tours, while it does not strive for profits when developing the tours. However, this would help attract travelers to the destinations remaining unfamiliar to many people.

Meanwhile, Vietran Tour encourages travelers to bring old clothes, books, pens and sweets with themselves, so that they can donate to local children if they want.

Thu Anh from Vietran Tour said that charity tours have been applauded by travelers, especially those who are office workers or middle aged people.

The tours have also attracted young travelers, who love discovery trips and want to learn more about the local traditions and culture. Meanwhile, charity activities would help them do that, while making the trips more interesting.

The hurdles on the way

Though having realized the attractiveness of the new type of tourism, travel firms still have not developed the tours in a large scale.

Lan from Vietravel said travel firms have to take very costly and careful field-works in order to design the tours. It takes a lot of time to discuss with local authorities about the plans, seek information about the people who need help, draw up charity plans, and follow a lot of other procedures. 

In some cases, it takes more time than planned to design a tour, mostly because of the obstacles relating to the administrative works.

In general, big travel firms would find it easier to contact local authorities and organize larger scale charity activities. This explains why small travel firms still keep hesitant about the tours.

Deputy Director of Hanoi Redtours has affirmed that charity tourism would develop strongly in the future thanks to its high sociability and competitive tour fees. Meanwhile, local authorities can cooperate with travel firms to attract more travelers by setting up reasonable policies to attract tourists. 

Source: To quoc/Vietnamnet

 

Hanoi to host Vietnam-RoK culture, food festival

A culture and food festival, which feature the specialties of Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) will take place in Hanoi from November 2-4. As part of activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Vietnam-RoK diplomatic ties, the event will be organised by the RoK’s Embassy in Vietnam, the RoK’s Rural Development Administration, Korean Tourism Organisation and the Vietnamese Ministry of Agricultural and Development.

About 50 booths of the two countries’ businesses will display their typical agricultural products at the festival. 

There will be outdoor activities with traditional games and contests to cook Vietnamese and Korean dishes. 

Dishes from the RoK and Vietnam including Kim Chi (salted vegetables), bulgogi, and Tteokbokki, mixed noodles, Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup), Bun cha (grilled pork noodle soup) will be featured during the two-day festival. 

The event will be opened free to visitors and money from selling foods at the festival will be contributed to charitable activities in Vietnam.

Source: Vietnam+

 

Keo Pagoda designated special national relic

 

The Keo Pagoda in Duy Nhat commune, Vu Thu district, in northern Thai Binh province, has been recognised as a special national relic for its unique historical, cultural, architectural and artistic values. 

The province held a ceremony on October 24 to receive the title and officially open the 2012 Keo Pagoda Autumn Festival. 

After the first ceremonies, the delegates, along with many Buddhist monks, nuns, followers and tourists, offered incense in commemoration of Buddhist monk Duong Khong Lo and those who took part in the pagoda construction, from the 17th century. 

Speaking at the ceremony, a senior official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism underlined the unique values of the pagoda and urged Thai Binh province to preserve and promote these values so that it is worthy of becoming one of the nation’s special cultural heritages. 

Just over 130 km away from the capital Hanoi, Keo Pagoda, which was built in 1632, is an ancient building but has 102 rooms, more than any other pagoda in Vietnam. 

There are two passages which separate the pagoda from the temple. They are designed with curved roofs that join together at the 11.5m-high iron and wood bell tower. The tower has three storeys, each of which possesses its own tiled roof and bronze bell. 

The 108,000 m2 pagoda is home to a wealth of ancient artefacts, which range from intricately engraved wooden dragons to a collection of over 100 statues. 

It has also preserved many valuable antiques, such as a pair of candlesticks from the Mac Dynasty, pottery and altars from the Le Dynasty and several imperial boats. 

The Keo Pagoda Autumn Festival is held annually from the 13 th to 15 th of the ninth lunar month, in honour of monk Duong Khong Lo, who is said to have cured King Le Thanh Tong of illness. 

In addition to the traditional religious rituals that commemorate the Buddhist monk, the festival also hosts a variety of cultural activities that reflect the lifestyle of the Red River Delta’s agricultural communities.

Source: VNA

 

An Giang Province offers culture and crafts with tourism

Lying on the west of the Mekong Delta, An Giang Province attracts more than five million domestic and international holidaymakers annually, making it the key tourist destination in the region.

Holidaymakers are excited to join in the village activities

To be able to attract more visitors, An Giang Province has developed several traditional handicraft villages and linked them with tourism. So far these villages have proved to be very effective.

An Giang Province has developed 34 traditional handicraft villages to date, many of which were founded a long, long time ago, with each traditional craft village having a cultural base with its own identity.

These are well-known in the country like blacksmiths Phu My village in Phu Tam District; Tan Chau town’s famous silk of Lanh My A brand– a kind of cocoon silk fabricated by original formulas, making it a unique product that many women dream of in the 20th century; 100-year-old Chau Giang Brocade village, which makes exquisite brocade, a perfect combination between traditional and modern and also unique in producing Cham ethnic minority specialty with a number of patterns; and Cho Thu lumber village in Cho Moi District.

Several new traditional craft villages  to make arts and crafts products from available materials from the countryside like bamboo, thot not tree or palmyra tree for numerous sugars, drinks and food, water hyacinth, are all popular gifts bought by visitors.

Nguyen Van Len, director of An Giang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the province is launching a variety of tours such as tours for Buddhist followers, ecological tours, and agricultural tours.

Authorities also held seminars ‘Sustainable growth of arts and craft production in economic downturn’ to help enterprises and businessmen to penetrate markets locally and internationally. In addition, the People’s Committee organized fairs to display arts and craft products.

The province has plans to preserve and develop traditional crafts villages. In the first phase, the province will spend VND60 billion ($2.9 million) on 43 projects and in the second phase, VND4.3 billion will be invested in seven projects.

An Giang Province therefore has offered jobs to more than 33,000 residents with average salary of VND1.3 million a month, said Huynh The Nang, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee.

In some special tours designed for tourists, visitors will have a chance to see artists from traditional craft villages making a shirt for visitors, weaving bamboo products or participating in baking cakes.

Keo Pagoda designated special national relic

 

 

The Keo Pagoda in Duy Nhat commune, Vu Thu district, in northern Thai Binh province, has been recognised as a special national relic for its unique historical, cultural, architectural and artistic values. 

The province held a ceremony on October 24 to receive the title and officially open the 2012 Keo Pagoda Autumn Festival. 

After the first ceremonies, the delegates, along with many Buddhist monks, nuns, followers and tourists, offered incense in commemoration of Buddhist monk Duong Khong Lo and those who took part in the pagoda construction, from the 17th century. 

Speaking at the ceremony, a senior official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism underlined the unique values of the pagoda and urged Thai Binh province to preserve and promote these values so that it is worthy of becoming one of the nation’s special cultural heritages. 

Just over 130 km away from the capital Hanoi, Keo Pagoda, which was built in 1632, is an ancient building but has 102 rooms, more than any other pagoda in Vietnam. 

There are two passages which separate the pagoda from the temple. They are designed with curved roofs that join together at the 11.5m-high iron and wood bell tower. The tower has three storeys, each of which possesses its own tiled roof and bronze bell. 

The 108,000 m2 pagoda is home to a wealth of ancient artefacts, which range from intricately engraved wooden dragons to a collection of over 100 statues. 

It has also preserved many valuable antiques, such as a pair of candlesticks from the Mac Dynasty, pottery and altars from the Le Dynasty and several imperial boats. 

The Keo Pagoda Autumn Festival is held annually from the 13 th to 15 th of the ninth lunar month, in honour of monk Duong Khong Lo, who is said to have cured King Le Thanh Tong of illness. 

In addition to the traditional religious rituals that commemorate the Buddhist monk, the festival also hosts a variety of cultural activities that reflect the lifestyle of the Red River Delta’s agricultural communities.

Source: VNA

 

Trying medicinal bathing with the Dao

Medicinal bathing is a local feature of the indigenous Red Dao in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai.

 

Legend has it that on the last day of the year the Dao boiled leaves from the forest for medicinal bathing before welcoming the new year in.

At this practice proves both effective and salubrious, a majority of Kinh people have considered it a unique feature of Red Dao culture.

Each barrel of water usually contains at least 10 types of herbs, even up to 120. Every bathroom has a wardrobe to keep personal belongings and visitors feel quite relaxed to be bathed in the typical wooden tubs filled with hot water and the aromatic smell of different herbs.

There are two types of bathrooms: a single for one wishing to bathe alone and a double for couples to share.

Stepping out from a steam-filled bathroom, Christine Smith—an American tourist—says; "I feel so relaxed, like being full of energy".

Christine is no exception. Other Western tourists also feel the same about medical bathing in Sa Pa after a long trip through north-western provinces.

Ly Ta May, 30, says bathing with medicinal herbs is a traditional practice of the Red Dao before her time.

“In our village, either in winter or summer, the whole family boils a big pot of medicinal herbs to fill wooden tubs for themselves to bathe in the hope of curing ailments such as knee, hand, and foot pain, muscle pain, headache, back pain, excess alcohol, fatigue, poor blood circulation, and skin diseases.

“If women take to bathing with these herbs after giving birth, they will recover quickly and have a better blood circulation and beautiful skin”, she says.

Getting medicinal herbs

Red Dao people in Sa Pa are famous for curing bone, joint, and muscle pains, common cold and flu symptoms.

Collecting medicinal herbs is no easy task, says Chao Man May from Ta Van Village.

“Medicinal herbs grow along the streams or in the forest. If you want to pick them, you’d rather go deep into the forest”, she says.

Like other Dao women,Liu has spent time teaching her young daughter about how to pick medicinal herbs where they often grow, and how to tell  the difference between the medicinal plants and poisonous varieties.

“This is very important because some poisonous herbs look much like medicinal ones. Only after about five or six trips to the forest, can my daughter find the right herbs”, she says.

She says the best time for picking medicinal herbs is in the early morning, as the dew preserves the essence of the sky and earth in them.

The Dao only take the branches and leaves, leaving the roots intact for growth until the next time of pruning

The final step is to chop and dry the herbs in the sun so that they can be used for a long time. However, according to Mẩy, using fresh herbs is better than dried herbs.

The Red Dao’s treatment secrets have been passed down from generation to generation. Today, some medicinal remedies are given in Sa Pa as a special tourist service

Preparing water for medicinal bathing is time-consuming. It is boiled with both fresh and dried herbs in liquid form for people to soak up through the skin.

Dr. Tran Van On from Hà Nội University of Pharmacy says: “Each remedy of the Red Dao usually consists of between 10-120 different kinds of herbs, depending on regular or irregular medication”.

After many years of research, On has helped other Red Dao people process several kinds of herbs into pulverized substance for future use. The Red Dao’s medicinal bathing has become one of the northern mountainous province‘s attractions, even though it is still a mystery to foreign tourists who first set foot in Sapa.

A colorful day at new Dong Van market

The ancient market has now become the drying yard for rice and corn of minority living nearby and a tourist site.

The famous market of Dong Van town that was built hundreds of years ago was finally closed down and been replaced by the new market located just across the street.

At the new market, minority people such as H’Mong and Tay sell agricultural products, fruit, meat and some fresh-water fish and snails to buyers. While the ancient market located amid the houses of old Dong Van town is now a tourist spot.

Dong Van town is at the center of Dong Van Karst Plateau in Ha Giang Province which has been recognized as a global geopark by UNESCO. Dong Van Karst Plateau is the highest plateau in Vietnam, attracting tourists from all over the world thanks to its spectacular scenes and local cultures of minority groups.

 

The ancient market has now become the drying yard for rice and corn of minority living nearby and a tourist site 

An old woman awaits buyers for her tofu - Photo: Pham Thai

Vietnam Airlines to fly direct to Indonesia

 

 

Vietnam Airlines will launch a direct service between HCMC and Indonesian capital Jakarta on December 2, offering four weekly flights. The nation’s flag carrier is offering preferential pricing policy to a number of special travel agents in Indonesia.

At the moment, to fly direct to Indonesia, passengers can only choose flights of the low-cost carrier AirAsia. They have to transit in Singapore on Vietnam Airlines’ services for a lengthy journey which only takes two hours on direct flights.

Vietnam Airlines earlier informed in Vietnam Heritage magazine that the direct flights would open this month. However, sources from local tourism companies said the launch was now set for every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from December 2.

Tran Xuan Hung, director of Viking Travel & Media said his partners in Indonesia had purchased air tickets for the new route to take visitors to Vietnam.

AirAsia also operates four flights a week between HCMC and Indonesia but the flights are often full, making it difficult for local clients to buy tickets.

The local tourism industry will enjoy huge opportunities to develop the Indonesian market thanks to Vietnam Airlines’ direct air connection with the nation, Hung said.

“This is really good information as we now are focusing on tapping the Indonesian market, with the stable arrivals of Indonesian tourists to Vietnam weekly,” Hung noted.

Indonesian travelers tend to choose four-to-five-day tours to HCMC and My Tho or to Hanoi and then call at Halong Bay, Hung said. He noticed many local tour operators have yet to enter the potential visitor-generating market at present.

Source: SGT

 

ESRT and UNESCO to sign Collaborative Agreement to support sustainable tourism in Viet Nam

 

A Collaborative Agreement has been signed on October 19 between the EU-funded Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Programme in Viet Nam (ESRT) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Representative Office in Viet Nam. 

The main purpose of this Agreement is to establish a framework for cooperation between ESRT and UNESCO within which the two parties can assist each other in the implementation of common activities to support and promote sustainable tourism development in the country.

Following the signing of this Agreement, a number of activities at provincial and national level will be conducted throughout 2013-2014, such as a Professional Guide Training with the aim of expanding and formalizing the Heritage Specialist Guide programme for all World Heritage sites in Viet Nam. Within this programme, ESRT will incorporate the Heritage Specialist Guide Modules and certification into the VTOS/VTCB system, while UNESCO will develop training materials and standards, including the Site Modules for Viet Nam’s seven World Heritage sites.

Other activities to be jointly undertaken by ESRT and UNESCO include improvement of quality visitor information centres in key tourism destinations to connect visitors with local communities; standardizing visitor satisfaction surveys and supporting tourism industry’s data systems; diversifying tourism services and products; supporting visitor management plans at selected sites; and an educational programme on environmental and conservation capacity building.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ms. Katherine Muller-Marin, UNESCO Representative to Viet Nam, said: “UNESCO Ha Noi and ESRT have individually been very active in building capacity for and promoting sustainable tourism development in Viet Nam over the last few years. This is absolutely an important step to consolidate recourses of both parties for mutual goals and objectives. At the same time, this event could just be the very first step to bring all tourism related donor-funded project initiatives in Viet Nam together so that successful practices and toolkits will be shared and lessons learned will be shared and replicated exchanged on a larger scale”.

 

UNESCO Hanoi’s sustainable tourism programme

Since 2009, UNESCO has been working with World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks in Viet Nam to promote sustainable tourism development. In particular, UNESCO has significantly contributed to the implementation of pilot projects demonstrating good management practice as well as the development of toolkits to be applied in other sites. Under these main activities, UNESCO’s support has focused on two main areas: supporting sites to develop sound visitor management plans, and supporting sites to improve their presentation to the tourist market including the provision of more appropriate information through strengthened information centers, information signs and panels, promotional materials and tourist guides. To date, support has been focused in Quang Nam province, home to the World Heritage sites of Hoi An and My Son and the Cham Island Biosphere Reserve.

The results achieved from UNESCO’s support to Quang Nam have shown concrete contributions to the management and protection of sites against rapid tourism development, while providing the visitors with quality information and a more authentic experience.

 

Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Programme (ESRT)

The EU-funded “Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Programme (ESRT)” is a sector capacity-building programme for all major stakeholders in the tourism sector in Vietnam. It is designed to integrate responsible tourism practices into all aspects of policy, planning, destination management, business operations, education and awareness-raising at national, regional and provincial levels. Responsible tourism principles will provide the foundation for creating a more sustainable, competitive and higher yielding tourism sector that expands opportunities for the poor and other disadvantaged groups such as women and ethnic minorities. 

The ESRT seeks to build the capacity of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and particularly the Vietnam National Tourism Administration (VNAT), in responsible tourism policy making, planning and management. At a more operational level, similar efforts will be deployed towards provincial tourism administrators, associations, civil society organisations and local communities. 

Source: ESRT

Vietnamese landscapes as water-colours

Some beautiful images of Vietnam and its people have been taken by Chinese photographer Don Hong-Oai.

Don Hong-Oai, born in 1929 in Guangdong Province, moved to Vietnam when he was seven years old.

When he was young, he lived in former Saigon and worked at a photography studio. He used to travel across Vietnam taking photos. He experienced the wars against the French and US and moved to California in the US in 1979. Don has returned to China and Vietnam to take new photographs.

Don used a very special technique that appears to combine Western photography and Oriental water-colour painting art in his photos. His photos are black and white and include Chinese painting details such as birds, boats and mountains.

Don Hong-Oai had won many photographic competitions in Asia, including those held by Kodak and Nikon. He is considered among some of the most famous artists in this special photography genre.

His works have been displayed in several countries. Don passed away in June 2004.

Water-colour originated from China, and involved Chinese ink used for drawing on paper or silk. This art developed along with Chinese calligraphy. The major topics of the paintings are trees, flowers and people.

Some of his photos about Vietnam:

A small boat

 

On the river

 

On the way to the market

 

 
A fisherman and his net

 Sand and wind

 

Upstream

 

After praying

 

Fields

 

Birds

 

Herdsmen

 

Grazing buffalo

 

A little ferry boat

 

Storks

Cua Van among world’s most beautiful villages

 

Cua Van village in Ha Long Bay has been recognized as one of the most beautiful villages around the world by Journeyetc.com, a travel blog that provide useful guidance on and latest information about the travel market.

In a recent article featuring the world’s 16 exceptionally charming villages, Journeyetc.com said tourists will be amazed at the historical sites and the cobble stone streets of the village.  

It is definitely one of the most scenic around the world, it said, advising visitors to admire the majestic lime stone hills of Ha Long Bay, take photos of the floating fishing village and colorful raft houses, and immerse themselves in the rustic lifestyle of Cua Van. 

Also in the blog’s list are beautiful villages in Switzerland, New Mexico, Italy, Tunisia, Japan, France, Czech Republic, Turkey, England, Hawaii, Georgia, Canada, Indonesia, Bermuda, and Chile.

Source: VOV

 

What is Adventure Travel?

Adventure travel often conjures up images of mountain climbing, whitewater rafting, scuba diving and four wheel driving. While these are certainly activities associated with adventure travel, adventure travel may involve something as sedate as a wine tasting Motorcycling tour in Ho Chi Minh trail, Viet nam. Adventure travel is simply to go above and beyond one’s normal known area, seeking out experiences which are unfamiliar. The travel destination may be as close as a few kilometers from your home, or it can be thousands of kilometers away in an exotic location in Africa or Asia .

 Maybe it has to do with the stressful and fast-paced lives we are leading, that adventure travel has become one of the fasting growing segments of the travel industry. More and more travelers are abandoning the usual beach resorts, and are actively seeking new experiences in their travels. These trips often bring significant personal discovery, development of new skills and knowledge and cross-cultural experiences.

Adventure travel is not for everyone. It is for an individual with the thirst for new experience, one who dares to forsake the well-trodden path. Health and age may restrict the traveler to less-strenuous activities, but that does not stop the traveler from other forms of adventure travel.

It is undeniable that some adventure travel activities carry additional risk. Trekking across the desert is definitely more dangerous than planting your self under an umbrella at the beach. As in most travel situations, having adequate planning and practicing common sense will go a long way in minimizing risk.

An adventure travel need not be expensive. In most cases, you would not be staying in five star hotels, eating in fancy restaurants and taking limousine rides. Instead, you would probably be staying in guesthouses, eating at local food stalls and taking public transport. These usually more than help to hold the line on the total cost.

If you need more reasons to start your adventure travel, here are some motivating quotations I have collected.

“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” – Rosalia de Castro

“The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him.” – Daniel J. Boorstin

 “All adventures, especially into new territory, are scary” – Sally Ride

“It is in the compelling zest of high adventure and of victory, and in creative action, that man finds his supreme joys.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
Now, are you willing to join in adventure tour?

Vietnam gains ground in International Travel Awards

Vietnam can now lay claim to one of the top three hotels in Southeast Asia, two of Asia’s top 15 resorts and one of Asia's top 10 cities, according to the Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards 2012.

Hoi An Ancient Town

Announced in New York on Oct. 16, the results of Conde Nast Traveller’s 25th annual survey places five Vietnamese hotels and resorts on the prestigious travel magazine’s list of top hospitality properties.

The 111-year-old Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi ranked third among the Top 20 Hotels in Southeast Asia. The Park Hyatt Saigon and the Sheraton Saigon also scored top-20 finishes on the same list.

Life Heritage Resort Hoi An and the Nam Hai were chosen by voters as two of the Top 15 Resorts in Asia, placing 10th and 14th on the list, respectively.

The old town of Hoi An made its first appearance as one of Asia’s Top 10 Cities, joining the ranks of destinations such as Bangkok, Hong Kong and Kyoto.

The Readers’ Choice Awards polled responses from 46,476 readers who rated resorts and hotels on a five-point scale across five categories via a secure website. Only the properties that garnered a minimum number of responses were eligible, with awards given for candidates with the highest rankings by voters.

Developing medical tourism, why not?

More and more foreigners come to Vietnam over the last five years in medical tours. However, Vietnam still does not think of developing medical tourism in a professional way.

 

Vietnam should develop medical tourism 

Great potentials, modest investments

The Central Institute of Acupuncture headed by Professor Nguyen Tai Thu, who has been well-known not only in Vietnam but all over the world as well, has been pioneering in receiving foreign tourists who come to have healthcare services.

Joining forces with the Acupuncture Medical Tourism International Group and domestic travel firms since 2006, the institute has attracted a lot of groups of foreign travelers to Vietnam, where they can enjoy acupuncture services and the elites of the oriental medicine. They can also approach a new way of disease treatment – Qi Gong. Most of the clients of the institute are from Europe and America.

However, with the limitations in the material facilities and the lack of high grade utilities, the services now just can satisfy a limited number of clients, while the institute remains incapable to expand the services. Moreover, no money has been spent to advertise the services.

In HCM City, the Cho Ray Hospital has been attracting a lot of Cambodian travelers to come for treatment. A report showed that the number of Cambodian patients treated at the hospital has increased by 90 percent over the last four years, 2008-2011.

However, the travelers arrange their tours to Vietnam to have medical treatment themselves, while hospitals and travel firms have not cooperated with each other to develop services and increase the revenue.

In fact, local authorities have realized the benefits which can be brought by medical tourism products. Quang Ninh province, for example, is now providing a tour, with which travelers can visit the Yen Tu sacred temple and have medical treatment with herbs. Khanh Hoa province has become well known as the place for tourists to have hot mineral spring, mud bath and enjoy herbal spa services.

However, these services have been designed as just a part of the tour packages, while no separated tour like this has been provided. 

Explaining the low popularity of the services, Do Dinh Cuong, a tourist expert, said the services are really very attractive, but they have not been developed well due to the lack of the systems that can provide relating services.

Meanwhile, the service quality provided by the medical establishments still cannot satisfy the high demand from international tourists. Most of the establishments have small scale, while the staff do not have sufficient foreign language skills.

Travel firms and medical establishments need to join hands

MICE (meeting, incentive, conference, exhibition) tourism, medical tourism and educational tourism can all be seen in the list of the new tourism products named in the tourism development master plan by 2020. 

However, to date, no cooperation deal between travel firms and medical establishments has been made to exploit the potential type of tourism.

Travel firms say hospitals and medical establishments themselves do not think of receiving foreign clients, therefore, they do not intend to make investment to lure more clients. Meanwhile, the material facilities at hospitals are just enough to serve the domestic demand.

In fact, a lot of private run hospitals which can meet the international standards in material facilities, remain unknown to clients, while the qualified physicians here have been mostly hired from state owned hospitals.

Therefore, an executive of a travel firm said, the firms now can only design tours for travelers to have medical treatment at traditional medical establishment, where people can receive oriental therapies.

Cua Van among world’s most beautiful villages

Cua Van village in Ha Long Bay has been recognised as one of the most beautiful villages around the world by Journeyetc.com, a travel blog that provide useful guidance on and latest information about the travel market.

In a recent article featuring the world’s 16 exceptionally charming villages, Journeyetc.com said tourists will be amazed at the historical sites and the cobble stone streets of the village.

It is definitely one of the most scenic around the world, it said, advising visitors to admire the majestic lime stone hills of Ha Long Bay, take photos of the floating fishing village and colorful raft houses, and immerse themselves in the rustic lifestyle of Cua Van.

Also in the blog’s list are beautiful villages in Switzerland, New Mexico, Italy, Tunisia, Japan, France, Czech Republic, Turkey, England, Hawaii, Georgia, Canada, Indonesia, Bermuda, and Chile.

One pillar pagoda wins Asian recognition

 

The One Pillar Pagoda, a historic Buddhist temple in Hanoi, has been recognised by the Asian Records Organisation as having the most unique architecture on the continent, the Vietnam Records Organisation said on October 17.

Originally dubbed Dien Huu, which means long-lasting happiness and good luck, the pagoda was built in 1049 on the orders of King Ly Thai Tong. 

During the Ly Dynasty, to mark Vesak or Buddha’s birthday, it was the site where an annual royal ceremony to celebrate the event was held. 

Legend has it that Ly Thai Tong, who had no children, used to go to pagodas to pray to Buddha for a son. One night, he dreamt that he met Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the Goddess of Mercy, sitting on a great lotus flower in a square-shaped pond and handed him a baby boy. 

Months later, when the Queen gave birth to a boy, the King was advised by a monk to erect a pillar in the middle of a lotus pond, similar to the one he had seen in his dream, in honour of the Goddess of Mercy. 

It was built of wood on a single stone pillar 1.25m in diameter, 4m high and resembled a lotus blossom, the Buddhist symbol of purity. 

With all its architectural and historical values, the pagoda was classified as a national historic site in 1962. On May 4, 2006, it was recorded in Vietnam ’s Guinness Book of Records as the pagoda with the most unique architecture in Vietnam . 

During its long history, the complex has undergone a number of renovations and has become one of the most interesting architectural complexes in Hanoi, attracting large numbers of domestic and overseas tourists alike.

Source: VNA

 

Snorkelling in Nha Trang

Snorkelling in Nha Trang will offer visitors a chance to explore natural beauty of one of the most stunning sea regions in Vietnam.

It takes about a 30-minute boat ride to get to Hon Mun Sea Preservation Site for snorkelling. Visitors receive instructions on how to use the equipment on the boat ride.

Each participant will be instructed and accompanied by a skilled diver to ensure safety. At a depth of between 5-10m, colourful coral reefs can be seen, along with the marine life that lives there.

Although snorkelling is relatively new to Vietnam, it gives those interested a chance to explore some of the country's natural beauty.

Nha Trang is also famous for tourist sites such as Thap Ba Ponagar, Long Son Pagoda and Institute of Oceanography.

 

 

Accompanied by professional instructor

 

 

Colourful coral

RoK to invest US$4 billion in Phong Nha-Ke Bang

 

The People’s Committee of Quang Binh Province has just signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ZETA Group Holding, a real estate investment organization from the Republic of Korea, to build an international leisure center at the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. 

Accordingly, the project, worth US$4 billion, will include a casino area, hotels and urban facilities on the mountains, providing outdoor entertainment activities and cave exploring tours in Phong Nha-Ke Bang. 

The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park was listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2003, thanks to its system of 300 caves and grottos with a total length of 126 km discovered up to April 2009.

Before the discovery of the Son Doong, recognized as the world's largest cave, Phong Nha held several world cave records, as it has the longest underground river, as well as the largest caverns and passageways.

Source: chinhphu.vn

 

One Pillar Pagoda recognised as unique example of Asian architecture

Asia Book of Records has recognised Hanoi’s One Pillar Pagoda as one of Asia’s most unique pieces of architecture.

One-pillar pagoda is a tourist attraction in Hanoi

According to Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu, The Complete History of Great Viet, the pagoda was built in the winter of 1049 under the reign of King Ly Thai Tong who dreamed of seeing the Goddess of Mercy sitting in a lotus throne and talking him to it. When awaking, the king told his mandarins about his dream and one of them thought that it was a bad omen. Monk Thien Tue advised him to build a pagoda and a lotus-shaped tower just as he had seen in his dream. When the pagoda was inaugurated, monks went around the pagoda and recited the Buddhist scriptures to pray for longevity of the king. For this reason, the pagoda is also called Dien Huu (long lasting happiness and good luck).

The temple is built of wood on a single concrete pillar 1.25 metres in diameter. It is designed to resemble a lotus blossom, which is a Buddhist symbol of purity, since a lotus blossoms in a muddy pond.

After being repaired many times, the pagoda was destroyed by the French colonists in 1954. In 1955, the government had the pagoda rebuilt. The present wood pagoda is in the shape of square with each side and a curved roof. It was designed to resemble a lotus stretching up out of the square pond and placed on a pillar including two blocks which are connected together. This stone pillar is approximately 4 metres high (excluding the underground section) and 1.2 metres in diameter. The pagoda structure also shows the harmonious combination of imagination and unique architecture with a system of wood beams that create the solidity and beauty for the pagoda.

With its architectural and historical values, the pagoda was classified as a historical relic on April 28, 1962. On May 4, 2006, it was recorded in the Vietnamese Guinness Book as the pagoda with the most unique architecture in Vietnam.

Cham culture shines at festival

 

A special sports, culture and tourism festival featuring members of the Cham ethnic group is underway in the central province of Ninh Thuan. The three-day festival, kicked off on October 14, is taking place at the same time as the group's traditional Kate festival.

Various cultural activities like art shows, traditional costume shows, brocade weaving contests, a culinary fair and sports competitions will be organised in the province.

A conference on preserving and developing Cham ethnic culture in parallel with promoting tourism will be the key activity at the event, which will gather both scientists and cultural workers. 

The event is expected to attract Cham people from nine localities including Binh Thuan, Phu Yen, An Giang, Tay Ninh, HCM City and Dong Nai. 

The localities will take turns hosting the event, which will be held every three years. 

According to statistics from 2008, the Cham group was ranked 14th in population size when compared to all 54 ethnic groups in the country, with 145,000 members. 

Source: Vietnam+