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Vietnam Open Tour News & EventsMONDAY 10 AUGUST, 2009 |
 Da Lat Flower Festival rescheduled for next year The third Da Lat Flower Festival will be delayed until New Year’s Day 2010 to coincide with activities marking Hanoi’s 1,000-year anniversary as the capital of Vietnam, according to local authorities.
The festival, initially scheduled for December 18- 23, will instead be held for four days beginning January 1, 2010 in the famous resort town of Da Lat, said the People’s Committee in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.
The government has asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Hanoi People’s Committee to cooperate with Lam Dong authorities to organize the event, the first in a nationwide series of festivals kicking off the anniversary celebration.
Themed Da Lat, thanh pho ngan hoa (Da Lat, the town of thousands of flowers), the festival will overtake both the town’s center and Duc Trong District, just outside central Da Lat, organizers said.
The event’s General Director Nguyen Vu Hoang said
The festival will also feature a flower market and an international flower and ornamental plants exhibition, Hoang said.
The biennial flower festival was first organized in 2005 and has since attracted thousands of local and foreign tourists.
VietNamNet/TN
Tranquil mountain hideaway Dinh Mountain, also known as Bong Lai (Heaven) Mountain, is located just over 30 kilometers from the famous beach town of
A tourist poses at Tien (Fairy) Creek on Dinh Mountain in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau The foot of the mountain, situated along National Highway 51 in Kim Dinh Ward of Ba Ria Town, is covered in a dense forest of lush green foliage and rugged outcrops. The long roots of ancient, gnarled trees appear to smother the large rocks, making for great photo opportunities. While it is possible to take a motorbike or car up the peak, hiking is also a great option, allowing for more time to take in the wild scenery and listen to the sounds of nature.
Along the way, visitors can explore the hidden beauty of Da (Rock) and Tien (Fairy) creeks. These two creeks start from the mountain peak at nearly 500 meters above sea level, formed by smaller streams on the mountainside.
Many pools in the springs are large enough to accommodate up to 10 people. Nearby, smooth, flat rocks make for a pleasant area to relax after splashing in the cool water.
According to local residents, the mountain was named
While sitting in the shade of the mountain’s ancient trees and springs, visitors cannot help but feel a tranquil calm wash over them. The soft ringing of bells from distant Buddhist pagodas, the chirping of birds and the babbling of brooks, is a treat for the senses and a great escape from the chaos of daily life.
VietNamNet/TN
Simplified procedures needed to boost overland tourism: experts
Complicated procedures are holding back the huge potential of overland tourism in Vietnam, a seminar heard on August 7. The number of overland tourists has increased by an annual average of between 20 and 30 percent, but many experts said it should have been much more. “Vietnam has a land border of 4,550 kilometers with several neighboring countries that includes 100 border gates in 25 provinces,” Nguyen Van Tuan, head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), said at the seminar. Nearly 250 officials and experts from local tourism authorities and agencies in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand attended the International Seminar on Vietnam Overland Tourism in Da Nang City. Tran Xuan Hung, director of Viking tourism company in Ho Chi Minh City, said he had gone to Hanoi all the way from Moc Bai Border Gate in Tay Ninh Province just to obtain a permit for six cars taking a caravan tour from Vietnam to Cambodia. Many tourism agencies also said they had to waste a lot of time waiting for procedures at border gates, especially on weekends and holidays and when the applications are submitted outside of office hours. An increasing number of Vietnamese want to take caravan tours to Thailand, but few of these tours are available due to complicated procedures in both countries, said experts. Several tourism firms said Laos could be a good example of how to simplify procedures for caravan tours. There, it takes only one week for a travel company to apply and receive approval for a caravan tour, while the same procedures take between two and three weeks in Vietnam. Immigration procedures for caravan tours at border gates in Laos were also easier than in Vietnam, according to travel agencies at the conference. Hung also suggested allowing caravan tours with left-hand drive cars to enter Vietnam through more border gates. Currently only seven border gates in the central allow such vehicles through. Caravan tourists wanting to visit Hanoi, HCMC and Ha Long Bay in left-hand drive cars have to enter Vietnam at far-away border gates. According to VNAT, local and foreign tourism agencies organized nearly 200 caravan tours from 2006 to 2008, with 3,500 cars and 11,000 tourists passing through the national border in such tours. They are among an average of between 60,000 and 90,000 overland tourists that visit the central region every year. Around 20 percent of the total tourists visiting Vietnam every year take overland routes. Marooned for a day
Kien Giang Province’s Phu Quoc Island is endowed with beautiful white sand beaches and azure waters.
The island has long been a famous tourist destination and boasts many activities for holidaymakers including fishing, sailing and scuba diving. For adventure-lovers, the Saigon-Phu Quoc Resort offers a host of one-day packages that will bring tourists closer to nature. The “One day on the wild island” tour offers two options. Tourists can choose to travel northward or alternatively discover the southern area of Phu Quoc, with both routes promising a day of fun. On the northbound trip, a boat takes passengers from the resort to nearby Doi Moi Islet. Tourists can explore the islet’s lush wilderness, pitch a tent on the beach, swim, and bask in the sun’s warmth. Visitors can also catch fish, snails and mussels or observe the stunning coral reef. At night, a campfire on the beach is the perfect way to finish the day. Tourists can cook and eat their own catch in the tranquil surroundings of the islet. For those who choose to go south, visitors will discover the many unnamed islets around Phu Quoc by boat before returning to the island’s virtually untouched Bai Sao Beach. Located 25 km from Phu Quoc’s Duong Dong Town, the beach is isolated from the rest of the island and difficult to access by road. It is therefore an unspoiled paradise for those seeking rest and relaxation. Considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world by many tourists, Bai Sao is renowned for its smooth white sand and calm waters. As an alternative, another tour takes guests from Bai Sao Beach to An Thoi Harbor to try fishing with the locals. The fishing boats anchor at Ngang Islet while tourists eat their fresh catch for dinner onboard and watch the sunset. The resort also offers a tour for couples which features romantic activities including horse riding and dinner in a hut on the beach. For more information on tours organized by the Saigon-Phu Quoc Resort, call (077) 384 6999 or visit www.sgphuquocresort.com.vn. To reach Phu Quoc, boat trips are available from the towns of Rach Gia or Ha Tien in Kien Giang Province, and flights are available from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. VietNamNet/Thanh Nien
Sa Pa, a natural mosaic Boasting sublime unspoiled beauty, from rolling verdant hills to spectacular terraced fields, Sa Pa is a mix of natural wonder.
Near the Chinese border in the northwest province of Lao Cai and around 376 kilometers from Hanoi, Sa Pa, founded as a scenic resort by the French in 1903, is best known for its wild, unspoiled landscapes. Sa Pa’s scenic highlights include Hoang Lien Son National Park and the awe-inspiring 3,143-meter-high Mount Fan Si Pan – the highest mountain peak in Indochina. Every year, the area attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world who come to marvel at Sa Pa’s lush vegetation and spectacular scenery. Nestled around 1,600 meters above sea level, Sa Pa is cloud-covered and cool year-round, with occasional snowfalls in the winter. It is said that visitors who come to Sa Pa in the summer can experience up to three seasons in a single day. In the morning and afternoon, the weather is cool like that in the spring and autumn, while at noon, it is as sunny and cloudless as a warm summer’s day. Visitors often travel to the city of Lao Cai by train before heading by coach to Sa Pa. Upon arrival, tourists can learn about the area’s sprawling rice paddies and observe the ethnic H’Mong and Dao peoples who wear a brilliant array of colorful, traditional clothing. Stunning terraced fields According to a survey carried out by US-based Travel and Leisure magazine, Sa Pa’s verdant terraced fields were ranked among the seven most beautiful in the world. The most beautiful terraced field area is Suoi Thau, which is cultivated by the Dao people. The other fields voted most beautiful by the magazine’s readers include those in Banaye (the Philippines), Yuangyang (Yunnan, China), Ubud (Bali, Indonesia), Annapurna (Nepal), Mae Rim (Chiang Mai, Thailand), and Longji (Guilin, China). Sa Pa’s terraced fields belong to the ethnic H’Mong, Dao and Giay people, and are located in the Muong Hoa Valley of Lao Chai District. The area totals around 10 square kilometers and tourists can visit to learn about the process of rice planting and cultivation. The fields were described by Travel and Leisure as "Ladders to the sky" because of their astounding natural beauty. “It’s the best place in Vietnam with a rich cultural heritage and splendid landscape,” said a Singaporean tourist. “The scenery and people were amazing,” echoed a tourist from the UK. Lao Cai’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism also proposed that provincial authorities and the culture ministry should carry out research and compile information on Sa Pa’s terraced fields, Hoang Lien Son National Park, and an ancient rock bank to submit to UNESCO for recognition as world cultural heritage sites. “This is a difficult task but we are trying to turn Sa Pa’s terraced fields into a world heritage site for the many foreign travelers who love Sapa and Vietnam,” said Tran Huu Son, the department’s chief. Cultural diversity Home to several ethnic groups like the H’Mong, Red Dao, Kinh, Tay, Giay, Hoa, and Xa Pho, Sa Pa is a mosaic of cultures and traditions. Many visitors enjoy learning about the ethnic people’s daily activities, traditions and beliefs. The H’Mong and Dao people make up the largest ethnic groups in the region. Their villages may appear simple and old-fashioned from afar, but many people now own mobile phones and regularly access their email from communal computers. While some of the older generations of the ethnic minorities have had little formal education and are illiterate, most of the younger generations receive schooling and have a good command of English, French and a handful of other languages. Tourists can also choose to go on two treks while staying in Sa Pa. The first is a 7 km journey, which takes about four hours and includes a stop for lunch. The other is a full-day adventure, covering around 17 km and following the perimeter of the rice paddies, through forested areas, past the doorsteps of tribal people’s homes, and across rivers and waterfalls. Watching the locals go about their daily business is also an interesting experience. The children in Sa Pa work extremely hard-tending buffaloes, working in the fields, and caring for their younger siblings. Many of the young girls learn the timeless art of embroidery from their mothers. The ethnic girls often marry young, at around age 14, and depend on the skills learned from their mothers to start new families of their own. Sa Pa is also famous for its “love market,” which takes place on Saturday evenings. This cultural tradition once served as a way for ethnic locals to meet, socialize, and find a partner to marry. In the past, young girls from the Red Dao hill tribes used to come to Sa Pa and sing songs to find partners. The girls would sing while hidden in the dark and when a boy found them – if they liked each other – they would disappear into the forest for three days and would then marry at a later date. But with the development of tourism, the original love market, with its purpose of uniting young couples, has faded away. Visitors can still visit the area on Saturday nights, however, and be treated to a lively market atmosphere. With its astonishing beauty and diverse peoples, Sa Pa is a remarkable travel destination and well worth a visit. VietNamNet/Thanh Nien News for Saturday 08 August, 2009
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