Vietnam Breaking News

Vietjet Wins PATA Gold Award 2015

Vietjet Wins PATA Gold Award 2015
Recently, in India, Vietjet won the Gold Award 2015 by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). The award highlights Vietjet’s innovative and meaningful campaigns, which massively inspires and contributes to the tourism development in the Asia-Pacific region.
Outperforming 269 entries from 83 travel and tourism organisations worldwide, Vietjet becomes the first ever prize winner in Vietnam.
PATA Gold Award is an annually reputable prize in tourism over the world. Since its foundation in 1951, PATA has been contributing significantly to regional tourism. As a non-profit organization, PATA has carried out important researches and hosted many impressive events and meetings for its members including 87 governmental agencies, 24 international carriers, airports and sea-freighters, and 59 educational institutions in Asia – Pacific region.
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Vietjet Wins PATA Gold Award 2015

Vietjet Wins PATA Gold Award 2015 Recently, in India, Vietjet won the Gold Award 2015 by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). The awa...

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Chiang Rai to host PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference & Mart 2016

Chiang Rai to host PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference & Mart 2016
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The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to announce that the PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2016 (AT&RTCM 2016) will be taking place in the historic northern city of Chiang Rai, Thailand from February 17-19, 2016 under the theme “Creating Experiences, Sharing Opportunities”.
The PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2016 is a three-day niche event with both conference and travel mart components that brings together tourism professionals involved in adventure travel and responsible tourism to discuss creating new opportunities for promoting environmental protection and social sustainability within the industry. The event brings together the public and private sectors to address issues facing the adventure travel, responsible and sustainable tourism sectors.
“PATA is excited to have the opportunity to showcase the historic northern city of Chiang Rai, Thailand. The city has so much to offer today’s travellers wishing to experience natural beauty, indigenous culture, and rich heritage,” said PATA CEO Mario Hardy. “The choice of the destination reflects the growing importance of dispersing tourists to emerging destinations, an issue the Association has been actively promoting through such activities as the PATA CEO Challenge 2015. This event is the perfect opportunity for travel trade professionals to learn first hand about this fast growing tourist destination.”
Sugree Sithivanich, Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, Tourism Authority of Thailand added, “TAT has been encouraging tourism that promotes the environment and contributes to social and cultural betterment. It is in line with the “balanced philosophy” of tourism, which ensures that economic benefits of tourism go hand-in-hand with environmental and cultural preservation. That’s why Thailand is pleased to be the host of the PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2016 (AT&RTCM 2016).
We also felt that Chiang Rai will be perfect destination for the PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference & Mart 2016. In addition to being a wonderful destination in its own right, it also lies at the heart of the Golden Triangle region where the Thai border meets with those of Myanmar and Lao PDR. So visitors will be able to get a three-in-one package by being able to visit all three destinations for the cost of one.”
The former capital of the great Lanna Kingdom, Chiang Rai is a fascinating province filled with cultural and natural wonders. Located in northern Thailand, it is a land of outstanding natural beauty, where tourists can escape the crowds and visit remote hill tribes and spot exotic wildlife.
Chiang Rai now competes with Chiang Mai as a major tourist attraction and is fast becoming a popular escape for today’s tourists. A traveller’s paradise, endowed with abundant natural attractions and antiquities, attractions range from ruins of ancient settlements and Buddhist shrines to magnificent mountain scenery and hill tribe villages. For those interested in the pristine natural beauty of the countryside, travellers can take part in jungle trekking or mountain hiking. Visitors can also take the opportunity to immerse themselves in the indigenous culture, including those of a variety of different hill tribe communities.
Chiang Rai is also a centre for community development projects, helping rural villagers develop their attractions without adversely affecting their natural and cultural assets.
 
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Chiang Rai to host PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference & Mart 2016

Chiang Rai to host PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference & Mart 2016 The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is p...

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Da Nang sets sights on river tourism

Da Nang sets sights on river tourism
The Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced that in the near future it will work with related parties to open new tourism programs, such as the Han River – Co Co River Tour (visiting Cultural Village K20, Avalokitesvara Temple, Ngu Hanh Son, and a stone carving village), the Cu De River Tour (visiting the Nam O cultural cluster, including the Ancient Well, Tien Hien Tomb, Bo Shrine, and Nam O fish sauce village), and the Han River – Tuy Loan River Tour (visiting the Cam Ne mat village and the Tuy Loan village temple).
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Recognizing the importance of the Han River for its tourism sector, the city government has focused on the construction of a pier and introducing more tourism destinations by the end of 2016, including the upgrading of infrastructure to serve tourists and roads to different tourism sites.
The tourism industry has been developing plans for tours on river routes and will provide literature to give tourists a better experience while on the tours. Han River Port and Thuan Phuoc River Port are also being developed as fixed tourism ports.
In opening new tours to new destinations, the Department sees river tourism as a strong advantage for Da Nang that gives visitors more options.
With the Han River flowing through the city and with beautiful islands in Danang Bay, the development of boat tours, where guests can enjoy the local scenery, is expected to earn the city’s tourism sector more revenue.
Many impressive constructions can now be found along the Han River, such as the Statue of the Carp Dragon, the Bridge of Love, and Bach Dang Walking Street.
VN Economic Times Online
 
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Da Nang sets sights on river tourism

Da Nang sets sights on river tourism The Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced that in the near future it will wor...

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In pictures: Chuong Temple – a must-see place in Hung Yen

In pictures: Chuong Temple – a must-see place in Hung Yen
VietNamNet Bridge – Chuong Temple is one of the must-see places in the northern province of Hung Yen. Built in the Le Dynasty (15th-17th century), this ancient temple is known as the one of the top three destinations of Pho Hien.
Pho Hien is a historical site in Hung Yen Province, about 70 kilometers southeast of Hanoi. In the 15th to 18th centuries it was a famous merchant port in Vietnam and a small historic town on the banks of the Red River. The prosperous time of Pho Hien was associated with the golden time of trade between Vietnam, China and Japan.
Like the ancient town of Hoi An, Pho Hien is a favorite destination of Japanese tourists. Pho Hien area covers five square kilometers running from Dang Chau Hamlet in Lam Son Ward to Ne Chau Hamlet in Hong Chau Ward.
Chuong (Bell) Temple, located in Nhan Duc Hamlet, Hien Nam Ward, Hung Yen Township (Pho Hien in the past), has another name of Kim Chung Tu. According to an old legend, a long time ago, there was a golden bell on a raft drifting into the river bank belonging to the locality of Nhan Duc Hamlet. People from different villages tried to bring it to their regions but found it impossible to do. Only the notables of Nhan Duc Hamlet could tug the bell.
The inhabitants in Nhan Duc supposed that the Creator and Buddha had helped them, so they together built a pagoda to hang the bell. Every time people strike the bell, its sound resounds thousands of miles. Therefore, this pagoda has the name of Kim Chung Tu (i.e. Golden Bell Pagoda).
Chuong Temple was constructed as the traditional architectural style – a typical style of the 15th-17th century with a view of splitting from the mundane life. Some special parts that can be listed are: the three-door temple gate, the front anteroom, the premiere sanctum and the house worshipping ancestors.
Before entering the pagoda, people going on a pilgrimage have to step over the three-door temple gate. The main gate in the middle which is the highest and largest one is closed all year, except some occasions like the first and fifteenth days of lunar months and Tet holidays. By contrast, the two other gates are opened frequently for pilgrims. After the gates are the three spans of the green stone bridge crossing the “dragon’s eye” pond. Following is the path called “the only right path” leading to the front anteroom house.
The front anteroom house has five compartments and two lean-tos. The premiere sanctum with a system of statues arranged with profound meanings for each line of statues and each individual statue.
At two edges at the west and east, two rows of corridors which are simply designed link the front anteroom with the model house.
Nowadays, Chuong Temple preserves architectural articles and displays items with high value. Firstly, there is a stone bridge and a stone shrine made in 1702. In addition, a big stone stele which is 1.65m high and 1.1m wide and was erected in 1717 has two sides: the front side describes the beautiful scenery of Pho Hien and the back side with the words “Nhan Duc co tich truyen” (i.e. Nhan Duc’s legend imparted) records the names of people who restored and contributed for the pagoda, including some Chinese persons.
And the last ones are a long musical stone (similar function to the bell but has flat surface) which is 1.46m long and 0.66m high, and a brass bell with the height of 1.28m.
From the documents found on the stone stele, the researchers suppose that there used to be a thousand-mile path connecting Pho Hien and Thang Long at the front of pagoda and they record the administrative units (wards) of Pho Hien at that time.
The pagoda is recognized as a national cultural – historical relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information and has become a destination that travelers must visit when coming to Pho Hien.
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In pictures: Chuong Temple – a must-see place in Hung Yen

In pictures: Chuong Temple – a must-see place in Hung Yen VietNamNet Bridge – Chuong Temple is one of the must-see places in the northern pr...

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Jetstar offers new domestic air routes to highland region

Jetstar offers new domestic air routes to highland region
The low-cost carrier Jetstar Pacific Airlines on September 28 has annouced to open local routes using the 180-seat Airbus A320 plane to meet the demand of traveling in the highladn region.
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The carrier will offer a daily flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Pleiku ever week starting October 25.
New servives, including Chu Lai in central Quang Nam province -Buon Ma Thuot and Hue-Da Lat will be operational respectively on Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday and Wednesday-Friday-Sunday per week since October 27.
One way airfares on Ho Chi Minh City – Pleiku and Chu Lai-Buon Ma Thuot routes are on sale from September 28 from 450,000 VND (20USD). One-way fares for the Hue-Da Lat route are sold from 550,000 VND from September 29.
New domestic air routes are also expected to boost socio-economic and tourism development in southern and central areas.
 
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Jetstar offers new domestic air routes to highland region

Jetstar offers new domestic air routes to highland region The low-cost carrier Jetstar Pacific Airlines on September 28 has annouced to open...

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Nepal may ban disabled climbers from Everest

Nepal may ban disabled climbers from Everest
“We don’t think we should issue permits to people who cannot see or walk or who don’t have arms,” tourism department chief Govinda Karki told AFP.
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A placard left by trekkers is seen marking Everest Base Camp in Nepal on Sep 27, 2015. (Photo source AP/Tashi Sherpa)
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KATHMANDU: Nepal is considering banning severely disabled climbers and those deemed too old from Everest and other mountains in an attempt to improve safety, the head of its tourism department said of Monday (Sep 28).
The proposals come five months after an avalanche triggered by a massive earthquake killed 18 people at Everest base camp and are aimed at improving safety, but they are also likely to spark accusations of discrimination.
“We don’t think we should issue permits to people who cannot see or walk or who don’t have arms,” tourism department chief Govinda Karki told AFP.
“Climbing Everest is not a joke … it is not a matter of discrimination, how can you climb without legs? Someone will have to carry you up,” he said. “We want to make the mountains safer for everyone, so we have to insist on some rules.”
Karki said the government was also mulling issuing permits only to Everest climbers who first scale another mountain above 6,500 metres to prove they can handle the world’s highest peak.
Hundreds of climbers abandoned their bids to ascend the 8,848-metre (29,029-foot) mountain after the April disaster, marking a second spring season with virtually no one reaching the summit.
An avalanche the year before killed 16 guides and triggered global debate about the huge risks borne by Nepalis who fix ropes and repair ladders to help climbers with varying levels of experience.
But Everest has in recent years drawn multitudes of climbers wanting to overcome their disabilities and achieve the formidable feat.
New Zealander Mark Inglis, who lost both his legs to frostbite, became the first double amputee to reach the top of Everest in 2006.
Blind American Erik Weihenmayer scaled the peak in May 2001 and seven years later, became the only visually-impaired person to summit the highest mountains on all seven continents.
Kathmandu-based mountaineering expert Elizabeth Hawley dismissed the government’s proposals, calling them unjustified.
“I don’t think the government is in any position to judge someone’s capacities or draw that line for mountaineers,” Hawley told AFP.
“Erik Weihenmayer is an exceptional climber who is consciously setting an example for blind people, showing what they can do. It is inspiring,” she said.
Karki also said the government was considering “a new requirement that anyone who wants to climb Everest should first climb another mountain with a height of at least 6,500 metres” to prove they can handle the world’s highest peak.
Officials were also keen to limit access to all of Nepal’s top Himalayan peaks to climbers aged between 18 and 75, he said.
Nepal does not grant climbing licences for Everest to anyone under 16 but has never imposed an upper age limit.
Japanese adventurer Yuichiro Miura, 82, currently holds the record for the oldest climber to summit Everest, at 80.
Mountaineering is a major revenue-earner for impoverished Nepal, home to eight of the world’s 14 peaks over 8,000 metres.
The April 25 earthquake which killed nearly 8,900 people raised fears for the immediate future of the tourism industry.
Source AFP / AP
 
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Nepal may ban disabled climbers from Everest “We don’t think we should issue permits to people who cannot see or walk or who don’t have arms...

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Over 626,300 international tourists visit Vietnam in September

Over 626,300 international tourists visit Vietnam in September
The Hanoitimes – Vietnam General Statistics Office said that Vietnam received over 626,300 foreign visitors in September, up 8.3% against the same period last year.
In the first nine months of 2015, the number of foreign visitors to Vietnam reached over 5.68 million arrivals.
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Illustrative image
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Vietnam’s tourism sector witnessed a dramatic growth in the number of tourists from the Republic of Korea, with 59.2%, while those from Hong Kong (China) decreased by 17.3% and Singapore by 16.9%.
According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the nine-month revenues from the tourism sector reached more than 269 trillion VND (12.22 billion USD), up 2.8% against the same period last year.
Thu Minh
 
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Over 626,300 international tourists visit Vietnam in September

Over 626,300 international tourists visit Vietnam in September The Hanoitimes – Vietnam General Statistics Office said that Vietnam receive...

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The mesmerizing beauty of Robinson Island

The mesmerizing beauty of Robinson Island
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The mesmerizing beauty of Robinson Island

The mesmerizing beauty of Robinson Island The mesmerizing beauty of Robinson Island Related image(s)

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Where have they gone? Vietnam’s tourist numbers remain low as criticism mounts

Where have they gone? Vietnam’s tourist numbers remain low as criticism mounts
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Foreign tourists at an open-air restaurant in the ancient quarter of Hanoi. Photo: Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP
The downward trend has continued.
Foreign arrivals to Vietnam reached only 626,000 in September, down 5.8 percent from August, new data from the National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) showed.
Even though that was up 8.3 percent from September last year, the overall number for the first nine months dropped 5.9 percent, to nearly 5.7 million.
While some have blamed the downturn on difficult global economic conditions, media reports have pointed out that neighboring countries such as Thailand and Cambodia continue to post impressive arrival numbers.
Thailand for instance received more than 20 million of foreign tourists in the first eight months. The country is well on its way to exceed its targets, with more than 30 million arrivals this year, despite a bomb blast that killed 14 foreigners last month in Bangkok, Reuters reported.
Based on figures released by VNAT, the drop in tourism is largely attributed to Russians and Chinese keeping away. A weakening rubble has forced many Russian travelers to scale back while China’s economic slowdown and its sovereignty tension with Vietnam may discourage Chinese tourists.
But industry insiders say the problems with Vietnam’s tourism sector actually come from within and run much deeper than that.
One of the chronic issues is a lack of effective promotional campaigns to help revive travelers’ interest.
The foreign ministry earlier this month launched a new video to promote Vietnam’s tourism and investment opportunities in various languages. “Welcome to Vietnam” lasts more than seven minutes and features famous scenes captured by fly-cams.
The video, a rare promotional attempt by a government agency, has been praised by many industry insiders. But they say one video is simply not enough.
Matthew Underwood, CEO of Ho Chi Minh City-based PR company Matterhorn Communications, told Tuoi Tre newspaper that the video has missed so many beautiful sights.
He said that people in many countries still know about Vietnam as a country still recovering from the war and living on foreign aid.
Poor support
Vietnam is spending around US$1.5 million, or 0.2 percent of its annual tourism revenues, on promotional programs, which tourism companies say is too small a sum to bring about any real changes.
Tuoi Tre cited an unnamed executive of an international tourism company operating in Vietnam as saying that it is receiving little support from the government despite the difficult time.
The executive said that after arrivals from its key market in Europe dropped sharply this year, it has been inviting reporters and tourism companies from other countries to visit and write about Vietnam.
However, major destinations and travel agencies in Vietnam have not supported this initiative and acted as if there were not a crisis, he said.
Tourism operators, once again, also claimed that the recent visa waiver policy is a strong example of how Vietnam’s government is not very keen on supporting the industry.
The government has offered visa waivers to only a few countries and their nationals are only allowed to stay for 15 days.
Travel companies said they have spent more than ten years campaigning for more favorable visa rules so that Vietnam can compete against Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, which all offer visa waivers to up to 100 countries.
They said Vietnam is late in the competition, and it has done a poor job in making them stay or come back.
Tuoi Tre reported that many first-time tourists said they would not return. Their common reasons are poor environment hygiene and public safety; unreasonable prices for several services such as street food and taxi; and boring destinations, which make the tours not worth it.
 
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Where have they gone? Vietnam’s tourist numbers remain low as criticism mounts

Where have they gone? Vietnam’s tourist numbers remain low as criticism mounts Foreign tourists at an open-air restaurant in the ancient qu...

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German Dietmar Vogelmann with his coffee business in Vietnam

German Dietmar Vogelmann with his coffee business in Vietnam
Duc Tam
Dietmar Vogelmann checks a coffee grinding machine at his factory in Binh Thuan Province – PHOTO: COURTERSY OF DIETMAR VOGELMANN
Vogelmann started to fall in love with Vietnamese coffee three years ago when he went on holiday in Dalat City, Daklak and Kon Tum provinces in the Central Highlands. The establishment of Farmers Blend Coffee in the south-central province of Binh Thuan in October last year was the fruit of his growing love for Vietnamese coffee.
Vogelmann recalled he thought of selling coffee while he was traveling in the biggest coffee producing region in Vietnam. “I dreamt of selling coffee and leading a life of leisure in a peaceful place but I was too busy to translate the dream into reality at that time… and now it has come true,” he said.
Farmers Blend Coffee came into life with great support of Vogelmann’s Vietnamese wife and friends six years after he had settled down in Mui Ne Town in Binh Thuan’s Phan Thiet City. Prior to his coffee business, Vogelmann worked as hotel and restaurant manager in Thailand, the UK, Maldives and Phan Thiet as well as on ships running on trans-Pacific routes.
“I worked on ships and had to stay away from my family,” Vogelmann pointed out the reason why he quit his previous job though he could earn a lot from it.
Vogelmann has been living in Vietnam long enough to thoroughly understand Vietnamese people and their culture. “In Germany, if you have high quality products with reasonable prices, you can sell them well. Things are different in Vietnam where good relationships help you sell products easily,” Vogelmann said.
Vogelmann began to sell coffee to his friends and people he worked with while he was working in the hospitality sector. He roasted and ground the coffee he bought in Di Linh District in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.
In the initial time, Vogelmann rode a motorbike from his company in Binh Thuan Province to Di Linh District to buy fresh coffee beans from local farmers. Language was the first barrier he met when making price bargains with farmers who were unable to communicate in English while he was not fluent in Vietnamese.
“I told them I wanted to buy fresh coffee beans to roast and grind, and I had a factory and a family in Mui Ne,” Vogelmann said in Vietnamese to explain how he spoke to farmers during his first transactions. As he and farmers could not understand each other well in some cases, he had to call his wife to ask her to negotiate with the seller over the price.
Vogelmann said at his first transaction he bought 60 kilograms of fresh coffee beans at VND41,000 (US$1.82) per kilo after several rounds of bargains. For him, transporting a 60-kilo bag of fresh coffee beans on his motorbike on a long way from Di Linh to Mui Ne was one of the first thrilling experiences he had when starting the coffee business.
However, Vogelmann learned a lot of lessons during the startup period. He retold that when he brought home the bag of coffee beans, he realized that he could only use 40 of the 60 kilograms as the remaining 20 kilograms of coffee beans were substandard. This was the first lesson and he told to himself to be more careful in the next transactions.
After five motorbike rides to the Central Highlands to buy coffee beans, Vogelmann fortunately found a middle man to get the fresh coffee beans for his company.
Vogelmann had some trouble producing completely pure coffee at the initial period as he targeted. “After roasting and grinding the first batch of coffee, I invited my neighbors in Mui Ne to taste it and they said that the coffee was sour and the color was not as black as the coffee they favored. Therefore, I added corn flour and soybean to my coffee as I heard other producers usually made that way and satisfied coffee drinkers, but I was not really pleased with it,” he said and insisted that he wanted to sell completely natural coffee.
Later, Vogelmann found out that he needed to roast coffee a bit longer to reduce the sourness of coffee and the coffee also turned blacker. This was the second lesson for him.
Asked how he can compete with other coffee firms in Vietnam, Vogelmann replied that his competitors are not instant coffee makers and coffee shops.
“Currently, 70% coffee users sip coffee at coffee shops and 30% enjoy filtered coffee at home, and the smaller proportion of coffee drinkers are my target customers,” he explained.
Coffee shops treating guests with guitar or Acoustic music performances are also his target customers because most of them are open-minded and easily accept new flavors of coffee compared to the taste of authentic Vietnamese coffee.
Currently, Vogelmann sells 300 kilograms of coffee per month. “The volume is still small but my business is growing well and Vietnam is not the only market of my company,” he said.
Vogelmann revealed a plan of exporting his coffee to Germany before selling it to Canada, where a Vietnamese Canadian has promised to support him.
 
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German Dietmar Vogelmann with his coffee business in Vietnam

German Dietmar Vogelmann with his coffee business in Vietnam Duc Tam Dietmar Vogelmann checks a coffee grinding machine at his factory in B...

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Cat Ba urged to develop new tourism services

Cat Ba urged to develop new tourism services
Delegates at a recent conference called on Haiphong city officials to turn the Cat Ba islands in its Cat Hai district into a green and high-class tourism destination.
At the conference, titled ‘A Green Cat Ba’ and held in Haiphong on September 27, Nguyen Van Tuan, Head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), said Cat Ba has been one of the country’s most popular tourism destinations for decades but there has been little change in its services over the past 10 years.
According to Tuan, the islands need to attract strategic investors to develop unique, outstanding and striking tourism products and that only big investors will produce high-quality and appealing products to shift from seasonal tourism to year-round options.
With the completion of the Hanoi – Haiphong expressway and the Cat Bi Airport going into operation in the near future, Cat Ba is certainly capable of attracting more local and international tourists, said Tuan.
He also urged Cat Hai district and Haiphong authorities to design tourism development strategies with an emphasis on quality and effectiveness to take advantage of infrastructure improvements.
Trinh Dang Thanh, Deputy Director of Quang Ninh’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said as a national park with peak conditions, Cat Ba’s tourism potential is much vaster than Quang Ninh’s.
Thanh recommended connecting Haiphong – Quang Ninh tourism by encouraging travel firms to develop new joint tours and original tourism products based on advantages of the two localities.
The Cat Ba islands, home to 3,800 animal and plant species with 81 rare species in danger of extinction, were declared a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Area in 2004. The archipelago has also been designated a national park and a marine reserve.
 
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Cat Ba urged to develop new tourism services

Cat Ba urged to develop new tourism services Delegates at a recent conference called on Haiphong city officials to turn the Cat Ba islands i...

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Terrace rice paddy photo among the best in Nat Geo contest

Terrace rice paddy photo among the best in Nat Geo contest
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photo of terraced rice fields by photographer Nguyen Quynh Anh
NDO/VNA – A photo of terraced rice fields by photographer Nguyen Quynh Anh has been named among the top photographs in the evaluation round of the 2015 National Geographic Photo Contest.
The photo depicts terraced rice paddies in Tu Le Valley, northern Yen Bai province at the beginning of the new season with the H’mong people crossing on their way home at the end of their work day.
The annual contest is accepting entries from all around the world between September 1 and November 16 this year, classifying them into three official categories – People, Places and Nature.
The entries selected in the evaluation round will proceed to round two where the judges will select a first place winner in each category based on the following criteria: creativity, photographic quality and ingenuity and authenticity of the content.
The first place winner in each category will receive US$2,500 and the wining photographs will be published in an edition of the National Geographic magazine.
The mountainous Yen Bai province is home to thousands of hectares of terrace rice fields, which were recognised as national heritage sites in 2007. The area is about 1,000 metres above sea level, making it impossible to grow rice fields as they are in the delta. Thus, local residents grow their own rice on terraced fields to prevent the water from flowing downhill.
Terraced fields in Yen Bai are beautiful all year round. Visitors in March are treated to the sight of glittering ponds before locals transplant rice seedlings from April to May. After May, the hills are covered in green until the fields start to turn yellow with ripe rice in early September.
During the harvest in October, the golden rice field stands out of green forests, creating a magnificent picture in Vietnam’s northern area.
 
Terrace rice paddy photo among the best in Nat Geo contest Related image(s) 
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1VoG2c6" width="200" />

Terrace rice paddy photo among the best in Nat Geo contest

Terrace rice paddy photo among the best in Nat Geo contest photo of terraced rice fields by photographer Nguyen Quynh Anh NDO/VNA – A pho...

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Westerners cast fishing nets in Hoi An

Westerners cast fishing nets in Hoi An
VietNamNet Bridge – Hoi An ancient town and Ha Long city have launched many attractive tours, including tours to help foreigners experience the work of fishermen.
A day living as a fisherman in Hoi An begins with a the journey along the Hoai River on a big boat. They then move to small fishing boats to learn how to cast and pull fishing nets.
To organize this tour, some travel companies have coordinated with fishermen, teach them how to welcome foreign tourists and guide them to catch fish. There are more than 10 households in Hoi An doing this service.
In Ha Long, visitors can tour the floating Vong Vieng fishing village and catch fish with nets or go to the island of Cong Do to cast nets and catch fish with fishermen.
Some pictures of foreign tourists catching fish and doing farm work in Hoi An: 
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Pha Le
 
Westerners cast fishing nets in Hoi An Related image(s) 
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1VoG2ZB" width="200" />

Westerners cast fishing nets in Hoi An

Westerners cast fishing nets in Hoi An VietNamNet Bridge – Hoi An ancient town and Ha Long city have launched many attractive tours, includi...

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7 smelly Vietnamese foods that drive foreigners away

7 smelly Vietnamese foods that drive foreigners away
1. Thang co
<div id="attachment_1747377" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://bit.ly/1FFoM0f"><img alt="Photo: Le Nam This hotpot-like food is a specialty of many ethnic communities in the northern highlands. Locals love it and only have it on special occasions such as festivals or gatherings at markets. Tourists are often recommended to have" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="333" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1FFoM0f" width="500" /></a>
Photo: Le Nam This hotpot-like food is a specialty of many ethnic communities in the northern highlands. Locals love it and only have it on special occasions such as festivals or gatherings at markets. Tourists are often recommended to have
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thang co with corn wine when visiting a highlands market. But not everyone is excited about the experience, as thang co, with innards, bones, fat, and meat from a cow, buffalo or horse as its main ingredients, is not for the faint-hearted.
2. Nam pia
<div id="attachment_1747378" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://bit.ly/1VoG2Jb"><img alt="Photo credit: VietNamNet Also made from the innards of a cow or goat," class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="328" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1FFoM0h" width="500" /></a>
Photo credit: VietNamNet Also made from the innards of a cow or goat,
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nam pia — a specialty of the ethnic Thai in the northern highlands – has an even more challenging taste and odor than thang co.
The addition of a paste taken from bovine large intestines makes nam pia, which is often served as a sauce, bitter.
3. Nuoc mam
<div id="attachment_1747379" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://bit.ly/1VoG1Fc"><img alt="Photo: Giang Vu" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="349" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1VoG1Fc" width="500" /></a>
Photo: Giang Vu
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Nuoc mam, or better known as fish sauce among English speakers, is an indispensable part of Vietnamese cuisine. When served as a dipping sauce, nuoc mam is indeed smelly. However, few foreigners mind when it is added during the cooking process.
Thanks to the increased popularity of Vietnamese foods, nuoc mam has won quite many foreign fans over the years.
4. Mam tom
<div id="attachment_1747380" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://bit.ly/1VoG2Jd"><img alt="File photo Sometimes compared to Australia vegemite," class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="333" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1VoG2Jd" width="500" /></a>
File photo Sometimes compared to Australia vegemite,
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mam tom, or fermented shrimp paste, is a popular dipping sauce served along with rice vermicelli dishes such as the crab and tomato noodle soup,bun rieu cua.
Though the sauce is optional, many Vietnamese prefer to add it to their soups.
5. Mam ca
<div id="attachment_1747381" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://bit.ly/1VoG1Vq"><img alt="Photo: Giang Vu Fermented fish, or" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="332" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1VoG1Vq" width="500" /></a>
Photo: Giang Vu Fermented fish, or
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mam ca, is more popular in the Mekong Delta than elsewhere in Vietnam. Locals have invented a variety of fermented fish made from various species including climbing perch and ca linh, a small fish belonging to the same family as the carp.
Because of its pungent smell, kiosks selling the fermented fish can be easily located even in large crowded markets. Unlike fish sauce, the smell refuses to go away even when cooked with foods like hotpots.
6. Mam nem
<div id="attachment_1747382" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://bit.ly/1VoG2Jf"><img alt="File photo A sauce from fermented fish," class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="375" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1FFoJSf" width="500" /></a>
File photo A sauce from fermented fish,
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mam nem has gained a similar reputation for its pungent smell. It is often mixed with sugar, pineapple and spices to be served as a dipping sauce.
7. Sau rieng
<a href="http://bit.ly/1VoG1Vs"><img alt="1747376-durian-aaan" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="333" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1FFoJSh" width="500" /></a>
Photo: Giang Vu
The last thing on this stinky list is not a food but a fruit — sau rieng, the infamous durian. While its fan population is quite big in Vietnam, it has lots of haters too, including foreigners, who cannot stand its smell.
Since its smell is quite persistent, one needs to think carefully before storing durian in a fridge.
Original Vietnamese story can be found <a href="#http://bit.ly/1VoG1Vu">here</a> on Zing.vn.
 
7 smelly Vietnamese foods that drive foreigners away Related image(s) 
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7 smelly Vietnamese foods that drive foreigners away

7 smelly Vietnamese foods that drive foreigners away 1. Thang co Photo: Le Nam This hotpot-like food is a specialty of many ethnic communi...

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