Endless summer tour

In June Linh Chi of Hanoi booked a ticket to Da Nang for traveling this week for VND4.2 million ($180). She recently booked a ticket on the same route for a friend who will accompany her, and the fare had fallen by nearly 20 percent to VND3.5 million. On the Vietnam Airlines website, the fares from Hanoi and HCMC to Da Nang, one of the busiest tourist hotspots this summer, have declined by 50-60 percent since late June. On Vietjet Air and Bamboo Airways, the fares are VND1.6-2.5 million. A month ago a return trip from Hanoi to Phu Quoc cost VND7 million, but has now fallen by nearly half. Airfares on the Hanoi-HCMC route, one of the world's busiest, were up to VND6 million last month but are now no more than VND5 million. A Vietnam Airlines spokesperson said with travel demand showing signs of slowing down and the summer tourism season coming to an end, airfares are coming down. As children prepare to return to school after nearly three months and families wrap up their … [Read more...] about Travel becomes cheaper as peak summer tourism season ends

The Czech Republic last week joined Germany and Spain in denying new visas related to Vietnam’s new passport, with all three citing a lack of birthplace information. They said the new passport model does not meet the technical standards of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) parameters. Outbound tours to Europe rocked by passport tangle, illustration photo “The Czech Republic agrees with other member states of the EU and will stop recognising the new passports. The decision is effective from this moment,” said a notice posted on the website of the Czech Embassy in Vietnam on August 2. The moves have damaged the plans of some travellers who had already booked tours with specialised travel agents. Nguyen Van Tai, director of Vietsense Travel, told VIR that the company has cancelled the tours of five customers who bought tickets to visit Eastern Europe in September. “The company has been heavily affected, losing hundreds of millions of VND (equivalent to … [Read more...] about Outbound tours to Europe rocked by passport tangle

Domestic tourism is on a rapid recovery after a two-year hiatus, but this sudden and rapid recovery also makes both tourists and workers feel tired. Tra My, who lives in Hanoi, took a trip to Dak Lak last weekend. My said it took her more than 40 minutes to check in and go to the airport, instead of the usual 15 minutes. “The airport becomes too crowded for the number of passengers that need to be served every day. Congestion occurs as soon as you reach the airport. Luckily, the flight was delayed for 30 minutes, so I was not late,” My said. A bumper summer for domestic tourism The same situation also tends to occur with road and waterway routes to some tourist destinations such as Quang Ninh and Haiphong. Minh Quan from Bac Giang shared that his family had to wait more than four hours to take the ferry from the mainland to Cat Ba island during a trip to Haiphong a few days ago. “Each large ferry can carry nearly 20 cars, and a small ferry can carry nearly 10, but … [Read more...] about A bumper summer for domestic tourism

FLC Luxury Hotel Quy Nhon. (Photo: flc.vn) Hanoi (VNA) - Australian magazine Traveller has listed Vietnam among the eight "best places to go in Asia for a holiday." It recommended December-March, when the weather is "pleasant," as the ideal time to visit the long, sandy beaches of Vietnam. It particularly recommended Quy Nhon, the beach resort town on the south-central coast . "Long a staid domestic destination, beautiful beach-flanked Quy Nhon has acquired hipster mojo and is tipped as the next Da Nang." The magazine also advised tourists to explore Ninh Binh, famous for paddleboat tours through limestone karsts and paddy rice fields. In the Central Highlands, Da Lat, a summer retreat of the French during the colonial period, is well known for adventure sports such as trekking, mountain biking and rafting, it said. A lesser-known destination in the northwest not to be missed is Dien Bien Phu, which used to be a major battlefield during the war, it said. … [Read more...] about Vietnam among Asia’s best places for holiday: Australian travel magazine

Jumping from rock to rock to rock over a creek formed off Austria's Jamtal glacier, scientist Andrea Fischer worries that precious scientific data will be irreversibly lost as the snow and ice melt faster than ever. "I couldn't have imagined that it would ever melt as dramatically as this summer... Our 'archive' is melting away," says the glaciologist. Fischer -- vice director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research at the Austrian Academy of Sciences -- has spent more than 20 years surveying Jamtal and four other Alpine glaciers across Austria's highest peaks for the oldest areas of ice. For scientists looking to reconstruct the Earth's climate in the distant past, such ice formations are a unique time capsule stretching back thousands of years. The glaciers contain an invaluable treasure trove of data -- as they grew, the ice encapsulated twigs and leaves, which can now be carbon-dated, Fischer explains. And based on the age of such material and the depth … [Read more...] about Austrian scientists race to reveal melting glaciers’ secrets

Singer Olivia Newton-John, who soared to the top of the world's pop music charts in the 1970s and 1980s with such tunes as "I Honestly Love You" and "Physical" and starred in the hit movie musical "Grease," died on Monday at age 73 at her home in Southern California. The death of the British-born, Australian-raised performer was announced on her Instagram account, saying she "passed away peacefully" at her ranch home "surrounded by family and friends." Newton-John, a four-time Grammy winner, had disclosed in 2017 that a recurrence of breast cancer had metastasized and spread to her lower back, forcing her to cancel performances. Twenty-five years earlier Newton-John had undergone a partial mastectomy, leading her to become an advocate for breast cancer research and other health issues and to establish a cancer treatment-research facility in Australia. The entertainer began performing as a child and became a global superstar after moving to the United States. She was blond, … [Read more...] about Pop music and ‘Grease’ star Olivia Newton-John dead at age 73

It recommended December-March, when the weather is "pleasant," as the ideal time to visit the long, sandy beaches of Vietnam. It particularly recommended Quy Nhon, the beach resort town on the south-central coast. "Long a staid domestic destination, beautiful beach-flanked Quy Nhon has acquired hipster mojo and is tipped as the next Da Nang." Quy Nhon used to be the former seat of the Cham Kingdom and is now an emerging tourist destination with upscale resorts. The magazine also urged tourists to explore Ninh Binh, famous for paddleboat tours through limestone karsts and paddy rice fields. In the Central Highlands, Da Lat , a summer retreat of the French during the colonial period, is well known for adventure sports such as trekking, mountain biking and rafting, it said. A lesser-known destination in the northwest not to be missed is Dien Bien Phu, which used to be a major battlefield during the war, it said. "The province is developing eco-tourism and offering … [Read more...] about Vietnam among Asia’s best places ‘for holiday’: Australian travel publication

Nguyen Tien Minh on his way to taking bronze at the 31st SEA Games in May. He will be one of three Vietnamese athletes at the BWF Championship later this month. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Nguyen Tien Minh will set the record for the most appearances at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Championship later this month. The top ranked national player will take part in the event for the 13th time since his debut in 2005, one more than the current record held by Chinese legend Lin Dan. Malaysian prodigy Lee Chong Wei took part in 11 championships. Lin, who won five trophies, and Lee, who entered four final matches, retired in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Minh is one of 54 male athletes at the tournament which will be held in Japan from August 22-28. The world No 72 seed will come back to Tokyo's Metropolitan Gymnasium one year after he competed at the Summer Olympics, where he failed to advance to the knockout round. The 39-year-old from Ho Chi Minh City will be … [Read more...] about Minh to take record of most appearances at badminton world championship

It recommended December-March, when the weather is "pleasant," as the ideal time to visit the long, sandy beaches of Vietnam. It particularly recommended Quy Nhon, the beach resort town on the south-central coast. "Long a staid domestic destination, beautiful beach-flanked Quy Nhon has acquired hipster mojo and is tipped as the next Da Nang." The magazine also advised tourists to explore Ninh Binh, famous for paddleboat tours through limestone karsts and paddy rice fields. In the Central Highlands, Da Lat, a summer retreat of the French during the colonial period, is well known for adventure sports such as trekking, mountain biking and rafting, it said. A lesser-known destination in the northwest not to be missed is Dien Bien Phu , which used to be a major battlefield during the war, it said. "The province is developing eco-tourism and offering indigenous village homestays amid stunning forested landscapes and Hmong culture." Other destinations on the list are … [Read more...] about Vietnam among Asia’s best places for holiday: Travel magazine

Beachgoers at De Gi Beach in Binh Dinh Province, south-central Vietnam has spent the past few days in awe of two blue whales who have been hunting in nearby waters. Dinh Thanh Tien, chairman of Cat Khanh Commune, on Friday confirmed the appearance of the blue whales at De Gi in his locality in Phu Cat District, Binh Dinh Province. The two whales are about 17 and 10 meters long, according to Tommy Toan, a local tour guide who claims to have seen them several times. They are part of a larger pod of whales that have been foraging in the waters near De Gi Beach since before August, Toan said, adding that the other members of the group have moved elsewhere. A blue whale forages in the waters near De Gi Beach in Phu Cat District, Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Dung / Tuoi Tre A blue whale lunges toward fish in the waters near De Gi Beach in Phu Cat District, Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Dung / Tuoi Tre “They come here to … [Read more...] about Photos: Two blue whales forage near south-central Vietnam shore