Year round tourist destinations

The travel news site Reisereporter has just published an article that highlights some of the famous tourist destinations and landscapes in Vietnam, including Hanoi. In the article titled “Vietnam: You shouldn’t miss these sights”, www.reisereporter.de suggests tourists to visit some hidden "treasures" and undiscovered natural wonders in this wonderful country in the Southeast Asia region, in addition to popular tourist attractions. A Vietnamese girl in her charming ao dai (long dress) and non la (conical hat) walks through the Thang Long Imperial Citadel. Photo: Yeu Ha Noi According to Daniel Schramm, staff writer for www.reisereporter.de , Vietnam is a fascinating destination with a wide variety of sights and experiences. From historic cities like Hanoi and Hue to stunning natural landscapes like Halong Bay and Sapa to culinary adventures in street kitchens and markets, the country offers something for every taste. Vietnam's … [Read more...] about German press: Vietnam is a fascinating travel destination

Authorities in Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong Provinces, located in Vietnam’s south-central and Central Highlands regions, respectively, have sought to develop a 103km-long expressway linking the two localities in the 2025-28 period, said a local official. The administration of Khanh Hoa recently told relevant agencies to work with a consulting unit on a proposal to develop the Nha Trang - Lien Khuong Expressway project, Nguyen Tan Tuan, chairman of the Khanh Hoa People’s Committee, said on Thursday. According to the proposal, the route would start from an intersection with the Nha Trang - Cam Lam Expressway in Khanh Hoa to the end of the Lien Khuong - Prenn Expressway in Lam Dong, with some 48km of the route in Khanh Hoa and the rest in Lam Dong. The projected end of the Nha Trang - Lien Khuong Expressway project, which will link Khanh Hoa Province in south-central Vietnam with Lam Dong Province in the country’s Central Highlands region. Photo: Tran Huong / Tuoi Tre … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s Nha Trang – Lien Khuong expy proposed to be built in next 3 years

Chau Doc Floating Village in An Giang Province, located in the Mekong Delta region, houses colorful floating houses and fishing rafts along a one-kilometer stretch of the Chau Doc River banks, promising to offer tourists a thrilling and distinctive experience. The provincial investment and trade promotion center on Wednesday opened a vibrant waterway route through the village to tourists. The waterway route runs from the Chau Doc River confluence to Cham Village past 160 eye-catching floating houses, which were painted red, yellow, orange, green, blue and violet. The opening of the route is expected to make the unique village an exciting destination for visitors in southwestern Vietnam. A floating house in Chau Doc Floating Village. Photo: Chi Hanh / Tuoi Tre A waterway route runs through Chau Doc Floating Village. Photo: Chi Hanh / Tuoi Tre Orange-painted floating houses in Chau Doc Floating Village. Photo: Chi Hanh / Tuoi Tre … [Read more...] about Vibrant floating village emerges as unique Mekong Delta destination

Vietnam ranked 19th in a list of 40 most visited countries based on an analysis of flight bookings between July 1 and August 31 by Spain-based travel data and analytics company ForwardKeys. Most Southeast Asian countries, except Thailand, stood behind Vietnam on the list, including the Philippines at 23rd, Singapore 24th, Indonesia 27th, and Malaysia 36th. Thailand was 14th and one of the only two Southeast Asian countries to break into the top 20 along with Vietnam. The number of foreign tourists arriving in Vietnam by air this summer jumped 12% over the same period last year but was 28% lower than pre-pandemic levels, the report said. Vietnam welcomed 2.3 million international visitors in July and August, equivalent to 80% of the figure during the same period in 2019. Of these, nearly 2 million visitors arrived by air, about 88% of pre-pandemic levels, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. Starting August 15, Vietnam's new immigration policy accepts … [Read more...] about Vietnam world’s 19th most visited destination this summer

French tourist Laurine, who visited HCMC for the first time earlier this month, said before her trip to Vietnam her friends told her she should haggle at half the initial price when buying items in HCMC. When Laurine visited Ben Thanh in downtown area, she was impressed by the beauty of the century-old market with French colonial architecture. She dropped by souvenir stalls inside the market and asked to buy conical hats and small embroidered paintings, but vendors charged her over VND200,000 (US$8.22) for each item. She then negotiated with the vendors and bargained for 50-70% of the initial price. When the vendors refused, she pretended to walk away and they then chased after her, agreeing to sell each item for VND40,000-80,000. "Rip-offs have become a common issue at traditional markets in many Asian countries, not just Vietnam. Therefore, I was not shocked when I was overcharged, but I just didn't know what the real value of the item was, nor what I deserved for the amount … [Read more...] about Tourists wary of rip-offs in HCMC

Boat service for tourists on the Nho Que River, a popular destination in Ha Giang Province, northern Vietnam, resumed on Thursday, five days after its suspension. Tu San Agricultural and Tourism Service Cooperative, the only tourist boat service provider on the Nho Que River, located in Meo Vac District, announced on Wednesday that boats transporting tourists to Tu San Canyon through a route to the Nho Que 1 Hydropower Plant would reopen on the Nho Que River from 7:00 am on Thursday. Tu San Canyon, Southeast Asia’s deepest canyon, lies at the foot of the famous Ma Pi Leng Mountain Pass and is surrounded by the Nho Que River. The canyon stretches 1.7 kilometers and features cliffs of up to 800 meters. The resumption came after the directive was issued by the Ha Giang Province People’s Committee and a working session was held between the cooperative, Nho Que 1 Hydropower JSC, which is in charge of arranging boats running through the hydropower plant area, and the Meo Vac District … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s Ha Giang restarts tourist boat service on renowned Nho Que River

Dancers in traditional costumes and puppeteers put on performances for the bemused visitors, who came in on a flight from Shanghai. Many stopped to take selfies with Srettha. Tourism is a crucial driver of Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, known for its picturesque beaches and vibrant nightlife, and reviving an industry that was hard hit by the pandemic is one of the priorities of newly elected Srettha, who inherited an underperforming economy. China's own post-pandemic economic woes, however, have meant fewer tourists from what was once Thailand's biggest market are flying in, a situation Srettha hopes the visa waiver can help fix. "We are confident this policy will stimulate the economy," the prime minister told reporters at Suvarnabhumi airport, adding that tourist safety will be prioritized. The visa waiver program runs from Sept. 25 until February next year. The government expects 2.88 million Chinese visitors during that 5-month period, slightly higher than the … [Read more...] about Chinese tourists get VIP welcome as Thai visa waiver program begins

But thanks to social media rumors and a blockbuster movie, the kingdom's image among many Chinese people is now one of dangerous illegality and seedy scam border compounds - leaving visitor numbers plummeting. Thailand is hugely reliant on tourism, particularly from China. The country welcomed more than 10 million Chinese visitors each year before the Covid-19 pandemic - numbers Bangkok is desperate to see return. But its struggling holiday industry has been hit by viral social media rumors claiming that tourists might be kidnapped and sent across the border to work in brutal scamming compounds in Myanmar or Cambodia. Chinese tourist Jia Xueqiong spent a week in Thailand with her husband and daughter, despite her parents' disapproval. "They felt it was not safe here, and tried to persuade us not to come," the 44-year-old nurse told AFP outside Bangkok's unusually quiet Grand Palace. "All my friends said 'You go first to explore, if it's ok we will follow'," she said. Her … [Read more...] about Blockbuster movie scares Chinese tourists away from Thailand

Under the planning scheme for Yen Bai for 2021-2030 and beyond, approved by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, there will be two large-scale national tourist areas in the province: Thac Ba Lake and Mu Cang Chai. Under the current regulations, the national tourist area must have at least two tourism resources; establishments providing food, shopping, sports, entertainment, recreation, and health care services; accommodation facilities for at least 300,000 visitors per year; and accommodation of four stars or higher. Mu Cang Chai, home to ethnic minority groups, primarily the Hmong people, is a seven hours drive northwest of Hanoi. The remote rural district is famed for its terraced rice fields, which change color depending on the time of the year. Due to its rugged terrain, infrastructure has not yet been developed. In 2022, Mu Cang Chai received 350,000 visitors. Currently the country has seven national tourist areas: Tuyen Lam Lake (Lam Dong), Sa Pa (Lao Cai), Sam Mountain (An … [Read more...] about Remote mountain gem poised to become national tourist area

MEXICO CITY -- Mexican archaeologists unearthed a richly adorned human body in a grave that could be more than 1,000 years old, in an area where workers were finishing construction on a major tourist rail project, the country's national antiquities institute INAH said on Monday. The discovery took place this month during archaeological salvage work carried out in tandem with building a multibillion-dollar tourist train in southern Mexico designed in large part to draw tourists to southern Mexico's many ancient Maya sites, as well as nearby top beach resorts like Cancun and Tulum. The remains of a human burial, unearthed by Mexican archaeologists during salvage work carried out in Palenque in tandem with building the rail project known as the Maya Train, are seen in this undated Handout photo received from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) on September 25, 2023. Photo: Reuters The rail project, known as the Maya Train, is a top economic … [Read more...] about Ancient Maya grave found in Mexico as tourist rail project advances