Cuttlefish Hotpot

Just 92 km from Nha Trang, Dai Lanh is a district that can be easily accessed by car.  

You will be amazed by how delicious and inexpensive the local hotpot is. There are so many types of hotpot that you will never get bored of eating cuttlefish all day long. The price is also surprisingly cheap.

There are several types of cuttlefish in Dai Lanh, but people only use certain types to make the hotpot. Cuttlefish must be fresh when cooking this dish; they must have a good size and special flavor. Because all the ingredients are chosen for their particular qualities, every hotpot is distinctively delicious. Its fragrance and taste are so unique that it always stands out among similar dishes from other parts of the country. The Cuttlefish hotpot tastes best when seasoned with fresh chili and herbs, parsley, and basil.

Bai Tu Long – bewitching untouched bay in northern Viet Nam

Visitors to Ha Long Bay, a natural wonder home to over 1,000 islets, will be amazed at Bai Tu Long, which is a charming bay with smooth sandbars, clear water, historical relics and countless specialties

Located in Tonkin Gulf in the northeast of Viet Nam, Bai Tu Long Bay covers the waters of Ha Long and Cam Pha cities, and the island district of Van Don in Quang Ninh Province. It includes hundreds of islets of all sizes, many big enough for habitation.

Bai Tu Long Bay is home to many traces of Ha Long Culture that dates back thousands of years.

It features limestone and schist islets – a result of geological formations lasting over 300 million years. Famous islets include Bai Tho, Con Coc, Tien Ong, Con Rua, Dam Oan, Mat Quy, and Con Co. Some outstanding caverns there are Thien Canh Son Carven, Tam Cung Cavern and Me Cung Cavern.

The bay also harbours beautiful beaches such as Con Co, Van Don, Quan Lan, Minh Chau and Co To.

Quan Lan Island is a must-visit destination for tourists to Bai Tu Long. It is suitable for adventurers as well as those who love simple and romantic experiences thanks to the harmony of sea, forest, culture and architecture.

Visitors can also tour the fishing village on Minh Chau Island or Cai Lang – the oldest village there.

Thong Thien Cave, Phat Co Island, and Ban Sen Island are among other destinations tourists should have a look at. Sailing to explore submerged forests or swimming in the clear water of Uyen Uong beach are recommended experiences.

Additionally, vacationers can visit Cua Ong Temple and Van Hoa Port or walk through forests to experience the hospitality of ethnic Tay, Red Dao and San Diu people in their villages across Bai Tu Long Bay.

Local delicacies like dishes made from jack mackerels, cobia and peanut worms are a plus to Bai Tu Long’s attractiveness.

With tourism potential and appropriate development plans, Bai Tu Long Bay is expected to become an ideal destination for nature lovers soon.

Vietnam travel: Mu Cang Chai, astonishing destination for tourism

The magnificent scenery and breathtaking beauty of Khau Pha mountain pass or Mo fall and the delightful flavour of Can wine in the mountainous district of Mu Cang Chai in Yen Bai northern province may make it one of the most exquisite sites in the nation. 

Located to the west of Yen Bai and some 1,000 meters above sea level, it is an inspirational destination for tourists, researchers and photographers.

Mu Cang Chai features enchanting scenery and gracious people whose way of life is so startlingly different than most in our world; it is endearing and lovely to visit such a beautiful, majestic landscape with kind people.
The place is well known for awe-inspiring terraced fields which have drawn domestic and international tourists. The fields are visible from virtually everywhere in the district, covering an area of over 2,200ha. The 500ha of fields surrounding the villages in Che Cu Na, La Pan Tan and De Xu Phinh communes were recognised as national heritage sites in 2007 by the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism.
The district is also home to the mighty Pung Luong peak, the second highest peak of the Indochina roof, and the 32km long Khau Pha mountain pass, one of the four most renowned passes in Viet Nam. Meanwhile the Mo Waterfall, which is 3,000-metre high, is described as being as smooth as a lady’s hair.
Mu Cang Chai is famous for its rich traditional cultural art values such as its traditional dances, dishes and Sai San festival with H’Mong couples. The district is among a few areas where local cuisine, festivals and songs and dances are kept almost unchanged through the years. 

Provincial authorities have introduced active and effective measures with the aim of bolstering the local tourism sector.
According to Tran Quang Vinh, Deputy Director of the Yen Bai province investment consultation and promotion centre, provincial authorities are calling for investors to develop local tourism and services, including consolidating infrastructure and service development.
The province is focusing on synchronously implementing policies of investment climate improvement and enterprise support through the action programme on improving the locality’s ranking on the competitive index (PCI).

Source: VNA

Vietnam travel: Mui Ne Sand Dune, top 11 most ideal sand-boarding destinations in the world, Wonderslist,

(TITC) - The vast sand dunes stretching endlessly is the ideal condition to develop sand-boarding. Sand-boarding is quite similar with snowboarding and increasingly attracting tourists worldwide. Recently, the website Wonderslist (US) has announced the top 11 most ideal sand-boarding destinations in the world, of which Mui Ne Sand Dune of Viet Nam is ranked 2nd. 

Belonging to Mui Ne Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province, 22km to the north-east of the city centre, Mui Ne has charming beach with blue water and unique beautiful sand dune in Viet Nam.

Mui Ne Sand Dune was an old iron mine formed hundreds of years ago, spreading over an area of ​​50ha. The sand in Mui Ne has many colors such as yellow, white, gray, ivory, pink, red, black... Mui Ne Sand Dune is also known as the Flying Sand Dune because the sand dune’s shape changes every hour. This is the result of winding and eroding the thin upper sand layer. Mui Ne Sand Dune is the infinite source for many artists and professional photographers to capture stunning images of sand.

In order to develop Mui Ne tourism, Binh Thuan Province licensed to construct golf courses and resorts at the same time plan trees in the sand dune to create beautiful landscapes and contribute to reducing mobility of sand. In addition, Mui Ne also develops various types of sports tourism such as sand-boarding, motor racing, terrain car racing on sand...

The most ideal time to visit Mui Ne Sand Dune is from 5h00 to 8h00 because sand is still cool in this time.

Apart from Mui Ne, the list of the most ideal sand-boarding also consists of Duna Grande (Peru); Tattori, Chiba and Shimoda (Japan); Lucky Bay (Australia); Cerro Negro volcano active (Nicaragua); Cerro Iman, Valle de la muerte, Cerro Dragon, Medanoso, Punta de Choros (Chile); desert in Dubai (United Arab Emirates); Sossusvlei, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay (Namibia); Sandmaster (US); Hirschau (Germany); Great Sand Sea near Siwa (Egypt).

Special Vietnam travel and Personnel support consultant

(TITC) - The vast sand dunes stretching endlessly is the ideal condition to develop sand-boarding. Sand-boarding is quite similar with snowboarding and increasingly attracting tourists worldwide. Recently, the website Wonderslist (US) has announced the top 11 most ideal sand-boarding destinations in the world, of which Mui Ne Sand Dune of Viet Nam is ranked 2nd. 

Belonging to Mui Ne Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province, 22km to the north-east of the city centre, Mui Ne has charming beach with blue water and unique beautiful sand dune in Viet Nam.

Mui Ne Sand Dune was an old iron mine formed hundreds of years ago, spreading over an area of ​​50ha. The sand in Mui Ne has many colors such as yellow, white, gray, ivory, pink, red, black... Mui Ne Sand Dune is also known as the Flying Sand Dune because the sand dune’s shape changes every hour. This is the result of winding and eroding the thin upper sand layer. Mui Ne Sand Dune is the infinite source for many artists and professional photographers to capture stunning images of sand.

In order to develop Mui Ne tourism, Binh Thuan Province licensed to construct golf courses and resorts at the same time plan trees in the sand dune to create beautiful landscapes and contribute to reducing mobility of sand. In addition, Mui Ne also develops various types of sports tourism such as sand-boarding, motor racing, terrain car racing on sand...

The most ideal time to visit Mui Ne Sand Dune is from 5h00 to 8h00 because sand is still cool in this time.

Apart from Mui Ne, the list of the most ideal sand-boarding also consists of Duna Grande (Peru); Tattori, Chiba and Shimoda (Japan); Lucky Bay (Australia); Cerro Negro volcano active (Nicaragua); Cerro Iman, Valle de la muerte, Cerro Dragon, Medanoso, Punta de Choros (Chile); desert in Dubai (United Arab Emirates); Sossusvlei, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay (Namibia); Sandmaster (US); Hirschau (Germany); Great Sand Sea near Siwa (Egypt).

Special Vietnam travel : Thrilling birding tour and more

These days, thousands of birds and storks are flocking to Vam Sat Ecological Tourist Centre, making this natural site amidst Can Gio mangrove forests more exciting. The mangrove forests in Can Gio have been recognized by UNESCO as the world’s biosphere reserve.

The Vam Sat bird sanctuary, 50 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, covers 602.5 hectares, including the core area of 162.2 hectares and the buffer zone of 476.3 hectares. A majority of the trees are species growing on the higher land of the mangrove forests. The large buffer zone is an ideal venue for the development of birds in the future. To the north of the bird sanctuary are a 199-hectare natural forest and shrimp breeding farms.

Vam Sat is home to 26 bird species, including 11 waterfowl species. Storks and night herons build their nests on thorny trees so that their “houses” will be safe from snakes and monkeys.

Birds often lay eggs in the rainy season, from May to October. But this year, they have flocked there since April. Young birds live on diverse food provided by the vast swamp land criss-crossed with rivulets and canals and surrounding shrimp farms.

Aside from the bird sanctuary, Vam Sat has a bat swamp which is in fact a bat shelter. Local tour guides will row small boats gently and lead guests across tranquilly bushy mangrove forests. These forests are home to thousands of fruit bats whose wingspans are sometimes one meter wide. These bats live in the nature amidst the swamp embraced by mangrove forests. Tourists can take a sampan to weave through the forests to watch the huge bats, which can be found in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos.

Adventurous visitors can take part in crocodile angling in Vam Sat Ecological Tourist Centre where some 40 crocodiles are raised. Travelers can also learn about habits of this large aquatic reptile. They can as well take part in the interesting game of “boating and crocodile angling.” Composite boats are equipped with hollow compartments to keep balance, and are well protected with steel nets. Staff members will help tourists hook the bait to the fishing rod. Tourists can stand on the boat to feed ferocious crocodiles.

Making sea salt with local farmers is another activity entertaining vacationers who want to have hands-on experience of salt production. Don’t forget to plant a mangrove tree in the forests for the environmental protection campaign. A large number of international visitors, especially young Japanese, together with Vietnamese students have taken part in planting green trees for the mangrove forests which are called the “green lungs” of HCMC.

Those who stay overnight at the center can join a trip in which they learn how to catch freshwater crabs in the river.

Vietnam travel news: Ha Giang Province to host buckwheat flower festival

Ha Giang Province to host buckwheat flower festival

The northernmost province of Ha Giang will hold the first ever Tam giac mach (buckwheat) flower festival in early October, when the plant fully blooms. 
Buckwheat (scientifically known as Fagopyrum Esculentum) is a plant with clusters of small pinkish white flowers and edible triangular seeds.

H’Mong ethnic residents grow two crops of Tam giac mach every year, as it also blooms between April and May. The flowers are sensitive to sunlight, turning from white in the early morning to pink in the afternoon.

Buckwheat creates striking sights when blossoming, making it a tourist draw in Ha Giang, as well as neighbouring mountainous areas such as Lao Cai Province.

The provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism will organise the festival in Dong Van district, as instructed by the Ha Giang People’s Committee.

Various activities will be held as part of the event such as a H’Mong panpipe festival, a tourism fair and a photo exhibition about the Dong Van Karst Plateau, which was recently recognised as a member of the Global Network of National Geoparks for the 2015-2018 period.