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.

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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.

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Vietnam travel: Sapa prepares for long holiday rush

The district of Sapa in the northwest province of Lao Cai, one of the top tourism destinations in Vietnam, is expected to welcome about 50,000-70,000 visitors in the upcoming six-day vacation which starts from April 28. 

In order to support travellers, the locality is rushing to prepare for the influx of tourists. 

Accordingly, the municipal Youth Union has provided tour guide training courses for about 250 union members aiming to provide information and instructions to tourists. 

The district plans to open three information booths and hotlines in 35 public locations. 

Moreover, municipal authorities have asked 350 hotels, restaurants and bars in the locality to commit to not raise their prices on the occasion. 

There are nearly 200 hotels with 5,000 rooms and more than 100 homestays in Sapa, according to the municipal Cultural and Information Office.

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Source: VNA

Vietnam travel: Dak Lak Museum of Ethnology

Dak Lak Museum of Ethnology is a place that should not be missed if you visit the Central Highlands. 

This museum preserves and presents the culture quintessence of ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands. It has more than 10,000 objects and receives about 100,000 visitors a year, one third of whom are foreigners. 

Dak Lak Museum of Ethnology is located in the center of Buon Ma Thuot city. It was built on the grounds of the former residence of King Bao Dai, the last emperor of Vietnam, nearly 100 years ago.

The main building of the museum has a simple architectural style but reflects the cultural identity of the Central Highlands.

Surrounded by a shady garden, the museum looks like a Rong- a communal stilt house- or the long traditional house of the Ede. From afar, it looks like the traditional house of the M'Nong.

Formerly called the "Dak Lak traditional house", it was officially renamed "Dak Lak Museum of Ethnology" in 1990 and renovated in 2008.

It has three main sections featuring three different themes: the revolutionary traditions, natural features, and cultural characteristics of the ethnic minorities of the Central Highlands.

The cultural space displays 520 objects representing cultural peculiarities of ethnic minorities like the Ede, M'Nong and Jarai. Installations and audiovisual gears introduce customs, festivals, and daily activities of local ethnic groups.

Nguyen Trong Hieu, a tourist from Hanoi said “This museum presents the culture of the Central Highlands. Visiting this museum, help me understand the life and culture of local ethnic minorities”

The museum has attracted many researchers and students who are passionate about the culture of Tay Nguyen.

Nguyen Thi Nguyet, a teacher at Luong The Vinh college in Buon Ma Thuot, said she often brings her students to the museum.

The museum provides the students with useful knowledge about the history and culture of Dak Lak and Tay Nguyen, she added.

Every weekend, the museum invites artisans to show visitors the various traditional crafts of Tay Nguyen or reproduce traditional festivals of an ethnic group.

Luong Thanh Son, Director of the museum, said “Each object and each document in the museum tells a story, not just about the past but one that also reveals the future. By organizing these activities, we want to help local people preserve and promote their traditional occupations.” 

The museum has contributed to educating the younger generation and promoting cultural and historical values of their ancestors. The museum now has 10 books recording visitors’ impressions on the museum and its heritages.

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Vietnam tourism : Danang marine tourism season 2015 begins

The 2015 Danang tourism season was kicked off on April 25 at the Bien Dong (East Sea) Park in Son Tra Peninsula in Danang to promote the city as a safe, friendly and attractive destination among tourists.

The programme is to introduce new facilities and tourism services for this year’s sea tourism season, promote the image of Son Tra Peninsula alongside local beaches and call for the community’s joint action to protect environment.

Visitors are able to enjoy a wide range of events including beach sports, international rescue manoeuvre, beach camping, flahsmobs, and traditional coastal challenges, such as underwater tug of war, fishing-net making and fish carrying. 

A music concert and about 80 booths selling food and souvenirs will be also organised to serve tourist alongside a photo exhibition capturing moments of the city and a Vespa and Lambretta scooters show. 

Tours to explore Son Tra Peninsula take place daily, comprising a number of exciting activities, such as Jeep tour around the peninsula, fishing with fishermen, scuba diving to see coral reefs and cruising together with cycle racing and fun flying paragliding. 

The week-long programme runs through May 2 on the sidelines of Danang International Fireworks Competition 2015.

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Vietnam tourism: Ba Mun Island - green pearl in Bai Tu Long Bay

Located in Bai Tu Long Bay in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh, Ba Mun Island is one of the largest and most beautiful clusters of isles with the greatest abundance of flora in Bai Tu Long National Park.

• Con Dao Island - Breathtaking attraction
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Ba Mun island

It is also an extremely interesting destination for those who love adventure and nature. It takes only 45 minutes on a high-speed boat from Cai Rong wharf in Van Don district to Ba Mun Island. The first impression tourists have when arriving at the island is pristine natural landscape with green forests embraced entirely by blue sea. 

The east of the island (known locally as the “exterior”) is pummeled by strong waves with water spray launching tens of metres high, while the west (the “interior”) features tranquil scenery and calm water that ripples against the side of boats. Ba Mun covers an area of about 1,800 hectares with diverse flora and fauna including rare and valuable species. The most prominent plants are Tram Do (Syzygium zeylanicum), as well as Lim (Erythrophleum fordii), Sen (Madhuca pasquieri) and Tau (Vatica fleuryana Tardieu). 

There are diverse rare flora species in Ba Mun forest

It is notable that the Lan hai orchid (Cypripedioideae), which was mistakenly thought to be extinct a few years ago, still exists here. At present, this orchid species is found only in Lao Cai and Ba Mun. Ba Mun has several rare species of animals, including the golden deer, which is still quite populous and the only population in northeast Vietnam. Golden deer often search for food at night. Therefore, it is hard to spot them during the day but visitors can see their footprints. 

There are a lot of other species of animals such as antelope, monkeys, langurs and more, as well as sea and migratory birds. With its diverse fauna, Ba Mun Island is the largest wild animal reserve in the southeast region. For this reason, locals often call it “ Animal Island”.

On Ba Mun Island, there are seven large streams with unique names such as O Lon To (big pigsty) and O Lon Con (small pigsty), as well as Mieu Danh, Van Lau, Cao Lo streams, and Che flume. The water runs all year round and is very clean thanks to large coverage of the forest. This is a valuable source of fresh water amidst the vast sea. 

Travelling to Ba Mun, tourists can explore on their own, following some natural trails on the island or patrol routes serving forest management. It takes at least 3 days to complete a tour of Ba Mun Island and 5 hours if going around the island by motorboat. The island has a wildlife rescue centre belonging to the Bai Tu Long National Park. Tourists can contact the centre in case they need any support.

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Vietnam travel: Sparkling nightlife in Sapa

Sa Pa is a beautiful scenery, mountainous town in northern Vietnam along the border with China. It has long been a famous destination to tourists from all over the world to Vietnam.

It’s cool weather, breathtaking landscapes have enchanted a great number of tourists and built up its fame as as a paradise on the mountain. One interesting experience in Sa Pa that tourists can never forget is its nightlife.

In daytime, Sa Pa is beautiful; its night scenery is also extremely gorgeous. The mountainous city is lit up with attractive, colorful light which creates an extraordinary fanciful sight.

At night Sa Pa is still very lively. Streets with very romantic names like Cầu Mây, Mường Hoa… is crowded with foreign tourists. They leisurely walk on sloping streets, contemplate souvenir shops and take photos.

Tourists often concentrate in the Stone church area where there are a lot of grilled restaurants and souvenir shops. After wandering about the streets, how comfortable it is to enjoy delicious grilled foods such as sweet potato, egg, bird, pork, sugar cane, etc a in the cold weather of Sa Pa’s night.  Souvenir shops offer various local specialties which can be bought as presents for your beloved such as ethnic crafts especially needle work on batik fabric ranging from traditional costumes and accessories, H’mong blanket, raw embroidery works, skirts, men blouses, hats…

Tourists who are keen on exploring traditional cultures will be lured by the Love market in Sa Pa.  Ethnic groups put on their most colorful costumes and head to Sa Pa's market on Saturday. The girls hide in the dark shadows and sing love songs to attract the boys, who try to find where the songs come from. If they are well matched, they disappear into the forest for three days. Perhaps, some of them get married after that.
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