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Banh Sua island offers ideal place for nature explorers

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The unique feature of Banh Sua island is that the space is always quiet and peaceful.

Banh Sua island offers ideal place for nature explorers hinh anh 1Visitors kayak around Banh Sua island. (Photo: Vietnam Pictorial)

Quang Ninh – For those who want to explore and love the quiet, the pristine Banh Sua island with beautiful natural scenery is the ideal place for you to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

Banh Sua island, also known as Ong To island or Tu Hai island, is located in Bai Tu Long bay in Quang Ninh province. There are some interesting stories that explain the origin of these names. The island was named after Mr. Do Huu To, the man who opened a company with its headquater on Banh Sua Island. The company focused on developing the fisheries and raising geoduck in the conditions of Banh Sua Island. Due to the fact that this area is one of the most advantageous environments for raising geoduck in North Vietnam and geoduck is also its specialty, many people called it Tu Hai Island (“tu hai” means geoduck).

Banh Sua island is less than one km² wide, the widest place is only about 420m, and it looks like a small turtle in the vast sea. Therefore, this small island is often compared to the youngest brother in the ‘big family’ of hundreds of islands on Bai Tu Long bay.

The unique feature of Banh Sua island is that the space is always quiet and peaceful. Wandering on this vast oasis in the sea, you will be able to enjoy the clear blue water, swim freely around the island, and snorkel to see the colorful coral.

To explore this beautiful island, visitors have to wake up at 5am to go with the villagers to catch sea cucumbers when the tide is at its lowest. Barefoot on the fine sand, racing against the rising tide, those are the feelings of excitement that Banh Sua island can promise you for a joyful day. Or you can take a boat to Quan cave about 30 minutes from the island. This place was once used as a military base during the American sabotage war in the north of Vietnam.

There are beautiful stalactite columns of many shapes here too. When the sun shines brightly, and the boat stops at the fisherman’s raft on the bay, tourists can buy their favorite seafood, take them back to Banh Sua island and ask the locals to cook it for lunch.

Boasting no long sandy beaches like other islands in Bai Tu Long bay, Banh Sua has an extremely clear sea instead. You can enjoy your swim in the cool water and see colorful coral. There have been many jobs on the island for mollusk farming and there are permanent home-stays too. In the afternoon, visitors should visit the pier connected to the oyster farming area, where they can swim and get oysters.

On the island, there is a rather high rocky mountain, which is an ideal place for visitors to admire the beautiful moments of sunrise and sunset or the breathtaking view of Bai Tu Long bay.

In the late afternoon, images of the blue Bai Tu Long bay appear in the gentle golden sunlight, or the burning red sun slowly sets behind the mountain range can leave everyone bedazzled. Being immersed in nature, the life of locals on the island is what visitors can experience on this lovely island. Just like the name of the island, Banh Sua, you can reward yourself with a genuine vacation to temporarily forget all the chaos and worries of daily life.

Banh Sua island offers ideal place for nature explorers hinh anh 2A panoramic view of Banh Sua island seen from above. (Photo: Vietnam Pictorial)

Banh Sua Island is like a little turtle swimming in an immense sea. From afar, tourists can immediately realize Banh Sua Island is covered by the green color of trees hustling on limestone cliffs. In spite of the small area, Banh Sua Island is the home of various marine creatures, some of which brings economic efficiency to the local residents.

Thanks to the calm water of an off-shore island, the sea of Banh Sua Island is a favorable condition for growing seafood, including oyster and geoduck. Not having long sand beaches or high-end resorts like many other islands, the atmosphere of Banh Sua Island is quite peaceful. The locals there live a simple life; they have a strong attachment to the sea, which has nourished them since their childhood.

Another significant trait of Banh Sua Island is the coral reefs around the island. Corals cannot exist in all kinds of water but only clear water with light waves and calm sea. Therefore, Banh Sua Island is one of the few places in Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay where tourists can contemplate colorful coral reefs as well as its underwater biodiversity./.

Source: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/banh-sua-island-offers-ideal-place-for-nature-explorers/247444.vnp

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100 interesting facts about HCM City announced

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Sai Gon double-decker bus tour, national special historical relic site Independence Palace, and popular “banh xeo” (sizzling rice pancake) are among the 100 interesting facts about HCM City in 2023, which were announced at a ceremony held by the municipal Department of Tourism on December 3.

100 interesting facts about HCM City announced hinh anh 1At the ceremony to announce the 100 interesting facts about HCM City (Photo: VNA)

HCM City –  Sai Gon
double-decker bus tour, national special historical relic site Independence
Palace, and popular “banh xeo” (sizzling rice pancake) are among the 100 interesting
facts about HCM City in 2023, which were announced at a ceremony held by the
municipal Department of Tourism on December 3.

The programme “HCM City100 interesting facts” was launched in December last
year to promote the city as an attractive destination. It features 10
categories covering exciting sightseeing programmes, 10 exciting
attractions, entertainment spots, shopping
spots, tourist accommodation establishments, restaurants, coffee shops, tourism, cultural
and sports events, check-in places, and delicacies.

At the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Van
Dung stressed the city’s exciting experiences have been shaped up by the vibrant
blend of cultures, cuisines, arts and destinations, and expressed his hope that
the programme will be a highlight of the city’s tourism sector in the end of
2023, making contributions to popularising local images and destinations.

He ordered competent organisations to make unceasing efforts to improve tourism
service quality to meet the expectation of the visitors as well as local
tourism’s competitive capacity.

The programme is expected to become a locomotive that motivates local service
providers to contribute to the city’s socio-economic development, he said.

Ho Chi Minh City welcomed more than 30
million domestic and foreign visitors during January – October, according to
the municipal Department of Tourism. The number included 4.12 million foreign tourists, or 82% of
the set target.

Revenue from accommodation and catering services was more
than 89.45 trillion VND (3.6 billion USD), and that from travel service was
over 8.9 trillion VND, up 30.6% and 68.3% year on year, respectively.

As the peak tourism season approaches, the city
hopes to serve 5 million international visitors and more than 35 million
domestic ones, and gain some 160 trillion VND in tourism revenue for the whole
2023.

It also sets a target of welcoming 6 million foreign visitors who will spend
around 190 trillion VND next year. Given stable
political-economic conditions, and good recovery of tourism and related
industries, the Vietnamese southern hub expects to welcome a tourist influx
from the Republic of Korea, Japan, India, and China./.

Source: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/100-interesting-facts-about-hcm-city-announced/272261.vnp

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HCM City, northwestern provinces promote tourism development collaboration

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The People’s Committees of Ho Chi Minh City and eight expanded northwestern provinces convened a tourism promotion conference in the southern economic hub on December 4, aiming to promote their culture and tourism domestically and internationally.

HCM City, northwestern provinces promote tourism development collaboration hinh anh 1Stalls introduce tourism products of the expanded northwestern provinces on the sidelines of the conference. (Photo: VNA)

HCM City – The People’s Committees of Ho
Chi Minh City and eight expanded northwestern provinces convened a tourism
promotion conference in the southern economic hub on December 4, aiming to promote their culture and tourism domestically and
internationally.

Addressing the event, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s
Committee Nguyen Van Dung stated that the city always considers tourism development collaboration a crucial task, adding it has teamed up with 49 provinces,
cities, and key economic zones nationwide.

The southern metropolis and the expanded northwestern region have coordinated in various
events and conducted surveys to develop new tours, routes and products connecting
the sides, he noted.

Representing the region, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dien Bien province Vu A Bang said that the conference is among activities to carry out cooperation
programmes and agreements in the field between the provinces and the city for
2020-2025.

The official stressed that via the event, the local tourism
industry hopes to enhance connections and joint work with the city, creating
opportunities for many tourism enterprises to update information and expand their
market.

He said the conference is expected to serve as a platform
for local authorities, state management agencies, and travel firms to exchange
ideas and assess potential, opportunities, and orientation for building their products.
It also involved sharing experience in tourism development cooperation
and proposing solutions and initiatives for future links between the localities.

The expanded northwestern region comprises Hoa Binh, Son La,
Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, and Ha Giang. It possesses rich
tourism resources with magnificent nature, distinctive culture, and glorious
history, making it attractive to tourists. Renowned attractions include Mount Fansipan in
Lao Cai, known as the roof of Indochina, the UNESCO Global Geopark Dong Van
Karst Plateau in Ha Giang, and the Mu Cang Chai terraced fields in Yen Bai./.

Source: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/hcm-city-northwestern-provinces-promote-tourism-development-collaboration/272297.vnp

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Third Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Week opens

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The third Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Week kicked off on December 4 with a range of tourism, sports and music activities, along with promotional programmes to stimulate shopping and travel demand across the southern economic hub.

Third Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Week opens hinh anh 1The third Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Week kicked off on December 4 with a range of tourism, sports and music activities (Photo: VNA)

HCM City – The
third Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Week kicked off on December 4 with a range of tourism,
sports and music activities, along with promotional programmes to stimulate shopping and travel demand across the southern economic hub.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the event, Nguyen Van Dung, Vice Chairman
of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, said the tourism week is
expected to encourage more residents and tourists to explore the culture and beautiful landscapes around the city.

As green and sustainable tourism
is a huge trend these days, the southern metropolis is striving to fulfill the
goal of becoming a green and environmental friendly destination, he said.

This year’s edition offers a series
of practical activities aimed at encouraging the tourism ecosystem to enhance
the application of green solutions, develop responsible tourism, create
competitive advantages, and improve the quality of growth for the sector, Dung
noted. 

Director of the Tourism Department
Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa said a lot of activities will be held within the framework
of the 7-day event, including the Techcombank HCM City International Marathon,
the launch of the districts’ new tourism products and the city’s travel
stimulation programme, the exploration of the city via doodle art and
activities of tourism businesses and related service suppliers.

Visitors
also will be treated to performances of folk arts, calligraphy art and cultural
exchanges, among others./.

Source: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/third-ho-chi-minh-city-tourism-week-opens/272284.vnp

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