Travel

Sport tourism flourishes in Việt Nam

Published

4 months ago

November 19, 2022

TienphongNews

A runner enjoy the beauty spot during the Việt Nam Mountain Marathon. — Photo courtesy of VMM

By Thanh Nga

For many, a vacation is a time to relax, kick back, and put up your feet. But there are some tourists out there who love combining their travels with keeping fit.

Taking part in marathons may not be everyone’s idea of a perfect holiday, but this type of getaway is becoming more and more popular in Việt Nam.

The Hạ Long Bay Heritage Marathon was successfully held in Quảng Ninh on Sunday with more than 6,000 domestic athletes, including 1,200 international runners taking part. That marks the resurgence of local tourism.

With four distances of 5km, 10km, 21km, and 42km, the tournament is suitable for tourists who love sports and want to explore Quảng Ninh.

British runner Ian Burns competed his 42km category. After the tournament ended, he stayed for three more days to explore Hạ Long Bay and Cát Bà Island.

“I came down to this race because of the view behind me,” he told Việt Nam News. “It’s the most beautiful race I have ever done. My wife and I normally go to beautiful races around the world.

“I have travelled around 70 countries. I see Việt Nam is amazing, especially Hạ Long Bay. It is really stunning, interesting and beautiful.”

Ian Burns from the UK loved to compete in the Hạ Long Bay Heritage Marathon because of the beautiful view of Hạ Long Bay. — VNS Photo Thanh Nga

After visiting Quảng Ninh, he continued to explore Hà Nội and Sa Pa Town in Lào Cai Province before returning to Singapore where he works.

Hanoian Nguyễn Hữu Dũng also ran at the event with his whole family.

“My whole family participates in marathons with the main goal of travelling,” he said.

“We all ran in the Hạ Long Bay event, I ran 21km, my wife and two children ran 5km. The tournaments are usually held on weekends, so it is also convenient for combining both running and travelling.

“Quảng Ninh has many beautiful tourist spots. Following the marathon, our family explored Đá Chồng Mountain in Bằng Cả Commune, Hoành Bồ District where we camped.”

According to Dũng, Đá Chồng Mountain has majestic natural scenery. This place is ideal for those who love to explore and experience the countryside. It has a unique shape with dozens of natural stones piled on top of each other at an altitude of hundreds of metres, protruding from the edge of the forest. There are contact points between two stones only about 1sq.m wide, creating a unique challenge for professional climbers who want to conquer the top of the mountain.

Nguyễn Hữu Dũng’s family often take part in marathons to combine travel with sports. — VNS Photo Thanh Nga

Phạm Huệ’s family, who live in Hưng Yên Province, also combine running and travelling. They have three children, aged between five and 10. This year they decided to take their children to Huế to take part in the VnExpress Marathon Imperial Huế in April.

Huệ said her children are excited about this form of tourism combined with sports because after running, they can rest at the hotel and bathe in the swimming pool. Huệ’s family also went to Hạ Long City in July to participate in the VnExpress Marathon Amazing Hạ Long. The whole family came here for four days and three nights because the children were on summer vacation.

The marathons held in the northern mountainous province of Hà Giang, the top 10 attractive destinations in Việt Nam voted by CNN, also always attract many runners.

Phan Hữu Vũ, from Huế, has just participated in the “Running on Happiness Route” international marathon in Mèo Vạc District in October.

Vũ said: “I have travelled to many places, participated in many marathons combined with tourism, but Hà Giang is the place that left a deep impression on me because of its friendly people, majestic scenery, unique cuisine. Next year, I will definitely come back to Hà Giang.”

The TMG Hội An Discovery Marathon within the framework of the National Tourism Year – Quảng Nam 2022 took place in September with nearly 1,000 domestic and international athletes. Runners enjoyed the charming scenery of rice fields, fishing villages, and green coconut forests at dawn in the two heritage regions of Hội An and Duy Xuyên.

In addition to running, activities related to the type of sport tourism that are loved by Vietnamese people include mountain climbing at places like Lảo Thẩn Mountain in Y Tý Commune, Bát Xát District, Lào Cai Province which is over 2,800m above sea level; Bạch Mộc Lương Tử Mountain, Việt Nam’s fourth highest peak in Lào Cai Province and a perfect venue for viewing sunsets and catching clouds; Bà Đen Mountain in Tây Ninh Province.

More and more runners compete in trail marathons such as Dalat Ultra Trail and Việt Nam Mountain Marathon (VMM) to enjoy the beautiful sites of mountains and forests. The VMM is the oldest and largest terrain marathon in the country. This year, it attracted 5,200 athletes competing in seven distances.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, sports tourism has become more and more popular and welcomed by a large number of tourists. Recently, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has assessed this as one of the fastest growing types and is playing an important role in promoting tourism.

Runners compete in the VnExpress Marathon Huế. This is an opportunity for them to experience and visit the landscapes in the ancient capital. — Photo baothuathienhue.vn

Sports tourism not only satisfies the passion for sports of travellers, but also brings great profits to the local tourism sector hosting the event.

According to Nguyễn Văn Phúc, Director of Thừa Thiên – Huế Department of Tourism, during the VnExpress Marathon Imperial Huế this year, the total number of tourists to the province was estimated at 23,500, the revenue from tourism-related activities was estimated at VNĐ41 billion and the average occupancy rate of accommodation establishments was 65 per cent. VNS

Source: http://ovietnam.vn/travel/sport-tourism-flourishes-in-viet-nam_339233.html

Travel

Ha Giang effectively develops community-based tourism

Published

10 hours ago

March 30, 2023

TienphongNews

With its advantages in terms of natural landscapes, rich cultural identities, customs and preserved traditional festivals, the northernmost province of Ha Giang has attracted attention from a large number of travel companies and tourists, and several potential community-based tourist sites have been formed.

Ha Giang effectively develops community-based tourism hinh anh 1

A community-based tourism and cultural village in Ha Giang’s Meo Vac district. (Photo: VNA)

Ha Giang – With its advantages in terms of natural landscapes, rich cultural
identities, customs and preserved traditional festivals, the northernmost province
of Ha Giang has attracted attention from a large number of travel companies and
tourists, and several potential community-based tourist sites have been formed.

Ha Giang province is home to 19 ethnic groups which have their own
cultural traditions and identities.

The effective preservation and promotion of cultural values
has helped the province in general and the ethnic groups in particular have a special
attraction for travelers and those who want to learn about traditional ethnic
culture.

According to Deputy Director of the provincial Department of
Culture, Sports and Tourism Trieu Thi Tinh, over the past years, the province
has selected outstanding cultural products to develop to create more highlights
for tourism development. It has also paid attention to community cultural and tourism activities,
and carried out projects on improving the quality
of services and activities of community-based tourism and cultural villages.

Currently, the province has 40 identified community-based tourism
and cultural villages, and 16 cultural villages recognised by the provincial
People’s Committee as meeting standards to serve tourists.

The provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism
assessed that these villages have operated well and attracted a large number of
tourists, contributing to increasing locals’ income and promoting the value of tourism
resources and cultural identities.

In addition to the achieved results, the community-based tourism
in Ha Giang is facing many difficulties and challenges in terms of transport
infrastructure and product quality that hinder it from developing sustainably
and gaining high economic efficiency.

Therefore, in the coming time, the province will continue
paying attention to improving the quality of services, training human
resources for community-based tourism sites, and stepping up the communication work to
raise locals’ awareness of maintaining and developing their cultural
identities, said Tinh./.

Source: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/ha-giang-effectively-develops-communitybased-tourism/250321.vnp

Travel

Som Tum (Thai-style green papaya salad)

Published

16 hours ago

March 30, 2023

TienphongNews

sheraton20saigon_straight20outta20bangkok_som20tum-1

Som Tum

Sous chef Burin Pongchang from Feast restaurant under Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers Bangkok presents Som Tum, a signature Thai cuisine during the special Asian food event titled Straight Outta Bangkok held at Sheraton Saigon Hotel.

Som Tum (Thai-style green papaya salad)

With his impeccable cooking credentials and over 30 years of experience, chef Burin is a regular guest chef of international Thai promotions in China, Malaysia and beyond.

Sous chef Burin Pongchang

Som Tum is a favourite Thai street food. The dish is an explosion of Thai-style flavours – deeply complex, not very spicy, with a perfect balance of sweetness and savoury.

If you are a lover of Thai salad, try making Burin’s favourite dish to impress family members and loved ones.

Ingredients:

Papaya green, slice 150g (cut julienne)
Carrot slice 50g (cut julienne)
French long bean 150g (cut 2cm)
Cherry tomato 300g (cut 1/2)
Dried shrimp 10g
Thai bird chili 1pc
Garlic 1pc
Toasted peanut 10g
Lime juice 10g
Palm sugar 10g
Fish sauce 10g

Method:

Cut papaya and carrot. Peel them. Julienne them with a knife or use a Thai julienne slicers. Put the shredded papaya and carrot in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes and drain, set aside for later.
Put the garlic and chilies into a mortar, and pound them until they form a really coarse paste. Now, add palm sugar with lime juice and keep pounding to get the sugar to fully dissolve. Add the fish sauce and taste.
Add the dried shrimp and long beans and beat them up a bit. You want them to break a bit.
Add the papaya and carrot. Toss to combine the papaya with the dressing.
Gently bruise the papaya and carrot. Add the tomatoes and give them a bit of a toss. Add the peanuts. Toss to combine everything together. Use your hands.
Arrange the salad and enjoy with savory juice and vegetables. VNS

Source: http://ovietnam.vn/dining/som-tum-thai-style-green-papaya-salad_342682.html

Travel

Vietnamese food named among world’s top best dishes

Published

19 hours ago

March 30, 2023

TienphongNews

Vietnamese dishes including bo kho (stewed beef), bo nhung dam (beef in vinegar hot pot) and bun cha (grilled pork meatballs with vermicelli noodles) have been named among the world’s 100 best meat dishes, according to readers’ votes of the TasteAtlas, the world’s most famous encyclopedia of flavors, traditional dishes, and authentic restaurants.

Vietnamese food named among world’s top best dishes hinh anh 1

Vietnamese dishes including bo kho, bo nhung dam and bun cha (grilled pork meatballs with vermicelli noodles) have been named among the world’s 100 best meat dishes (Photo: tasteatlas.com)

Hanoi – Vietnamese dishes including bo
kho (stewed beef), bo nhung dam (beef in vinegar hot pot) and bun cha (grilled pork meatballs with
vermicelli noodles) have been named among the world’s 100 best meat dishes,
according to readers’ votes of the TasteAtlas, the world’s most famous
encyclopedia of flavors, traditional dishes, and authentic restaurants.

According to the website, bo kho includes ingredients
such as diced beef, carrots, lemongrass, cinnamon, chili, pepper, garlic, and
shallots, all simmered in a spicy and aromatic broth. It can also be
served over noodles or bread, and it is customary to serve a variety fresh herbs on the
side.

Bo nhung dam is a Vietnamese version of a hot pot that
is traditionally served in communal style. In its basic form, the dish consists of
a vinegar-flavored broth that may also include coconut milk or juice,
lemongrass, onions, or other additions, while typical accompaniments include
thinly sliced raw beef and an assortment of fresh vegetables and herbs such as
bean sprouts, daikon, lettuce, cucumbers, mint, basil, and perilla leaves.

Bun cha is a pork and noodle dish that is intricately
connected to Hanoi, where it is believed to have originated from. The dish combines
three elements: a bowl of grilled pork meatballs served in a cold broth, a
plate of rice noodles, and a combination of various fresh greens such as
perilla leaves, lettuce, coriander, and morning glory.

Although bun cha or similar varieties can be found in other parts of Vietnam,
the Hanoi version is held in high regard, a must-try dish to most of the foreign visitors./.

Source: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnamese-food-named-among-worlds-top-best-dishes/250305.vnp