Bridge Pagoda (Chua Cau) in Hoi An ancient town (Photo: travel.com.vn)
Every year for its World’s Best Awards survey, the New York-based travel magazine asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe, share their opinions on the top cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more.
Readers rated cities on their sights and landmarks, culture, cuisine, friendliness, shopping, and overall value.
Hoi An received total scores of 90.52 out of the total 100.
Oaxaca in Mexico topped the list, followed by San Miguel de Allende, also in Mexico.
Other Southeast Asian cities named in the list are Chiang Mai (Thailand, No.4), Luang Prabang (Laos, No.8), Ubud (Indonesia, No.9), Bangkok (Thailand, No.12), Siem Reap (Cambodia, No.16), and Singapore (Singapore, No.21).
Last year, the title of Best City in the World belonged to Hoi An. Located in central Vietnam, Hoi An is a charming city with ancient roots, distinct architecture, a contagious energy, and arguably one of the best street food scenes on the planet, according to Travel + Leisure.
Most importantly, Hoi An is home to friendly people who are eager to share the best their city has to offer, the magazine said, adding that when it comes to places to stay, there are plenty of options: resorts, hotels, hostels, and guest houses.
Hoi An is also a perfect place to combine culture with relaxation, according to the magazine./.
Fresh Vietnamese spring rolls honoured by foreign media outlets
Vietnam is widely considered to have one of the best food cultures in the world. Among the delicious Vietnamese cuisines on offer nationwide, Goi Cuon is a particularly popular snack in the south, according to the Radio the Voice of Vietnam.
Fresh Vietnamese spring rolls (Goi Cuon) (Photo: banhtrangnhubinh.com)
Goi Cuon was featured in the list of the world’s best 50 dishes through a survey conducted in 2019 by CNN.
The dish consists of boiled pork, shrimp, herbs, rice vermicelli, and rice paper whilst it’s served alongside sauce made from a variety of ingredients and herbs. Previously, renowned chef Gordon Ramsay of UK, known for presenting TV shows about cookery and food culture, attempted to cook Vietnamese food, including Goi Cuon, during his visit to the country for an episode of Gordon’s Great Escape.
In an SBS article titled “Vietnam’s greatest culinary gifts to Australia”, the website outlines how the popularity of the dish in Australia knows no bounds as they’re found on the menu of every single Vietnamese restaurant, in lunchboxes, and in the food courts of shopping centres. “Our love affair with rice paper stuffed with fresh, delicately flavoured fillings will surely never end,” says SBS.
Many newspapers and websites mention Goi Cuon as the best dish appreciated by food lovers and is an experience not to be missed during a visit to Vietnam.
A number of Korean celebrities such as Rosé, Park Bogum, and Chaeyeon had tried Goi Cuon and introduced the dish on their own social media platforms.
UK, US media highlight British pilot’s hospital discharge after defeating coronavirus
The UK media has run articles highlighting the hospital discharge of a British pilot - known as Patient 91 and the most seriously ill COVID-19 case in Vietnam who spent more than two months on life support before returning home on July 12th.
British pilot and his colleagues at Vietnam Airlines (Photo: Vietnamnet.vn)
The Guardian newspaper of the UK said that the patient, a pilot of the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, had been treated for nearly four months in Ho Chi Minh City’s hospitals, including 10 weeks on a ventilator.
It cited the pilot as saying that he was overwhelmed by the generosity of the Vietnamese people, the dedication and professionalism of the doctors and nurses, and thanked them for what they have done.
The article also quoted Tran Thanh Linh, the deputy head of ICU at Cho Ray hospital as saying that “huge effort and energy” had gone into saving Cameron, who was given the country’s best equipment and whose case had captured the attention of everyone from doctors to government officials.
Patient 91 became the focus of huge media attention as the country’s top medical minds met to brainstorm treatment options, the article wrote, adding that the news that he would need a lung transplant was met with 59 donation offers.
It also stressed that as of July 11th, Vietnam had recorded 370 infections and no official fatalities.
On July 12th, the BBC also provided readers an insight into Patient 91’s hospitalisation days.
"If I'd been almost anywhere else on the planet, I'd be dead,” BCC quoted the patient in his exclusive interview to the newspaper. “"I'm very humbled by how I've been taken into the hearts of the Vietnamese people. And most of all I'm grateful for the bloody-mindedness of the doctors in not wanting me to die on their watch."
The Daily Mail said on July 11th that Vietnam keeps its perfect score when the British pilot finally left hospital.
The British pilot’s hospital discharge has also made headlines in several US newspapers such as Washington Post, USA Today and the Associated Press (AP)./.