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| An Bang beach through the lens of foreign visitors (Photo: Tripadvisor) |
According to VNA, Tripadvisor described An Bang as a having-it-all destination with powder-white sand, blue skies and stunning views.
The beach is set against a lush, green backdrop and home to a coral reef, making it a perfect spot for swimming and snorkeling. Thrill-seekers can go paragliding, jet skiing and body surfing in the cool blue waters. For something more relaxes, kick back on a lounge chair under a palm tree or bike along the nearby path, it said.
Meanwhile, My Khe beach, boasting powdery-soft sand, gentle surf and coconut trees swaying in the breeze, checks all the boxes when visitors want a relaxing beach day. It is also an ideal place to go swimming and surfing.
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| My Khe was the only Vietnamese beach that made to the Tripadvisor’s list in 2023, ranking 8th. (Photo: Tripadvisor) |
“The beach is big and rarely gets crowded, so it’s easy to snag a sunbed – complete with an umbrella and just kick back for the day”.
My Khe was the only Vietnamese beach that made to the Tripadvisor’s list in 2023, ranking 8th.
Asia’s top ten beaches include Nusa Penida and Melasti (Indonesia), Banana and Nai Harn (Thailand) and Haeundae (the Republic of Korea).
The beaches were voted based on their popularity, convenience to access, landscapes and activities on offer.
The Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best title celebrates the highest level of excellence in travel. It’s awarded to those who receive a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period. Out of the 8 million listings, fewer than 1% achieve this milestone.
Phu Quoc island sees spike in foreign tourist arrivals
The resort island of Phu Quoc in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang witnessed a surge in international tourist arrivals during the seven-day lunar New Year holiday, VOV reported the data of the provincial Department of Tourism.
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| Phu Quoc has seen a spike in foreign tourist arrivals during the recent lunar New Year holiday |
The department noted that during the reviewed period, Phu Quoc welcomed more than 300 flights, including 130 international flights carrying a huge number foreign tourists from the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Thailand, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Poland, China, and the Czech Republic.
Furthermore, the cruise ship Aida Bella also carried nearly 2,000 foreign tourists to visit the island.
The southern island welcomed 222,000 tourists from February 8 to 15, up 27% compared to the same period last year. Of the total, there were 57,000 international visitors, up 4.2 times.
The influx of foreign tourists helped the province earn nearly VND1.3 trillion, equal to US$53.2 million, in tourism services during the period, an increase of 6.6 times compared to the figures recorded last year. The occupancy rate reached 66%.
Kien Giang hopes to serve about 9.2 million visitors this year, including 680,000 foreigners, and earn some VND20 trillion (US$818 million) from tourism services.
French deluxe liner visits Phu Quoc Island
French luxury cruise ship Le Jacques Cartier, carrying 150 passengers from France, the US, the UK and some European countries, visited Phu Quoc island in Kien Giang province on February 22, reported VNA.
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| French luxury cruise ship Le Jacques Cartier (Photo: VNA) |
The vessel departed from Sihanoukville in Cambodia to Phu Quoc and then headed to Con Dao Island and Ho Chi Minh City before returning to France.
Passengers visited Ham Ninh fishing village, Phu Quoc prison, Ho Quoc temple, and other sites of interest.
According to Chairman of Phu Quoc People’s Committee Huynh Quang Hung, Phu Quoc also expects to receive more cruise passengers from such markets as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Europe in 2024.
Kien Giang welcomed over 21,000 French visitors in 2023 who ranked ninth among international visitors to the province.
Vietnamese Nem chua among world’s best dishes with hot peppers
Vietnamese cured fermented beef or pork, known locally as Nem chua, has been voted by international food website Taste Atlas as one of the 54 best dishes with hot peppers in the world, reported VOV.
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Nem chua was the only Vietnamese entry to make the rankings
and was placed 52nd on the list. |
According to Taste Atlas, Nem chua is a traditional Vietnamese dish of cured and fermented meat. Although it is traditionally made from pork, it can also be made with other types of meat such as beef. In order to prepare it properly, the lean pork is minced then combined with sliced pork skin, spices, chili peppers, and garlic.
The combination is wrapped into banana leaves, then stored for fermentation lasting three to five days in a cold place. These rolls have a sweet, salty, spicy, and sour flavor and are usually served as a snack or an appetizer with raw garlic on top and fish sauce or chili sauce on the side, the website wrote.
It also added that Nem chua is especially popular during Lunar New Year celebrations. The dish can easily be found in the northcentral province of Thanh Hoa and the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap.
Rounding off the list of TasteAtlas’s 54 best dishes with hot peppers in the world were many representatives from throughout the Asian region, including Chongqing chicken of China, Ikan bakar grilled fish of Indonesia, Thailand’s nam phrik chili sauce and Gaeng kiew wan green curry paste, and Kkakdugi of the Republic of Korea.
The list is based on a vote conducted by experts and readers worldwide on criteria such as popularity, flavor, and love from local people and tourists.
TasteAtlas is an encyclopedia of flavors, a world atlas of traditional dishes, local ingredients, and authentic restaurants.
The website was founded in 2015 and it has cataloged over 10,000 foods and drinks, whilst there are dozens of thousands yet to be researched and mapped. It highlights popular cuisines, as well as the forgotten tastes and aromas of every city, region, and village around the world./.