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| Grand Pioneers Cruise wins World's Best Green Cruise Line 2024 prize at World Cruise Awards |
The vessel, that operates in Ha Long Bay, surpassed a number of the world’s leading cruise brands such as Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, and Virgin Voyage to win the title.
The Grand Pioneers cruise vessel was built at a cost of US$20 million and stretches for 109.9 metres long. It boasts 55 luxury cabins which can accommodate 160 overnight passengers, 320 sightseeing guests, and a crew of 90.
It also has a swimming pool, a cinema theater, a spa, and a restaurant which has seating capacity for 250 guests.
The World Cruise Awards serves to recognise, reward, and celebrate excellence in the global cruise sector through an annual awards programme.
The results follow a year-long search for the world’s leading cruise brands. Votes have been cast by cruise industry professionals and the public, with the nominee receiving the most votes in a category named as the winner.
Vietnam’s stunning Golden Bridge, Ba Den Mount on British publication
According to VNA, seventeen stunning photos of Vietnam captured by renowned photographer Daniel Kordan have been pubilicised on Daily Mail, a British newspaper, and tourism forums, captivating international readers.
According to Daily Mail, from wonderful waterfalls to beautiful bays - these 17 stunning photos of Vietnam by an award-winning photographer will make you want to book a plane ticket to visit.
The award-winning 35-year-old landscape photographer, based in Bali, Indonesia, specialises in aerial photography and has travelled everywhere from Japan and Myanmar to Antarctica, Iceland and Italy, capturing 'unique' scenery from above.
He posts the images to his Instagram account where he has gained over two million followers,and sells prints of his work on his website.
Kordan said he wants to showcase the natural beauty of the country from a perspective that highlights its unique patterns and harmonious balance between human activity and nature.
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| Golden Bridge in the central city of Da Nang in Daily Mail (Photo: Daniel Kordan/Daily Mail) |
Most of Kordan's photo series introduce readers to the majestic mountains of Vietnam, passing through Ban Gioc Waterfall, God’s Eye Mountain in the northern province of Cao Bang, Long Coc Tea hill in the northern province of Phu Tho, Trang An complex in the northern province of Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh, and Mu Cang Chai in mountainous northern province of Yen Bai.
In addition to nature images, Kordan's series highlights new tourist symbols of Vietnam to the international audience.
Among these, the Golden Bridge at Ba Na Hill in Da Nang city is described by him as “providing endless inspiration for aerial photography”.
With popular tourist destinations that have many impressive photos like the Golden Bridge, taking new images is both a task and a challenge for photographers, as their new shots must be more striking than previous ones while also bearing their own unique mark.
Daniel has achieved this by capturing a stunning image of the Golden Bridge bathed in a pink hue at sunrise, with morning dew still glistening on the architectural marvel.
The Golden Bridge, located in the Sun World Ba Na Hills resort in Da Nang, has become an iconic tourist destination in Vietnam.
With a length of 152 metres, the bridge is uniquely designed to rest on giant, weathered hands emerging from the mountainside.
The Daily Mail has also praised the Golden Bridge as one of the 10 new wonders of the world due to its surreal beauty in the morning mist or under the vibrant hues of sunset.
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| The Avalokiteshvara statue amidst the clouds on Ba Den Mountain (Photo: Daniel Kordan/Daily Mail) |
At the summit of Ba Na, Kordan challenged himself to photograph the resort during the blue hour.
He told the Daily Mail that he needed to use various types of lenses and filters to adapt to different lighting conditions and perspectives.
Ultimately, he produced an impressive photo capturing the castles at Ba Na gradually illuminating amidst the clouds as night fell.
One of the standout photos in the collection features the “cloud hat” atop Ba Den Mountain in the southern province of Tay Ninh.
In Kordan's work, the rooftop of southern Vietnam appears surreal in the morning light, with the statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara on the mountaintop as a focal point.
With this piece, Kordan hoped to evoke a sense of wonder and admiration for Vietnam, encouraging viewers to appreciate the country’s rich cultural and natural heritage.
This is not the first time stunning images of Ba Den Mountain have received awards and recognition in international media.
In 2024, surpassing 415,000 submissions from over 74,000 photographers across more than 206 countries and territories worldwide, a work by photographer Tran Tuan Viet, depicting the Avalokiteshvara statue amidst the clouds on Ba Den Mountain, made its mark as Vietnam's representative in the Sony World Photography Awards.
The work was also exhibited at Somerset House in London, England, in April 2024.
At that time, the beauty of Ba Den Mountain "caused a fever" in international media, when some famous newspapers and magazines with large readerships such as BBC, Daily Mail, The Mirror, Daily Record, Euronews and The Times praised and ranked the photo the first in the list of award-winning works.
The spread of beautiful images of Vietnam in international media is a significant opportunity to promote Vietnamese tourism to the world. Through Daniel Kordan's photos, the Daily Mail hopes to inspire a passion for travel” among global readers./.
Vietnam honoured as Asia’s Best Golf Destination 2024
Vietnam has surpassed several strong contenders such as Japan, China, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, winning Asia’s Best Golf Destination 2024 award for the eight consecutive time, reported VOV.
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| Vietnam is regarded as an ideal golf destination in Asia due to its stunning natural landscapes, tropical climate favourable for golf course development, and golf tourism. |
The honour was announced by the World Golf Awards during its 11th annual event recently held in Madeira, Portugal.
At the same awards ceremony, Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, was named the World’s Best Golf City Destination 2024.
Voting was conducted by golf industry professionals, the media, and the public. Winners were determined based on the highest number of votes received in each category.
Vietnam is regarded as an ideal golf destination in Asia due to its stunning natural landscapes, tropical climate favourable for golf course development, and golf tourism. Currently, the country boasts around 100 operational 18-hole golf courses, including 32 that meet international 5-star standards and are integrated with luxurious resorts.
One of the key focuses of Vietnam’s Tourism Development Strategy through 2030, approved by the Prime Minister, is the development of infrastructure and the creation of golf tourism products.
Vietnam has won eight Asia’s Best Golf Destination awards and two World’s Best Golf Destination awards. It has been named as Asia’s Leading Golf Destination by the World Travel Awards (WTA) for six consecutive years (2017–2022) and the World’s Leading Golf Destination in 2019 and 2021.
Vietnam welcomes first group of 400 Chinese tourists on charter train
The Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) has recently welcomed 400 Chinese tourists entering Vietnam through the Lao Cai International Border Gate on the first charter train under a cooperation programme between the Lao Cai Department of Tourism and VNR, reported VNA.
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| Chinese tourists are welcomed at Lao Cai Station (Photo: baolaocai.vn) |
This is the largest group of Chinese tourists visiting Vietnam since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tourists traveled from Lao Cai to Hanoi Station and then embarked on a 13-day train journey to visit several popular destinations, including Thua Thien-Hue province, Da Nang city, Nha Trang city in Khanh Hoa province, Phan Thiet city in Binh Thuan province, and Ho Chi Minh City, before returning to China.
The railway sector will continue coordinating with travel agencies to organise 16 charter trains, expected to bring a total of 7,000 Chinese visitors to Vietnam.
A representative of the Railway Transport Joint Stock Company noted that China is a key tourism market for Vietnam, with around 3 million visitors annually, ranking second only to the Republic of Korea. The railway sector is actively collaborating with travel companies to tap into this potential market by offering diverse transport options, especially through chartered trains.
For instance, VNR is working with Chinese railways to operate charter trains on a 1,435mm gauge from China to Vietnam via the Dong Dang International Railway Station, reaching destinations like Ha Long Station. Alternatively, some trains come to Gia Lam Station, where passengers transfer to Vietnamese trains on a 1,000mm gauge to continue their journeys.
Chinese tourists can also enter by road and take direct trains on routes such as Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong. From Hai Phong, they can visit Ha Long by road and either return to China by train or continue traveling to southern provinces.
Currently, Chinese tourists primarily use chartered trains for transport, spending their days sightseeing and sleeping onboard at night to save time and accommodation costs, the representative said, adding that it plans to collaborate with travel agencies to enhance the onboard experiences by introducing local specialties, organising group activities, and offering entertainment in carriages to attract more passengers./.