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| The poetic beauty of Sao beach on Phu Quoc Island. (Photo: Sun Group) |
CN Traveler unveiled the Readers’ Choice Awards 2023 on October 3, with Phu Quoc making it to the list for the second consecutive year.
The Vietnamese island secured a spot in the Asian island category, ranking 8th with 88.89 points. It was followed by Japan’s Okinawa & Ryuku islands, and the Philippinies’ Siargao island.
In 2015, Condé Nast Traveler’s readers voted Phu Quoc’s Sao beach as one of the ten pristine and tranquil beaches in the world, alongside with other renowned destinations such as Fiji and Maldives.
Besides stunning landscape, the pearl island is among the most alluring destinations in Vietnam, owing to a kaleidoscope of cultural-historical experiences, and various kinds of accommodations – from affordable housing to luxurious resort that it has offered.
Foreign media has praised Phu Quoc as a “rising star” in the global tourism map thanks to its radical changes to attract visitors. Charming Sunset Town, which was recently put into operation in the southern part of the island, has been hailed by Yonhap News of the Republic of Korea as it offers visitors a unique experience to enjoy the Mediterranean beauty in a tropical nation. Meanwhile, Traveller magazine of Australia affirmed that every corner of Sunset Town will amaze visitors.
The iconic attractions of Phu Quoc include the Hon Thom cable car - the longest 3-rope cable car system in the world that takes tourists from the centre of An Thoi town to Hon Thom island, and Kiss The Stars – Asia’s largest show of multimedia technology on water.
Besides, a visit to pepper farms, pearl farms, Ham Ninh fishing village or Phu Quoc National Park, and a try of local food such as “bun quay” (vermicelli with fish cake, shrimp cake, squid and beef) will help travellers get a deeper insight into local culture.
Yonhap News also called Phu Quoc “Vietnam’s Maldives” as the island is housing an array of top-notch resorts that meet requirements of the most fastidious travelers seeking exquisite accommodations, including JW Marriot Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort, Premier Residences Phu Quoc Emerald, New World Phu Quoc Resort and Premier Village Phu Quoc Resort.
Being honoured by CN Traveler as among the world’s top islands for the second year in a row, Phu Quoc has affirmed its position in the global tourism. Its recognition on the world travel map has been rapidly increasing. From an unknown island, Phu Quoc has become the apple in the eyes of travel aficionados as it has been praised by prestigious magazines and tourism organisations.
Vietnamese students win gold medal at world’s largest robotic competition
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| Vietnamese students win a gold medal at the world’s largest robotic competition. (Photo: qdnd.vn) |
The Vietnamese student team has won the gold medal at the world robotics competition (FIRST Global Challenge – FGC 2023), according to the Vietnam News Agency.
The team consists of nine outstanding students selected from Vietnam Robotics Challenge 2023. They come from six high schools in Hanoi, Hung Yen and Hai Phong.
FGC 2023 took place from October 7 to 10 in Singapore with the participation of thousands of students from 191 countries and territories.
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| The Vietnamese student team has won the gold medal at the world robotics competition (FIRST Global Challenge – FGC 2023). (Photo: qdnd.vn) |
Themed “Hydrogen Horizons”, the game challenged participants to use their creativity and problem-solving skills to design and build a skilled robot from a standard kit of parts. Participating teams must navigate their robot in the simulated world to produce hydrogen and use it to store, transport, and convert energy./.
Largest oil refinery Nghi Son resumes normal operation after maintenance
Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical LLC (NSRP), the largest oil refinery in Vietnam, has resumed its normal operation on October 12 after undergoing its general maintenance for nearly two months, Radio the Voice of Vietnam reported.
The oil refinery has restarted all main technology workshops and is ready to re-supply products to the market as of October 12, said So Hasegawa, general director of NSRP.
This is a milestone marking an important investment step towards Vietnam’s future energy production and supply, he said.
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| The Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical complex at night (Photo: VOV) |
NSRP announced 55-day general maintenance, starting on August 25, and it completed the process seven days earlier than scheduled.
The resumption of the refinery’s operation not only helps Vietnam continue to meet the increasing demand of energy for domestic use, but also contributes to promoting economic growth and ensuring national energy security.
NSRP is a joint venture established by four major investors, namely the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam), Kuwait Petroleum Europe of Kuwait, and Idemitsu Kosan and Mitsui Chemicals of Japan. Its factory is located in the Nghi Son Economic Zone in Thanh Hoa province. It has 35.1% of stake owned by Idemitsu Kosan, 35.1% by Kuwait Petroleum, 25.1% by PetroVietnam and 4.7% by Mitsui Chemicals.
Vietnam consumes about 1.6-1.8 million m3 of petrol and oil of all kinds every month, with 40% of the total supplied by the Nghi Son Refinery.
Foreign travelers impressed with Vietnam food tour by scooter
Vietnam’s best food tour boasts the excitement of clinging to the back of a scooter in between slurps of beef noodle soup and taking bites of crab legs, author Daniel Modlin shared in a recent article published on travel website Food And Wine.
The writer noted that the tasty journey on a scooter around Ho Chi Minh City also helped him to appreciate the sights, with whole families piled on scooters, packages dangling dangerously from the back of bikes, local helmet fashion, and even dogs balancing by their owner’s feet.
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Foreign travelers are impressed with a Vietnamese food tour by scooter.
(Photo:phunuvietnam.vn) |
Bún Bò Huế was the first local food he tried. “I slurped down the entire mixture of spicy rice noodles and sliced beef, savoring each refreshing bite as the added lemongrass hit my tastebuds,” Modlin shared.
Next was a seafood stop, where travelers saw scallops shucked and then grilled before being smothered in nuts and sizzling scallion oil to whet the appetite before consuming them.
Fresh seafood such as crab legs were cracked open at the table, whilst there was even an embryonic duck egg which he was instructed to eat like a soft-boiled egg, cracking it at the top before scooping out the innards.
Beer is a popular suggestion for those staying in Vietnam. “There was, ever so thankfully, unlimited beer (included), which I slugged in order to keep up with the beads of sweat dripping from my chin to my thighs, thanks to the combination of the 100% humidity and full belly,” he wrote.
Altogether, the tour was a magical one, and it didn’t even feel like a tour, the writer said, musing that maybe all tours should be done on the back of scooters./.