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| The fish products at Chau Doc’s markets are legendary. (Photo: The South Wind / Shutterstock) |
Thanks to its array of beaches, historic sites, mountain hikes, and irresistible food, the nation tends to draw travelers from all over the world, the article wrote.
Chasing waterfalls and sampling coffee in the Central Highlands region is therefore a great experience for many tourists.
According to the US travel guide, Buon Ma Thuot is famous for its coffee culture. Here, travelers can come and enjoy guided tours of lush coffee plantations, taking in the aroma of freshly roasted beans, with visitors even able to learn how to make their own coffee in the Vietnamese style.
Furthermore, mystical waterfalls like Dray Nur and Dray Sap evoke fairy tales. While swimming isn’t allowed, the lush greenery and the sound of cascading water creates a scenery that’s breathtaking to experience from land.
Meanwhile, tourists should not miss out on visiting Chau Doc city in the Mekong Delta region which has been dubbed “the kingdom of fish sauce”.
Located close to the Cambodian border, Chau Doc is home to Chinese, Cham, and Khmer communities; with the diversity of its residents apparent through its architecture and cuisine.
In addition to Mekong Delta cruises, visitors are able to stop by sacred sites such as the Hang Pagoda or Ba Chuc Tomb, or they can immerse themselves in nature and wildlife at the Tra Su Bird Sanctuary.
Chau Doc floating market is widely considered to be the primary reason for visiting the city as it promises unique culinary adventures thanks to the incredible variety of fish harvested from the river.
The southcentral region is also known as a treasure trove of natural wonders. Located far away from the nation’s bustling tourist spots, Lang Co is a hidden gem that takes pride in its rich traditions, warm hospitality, and diverse landscapes.
Located between the imperial city of Hue and Da Nang in the central region, it’s a place where travelers can go to discover pristine fishing villages, national parks, white-sand beaches, and turquoise bays.
Another must-visit place is Bach Ma National Park, an absolute treasure trove of natural wonders that boasts awe-inspiring views, towering waterfalls measuring nearly 300m (984ft) in height, and a remarkable array of flora and fauna.
HCM City exploits waterway tourism potential
Ho Chi Minh City has been holding various activities this year to promote waterway tourism, including the first-ever river festival and new waterway tours, aiming to better exploit its advantages with a dense river and canal network and rich riverside culture, reported VNA.
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| Ho Chi Minh City aims to better exploit its advantages with a dense river and canal network and rich riverside culture. (Photo: VNA) |
The first river festival in the city was held in August this year, providing tourists and residents with new inspiring experiences about the city’s culture throughout periods.
Director of the city’s Tourism Department Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa said the festival also helped State management agencies to better identify the city’s potential for waterway tourism and step by step build its brand as a riverside city.
At the recommendation of the city’s Department of Tourism, the municipal People's Committee has issued a plan on developing waterway tourism products in the city in the 2023-2025 period.
Under the city’s Tourism Development Strategy until 2030, waterway tourism products are identified as one of tourism products that make a difference for the city, satisfying international and domestic tourists’ needs for exploring cultural values.
The city has opened many waterway routes in the inner city, facilitating both passenger transportation and river tourism.
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| Dragon boar racing at Ho Chi Minh City's first-ever river festival. (Photo:nhandan.vn) |
According to preliminary statistics of the tourism department, 123 waterway vessels are operating including 43 restaurant boats, accommodation ships, yachts and 80 canoes and small wooden boats.
In 2018, the city served 845,400 waterway tourists including 805,400 on river tours and 40,000 on sea tours. The figure in 2019 was 786,700, with 745,500 on river tours and 41,200 on sea tours.
To date, over 100 enterprises in the city are offering 150 waterway tours which are more and more diversified.
Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu said that by 2025, the city's tourism industry aims to offer waterway tourism services on all Saigon River system (Nha Be, Soai Rap, Long Tau) with linkages to those in neighbouring localities of Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Tien Giang, Long An, and Ben Tre, and create more tours connecting seaports with river routes.
The city looks to turn waterway tourism into a distinctive tourism product by 2030.
Hieu said that to achieve the goal, the city needs qualified wharves and ports to serve tourism. It also needs mechanisms and policies to attract businesses to invest in facilities like wharves, waiting areas, or public restrooms to serve tourists.
For cruise tourism, the city needs to have a policy on allowing large ships to dock in ports in the city centre to effectively exploit Saigon port, she said.
Moreover, the city calls on businesses to invest in developing passenger transport routes between the city and Con Dao (an island in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province) to promote the development of inland waterway transport and coastal transport.
According to Nguyen Thi Hau, General Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Association of History, as a riverside city, Ho Chi Minh City needs to design its river banks to beautify the landscape and optimise the values of the Saigon river. In particular, Saigon Port should be converted into a tourist port to facilitate the development of waterway tourism, she said.
Three Vietnamese resorts win Destination Deluxe Awards 2023
A total of three local high-end resorts based in Da Nang and Nha Trang city have been awarded the Destination Deluxe Awards 2023, reported VOV.
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| InterContinental Danang Sun Penisula Resort in the central city of Da Nang |
Specifically, the Destination Deluxe Award 2023 was presented to the InterContinental Danang Sun Penisula Resort in the central city of Da Nang, TIA Wellness Resort in Da Nang, and Six Senses Ninh Van Bay in the southcentral province of Khanh Hoa.
InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort clinched the "Holistic Treatment of the Year" category for its impressive experience offered at Mi Sol Spa.
This resort is located on Son Tra peninsula, with the site surpassing the spas at The Datai Langkawi resort in Langkawi of Malaysia and Crown Spa Sydney of Crown Towers Sydney in Australia.
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| Six Senses Ninh Van Bay Resort in Nha Trang (Source: VOV) |
Meanwhile, Six Senses Ninh Van Bay Resort in Nha Trang in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa clinched the "Eco-friendly hotel of the year" title, duly surpassing two other competitors from Cambodia and the United States.
Most notably, TIA Wellness Resort in Da Nang came in second place with the "Wellness Program of the Year" title, behind Italy's The Heart Retreat Preidhof.
This comes following the central city being highly appreciated by international media. The city was recently named among the 11 best places to visit in Asia in 2024 by the world-renowned travel magazine Condé Nast Traveller
The Destination Deluxe Awards aims to honour the leaders and pioneers in wellness and travel, with the prestigious awards celebrating the hotels, spas, treatments, skincare and wellness brands that drive the remarkable luxury standard of these industries.
The Destination Deluxe Awards span a total of 25 categories and are evaluated by a group of 20 judges, all of whom are well-respected industry experts, as well as 4,000 votes being cast by visitors./.