Postcard paradise

Bai Tru Beach on Hon Tre Islet in Nha Trang City - Photo: Dang Hoang Tham

Bai Tru Beach on Hon Tre Islet in Nha Trang City is one of the nicest beaches in Vietnam – a tropical paradise for tourists to enjoy.

To get to the islet, take a taxi to Cau Da Port and then take a cable car to Vinpearl Land at VND320,000 return. After playing some games at the Vinpearl Land such as outdoor games, 4D movies, water sports at Vinpearl Water Park and a visit to the bizarre marine creatures at Vinpearl Underwater World, it’s just a few steps more and your toes will be squeaking in the fine white sand of Bai Tru Beach.

The beach is like a postcard. There are lines of coconut trees leaning toward the sea, blinding white sand, azure water that is as flat as bathtub and bungalows under the shade of the palms. Get yourself an umbrella or lay back on a reed mat under the coconut palms and let Bai Tru help you forget your worries.

You can hire a motor boat and cruise around the island, even hire some diving equipment to go underwater and admire the reef.

If thrills are your thing, try the hot air balloon to take in an amazing panoramic view of the islet and Nha Trang City.

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Ice skating in the tropics

Hockey players at the ice-skate rink in HCMC’s District 1 - Photos: Tuong Van

Skating in a tropical country like Vietnam seems like an unlikely sport. But at an ice skating rink that opened last month in HCMC, people are doing just that – spending their free time and weekends skating on ice.

The ice-skate rink that covers about 425 square meters is on the third floor of the HCMC Youth Culture House at 4 Pham Ngoc Thach Street in District 1. It’s had a good reception from the young people who are keen to try a new and interesting recreation.

Hoang Van Anh, owner of the ice-skating club, said that he used to live in the U.S for dozens of years and played many games with ice and snow, so he made the rink for Saigonese to have fun on the ice indoors away from the heat.

The playground is kept at 16 to 18 degrees Celsius. Everything is imported from the U.S. according to international standards, said Anh. He added that the surface has some synthetic materials but has the feel of real ice.

Two skaters balance and glide on the ice in tandem

“Ice skating gives me a new and amazing feeling more than rollerskating because it’s faster and I can do more moves,” said Nguyen Van Duy, an enthusiast.

The rink supplies the iceskates and some instructing. After two or three times newcomers can begin to walk and skate, and move on to the next level.

Ice hockey players also have a club there.  “They need to be good skaters and know the hockey rules as teams need spirited players with discipline,” said Anh.

The hockey club is open for anybody from 8 to 55 years old. The center offers free training for new players in December. 

With about VND50,000 for 85 minutes, including equipment, all the Saigonese can try iceskating for fun and health.

The rink has only been open for two months but is already popular with children from international schools, youth and women who want to keep fit, and dancers and singers. It will have special programs for Christmas and New Year.

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New venue for fun and fitness

A yoga class instructed by Master Sumesh at BeYou Yoga & Fitness Center  - Photo: Kieu Giang

BeYou Yoga & Fitness Center at 200-200B-200C Le Lai St., District 1 has high-quality facilities and trainers for anyone to improve their physical condition and stay young.

The nine-storey center in Le Lai Street that opened in March has rooms for yoga, hot yoga, yoga dance (Bollywood dance, Indian dance, fusion dance, free style dance), GroupX (belly dance, aerobics step, body balance, Tai Chi - balance) and gym. Plus free services like sauna, steam bath, bathroom, make-up room and terrace café.

BeYou also offers personal training programs to suit individual needs.

Classes vary from beginners’ to advanced levels. A healthcare consultancy on level nine will be set up next month to give advice on training programs and health regimens.

Nguyen Thi Tan, chairwoman of BeYou Yoga & Fitness Center, said “Apart from attracting newcomers who are entrepreneurs and office staff, we also design exercise programs for groups, schools or companies to encourage everybody to exercise and to build the BeYou brand-name across all society.”

The center is offering promotion prices at US$500, US$344 and US$265 for 12-month memberships, to practice a whole week, three days per week and two days per week respectively.

BeYou also has a second center at 127/135 Dien Bien Phu St., District 1, HCMC.

For further information, contact the head office at 200-200B-200C Le Lai St, Ben Thanh Ward, Dist 1, HCMC, tel: 3536 6799, email: contac@beyoucenter.com.

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Where the Mekong meets the sea

Ba Dong Beach in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh

Duyen Hai is a coastal district in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh, where the Mekong River meets the East Sea.

From Tra Vinh take National Road 53 east to get to Duyen Hai. The first place of interest there is Ba Dong Beach in Truong Long Hoa Commune. Ba Dong has giant sand dunes, formed by the action of the river and the ocean.

Lining the beach at the foot of the sand dunes are endless miles of casuarina forests.

Behind the sand dunes are potato farms where visitors can join in the harvest with local farmers to learn how to farm and about the local culture. As the soil is sandy and soft, it’s easy to dig the big sweet potatoes up. Along the beach there are farms that grow rau muong, a type of water spinach with purple flowers.

Farmers in their potato garden near Ba Dong Beach in Tra Vinh Province - Photos: Phuong Ha

Also in Truong Long Hoa Commune, about 55 kilometers from Tra Vinh Town, is the Nha Trang – Duyen Hai, also called Ba Dong tourist area where tourists can find accommodation, a swimming beach, volleyball court and places to relax.

The tourist area covers seven hectares. There is also a food area and bungalows to rent. The sunsets are spectacular.

The tourist area contains an old temple dedicated to worship Trieu Thi Trinh who led the revolution against the Chinese in 248AD. She failed and drowned herself in the river.

The temple attracts many visitors and pilgrims every year to the heroine’s commemoration ceremony.

About 200 meters from the temple is an old tomb built of stone under the shade. Locals say it is the tomb of a princess in Nguyen Dynasty who may have been the sister of Gia Long King. 

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Workshop on developing tourism opens in Hue

An international workshop on cooperation to develop tourism between the
central provinces of Thua Thien – Hue , Quang Tri and Quang Binh
with Laos and Thailand took place in the central city of Hue
on November 30.

Thua Thien – Hue , Quang Tri and Quang Binh boast diversified to
geography and ecology as well as potentials of culture and heritage.
Local tourist attractions such as the ancient capital of Hue (Thua
Thien-Hue province), Phong Nha-Ke Bang Cavern (Quang Binh), and other
holiday destinations are popular with tourists. The region also has
advantages in its transport routes, especially the East-West economic
corridor, which connects Laos and Thailand towards the East Sea
for developing tourism.

At the workshop, the
Culture - Tourism industry in localities as well as tourism firms
expressed concerns about cooperation to in the field and the strengths
of each locality for joint development, with a special focus on
developing the East-West economic corridor.

Representatives from the tourism industries of Vietnam, Laos and
Thailand put forward a plan for closer cooperation in exploiting
tourism’s strength and potential of the East-West economic corridor;

A series of memoranda of understanding on joint
coordination programme and the improvement of the quality of tourism
services as well as a strategy for sharing the tourist market,
distributing and marketing tourism products and other services were
signed on this occasion./.

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Winter promotions at Victoria Hotels & Resorts

Get your glow back at Spa InterContinental

The pool at Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa. There’s plenty of extras for internet bookings - Photo: Courtesy of the Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa

The Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa and the Victoria Sapa Resort & Spa are now offering winter promotions to customers.

From December 1 to 15, enjoy value added benefits for internet bookings at the Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa. Bookings made for Superior, Deluxe and Junior Suite category will enjoy a complimentary upgrade to the next available category plus one complimentary 60-minute body massage for two persons per stay. Suite bookings will be entitled to one complimentary set menu for two persons (without beverage). The resort will also lavish you with free mini-bar (one refill per day) and four pieces of laundry per day (not including dry cleaning) for all room types.

All benefits are available only through internet bookings at www.victoriahotels.asia, terms and conditions apply. For more information, contact resa.hoian@victoriahotels.asia .

The Victoria Sapa Resort and Spa offers an interesting package rate starting from only US$260++ per person until December 31. This includes a two night stay in a Superior room with breakfast for two and round trip tickets on board the Victoria Express Train in a superior cabin (fourth-berth sharing with others). Package is only available for departures on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. For more information and booking, contact resa.sapa@victoriahotels.asia

Spa InterContinental presents a special beauty package for the festive season. A ninety minute facial cleansing, massage and toning for VND1.8 million++/person till the end of December.

Gift vouchers for the ultimate indulgence are available. Contact  spa@icasianasaigon.com or call 3520 9999 to make a reservation or buy spa vouchers.

The InterContinental Asiana Saigon, corner of Hai Ba Trung Street and Le Duan Boulevard, District 1, HCMC.

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Mekong Delta to greet 19 million visitors

The Mekong River Delta expects to receive 19 million visitors this year,
200,000 more than last year, according to the regional tourism agency,
the Mekong Delta Tourism Association.

Of this
figure, the number of foreign visitors is estimated to increase by 20
percent over last year, reaching 1.46 million.

An
Giang, Kien Giang, Ca Mau, and Can Tho City will top the list of most
visited provinces in the delta, the association said.

The tourism sector in the region has attracted increasing numbers of
visitors since many tourism companies have introduced different kinds of
tours.

Travel companies in Can Tho, An Giang, Kien
Giang and Hau Giang, for instance, have strengthened the development of
waterway tours and festival tourism, among other products.

Meanwhile, companies in Ca Mau, Bac Lieu and Soc Trang provinces have
promoted eco-tourism to mangrove forests, and tours that include
festivals and other cultural activities of the Khmer people.

In Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long and Tra Vinh, waterway tourism,
visiting orchards and traditional villages, historical vestiges and
other community-based tourism have been strongly developed in the past
time.

Provinces in the delta have also invested in
upgrading infrastructure including airports, roads and bridges, making
it more comfortable for visitors.

To further promote
tourism, the delta plans to set up a center for tourism promotion and
build a tourism portal to provide updated and accurate tourism
information.

Travel companies will strive to launch more tourism products and improve the quality of their services.

The region is famous for its diverse ecosystems.

Its major attractions include: orchards on the Thoi Son Island in Tien
Giang province; coconut gardens in Ben Tre province; the ecosystem in
flooded cajeput forests of the Dong Thap Muoi area, Tra Su cajeput
forests in An Giang Province; and coastal mangrove forests (bird
sanctuaries, nature reserves, national parks, biosphere reserves) in Can
Tho, Dong Thap, Bac Lieu and Kien Giang provinces./.

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