The grave of Yersin – friend of the Vietnamese

The grave of doctor Alexandre Yersin on a hill near Nha Trang City - Photo: Anh Viet

On your tour of the central coast city of Nha Trang, after exploring the islands and beaches, you should head south on National Highway 1A for 20 kilometers to visit the grave of the physician and bacteriologist, Alexandre Yersin. The Swiss/French who had made Vietnam his home is best known for discovering the bacteria that causes the bubonic plague. The grave is in Suoi Cat Commune, Dien Khanh District, Khanh Hoa Province.

Accessed via a small trail, the grave is on a hill under the shade of rubber trees. The tombstone says he was a “Benefactor and humanist, venerated by the Vietnamese people”.

Yersin (1863-1943) was born in Switzerland to a Swiss father and a French mother. He studied in Switzerland and later moved to France where he obtained a degree in medicine. Yersin devoted 50 years of his life to work in Pasteur Institute

He traveled to Nha Trang for the first time in 1891. At the end of 1899, he came back and established the Pasteur Institute. He devoted 50 years of his life to microbiology, virology, and epidemic research and he developed a vaccine against the bubonic plague.

Living modestly, he gained the trust of Con hamlet villagers. He traveled in the mountains and recorded his observations. He also recommended to the government to establish a hill station in what is now Dalat.

Yersin died in Nha Trang on March 1, 1943. According to the instructions in his will, his body was buried with his face to the earth and facing the sea so that he could forever embrace his second homeland.

For the many things he did for Vietnam, he is the most beloved French person to the people here.

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Malaysia encourages Vietnam to develop homestay services

Dato Hj Sahariman Hamdan (L), Chairman of Malaysia Homestay Association, talks with Huynh Ngoc Nga, marketing manager of Vietnam Discovery magazine at the Malaysia Homestay Seminar on Saturday - Photo: My Tran

Vietnam has potential to develop a very strong homestay tourism market, a Malaysian tourism official told the Malaysia Homestay Seminar and Travel Mart at the Duxton Hotel Saigon in HCMC.

“We are proud of our country and the achievements of homestay tourism. Your country is endowed with beautiful natural landscapes, your country has enough human resources, and I think you, Vietnam, can also develop homestay tourism as much as we are doing and have done,” said Mohd Akbal Setia, Director of Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board in HCMC on Saturday.

Dato Hj Sahariman Hamdan, Chairman of Malaysia Homestay Association, said that homestay tours are an experience where tourists stay with selected families, interact and experience the daily life of these families and local culture.

The local tour operators that attended the event were very interested in the success of Malaysia’s homestay industry.

It is not classified as accommodation, Setia said. Tourists to each state in Malaysia can taste the state’s unique culture and entertainment activities such as traditional dances, songs, food, folk games and sports, he said  Homestay visitors get to witness first hand farming practices such as rubber tapping, fish farming, paddy farming, cocoa, palm oil, fruits and jungle trekking, white water rafting, and craft villages, he said.

“We have jungle homestay, we have island homestay, we have paddy homestay, we have mountain homestay, so we offer diverse options for tourists,” Dato Shahariman said.

As far as landscapes and places of interest were concerned Vietnam was on a par with Malaysia and should exploit the potential, the conference heard.

“Homestay’s development is based on the landscapes, cultural and historical values and people, said Lam Van Son, director of Can Tho Tourist Company.

“We can have mountain homestay in Daklak, Sapa, Lai Chau, island homestay in Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, orchard homestay in Can Tho, Vinh Long, craft village homestay in Hanoi and highlands homestay in Dalat,” Son said. Huynh My An, marketing manager of Viettours said, despite having 54 ethnic groupings with rich cultures and histories, we still don’t know how to promote it to international tourists.

Established since 1995 at Temerloh Village in Pahang State, the Malaysian homestay program has spread to 227 villages around the country. Local villagers are trained by the governmental organizations and can earn good incomes, said Dato Sahariman, adding that last year, Malaysia had 161,000 tourists that used homestays.

“The Malaysian government has provided significant funding to build infrastructure in remote areas and a lot of farmers can speak English to communicate with tourists. In Vietnam, we need support from government and an association for homestay tourism,” said Nguyen Thi Anh Tho, director of Viet Legend Travel.

“We have homestay services scattered in some regions such as Mekong Delta, Mai Chau, Buon Ma Thuot and Dalat but they have developed in isolation, so we are not using everything we can to develop the service,” Tho said.

For more information about packages and costs for homestay tours to Malaysia, visit website http://www.homestay.motour.gov.my.

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Pho-tastic

Pho kho Gia Lai, a Central Highlands delicacy offers a fantastic new take on beef pho

Pho kho Gia Lai is a variety of the staple Vietnamese dish from the central region

“I spent a long time trying to bring this dish to Saigon and still make sure it would retain the flavor of my hometown,” said Quang Huy, owner of pho kho Gia Lai in Binh Thanh District.

The term Gia Lai refers to a Central Highlands province of Vietnam and, while the endless battle rages between acolytes of northern pho (clear broth, no added extras) and southern pho (greens galore, clouded broth), pho kho Gia Lai offers an intriguing alternative.

It shares a number of common characteristics with its southern and northern neighbors.

Pho kho Gia Lai also primarily consists of meat, rice noodles and savory broth. Gia Lai noodles are somewhat chewier than the polar varieties.

It is a dish with both pork meat and beef.

Unlike northern pho, both pork and beef bones are simmered over a small flame for five to seven hours to create the broth. The dish itself is typically accompanied by tender beef, thinly sliced and briefly cooked in the broth.

The pork meat is minced or chopped, and placed on top of a bowl of steaming noodles, and sprinkled with fried shallots.

Like southern pho, pho kho Gia Lai comes with fresh greens and bean sprouts.

But the dish is served a bit differently.

Central diners receive a bowl of chopped meat over noodles and a separate dish of meat swimming in broth.

Here in Ho Chi Minh City, a squeeze-bottle of hoisin sauce (a savory, dark, ketchupy condiment derived from soy beans, sweet potatoes and wheat) is usually within hands reach and is typically used to dip the beef in.

In the Central Highlands, the hoisin sauce is indispensable.

It’s usually tossed directly in with the noodles along with a spritz of chili oil and lemon juice. If you’re feeling like a true

Highlander, add some thin chili slices to give the meal a real kick.

A bowl of pho kho Gia Lai is VND25,000 to 30,000.

Pho kho Gia Lai is available at the following places in Ho Chi Minh City:

* 288 No Trang Long Street, Binh Thanh District

* 194 Dang Van Ngu Street, Phu Nhuan District

Pho-tastic

Pho kho Gia Lai, a Central Highlands delicacy offers a fantastic new take on beef pho

Pho kho Gia Lai is a variety of the staple Vietnamese dish from the central region

“I spent a long time trying to bring this dish to Saigon and still make sure it would retain the flavor of my hometown,” said Quang Huy, owner of pho kho Gia Lai in Binh Thanh District.

The term Gia Lai refers to a Central Highlands province of Vietnam and, while the endless battle rages between acolytes of northern pho (clear broth, no added extras) and southern pho (greens galore, clouded broth), pho kho Gia Lai offers an intriguing alternative.

It shares a number of common characteristics with its southern and northern neighbors.

Pho kho Gia Lai also primarily consists of meat, rice noodles and savory broth. Gia Lai noodles are somewhat chewier than the polar varieties.

It is a dish with both pork meat and beef.

Unlike northern pho, both pork and beef bones are simmered over a small flame for five to seven hours to create the broth. The dish itself is typically accompanied by tender beef, thinly sliced and briefly cooked in the broth.

The pork meat is minced or chopped, and placed on top of a bowl of steaming noodles, and sprinkled with fried shallots.

Like southern pho, pho kho Gia Lai comes with fresh greens and bean sprouts.

But the dish is served a bit differently.

Central diners receive a bowl of chopped meat over noodles and a separate dish of meat swimming in broth.

Here in Ho Chi Minh City, a squeeze-bottle of hoisin sauce (a savory, dark, ketchupy condiment derived from soy beans, sweet potatoes and wheat) is usually within hands reach and is typically used to dip the beef in.

In the Central Highlands, the hoisin sauce is indispensable.

It’s usually tossed directly in with the noodles along with a spritz of chili oil and lemon juice. If you’re feeling like a true

Highlander, add some thin chili slices to give the meal a real kick.

A bowl of pho kho Gia Lai is VND25,000 to 30,000.

Pho kho Gia Lai is available at the following places in Ho Chi Minh City:

* 288 No Trang Long Street, Binh Thanh District

* 194 Dang Van Ngu Street, Phu Nhuan District

Pho-tastic

Pho kho Gia Lai, a Central Highlands delicacy offers a fantastic new take on beef pho

Pho kho Gia Lai is a variety of the staple Vietnamese dish from the central region

“I spent a long time trying to bring this dish to Saigon and still make sure it would retain the flavor of my hometown,” said Quang Huy, owner of pho kho Gia Lai in Binh Thanh District.

The term Gia Lai refers to a Central Highlands province of Vietnam and, while the endless battle rages between acolytes of northern pho (clear broth, no added extras) and southern pho (greens galore, clouded broth), pho kho Gia Lai offers an intriguing alternative.

It shares a number of common characteristics with its southern and northern neighbors.

Pho kho Gia Lai also primarily consists of meat, rice noodles and savory broth. Gia Lai noodles are somewhat chewier than the polar varieties.

It is a dish with both pork meat and beef.

Unlike northern pho, both pork and beef bones are simmered over a small flame for five to seven hours to create the broth. The dish itself is typically accompanied by tender beef, thinly sliced and briefly cooked in the broth.

The pork meat is minced or chopped, and placed on top of a bowl of steaming noodles, and sprinkled with fried shallots.

Like southern pho, pho kho Gia Lai comes with fresh greens and bean sprouts.

But the dish is served a bit differently.

Central diners receive a bowl of chopped meat over noodles and a separate dish of meat swimming in broth.

Here in Ho Chi Minh City, a squeeze-bottle of hoisin sauce (a savory, dark, ketchupy condiment derived from soy beans, sweet potatoes and wheat) is usually within hands reach and is typically used to dip the beef in.

In the Central Highlands, the hoisin sauce is indispensable.

It’s usually tossed directly in with the noodles along with a spritz of chili oil and lemon juice. If you’re feeling like a true

Highlander, add some thin chili slices to give the meal a real kick.

A bowl of pho kho Gia Lai is VND25,000 to 30,000.

Pho kho Gia Lai is available at the following places in Ho Chi Minh City:

* 288 No Trang Long Street, Binh Thanh District

* 194 Dang Van Ngu Street, Phu Nhuan District

Pho-tastic

Pho kho Gia Lai, a Central Highlands delicacy offers a fantastic new take on beef pho

Pho kho Gia Lai is a variety of the staple Vietnamese dish from the central region

“I spent a long time trying to bring this dish to Saigon and still make sure it would retain the flavor of my hometown,” said Quang Huy, owner of pho kho Gia Lai in Binh Thanh District.

The term Gia Lai refers to a Central Highlands province of Vietnam and, while the endless battle rages between acolytes of northern pho (clear broth, no added extras) and southern pho (greens galore, clouded broth), pho kho Gia Lai offers an intriguing alternative.

It shares a number of common characteristics with its southern and northern neighbors.

Pho kho Gia Lai also primarily consists of meat, rice noodles and savory broth. Gia Lai noodles are somewhat chewier than the polar varieties.

It is a dish with both pork meat and beef.

Unlike northern pho, both pork and beef bones are simmered over a small flame for five to seven hours to create the broth. The dish itself is typically accompanied by tender beef, thinly sliced and briefly cooked in the broth.

The pork meat is minced or chopped, and placed on top of a bowl of steaming noodles, and sprinkled with fried shallots.

Like southern pho, pho kho Gia Lai comes with fresh greens and bean sprouts.

But the dish is served a bit differently.

Central diners receive a bowl of chopped meat over noodles and a separate dish of meat swimming in broth.

Here in Ho Chi Minh City, a squeeze-bottle of hoisin sauce (a savory, dark, ketchupy condiment derived from soy beans, sweet potatoes and wheat) is usually within hands reach and is typically used to dip the beef in.

In the Central Highlands, the hoisin sauce is indispensable.

It’s usually tossed directly in with the noodles along with a spritz of chili oil and lemon juice. If you’re feeling like a true

Highlander, add some thin chili slices to give the meal a real kick.

A bowl of pho kho Gia Lai is VND25,000 to 30,000.

Pho kho Gia Lai is available at the following places in Ho Chi Minh City:

* 288 No Trang Long Street, Binh Thanh District

* 194 Dang Van Ngu Street, Phu Nhuan District

Pho-tastic

Pho kho Gia Lai, a Central Highlands delicacy offers a fantastic new take on beef pho

Pho kho Gia Lai is a variety of the staple Vietnamese dish from the central region

“I spent a long time trying to bring this dish to Saigon and still make sure it would retain the flavor of my hometown,” said Quang Huy, owner of pho kho Gia Lai in Binh Thanh District.

The term Gia Lai refers to a Central Highlands province of Vietnam and, while the endless battle rages between acolytes of northern pho (clear broth, no added extras) and southern pho (greens galore, clouded broth), pho kho Gia Lai offers an intriguing alternative.

It shares a number of common characteristics with its southern and northern neighbors.

Pho kho Gia Lai also primarily consists of meat, rice noodles and savory broth. Gia Lai noodles are somewhat chewier than the polar varieties.

It is a dish with both pork meat and beef.

Unlike northern pho, both pork and beef bones are simmered over a small flame for five to seven hours to create the broth. The dish itself is typically accompanied by tender beef, thinly sliced and briefly cooked in the broth.

The pork meat is minced or chopped, and placed on top of a bowl of steaming noodles, and sprinkled with fried shallots.

Like southern pho, pho kho Gia Lai comes with fresh greens and bean sprouts.

But the dish is served a bit differently.

Central diners receive a bowl of chopped meat over noodles and a separate dish of meat swimming in broth.

Here in Ho Chi Minh City, a squeeze-bottle of hoisin sauce (a savory, dark, ketchupy condiment derived from soy beans, sweet potatoes and wheat) is usually within hands reach and is typically used to dip the beef in.

In the Central Highlands, the hoisin sauce is indispensable.

It’s usually tossed directly in with the noodles along with a spritz of chili oil and lemon juice. If you’re feeling like a true

Highlander, add some thin chili slices to give the meal a real kick.

A bowl of pho kho Gia Lai is VND25,000 to 30,000.

Pho kho Gia Lai is available at the following places in Ho Chi Minh City:

* 288 No Trang Long Street, Binh Thanh District

* 194 Dang Van Ngu Street, Phu Nhuan District