VietNamNet Bridge – The Telegraph has recently selected the world’s most surreal landscapes, including Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, a world natural heritage recognised by the UNESCO. Halong Bay, Vietnam: This stunning landscape features some 3,000 limestone pillars rising out of the emerald waters on the northwest coast of the Gulf of Tonkin. Local legend has it that the islands were created by giant dragons, summoned by the gods to fight Chinese invaders. Valley of Desolation, Dominica: This valley was a lush rainforest until a volcano erupted in 1880. Fauna is now   read more

VietNamNet Bridge – To get to Ben Tre Province from HCMC travel to My Tho City and over Rach Mieu Bridge. Hectares of coconut plantations and criss-crossing canals make up this green province of three islands – Minh, Bao and An Hoa islands.  Bao is the largest island, separated from An Hoa Island by Ba Lai Canal and from Minh Island by Ham Luong River.  An excursion around the province is worth doing, to see the rural scenes of the Mekong and learn more about Ben Tre’s architecture and history. Chung Thuy Lake in Ben Tre City. In the center of Ben Tre, take a stroll around   read more

VietNamNet Bridge – 15 out of 130 southern candidates for the 2010 Miss Vietnam contest were selected on July 21 for the final round. The preliminary round for contestants from southern provinces took place in Ho Chi Minh city from July 19-21 while the selection of northern candidates will be held in Hanoi from July 22-24. The Chief Editor of the Tien Phong (Pioneer) Daily, Doan Cong Huynh, who heads the contest’s organizing committee, said they have selected 300 candidates from thousands of registrations, including 170 from the north. The final round of the beauty pageant will   read more

VietNamNet Bridge – Keren Taub and Alex Keagel from Israel got the buzz they wanted from their adventure tour in Dalat. Using ropes they had climbed down cliffs and the wet rock face of a waterfall, before diving into the icy cold pool at the base. Smiling Keren Taub descends the cliff during an adventure tour from Dalat. (Photos: SGT) “It was  really nice to abseil down the rocks,” Keagel told the Daily after he leapt into the rock pool at Datanla waterfalls about 5km from the Highland city. He said he was really nervous at the beginning of the adventure tour, but excitement had gradually   read more

A weekend trip to a popular beach destination at the height of summer turned out to be far from relaxing for Thanh Thuy On a hot sunny day in Hanoi I stared at an ad extolling Cat Ba’s virtues as a dreamy, holiday destination. With the weather in Hanoi pretty much insufferable, I pined for this heavenly destination. My friend and I decided to register for a three-day and two-night tour of Cat Ba Island – Lan Ha Bay with a joint stock tourist company for which we shelled out about $55 each (room rates excluded). On the first day, the company picked us up at 7am. We travelled by mini-van   read more

It takes some getting to, but both the destination and the path offer unforgettable vistas and a unique opportunity to connect with various moments in the nation’s history. The view of the Kinh Chu Grotto from An Phu Mountain First, we had to get to An Phu Mountain, 246 meters high, in the northern province of Hai Duong. From there, we climbed further to reach the Duong Nham mountain range and explore Kinh Chu, one of the nation’s most beautiful grottos. From the peak of An Phu Mountain, the mountain range, Duong Nham, also known as Thach Mon, lies before you and resembles a giant dragon   read more

VietNamNet Bridge – A master plan to develop Phu Quoc Island to 2030 is creating a lot of investor interest, the Construction Ministry and the Kien Giang People’s Committee said. Foreign tourists relax on Phu Quoc beach. Bui Ngoc Suong, chairman of the local people’s committee, said the plan had been created by Vietnamese companies and the US-based design company WAGT. Under the plan, the district would be transformed into an economic, tourism and administrative centre. The Duong Dong urban area, the district’s administrative centre, would be expanded to 2,500ha where international   read more

VietNamNet Bridge – Bay Mau Coconut Village in Cam Thanh Commune, Hoi An City, has been recognized as a tourist destination by Quang Nam Province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The village is well-known for being an important historical relic as well as a craft village where many houses are built from coconut leaves. Local women carry water coconut leaves on the Thu Bon River to Bay Mau Coconut Village in Quang Nam Province. (Photo: SGT) Five years ago, most villagers quit their age-old job as houses built with coconut leaves seemed to be out of date. People then preferred   read more

VietNamNet Bridge – The number of international tourists to Vietnam has once again risen sharply, allowing the domestic tourism industry to maintain a high growth rate. This also helps hotels stay optimistic, even though it is the low season for receiving international tourists. The number of international tourists to Vietnam has once again risen sharply Grant Thornton, a consultancy service provider, released a report that showed 32 percent of 7500 representatives of private enterprises in Vietnam have become more confident in the hotel business this year. The report revealed that in   read more

VietNamNet Bridge – With many historical, cultural relics and fascinating tourist areas, the 10-square-kilometer Ly Son Island in Quang Ngai Province is really an amazing tourist attraction. A beach view under the sunset on Ly Son Island in Quang Ngai Province. From Quang Ngai Province, Ly Son Island can be reached by trains from Sa Ky fishing port at 8 a.m. every morning. The island is distinguished for its vast garlic fields with a pungent aroma. That explains why Ly Son is called the kingdom of garlic. The island has a diverse ecosystem. It has five mountains, namely Thoi Loi, Gieng   read more