Friday, March 29, 2013

Enjoy Dreamlike Beauty of Mui Nai Beach- Ha Tien- Kien Giang

Ha Tien in Kien Giang province is very famous for its beautiful landscapes. Many beaches, mountains, cave temples and pagodas are gathered here. The beaches are very clean and naturally beautiful. Of which is Mui Nai. Coming to this beach, tourists in Vietnam travel feel safe when swimming and they can join sports on the beach.


Annually, Mui Nai Beach in Ha Tien attracts thousands of tourists in Vietnam travel coming to visit. The beach is very beautiful and dreamlike with brown sand and blue sea. Tourists can swim and see the sunset in the evening. Tourists can enjoy sunbathing on Mui Nai beach without being disturbed. There are some lifeguards along the beach to keep people safe and prevent stealing or conflicts.

Enjoy Dreamlike Beauty of Mui Nai Beach- Ha Tien- Kien Giang
Mui Nai Beach- Ha Tien- Kien Giang

 Additionally, Mui Nai built a mini water park for the children nearby the beach. The children can play games, swim together and their parents do not have to worry about them. Next to the beach, there is a small market that sells sea food such as lobsters, sea crabs and squids. This market also sells souvenirs which are made from tortoise-shells for tourists in Vietnam tourism to buy as presents for their relatives and friends.

Enjoy Dreamlike Beauty of Mui Nai Beach- Ha Tien- Kien Giang
Mui Nai Beach- Ha Tien- Kien Giang
If you plan to come to Vietnam on the occasion of your holidays and especially you are a lover of beach, Mui Nai in Ha Tien, Kien Giang should not be missed on your journey!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Folk sculpture honoured at Central Highlands festival

As many as 100 statues made by ethnic artisans were honoured at the closing ceremony on March 18 of the Mang Den Culture, Sports, Tourism Week 2013 in the Mang Den ecotourism zone in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum.



Mang Den ecotourism zone in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum
The statues were selected from works of more than 40 folk artisans from 6 minority ethnic groups in the locality. Local ethnic communities have the tradition of displaying statues carved from big tree trunks at their houses and tombs.

This is the first time Kon Tum province organised the Mang Den Culture, Sports, Tourism Week to promote the eco-tourism zone.

The Prime Minister has approved a master plan to turn Mang Den into a national park, nature reserve and tourism zone. It will also include areas dedicated to farming and economic development projects.
                                                                                                Provide by Vietnam travel guide

Monday, March 11, 2013

Finding treasure on Pirate Island

Stories about a violent past serve as a major source of entertainment on a small island off the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang.


 Hai Tac (Pirate) Island, officially known as Tre (bamboo) or Đốc Island,
in Kien Giang Province is a worth visiting place in the Mekong Delta
Many people say the only fun you can have in Ha Tien Town is on Hai Tac (Pirate) Island, which is officially known as Tre (bamboo) or Đốc Island.

Curious, we went to Kien Giang Province and got on a motorboat heading for the island, which is some 11 nautical miles, or 21.7 kilometers off Ha Tien.

We arrived at the Nam (south) beach after two hours and managed to catch the sun going down into the sea, and gazed at a sight one can never tire of, one that never fails to strike awe.

At a nearby fishing port, local people were busy unloading their catch, buying and selling. Various marine creatures were being sold: flower crabs, squids, prawns, and many kinds of fish, at quite affordable prices of around VND70,000-80,000 (US$3.31-3.78) per kilogram.

If we, as visitors, were tempted to make a purchase here, the sellers themselves would arrange to have it cooked without any fuss. Tourism services might be scant on the island, but the locals more than make up with their hospitality and friendliness.

Actually, visitors can even catch their own seafood under instructions from local volunteer tour guides. During our visit, we had a lot of fun catching crabs at rock reefs at night. Equipped with powerful flashlights, we looked for the crustaceans that usually head to the shore, seeking food and/or mates, and to lay eggs. Once you find a crab, it is important to keep the light’s focus on its eyes, which will “paralyze” it. Then follow the light and impale it with a fork.

A lucky or good catcher can harvest several kilograms of crabs a night to cook with porridge or steam them in beer. Flower crabs steamed in beer is a highly recommended specialty for anyone who visits Pirate Island.

The next morning we got up early and watched sunrise at sea, as bewitching as the sunset, before heading to Dua (pineapple), one of the famous beaches on the island. Getting narrower and narrower until it disappears under the water, the beach is also known as Duoi Ha Ba, which means “sea god’s tail,” translated literally.

Then there is the “floating turtle” – a little bay with coconut palms and rocks known as Dong Dua (coconut cavern). Not far from the “turtle,” is the Chen (bowl) Beach. The two-kilometer long beach is mostly covered with rocks that look like overturned bowls when the tide is low.

Since the island is just some 15 kilometers long with a road on one side and sea on the other, tourists can rent a motorbike and go around the island without being afraid of getting lost.

We met a veteran fisherman named Tu who told us about the legend of pirates on the island. It is a story that his grandfather told him, Tu said.

A long time ago, the island was the base of a pirate gang called Canh Buom Den (black sail). They targeted ships operating in the waters between Ha Tien and Rach Gia towns, as well as a large part of waters in the Gulf of Thailand. It is said that the pirates hung a broom on the ship’s mast, implying that they would “sweep up” all the property from their victims.

Tu said several people believe the pirates have buried a treasure somewhere on the island. One day in March 1983, locals arrested two people as they were digging for the treasure. They claimed they had a 300-year-old map handed down through generations in their families.

Their claimed was never verified, and to add more mystery, in 2009 some local fishermen found a quite large amount of ancient coins when they were diving to catch snails and seahorses.

Meanwhile, going by historical records, between 1,700 and the early 20th century, Ha Tien was a trading port that welcomed many ships from the west and the east, including those transporting pottery and silk from Spain and Portugal to Asia.

Thus, islands around the port, especially in the Gulf of Thailand, became ideal bases for pirate gangs. Canh Buom Den was one of the most infamous, haunting trading ships until the early 20th century.

It is difficult to ascertain how much of the pirate stories we get to hear are true, but whatever happened in the past, it is true now that the telling and retelling of these stories keep visitors and residents entertained.
Life is very different from those days. The island is now home to more than 1,000 families who live mainly on fishing. There are schools, clinics and post offices, and the pleasant, peaceful island bears no resemblance to its popular name.
 GETTING THERE

Đốc and 15 other islands make up the Hai Tac (pirate) Archipelago. A landmark graved with the archipelago’s location and name can be found in the west side of Đốc. It was built in 1958.

Ha Tien is some 350 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City. Tourists can take a direct bus to the town. Or go to Rach Gia Town by bus or by air, and then take a bus to Ha Tien, which is some 100 kilometers away.

Bus tickets to Ha Tien and Rach Gia can be bought at HCMC’s Mien Tay (Western) Bus Station – 395 Kinh Duong Vuong Street, Binh Tan District.

From Ha Tien, tourists can take a boat with the fare of VND36,000 ($1.7) per person, and reach Đốc more than one hour later. The boat leaves Ha Tien at 9:30 a.m. and returns at 3 p.m. every day.

Or, from Rach Gia, take hydrofoil. A one-way trip costs VND65,000 ($3.11) per person and takes 45-60 minutes. 
                                                                                                Provide by  Vietnam travel guide

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Geological heritage tourism in Vietnam

With conservation and management, tourism in the provinces has developed drastically, generating trillions of VND in revenue each year.

The sustainable exploitation of natural resources, mineral resources in particular, has always been a hot issue and priority for developing countries. Among the potential solutions to this issue is the harmonisation of exploitation and conservation of the national natural and geological heritage to promote tourism. Endowed with rich natural and mineral resources, Vietnam is working along this direction to make the most of its natural and geological heritage for socio-economic development. 
Advantages of nature According to UNESCO, geological heritage are geological sites that have outstanding scientific, educational, artistic and economic value. They include geomorphic landscapes, volcanoes, palaeographic remains, natural caves, abysses, lakes, waterfalls and places where geological processes can be viewed. Such relics cannot regenerate so they must be preserved, managed and exploited in a suitable manner. Geological relics can be classified as natural or man-made. Natural relics take form during natural geological processes while human activities shape the other.


According to Vietnam Geological Museum Director La The Phuc, Vietnam has three UNESCO-recognised geological relics. They are the World Natural Heritage Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province, World Natural Heritage Phong Nha-Ke Bang in Quang Binh province, and Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark in Ha Giang province. In addition, there are numerous sites under survey or have been submitted to UNESCO, including Cat Ba archipelago (Hai Phong province), Trang An ecological complex (Ninh Binh province), and Ba Be Lake (Bac Kan province). With conservation and management, tourism in these provinces has developed drastically, generating trillions of VND in revenue each year. Solutions for man-made geological relics Despite the clear economic benefits that geological relics can bring, studying man-made geological relics is a new issue in Vietnam.
Nguyen Anh Tuan, an official from the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam, said minerals are being aggressively exploited in almost all provinces in the country. Besides the economic outcomes, serious environmental problems are emerging, affecting Vietnam’s sustainable development.
After researching ways to utilise geological relics, and studying the experiences of foreign countries, Vietnamese geologists have proposed solutions to turn exhausted mines into geological relics for the purpose of tourism. Several mines, including Na Duong and Ha Tu coal mines, will be developed under this model. Located in the northern province of Lang Son, Na Duong colliery opened in 1959. During its operation, miners and scientists discovered large numbers of fauna and flora fossils with high scientific value.
The leaders of Na Duong mining company have said they will make it a tourism spot after exploiting the coal. The company has located dumping grounds, planted trees and collected fossils for a future geological museum. In the next 30 years, following the end of mining activities in Na Duong, the site will become an impressive ecological tourism site where visitors can enjoy the natural beauty and learn about geological development. Many other mines in Vietnam plan to adopt this model in their future development plans. Expanding the effective model According to geologists, planning and preparations are needed from the beginning if this model is to succeed. Among thousands of mines operating on an industrial scale, almost no mine originally planned to become a geological relic – probably because the concept is still too new. Information is still hard to find and there is no legal basis on the issue. Other reasons might be the huge economic pressure to earn profits that override the need of sustainable development. Proposals to expand and improve the socio-economic value of this new model have been suggested. For new mines under construction, geological relics should be taken into consideration as well as environmental safety and climate change. As for those operating, supplementary plans should be carried out to transform them into tourist spots once mining comes to an end. Moreover, it is necessary to issues more legal regulations to preserve, manage, and develop geological relics in a sustainable manner.