Nice By Vietnam

  South Korean tourists walk inside Vinpearl Resort & Spa on Long Beach in Phu Quoc Island, November 22, 2021. Photo courtesy of Vinpearl Vietnam is expected to welcome the first group of Thai tourists under an ongoing vaccine passport trial program this month, a top tourism official says. Vietnamese tourism officials would work with Thai counterparts to set up a ‘travel bubble’ scheme as Thailand has proved successful in welcoming international tourists amid Covid-19 with the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ model, Nguyen Trung Khanh, head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said at a seminar on Vietnam’s tourism recovery plan. The ‘Phuket Sandbox" program allows travelers who are fully vaccinated to enter the island city of Phuket without quarantine from July 1 and the tourism model has since been expanded across Thailand. Foreign tourists with vaccine passports from over 60 countries and territories, including Vietnam, are exempt from mandatory quarantine upon arrival. The V...

  A group of foreigners from Hanoi visit Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province, November 28, 2021. Photo courtesy of Lux Group With Hanoi and other northern localities easing Covid travel restrictions, many Hanoians flocked to camping sites in suburban areas or luxury resorts and even cruise ships for their weekend retreat. Huong Giang, a resident of Ha Dong District, chose the Ba Vi National Park, about 60 km west of Hanoi's center, to go camping with her family and enjoy the blooming wild sunflower season. Around 10 a.m. as they approached their destination, the road leading to the national park was jammed with vehicles moving slowly because many cars stopped along the road to take pictures of the wild sunflowers. Giang said there was a large crowd of campers in the national park on Sunday, with many not bothering to wear face masks. A representative of the Center for Environmental Education and Service of Ba Vi National Park said that since the beginning of November, it has welcome...

  The HCMC-San Francisco flight takes off from Tan Son Nhat Airport on November 28, 2021. Photo courtesy of Vietnam Airlines A regular non-stop flight from Ho Chi Minh City touched down in San Francisco Monday morning, the first operated by a Vietnamese carrier to the U.S. The flight carrying over 30 passengers, mainly Vietnamese Americans, took off from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCMC at 8:57 p.m. Sunday (local time) and landed at San Francisco International Airport at 7:42 p.m. Sunday (local time), after a 13,000-kilometer journey. "The success of the inaugural commercial direct flight to the U.S. marked a new milestone for Vietnam Airlines in particular and Vietnam's aviation in general," said President and CEO of Vietnam Airlines, Le Hong Ha, in a statement. Ivar C. Satero, Director of San Francisco Airport, said in the statement released by Vietnam Airlines: "We are honored to be the first airport in the U.S. to offer nonstop regular flights to Vietna...

  A delivery man waits in front of the four-star Norfolk Hotel in HCMC's District 1, July 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Nam Ho Chi Minh City was named Asia's leading destination for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions at the annual World MICE Awards. It beat Bangkok, Hong Kong, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Seoul, and Singapore to claim the title, the organizing board announced Sunday. The Asian region only comprised countries as far west as Pakistan, with Iran and countries further west belonging to the ‘Middle East’. The Indian Ocean and Oceania were also separate categories. The awards were based on votes cast by industry professionals, the media and consumers. Sheraton Grand Danang Resort in the central city of Da Nang won in Asia's Best Incentive Hotel category. Sheraton Grand Danang Resort in Da Nang City is seen from above. Photo courtesy of the resort Vietnam Airlines was the winner of Asia's Best MICE Airline award. The World MICE Awards, a sis...

  Some resorts impress visitors with their creative and unique designs including bungalows designed in the shape of rattan baskets and buildings with hanging gardens. The Hmong Village resort  in Quang Ba District, around 50 kilometers northeast of Ha Giang Town in the epynomous province, has 25 bungalows surrounded by green trees and picturesque natural scenery. One of its highlights is bungalows designed in the shape of rattan baskets that Hmong women sling on their backs to carry rice and other things. The 20-hectare resort opened its door to tourists in July last year. All its rooms use eco-friendly materials and have distinctive Hmong looks. It also has a community guesthouse that can accommodate up to 40 people. A night's stay at the bungalows costs from VND2.4 million ($105.31). On Cat Co beach in the northern port city of Hai Phong,  Flamingo Cat Ba Resort  attracts visitors with hanging gardens on the sides of its buildings comprising 50,000 trees and vines....

  Duong Lam Village is a living daily life museum with a lifestyle that has remained virtually unchanged for centuries. A bewitched Hanoian captures its images for posterity. Two women dressed in traditional peasant attire walk through the village gate. Tran Quoc Trung said he was motivated to make this collection by fear that Duong Lam Village would become a victim of modern urbanization in the near future. The village, about 45 kilometers west of downtown Hanoi, still preserves many of its historical and cultural features. It boasts 956 ancient houses, including those built in 1649, 1703 and around 1850. Though there are many entrances to the village, the Mong Phu Gate remains a popular starting point for tourists. This is reportedly the only ancient village gate left intact in northern Vietnam. The Mong Phu communal house is the heart of the village and village life. Legend has it that it was built on the forehead of a dragon in 1684 under the reign of King Le Hien Tong in the s...

  With Hanoi allowing outdoor activities, here is a list of popular camping destinations amid green nature and with fresh air for a weekend getaway. Ba Vi National Park An hour and a half away from the capital, the 11,000-hectare Ba Vi National Park is a popular weekend destination that allows people to reconnect with nature. Located in the Ba Vi mountain range, the park has a rich and diverse range of tropical and subtropical flora and fauna, making it an ideal choice for camping. Entry tickets to the park cost VND60,000 ($2.64) for adults and VND10,000 ($0.44) for children. Visitors can bring tents, barbecues, tables, and chairs or rent them at VND60,000-450,000. If visitors want to camp overnight in the park, they have to pay a fee of VND50,000 per adult. At night the temperature drops, and so it is advisable to carry   sleeping bags, blankets and warm clothes. There are some good areas for camping overnight such as the cactus garden and pine forest areas and Ngoc Hoa cave....

  Foreigners wait to check in at Da Nang Airport in central Vietnam, March 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong Experts are suggesting that the government follows countries in the region and lift mandatory quarantine rule for international passengers as the country prepares to reopen regular flights from next month. On Thursday, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had informed Japanese business leaders that  Vietnam plans to reopen international flights early December , including routes to and from Japan, one of Vietnam's biggest feeder tourism markets. If the plan is implemented, the resumption of regular international flights will take place one month earlier than a proposal by the Ministry of Transport. The ministry had proposed that international commercial flight are resumed from January to 15 countries and territories with high Covid-19 vaccination rates, including Asian economies like Japan, South Korea, mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore. Under its pl...

  Ngo Mon Gate, the main entrance to the Imperial Citadel in Hue, is lit up at night, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Dang Tuyen Authorities in Thua Thien-Hue Province, home to tourist town Hue, plan to open a night street zone around the Imperial Citadel in January to boost its nighttime economy. The zone would span four streets August 23, Dang Thai Than, Le Huan and Doan Thi Diem, all renovated in preparation to welcome tourists. The night street zone is expected to give visitors a chance to watch various types of art performances, experience folk games, traditional crafts and Hue cuisine, and would be a unique highlight of Hue nightlife. During the pilot phase, Hue authorities will launch its night-street zone on Le Huan and August 23 Street on Friday and Saturday night, Vo Le Nhat, chairman of Hue, said as cited by  Voice of Vietnam  newspaper. Hue Town People's Committee also assigned relevant agencies to install lighting and renovate areas around the Imperial Citadel and c...

  Hon Tre Island in Nha Trang Bay. Photo by VnExpress/Xuan Ngoc Nha Trang, a popular tourist town in Vietnam's central coast, plans to turn Hon Tre Island into a tourism center, resort and entertainment complex to lure more visitors. As part of a newly-amended master plan for Nha Trang with a vision towards 2040 for which local authorities are seeking public opinion, the island in Nha Trang Bay will have a total planning area of nearly 1,350 hectares. The planned area would comprise 20-storey hotels and other tourism services to turn the island into an ecotourism hub of international standard. As the largest island in Nha Trang Bay, one of the world's most beautiful, Hon Tre covers over 3,000 hectares and is home to some luxury resorts and long, sandy beaches. The island, around three kilometers from the mainland, is home to 1,500 inhabitants who mainly live on fishing and tourism, though its population is expected to rise to 4,600 by 2025. The island welcomes around 1.9 millio...