VietNam Lanscape and People

Legendary sea on the mountain

Situated some 7km north of the center of Pleiku City, Bien Ho in Gia Lai Province, so named as the lake is as immense as ocean, is a nice destination for people who love both mountains and the vast of ocean.

Bien Ho, also known as To Nung or la Nueng Lake, indeed is an oval-shaped crater lake lying between a valley circled by thousands of green pine trees. The scenery there is so poetic that many artists usually compare the lake to the eye of Pleiku City or a turquoise of the Central Highlands.

Travelers to Bien Ho are often lost in admiration of the natural picture within their eyesight, like when standing before a giant water-color painting. They will feel comfortable in the cool air from pine forests surrounding the lake. They can enjoy themselves by floating on dug-outs on the wavy ever-blue lake. Besides, it is a nice pleasure to walk to fishing villages and hamlets around the great lake to learn more about their distinctive daily life.

Local residents call the lake Bien Ho because of its immensity of around 230ha and depth of 20-40m. Moreover, the legend has it that the water from the lake flows directly into the Eastern Sea through it unfathomable depth, and wood exploiters in the highlands only have to drop timber into the lake then catch them at the Quy Nhon Sea the following morning. Besides, legendary stories about the lake's names remain mysterious to tourists.

Elderly people of the Jrai tribe will tell tourists a sad story of their nice village named To Nung of the Jrai tribal group in the Central Highlands a long time ago. The great lake reminds them of a mild countryside with a beautiful spring murmuring down the hills. The water was so limpid and the wharf there was an ideal place for young people to date, sing together, and make promises of marriage under the moonlight.

One day, the highest mountain next to the village suddenly went up in flames, broke into pieces, and buried the village. Then, the lake was created from mourning tears of survivors for their beloved village and relatives, and they named the lake To Nung in commemoration of their peaceful homeland.

Nowadays, Bien Ho is both a water supply source for Pleiku City and a tourist attraction for local and international travelers. The lake can be reached by walking or riding motorbike from the city along the National Highway 19.

Vinpearl with an underwater world

The image of Vinpearl Underwater World is different from what was seen on the inauguration day in late January 2008. The country's largest aquarium exhibits a lot of fish species.

The aquarium is divided into two sections for a trip to watch 200 species of fish, many of them extremely rare and bought from foreign countries.

The exhibition area for weird and wonderful marine creatures is designed according to climate zones such as North Asia, South Asia and Amazon.

In the huge fish tanks are fish which you cannot find anywhere else. Moreover, you will be excited when you see scuba divers arranging corals in the tanks as well as weird snakes, turtles and geckos.

It is an exciting journey underwater to move some hundreds of meters down to the seabed. You can be really amazed by the magnificent wonders created by man, such as an escalator where you can watch the ocean and the glass dome bring you an experience in a tunnel.

On top of the dome, the sea seems to ripple and sparkle that making marine life more active. And also, at the bottom of the ocean are the wrecked ships that are home to fish.

Tay – a pristine beach in Khanh Hoa

Diving into the turquoise waters and lying leisurely jay on a quiet beach during the daytime and at night are what holidaymakers may think of in their summer vacations. Tay Beach in the central province of Khanh Hoa is a recommended destination.

As the white-sand beach is nestled in the Van Phong Bay, it is a hide-away for nature lovers to indulge themselves in tranquility and greenery. There, vacationers can relax on deck chairs underneath umbrellas along the beach to enjoy sea breezes and the soft sound of ripples lapping against the shore.

Kayaks are available on the beach for those who love to take pleasure in riding on the ripples and the blue waters of Van Phong, which is one of the few bays in the central region.

What makes Tay Beach different from others in central Vietnam is the Tay Stream that winds its way through lines of mangroves from the inland part of Lon Island and discharges its freshwater into the sea. The area at the stream mouth is shallow and flat so it is a good place for swimming.

When the sun is about to set behind the green islands of the bay, tents are set up and a barbecue party is ready. Fresh seafood caught in the bay is steamed, grilled, sauteed or cooked to order. Beer and wine are served on the beach to whet diners' appetite for more of activities at night.

There are four rooms and many tents for lease in Tay Beach Tourist Area at VND250,000 and VND60,000 each respectively. But tents might be the right choice for vacationers to spend overnight on the beach in the summer as it is the dry season and breezes and ripples will lead them to sweet dream.

To reach Tay Beach, vacationers should board a boat of Van Phong Travel Co. and go by many attractions of Van Phong Bay. The company offers a one-day tour around the bay at VND900,000.

The tourist area also prepares lunch and dinner for visitors, and charges at least VND50,000 per portion. The price of the barbecue party depends on how a party vacationers order and the price of seafood during the day.

Another Dalat in Central Highlands

Lying between two mountain passes, Mang Den and Violak, and about 50km from Kontum Town, the grassland of Mang Den is poised to become the second resort town of the Central Highlands after Dalat City thanks to its cool weather.

Tourists can take a narrow road, National Highway 24 lined by forests rich with fauna and flora, to get to Mang Den. Some communal houses nestled by green coffee gardens come into view on the way there.

It turns cooler when travelers arrive at the Mang Den pass stretching 10km. The distinctions of the Central Highlands are cool and fresh air, a long range of hills, the Ba Bat River winding through the terraced rice fields, and villages of minority ethic groups.

The center of Mang Den has become more and more crowded. Many construction works and roads are being developed to link local tourist attractions together.

One might ask what amusements the place offers. There, the places of interest are beautiful lakes and falls, and those preferring adventures and sports can go hiking, hunting, elephant riding, and golfing.

Mang Den Resort is an ideal place for tourists who love tranquility by the Dam Lake. The scene is decorated with colorful flower gardens, green lawns, rocks, and stilt houses.

For food, visitors can eat popular dishes in different cooking styles by ethnic groups. They will never forget a dinner served with rice cooked in bamboo and grilled chicken.

However, Mang Den still maintains the beauty of nature. In the dry season, corn and orchid flowers are abundant by lakesides with a romantic purple coat standing out by dazzling white waterfalls.

Pine forests between 100,000ha primeval forests, rivers, and lakes make the area a nice ecological attraction.

Mang Den is too new to be compared with Dalat City, but it can leave an everlasting impression on visitors since it is almost untouched by man.

Phong Nha – Ke Bang marks 5th anniversary of world heritage recognition

A ceremony was held in Son Trach Commune, Bo Trach District in the central province of Quang Binh on July 26 to mark the 5th anniversary of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park’s recognition as a world natural heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

A number of activities to promote the world heritage site’s image were also held on this occasion. They included a photo exhibition titled “Joining hands to protect the world’s heritage site of Phong Nha – Ke Bang” and a screening of a documentary themed “Tourism in Quang Binh – 5 years after Phong Nha – Ke Bang’s recognition as a world heritage site” and many other cultural activities.

Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park was recognised by the UNESCO on July 5, 2003, making it the fifth Vietnamese place known as the world heritage site, following the Complex of Hue monuments in 1993, Halong Bay in 1994, My Son Sanctuary in 1999 and Hoi An Ancient Town in 1999.

Cai Be Flower Market

The potted flowers ranging from daisies to marigolds and to lien (Torenia fournieri) among others that you see in the photo are in the flower market section of the Cai Be Floating Market in Cai Be District in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang.

Cai Be holds the top position in orchard areas in Tien Giang Province. On ordinary days, a large section of the Tien River is vibrant with boats filled with fruits, vegetables, flowers and other products. It is even more colorful during special events like full moon days or Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year).

During the days, there is only a small number of boats carrying flowers on the Tien River. However the number increases over the following days and the market bustles with various kinds of flowers. At this time, barges full of fruits and vegetables temporarily cede "territory" to boats carrying different kinds of flowers. Flowers are seen along the banks of the river, bobbing on the floating dock, covering the boat roof-tops and overflowing to the street markets.

Going to the floating market on these days, you can see the busy rhythm of the life of people living on the river and the unique features of the Mekong Delta. This is also the most beautiful time at the Cai Be Floating Market, attracting many tourists. There is always a forest of flowers and people during market- days. The river becomes busy with boats carrying people, including buyers, sellers and visitors. The bright colors of the apricot flowers, daisies, roses and marigolds swinging on boats and junks bring a premature spring to the riverside hamlets and people.