Da Lat offers promotions

With the National Tourism Year this year focusing on the Central Highlands – Da Lat, many travel firms, tourism sites, hotels, and restaurants in Da Lat have launched promotions with discounts of up to 40 per cent.

This is the first time that Da Lat is offering such large promotions in summer, the peak tourism season.

Known as the "City of Flowers", Da Lat is a popular tourism destination with many beautiful landscapes and historic sites such as Love Valley, King Bao Dai's Palace, Prenn Waterfall, and Lake Xuan Huong.

Binh Thuan tourist numbers rise

The number of tourists, especially domestic, visiting the central province of Binh Thuan has increased rapidly in summer, especially during weekends.

Doi Duong, Hon Rom, and Mui Ne beaches in Phan Thiet City, Nganh Tam Tan beach in Ham Tam District, and Ke Ga beach in Ham Thuan Nam District are the province's most attractive destinations.

The province has undertaken several measures to protect the environment and ensure security at popular destinations. Local travel companies also carry out promotions and organise summer events for tourists.

Binh Thuan received more than 1.8 million tourists in the first six months, an increase of 8.2 per cent year-on-year, according to its Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Can Tho unveils new tours

The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta city of Can Tho has launched five new tours of up to two days that take in popular destinations, food, culture, and other entertainment.

They take visitors to the Cai Rang and Phong Dien floating markets, Sau Hoai rice noodle factory, Southern Truc Lam zen monastery, My Khanh tourism village, Giao Duong orchard and Binh Thuy traditional house.

Cai Rang, a speciality market around 4km from Ninh Kieu wharf, sells mostly fruits and other agricultural produce. Hundreds of people in boats begin selling their goods early in the morning and end by 8-9am.

Hai Phong develops sea tourism

With its status as an important port city, Hai Phong is focussing on developing sea-related tourism, especially in Cat Ba and Do Son.

The northern city offers tours that combine tourism and sports, shopping, conference, food, and spiritual and cultural events. It also co-operates with other provinces and cities to organise inter-provincial tours that take visitors to Do Son – Cat Ba – Ha Long and Hai Phong – Da Nang.

Cat Ba islands, the city's most popular tourism destination, have a world biosphere reserve, a national park, various kinds of forests, some submerged, caves, limestone mountains, lakes, and coral reefs. The islands are also famous as a habitat of the white-headed langur, a critically endangered species and endemic to the place.

Binh Dinh sets up tourism offices

Binh Dinh has set up two centres in Quy Nhon city that will provide tourists with information about the province's landscapes, culture, history, transport, and tourism services.

The central province offers marine eco tours and trips to islands, forests, lakes, handicraft villages, ancient Cham towers, and other historic relics.

Binh Dinh is also famous as the land of martial arts and will host the fifth International Vietnamese Martial Arts Festival in August.

Binh Duong fruit orchards popular

Fruit orchards in Ben Cat town's Phu An commune in the southeast province of Binh Duong are attracting a large number of tourists during this, the harvest season.

At mango, rambutan, and Burmese grape orchards, tourists can climb trees, pick ripe fruits, and eat them. Orchard owners only ask for an entrance fee of VND10,000-15,000.

Colourful ripe fruits, the cool, quiet atmosphere in the orchards, and the friendliness of their owners attract tourists, especially during weekends.

It also means orchard owners do not need to wait for traders to buy their fruits while tourists can eat garden-fresh fruits at a good price and buy to take away.