Travel Highlights 7/11 Hau Giang to revive famous market Nga Bay floating market, one of most famous floating markets in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta, is an attractive destination in Hau Giang Province. At the market, hundreds of boats hang samples of their products, mostly agricultural produce, on bamboo poles. Sales begin early in the morning and end by noon. When the floating market was established in 1915, it was located at the meeting point of seven canals and rivers in Nga Bay town. It became one of the delta's busiest markets. However, when local authorities moved the market 10 years ago to a site three kilometres away to ensure traffic safety, sales began to fall. The provincial People's Committee has approved a project to revive the floating market for tourism purposes, which will include a 55.6-metre-long tourism boat wharf, road and other infrastructure. The project, which will cost about VND35 billion (US$1.7 million), will be implemented from 2015 to 2019. Ha Tinh opens tourist rest-stop The central province of Ha Tinh has opened a tourist rest-stop in the Song Nghen eco-tourism area in Can Loc District. Situated 20km away from Ha Tinh City, the 14-ha Song Nghen eco-tourism area is located along the Nghen River and has beautiful nature, quiet settings and tourism service facilities. Ha Tinh has many attractive destinations such as Ke Go Lake, Son Kim hot spring, the Deo Ngang pass and Xuan Thanh, Thach Hai and Thien Cam beaches, Dong Loc T-junction and Huong Tich Pagoda. Company given exclusive rights to provide tours in world's largest cave The Quang Binh Province People's Committee has renewed Oxalis Company Limited's contract to continue to operate tours in Son Doong Cave, the world's largest cave next year. Tours will occur from February to August during the dry season. The tour, which lasts seven days and six nights, costs US$3,000. It is estimated that 500 tourists will be permitted to visit the cave next year. Oxalis began the tours in August last year. The cave is located in the heart of the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO natural heritage site. The cave has giant stalagmites up to 80 metres high and a section with various flora and fauna species, including monkeys, hornbills and flying foxes. Fansipan climbers get medals Since the end of last month, the Hoang Lien Son National Park in the northern province of Lao Cai has organised ceremonies to honour tourists who have climbed Mountain Fansipan, Viet Nam's highest mountain. National park representatives welcome tourists before their climb and after they finish, they are presented with a commemorative medal and certificate. It takes tourists about three days to trek to the mountain peak and back. Tourists begin at Tram Ton camp, which is 1,900m above sea level. The 12-km route has three rest camps. During the route, tourists will enjoy the beauty of bamboo forests, springs and other stunning views. Mount Fansipan, which is 3,143m above sea level, is part of the Hoang Lien Son mountain range and managed by Hoang Lien Son National Park. Fansipan is one of the most beautiful destinations in Sa Pa, a world-famous town in northwestern Viet Nam. The ideal time to climb the mountain is from late August to November. Da Lat shines with sunflowers Da Lat City is especially beautiful now as wild sunflowers are in bloom in the Tay Nguyen (Central Highland) region. There are vast areas of wild sunflowers that can be seen along roads, on hills, around lakes and springs. Some of the most beautiful areas are on the road from Bao Loc Town to Dambri waterfall, the road from National Highway No 20 to Pongour waterfall, the Dankia lake - Suoi Vang spring area, and the road to Cu Lan Village. Thua Thien-Hue hosts tourism training seminar More than 200 employees working in the travel and service industry in Thua Thien-Hue province attended a training seminar on November 5-6 sponsored by the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA). During the seminar, speakers from JATA provided those in attendance insight into the management and business practices followed in Japan.  They also discussed alternative ways to popularise a trademark for the central region. Speakers from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) also provided an update on the current state of affairs in the industry and spoke about new policies to lure tourists to Vietnam in the coming time. The tourism industry in the province experienced growth over recent months. In October, Thua Thien-Hue welcomed 852,275 tourists, grossing more than VND2,245 billion in revenue. The province targeted to reach 1.8-3 million visitors by the end of 2014, including 1.2-1.3 million foreigners. Thua Thien Hue trains tourism staff to serve Japanese visitors More than 200 representatives from travel agents and hotels in the central province of Thua Thien Hue are taking a training course on Nov. 5 and 6 on how to improve service quality for Japanese tourists. The course is co-organised by Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) to help the province attract more tourists from Japan , which is the fifth largest international market for the locality. Experts from JATA provided participants with valuable information about characteristics of the Japanese tourism market and recommendations on how to build a tourism trademark for the region. VNAT officials outlined the orientation to attract more Japanese visitors to Vietnam in the coming time. According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the number of foreign tourists will increase sharply from now towards the end of the year. Besides Japan, the province will carry out marketing and promotion activities targeting other markets such as the UK, Thailand, and Cambodia. In the first ten months of this year, Thua Thien-Hue welcomed 2.39 million visitors, of them, 852,275 were foreigners, up 8.6 percent compared to the same period last year. The province hopes to receive 2.8- 3 million of visitors this year, including 1.2-1.3 million foreigners. Khmer Festival of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Kien Giang opens The eighth Culture, Sports, and Tourism Festival of Khmer people in Kien Giang province opened in Go Quao town, Go Quao district on November 5. The festival is an annual event featuring the traditional cultural activities of Khmer ethnic people in Kien Giang province, according to Director of the Kien Giang provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Le Minh Hoang. Since 2007, the festival has become a provincial-level cultural event, attracting a large number of locals and visitors. The festival features a series of special activities, including folk games, Khmer art performances, exhibitions, and foods. The highlight of this year’s event is the Ngo Boat Race competition and the Ok-Om-Bok ceremony at Cai Lon River. Ok-Om-Bok, a moon worshipping ritual performed by the Khmer ethnic group, is one of the three main events celebrated every year. Traditionally, the Khmer believe the moon is a God who controls the weather and crops throughout the year. As part of the event, local residents provide offerings to show their gratitude to the God for giving them good weather conditions and fruitful harvests. Kien Giang is currently home to 210,000 ethnic Khmer, accounting for 12 percent of the province’s total population. The event runs until on November 8. Vietnam province retains row boat tours in Ha Long Bay Though Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam has relocated a number of households, the provincial authorities still allow them to offer row boat trips in UNESCO-recognized Ha Long Bay to make a living and diversify tourism services, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said Wednesday on its website. The province recently finished relocating more than 300 households living in the core areas of Ha Long Bay to a residential area in the provincial capital of Ha Long City. However, the locals are still permitted to maintain row boat tours in the bay to both earn a living and preserve the coastal city’s rich culture. The service, which offers tourists rides across the resplendent bay, was launched in 2008 by the Ha Long Tourism and Transport Service Cooperative, according to Tang Van Phien, the cooperative’s head. Most boat rowers are from Vung Vieng fishing village, the second-largest fishing village out of the seven in the area. The service has drawn a large number of tourists, including foreigners, who come to relish the picturesque landscape and the villagers’ traditions and culture, Phien added. Nguyen Thi Bich, a boat rower and Vung Vieng native, said that she rows from 7:00 am to 10:00 am and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. She earns around VND3 million (US$ 141) a month from the job. A Mexican couple found the fishing villages an intriguing highlight of the World Heritage Site. Ha Long Bay was first listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 because of its outstanding, universal aesthetic value. In 2000 the World Heritage Committee additionally recognised the bay for its outstanding geological and geomorphological value, and its World Heritage Listing was updated, according to Wikipedia. Locals’ awareness of environmental protection has been raised considerably. Many volunteer to collect garbage dumped in the bay on a daily basis. Last month, Cua Van fishing village, another major village located in the dramatic Ha Long Bay, was ranked ninth out of the 16 best coastal towns in the world by U.S. travel magazine Travel + Leisure. According to the magazine, some 700 people (traditionally fishermen) live in anchored houseboats, making Cua Van a popular tourist attraction, as visitors like to see this unusual way of life. Source: VNS/VOV/VNA