Guidebook promotes top 100 attractions

The HCM City-based Tre (Youth) publishing house has published a special guidebook featuring 100 top tourist sites in cities and provinces across Viet Nam.

The guidebook, Kham Pha 100 Diem Den Thu Vi (Discovering 100 Interesting Tourist Sites), features attractions such as city cafes, traditional handicraft villages, scenic landscapes and places of historic interest.

The 131-page book includes colour photos and text by cultural experts who offer detailed information on history, culture and lifestyle as well as geographic and climate conditions of each tourist site.

The book, published in Vietnamese, is the result of a national competition in April organised by Nokia Viet Nam and its partner, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

The event encourages young people to tour the country to learn more about its history and beauty.

The aim was to list the 100 most favourite tourist sites selected from submissions from more than 2,000 individuals and groups, who sent photos and texts their trips through the website www.tuoitre.com.vn/khampha100diemden.

The top 100 sites were selected and voted on by the website’s users and judges who are professional cultural researchers and travellers.

"We hope our book will be entertaining for local and foreign readers, particularly those working in history, culture and tourism, and will offer them new and useful knowledge," Nguyen Ha Duc Minh, marketing manager of Nokia Viet Nam, said.

More than 2,000 copies of the book will be delivered to local and foreign tourist agencies and companies in major cities including Ha Noi, HCM City and Da Nang.

Quality guidebooks

The guidebook, professionally designed with striking photos and concisely written text, is a departure of sorts from most locally published guides.

In recent years several billion dong have been spent on national tourism campaigns covering local media, advertising and marketing activities abroad.

Tourist authorities, however, are still not paying adequate attention to producing their own guidebooks, a commodity in high demand among visitors keen to explore the country, industry experts have said.

Foreign guidebooks, written by foreign writers and editors, dominate the market.

Tourism officials said that while the number of local and foreign tourists was rising, few publishing companies and tourist services have printed quality guidebooks.

Many locally produced guidebooks translated in foreign languages suffer from poor writing or uninteresting information and lose out to higher quality productions published abroad.

"Both local and foreign visitors prefer guidebooks detailing specific events related to Viet Nam’s culture, lifestyle and history and the books published by some local printing producers are not to their taste," said Van Thien Dung, a freelance tourist guide in HCM City.

"Many foreigners have heard about our city through relatives or friends. But they complain that they have found it hard to find comprehensive information about local tourist attractions.

Chinese tourist Ming Wenjy, in HCM City for a two-week visit, complained that local guidebooks could not compete with overseas publications.

"Your tourist companies are very professional and provide quality services, but they cannot give their customers a simple thing, a good guidebook," said Wenjy, who used a Lonely Planet guidebook while in Viet Nam.

To improve the number and quality of guidebooks, experts have said that tourism authorities and publishing houses must cooperate more closely to produce books featuring Viet Nam’s historic events, national heroes, festivals, landscapes and people’s traditional culture and lifestyle.

Viet Nam attracted nearly four million foreign visitors last year.

A visit to Dam Long-Bang Ta forest eco-tourist area

One cannot help feeling surprised when visiting Dam Long-Bang Ta forest eco-tourist area for the first time. Dam Long provides an escape from the bustle and hustle of urban life as one breathes the fresh air and embraces the tranquility of the mountains, forests and landscapes.


A tram ride runs through the primeval forest from which one can see deer, muntjac and stags eating leaves. Alternatively, one can ride a bicycle around the forest to breathe the fresh air in the morning.

Dam Long eco-tourist area is located at the heart of Ba Vi tourist complex, 70 kilometers from Hanoi to the west. The area covers 70 hectares including 50 hectares of water surface and 20 hectares of forest.

Bang Ta is a primeval forest with four layers of trees. The highest layer mainly consists of trees on average from 30 to 35 meters tall. The next layer is chestnut trees and fuchsia, between 20 and 25 meters high. The third layer is mainly ricinus, oleander, mulberry, soapberry trees, and bead trees, and the lowest layer includes a variety of fern and mistletoe, creating a beautiful look. The fauna and flora here are abundant, with 240 species of trees and many species listed in the red book. The most profuse is a group of 76 valuable medicinal herbs.

Going through paths full of liana, tourists will discover the wildness and mystery of the forest, enjoy the singing of tens of species of birds, and observe herds of spotted deer roaming in the silent space.

Leaving from the forest, tourists will contemplate the beauty of Dam Long, an immense lake filled with lotus spreading their fragrance in summer, and birds, reptiles such as suamp hens, boucals, geckos, and lizards.

Fish caught on the lake can be broiled in floating houses which are decorated with multi-coloured lanterns. Breakfast and soft drinks are served in the houses.

Water sports in swimming pools or games on rope bridges or cau khi, characteristics of the southern region will excite young people.

The tourist area has 56 hotel rooms and four bungalows available for massage and karaoke, a meeting hall with 300 seats and a dining room serving 1,000 guests.

Hotels here are modern and well-equipped while maintaining the beauty of nature.

Stilted Muong ethnic minority houses are suitable as camping sites, to enjoy camp-fires, ruou can or wine drunk out of a jar through pipes, and traditional music.

Furthermore, tourists can take part in local markets to buy souvenirs, specialties of Ba Vi, and visit Ngoc Nhi stork garden, Suoi Hai or Hai Stream, and Ao Vua or Pond of Kings.

Tours may be booked via Vietnam Open Tour Ltd., Co., tel: (04) 3926 2328 or Hanoi ETOCO via (04) 3516 0534 or contact: Dam Long-Bang Ta forest, Cam Linh Commune, Ba Vi, Hanoi, tel: (04) 3362 1588.

(Source: SGT)

Travelling Vietnam’s jagged north

On a hot stuffy summer’s day in the crowded city, one group of travellers are looking to leave it all behind to journey to northeastern provinces of Bac Can, Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang.

This isn’t just any random group of friends, but the staff of travel agencies in Hanoi, led by Duong Manh Ha. As an unexplored route, Ha will lead this group to see if route would please the adventure traveller.

"The provinces have been favourite destinations for adventure tours, so we want to create extraordinary tours rather than the old ones," said Ha who works at the Wild Lotus company. "People always like new things in life as do tourists."

The tour the group set out on early in the morning from the My Dinh bus station in Hanoi had not been explored by a travel company or foreign tourist. The path ahead of them will consist of a treacherous journey by bus, boat, foot and other unknown troubles in the mountainous area.

With Ba Be Lake in Bac Can the first stop, the group headed to the northeastearn province along National Highway.

It took them four hours after a 150km drive, and two more hours to drive 70km up the zigzagging mountain road to Ba Be national Park, where they spent the night.

On the second day, the group started off with an early morning 20minute boat ride to Dau Dang Falls where they made a 2-km trek to the next route along the Gam River.

Rocky roads

The short boat trip was a tease for the seven hour ride they took next along the river from Bac Can winding through Tuyen Quang to arrive at Bac Me wharf. The last led of water travel, they still had 30km to go to reach the centre of Ha Giang Province.

Unfortunately, with the water level going down in the afternoon, they didn’t make the full 30km and were forced to stop at the nearest wharf in Minh Ngoc village. Eager to make their destination, the group had to rent motorbikes at an astounding VND400,000 (US$23) to travel across a rocky 12-km path.

"It’s unlucky for us, but also an experience for our next trip and the bad luck will not be repeated," said Ha.

"The road actually exhausted me. However, I could recognise the road as good for a biking or trekking route for my company’s tour service," said the director of Green Trail tours Nguyen Van Dung.

The road was so rough that it threw one of the travellers, Tran Van Hung, onto the ground as he couldn’t hold tight on the doubled up motorbikes. Luckily, he was still wearing his life-jacket from the boat to cushion the fall.

Hoang Thi Nga, from the Exotissimo travel company, said the ride was like being in an action film she had seen and she had no regrets taking part in the trip.

"I live in the city and rarely join in adventures like this. My fear was over when I crossed that terrible sloping road sandwiched by abysses," Nga said. "It was really a challenge for me as I was afraid of falling off the motorbike."

Nguyen Hoang Anh, product manager of Focus Travel company, wasn’t as excited as Nga.

"I would rather walk down the road than drive on a motorbike like this," said Anh. "I think it’s too dangerous and the road is an option for trek and adventure tours."

Living it up Tay style

One hour later, the group was safely in Ha Giang Town where they got buses to Me Village.

In the village which belongs to ethnic Tay people, the group slept in stilt houses for only VND30,000 ($1.7) after a full dinner for just VND50,000 ($2.8) a person.

"Tourists always join in on the Tay lifestyle, with both dance performances and food," said the host, 48-year- old Dam Duc Xuyen.

"The village has been promoted as a destination of eco-tourism by the Ha Giang Culture, Sports and Tourism Department for two years. Currently, around 15 households in the village have built new houses serving tourists," said Nguyen Hong Hai, vice director of the department.

Next, the group attacked the 110-km route linking Xin Man and Hoang Su Phi districts in Ha Giang to Bac Ha town in Lao Cai, which was another 140-km drive to the appointed stop.

More bad luck hit the group as a landslide in Nan Ma village in Xin Man district left a big hole in the road, stopping them at 30km from Bac Ha Town.

"Landslides in the mountainous areas often happen in rainy seasons from April to July," said Le Trung Kien, a tour guide of the Green Sa Pa Tour company.

"During this period, bad weather often delays adventure trips, so you should ensure you’re prepared because it’s an adventure tour."

Finally arriving at midnight, the members were relieved not to have faced more tribulations driving the short cut.

With the group making it back safe, tourists can now follow their path, with a few upgrades, for at least $560 one-week package tour. Considering the time of year, these expert travellers recommend bringing a few provisions for anyone daring to make the journey.

The journey to the "underworld"

For those who have no understanding about the underworld a visit to Suoi Tien Theme Park in HCMC will disclose the twelve levels of the underworld, where people are punished for bad behavior or for committing crimes when they were alive.

Tu Van Pagoda in Cam Ranh of central province of Khanh Hoa is an interesting place where one can visit an artificial underworld, a scary construction made from thousands of blocks of corals with terrifying images in the dim light.

When in Five Devine Mountains Area (Ngu Hanh Son) in the central province of Quang Nam, after you have seen the pagodas and caves, remember to visit the Underworld Cave which was opened to public in 2006 September.

The Underworld Cave is a spacious area about 1,000 square meters. It served as a secret shelter for Vietnamese soldiers during the two wars. The wartime headquarters of Quang Nam authority witnessed important decisions during 1936 to 1939 and was the site of a battle between five Vietnamese soldiers and two American battalions on December 24, 1968.

Thousands of years of geographic change have carved a complex system of caves into the hillside of the limestone mountain. Designers used the structure of the cave to change it into the Buddhism-originated underworld, a place, it is said, that all men have to visit after ending their lives in the real world. It is where they pay for anything bad they have done in their lives and suffer punishment, the nature of which is determined by the severity of their actions.

The man-made underworld consists of twelve levels, from Dam Thien Son to Thien Thai Gioi; each level is punishment for wrongdoers. The natural chill and dim light in the cave make the journey more real and exciting.

After entering the gate into the afterlife world visitors will see a line of sparkling torchlight lighting up a small part of the death world, revealing a device symbolizing the eternal cycle of birth, suffering, death, and rebirth. Next to it is a stone replica of the Yama Kings who judge the dead after entering their world with fear-some faces. There is a stone altar nearby where visitors can burn some incense for them.

The natural structure of the cave combined with human creativity makes the downward path look like a path to the real underworld. The twelve levels appearing one by one to reveal the punishment faced by sinners, such as grinding, burning or being fried in oil will make one's heart beat faster and faster.

Following the awful journey downward and the experience of extreme fear there is an upward staircase leading to Heaven (Thien Thai Gioi). Climb up to greet the light from the sun and feel the warmth of the real world to lead lives that are more meaningful ever.

Lost in Halong

When the bus pulled up to the departure point for Halong Bay I was a little put-off by the incredible number of tourists. But I had heard that Vietnamese drive boats the same way they drive motorbikes and I was looking forward to that.

As it turns out, the bay of 3,000 islands proved big enough to avoid other tour groups once we left the harbour. After a stop at a secluded beach it was time to go kayaking.

A British guy in the group claimed to be an expert kayaker, who had braved furious rapids for years. I wasn’t an expert kayaker by any means, but I had done it enough to speak of it casually, which is what got him started on his rant.

“It’s just like a canoe,” I said.
“A canoe?” yelped the expert. “It’s not at all like a canoe. It’s a kayak!”

Our guide gave us the kayaks and told us to be back in an hour. The only rules were no leaving the kayak and no swimming. There were three groups: myself and a Swedish girl, two British, and a German couple.

We took off for a set of karsts that looked like none of the other tour groups had gotten to yet.

It was exciting to paddle up close to the edge of one of the islets. The limestone facade jutted out of the water – seemingly from nowhere – and reached into the sky.

We paddled through a tunnel in one of the karsts and found ourselves inside a large alcove, surrounded on all sides by a tall oval island. We floated around without talking or paddling. The slapping of the water against the sides of the kayaks was all that caused a slight echo.

There was no one else around so we decided it was time for a swim. We had a long pleasant swim around our inlet and back into the cave. The sun began to set and we decided we had better get back to the boat before it was dark.

We all got back in our kayaks easily except the two British people, who capsized the kayak and lost a set of glasses and a mobile phone. They claimed to have been stung by a jellyfish.

“A jellyfish! Can you believe that?”

After a laugh we took off, in hope of finding the boat before we lost the sun.

Once out of the cave we paddled in the general direction of the boat but we couldn’t quite remember where it was. The sun had gone down and we had to circumvent some islands that none of us could remember or see. The Germans were strong and shot out ahead of us. I was paddling hard but couldn’t keep up and the two Brits fell even farther behind.

By the time we had turned a corner to where we thought the boat was, we had completely lost the light and couldn’t see our boat. We did see a few boats in the distance and we chose the middle one and paddled for it. But the boats were moving and we lost which one we were paddling for.

For a long while we paddled from boat to boat without finding the right one. I was a little worried and my arms were tired but it was also stirring to paddle around the karsts in the dark. We had no sense of direction and no idea where we were going.

I was a little disappointed when I saw our guide come paddling up to us with a flashlight. He directed us back to the boat and went out after the two missing British. I was jealous. They got really lost and weren’t back for another hour.

That must have been fun. And that’s how it is in Vietnam: it’s not all tour-guides, fanny packs, and tourists. If you explore a little bit you might just find yourself out on your own. You might even find yourself pleasantly lost.

Picked for preservation

Pu Luong Nature Reserve, just a stone’s throw from Hanoi, makes for an idyllic and scenic getaway from the big smoke.

In the words of the local Thai people, Pu Luong means the ‘highest peak’, it’s loftiest zenith towering 1,700m above the valleys of Quan Hoa and Ba Thu, in Thanh Hoa Province.

The nature reserve is close to several other favoured tourism attractions, including Cuc Phuong National Park and Mai Chau. The close location combined with location lush wildlife make Pu Luong an ideal destination.

From the valleys of Mai Chau down through the fifty odd kilometres, Pu Luong offers stunning scenery, matched only by its sheer tranquillity.

Ben Lac Village plays host to many of Mai Chau’s visitors, and as it is only a few hours from Hanoi, it’s a popular weekend getaway. Mai Chau treats visitors to home stays in Thai stilt houses, and the chance to pick up some traditional woven textiles in the surrounding villages.

Just 20 km along highway 15A from Mai Chau, the drive to Pu Luong is quick and trouble free.

In 1999, the Vietnamese government set aside Pu Luong as a nature reserve, thereby preserving and protecting the lush forests and traditional way of life in the area. Pu Luong was picked for preservation as it lays claim to a rich ecosystem, in which a multitude of plant and animal species thrive among limestone mountains. More than 1000 plant species thrive in Pu Luong, in a lush floral cascade, and providing refuge for 39 endangered plant species.

From Mai Chau, it’s an easy 20km trip to Phu Le commune in Quan Hoa District. From there, a number of spectacular trips can be taken through Thanh Son, Lung Liem, Co Lung and Lung Cao, all communes of Ba Thuoc District.

Thai and Muong people in the hamlets surrounding Pu Luong lead lives steeped in tradition and customs, and they remain largely uninfluenced by modern means. Long held Muong and Thai cultural observances are celebrated in each season of every year and the natural setting inspires musical performances particular to the area.

The rhythms pounded out by a group of Duong musicians send the message that the villagers are celebrating. It’s a noisy way of signifying the village’s prosperity, be it in food or in tradable goods.

From the moment you arrive in Pu Luong, you are treated as a guest of honour, and a jar of local rice wine will be on hand to celebrate. A few drams of rice wine are beloved to enhance the collective spirit, and are an important observance for local people.

Kho Muong village nestles in a scenic valley, and greets its visitors with views of stilt houses. Drawn on the valley with brisk strokes, springs gush from the earth, and rice paddies puddle at the foot of mountains, shrouded in cloud.

A brisk walk leads to Hang Doi, the bat cave. Just one of many caves that riddle Pu Luong, Hang Doi is a roost for several of the 24 species of bats that live in the area. Several thousand individuals roost here, filling its nooks and crannies, the bats giving a deliciously mysterious and eerie character.

From Mai Chau, there are several guided tours on offer, which run from one to three days.

Pu Luong is a universe of experiences and sights. The cool waterfalls of Hien village, the spectacular views from Son Ba Muoi village, and the water wheels of Ban Cong and Co Lung.

In Lung Liem, don’t forget to stop by the Don market, once the principal city of a bygone era. Energy thrives in this market, which bustles with trade.

Visiting a Thai village, you should sample the local delicacies and drink, as these aspects run deep in local culture. Com Lam, sticky rice, steamed in a bamboo tube, has long been a staple in the area, and makes for a satisfying meal.

Simply put the rice into a hollow bamboo or reed tube, fill with water and heat over a fire. Rotate the tube to cook evenly, and the rice will soon be ready to eat. Simply crack the tube open, and peel it like a banana. Proper, well-mannered and dexterous, Thai girls know how to prepare a delicious meal in a flash.

Every evening the Thai people will welcome you to join their party. The bong tree symbolizes a longing for spring. So when the tree begins to bud, and fruit fills the garden, its time to celebrate the abundance of food once again. The Kin Chieng flower folkdance is particular to the Thai of Pu Luong. They dance to thank heaven and earth for the seasonal return of their prosperity.

Both inside and outside the stilt house, singing and dancing celebrations are an ongoing affair.

Thai people are proud of their unique traditional dances, which are their wealth of culture and heritage.

They use all kinds of props, be it flowers, fans, kerchiefs, scarves or hats, they dance to their traditional musical instruments. Their dances are simple and gentle, yet playful and lively, drawing one into their long history.

When invited to dance, it is hard to refuse to offer to jump into the traditional bamboo pole dance. There as you make friends, and learn the dance, you may get more than your ankles caught. Long lasting memories are forged for guests, as they are welcomed into the fold with open arms.

You can join the HCM Highway from Cuc Phuong, an easy trip from Hanoi. From Cuc Phuong you can easily get to Pu Luong, travelling less than 200 km.

While on the road be sure to stop at Cam Thau cave, where nature keeps many wondrous secrets. In Ca Thau Cam Luong cave, schools of fish jostle one another in crystal clear water.

Legend tells some fishy stories here, tales of the magical Thany, after whom the cave is named. Anyone who catches fish here will meet a messy end. Protected by legend, the fish live undisturbed in a clean environment.

Three kilometres past the town of Canh Nang is the boundary of Pu Luong. There bubbles the Pung spring, and the suspension bridge of Phu Thanh.

Local villages lie hidden in the clouds, where people live simply, unaffected but excited and fond of meeting strangers. These rustic folk are enthusiastic and genuinely wish to please their guests. They are happy to receive you and hope you will come again.

There are a bevvy of interesting things to see in Pu Luong, and its future tourism potential is easy to see. Promotion of tourism and raising living standards in the community are synonymous with increased efforts to protect the forest. In order to continue attracting visitors, the forest itself must be as protected as a priceless resource.

A number of maps have been drafted for proposed tours running deep into the limestone mountains. Cuc Phuong and Van Lon National Reserve are a part of the Pu Luong area, thereby demanding the soft tread of eco-tourism in future.

Hardly a hardship posting: Mui Ne

Sometimes in the rough and ready world of lifestyle reporting, intrepid wordsmiths are sent on hectic postings of epic proportion. But this mission to the sandy shores of Mui Ne was anything but a hardship.


Trembling and hung over form another Hanoi farewell party and karaoke session, myself and my intrepid accomplice hopped aboard an early morning Vietnam Airlines flight to Ho Chi Minh City, the big city clutches of which we eagerly escaped in the direction of our destination, Mui Ne.

A stone’s throw from the quaint beachside town of Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan Province, Mui Ne make for a beautiful getaway, and for the citizens of HCMC and ideal weekend escape. We had decided to bivouac at the well-appointed Full Moon lodgings, as it more than offered the living standards to which we have become accustomed.

We met with Pascal Lefebvre, who with his wife Phuong has established the perfect beach side establishment. Drawn from a great reservoir of hotel experience, particularly with the renowned Victoria chain, which has established a presence throughout Vietnam, Full Moon is perfection to a T.

Formally greeted by a group bearing a large and freshly caught barracuda, one that would become our welcoming feast of delicious sashimi, we were being forewarned of the sumptuously absurd volume of fresh seafood delicacies we would chomp our way through during our stay.

When Pascal first arrived in 1995, power, water and other amenities were unavailable, and the access road was little more than some dusty wheel ruts cutting through the dirt. Now there are around 90 restaurants and forty odd self-proclaimed “resorts” along the beach.

While he expects the development to be as consistent as it has been for the last few years, you can still find some really out of the way places in the bays just north of Mui Ne town.

That Pascal also happens to be a keen windsurfer means that life beside a beach with, as he put it “the most wind in South East Asia”, was more than a happy coincidence.

As such Full Moon offers more than just standard accommodation, as a few steps down the golden sands is Jibes, from where all manner of water toys may be rented. But we will come to that in good time.

Now this thatch roofed gem proved to have in store every little thing this reporter demands of a beach. At first glance, it appears to be a restaurant and bar, although that was because we came at it from the beach side. Adorning the beach were loafers and small tables sporting extremely relaxed looking holidaymakers sipping away at (I know you are all consistent Good Life readers!) a few tasty Laure's.

On the road side of Jibes I thankfully found a store selling funky and functional beach attire, which given that I had recently scorched the skin from my back in Ha Long meant that I could acquire exactly the kind of skin protection I needed, in the form of a nice new rash vest.

Also, upon my first frolic along the beach, I discovered that all the self-denial that accompanies losing a few pounds hadn’t been in vain, as my board shorts failed to fit snugly – a terrifying thought once you encounter a few pants-stealing waves. A good thing Jibes was a conveniently located fitting pants replacing shop.

Ahh, yes the beach house packed to the gunnels with water sport equipment. Inside was a Mecca (well for us Hanoi urbanites anyway) of Windsurfers, surfboards, kites and kite boards, kayaks body boards, this that and the other board.

Now originally the intention of this trip had been to do a stunning expose on kite surfing, but as we were informed upon arrival, we had arrived at the wrong time of year for solid wind. I have come to believe that its more to do with the fact that I am simply jinxed and the water spirits are interested in offering me neither wind nor surf.

As it happened a typhoon was howling around way off shore and a gentle little surf swell picked up for several days, giving me if not kite borne airtime, some well-needed wave action. As we kicked back after a day of hardcore sport and feasting that Pascal confided in us.

“The biggest stress around here”, he said his eyes wandering off down the beach, “is waiting for the wind.”

Pascal also let it be known in quite plain language that won’t be repeated here, that he believes windsurfing to be the more technical of the water sports, and he far prefers it to kite surfing. Although he hasn’t been out with a kite in around 18 months, he provides a full and comprehensive service.

A dangerous sport is this kiting, what with a ten meter power plane strapped to you belt, and some teaching, particularly on safety measures, is well in order. As such, Jibes has two instructors on hand to make sure its all done in the right manner. So successful is his endeavour that other hotels have pretended they offer windsurfing and kite surfing in their brochures, without having any gear at all. No skin of Pascal’s nose though, as another batch of punters wander down the beach to rent surfboards from the beach house.

As we settle into the bar at Jibes to watch another in a long list of videos made of the extreme sports on offer in Mui Ne, we get a definite insight into life here at the beach. Play, relax and play some more.

Having talked to several local Vietnamese who professed that they hardly ever made it into the water (indeed a certain chef all the way from Hanoi admitted to swimming just twice in the last two years) I was impressed by the board skills the local employees had. Indeed just watching them hammer around on all manner of water toys was inspirational stuff. You can believe me that the decision to return to Hanoi was not determined of my own free will.

Life in Mui Ne has attracted around 15 expat’s, most of whom seem well into their extreme sports, aside from monkey maltreatment man, but we wont be getting into that at all.

Another expat, formerly a builder in England, Paul Clayton, 32, has made the obviously excruciating decision to stay for the long haul. As a kite instructor at Jibes, with plans to get into his own venture at a later date, he says that while the off season can have that small town feel to it, around December the place is hopping mad.

There is some respite if chilling on the beach is too much for you, as nearby Phan Thiet boasts a couple of accessible, if a little overly dodgy for this worldly journo, nightclubs.

There are several moderately priced seafood restaurants that have all manner of critters to tempt you taste buds. May I recommend the rock lobster, a fantastic idea – this creature is basically a box shaped shell of tasty goodness, cooked I do believe, by externally applied and burnt off alcohol rather than good ol’ boiling like mum used to.

We were there in the off-season, and a steady trickle of clientele was still making its way through. Around half the rooms at Full Moon were full for the week we stayed, and there was much talk of people booking rooms or six months at a time, so it’s advisable to book ahead. Getting there is easy; just pick up either a local minibus or an open tour type tourist bus from HCMC. The ride takes about three hours.

Tourism- "on-the-spot export"

One of the most effective ways to market Vietnam to the world is let foreigners directly see historical relics, culture, landscape, people and the change of Vietnam in Vietnam.

This is a form of ”on-the-spot export”, which brings foreign currencies to the country, creates jobs for many labourers and helps advertise Vietnam to the world.

Vietnam has many advantages to attract foreign tourists: many historical and cultural relics, natural landscapes that are recognised in the world, social-economic development which is praised internationally, political and social stability, open policies, and advantage in terms of exchange rates.

Thanks to these advantages, the country drew over nearly 2.62 million foreign visitors in the January-July period, up by 6.6% year on year, the highest number so far.

There were 26 countries and territories which sent over 10,000 visitors to Vietnam in this period, including China, South Korea, the US, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Thailand, France and Malaysia.

Some countries and territories had higher numbers of visitors coming to Vietnam compared to the same period of 2007, such as Finland, the Philippines, Norway, Thailand, Singapore, Sweden, Malaysia, Russia, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Denmark and Taiwan.

In the first half of 2008, the total spending of international tourists in Vietnam is estimated at $1.95 billion, accounting for 56.7% of total service export value and 14% up year on year.

As far as the tourists go, 19.3% came to Vietnam for business, an increase of 28.4% over the corresponding period of 2007. Overseas Vietnamese who returned to visit their relatives numbered over 348,000, a reduction of 3%.

Regarding means of transport, visitors coming to Vietnam by air numbered the greatest, followed by those coming by land and sea.

It is forecast that around 4.5 million foreign visitors will come to Vietnam this year, bringing in nearly $4 billion, double the total disbursed ODA volume.

Yet, the number of foreign tourists coming to Vietnam tended to decrease from February to June, with 441,000 in February, nearly 425,000 in March, 411,000 in April, 382,000 in May and nearly 320,000 in June.

The ratio of foreign visitors per 100 residents in Vietnam is low in comparison to other countries, with 5 international visitors/100 residents.

The tourism industry will have to exert more effort in training tourist guides, building hotels, and perfecting tourist sites to improve its “on-the-spot export” capability.