Vietnam attracts nearly 3 million foreign tourists in six months

Nearly 3  million foreign tourist arrivals visited Vietnam in the first six months of 2011, a year-on-year increase of 18.1 percent, reported the Vietnam General Statistics Office.

Over the past six months, tourists visiting Vietnam for travel and recreation reached more than 1.77 million, a year-on-year increase of 11.2 percent, while more than 493,000 arrivals came to Vietnam for business purposes, a decrease of 1.7 percent and nearly 513,000 arrivals arrived in Vietnam to visit relatives, a rise of 77.6 percent. For other purposes, the figure was about 186,000 arrivals, a surge of 49.7 percent. On the whole, 2.97 million tourists entered Vietnam for the first 6 months.

 Huong Hai Junk on Halong Bay - a favorite spot for foreign visitors

Most tourists came to Vietnam by air, with nearly 2.5 million arrivals, making up 83 percent and a year-on-year increase of 23.8 percent.

China still led among markets seeing increasing number of foreign tourists to Vietnam with 662,500 arrivals, up 51.5 percent, followed by the Republic of Korea with nearly 262,000 arrivals, up 3.7 percent, the US with nearly 239,000 arrivals, up 3.4 percent and Japan with 235,000 arrivals, up 11.7 percent.

Over the past six months, Cambodia saw the highest rise in the number of tourists to Vietnam with 77.4 percent compared to the same period last year. 

Source VNA - Translated by Dan Tri

More than 2.5 million foreign tourists visit Vietnam

The Vietnam National Tourism Administration reported that more than 2.5 million foreign tourist arrivals visited Vietnam in the first five months of 2011, a year-on-year increase of 18 percent.

Countries and territories seeing an increase in the number of tourists to Vietnam from the same period last year were China with 546,900 arrivals, up 49.6 percent, the Republic of Korea with 222,400 arrivals, up 2.5 percent and Japan with 204,200 arrivals, up 12.8 percent.

Tourist arrivals from the US, Cambodia, Taiwan, Malaysia, France and Australia also saw significant rises.

Over the past five months, tourists visiting Vietnam for travel and recreation reached nearly 1.5 million, a year-on-year increase of 10.2 percent, while 418,000 arrivals came to Vietnam for business purposes, a decrease of 0.8 percent and 442,400 arrivals arrived in Vietnam to visit relatives, a rise of 81.4 percent.

That Vietnam was recognized as one of the top 13 destinations of the Asian tours in 2011 and top 50 tourism destinations of the world... also helped attract a large number of tourists and foreigners.

Source: CPV, cand.com

Vietnamese Shrimp and Crab Crispy Spring Rolls Recipe

Bob and Jenny Cockill from Perth, Australia trying their hand at spring rolls. Photo by Sue Frause.

Pork and shrimp cha gio can be made by using 1 pound ground pork and 1/2 pound shrimp. 1 – 1.5 ounces of thin cellophane noodles, chopped into 1/2″ pieces and soaked in water until soft, is a common ingredient and can also be added to the mixture.

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, small dice
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 head small cabbage, thinly sliced
4-5 Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, diced
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 pound crab meat
1 egg, white and yolk separated
1 package large (8 inch) spring roll wrappers

It’s time to relax

By Phillip Cabrera

We had our final dinner with Project Vietnam Foundation (PVNF) Friday at a hotel restaurant in Hanoi. I got contact information from PVNF members and then we went our separate ways the next day. My class’s destination was Halong Bay. This entire trip has been one big highlight reel.

The bus ride to Halong Bay took three hours from Hanoi. We immediately boarded our private boat – an entire boat to ourselves for the night. It was time to relax and enjoy the scenery of what I consider to be one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. I would come to Halong Bay for a honeymoon or would travel here with that special someone.

We went cave exploring and saw the Surprise Cave, which could easily have been mistaken for an Indiana Jones movie set. A great part for me while exploring the caves was the exercise. We hiked almost vertically to get to the entrances of the cave. The next morning, some of my classmates and I hiked a steep incline to the top of a lookout point. Other adventures included me putting my body to good use and setting off a sweet cannonball off the boat into the bay. The water was so cold that I didn’t want to stay in long, but that jump made it worth it. I swam with my classmate Keith, while my classmates Johnny and Lucio shot photos of our sweet dives. The rest of the class kayaked around the bay. Then we had dinner and relaxed for the rest of the night.

Geological Value

Forget the dragon, it's all about geology

By MARY ANNE SHULTS
For the Daily Titan

One of my former geology professors said the best examples of geology existed in California and in the Western United States. Death Valley, with its mysterious sliding rocks, Mojave Desert offers “rock jocks” the chance to study all three rock types, and lastly, the Colorado Plateau contains three geological wonders – now national parks – the most well known is the Grand Canyon.

Junk boats cruise through Halong Bay among the vast limestone pinnacles that jut from the teal-colored gentle water.

I have to thank my instructors who have passed on their passion to me as I’m more of a geology hobbyist. This week I experienced one of the most beautiful examples of the combination of plate tectonics, sedimentary layering I’ve ever seen, set in the beautiful Halong Bay in northeast Vietnam. The area is acclaimed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site of international geomorphological significance.

Explore Vietnam

Vietnamese Girl in Ao Dai - the traditional costume of Vietnamese women

Appreciation for the minor things

International travel is a great way to remind yourself of all the things you take for granted back home. Whether it's ice in your tea, reliable sanitation, or a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a frosty beverage, you will have a whole new appreciation for the small things in your culture. 

I should know. I've just returned from a two-week trip through Vietnam with my classmates in the Kansas Agricultural and Rural Leadership program. 

We started our tour in the south, with a visit to Ho Chi Minh City, followed by a stop in the Mekong Delta. Then, we drove up Highway 1A to Hue, along the coast where we saw towering mountains and cliffs, amazing fishing villages, and all sorts of rice production. 

We drove through the town of Dalat, where we saw fields of vegetables and greenhouses of flowers clinging to the hillsides. We spoke with fish farmers, a farm family that raises sugarcane, and furniture makers. In Nha Trang we experienced a Buddhist temple and the beauty of the beach. And, we even spent one night on a boat in the middle of Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is simply breathtaking. 

Halong Bay from Titov island 

Sounds of silence in Vietnam

Most recently I had the honor of visiting the incredible country of Vietnam. Vietnam was one of the places I was most excited about because I had heard amazing things about the food, people and breathtaking sights it had to offer.
Prior to our arrival, my roommate and I had mentally planned our time there and were intending to fly to the northern part of the country to a “natural wonder” of the world, Halong Bay. (Google image it and you will see why we were adamant about going.)

Upon porting the ship in Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon we called the airlines only to find that all of the flights to our intended destination were booked for the entirety of the five days we would be in Vietnam. Even with continued persistence and begging over the phone, we were told there was nothing they could do to help us get a flight to this tiny paradise in the northern coast. We were faced with the question, what now? The one thing we had wanted to do for the entire voyage so quickly became unattainable, and was so close yet so far from our grasp.