Halong Bay - A journey to connect heritages

As two Heritage Bays, Halong Bay (Quang Ninh) and Lan Ha Bay (Hai Phong) not only stand out for their breathtaking beauty, but are also gradually connecting to form a series of high-class island journeys, promoting the sustainable development of inter-regional tourism. Cruise Halong Bay

Halong Bay has nearly 2,000 rocky islands, a rich ecosystem and unique landscapes. It has been recognized twice by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage. Lan Ha Bay (Cat Ba, Hai Phong) covers nearly 7,000 hectares, owns more than 400 limestone islands, white sand beaches, clear blue water and a peaceful space, suitable for swimming, kayaking, and coral diving. Viet Hai and Cua Van fishing villages still maintain traditional lifestyles, creating unique cultural experiences.

Not only similar in natural conditions, Halong and Lan Ha also have the ability to connect conveniently by waterway, opening up great opportunities for developing inter-regional tours. The Halong - Lan Ha - Bai Tu Long itinerary helps improve the quality of experience, extend the length of stay and promote resort, sports and island exploration tourism products. This is considered a strategic direction to form a heritage linkage axis and expand the space for developing Northeast island tourism.

Since 2023, Quang Ninh has promoted cooperation with Hai Phong to connect tourist routes between Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay. High-level meetings, field surveys and infrastructure assessments have been carried out synchronously. In the first quarter of 2024, Quang Ninh province assigned relevant agencies to study the Halong - Cat Ba waterway tourism route, on the basis of ensuring maritime safety, resource conservation and compliance with the bay planning.

In April, the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province held a thematic meeting, agreeing to put the VHL6 route (from Halong international passenger port - through Ba Hang, Hon Ga Choi - to the border of Lan Ha Bay) into official operation. The plan is built on the principles of heritage protection, convenient connection and serving the needs of inter-regional tourism development.

Just one month later, In May, the People's Council of Quang Ninh province passed Resolution No. 51/2025/NQ-HDND, adding route VHL6 to the Halong Bay tour system, stipulating a fee of 150,000 VND/trip for the journey connecting Halong - Lan Ha. This is an important legal basis for realizing inter-regional tourism products, creating a breakthrough for the northern sea and island space.

Currently, Quang Ninh is working closely with Hai Phong to complete legal procedures, build a mechanism for inter-route operations, control modes of transport, protect heritage boundaries and develop unique tourism products. It is expected that the Halong - Cat Ba route will officially open at the end of 2025, attracting great attention and interest from businesses. 

According to the Provincial Tourism Association, strengthening linkages not only expands tourism space, but also helps extend length of stay, develop two-way high-end service chains and create motivation for businesses to innovate products.

Many units have quickly caught up with this trend. Lux Group Corporation, a pioneer in the luxury cruise segment operating in both localities, is implementing the "Two Bays - One Journey" product chain, connecting Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay from the summer of 2025. Previously, Thuan Viet Tourism Joint Stock Company was also successful with the Halong Bay - Bai Tu Long route, showing the great potential of the island cruise connection model.

Representatives of the management agencies of Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay, together with interdisciplinary units of the two localities, conducted a survey of the actual resources and development potential of the border area between the two bays in early 2024.

Accordingly, the 5-star LuxGroup cruise offers a 4-6 day journey through heritage bays, combining relaxation and cultural and marine sports experiences. Personalized services and unique activities such as kayaking, trekking, sunset parties, and night tours... create a distinct mark and affirm the capacity of Vietnamese businesses in the international market.

Connecting Halong - Lan Ha is not only opening a sightseeing route, but is also a strategic step to create a sustainable inter-regional tourism space. With consensus and close coordination between the two localities, the "two bays - one destination" journey will be the key to awakening the tourism potential of the North, bringing Vietnam's heritage bays to the international level.

Source: Exploiting journey connecting Halong and Lan Ha bays

Discover Tien Trang beach, the pristine pearl of Thanh Hoa

Tien Trang Beach in Thanh Hoa is one of the most beautiful pristine beaches in Thanh Hoa. Although the infrastructure is still sparse, this place has beautiful natural scenery. Because of this, Tien Trang Beach attracts many tourists from the North to visit every summer. Cheap Vietnam tours

Introduction about Tien Trang beach

Tien Trang Beach is located in Quang Loi Commune, Quang Xuong District, Thanh Hoa Province, 20km south of the city center. Previously, this beach was quite wild but recently it has been invested and developed. Although there have not been many changes, it has become a destination for many tourists who love to travel and explore.

Although not as well known as Sam Son or Hai Tien, Tien Trang Beach has a wonderful natural beauty. The beach is about 2.5km wide, with a total area of 100ha. It has a long white sandbank, clear blue water and rows of green coconut trees along the coast. Therefore, when you come there, you will enjoy the wild beauty, enjoy swimming and admire the wonderful sunset.

In Thanh Hoa, there are four distinct seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The climate is similar to that of the Northern provinces, and Summer is often considered the most suitable time to travel to Tien Trang beach. During this season, the temperature rises and the sunshine is bright, creating ideal conditions for enjoying the sea and swimming. Summer also has less rain and storms, making it convenient for traveling. 

When coming to Tien Trang beach in Thanh Hoa, you cannot miss the experience of swimming in the sea. The strong feeling of big, white waves racing to the shore will make you unforgettable. Besides, the cool sea water in the summer will help you enjoy a refreshing feeling, dispelling the hot and stuffy heat.

Sunrise or sunset on the sea are truly the most wonderful moments. To enjoy the sunrise at Tien Trang beach , you need to wake up at 5 am. In the early morning, the sun gradually rises from the deep sea, bringing the first warm light. This is also the time when fishing boats return from the fishing grounds.

Besides, you can also learn about the fishermen's fishing, learn about life at sea and even enjoy fresh seafood with them. This will bring a unique and profound experience of the sea culture as well as connect with the lives of local people.

Detailed information about how to visit Tien Trang beach 

Tien Trang Beach or Quang Loi Beach is located in Quang Loi Commune, Quang Xuong District; about 20 km south of Thanh Hoa city center. The beach is located in a tourist area of up to 100 hectares and has a coastline stretching 2.5 km. This is an ideal stopover for visitors who want to explore the pristine and poetic natural tourist coordinates of Thanh Hoa land

Although Tien Trang beach has invested in services, it still preserves its original wild beauty. The beach area is planned to harmonize the poetic and charming natural beauty with a relaxing and vibrant entertainment space.

Coming to this poetic beach, you can not only immerse yourself in the charming natural scenery but also experience many interesting and exciting tourist activities such as swimming, kayaking/SUP, team building, camping...

April to early July is the best time for you to plan a visit here. During the summer, many people come to the beaches in Thanh to cool off and organize recreational activities, it is also the time when Thanh Hoa has little rain and is dry, so it is extremely convenient for your travel. In addition, remember to note that after mid-July, Thanh Hoa will have more rain, so if you want to plan a trip, you should follow the weather forecast regularly.

If you depart from Hanoi, you can choose means of transport such as motorbike, car or bus.

- Personal vehicle: The distance from Hanoi to Tien Trang Thanh Hoa beach is about 170 km, taking about 3.5 to 4 hours to travel.

+ Route: Hanoi - National Highway 1 - Phu Ly City (Ha Nam) - National Highway 10 - Ninh Binh City - Tam Diep - Bim Son Town - Thanh Hoa City ? Quang Xuong District - Tien Trang Beach.

- Bus: In Hanoi, you can go to Nuoc Ngam bus station or Giap Bat bus station to buy tickets to Thanh Hoa with prices starting from 200,000 VND. Some reputable bus companies you can consider: Tung Anh, Dung Hien, Tuan Yen, Anh Khoa...

The bus will not take you directly to the tourist destination, so after arriving at the station, you can take a motorbike taxi or taxi to the hotel or to Tien Trang beach.

Attractive activities at Tien Trang beach, Thanh Hoa

Tien Trang Beach has a 2.5 km long coastline, providing an ideal space for visitors to comfortably swim or organize exciting beach tourism activities such as scuba diving, kayaking, team building on the sand...

Many young people often choose to stop and organize picnics and camping on the poetic Tien Trang beach. This is an interesting experience for those who want to immerse themselves in the wild nature and "catch" the picturesque sunrise moment.

Traveling to Tien Trang beach, you will have the opportunity to transform into a real fisherman through interesting experiences such as sitting on a boat going out to sea, fishing, casting nets... Besides learning about the traditional fishing profession in Thanh Hoa, you will listen to the emotional stories of fishermen and enjoy delicious dishes made from fresh seafood just caught.

Around the beach, there are many restaurants specializing in preparing dishes from fresh seafood. Fish porridge, steamed squid eggs with lemongrass, steamed crabs with beer, steamed mantis shrimp, garlic-fried snails... are delicious dishes that you can consider ordering to enjoy.

Attractive destinations near Tien Trang beach

- Eo Gio Bai Ngang (1.9 km away): If you love watching sunrise and sunset on the poetic sea, you can visit Eo Gio Bai Ngang.

- Quang Nham Beach (2.9 km away): Quang Nham is one of the oldest beaches in Thanh Hoa. The beach impresses with its wild and peaceful beauty. This is a destination for swimming, playing and learning about fishing village life, attracting visitors to visit and explore.

- Yen Cat Pagoda (13 km away): Yen Cat Pagoda was built in 1568 and is a sacred spiritual destination that attracts many people to visit, worship, and pray for peace.

Hotels near Tien Trang beach

- Muong Thanh Grand Thanh Hoa Hotel: Voi Intersection, Dong Ve Ward.

- Vinpearl Hotel Thanh Hoa: No. 27 Tran Phu street, Dien Bien ward.

- King Sales Hotel: Lot 18, 19, Area A, Dong Huong Ward.

- Quang Thai Homestay & Restaurant: Village 5, Quang Thai Commune, Quang Xuong District.

- Central Hotel Thanh Hoa: Lot 1 Nguyen Hoang Avenue, Dong Hai Ward.

- Dai Viet Hotel: 19 Phan Chu Trinh, Dien Bien ward.

- Blue Ocean Homestay: Village 6, Quang Thai, Quang Xuong district.

Source: Tien Trang beach in Quang Xuong, Thanh Hoa

Lao Cai tourism continues to record positive growth in early 2025

Lao Cai tourism continued to record positive growth signals in the first 6 months of 2025, especially the steady increase in both segments of guests staying and experiencing. Sapa train

This contributes to affirming the position of the locality on the international tourism map; opening up great space for developing green, unique and culturally profound tourism products, creating a breakthrough contributing to acceleration in the final period of the year.

Experiential and healing tourism is causing a fever

Possessing beautiful natural landscapes, fresh air and tourism activities, professional health and spiritual care services, Lao Cai has great potential to develop experiential and healing tourism with destinations in ethnic villages in Sa Pa, Bac Ha, Tram Tau, Mu Cang Chai... This wave of tourism is increasingly favored by tourists.

Although not as spacious as the homestay villages of Ta Van and Ta Phin, for many tourists - true travel enthusiasts who love nature and indigenous culture, Ban Lien village has long been an ideal place to explore the simple life, imbued with the identity of the ethnic people here; especially the Tay community that has lived there for a long time.

Ms. Huong from Ninh Binh chose to go to Ban Lien in June 2025. In the morning, she woke up to the sound of roosters crowing and the mist still lingering on the thatched roof. In the afternoon, she followed the host to the fields to learn how to tread mud, plant rice, and listen to simple but heartwarming stories. "In Ban Lien, I am no longer a guest. I am simply a person slowing down, listening to the village whispering during the flood season," Huong said.

In recent days, Lao Cai tourism in general and Ban Lien homestay tourism in particular have become keywords that are searched a lot on the internet due to the popularity of the reality TV show "Ha ha family - The days of vast sky" broadcast every Saturday on Vietnam television. The strong spread of the show has contributed to making Ban Lien - a peaceful village of Lao Cai become a sought-after destination this summer.

Ban Lien Homestay of Ms. Vang Thi Thong - a local Tay ethnic woman who also accompanies the cast (member) in the program "Gia Dinh ha ha" has welcomed a record number of guests when the rooms are continuously "sold out" after the program aired. Ms. Thong said that her homestay is fully booked until the end of July 2025. During the peak season in August and September - the time when the rice fields are ripe on the terraced fields - there are only a few days available.

Along with her family's homestay, other homestays in the area also welcomed a high number of guests compared to the same period in 2024 with about 40%. Ms. Vang Thi Hoan (owner of Huong Hoan homestay) said that in the past few days, her family has continuously welcomed guests to experience. "I am very happy to be able to contribute to spreading the beauty of Ban Lien to more tourists."

Currently, experiential and healing tourism is becoming a popular form of mental health care and Lao Cai is a prominent destination attracting many foreign tourists to explore. This type of tourism is expected to contribute significantly to the strong and sustainable growth of the local tourism picture in the last months of 2025 and the following years.

Diversify tourism products

In the first 6 months of 2025, Lao Cai province welcomed more than 7.3 million tourists, of which international visitors reached more than 718 thousand; tourism revenue reached more than 21 trillion VND. Natural landscapes and fresh climate at tourist destinations become attractive destinations for tourists.

With a focus on promoting activities and developing new products, Lao Cai tourism has continued to grow strongly since the first months of the year. The number of tourists during the Lunar New Year, the April 30 - May 1 holidays and weekends has continuously increased compared to the same period in 2024. In particular, Lao Cai province has great potential to attract investment and develop synchronous tourism infrastructure.

According to Lao Cai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the local transportation system is being and will continue to be strongly connected (such as Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway, the expressway connecting Nghia Lo - Tram Tau - Sa Pa in the near future, Sa Pa airport, Thac Ba lake waterway...) will help the tourism industry access a larger customer market on the Kunming - Hanoi - Hai Phong economic corridor. This is an ideal condition for developing typical tourism products associated with international tourism.

In the coming time, Lao Cai will continue to promote the tourism development cooperation program between Ho Chi Minh City and the extended Northwestern provinces. Along with that, the locality will actively introduce and promote attractive tourist destinations, green products, unique experiences and healing to attract domestic and international tourists such as Tram Tau, Thac Ba Lake, Bac Ha, Sa Pa... In particular, the province will continue to promote the diversification of tourism products such as developing tourism products combining eco-tourism - community - high-class resorts; healing tourism with mountain resorts (combining mineral springs, temperate climate, majestic landscapes); adventure tourism, unique ecology, creating exclusive tourism products of regional scale. At the same time, the province will pay special attention to developing sustainable tourism associated with nature conservation and creating more livelihoods for people.

Lao Cai strives to welcome about 12.3 million visitors by 2025, with estimated revenue of 46.7 trillion VND. It is expected that by 2030, the province will welcome about 16.5 million visitors, with estimated revenue of 74.8 trillion VND, becoming a key economic sector; contributing significantly to the province's growth.

Source: Big room for Lao Cai tourism to accelerate

Experience night tourism activities in Halong city

Quang Ninh is aiming for high-class night tourism experiences to promote the night economy - a strength and also one of the tourism development orientations of the province. Indochina Junk

With its existing potential in infrastructure and tourism, Quang Ninh is currently focusing on the night-time economy to maximize these advantages.

The development of the night economy not only promotes shopping and spending of tourists but also opens up opportunities to position the Quang Ninh brand as the center of the night economy in the region.

According to many tourists, in addition to the attraction of Ha Long Bay , beautiful islands and beaches, walking on the walking street, night market with bright lights, enjoying countless delicious street food or exploring diverse cultural activities... are also extremely unique and new experiences for tourists.

For example, the Halong Marina Street Fest night walking street (Bai Hoat ward) is different from simple night markets because it is planned as an "open festival", with an international walking street style with many amenities and diverse experiences for all ages.

Every week, Halong Marina Street Fest night walking street has a fresh, attractive theme and is full of gifts for attendees.

The festival space is divided into many unique zones, such as: 100 food stalls, more than 2,000m2 for children to play, daily golden hour promotions at the shopping area, check-in with 3D paintings... Children, young people or multi-generational families can easily find their own joy in the space of this night street festival.

A British tourist said that he was very satisfied with many traditional Vietnamese dishes and seafood from Quang Ninh. However, what made this tourist even more excited was the unexpected experience of the vibrant festival space at the Halong Marina Street Fest night walking street.

According to the organizer of the night walking street, after 3 days of opening (July 10-12), the Halong Marina Street Fest night walking street attracted over 12,000 visitors, promising to become an attractive destination, contributing to creating excitement and promoting the night economy in Quang Ninh.

BIM Group - the investor of the night walking street said that developing tourism products, especially night economic products, is one of the group's orientations to keep up with the trend of sustainable urban development. When putting into operation the Halong Marina Street Fest night street, the Group will continue to work with partners, attracting more attractive booths and services to serve the people and tourists.

In the near future, the investor of the night walking street will continue to research new products, including a large-scale, spectacular water music show scheduled to launch next September.

Not only Bim Group, but also large corporations are making efforts to invest in many night-time economic products in Quang Ninh. In particular, Ha Long Sun Limited Liability Company (Sun Group) recently organized an artistic fireworks display at the beach area of Sun Carnival Square, Fireworks Bay.

Accordingly, fireworks will be launched every week at 9:30 p.m., from now until September 2, 2025.

In particular, not only can visitors watch fireworks from the viewing points on the shore, they can choose a more special way to enjoy fireworks with a sumptuous dinner right in the area of Ha Long International Passenger Port or on cruise ships.

In addition, the Vui-Fest night market opposite the fireworks area, with more than 30 stalls offering culinary experiences, souvenirs, drinks, refreshment stalls and a drinking game area, will also bring visitors extremely memorable experiences.

Recognizing the importance of culture in tourism, in recent years in Quang Ninh there have been many music shows from small to large, with many famous singers and artists, held at many locations in the province. With the effort to develop, innovate and create, the music nights have contributed to increasing the night tourism experience, attracting tourists to Quang Ninh.

For example, in early June, the live performance show combined with cuisine "Finding the Pearl" was launched by Asia Luxury Cruise Group Joint Stock Company at Ngoc Rong Cave (or Bat Cave) in Vung Duc Historical and Scenic Area, Cam Pha Ward. With the application of multimedia technology combined with performing arts, culinary quintessence, and honoring local culture, this show has become a special highlight attracting tourists.

Recently, at Tuan Chau International Passenger Port, Ha Long Tourist Boat Association has also put into operation the Night Cruise Street experience with operating hours from 5-11pm every day.

According to the schedule, the cruise departs from Tuan Chau International Passenger Port, taking visitors on the 8th sightseeing tour on Ha Long Bay announced by Quang Ninh province in 2024 (Tuan Chau International Passenger Port - Ha Long International Passenger Port - Nam Cau Trang Port). With this itinerary, visitors will be able to explore Ha Long at night, admire famous landmarks and structures, and enjoy unique cultural, artistic and culinary spaces right on the cruise.

It can be said that Quang Ninh tourism industry is currently receiving a strong "wave" of investment from large corporations and enterprises, especially in night-time economic products. This is a good sign, signaling the revival of the tourism industry in this province.

According to experts, the night-time economy can account for up to 70% of tourism revenue. Therefore, developing the night-time economy helps to maximize tourism advantages, meet the trends and needs of tourists, help retain tourists longer and maximize profits for the tourism industry.

In addition, "opening up" the night-time economy is also considered a "gold mine" for the tourism industry, contributing to economic growth, while also expecting to turn Quang Ninh into a modern service and industrial province by 2030.

In order to fully exploit the potential and develop the night-time economy, the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province approved the Pilot Project of the night-time economic development model in Quang Ninh province for the period 2023-2025 in September 2023. The project aims to exploit the potential of night-time economic development to maximize new economic development opportunities, improve people's income and living standards. This is a great opportunity to promote night-time economic development in Quang Ninh.

Source: Quang Ninh aims for high-class night tourism

Creating momentum for Dien Bien tourism to take off

With its great historical values, the Dien Bien Phu Battlefield National Historical Site is considered a revolutionary museum of the whole country, an attractive destination for domestic and foreign tourists when coming to Dien Bien in particular and the Northwest in general. Tours to northwest Vietnam

The Resolution of the Dien Bien Provincial Party Committee and the Dien Bien Provincial Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, determined that: Dien Bien takes tourism as a spearhead economy for sustainable development, with a focus on promoting potentials, advantages, preserving and promoting historical and cultural values of ethnic groups. The most special and different tourism product of Dien Bien is historical-spiritual tourism. This is the core advantage for Dien Bien province to promote historical values and attract tourists.

The Dien Bien Phu Battlefield National Historical Site, associated with the Dien Bien Phu victory, is one of the 10 especially important national relics ranked first in the country. Dien Bien province identifies this as an important resource, a prominent key product for development, creating unique tourism products about the history and culture of the Northwest region in particular and the whole country.

Currently, at the Dien Bien Phu Battlefield National Historical Relic Site, there are 45 component relics that are valuable relics, with a particularly important role, becoming symbols of the inheritance and promotion of the glorious historical tradition, thousands of years of building and defending the country of the Vietnamese people.

This place has great historical value and significance around the world, and is also one of the unique and valuable resources not only of Dien Bien province but also of the whole country, which needs to be cared for, preserved, protected, and promoted for tourism development.

Over the years, Dien Bien province has made efforts to invest, restore and preserve historical relics with support from the Central Government, organizations, individuals and people nationwide to develop them into important destinations in tourists' sightseeing tours.

Up to now, all 46 relic sites have been identified as protected area I; 30/46 relic sites have protected area II; 28/46 relic sites have markers in the field; 23/46 relic sites have complete scientific records; 10/46 relic sites have been preserved, restored, and built cultural and spiritual works; 6/46 relic sites have been included in the collection of visiting fees; 1/46 relic sites have revenue from donations (Martyrs' Temple at Dien Bien Phu Battlefield in Hill F relic site).

Typical relic sites such as A1 Hill, Dien Bien Phu Base Group Command, D1 Hill - Dien Bien Phu Victory Monument, Dien Bien Phu Campaign Command in Muong Phang, Martyrs' Temple at Dien Bien Phu Battlefield on F Hill... are attractive destinations, attracting a large number of domestic and international tourists.

In addition, the Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum is preserving over 4,000 artifacts, including technical means and combat weapons of the Vietnam People's Army and the French side. The highlight is the Panorama painting recreating the Dien Bien Phu Campaign in the past, which is considered by the art world to be one of the 10 largest paintings in the world on the theme of war, recreating the entire 56-day and night campaign that "resounded throughout the five continents and shook the world".

Those historical values have become a great potential for Dien Bien tourism industry to plan, exploit, and create cultural and historical tourism products to attract domestic and foreign tourists to experience and learn about a heroic historical period of the nation.

Along with that, Dien Bien province currently has 22 intangible cultural heritages included in the list of national intangible cultural heritages by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Of which, 2 heritages "Then practice of Tay, Nung, Thai people in Vietnam" and "Thai Xoe art" are recognized by UNESCO as representative intangible cultural heritages of humanity.

The listed heritages are an important basis for Dien Bien to promote the development of experiential tourism models associated with indigenous culture, encourage creativity in conservation, promote unique cultural values associated with tourism development, and contribute to creating sustainable livelihoods for ethnic minorities in Dien Bien.

In order to attract and retain tourists to the Dien Bien Phu Battlefield National Historical Site, in recent times, Dien Bien province has carried out zoning, marking, focusing on restoration, embellishment and putting into use, promoting the values of the relic sites of A1 Hill, Dien Bien Phu Campaign Command Headquarters, monument at Muong Phang Victory Park; Dien Bien Phu Victory Monument; renovating and upgrading the Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum, building the President Ho Chi Minh Memorial House and investing in additional construction items at the E2 Hill relic site... At the same time, improving and perfecting the skills of the tourism workforce, especially the tour guides, while strengthening the introduction, promotion and linking historical tourism with festivals and many other activities...

Dien Bien shines in the northwest of the country

The component relics of the Dien Bien Phu Battlefield National Historical Relic Site, after being preserved, restored and put into operation, have promoted their value, becoming attractive destinations, key tourism resources and competitive advantages of Dien Bien province, contributing significantly to attracting and retaining tourists when they come to visit and explore Dien Bien.

In addition, Dien Bien province has actively participated in important fairs, seminars, and tourism events in localities and tourist centers across the country; periodically organized the Ban Flower Festival and the Cultural, Sports and Tourism Festival of Dien Bien ethnic groups; the Cherry Blossom Festival - Dien Bien Phu; signed a tourism development cooperation program with 8 provinces in the Northwest region, effectively expanded and implemented memorandums of understanding between Dien Bien and the provinces of Northern Laos, Northeast Thailand, and Yunnan province - China; surveyed the tourism product "Tua Chua - Pristine and mysterious beauty"; organized the Northwest - Dien Bien Quintessence Festival in 2025...

Along with building and developing tourism products, Dien Bien province also focuses on propaganda, publishing, and distributing documents, handbooks, and tourism information such as brochures, leaflets, and tourist maps; producing videos and clips promoting relics. Regularly organizing activities, events, and festivals to introduce and promote the Dien Bien Phu Victory, the Dien Bien Phu Battlefield relic, and promote the cultural heritage values of Dien Bien province to a large number of people, friends, and domestic and international tourists...

Identifying historical tourism as the starting point and also the bridge for Dien Bien to develop other types of tourism, in the period of 2021 - 2025, the province has invested in developing infrastructure, trade, tourism, services, hotels, and entertainment. Many key projects such as Dien Bien Airport have been put into operation, opening up important connections between Dien Bien and major provinces and cities across the country; the Son La - Dien Bien - Tay Trang International Border Gate Expressway project, phase 1, has been urgently studied for investment and construction, contributing to creating momentum for Dien Bien tourism to take off.

2024 is also the second year Dien Bien has reached the milestone of welcoming over 1 million visitors, of which international tourists reached 11,500, an increase of 1.53 times over the same period in 2023. Total revenue from tourism activities reached 3,300 billion VND, an increase of 1.88 times over the same period in 2023.

In the first 6 months of 2025 alone, Dien Bien province welcomed 824.9 thousand tourists, reaching 56.9% of the plan, of which international visitors reached nearly 7.5 thousand, reaching 2.5% of the plan. Total revenue from tourism activities reached 1,492.1 billion VND, reaching 62.2% of the plan.

Dien Bien currently has 22 intangible cultural heritages included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Of which, 2 heritages "Then practice of the Tay, Nung, Thai people in Vietnam" and "Thai Xoe art" were recognized by UNESCO as representative intangible cultural heritages of humanity.

Tourism activities in Dien Bien have created jobs for thousands of local workers, showing that Dien Bien's tourism development potential is huge and attractive to domestic and foreign economic sectors.

This is a positive signal, a premise for Dien Bien province to make a breakthrough in 2025 and the following years to strive to build Dien Bien into a tourist center of the Northern Midlands and Mountains region.

71 years after the Dien Bien Phu Victory, from a land heavily devastated by war, Dien Bien today has taken on a completely new appearance, both preserving the traditional cultural values of 19 ethnic groups and shining brightly in the far west of the country.

Source: Dien Bien tourism shines in the northwest region

Ninh Binh tourism reaching out in the new era

After the merger, Ninh Binh province is facing a major turning point. From a land with many distinct potentials, it has now formed a large tourism space with diverse ecology, culture, terrain, products and human resources. That not only brings breakthrough opportunities, but also poses urgent requirements for vision, planning and new ways of doing things so that the tourism industry can truly become a spearhead economic sector as expected. Ninh Binh tours

New space, new opportunities

The three merged provinces are all part of the Northern Delta cultural space, the cradle of wet rice civilization. Although there are similarities in beliefs, customs, languages and community activities, each locality possesses a separate tourism ecosystem, creating a perfect complement after the merger.

Ha Nam has a semi-mountainous terrain with a typical lowland ecosystem, notably a system of famous landscapes such as Tam Chuc Lake, Ngu Dong Son, Kem Trong, Bat Canh Tien... Besides, there is a huge treasure trove of cultural heritage with a high density of ranked relics: 97 national relics, 2 special national relics, 14 intangible cultural heritages and a series of typical folk festivals such as Tich Dien Doi Son festival, Tran Thuong temple salary distribution ceremony. Traditional craft villages such as Doi Tam drums, Nha Xa weaving, Quyet Thanh pottery, Ngoc Dong rattan weaving... and rustic cuisine such as Phu Ly spring rolls, Nhan Hau braised fish, peanut rice cakes... also contribute to the identity of Ha Nam tourism.

Nam Dinh also owns a 72km long coastline with a typical coastal mangrove ecosystem, especially Xuan Thuy National Park, the first mangrove area in Southeast Asia recognized under the RAMSAR Convention and the core area of the Red River Delta Biosphere Reserve recognized by UNESCO. Intangible cultural heritage such as the worship of the Mother Goddess of the Three Palaces, along with a system of special national relics such as Tran Temple, Phu Day, Co Le Pagoda, Hong Quang traditional water puppetry village, Cat Dang lacquerware, Hai Minh mother-of-pearl inlay, etc. make Nam Dinh a "living cultural museum" in the middle of the Northern Delta.

Ninh Binh continues to maintain its position as the “capital of heritage tourism” with a rare karst terrain in the delta, notably the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, Vietnam’s first mixed heritage recognized by UNESCO. Other famous destinations such as Tam Coc-Bich Dong, Bai Dinh Pagoda , Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Phat Diem Stone Church, Cuc Phuong National Park and Van Long Nature Reserve create a rich ecosystem from rocky mountains, tropical rainforests to wetlands. Ninh Binh currently has 379 ranked relics, of which 78 are national relics and 3 are special national relics, the highest number in the region. The merger has expanded the tourism space of the new Ninh Binh to nearly 4,500km2, three times the previous area and extended the coastline from 15km to 87km.

This is an outstanding advantage to strongly develop marine, ecological, resort, and coastal agricultural tourism, which was very limited before the merger. Large space, rich resources, and multi-layered identity will help Ninh Binh not only be a destination, but also become a new tourism growth pole of the Red River Delta region.

The merger of the three localities will be an opportunity for Ha Nam, Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh to supplement the advantages of each locality and enrich and deepen the tourism advantages of the new Ninh Binh province after the merger. This is a particularly important factor to develop specific tourism products, create differences and competitive advantages of destinations to develop tourism to truly become an important economic sector, making a more positive contribution to the socio-economic development of the locality.

The tourism sector is currently consulting to re-evaluate the potentials and advantages of culture, heritage... to supplement the orientations for tourism development in the coming time. In the immediate future, the tourism sector will establish inter-provincial heritage axes such as: Trang An-Bai Dinh-Tam Chuc-Tran Temple-Phu Day-Xuan Thuy; at the same time, re-plan national tourist areas such as Trang An, Tam Chuc, Van Trinh-Ken Ga; promote the development of Net Zero tourism products associated with climate change adaptation in the core area of ??Kim Son-Giao Thuy mangrove forest and Cuc Phuong-Van Long National Park.

However, many challenges are being posed to the tourism industry in the transitional period, especially the "old path" of thinking about developing single-route tourism, according to old administrative boundaries, which needs to be eliminated. To have a smokeless industry worthy of being a "spearhead", a comprehensive development strategy is needed, establishing a new role for Ninh Binh tourism in the regional and national planning system. At the same time, the infrastructure connecting the destinations of the three localities needs to be upgraded synchronously to create a seamless and convenient tourism network.

According to Ninh Binh Tourism authorities, a noteworthy issue in the current tourism development process is the risk of fading away Ninh Binh Tourism brands Reaching out in the new era, tourism brands associated with old district-level landmarks. Names such as "Phu Ly", "Kim Bang", "Hoa Lu", "Nho Quan", "Giao Thuy", "Xuan Thuy" ... are not only administrative names but also cultural, historical, and tourist symbols, and the pride of local people. Therefore, the tourism development process must pay special attention to historical and cultural factors... creating a humane and profound story about the lands, thereby creating attractive destinations with high cultural content.

Ms. Mai Huong, a tourist from Hanoi, displayed her feelings after this year's pilgrimage: "In the past, every time we went on a spiritual tour, we often had to travel through many different provinces: from Tran Temple (Nam Dinh), then to Bai Dinh Pagoda (Ninh Binh), Tam Chuc (Ha Nam), Huong Pagoda (Hanoi). Now, it is surprising that most of those destinations belong to one locality, the new Ninh Binh province. This opens up many advantages for both tourists and tourism businesses. I hope that the local government will not only invest in traffic infrastructure, parking lots, and toilets, but also focus on training a team of tour guides who are knowledgeable about beliefs and history to build this spiritual route into a key tourist route in the North, both solemn and civilized, and bringing profound experiences to visitors from all over the world.”

Reality shows that although Ninh Binh tourism potential after the merger is huge, to turn the potential into a real competitive advantage, it is necessary to have methodical steps and long-term strategies. Along with investing in infrastructure and strengthening regional connectivity, the local government and tourism industry need to focus on reorganizing tourism spaces across the province, adjusting planning to suit the new stature, while improving management capacity and service quality.

This requires a synchronous development strategy, from applying digital transformation to connect heritage areas, building digital tourism maps and smart electronic ticket systems; to improving the quality of human resources capable of multi-regional interpretation, understanding local culture; at the same time, encouraging conservation and creativity in developing tourism products associated with craft villages, festivals and specific ecology. Only then can Ninh Binh tourism after the merger truly reach new heights in the new era, firmly stepping on the journey to become the center of heritage tourism of the whole country, and further in Southeast Asia.

Source: Ninh Binh tourism after the merger

Peaceful beauty of Khuoi My village

For generations, terraced fields have not only been a suitable place for cultivation in mountainous terrain, but also a vivid symbol of the union between man and nature in the remote land of Ha Giang. Ha Giang loop tours

Amidst the immense mountains of Ha Giang, each flood season is like a new love song being sung, shimmering and magical. In that enchanting general picture, Khuoi My - a highland village of Ha Giang, quietly shines, bearing the pure beauty of the harmony of heaven and earth, of the hands of the Dzao people persistently writing the golden seasons on the mountain slopes.

Khuoi My enters the flooding season around the end of June and the beginning of July every year, when the first rains of the season pour down relentlessly on the highlands. Each terraced field, dry after a long winter, begins to "awaken", welcoming the water from the source, shimmering on the field surface, sparkling like a mirror in the afternoon sun.

The water surface reflects the clouds and sky, and also reflects the diligent figures of the Dao people bending over to lead water, build banks, and clear the fields. The scenery is both poetic and imbued with the soul of the countryside - a rustic yet profound soul that makes anyone who sees it just once feel attached to it forever.

The terraced fields in the flood season are a season of shifting colors. The highest point is the dark brown of newly turned soil, the middle of the field is the shimmering silver of water, and the low places have a touch of fresh green. The whole space is like a giant brocade, woven from the hands and aspirations of the highland farmers. Under the gentle sunlight, everything seems to blur, melting into each other in a melody of thriving life.

The Dao people in Khuoi My have long preserved and developed the traditional terraced field cultivation technique, not only as a production method but also as a way of life, a part of their cultural identity. They skillfully lead water from streams, evenly distributing it to each field using a system of wooden and bamboo gutters. Each field is neatly bordered, square and sharp, stacked on top of each other like steps leading to the blue sky.

Mr. Ly Van Sinh (born in 1952, Dzao ethnic group), who has spent his whole life working with the terraced fields in Khuoi My, said: “Our ancestors left these fields as treasures. Every year when the water season comes, the whole village bustles down to the fields, some leading buffaloes, others carrying hoes like a festival of heaven and earth. Many tourists come here, they say this place is as beautiful as a painting. As for us, it is our flesh and blood, our life, our pride.”

Not noisy, not ostentatious, Khuoi My has a quiet charm. Visitors coming here during the flood season not only admire the spectacular scenery but also slow down, listen to the sound of water flowing from bamboo troughs, the sound of roosters crowing from the distant mountainside, the clear laughter of highland children playing by the stream.

In the group of international tourists who recently visited Khuoi My, Ms. Claire Lambert (from Lyon, France) said: “I have been to many places in Asia, but have never seen such beautiful winding rice fields. The land, water, sky and people blend perfectly. Every photo I took here is like a painting. I hope this place will be preserved intact and become a must-see destination for any tourist”. Every season of flooding passes, a new rice season is formed. Each sprout grows from the warm alluvial layer, each drop of sweat soaks into the ground, and the next crop will bloom heavily, bringing enough food to many families. But more than rice, it is the spiritual values - from labor, attachment to nature to community life, that create the cultural depth of Khuoi My terraced fields in particular and Hoang Su Phi in general. The water pouring season in Khuoi My not only fills the fields but also "fills" people's hearts with beauty, with humanity and with rustic things that seem to have receded in the modern pace of life. In the middle of passionate July, try to come back there once to see the earth and sky meet on the water surface of the terraced fields, to touch the "soul of the plateau", where the rustic beauty and humanity are still intact as in the beginning.

Source: Visit Khuoi My village in Ha Giang

מנות מקומיות מיוחדות בהאנוי שאסור לפספס

 המטבח ההאנוי בולט כבירת הקולינריה התוססת של וייטנאם, ומציע אוצר בלום של טעמים ומרקמים המושכים חובבי אוכל מכל קצוות תבל.

סיורים ושירותי נסיעות בהאנוי

העיר ידועה בתרבות אוכל הרחוב התוססת שלה, המשגשגת בזכות עסקים קטנים בבעלות משפחתית, שבהם מתכונים עוברים לעתים קרובות מדור לדור. רחובות הרובע העתיק רצופים בדוכנים המוכרים מגוון מנות, החל מבון צ'ה ועד באן מי ופו.

המטבח ההאנוי, המאופיין באיזון עדין של טעמים, שונה משאר המדינה. מנות דרומיות נוטות להיות מתוקות וחריפות יותר. מנות ההאנוי מסתמכות על שימוש עדין בטעמים מתוקים, מלוחים, חמוצים ואומאמי. המטרה היא לתת לטעמים הטבעיים של המרכיבים לזרוח.

מתכונים מקומיים מדגישים את השימוש במרכיבים טריים ממקור מקומי. עשבי תיבול טריים כמו כוסברה, בזיליקום, נענע ופרילה ממלאים תפקיד מכריע בשיפור הטעמים ובמתן ניגוד מרענן במנות רבות. בינתיים, שפע מקורות המים המתוקים באזור תורם גם לשימוש בדגים, שרימפס ויצורים ימיים וירקות שונים במטבח.

בעוד שפו, מרק האטריות הווייטנאמי האייקוני, גונב לעתים קרובות את אור הזרקורים, האנוי מתגאה במגוון מגוון של מנות הראויות לתשומת לב שווה. השפית ההאנוי, סאם טרה, התמחתה במטבחים של מלבורן, אוסטרליה, במשך 10 שנים, אך מקדמת בגאווה את תענוגות הקולינריה של מולדתה. היא הפיקה מדריך משלה עם הטיפים המובילים למסעדות ברחבי העיר, אותו היא אוהבת לחלוק עם לקוחותיה.

להלן המנות שחובה לנסות בהאנוי שלדעתה אסור לכם לפספס.

בון צ'ה - חזיר בגריל עם אטריות

בון צ'ה, מנת קציצות בשר וייטנאמית, היא טיפוסית להאנוי. השילוב המעורר תיאבון של קציצות חזיר בגריל, אטריות ורמיצ'לי, עשבי תיבול טריים ורוטב טבילה חמצמץ הוא מרכיב עיקרי באוכל הרחוב של הבירה. לאחר ביקור במסעדת בון צ'ה, ניחוח מעושן של בשר בגריל ממלא את האוויר. קציצות החזיר הרכות מועשרות להפליא ברוטב דגים מתוק ומלוח ומשולבות עם עשבי תיבול טריים ואטריות.

בדרך כלל, רוטב המטבילה מוגש בטמפרטורת החדר. עם זאת, בעת הכנת החזיר, הקציצה טובלת מיד ברוטב המטבילה לצורך השרייה. לאחר מכן, תערובת מענגת זו מתובלת לצד ירקות טריים ואטריות, ויוצרת סימפוניה הרמונית של טעמים המגלמת בצורה יפה את מהות העיר.

נסו כאן:

- Tuyet Bun Cha 34, כתובת רחוב Hang Than 34, האנוי

- Bun Cha Ta, כתובת רחוב Nguyen Huu Huan 21, האנוי

Com Dao - אורז מוקפץ

השפית טראן חולקת את אהבתה לאורז מוקפץ טוב, או com dao, בהאנוי. היא מחפשת מנה משביעה המורכבת מאורז מוקפץ ריחני המוגשת עם תוספות שונות, כמו שליו מטוגן. מגוון התוספות כולל בדרך כלל חזיר צלוי, ירקות כבושים, טופו מטוגן ומבחר מענג של רטבים לטבילה.

דג בגריל עם אטריות

צ'ה קה, שפירושו דג מטוגן, מקורו ברחוב ברובע העתיק של האנוי בעל אותו שם. הוא מורכב מכורכום ושמיר, שהם עוד מאכל מיוחד מהאנוי שתגרה את בלוטות הטעם שלכם. ארוחה לוהטת זו, מלאה בדגים רכים מושרים בכורכום, עמוסה בשמיר טרי, בוטנים ומנה בצד של אטריות אורז. זוהי פרץ מענג של טעמים ומרקמים טריים. לאחר מכן, האורחים יכולים להחליט בעצמם את איזון המרכיבים לכל ביס.

נסו כאן:

- צ'ה קה טאנג לונג, כתובת רחוב דואנג טאנה 21, האנוי

- צ'ה קה אן וו, כתובת רחוב ג'יאנג וו 120, האנוי

באן קואן - גלילי נייר אורז

באן קואן הוא מאכל מסורתי המציג את המומחיות של האנוי בגלילי נייר אורז. בבאן קואן בה שואן, שתי אחיות מסורות חולקות את המשמרות במטבח, כל אחת תורמת את המגע הייחודי שלה לחוויה קולינרית זו. בבוקר, האחות הראשונה מכינה נייר אורז עבה יותר המעניק מרקם ייחודי לגלילים. כאשר אחיה יקבל פיקוד אחר הצהריים, הסועדים יכולים לצפות למעבר לנייר אורז עדין הרבה יותר ודק כנייר.

לחמניות שקופות אלה מוגשות עם מגוון מילויים עדינים. עבור אלו המחפשים אופציה קלילה יותר, בשר חזיר טחון ופטריות אוזני עץ מלווים בעשבי תיבול טריים ורוטב טבילה, וכתוצאה מכך נוצר ביס טעים. קציצת בשר חזיר ונקניקיות היא בחירה טובה לארוחת בוקר או כחטיף. הסועדים יכולים להתאים אישית את חוויית הטעם שלהם עם עשבי תיבול טריים, צ'ילי, ליים ושום.

נסו כאן:

Banh Cuon Ba Xuan, כתובת רחוב Hoe Nhai 16, האנוי

בון ריו קואה (מרק צלול עם סרטן)

המנה האחרונה המומלצת היא בעלת טעם עז הרבה יותר מהמנות האחרות בהאנוי. בון ריו הוא ציר ייחודי ועשיר העשוי מסרטן. הציר מוכן בדרך כלל על ידי טחינת סרטני מים מתוקים, כולל הקונכיות, למשחה דקה. לאחר מכן, משחה זו מבושלת עם תבלינים שונים, כגון עגבניות עשירות, משחת שרימפס, ולפעמים טופו או חזיר. התוצאה היא מרק טעים, מעט חמצמץ ומלוח, המוגש בדרך כלל עם אטריות ורמיצ'לי אורז עגולות.

בון ריו בהאנוי משקף את המרכיבים המקומיים ואת המסורות הקולינריות של עיר הבירה. השימוש בסרטני מים מתוקים, שילוב הטופו והחזיר, והתפקיד הבולט של העגבניות הם היבטים מרכזיים שהופכים את הגרסה ההאנויית לייחודית.

קפה ביצים

לא יכולנו לסיים את שיחתנו על הסצנה הקולינרית המרגשת של העיר בלי לדון בקפה הביצים המפורסם. ההיסטוריה העשירה של האנוי משתקפת במטבח שלה והמורשת הקולוניאלית הצרפתית ניכרת בפריטים כמו בגטים (באן מי) וקפה.

בעיצומה של עליית תרבות הקפה בסוף שנות ה-60, בעל חזון מהאנוי שינה את האופן שבו הווייטנאמים נהנו מהקפה שלהם. טראן הסביר שמר נגוין היה בריסטה במלון מטרופול. זו הייתה תקופה שבה הקפה עדיין השאיר את חותמו בווייטנאם.

באותה תקופה, קפה נחשב למותרות. רק העשירים יכלו להרשות לעצמם את החלב שבדרך כלל ליווה אותו. אבל מר נגוין רצה שהקפה יהיה נגיש לכולם. מכיוון שביצים היו בשפע, הוא החליט להשתמש בהן כדי ליצור תערובת קפה עשירה וקרמית שכולם יוכלו ליהנות ממנה.

תערובת ייחודית זו, שהוקצפה לציפוי מקציף ועסיסי, הייתה להיט מיידי. קפה הביצים הפך לסנסציה. נרגש מהצלחתו, מר נגוין פתח בית קפה בהאנוי, שם הגיש את המתכון החדש והאגדי שלו. כיום, המסורת של התענגות על כוס קפה ביצים קטיפתית ממשיכה לחיות, עדות לחזונו של אדם אחד ולמארג העשיר של התרבות הוייטנאמית.

Source: מאכלים מקומיים שחייבים לטעום מישראלים בהאנוי