Malaysia rolls out the welcome mat

Vietnam is among the tourism markets that Malaysia is targeting in a major promotion campaign launched last week in Kuala Lumpur.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 campaign at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak told an audience of more than 5,000 Malaysians and 110 foreign reporters and photojournalists from 25 countries, that attracting more foreign tourists to the country is a "national mission".

Foreign tourists visit the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. 

— VNS Photo Van Dat

It is not just the Tourism Ministry but all the state agencies and the Malaysian people who have to join hands in accomplishing this mission, he said.

"Every Malaysian has a role to make this a successful campaign, be they taxi drivers, customs employees, hotel receptionists, travel agents or even common citizens.

"Everyone must be able to convince potential tourists that they will have a great time in Malaysia," Razak said.

The campaign will run throughout 2013, with the target of attracting 28 million foreign tourists in 2014.

Latest data from the Malaysian Tourism Ministry showed that the sector is the third largest contributor to Malaysia's foreign exchange earnings with total revenues of MYR 58.3 billion (US$19.35 billion) in 2011.

Tourism-related industries in Malaysia employed almost two million people in 2011.

The number of Vietnamese tourists visiting Malaysia, the second largest tourist attraction in the Asia-Pacific region and the ninth largest in the world, remains rather low compared with other ASEAN countries in recent years.

According to statistics released by Malaysian Tourism Ministry, during the first nine months last year, only around 170,000 Vietnamese tourists visited the country, compared to roughly 10 million from Thailand.

Tourists from Singapore, with which Malaysia shares a border in the southernmost part of the country, also made up the same figure.

The Malaysian Tourism Ministry ranks Viet Nam the fourth lowest among ten ASEAN countries in the number of visitors to Malaysia, above Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.

Statistics also showed Vietnamese prefer travelling Thailand although both countries have similar infrastructure and services.

By 2020, the Malaysian tourism industry is expected to attract 36 million tourists and record MYR168 billion (US$56 billion) in revenues. 

Hanoi - Best tourist attractions

Hanoi is growing to be one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world, for many reasons. Here, travelers are greeted with rich Vietnamese culture and evident French colonial heritage, offering visitors a unique travel experience.

For a more memorable tour in Hanoi, here are some of the best tourist attractions in Hanoi that each visitor should not miss.

Nature Trip

If you love nature and want a revitalizing tour in Hanoi’s natural attractions, seeing some of Hanoi’s lakes is one of the best activities you should do in Vietnam. The country is home to some of the most beautiful lakes in the world, including Hoan Kiem Lake.

Located at the centre of the city’s business district, the lake is accessible and is a great location to add to your itinerary if you want to explore Vietnam’s capital. This lake can also be marveled from the 18th century Ngoc Son Temple that sits on the centre of this lake.  Because this lake is protected and taken care of, it is not rare to see turtles, providing tourists an opportunity to be in touch with nature.

Historical Spots

Another best way to feel the spirit of the place is to have a glimpse of Hanoi’s history through visiting its museums. There is a wide range of museums to visit in Hanoi. One of the best ones is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, which is named after Vietnam’s national hero.

Although Vietnam’s capital, Ho Chi Minch City, was named after this national hero; plenty of historical artifacts are housed in the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi. This museum is situated at the French administrative centre of Ville Francaise.

If you want to enrich your tour, you can also visit Hanoi’s Opera House, which is the most famous architectural and cultural monuments in Hanoi. Located at August Revolution Square, Hanoi’s Opera House is accessible from other attractions such as Vietnam History Museum and Hoan Keim Lake.

City and Shopping Spots

Hanoi also offers wonderful shopping centers that tourists should see before leaving the city. One of the shopping spots that each visitor should not miss is the Old Quarter, where they can buy souvenir items.

Hanoi is located 1760 km north of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. It is 120 km west from Hai Phone City and 700km from Hue City, where the famous historic monuments are located. High end hotels perfect for business travels as well as vacations trips line up in this city’s central business district.

Apart from being home to great historical spots, the city is also a popular vacation spot because of its pleasant climate all year round. For this reason, tourists flock to this city at any time of the year.

Discovering Mang Lang church

Mang Lang Church is one of the oldest churches in Vietnam imbued with an architectural style of the 19th century.

Mang Lang Church is located near the Ky Lo River, in An Thach Commune, Tuy An District, Phu Yen Province. When coming to the famous area of Nhan Mountain and the Da River, visitors do not want to miss a chance to visit the serene ancient church of Mang Lang, a popular destination.

The church was built in 1892 by Joseph de La Cassagne, a French priest, who was called Co Xuan by the locals.

The unique name of this church comes from the name of a rare variety of tree, called Mang Lang, which has a large canopy, oval leaves, and purple flowers. More than one hundred years ago, An Thach was a deserted area with forests of Mang Lang trees. Nowadays, these forests no longer exist but in the church there is still a round table made from Mang Lang wood with a diameter of 1.5m.

The church with an airy precinct, covering 5,000m2, is shaded by lush trees and rows of Sa-ke (breadfruit) trees, scientifically known as Artocarpus altilis. Originally, the church was painted white but it now becomes dark-grey and looks like a painting near the Ky Lo River.

The facade of the church was designed in the Gothic architectural style with two steeples, one on each side of the ancient mossy cross. Inside the church, tourists can see two dangling ropes that are used to ring the church bells on special occasions.

The two sides of the church’s lobby were designed in an eye-catching pyramid style. The chancel, with colorful windows, yellow-brown walls and a wooden ceiling on which ancient lights are hung, leaves a strong impression on Vietnam tourism.

The pathway shaded by two rows of betel trees leads tourists to Mang Lang Church with its gate always open to welcome those who want to mingle in a peaceful and quiet space, separated from the bustling outside world.

Here, tourists also behold small statues, ancient grey walls and a praying table that create a mystery and holiness for the Mang Lang Church.

A rare escape in bustling Vietnam

The morning was overcast after a night of thunderstorms, but we were determined to spend as many daylight hours as possible on Sao Beach, the white sand haven rumored to be among the most beautiful spots on Phu Quoc, an island 30 miles off the west coast of Vietnam.

It was my first time operating a motorcycle, but I handled the Honda with the confidence of a veteran, zipping alongside my boyfriend, Caleb, through rain-filled potholes on red clay streets. The morning was overcast after a night of thunderstorms, but we were determined to spend as many daylight hours as possible on Sao Beach, the white sand haven rumored to be among the most beautiful spots onPhu Quoc, an island 30 miles off the west coast of Vietnam.

It was somewhere near a street market selling the island’s signature products (black pepper, fish sauce and saltwater pearls) that we took a wrong turn and ended up looping back toward Phu Quoc National Park, whose forests, mountains and beaches cover roughly 70 percent of the 222-square-mile island. There, on a rough stretch of highway, the Honda slid from beneath me and I ended up sprawled on the side of the road with a deep gash in my knee.

I shakily drove 16 miles back to the hospital in the town of Duong Dong, where I received three stitches. Determined to stay on course for the day, I then climbed back onto the Honda. I simply could not allow myself to be laid up on Phu Quoc, where the ocean is myriad shades of green, and densely forested mountains slope down to white sand beaches.

Caleb and I had arrived from Ho Chi Minh City the day before, on an hourlong flight packed with tourists, most of them looking for tranquillity after whirlwind tours of Vietnam. The single-runway airport where we landed will soon be dwarfed by an international terminal being built on the east side of the island. When it is finished, Phu Quoc will be flooded with visitors eager for a taste of what some say is the next Phuket.

But for now, with over 50 hotels and a plethora of spas, markets, beachside bars and restaurants, Phu Quoc has all the creature comforts of a luxurious getaway at relatively inexpensive prices. Most of the resorts are on Long Beach and Ong Lang Beach on the island’s west side, which is indented with hidden coves buffered by black volcanic rock. Offshore, coral reefs sheltered by sandbars await divers and snorkelers.

Phu Quoc has only recently become a tourist destination. A sleepy outpost of fishing villages until the end of the 20th century, the island was the subject of numerous border disputes between Cambodia and Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, Coconut Tree Prison was used by the United States as a detention camp for North Vietnamese soldiers. Today, the penitentiary is a historical site and all international conflicts are over. The island’s hopes rest with tourism: By 2020, Phu Quoc, population 90,000, is expected to attract three million visitors a year.

The island, one hopes, won’t sacrifice its unexpected charms. Any turn on a road can lead to an encounter with tradition: a group of girls dressed in white school gowns, riding their bikes home for lunch; a cemetery full of tiny pagodas, partly hidden in fields of golden grass; fishermen lounging beneath palm trees beside their turquoise and red boats.

The doctor at Duong Dong allowed me to ride my motorcycle, but he forbade me from swimming. Fortunately, I had spent the previous day exploring the waters off the northern tip of the island on a trip arranged by the concierge at Mango Bay, an eco-resort near Ong Lang Beach. For hours, Caleb and I had snorkeled above coral reefs teeming with rainbow fish, snappers and sea urchins, breaking only to have lunch beneath the canopied shelter of a fishing boat that Conrad, our young South African guide, had anchored off a deserted strip of sand.

“The Russians are coming,” Conrad had told us, as we lingered over grilled squid, spring rolls, shredded mango salad and Phu Quoc’s signature fish sauce, which is the island’s main export. “And money talks,” he said, referring to a rumored new port that would accommodate the mega-yachts of Russian oligarchs. In Phu Quoc’s schools, he said, the first language children learn is Vietnamese, the second is English and the third is Russian, a reflection of the increasing number of well-off Slavic tourists drawn to the island.

As we ate, we watched a group of Vietnamese in neon-orange life jackets bob away from the boat they had just arrived on, only to be retrieved, screaming with laughter, by a dinghy. Eventually, a few brave pioneers from the group paddled to the shallows of the reef and stood on the coral, watching us impassively. “Not a single one of them can swim, not even the crew,” Conrad said.

At the time, the observation was amusing. Little did I know that the next day, I would be similarly handicapped.

Despite the doctor’s warning not to swim, Caleb and I were determined to get to Sao Beach, even if it meant just sitting in the sand. I tremulously drove my motorbike, with its newly smashed rearview mirror, a bit unnerved by the motorists honking their horns and zooming past me.

As a respite, we stopped for a short hike up Tranh stream, which ran perpendicular to the highway, to reach a waterfall. My knee felt stiff, but with Caleb’s help, I steadily made my way up the slope. On a rock near the waterfall, we sat for a bit, entertained by the young Vietnamese men who were celebrating Sunday by standing beneath the rush of water in their underwear.

Back on our bikes, we rode across the sparsely populated hills in the center of the island, past pepper farms and billboards advertising future shopping malls and resorts.

Eventually, we reached a town filled with restaurants and outdoor markets, and turned left at the sign for Sao Beach. On pockmarked roads, we followed a stream of traffic that steadily thinned as we got closer to the ocean.

Sao Beach is no secret to tourists on the island for Vietnam tourism. What makes it such a treasure is its relative inaccessibility. On the opposite coast from the rapidly developing Long Beach, Sao Beach has yet to be conquered by resorts. To get there, we had traveled 40 miles over unfinished roads, and we had done so at the expense of my knee.

Finally, we pulled our motorbikes into an empty courtyard at the beach’s entrance. By that time, our only companion was a gray-bearded dog that followed us as we made our way through the dusty restaurant that blocked our initial view of the ocean.

We emerged onto a cluster of tables sheltered by umbrellas of woven palm fronds. All sounds disappeared except for the lapping of the waves.

To our left, a young woman sat alone on a sandbar a hundred feet out in the water, engrossed in a book. To the right, a Vietnamese family dressed in bright T-shirts greeted fishermen tugging a boat onto the shore. White sand stretched out in all directions, seeming to meld with the cloudy sky in gradients of soft milky shades of ivory and cream. Occasionally the ethereal glow was broken by the silhouettes of solitary bathers in the shallow waters.

This was the paradise that Phu Quoc had promised us, and it delivered. Caleb and I kicked off our shoes and dropped our helmets next to a palm tree. Beachcombers for the day, we made our way across the sand until our path was blocked by mounds of rocks. The next beach on the coastline, entirely secluded, was just beyond our reach.

We would have braved the slippery climb had my knee not been throbbing. Instead, we contented ourselves with the sand that was already beneath our feet, and it was more than enough.

IF YOU GO GETTING THERE

The fastest way to Phu Quoc is to fly from Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam Airlines (vietnamairlines.com) offers one-hour flights up to eight times a day. Once there, the easiest way to get around is on a motorbike (around $8 a day).

WHERE TO EAT

The food almost anywhere in Phu Quoc is great, but the best bet for an outstanding meal is the Night Market in Duong Dong (open nightly, 6 p.m. to midnight), which has dozens of stalls serving fresh seafood, juices, beer and traditional Vietnamese fare. For less than $20, you can have a feast at one of the ramshackle restaurants that line the stalls.

WHERE TO STAY

Long Beach is the most densely populated strip on Phu Quoc, boasting the luxurious La Veranda (84-773-982-988; laverandaresort.com), a resort in the style of a seaside French mansion, with doubles starting at $225 during the high season.

The eco-lodges around Ong Lang Beach in the north are quiet, less expensive alternatives to the more-traditional resorts in the south.

Mango Bay (84-773-981-693; mangobayphuquoc.com) has bungalows with ocean views from $100 a night, and there is Freedomland (84-226-586-802; freedomlandphuquoc.com), which has private huts, starting at $35 a night, that are a 12-minute walk from the beach.

WHAT TO DO

Water activities abound, including snorkeling and diving in the reefs around Phu Quoc’s 22 satellite islands. Most of the resorts have day trips, but Rainbow Divers (84-913-400-964; divevietnam.com) also offers tours starting at $25.

For gifts, Phu Quoc Pearls (treasuresfromthedeep.com) harvests over a billion oysters on an isolated stretch of Long Beach, and it houses a boutique selling pearl jewelry ranging from $5 to $40,000.

Foodies of Hoi An

Hoi An boasts some of the best food I've eaten on my trip thus far. For whatever reason, this little town claims a few delectable dishes as unique to their town alone.

The first is White Rose, a simple but outstanding meat and shrimp dumpling steamed in a rice dough that somewhat resembles a white rose.

White Rose dumplings

Second is Cao Lau, a noodle and beef soup with bean sprouts and fresh herbs mixed in when it arrives at the table. The noodles are only available in Hoi An because they are made from a particular water source that gives them their unique texture.

The noodles are a bit doughy but the dish is truly delectable because the meat is marinated and tastes a bit of cinnamon. And the fresh herbs are amazing...mint and basil, I believe.

Cao Lau served with rice crackers.

Finally, crispy rice pancakes, known as "Banh Xeo", which consist of a fried pancake, kind of like a rice crepe, with bean sprouts and shrimp inside. The dish is served with all sorts of fresh herbs which you put inside the pancake and then wrap in a thin piece of rice paper. It's topped off by dipping in an amazing spicy peanut sauce. To die for.

Crispy rice pancake with fresh herbs, ready to be rolled

A rolled pancake, ready for dipping!

Hoi An also makes a delightful fried won ton, showing the Chinese influence on this old port town. I for one am glad, because they are darn good.

Okay, they look a bit funky, but are basically fried yumminess wrapped around a meat center with veggies and sauce on top

During this trip I've also grown a slight obsession for squid, which I eat nearly every day. I've tried just about every type of squid you could imagine and my favorite thus far came from a food stand in Hoi An called "Mr. Hung."

I ordered squid grilled in a banana leaf with onions, garlic and lemongrass. It was so tender and delicious that I ate the entire thing. The ladies cooking the food made fun of me and said, mostly through sign language, that if I ate squid like that everyday I'd get fat!!

My squid is somewhere in that banana leaf, which is in a wire basket being grilled on an open flame....heaven.

The final dish...

Both Betsy and I agreed that Morning Glory was the best restaurant we visited in Hoi An. The food was simple, fresh and absolutely amazing. The proprietress of the restaurant cooks family food the way her mother taught her.

I want to live at her house! She said that fresh herbs are such a strong cultural influence that many Vietnamese will start to feel homesick if they cannot have fresh herbs everyday. It's true that most food comes with a plate of herbs which makes a huge difference in the quality of the dish.

Betsy ordered this interesting dish at Morning Glory...a shrimp coconut curry actually cooked in a young coconut. The sauce was slightly sweet and unbelievably flavorable.

The Vietnamese do not eat sweet breakfasts like we do in the states. One staple of their diet is "congee" which is a rice porridge with either fish, chicken or pork. It's savory and quite good!

The coffee here is also fantastic, albeit a little strong. It will seriously put hair on your chest so they dilute it with sweetened condensed milk! And it comes with a little coffee filter perched on the cup. Seriously delicious.

Congee for breakfast with a cup of coffee in the background. I love the little coffee filter so it can brew right at the table!

Another item that is everywhere in Vietnam is "pho," pronounced "fer." This is a simple noodle soup, traditionally with beef but you can get it with chicken or veggies, that is once again served with a pile of bean sprouts and fresh herbs you mix in at the table. Fantastic.

"Pho", aka noodle soup, with a plate of fresh herbs and some fresh coconut water. You can't get much healthier than that!

Finally, I tried a traditional Vietnamese dessert called "Che" which is basically a sweet green bean soup. It's actually made with mung beans and is only slightly sweet but quite good! No wonder the Vietnamese are so slender! They even eat veggies for dessert!!

Eating my sweet green bean soup, served cold in a glass

I reluctantly leave the food of Vietnam behind...and will seek out Vietnamese restaurants in the states as soon as I return!

Mango

Vietnamese names: Xoài

Mango varieties in Vietnam:

Mangoes are grown mostly in southern Vietnam's provinces such as Tien Giang, Dong Thap, Can Tho, and some northern regions like Son La, Ha Giang, Lai Chau. There are several kinds of mangoes in Vietnam: the yellow ones with sweet and soft meat including “xoai cat”, “xoai tuong”, “xoai ngua”; and the green sour ones “xoai xanh”.

Mango has a round shape and may weigh between 50 and 500 gram per fruit. Mango of Cao Lanh District in Dong Thap is considered the best of the country though each region has its own distinctive flavour. For example, Xòai Mộc Châu is smaller in size, often green outside but orange inside and unbeatable when it comes to the natural light sweet taste that no other varieties can compare. Xòai Nha Trang, on the other hand, is bright yellow, both inside and outside, with an almost overly sweet and juicy flavour. 

Pictures of Vietnam's mango variety:

	Xoài cát - Mango variety of Dong Thap	Mộc Châu mango
	Green Mango	Xòai tượng

Use of Xoai in Vietnam

Xoai is commonly found as an after-meal fruit treats in many families from North to South. The ripen ones are blended with sweet condensed milk that can match that of Lassi in India.

Green mangoes, especially the crunchy ones, are used in the famous green mango salad and very common in the South of Vietnam.

Gong - A cherished value for Vietnamese culture in Gia Rai

 According to the Gia Rai ethnic group, we must mention famous epics, fairy tales such as "Đăm Di đi săn", "Xinh Nhã"... In addition, Gia Rai people have unique musical instruments include gongs, T'rung, To-Nung, and Krong-Put.

Name of ethnic group: Gia Rai (Gio Rai, To Buan, Hobau, Hdrung and Chor) Population: 317,557 people (Year 1999) Locality: Concentrated in Gia Lai Province, parts of Kon Tum Province and northern Dak Lak Province. Customs and habits: The Gia Rai believe in the existence of Giang (Genies) and hold many rituals connected to their genies. They live in separate villages called ploi or bon. Houses are built on stilts. The village chief and the elders have great prestige in Gia Rai society and play a role in running collective activities from Vietnam travel news. Each village has a communal house called a Rong. A matriarchal system has been adopted. Women are free to choose their lovers and decide who they marry. The husband lives with his wife's family and has no rights to inheritance. The daughter, after marriage, no longer lives with her parents and inherits from them. The children take the family name of the mother. Culture: Gia Rai language belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian Group. Long epics and old tales such as "Dam Di Di San" (Dam Di Goes Hunting) and "Xinh Nha" are very popular in Gia Rai society. Musical instruments include gongs, T'rung, To-Nung, and Krong-Put. Costumes: The Gia Rai garments resemble Tay Nguyen's garments. Economy: The Gia Rai live on slash-and-burn cultivation and terraced fields. Rice is their staple food. They also breed elephants. The men are very skillful in basketry, and the women in cloth weaving. Hunting, gathering, and fishing are other sideline occupations.