Hai Ho Tourist Destination

Located at hamlet 2, Phu Nhuan commune, Ben Tre city, it lies away from Ben Tre city about 4km. Hai Ho tourist destination with a cool setting, helping visitors with both tasting and enjoying the natural scenery. Shaggily fried shade fish dipping in tamarind sauce or fried spring – rolls has always been the choice of many tourists.

The winding entrance with row meandering coconut causes operators to take visitors here to be crept along the rural gardens lined with coconut tree and tricycle and bicycle or floating in the small boat between two rows of shady green water coconut tree.

Hai Ho tourist destination has Homestay overnight service with reasonable prices, courteous and safe. Tourists coming here can directly contact phone number: 0918.105.601.

Southern Green Coconut Tourist Destination

Located at Hamlet 2, Phu Nhuan District, Ben Tre city, Ben Tre province, about 5 km from Ben Tre city.

Destination of “Southern green coconut” is one of the tourist sites in the countryside nature. Here visitors can enjoy the rustic dishes processed by the chefs of garden area such as vegetable shrimp soup fried spade fish, steamed shrimp with coconut milk, shrimp pancakes free-range, chicken (lemon grass cooked, porridge, fried with butter, etc.) eat fish cooked in claypots, fruit of all kinds.

With the cool air, quiet, with the country side nature from the hatched roof, surrounded by a garden of green coconut. When stopping to stay overnight tourists will have Homestay built in the model of Chu Dinh (Chinese word) in the South, with 5 rooms, up to 25 people.

To come to Southern Green  Coconut destination we can go on road bike, both cycling and enjoying the natural beauty along the way or cruising in winding waterway ride in the river and canals. Tourists can contact the following address:

Services Co. Ltd – Mekong Travel Legend

Address: 217C, Hung Vuong street, ward 5, Ben Tre city, Ben Tre province

Phone: 0753.511496 or 0903.100055 meet Mr. Lai Quang Phuoc

Ba Ngoi Tourist Destination – Cho Lach

Going down the area of orchard and ornamentel plants of Cho Lach district, tourists not only visit the orchards laden with fruits: rambutan, mangosteen, durian, … the village transplanting seedlings and ornamental flowers, but also visit the memorial stela of scholar Truong Vinh Ky, ancient architectures such as Cai Mon church, Long Thoi ancient house …

Ba Ngoi Tourist site is located along the country road full of green tree shade, both sides are orchard laden with fruits, together with the advantage of poetic and lyrical Co Chien River adjacent to it with airy space, tourist destination Ba Ngoi is an interesting stop for tourist exploring journey in the tour program to discover Cho Lach waterway of the garden area in Ben Tre.

Coming here, visitors also enjoy fruit in the garden such as: durian, mangosteen, rambutan, … you, visitors enjoy fruit, in listening to folk music with deep, sweet songs, then you will enjoy rustic dishes such as: free-range chicken soup, pancakes, small snails, delicious mussel pancakes served for many tourists afar to be enthusiastic, especially visitors will enjoy boiled small snails dipping in chili lemon grass sauce. It’s very tasty and attractive. To travel to Ba Ngoai Tourism is a funny experience of tourists in an exciting trip to explor the western waterways.

Ba Ngoi Tourist site is about 46 km of road from Ben Tre city, tourists can start from Vinh Long through about 12 km to get to the destination.

Contact Phone: 0753.871897 or 0989721118, meet Mr. Nguyen Van Tang.

To be here. Please contact the following address: Ba Ngoi Tourism Park – Phu Hiep Hamlet, Vinh Binh Commune, Cho Lach District, Phone: +84 75 3871897.

Temple of South Viet’s guerilla base General

Until now, several generations of Ben Tre have the same pride of the talented, compassionate General.

He is not only a military general under the first generation of Ben Tre set a bright example for the next generations in the two protracted wars of resistance, great hardship, which in time of peace, even in any position, he always completed his tasks assigned by the Party and the Army. At the old age under poor health, he was still restless, but always positive to contribute to the charitable, activities, the movement of repaying and returning favor … until his death.

Who is he?

He is General Dong Van Cong – Hero of People’s Armed Forces. His hometown is Tan Hao Commune, Giong Trom District.

Recognizing the merits and for the posterity. Giong Trom People built his temple at the (on the occasion of) Junction area of Ms. Ba Ngoi Bridge, Tan Hao commune, Giong Trom district. The 6th anniversary of his death (August 6th, 2005 – August 6th, 2011), the Department of Defense coordinated to organize a ceremony setting up Dong Van Cong bust in traditional rituals.

Before setting up the bust is the traditional death anniversary. The funeral oration of the anniversary has it that:

What a glory!

The hero’s name will be resounding for thousand years

The man of on standing talent and sense of purpose will be eternally glorious

“Mr. Cong’s army” Ben Tre steel land, Southern part Brass citadel talented General …

Visiting the temple of Lieutenant-General is not only to review, the past to understand the present but also to contribute to the preservation of tradition of drinking water to remember the source of our nation./.

Mekong Legend Travel Company

217C Hung Vuong Street, Ward 5, Ben Tre City, Ben Tre Province

Tel: 075.9453511, Fax: 075.3511946

Email: info@mekonglegend.com.vn

www.mekonglegend.com.vn

TOURIST INFORMATION

RIVER CRUISES – PEOPLE’S HOUSE TOUR – BICYCLE TOUR – FISHING

DITCH SCOOPING TOUR – THE TYPES OF DISCOVERY TRAVEL TO OTHER RICH GARDEN AREAS

TYPICAL TOUR – PEOPLE’S HOUSE SLEEP STATE

Day 1:

Picking at Hung Vuong cruise port. Sailing up the Ben Tre River seeing the daily life of the people in the river (net fishing, side netting …) Stopping at Mr. Tulo’s brick kiln to see how to make, bake bricks by hand, visit handcraft coconut candy processing base along the river, keep worming their way into the canals to Nhon Thanh village. Strolling motorbike on the village road through coconut garden, rice field, upland crop cultivated upland (cassaba melon, cucumber, bitter melon, etc.). Lunch at the “green coconut” riverside.

People check-in at people’s home, resting. Afternoon cycling to Uncle Sau Khanh to view the collection of antique ceramics, walking the fields, meeting the farmers, helping harvest crops or plant trees.

Joining cooking together, having dinner with the families, sleeping in people’s house.

Day 2:

Breakfast, biking to the local market. Visiting Phu Nhuan temple with Thanh Tue ancient tree of more than 100 years old with over 10 tops. Saying Goodbye to the host, boat rowing on water coconut-lined canals. The canal boats take visitors back to Hung Vuong terminal getting into the car to Ho Chi Minh City or National Road 60 through the Ham Luong Bridge, through Co Chien Ferry to Can Tho, Tra Vinh. Ending the program.

Cho Lach Services and Tourist Lpt. Company – ChoLach Tourist

Tour tourist attractions: The beauty of the countryside

Charming waterways.

Cho Lach from central Ho Chi Minh City 127 km, along the National Road 1A, 60 and 57 away from Ben Tre 41 kilometers, from Ho Chi Minh City. 15km, from Vinh Long coming. To Cho Lach you seem to let your heart in a peaceful countryside. Childhood memories will come back when you make a tour around the small rivers, villages in the shade of green tree. Here, you will be together with people to the plantation of durian, rambutan, … with people to harvest fruit. And here, you will join the head of family to process the countryside waterway food like mussel pancake, rolling salade, small snail boiled with lemon grass, free-range chicken soup.

After rustic meal, you have the opportunity to visit one of the famous ornamental flower villages of Cai Mon – Vinh Thanh, visiting the famous and largest cathedral of the Mekong Delta’ “Cai Mon Church”. You will visit the memorial stela of scholar Truong Vinh Ky. All values in a trip only contribute to our lives more meaningful.

Office of transactions: National Road 57 Hung Nhon Hamlet – Hoa Nghia Commune, Cho Lach District, Ben Tre province.

Phone: 0753.711822 – 0756.280177

Fax: 075.3710710

Mobile: 0985.014.616

Email: dulichcholach2008@yahoo.com

Website: www.cholachcaimon.com

Ngan Ha Tourist Company

Ngan Ha Tourist Company specializes in organizing tours round the country, the tours at the request of tourists with high quality services from a team of the guides, vehicles, restaurants, hotels and places with attractive preferential price.

To provide the following services:

- Organizing domestic and overseas tours.

- Extension of visa, guiding immigration records

- Organization of conferences, events, team building

- Organization of the garden tour, ecotourism

- Air tickets for domestic and international trips.

For further information, please contact:

Ngan Ha Tourist Company

Address: 156D, Nguyen Van Tu street, Ward 7, Ben Tre City

Tel: 0908874371 (Ms. Ngan – Director of the company).

Bao Duyen Tourist

BAO DUYEN TOURIST specializes in organizing tours to explore historic-provincial culture; River Tour, eco-tourism and discover the garden of the coconut; Special service: Yachts for eating and drinking in Ham Luong River, Ben Tre River; Traveling inland to explore the attractive destinations of the tourist sites in the country; Bao Duyen Tourist provides services, organizing tour for companies to travel inside and outside the province in need of a link that takes visitors to the country of the three-range isle.

Notably a series of waterway tour to visit Ben Tre coconut land (1 or 2 days, 1 night’s time). The departure of road at the request, Bao Duyen Tourist deployed with many cultural activities to learn the culture, attractive ecotourism, Visiting historical and cultural monuments such as tombs of patriotic poet Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Woman General Nguyen Thi Dinh Temple … going boating in the river to view the fishers to Nhon Thanh commune, enjoying the specialties of the coconut land walking along the country road to see the paddy fields, coconut gardens, field crops, listening to southern Vietnamese traditional music, scooping ditch for fishing, relaxing in the large coconut garden of Bao Duyen …

Together with the staff, local guides who are enthusiastic, dynamic; BAO DUYEN TOURIST gives you tourist products of good quality, reasonable, suitable for all subjects!

ECO-TOURISM LTD COMPANY BAO DUYEN:

Office: 18D, An Thuan A Hamlet, My Thanh An Commune, Ben Tre City (at the foot of Ben Tre Bridge I).

Wharf: 166, Hung Vuong Street, Ward 3, Ben Tre city.

Tel: (075) 3817366; Fax: (075) 3575247; Hotline: 0913.219.539

Email: bentre@baoduyentourist.com; baoduyentour@yahoo.com

Website: www.baoduyentourist.com

Connections and transformations

"How was your trip?" 

I get asked that question almost every day and it's probably the most challenging question to answer. The truth is, it's hard to express how much the CBTVietnam trip means to me. Whenever, I try to explain it I never feel like I do it justice as words can't describe it. It was a trip of a life time and can only be truly understood by experiencing it for oneself. However, I want people to hear about it even if its only a taster of how inspiring and rewarding it was.

Going to Vietnam was more than I could have ever wished or dreamt. I didn't believe it when Chris, Stephanie and Caitlin said it would change my life. It seemed cliche and unbelievable that one trip could touch that many hearts so deeply but once I arrived in Lao Chai all my doubts vanished. The villagers are the most welcoming, open and loving people I have ever met. Right away, they invited us into their homes and treated us like family.

While in Lao Chai, I worked with so many amazing people and witnessed how hard they worked everyday to make a living. Ms. Sao and Ms. Di are two local batik artists who run workshops in their handicraft shops just off of the main road that travels through the village.  I had the pleasure of working with them to further refine their workshops and find ways to advertise to the tourists. It was surprising how much we were able to communicate to each other without speaking the same language. These interactions showed me how powerful body language can be and how it can often be more effective because the meaning of words vary so much from culture to culture.

Working on the batik product also gave me a chance to see how strong the bonds of community are in the village. On the last CBT Vietnam Trip in August 2013, Ms. Di was the only batik artist running workshops in Lao Chai. Since then she shared the knowledge and resources on how to run a workshop with Ms. Sao, again illustrating the strong sense of community this village has. Sharing this information was not seen as a threat to business but a growth of the whole village. The unquestionable generosity and compassion of the Hmong people opened my eyes to the self-centred attitude that I often see at home.  

When I think back to the CBT Vietnam trip, I am amazed at how much I have learnt, not only about community based tourism and Hmong culture but about how to be a better person. The Hmong people showed me how beneficial and important it is to enter every situation with an open mind and a smile. 

VNAT celebrates Viet Nam Tourism Day (July 9)

(TITC) - On 7 July 2014, Celebration of the 54th anniversary of Viet Nam Tourism Day (9 July 1960 – 9 July 2014) solemnly took place in Viet Xo Friendship Labour Cultural Palace in Ha Noi.

The celebration had the presence of leaders of VNAT, representatives of European Union Delegation (EU), Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Program funded by EU (ESRT), representatives of relevant Ministries and Departments; VNAT’s officers and staffs; more than 300 students of tourism universities & colleges in Ha Noi, and media agencies.

Speaking at the celebration, VNAT’s General Director Nguyen Van Tuan affirmed Viet Nam Tourism has played an important role in the national economy and effectively contributed to further promote Viet Nam’s image to the world.

On this occasion, VNAT launched domestic tourism demand stimulation program which focuses on fostering domestic tourism growth in mountainous, coastal, and island areas; encouraging oversea Vietnamese to travel hometown; introducing hospitable and friendly Vietnamese people. The program will be implemented nationwide to maintain continuous growth of the tourism industry which aims to contribute to developing economy, eliminating hunger and reducing poverty.

Within the framework of the celebration, over 300 students took part in a cycling parade program on main streets in Ha Noi capital in order to propagandize and encourage community to travel exploring their beloved country.

Source: vietnamtourism.gov.vn

Vinh Long takes efforts to lure more tourists

The tourism sector of Mekong Delta Vinh Long province has promoted its historical and cultural relic sites and traditional villages along with its strength of eco-tourism in an effort to lure more tourists.

Vinh Long is home to over 450 relics, including 10 national-level and 34 provincial-level ones. Over the past six months, the sites attracted nearly 220,000 visitors.

Luu Hoang Minh, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Information and Tourism Promotion Centre, said the provincial tourism authority has updated information and knowledge on historical and cultural sites for its guides, thus providing better services for visitors.

The centre in collaboration with universities, colleges and relevant agencies has held courses on professional skills for them, Minh added.

In 2014, the industry targets to welcome 950,000 tourists, including about 200,000 foreigners, and rake in 210 billion VND (9.8 million USD) in revenues.

Located between two major rivers of Tien Giang and Hau Giang, Vinh Long province is known for orchards green all year round and the cannel system which facilitates waterborne travel.

Source: vietnamtourism.gov.vn

I Need to Get My Name on that Book!

Even though technology has left its mark on most households, nature still rules in the village of Ta Phin. There is a story behind every custom and tradition. Dao people have learned from their parents how things should be done, and for most parts those rules still apply to their lifestyles today.

Nights in the village begin early at dusk as families gather around the fire to cook dinner. Although women run the kitchen, in all the families that I stayed with, men had an active part in preparing the food; from preparing the meat to setting the table, pouring the rice wine and entertaining the guests.

Dao kitchens are part of a big open area in the house where everyone gathers upon entering. There are usually two stoves in the kitchen; one for cooking and one for preparing the herbs for the herbal bath. Dao women cook one dish at a time on the cooking stove, and they use the same pot to prepare all the dishes. Considering that there are usually five to ten different dish prepared for every meal, preparing dinner can take up to an hour. They set the table and where everything is ready, you are invited to eat.

Dinner table at a Dao Home stay

I stayed with Chao Ta May and her family on my second night in Ta Phin during the recent CBT Vietnam Project trip to SaPa. At night we all gathered around the fire as she welcomed us with a bowl of fries; a very unique fried potato dish with garlic and salt or sugar! A much needed appetizer while we were waiting for the actual meal.

Chao Ta May’s son had recently got married and was living with his new bride at the same house. As Chao Ta May was preparing the dinner, I asked her about the wedding customs of Dao people.  

“We found her in the book” she replied with a smile. It took me a while to figure out that this ‘book’ was actually a record of available girls in the neighborhood villages and was made by a matchmaker. “I picked her. We sent her family two silver bracelets and waited to see if they would accept them” she eagerly continued. “Then we sent the chicken”. “The chicken?!” I asked spuriously. “Yes! 10kg exactly, and we waited again. When they accepted it, we sent the 70kg pig”. She explained that these numbers were important because the bride’s family had to invite certain people in the process and needed to feed them. “Things have changed!” she continued. “When I was getting married I had no way of seeing or contacting my future husband until the wedding day. He was in another village! Nowadays kids contact each other before the marriage. My son and his wife had sent each other pictures by phone and were talking for a while” she continued with a smile. “When all the decisions are made, the bride should start making her dress. It takes her one year to finish the dress” she said that with a smile! She must have been thinking about her own dress.

As Chao Ta May was sharing this with us, I couldn't help but thinking about the traditional weddings and arranged marriages. If it was not for the match makers and the ‘books’, have these young boys and girls who live miles away in different villages ever had a chance to meet? After all, there seems to be a place and time for everything, even for an arranged marriage and that is in Ta Phin and among Dao people. As for the book, I am on one already; it is called Facebook, so where is my chicken!?