Birds steal the show in Tram Chim boat tour

Flocks of birds of all colors fly just above the water surface of swamps and canals or high in the sky in Tram Chim leading visitors to the heart of the national bird sanctuary in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap.

Various bird species hover above grass-plots and areas of blossoming white and pink lotus when tourist boats approach.

A boat tour often takes in the grass-plots and the tree-lined canals criss-crossing the serene national bird sanctuary as these are home to both common and rare bird species, including herons, storks, pelicans, spot-billed ducks and water chickens. The boat captain dictates where he will take his guests depending on the season. From February through to the end of April nature lovers have the chance to see red-headed cranes that are in the World’s Red Book of Threatened Species, fly back from Vietnam’s neighboring countries to their sanctuary.

Of course, it takes great effort and a lot of luck to see, with your own eyes, the extremely rare cranes. But these long-necked, long-legged birds are not the only attraction in the sanctuary covering more than 7,310 hectares in the heart of Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds) and lower catchment of the Mekong River.

According to the Eco-tourism and Environmental Education Center of Tram Chim, the sanctuary is the habitat for more 230 birds species with 32 listed as rare including herons and pelicans besides 130 species of native plants, 130 species of freshwater fish, as well as various species of turtles, eels, snakes and pythons.

A trip to Tram Chim in the rainy season is also special as when the lotus blossoms on and around canals, spreading its fragrance to the fresh air to lift the spirits of visitors on both rainy and sunny days. From a high tower inside the bird sanctuary, tourists have a spectacular panoramic view.

As many tourists flock to Tram Chim in summer, you should call the center early on (067) 3827436 or email to tramchimtamnong@yahoo.com to reserve a boat and book a room if you want to spend the night.

(Source: SGT)

 

Painting exhibition on mountainous area

67 paintings by 49 artists on industry, agriculture, environment and nature in mountainous areas are on display at an exhibition held by the Vietnam Fine Arts Association in Hanoi.

The works are products of the Club of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association after field trips to the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang and Bac Ha, and other remote and mountainous areas.

The activity marks the Forest International Year 2011.

According to the organizing board of the exhibition, “mountainous areas need care and the support of the community. We should talk to protect woodland areas in the mountainous regions, care for customs of culture and production of people in these areas, and improve education for ethnic people. The topic about agriculture, nature and environment in mountainous areas needs the popularization of painters

(Source: CPV)

Pure nature in Moc Chau Plateau

VietNamNet Bridge - Despite it is in summer or winter, and the days are foggy or full of sunshine, Moc Chau Plateau is always attractive with its dreamlike beauty. 

Located in Son La province, at a distance of 200 kilometers from Hanoi, Moc Chau Plateau is 1,050 meters above the sea level, with an area of about 80 kilometers in length and 25 kilometers in width.

Moc Chau Plateau is famous for a large herd of milk cows, immense tea hills, big gardens of plum and apricot – tree, and large pastures of about 1,600 hectares.

The milk cow in Moc Chau is the black and white cow race of Holland. From this large herd of cows, Moc Chau has developed the experience tourism so that tourists can feed the cows and do the milking themselves.

This kind of tourism also offers tourists to enjoy the fresh pure cow’s milk and have camping over night right in the pasture.

It would be totally relaxing and comfortable to walk on the hill slope of green and soft grass and enjoy the fresh cool air around. Scattered everywhere are the white flowers and in the distance are the green hills hiding in the shadow of the clouds. All those things just make the landscape here so dreamlike.

Tourists can also prepare meat or buy some from the small restaurants in town to have a roasting meal at night just like nomadic people.

Climate is a special tourism resource of Moc Chau Plateau. Usually, the medium temperature is just 200C, with cool summer and dry winter. The autumn and spring in Mo Chau is the season of tea and pine tree. That is the time when the whole plateau will be covered with a beautiful and fresh green color.

One more outstanding point of this place is the Dai Yem Fall. From Pa Hang border gate in Long Sap commune, Moc Chau town, go along the main road about 4 kilometers, there is a junction of two streams, where the fall starts.

Going through the forest, down to a short and sloping section, tourists would see the two streams pour water down from the height of about 100 meters.

Dai Yem Fall stays below the road surface. The lake under the fall is always clean and clear all year round. The scene around is very natural and wild, which makes its beauty so impressive.

A trip to Moc Chau Plateau will promisingly refresh travelers with joyful and peaceful feelings.

Source: SGGP

Salt parks tipped as tourism destinations

The Union of Science for Sustainable Tourism Development (STDe) plans to promote salt parks to tourists as an environmentally friendly attraction.

STDe said 70 percent of the country's tourism sector focused on Vietnam 's 3,200km coastline. Over the next 20 years, the STDe said it planned to cash in on the popularity of the sea by developing a tourism industry around salt production. "Combining salt production with tourism is a way of capitalising on the popularity of the coast," said Nguyen Thu Hanh, STDe's chairperson. Building salt parks will help promote the industry and preserve a traditional way of life, she added. Planned parks would have attractions such as salt caves, slides, mazes, art exhibitions, spas – even salt hotels and villages, she said. Next month, work will start on a pilot salt park in Ha Long, in northern Quang Ninh Province and on Cat Ba island in Hai Phong. "But to turn the idea into reality, we need every sector of the tourism industry to participate," Hanh said. Pham Trung Luong, deputy director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research, said the tourism sector had done little to exploit the central province's coastline over the last 10 years. "The lack of long-term and proper investment in coastal tourism means we have overlooked our region's natural advantages," he said./. Source: VNS