September 19th, 2006
Van Phong Bay: Scuba diving paradise on Vietnam’s central coast
Van Phong Bay is a place of superlatives. A report of the Vietnam Maritime Department shows that Van Phong is one of the world’s deepest bays.
United Nations tourism experts have also recognised it as one of Asia’s most perfect sites for eco-tourism, and the bay has been rated as an ideal place for scuba diving.
Its clear, turquoise water and coral reefs are even said to be more beautiful than those at the Hon Mun Nature Reserve in Nha Trang.
If you’ve already explored the downtown area of Hoi An and other parts of central Vietnam on foot or by cyclo, bicycle or motorcycle, and wonder if there are any other ways to travel the region, consider a sidecar tour for your next trip. Victoria Hoi An Resort and Spa has launched sidecar tours of the countryside, along roads up to the Laos border area and through mountains and rivers of Central Vietnam.
Back in 1893, French professor and doctor, Alexandre Yersin looked out over an area that has since become renown in Vietnam as a premier place of beauty and elegance. Although 113 years (and times of war and economic hardship) have elapsed since Mr. Yersin first fell in love with Da Lat, its natural beauty, historic sites, quality tourist services, and excellent food together make Da Lat the first option of many Vietnamese and foreign visitors.
In the winter of 1903, a team of Frenchmen from the Indochina Geographical Department became the first Westerners to see the serene Lo Suoi Tung plateau and the village of Sa Pa in the upper reaches of Ngoi Dum when they were on a mapping expedition. That was long ago and Sa Pa has since become known to an ever increasing number of tourists, drawing people from every continent with its mysterious charm.