report

Tourism crisis Later restart the River cruises

Status: 19.06.2021 3:29 p.m.

River cruise ships are back in Bavaria – because of the infection protection with fewer guests on board. The long absence of the ships has left deep marks along the routes.

By Sebastian Grosser and Martin Gruber, BR

A melody sounds on deck of the river ship “NickoSpirit” before cruise director Ferdinand Selig starts his speech. “Welcome to Regensburg, dear passengers.” In front of Selig is a piece of paper with several names, which are in turn marked with different colors. “Please remember your grouping and don’t forget your mask when you leave the ship,” he says. At this point, several passengers have already gathered at the entrance of the ship to go ashore for a tour of the city. A maximum of 14 people are allowed in a group. This is part of infection protection.

Million revenues before Corona

The “NickoSpirit” is the first river cruise ship to be moored in Regensburg this year. Usually the season starts in spring. But Corona put the once booming tourism industry on the back burner in 2021. The Regensburger Stadtwerk, which manages the pier, is expecting around 100 landings this year. Similar to 2020, in the first Corona year, the city is expected to turn over only 100,000 euros with the ships. For comparison: in 2019, more than 1000 ships moored in Regensburg, with which the city was able to bring in a turnover of 1.3 million euros.

Hard times for tour guides

Michaela Ederer is already waiting for the guests at the Donaulände, where the “NickoSpirit” moored. The tour guide has longingly awaited the first ship and its passengers. “The last few months have been really tough,” she says. “The majority of the tour guides work as freelancers and rely on the tour guides and the sales they generate with them.”

In the peak of the pandemic, around 7500 tour guides nationwide were unemployed, says Ederer, who is also on the board of the Federal Association of Tour Guides in Germany. Many of her colleagues should have tapped their retirement reserves. “We are therefore very happy,” she says, referring to the arrival of the first passengers.

Passengers: No problem with infection protection

While the guests with audio guides in their ears follow the tour operator’s blue tablet to explore the historic old town of Regensburg, cruise director Selig talks to the passengers who have stayed on the ship. Unless they are sitting in the restaurant or on the summer deck, they all wear mouth and nose protection. Many of the mostly older passengers do not mind the infection control measures. “The guests are used to it,” says Selig. For the provider of cruise travel, however, creating a suitable hygiene concept was a bit of a challenge: In order to maintain the distance, only 143 of the otherwise 170 passengers are currently allowed on board. There is even a certified test center on the “NickoSpirit” so that everyone on the ship can be tested every 48 hours.

End of the cruise boom

While the provider Nicko had previously relied mainly on a German-speaking audience, other shipping companies, such as the largest industry association IG Rivercruise, have a harder time BR demand notifies. In particular, sales of shipping companies that specialize exclusively in guests from overseas such as the USA or Australia fell by 100 percent last year. But also those ships that were able to sail between July and October 2020 recorded losses of between 60 and 70 percent.

“The Queen would declare the year 2020 to be an ‘annus horribilis’. The IG Rivercruise joins this,” said the Industry association. The forecast for 2021 is no better. “The season is short,” said IG Rivercruise. Individual providers have therefore filed for bankruptcy, but had already got into financial difficulties before the pandemic.

Souvenir shops before the end

The lack of cruise business also brought Gabriele Winklmeier into existential difficulties. The 58-year-old has a souvenir shop in the old town of Passau. The ship tourists from the USA and France would actually be their main business. Due to the pandemic, hardly anything happened last year, according to Winklmeier. “This year, too, things have been bad so far: no buses, no ships, no customers. Now the first cruise ships are arriving, but they all dock outside.” She will probably give up her souvenir shop – after 17 years.

Winklmeier looks back with sadness: “Three years ago all hell was going on here. 300 guests as early as eight in the morning. You could still do business there. Today it can happen to me that I don’t have a turnover of 30 euros.” The guests of “NickoSpirit” will probably no longer buy souvenirs in Winklmeier’s shop. The cruise on the river ends in Passau. Several buses are waiting along the landing stage where the suitcases are already lined up. Cruise manager Selig, who has to say goodbye to his guests after nine days, draws a positive balance: “It was a relaxed trip, even if it seems unrelaxed. We were well prepared with the tests on board. Many guests were vaccinated or recovered. That is natural also a great relief for us. “

For almost a month, he had been waiting there while a group of Sherpa guides scouted the route and fixed the climbing rope from the assembly point to the summit. This year’s climbing season has about 1,500 people joining the support staff. Along with more than 400 other people present at the foot of Mount Everest, the young man hopes to make his lifelong dream come true. At that time, a climbing friend carefully brought some rapid test kits for SARS-CoV-2 virus antigen due to the pandemic raging in Nepal and India. Joshi also participated in the testing. However, a bad news interrupted Joshi’s excitement: he tested positive for Covid-19. Not believing his ears, the guy tested himself again but it still showed the same results. “The scene was actually quite noisy. The team still had to continue the journey without me no matter how much the trip meant to me,” he said. Covid-19 climbing season This year’s climbing season took place under the most extraordinary circumstances. Despite concerns about a second wave of the epidemic, Nepal decided to reopen Mount Everest and other mountains after a year of closure. At the end of March 2021, Joshi arrived in Kathmandu (Nepal) and set out to the meeting point at the foot of the mountain. Around mid-April, the first whispers of Covid-19 in the campground began to appear. Meanwhile, Nepalese officials continue to deny that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was present at the highest mountain in the world. Harshvardhan Joshi started his passion for climbing 10 years ago. “Isolation rules are in place but no one is monitoring. Some people flew to the assembly point after only a few days of isolation,” Joshi said. Due to the lack of testing facilities, no one can tell the difference between Covid-19 disease and the persistent “khumbu dry cough” – a symptom most climbers experience at this altitude. . Only major climbs are equipped with doctors and testing equipment. “We also only got tested after a teammate asked his wife to bring a rapid test kit from India.” In the village of Dibuche near the campsite, one of Joshi’s teammates tested positive for Covid-19 and decided to fly home. Not long after, 5 other people also contracted the virus and Joshi was the 6th. Joshi’s priority is to isolate himself in a tent alone for 10 days. Due to his lack of symptoms, he decided to stay instead of evacuating by helicopter with the other patients. The young man still hopes that he can continue his journey after the isolation period ends. “I consulted the doctors in my hometown. They sent me the treatment plan. Then I asked the person who organized this trip in Kathmandu to buy and send the medicine by helicopter.” During the quarantine, Joshi spent many hours practicing breathing and chanting. “I spend most of my time in the tent. Meals will be delivered from the kitchen to my tent. It was really lonely having to dine alone in the cold weather,” he recalls. Joshi’s medication was delivered from the capital of Nepal via helicopter. In mid-May, Joshi’s dream was further threatened by Cyclone Tauktae, which killed more than 100 Indians and blew away at least 30 tents at the campsite. Faced with this situation, Nepalese authorities have extended the time so that tourists can wait for better weather, conquering the “roof of the world” again, although the climbing season usually ends in May. ‘Steering’ of the unexpected trip By dinner on May 19, things finally got better for Joshi. The weather forecast in the coming days will be better and his latest test came back negative. Joshi’s original plan was to climb Everest first and then to Lhotse, Everest’s “neighbor” and the fourth highest mountain in the world. Anup Rai (left) and Furte Sherpa accompany Joshi to climb Everest. However, he decided to try Lhotse first because it would be deserted in the coming clear days. Moreover, he was also worried about his lung condition after the illness. At midnight, Joshi set out with two climbing guides, Furte Sherpa and Anup Rai – who he assessed as “inexperienced but healthy”. Other more experienced guides have left the mountain because of Covid-19. “Therefore, I asked two people to go with me to maximize safety, in case something happened,” he said. Mount Everest and Lhotse share a major climb. Thus, on the way, Joshi’s group met an Everest climbing team. With the weather forecast to get worse due to the effects of another storm, Joshi realized the short time ahead was the best opportunity to visit Everest once. So he changed his mind again and went back to the original plan. “Winds will get stronger and the chances of climbing in good weather will become increasingly limited. However, I still decided to go,” he said. After 2 days, despite all the harsh weather conditions, Joshi reached the summit of Everest. Joshi doesn’t feel too excited about climbing the “roof of the world”. Standing from the “roof of the world”, he can see the glacier in northern Tibet glowing in the morning sun, Mount Lhotse and the majestic Himalayas. “There were at least 20 people on the top of the mountain before our group. I just sat there and basked in the beautiful surroundings. After that, I bowed my head to thank my two guides – who brought me up here safely. On the other hand, Joshi wasn’t as excited as he had thought. With the next storm coming, he didn’t have much time to linger on Mount Everest. “It feels like the problems I faced before reaching Everest were much more difficult than climbing to the top,” he said.

Recently, the Kunakorn Jailbanjerd tour guide posted a photo of a tourist with his feet on the front seat. According to Kunakorn Jailbanjerd’s Facebook account, the female tourist in the picture is from Russia. She took a ferry to Pattaya that day. But on the way, this lady raised her foot and placed it on the front row. I don’t know if this time because the opponent is a fighting ethnic girl, Kunakorn Jailbanjerd did not step forward to stop it!

Not long ago, Narong Thaopanya also revealed on the Internet that a French female tourist put her “Jade Feet” on the front seat on the bus, which made the Thai tour guide in the front row depressed.

Moreover, he was indignant that many communications made this beautiful female tourist put down her expensive feet, but the female tourist still did her own way, so Narong Thaopanya had to smell the smelly smell all the way.

In Thai folklore, the feet are considered dirty. Of course, in our daily tradition, putting your feet on the front seat is also an extremely low-quality behavior.

When it comes to the quality of tourists, Chinese tourists have also “showed their faces” in Thailand. A few years ago, Thai media reported that Chinese tourists were washing their feet in the wash basin! Not to mention that this kind of behavior is extremely low quality. When we travel, we must pay attention to our own speech and behavior. We must respect different places and countries and different folk cultures. This is not only a manifestation of personal qualities, but also a basic quality of travellers. ?

In which, Kim Thuy river is actually a canal, and Van Nien mountain is also an artificial product, made from river excavated soil, bricks and stones from the old Nguyen palace. Hong Kieu section is a stone arch bridge spanning a section of the Kim Thuy River, decorated extremely magnificently, finely sculpted. On both sides of the bridge are 34 lively stone lions, each with a standing posture, completely different facial expressions. It can be said that Doan Hong Kieu is the leading construction in the bridges inside the Forbidden City, so visitors love to take pictures here. Although visitors can comfortably come close to see other stone lions, but for the 4th lion from the south direction of the bridge, the tour guides always recommend to stay away, do not touch your hands. enter or take a picture with it. It is believed that this sculpture brings bad luck to visitors, so no one wants to get close, even many people refuse to walk across the bridge. So what makes this stone lion so scary? How true is this fantasy story? The stone lion on Duan Hongqiao Bridge Even when viewed with the naked eye, people can also feel the difference of the 4th lion on the bridge. While the rest of the stone lions all stand on all fours, this statue alone depicts the animal sitting on its hind legs, with one leg holding its head and one leg hugging its crotch. This is the only lion that has a sitting posture with two legs, one leg holding the head and the other holding the lower body like a person in pain. According to historical records, the special stone lion on Doan Hong Kieu Bridge is related to King Thanh Tuyen Tong (1782 – 1850), the era of Dao Quang, the 8th emperor of the Qing dynasty. King Dao Quang had a very smart son, Prince Dich Vi, although Thanh Tuyen Tong put a lot of expectations on his son, Prince Dich Vi, who loved freedom, was not subject to discipline, so he clearly showed it. stubbornness. When the school teacher advised the prince to read hard to become a wise king in the future, Prince Yi Wei defiantly said: “When I become emperor, I will execute you first!” Dich Vi’s insolent words soon reached the emperor’s ears, making Thanh Tuyen Tong extremely angry, the king was not dead, but I wanted to become emperor, I also wanted to kill you! King Dao Quang could not control his anger and threw a terrible kick between Yi Wei’s legs, causing the prince to scream in pain. A few days later, Prince Yi Wei also died from his wounds. The death of his son made King Dao Quang extremely regretful and regretful. Legend has it that not long after, the king passed by Duan Hongqiao bridge, saw a stone lion on the bridge with a tragic posture identical to that of Prince Dich Wei before his death. red on the stone lion so that no one can see it again. Expert explanation The authenticity of the story of Dao Quang Emperor seeing a stone lion has never been confirmed, however, experts have also made their own comments about the strange posture of the stone lion on Duan Hongqiao Bridge. In the historical book “Han Shu”, it is recorded that the lion appeared in China as a tribute originating from the Western Region, due to the small number of tributes, there were only emperors, court officials or princes. just got a chance to see them. For the common man or the craftsman, the lion is a strange animal. The stone lion statues born from the hand-crafted hands of folk artists are also very subjective and creative, mainly combining the characteristics of cats, tigers and other animals, so there are no stone lion statues. the majesty and majesty of lions in reality. The legend of the stone lion has helped the Forbidden City attract many tourists. Photo: Sohu. The construction of Doan Hong Kieu bridge itself has not been able to determine the construction time. According to China News, the bridge may have appeared before the Ming Dynasty and was built during the Yuan Dynasty. Stone carving expert Luu Ve Dong said: “The stone carvings under the Nguyen Dynasty are very vivid, the stone lions of this period have a large head and small waist, so the sitting posture resembles a frog.” After Confucianism flourished under the Ming Dynasty, creativity waned significantly, the new lion gradually took on the unified shape of a majestic, fierce and tame posture as commonly seen today. At this time, the unique and unconventional sculptures from the previous period easily became the inspiration for thrilling stories handed down in folklore. Today, like the anecdote of the wells, the cry of the night in the Forbidden City, although the accuracy of the events surrounding the unlucky stone lion has not been confirmed, the “half-real and half-imaginary” legends “Like this every year, it is still helping to attract millions of tourists to visit and admire the palace complex of the Forbidden City.

Located between Morocco and Tunisia, Algeria is the largest country in Africa and the 10th largest in the world. 4/5 of the country is covered by the Sahara – the hottest desert in the world. This is a desolate, barren land full of rocks… Hardly anyone lives here. Despite the harsh terrain, there are settlements on the northern edge of the Sahara. This place is also known as historic 5 ksours. These are the centuries-old ancient cities of the M’Zab valley. These cities include El-Atteuf (the oldest, founded in 1012), Melika, Bounoura, the holy places of Beni-Isguen and Ghardaïa. A tourist board was established to preserve these 5 ksours. They set quite strict regulations for tourists and Algerians. According to the BBC, the council advises Algerians and tourists to visit the ancient cities only when accompanied by a local guide. In addition, some other behaviors are also prohibited when coming here such as smoking, immodest dress, using mobile phones and taking selfies. Khaled Meghnine, a local guide, said: “We are all friendly and visitors are welcome to come here. However, they must respect the way of life of the people of this area. It is our home. , not the backdrop for a social media post. Nobody here wants that.” Since the 8th century, the Mozabites, a semi-nomadic people with a distinct language Tumzabt, have explored the land. 5 ancient cities are the unique cultural crossroads of the indigenous people of North Africa, the Islamic faith of Ibadi… Currently, the population of these cities is about 360,000 people. “It’s unbelievable how they developed society in this harsh land. That’s why we need to cherish this culture. It’s been around for 1,000 years,” Meghnine said. The roads in these cities are quite narrow, just enough for a donkey to carry cargo. The main road is bigger, enough for the camel to move. The houses are made of stone with a boxy texture. They usually raise a goat for milk and to deal with leftovers. Electricity started appearing here in 1950 and also changed people’s lives more or less. However, many principles remain the same from the old days. For example, when queuing at water pumps, children will be first, then women, then men. The walls of the house are often painted blue to create a feeling of coolness and repel mosquitoes. In Ghardaïa (pictured), the installation of modern signs or billboards is prohibited. This is how they keep the old city intact. Local regulations require that people in small streets specialize in only one product, for example carpets, fruit, vegetables or gold. The merchants here are not very competitive. Instead, they unite and create strong communities. Bargaining is also “implicitly forbidden” because of the respect between the seller and the buyer. Both parties will agree on a reasonable price from the beginning based on honesty. Another issue of concern for people living in these cities is water. To them, water is more precious than gold. There is a committee dedicated to overseeing the use of water resources. Here, they have penalties for people using more water than is common in society. In fact, from 2008-2017, the M’Zab valley did not have a single drop of rain. That’s why they take the regulations seriously.

Outside the Cossack carpenter’s house. Photo: Tran Hieu – VNA reporter in Russia tại Here, visitors can learn a lot of cultural identity characteristics of the Cossacks – warriors who played an important role in the development history and culture of Russia. The Ataman Cultural Center Complex is located in a prime location, overlooking the beautiful Taman Bay. At the end of the 18th century, the village of Taman was the place where the first Cossacks from Zaparoze, Ukraine, sailed from the Crimea peninsula to land in Kuban, now Krasnodar province of Russia. That is why the Kuban people in southern Russia pronounce and have many words very similar to the Ukrainians. According to our guide Lida, who took us to visit Ataman village, this land is imbued with many different layers of ethnic culture. In the 6th century, this land was colonized by the Greeks and established a strong state called the Bosporus kingdom. Currently, on the Taman peninsula, there are still ruins of Greek columns of the two cities of Hermonassa and Phanagoria. According to Lida, it can be said that the Taman peninsula is the intersection of the cultures of Greece, Turkey, the Byzantine Empire, Cossack, and Rus. The old houses of the Cossacks were restored to their original form. Photo: Tran Hieu – VNA reporter in Russia tại On June 30, 1792, Queen Yekaterina II conferred a Medal of Honor on the Black Sea Cossack army, according to which the Cossacks who served and lived here were given permanent ownership of the Kuban land, bordered by the river. Kuban and Sea of ​​Azov. In 1793, the city of Yekaterinodar was founded by the Black Sea Cossacks. The city was named as a gift from the Kuban land that Queen Yekaterina II gave to the Black Sea Cossacks (Yekaterinodar means gift of Yekaterina) and now it is the bustling city of Krasnodar of Southern Russia. The Ataman Cultural Complex consists of 44 houses and courtyards according to the dimensions of the village, each house showing a function or characteristic of the Cossacks and each house has a guide to tell about the characteristics of the Cossacks. that house. You will first be invited to visit Ataman’s Khata (house) – the word for the military leader of the Cossacks. A feature of Ataman’s yard is a large horse-binding area for guests to visit. In each yard, there is a stove, so that every summer, the fire will be lit for the women in the house to show their talents. The Cossacks had a habit of keeping valuables in chests. The second room, also known as the upper room – Gornisa of the Cossacks is always clean and tidy, does not allow children to enter because in the room there is a corner of God’s worship facing east to catch the sun. Only a few Cossacks live in the village, taking care of conservation and guiding tourists to discover the national culture. Photo: Tran Hieu – VNA reporter in Russia tại The woman in the house needs to keep this room clean, or else she will be known as a “crazy”. The bed in the house is considered as the “passport” of the family, the more pillows the family is richer and absolutely no member can use the bed during the day. The Cossacks are very warlike. The average Cossack man served in the army for 20-25 years. Perhaps that is why Queen Yekaterina II gave this land to them to protect against the Ottoman Empire. At a house, my guide Lida showed me a picture of Ataman Yakov Petrovich Baklanov – the legendary general more than 2m tall of the Cossacks, the hero of the Caucasus war and considered the country’s first intelligence officer. Cossack. Also in the village of Taman I learned that the Russian painter Ilya Repin painted two famous paintings Cossack soldier Zaporoze writing a reply to the ultimatum of the Ottoman King, Sultan Mehmed IV. The picture is a beautiful story that shows admiration for the inherent vitality of the Cossacks and their contempt for power. There’s much more to see at Ataman Cultural Complex. For example, the Cossacks are very interested in the education of their children. Every Cossack paid a tax to send their children to the school built in the village; Every boy is given a piece of land from birth to build a house and a family, or a Cossack wooden “iron” called a rubel, which is used to scrub rough fabrics for soft fabrics. out… In Ataman, the festival season starts in May. Festivals here take place every Saturday with a variety of varieties such as jam festival, Kuban red cabbage soup festival, craft festival… and in festivals. That way you have the opportunity to feel more, admire the courage, as well as the traditional culture of the Cossacks.

Mount Everest. Photo: Reuters Camping sites on the slopes of Mount Everest on the Nepal side have been affected by a series of COVID-19 cases since late April. The Nepal government, not wanting to cut off revenue from tourism, has yet to cancel the spring climbing season, which usually runs from April to early June, before the rainy season. According to the Xinhua News Agency , a group of Tibetan climbing guides will climb Everest and set up a “boundary” to prevent any contact between climbers from both sides. It is not clear how the divider will be set up on Mount Everest – which is only the size of a dining table, and has an extremely harsh climate. And it’s not clear whether the Tibetan guides will just put up a fence, or have to stay in the area of ​​Mount Everest to keep the divider. This is known as the “death zone”, where many people died due to lack of oxygen. According to the Reuters , the 8,848m high peak is just a small snow mound, with just enough space for about 5-6 climbers and guides. China has not allowed any foreign climbers to climb Everest from the Tibetan side since the COVID-19 outbreak last year. China on Sunday recorded 12 new COVID-19 cases, all imported cases. Meanwhile, Nepal reported 9,023 new cases on Friday – a record increase in the country.

Kami Rita and 11 other guides reached the summit of Everest around 6 p.m. after hours of climbing. Mira Acharya, an official with the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism, said that Kami Rita and his group were climbers of Everest this year. The climbing team fixed ropes on the icy route for hundreds of other climbers to climb to the top in late May. Last year, the routes to Mount Everest in the south, in Nepal, because of the epidemic. This year, 408 foreign climbers were issued with climbing permits. Admire the 51-year-old man who conquered Mount Everest 25 times. Kami Rita, 51 years old, first climbed Everest in 1994. Since then, he has conquered the roof of the world almost every year. He is considered as one of the Sherpa guides with expertise and good skills, contributing to the safety and success of hundreds of people to conquer the 8,848.86 meter high Everest. In addition to reaching Mount Everest 25 times, Kami Rita has conquered several other peaks among the highest in the world, including Mount K2, Cho-Oyu, Manaslu and Lhotse. He was also present at Everest base camp in 2015 when an avalanche swept through, killing 19 people. After that tragedy, he came under great pressure from his family to give up climbing. Good weather on Mount Everest only appears for a few days in May, favorable for climbers to conquer the world’s highest peak.

Before starting the 4 day 3 night journey to conquer the largest cave in the world, the whole group will gather to listen to the guide to disseminate safety information and receive equipment. At the same time, people will meet porters (porters), safety assistants, chefs … Son Doong cave belongs to Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park (Quang Binh), this is the address in the list of 20 destinations to break natural records voted by Insider (USA) in 2020. In 1991, the cave was discovered by Mr. Ho Khanh while going to the woods and looking for a place to avoid rain. Then the British Royal cave experts, led by Mr. Howard Limbert, have researched, measured and officially confirmed this is the largest cave in the world. Day 1: Phong Nha – Hang En The first day of the group was the journey from Phong Nha to Hang En. The group will start to walk down a long slope, across the forest with many climbing and downhill sections. After that, you continue to walk and wade streams. Due to going on a rainy day, the water in the cave is quite cold. Going all this way, you will come to Ban Doong, the village of the ethnic minority community of Bru Van Kieu. Group stop for lunch and rest here. After lunch break, the group continues to move about 3 hours to reach Hang En door. This is the third largest cave in the world with a length of about 1.6 km. This location used to be the setting of a famous movie Peter Pan . After more than half a day of traveling, the members were divided into tents and camps. Next to the camp is a blue lake, you can go swimming if you like. The first night in the cave, the chefs will serve the group with a variety of dishes. All processed ingredients are brought from the outside by porters, the dishes are processed deliciously, both taste and attractive. After dinner, the whole group will exchange, chat and end the first day. Day 2: Son Doong cave entrance – Bai Trai 1 In the morning, the whole team explores deeper in Hang En to come to Son Doong. After that, the group stopped for lunch before wearing seat belts and climbed down to the mouth of Son Doong cave. Although I still had a lot of confusion in handling situations, I finally set foot on the cave floor. With its majestic looks and giant size, the store surprised the whole group. From here, the group continued to cross many underground streams. The water is flowing fast, the porters have to stand in line to reduce the water strength, helping the group pass through safely. However, I boldly swim through this stream. In the afternoon, the delegation arrived at the first campsite of Son Doong cave. From here, you can look to sinkhole 1, also known as “Dinosaur’s Void”. This sinkhole was formed as part of the cave ceiling collapsed thousands of years ago. After dinner, I went to bed early because the day 2 itinerary was quite tiring. Day 3: Garden of Eden – Beach camp 2 Garden of Eden and Hole 2 is the most impressive place in this journey. From the very beginning, the group had to overcome very high and slippery rock slopes, so down quickly. You have to wriggle through many narrow rocky niches to reach sinkhole 1 – “Dinosaur’s Vape”. Continue to go deep and climb the rope over some steep rocks to get to the other side of the sinkhole 1. From here, you can capture the magnificent scenery of Son Doong cave. The group stops for lunch to prepare to conquer “Garden of Eden” at the second sinkhole. Because there is a sinkhole, light can enter the cave, creating a diverse vegetation. After exploring the forest, the group rested at camp No. 2 and continued to go into the dark cave to learn about the unique creatures, admire the masterpieces of stalactites. Finally, the group returned to the campsite, had dinner and rest, ending the third day. Day 4: The Vietnam Wall The last day, the group wore seat belts to conquer the Vietnamese Wall. This is an important milestone of the journey to conquer Son Doong. Before that, you are instructed on essential skills such as climbing ropes, operating safety equipment … First, you need to take a boat ride on an underground lake 600 meters long to reach the foot of the wall. You will start with a 20 m of iron ladder. The challenge increases in difficulty as you continue to swing with your hands to successfully conquer the wall and out of the cave. After leaving the cave, the group had lunch and continued to cross the forest for about 2 hours to go to the gathering point. About 15-16h, the transfer car took the group to the hotel, ending the journey. I stayed at a homestay for one night, then moved back to Hanoi. Note If you are planning this trip, you should register for the tour early. It was 8 months from the time I registered to the start of the journey. The number of visitors to explore the cave is limited per year. – Before starting the journey, it is necessary to practice according to the instructions of the tour provider. – About supplies, I prepare according to the list provided. In particular, you must bring organic shampoo, shower gel (organic), to not affect the environment in the cave. Good trekking shoes will decide 70% of your trip. Tour cost: 58.2 million VND / person Difficulty: 6 – difficult Age of participation: 18 years old and above Distance: 17 km through the forest, 8 km to explore the cave, 800 m up the slope, 90 m to climb the rope – Vietnam wall, across the river, stream or underground river in the cave. Do you have a trip this summer yet? Please share with us about the schedule, costs and beautiful pictures at: lifestyle@zing.vn The articles will be edited and published in the Zing Travel column.

On the afternoon of April 30, thousands of visitors flock to Hoi An ancient town to have fun during the holidays April 30 to May 1. In areas such as Japanese Covered Bridge, many tourists visit, enjoy street food at roadside restaurants. On the pedestrian streets such as Bach Dang, Nguyen Thai Hoc, and Le Loi, thousands of tourists visit, creating a bustling scene. “During the holidays, I was assigned to be on duty at the spots or tourists to visit to remind them to wear masks to prevent Covid-19,” said Mr. Luu Dinh Duong, a resident of the street. Hoi An city also reduces 50% of the ticket price to visit tourist attractions in the old town for visitors on this occasion. In the Covered Bridge area, to take souvenir photos, many visitors have difficulty because of the crowded population. According to a guide, during the holidays of April 30 to May 1, the number of visitors to Da Nang, Hoi An is more than the previous year. “On this occasion of April 30th, the number of tourists following the group increased, but only domestic tourists. Previously, when there was no translation of Covid-19 more Western guests,” said the male tour guide. “It’s been 4 days off the holiday, but the epidemic of Covid-19 is complicated. I and my girlfriend decided to go to Hoi An to visit and have fun at a nearby place to prevent epidemics,” said Dang Vu, Da Nang guests share. Talking to Zing, Mr. Nguyen Van Lanh, Vice Chairman of People’s Committee of Hoi An City, Quang Nam, said that the locality has halted the mass gathering of people to ensure the prevention of Covid-19 epidemic. Local people use mobile vehicles to propagate the people to ensure the distance of Covid-19 epidemic prevention. For visitors who do not comply with the Covid-19 anti-epidemic rules, the authorities will prompt and punish.

Quang Binh Tourism industry welcomes visitors on the Charter train. This is the second Charter train return to Quang Binh by the Unesco Hanoi Travel Club and the Hanoi Railway Transport Joint Stock Company. Train Charter Hanoi – Quang Binh departs from Hanoi Railway Station on the evening of April 29 and arrives in Quang Binh on the morning of April 30, bringing with 250 tourists. In the complicated context of the Covid-19 epidemic, Hanoi Railway Station, Dong Hoi Station, the tour group and the tour guides have strictly followed the rules of disease prevention and control such as: sterilization of the entire train, train stations, passenger cars, wearing masks, hand disinfection when entering the platform and before getting on the car … Tourists strictly follow wearing a mask and check their temperature before visiting Quang Binh. In addition, the tourist attractions have actively coordinated with businesses and travel agencies to coordinate delegations of visitors, limit the concentration of people at the same time, monitor the health of tourists. According to the Department of Tourism, this is a new and unique tourism product, built by the travel agencies of Unesco Hanoi Travel Club to provide visitors with many interesting experiences on new generation carriages.

Tour 2: Nail Island – Dam Ngang Island (or May Rut Island) Price: 290,000 VND What is the experience for tourists? – Visit Sao Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in Phu Quoc and 2 islands Enjoy a hearty lunch on board – Snorkeling at Mong Tay and Dam Ngang islets The islands in Phu Quoc possess unspoiled scenery, enchanting tourists. Photo: Tyxsomewhere. Evaluate: Quan: “The tour guide is enthusiastic and fun. The food is delicious, full, the rice is a bit dry. The Hon Tay is beautiful, but touristized, which loses its pristine beauty. Seeing normal coral, not too beautiful” Hoai: “At dawn, I go kayaking in May Rut island, the water is clear. Lunch on the boat is quite interesting, but not suitable for anyone with seasickness”. Tour to watch the sunset – squid at night Price: 214,000 VND What is the experience for tourists? – Discover the lives of local fishermen on Phu Quoc Island on a 4-hour trip – Watch the sunset on the boat and enjoy a rustic barbecue – Experience pocket-sized squid fishing in Phu Quoc Sunset is a “specialty” not to be missed in Phu Quoc. Photo: Anhdoo_20.12. Evaluate: Thi Phuong: “Pick up on time. Guests are allowed to board the boat at Duong Dong port near the night market. Squid is difficult to catch. Meal is temporary”. Thi Minh Thuy: “An interesting experience. The boat can accommodate 200 people and our tour includes 18 guests”. Thanh Dung: “The plus point is the shuttle tour at the hotel, with support for squid fishing equipment, the enthusiastic guide. The minus point is that the tour is not for people with seasickness”. Tour 3 islands – watch the sunset from the cable car across the sea Price: 494,000 VND What is the experience for tourists? – Visiting May Rut Hon, Nail Island and Gam Ghui Hon – Snorkel and watch marine life and swim in the clear waters of the island – Enjoy the beautiful sunset from Hon Thom cable car – the longest sea-crossing cable car in the world Tour 3 islands is popular with tourists because the destinations are close to each other. Photo: Giangjoile. Evaluate: Phuong dong: “Food on board is not too rich. The tour guide is funny, hard-working. Good service, pick-up and drop-off, good communication”. Tra: “I visit many places along the way, enough time to experience each place. The tour price corresponds to the quality of the service. However, due to the lack of food taste in Phu Quoc, I see the meal. noon on board was not good “. Huong: “The tour has a few islands, the design time is not reasonable”. Sightseeing tour to the South of Phu Quoc Island Price: 425,000 VND What is the experience for tourists? – Visit and learn about the history of pearl farms, pepper growing areas, sim wineries. – Visiting Ham Ninh fishing village, Ho Quoc pagoda, Cay Dua prison, fish sauce processing factory. – Sunbathe, relax on Sao Beach, have a traditional lunch. Sao Beach is a tourist attraction in the journey to discover the pearl island. Photo: Julia_oleksina. Evaluate: Phuong: “The tour guide is enthusiastic but should add more information to make the tour more interesting. Good food. Ho Quoc Pagoda is very beautiful. Tour is not too special”. Trang: “Reasonable schedule, punctual driving, good meal, ordering more things at Bai Sao is a bit expensive”. Chi Binh Nguyen: “The time to stay at the destinations is a bit less”. Exciting experiences to forget about the way home in Hon Thom Golden sunshine, smooth white sand embracing the clear blue water, combined with a variety of experiences make Hon Thom (south of Phu Quoc Island) become the ideal destination this summer.

The painting “The Girl in the Garden” National Treasure by painter Nguyen Gia Tri is numbered 15 on iMuseum (Photo: Hoa Binh) On the morning of April 22, Vietnam Fine Arts Museum officially announced the very interesting operation of App iMuseum VFA. With the specific need for in-depth knowledge of the art industry, not everyone knows which precious works are kept in museums. Therefore, art followers, every time they come to a city, want to visit the Museum of Fine Arts, often suffer from fatigue and exhaustion from room to room but never knowing in advance that they can reunite. with favorite work or not. The introduction of the iMuseum VFA App is considered a breakthrough in the era of technology 4.0, with many outstanding utility features that help visitors to easily discover hundreds of valuable works, huge blocks of valuable assets. timeless value. The Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the General Director of the General Department of Tourism use the iMuseum VFA app to learn about works at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum Immerse yourself in the flow of 4.0 Information flooded on the internet can assist visitors to know basic information about outstanding valuable works. However, without scientific data from the App iMuseum VFA, it is difficult for enjoyers to know exactly which works the Museum is holding. Just scan the QR code to buy the iMuseum VFA App right at the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts gate, enjoyers can easily know exactly which precious works the Museum is keeping. From there, visitors will have the exact choice towards the work they want to contemplate. The works are numbered so that viewers can easily locate in which areas, rooms, and floors of the museum they are displayed. App iMuseum VFA The iMuseum VVFA App is extremely useful for individual guests who do not come in groups, so it is difficult to invite a single tour guide to present hundreds of works on display in many different rooms. Mobile museum converges a lot of knowledge All presentations on precious works of art preserved from many periods of Vietnamese art have been carefully read and reviewed by a panel of renowned artists and art researchers. Therefore, these presentations are not only a means to help guests enjoy the art more fully, but also become scientific documents to help refer to valuable works. Artist Nguyen Tu Nghiem’s ​​”Giong” is numbered 53 on iMuseum (Photo: Hoa Binh) Immense knowledge of mankind is integrated on the digital platform, new achievements of society 4.0, helping people enjoy just one click on the smartphone screen to enjoy. Currently, Vietnam Fine Arts Museum is keeping up to 20,000 artifacts. The iMuseum App aims to introduce the viewer to 100 outstanding works. In particular, there are 9 national treasures being kept and displayed here. If you still use the traditional presentation method, it will be costly effective, more time consuming, costly by the tour guide, and certainly impossible the tour guide’s knowledge can compare with ants. formula of experts and art council. The painting “Slapping the contemplative water” by painter Tran Van Can is numbered 52 Multimedia integration The iMuseum App integrates the museum map, audio files, text, and high-quality photos of the work, which is great security so users can only enjoy without downloading images to the device. Enjoyers can scan the QR code affixed on the exhibits, to read information about the works, can also press the listen button, admire the work while listening to the presentation integrated by the human intelligence. create. Seeing the famous works with my own eyes and listening to in-depth lectures, full of knowledge in fine arts is indeed a wonderful experience for 8 hours at the Museum. The painting “Two girls and babies” by painter To Ngoc Van – No. 9 on iMuseum (photo: Hoa Binh) Guests can choose between 8 different languages ​​to listen to the presentation, including Vietnamese, English, French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Italian. The default language is the language of the user’s phone. According to the producer VINMAS, in the near future, the iMuseum App will continue to update more languages ​​to make it more convenient for tourists to visit the Museum, in the short term, the nearest will probably be German and Russian.

If you like to move, you can choose a trekking tour of Bach Ma national forest. Gentle relaxation activities such as sunset hunting in Tam Giang Lagoon, boat ride on Huong River or exploring ancient capital’s cuisine are equally attractive. Tour to Thanh Toan village Price: 819,000 VND Duration: 5 hours 45 minutes What will you experience? – Rowing along the Nhu Y river, cycling around Thanh Toan village, admiring the peaceful scenery in the countryside of Hue – Explore the life of Thanh Toan villagers, experience activities such as fishing, farming, gardening … – Visit the Thanh Toan tile bridge, a national-level cultural monument in Vietnam – Cook and enjoy traditional Hue dishes under the guidance of local chefs Visitors are immersed in Hue village life. Photo: Doanhuydesign. Visitor comments: Phoebe: “The tour will stop at different cultural locations and provide useful information about each. I like the fishing part and the cooking class the most.” Jacqueline: “Even though I was the only participant that day, I had many memorable experiences with this enthusiastic tour guide. The cooking class allowed me to make many dishes that I had never tried before in Vietnam”. SHIH HUNG: “I booked the tour on rainy day, some activities such as boat trips and farm work have to be canceled. Tour should add some activities suitable for bad weather”. Trekking tour of Bach Ma National Park Price: 680,000 VND Duration: 9 o’clock What will you experience? – Challenge yourself on hiking – Learn about animals and plants in Bach Ma National Park – Immerse yourself in the emerald water at Do Quyen and Ngu Ho waterfall – Picnic lunch in the fresh jungle The natural picture is caught in sight on the top of Bach Ma. Photo: Bangthanhh. Visitor comments: Quoc khanh: “Tour is worthwhile with attractive natural landscape, but better if going on a sunny day. The tour guide has good knowledge and foreign language”. Fitria Hutiany: “The tour is only for those who are really passionate about adventure. There is a girl in our group who finds it difficult every time we climb downhill. Lunch here is quite good.” Angelia: “If you are afraid of climbing, getting muddy, dirty, this is not the activity for you.” Dragon boat tour, dinner on Huong river Price: 761,000 VND Duration: 4 o’clock What will you experience? Admire the Perfume River, the endless source of inspiration for Vietnamese poetry – Watch the sunset on both sides of the river like Ngu mountain, Truong Tien bridge … – Dinner on a luxury dragon boat – Drop flower lights posted on the river surface Dragon boat is a unique feature of Hue culture. Photo: Datvecahue. Visitor comments: Timothy Kah Kin: “The food is delicious. The tour guide is caring, sharing many interesting stories”. Karen: “When the meal is served, the boat stands still to minimize engine noise. Tour is served from 17h-20h30, but in fact guests can only experience less than 2 hours”. Pereira: “The boat trip was quite short and not impressive”. Sightseeing, dinner tour on Tam Giang lagoon Price: 588,000 VND Duration: 3 o’clock What will you experience ?: – Walking around the lagoon, fishing with local people Watch the sunset on Tam Giang Lagoon, the largest lagoon in Southeast Asia – Have seafood dinner on floating restaurant Beautiful end of day picture in Tam Giang Lagoon. Photo: Mananh_nguyen. Visitor comments: Lie: “Tour was on time, the tour guide spoke good English. The 5 of us were fishing without a net but caught 3 crabs. All had a pleasant experience”. MING WAI: “It was cloudy that day, but the trip is still very valuable”. Anh: “Private tour pick up at hotel, delicious food”. Hue street food tour Price: 519,000 VND Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes What will you experience? – Enjoy your dining itinerary on foot or cyclo – Enjoy Hue street food such as vermicelli, teas, cakes … – Shop for local souvenirs at Dong Ba market, night market Bun beef is a dish not to be missed in Hue culinary paradise. Photo: Torr.dailylife. Visitor comments: Amanda: “The tour guide took us to four different places to taste the local food”. HeeSung: “On cyclo, I was stopped at temples and took pictures. The tour guide was enthusiastic but lacked detailed description of the ancient capital dishes.”