Tourists Want Adventure in Vietnam

Parasailing is still a new attractive kind of entertainment in Vietnam Original and fascinating, Vietnamese adventure tours have caught the attention of many foreign tourists. However, these tours have not been profitable because the companies organize them very poorly. Plenty to do Trekking, diving, kayaking, surfing, sailing, parachuting are now available in Vietnam. Trekking is often combined with a homestay. Foreign visitors are based with local residents, and from that home go out the experience the surroundings on treks. The imposing natural scenery and the distinctive cultures of the many ethnic peoples make northeastern and northwestern Vietnam and the Central Highlands region wonderful places for adventure tours in Vietnam. Tourists fond of adventure tours are advised to take cars, ride bicycles or drive motorcycles on roads between Da Nang and Kon Tum, Da Lat and Phan Rang, over the Prenn Pass, Highway 4 between Cao Bang and Ha Giang, the northwest belt road between Hoa Binh and Dien Bien, and the road between Lai Chau and Sa Pa and between Lao Cai and Bac Ha. There is spectacular scenery along those roads. Those who like climbing mountains can shinny up Fan Si Pan, Ma Pi Leng (Meo Vac, Ha Giang) or Bach Ma Peaks, or climb about in the Lang Biang mountain range and the Yen Tu mountain range (Quang Ninh). In Vietnam are also a number of beautiful waterfalls that one can visit. There's the Dau Dang Waterfall (Ba Be Lake), the Dray Sap, Dray Nu and Dam Bri waterfalls in the Central Highlands, the Ban Gioc Waterfall in Cao Bang and many others in northeastern and northwestern Vietnam. Vietnam's long coastline with hundreds of beaches and beautiful islands like Cat Ba, Cu Lao Cham, Phu Quoc and Con Dao Islands plus inlets within Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long are perfect for adventure tours both under the sea and on the islands. One can dive, sailboat, surf and parachute. The lakes of Ba Be, Hoa Binh, Thac Ba, Nui Coc and large rivers like the Red River, the Da River, the Ma River, the Perfume River, the Tien and the Hau rivers are suitable locations for waterborn adventure tours. Foreigners love adventure tours in Vietnam Not much interest there Only a handful of adventure tours in Vietnam are thought by foreigners to be well-organized. These do put Vietnamese tourism in a good light. The first to offer an adventure tour in Vietnam was the Vietnam Tourism Company in Hanoi with its 'Raid Gauloises' tour in 2002. More than 800 foreigners from 17 countries did the 14-day long tour of nine northeastern highland provinces. As a part of the tour foreigners walked through forests, climbed mountains, crossed waterfalls, cycled over mountain passes and went boating in rivers and on the sea. There were sailboat races jointly organized by Saigon Tourist in cooperation with Hong Kong Sailboat Club and Goodman Marine International. The race began in Hong Kong and ended at Nha Trang City. Taking part in these races were serious sailboaters of different nationalities. Except for this, adventure tours have been nearly absent in Vietnam. A few domestic travel companies have tailored some adventure tours taking foreigners to climb Fan Si Pan Peak, Lang Biang Peak and Bach Ma Peak, pass over Prenn Mountain Pass, and dive off Nha Trang, Cu Lao Cham, Phu Quoc and Con Dao. It was also possible to cycle as a group and go to places in sport utility vehicles, and go boating in Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island. However, there was little interest and locals are not at all interested in these kinds of tours. An official from the Travel Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Nguyen Anh Tuan, said that travel businesses have not done well with adventure tours because it takes a lot of effort to really organize such a tour. Travel companies need permission from provincial authorities, the Ministry of Public Security and/or the Ministry of Defense. Just this could take months - or even years. Director of Marco Polo Nguyen Duc Hung said that there are in Vietnam no professional guides for adventure tours, and no schools to train anyone. On the tours here, a local person will be hired to handle the transportation while a tour guide will interpret and do some support activities. Professional adventure tours these are not. Good Vietnamese adventure tours would improve Vietnam's image internationally Providing real adventure tours "Adventure tours are a priority in Vietnam tourism master plan to 2010," said deputy director of the Institute for Tourism Research and Development Pham Trung Luong. Mr. Tuan said that although Vietnam has enormous potential for adventure tours, getting real adventure tours off the ground in Vietnam is extremely difficult. No research has been on adventure tours in Vietnam, and sports adventure tours are both few and not good. Any adventure tour that is cobbled together by a travel company is at their discretion and follows no guidelines. The various locations to carry out adventure tours could be identified and adventure tours that would attract visitors could be created, said Mr. Tuan. Infrastructure is needed in these locations, along with food and accommodations for visitors. Market surveys should be done. People from West Europe, North America and Oceania like adventure tours. There's also the matter of promoting Vietnamese adventure tourism but first it has to exist. For this to happen, administrative procedures must be simplified. Good Vietnamese adventure tours would improve Vietnam's image internationally, bring in hard currency, and spur tourism development.

By Thanh Tam