Traveling down to the sea and up the hills during the holidays

The traditional festival of Lunar New Year, or Tet, is only 23 days away, heralding another spring season in Vietnam. It is not only kids who look forward to this holiday, when they will put on new clothes to show off to their friends and receive Li xi (lucky money), but also adults, who look forward to having a rest or going on a trip, escaping for a few days the busy life after a long year burdened with work.

Now more than ever, tour operators are gearing up to introduce new tours for Tet season to cater the travel demands of holiday-goers.

Among them Ben Thanh Tourist is wooing travelers with the Ninh Chu-Dalat tour, which will depart on February 8 and 10 (the second and fourth day of Lunar New Year). The bus tour is designed for four days and three nights, taking festival-goers down to the sun-sand-wind region of Ninh Chu in the coastal central province of Ninh Thuan, and then up to the hilly city of Dalat in the highland province of Lam Dong.

As scheduled, the bus will pick up travelers from HCMC for Ninh Chu in the early morning. On the way, though without stopping, the bus will meander through Ca Na Beach, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the central province, so that passengers may contemplate the breathtaking landscape of the sea.

On the first afternoon there will be time to stop for a walk around the temple of Po Klong Garai, a visit to Mu Nghiep village where brocade is woven, and Bau Truc Pottery village, and a wander in the grape gardens in the region. And of course, travelers cannot come to the sea without sunbathing and swimming in the clear blue sea water.

On day two the bus leaves Ninh Chu and heads up to Dalat in the highlands. Winding up and down through the Pass Ngoan Muc (Quaint Pass), travelers will be treated to a panoramic view of the imposing landscape in the hilly region, the hydroelectricity of Da Nhim and the plain of Phan Rang and Cham Temple.

Dalat is not only famous for the cool air but also for its ancient French architecture. The tour will stop overnight to allow a morning visit to Domain de Marie Church and Love Valley, or a stroll on a hill of Mimosa flowers, a typical flower of the foggy city of Dalat.

A visit to Dalat is not complete without a trip to Langbian Mountain to hear the beautiful legend of the love of an ethnic couple, and also to test one’s endurance while attempting to conquer the mountain on foot. For those who succeed, a breath-taking view of Dalat city awaits at the peak on a clear day.

The afternoon can be spent taking a leisurely ride around Xuan Huong Lake on a hired tandem, visiting Dalat Market to buy gifts for friends, or strolling through the undulating streets to view the city at night.

On the fourth and last day of the journey, the bus will take travelers to the Zen monastery of Truc Lam near Tuyen Lam Lake and then stop at Datanla Waterfall for some sightseeing, or to take a thrilling ride on the roller coaster in the pine forest, before heading to HCMC to wrap up their holidays.

The price for the tour starts at VND2.08 million per person and varies depending on the level of accommodation.

For more information, contact Ben Thanh Tourist at 89A Ham Nghi Boulevard, Dist.1, HCMC. Tel: (08) 821 8989 – 520 2020.

Source SaigonTimes