Three Vietnamese dishes in world’s top 100 famous foods

The World Records Union (Worldkings) has announced the list of top 100 famous food and beverages from countries all over the world, including Vietnamese ‘Pho’ (noodles with beef or chicken), ‘bun cha’ (rice noodles with grilled pork) and ‘banh mi’ (Vietnamese sandwich). 

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A bowl of Pho

The organisation described “pho” as a traditional dish and one of the most typical dishes of Vietnamese cuisine. 

Meanwhile ‘bun cha’ is described as a specialty of Ha Noi. It is a perfect combination of grilled pork, salad and sweet and sour sauces.    

They also said that ‘Banh mi’ is really popular in Viet Nam and can be found everywhere. 

It has very different forms depending on where the visitors are in the country.   

Some other dishes in Southeast Asia on the list include Nasi Goreng, Rendang (Indonesia); KhaoNiaw (Laos); Laksa, Satay (Malaysia); Fish Amok, Insects, Nom banh chok: Khmer noodles (Cambodia); Frog Porridge, Chili Crabs (Singapore); and Mango Sticky Rice, Pad Thai, Som Tam (Thailand).

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Riding cable-cars in Vietnam

Vietnam travel packages - Looking at Dalat from above and seeing Mt Fansipan, the roof of Indochina, covered by fog are a few of the sights seen from cable cars in Vietnam.

Measuring 6,282 meters, the Fansipan Sa Pa cable-car route is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's longest three-rope cable car route. It seta record as the world's biggest ascent between the departure and arrival, measuring 1,410 meters. 

If you take the cable car to Fansipan on clear days, you can enjoy panoramic views of Fansipan. 

Yen Tu cable-car system is divided into two routes. The first is from Giai Oan Pagoda to Hoa Yen Pagoda. The second route is from Hoa Yen Pagoda to Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong (An Ky Sinh) square.

Using Yen Tu cable-car system, you will see Uong Bi town or Yen Tu mountain from above. 

Ba Na cable car system is considered the best cable-car system in Vietnam, which also won four world records. 

The most impressive thing with tourists who sit in the cabin of this cable car system is the height and strong winds that constantly shake the cabin. 

Vinpearland cable car linking Nha Trang City and Hon Tre Island is the longest cable car system in Vietnam and the world. 

This cable system is designed to ensure the safety of passengers in case of tsunami or earthquake. 

Ta Cu cable car system in the central province of Binh Thuan with a length of 1,640 m. 

From the cabin, you can see Ta Cu forests, dragon fruit orchards, Ke Ga cape or winding roads. 

The 1.6 km Da Lat cable car route connects Truc Lam Monastery and Robin Hill. 

In this short journey, you will discover Dalat from above with immense pine hills, misty lakes, and the terraced fields of green vegetables. 

Vung Tau cable-car route of Ho May tourist site  has the largest capacity and the most beautiful stations in Vietnam.

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Thailand confident of luring more tourists

Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, believes that there is still room for Viet Nam and Thailand to grow and attract tourists with different tourism purposes.

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New destinations: According to Thai minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, the Kingdom also has planned to present Phu Quoc Island in Viet Nam’s southern province of Kien Giang to their tourists as part of their so-called “maritime tourism”. - Photo Truong Vi/VNS

The minister said during an interview with Viet Nam News during her recent visit to Ha Noi to attend the Thai Culture Days.

"As Viet Nam will host the ASEAN Beach Games in Da Nang by the end of September and there will be a seminar on sport tourism on its agenda, I think Thailand and Viet Nam can cooperate in this field," she said.

"ASEAN nowadays attracts great interest from people all over the world in terms of business, investment, and tourism. That’s why ASEAN connectivity is part of the programme that we launched last year.

"Therefore, we are presenting the ‘two countries – one destination’ package to tourists from America and Europe. If they want to go to Viet Nam, they can come to Thailand and we will take them to Viet Nam; or if they want to go to Thailand, they go to Myanmar, and then Thailand."

Alongside offering several new destinations and new products every year, she said Thailand and Viet Nam, together with other ASEAN countries, can help each other offer more new tourism products.

In their first phase, Thailand has began increased connectivity with Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Viet Nam.

"We already have tour packages for Thailand-Cambodia, Thailand-Laos, Thailand-Myanmar, and Thailand-Viet Nam," she said.

Last year, the Tourism Administration of Thailand (TAT) America brought a group of tour operators and media from the US to Thailand and then to Hạ Long Bay, Ha Noi and HCM City to explore the route. Another similar group will come back again in October to discover the route Thailand-Ha Noi-Sa Pa-Lao Cai.

Minister Wattanavrangkul also mentioned another form of connectivity, which has been called "intra-ASEAN".

She explained "intra-ASEAN" aims to encourage travel among ASEAN countries.

According to her, 29.8 million international tourists visited Thailand last year, of which 7.8 million were ASEAN tourists. The number of Vietnamese travellers to Thailand was 770,000, while about 140,000 Thais visited Viet Nam.

This year, the Kingdom has witnessed an increasing number of tourists that the two countries exchange between themselves.

"Within ‘intra-ASEAN’, we want Thai people to visit Ha Noi and other places such as Sa Pa, HCM City, Hue," minister Wattanavrangkul said.

"In fact, we have discussed that we want to open the connectivity between Hue and Chiangmai. We want to introduce Hue to Thai people as well as to introduce Chiangmai to Vietnamese."

The Kingdom also has planned to present Phu Quoc Island in Viet Nam’s southern province of Kien Giang to their tourists as part of their so-called “maritime tourism”.

"With Trat and Samui in Thailand, Phu Quoc in Viet Nam, and Sihanoukville in Cambodia, we can create a new interesting route for travellers," the minister said.

Asked about problems that Thailand has to face while developing its tourism, she said they can be lessons for other countries, including Viet Nam.

"When your tourism grows fast you tend to make light of something such as the environment and the identity of tourism. Those matters are common challenges for many countries," she said.

While Thailand is now trying to fix all these problems, the Thai minister said she hopes other ASEAN friends can learn how to cope with the issues.

"In June, we had the C-L-M-V-T [standing for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Viet Nam, and Thailand] forum in Bangkok. Co-organised by the Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Tourism of Thailand, the forum discussed these matters and we concluded that we need to further boost information exchange. We in Thailand faced all these matters before and now we can share with you the lessons we have learned."

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Ha Long Bay among Top 3 places to visit in Southeast Asia

Ha Long Bay has been ranked third in a list of the 29 Best Places to Visit in Southeast Asia by Touropia, an international travel website featuring the most amazing sights around the world divided into various “Best of” lists.

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“Located in northeastern Vietnam, Ha Long Bay resembles a scene from a fantasy story with its thousands of limestone karst islands of different shapes and sizes,” the website explained.

“Some of the islands contain lakes while some are hollow, with a colorful fairyland of grottoes inside.”

Quang Ninh province, home of Ha Long Bay, has recently provided three new experiences for tourists.

In June it opened a cable car line 2.2 km in length, from Bai Chay Beach to Ba Deo Mountain.

The cable car has two cabins and can transport about 2,000 people an hour.

It was certified by Guinness World Records as the largest in the world, with one cabin holding up to 230 people, and for having the world’s highest pillar, at 188.88 meters above the ground.

The Sun Wheel, where people can gaze over Ha Long Bay and the surrounding area from a height of 215 meters above sea level, is the second new local experience.

The Ferris wheel uses Japanese technology and has 64 cabins carrying 1,200 people an hour.

A wax museum, meanwhile, was opened over the summer, featuring wax figures of famous people from around the world.

In the first half of this year Quang Ninh is estimated to have welcomed almost 6 million tourists, a 9 per cent increase year-on-year. International tourist arrivals totaled 1.9 million, a 30 per cent increase, and came from more countries than previously. 

Hoi An, Hanoi, and Sapa also found places on Touropia’s list. Hoi An, ranked 15th, was described as a charming town known for its great atmosphere at the mouth of the Thu Bon River on the central coast.

“The narrow, winding lanes of the old port are lined with beautiful old architecture, traditional wooden houses and hundreds of tailor shops selling everything from clothing to souvenirs,” it said.

Hanoi, ranked 25th, made the list for blending the charm of the old world with a pace of life that is quickening as the old city modernizes and is where visitors can see local people both taking tai chi chuan exercises and aerobics.

“At the heart of Hanoi is its Old Quarter, an open-air museum of historic Asian and French colonial architecture that has largely remained intact,” it wrote.

Sapa, ranked 27^th and located in remote northwest of Vietnam, was assessed by Touropia as being suitable for trekking in the surrounding mountains, touring rice paddies, and visiting traditional villages and ethnic minorities.

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Grilled shrimp paste on sugar cane - a delicious dish of Hue

Vietnam travel packages - Grilled shrimp paste on sugar cane was originally created by the ingenious cooks for the imperial kitchen in Hue.

The cooking of the dish is not a very difficult or time-consuming process.

Firstly, boil the pork fat, drain and finely dice then, put shrimp, garlic, scallion, egg white, sugar, salt and pepper in a food processor.

Split each section of the sugar cane lengthwise into quarters then oil the fingers.

Mold the paste onto the sugar cane; leave about 1 inch each end of the sugar cane exposed to serve as a handle.

You can grill over medium charcoal, or broil in the oven until browned or pre-steam until the color turns pink then pan-fry them.

The dish is often served with fish sauce to increase its unforgettable flavor.

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5 foods to try while in West

he fat drain chickpeas in Dai Tam bread, spicy beef noodles or pancakes Lieu Ten Xiem, Can Tho is the tourists dish not to be missed while in the West.

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Signature cuisine of the West is an integral part of the tourist itinerary.

Cake tribute Dai Tam, Soc Trang

A tribute slice includes 4-6 units cost about 25,000 to 30,000 dong Photo: Guo Duy Thinh

This is fairly common dish in Soc Trang people each afternoon. Cakes are sold near market sewer Dai Dai Tam Tam commune, My Xuyen district.Small cake shaped like the drain rainwater from the West should gradually accustomed people called cake sewer mouth. Cakes include pork is ground for smooth, with onion, especially indispensable green beans and some crayfish. Delicious cake when diners eat to feel the rum crispy, melt them in the mouth, greasy from chickpeas. Put fish sauce and vegetables is also an indispensable ingredient in cakes Dai Tam drain.

Address: sewer her cake shop Russia, near the University Center Market.

Spicy beef noodle, Bac Lieu

Color red peppers in a bowl noodle always makes customers feel excited. Photo:Guo Duy Thinh

This is quite exotic dishes created by the Chinese. Spicy beef noodle bowl full of beef includes several pieces cut out, but when eaten in very brittle, soft, not chewy. Quite spicy beef noodle water because many peppers cooked with broth dissolved into. Diners arrived, the bartender hit the jackpot noodle boiling water, leaving a few pieces of beef and peppers to fill water chan comes less coriander and basil. Diners eat the same dishes spicy salt and chilli seeds equally well. Drunk tourists night, light spicy beef noodle bowl makes a Bac Lieu, the health out immediately. Because after the first 2-3 tablespoons. Your tears will flow net for spicy, sweat and feel fresh. The price of a bowl of beef noodle around 20000-25000 depending on the type of large and small contracts.

Address: Street Cao Van Lau, Bac Lieu City (sold only in the morning).

Fish Vermicelli Chau Doc, An Giang

Sweet taste tasty noodle bowl snakehead fish, rum crispy roast pork with cork cotton. Photo: Guo Duy Thinh

This is a dish of Cambodia, Vietnam was later to become variations usual breakfast items. Raw materials for making noodles are easy to find fish such as catfish copper, fresh turmeric, lemongrass and fresh bun indispensable. This dish diners served with banana flower and vegetable.In addition to the flooding season tourists can eat with cork cotton. Diners can call first to add pork and catfish to eat together.

The price is 20,000 dong a bowl of noodles, a dish called pork costs VND 10,000.

Address: fish noodles Thao, Trung Nu Vuong, Chau Doc City.

Ten Xiem pancakes, Can Tho

Rum crispy pancakes served with vegetables and sweet and sour chili sauce cup round taste. Photo: Guo Duy Thinh

This shop is always busy pancakes traveler car and enjoy every day. Ten Xiem pancakes with powdered preparation method should have your very own little crispy bars do. Pancakes with duck meat is finely minced pork, served with crayfish and exotic vegetables such as lentils nails, sand boas, silk shoots, leaves the way. Sauce dotted with spicy pancakes just mouth the little carrots are cut into several mixed fibers.

Partly pancakes Ten Siem VND40,000. One person is eating a moderate, because the bread is quite loud. Bar open from morning to evening sale.

Address: Coastal road in the village of Tra Noc, Binh Thuy District, Can Tho City.

Paste noodles, Ben Tre

Pate simple bowl of noodle soups served with bowls. Photo: Tran Linh Tuan

This is considered a familiar dish of Ben Tre people. Famous noodles for a long pate with pieces of pate massive, very lean and toughness of the pigskin. Security soups from pork bones should be very concentrated in sugar should not give all visitors that are edible. In particular, visitors have many choices as bone pate, seafood pate, pate pig hearts. Bar open from 15h to 22h daily. Normal price for a bowl of 25,000 contracts, in addition visitors can call more discretionary items.

Address: Canyon Unified, Ward 4, Ben Tre City

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