Vietnam travel news on 17 Feb 2017

Vietnam tour operators ask for longer visa waiver for Europeans
Tourists from UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italia offered Vietnam visa exemption within 15 days which is a great support and priority from the government to push up Vietnam tourism. In fact, this policy have been showing efficiency as the number of tourists from these mentioned countries travelling to Vietnam are on the rise. However, 15 days can be not logical for tourists who want to visit Vietnam longer. 20 to 30 days should be perfect!

Seeing this, The HCMC Tourism Association and many Vietnam tour operators have sent request to authorities to lengthen Vietnam visa exemption for those countries and hoping a change in the coming time.

Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival
Vietnam is one of the biggest coffee exporter in the world and tourists normally buy coffee in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh city to bring home as a gift. Buon Ma Thuot in the central highland of Vietnam is the largest coffee producer will be with Dak Lak province to organize the The 6th Coffee Festival which is a unique opportunity for locals and tourists to enjoy best coffee as well as the Gong music performance and a lot of cultural activities from 8-13 March 2017.

Places to see in Lao Cai
Lao Cai is the northwestern province of Vietnam having beautiful landscapes and different ethnic groups who have unique culture to know. Travelling to Lao Cai, tourists can now spend only 5 hours from Hanoi by car instead of 9 hour train ride and there are some must-see places to visit:

1. Sapa - The most beautiful mountain town of Vietnam, offering breathtaking landscape of the Hoang Lien Mountain range, ethnic villages dotted along the valley of rice terraces in Muong Hoa. Sapa is ideal destination for trekking, homestay, photography tour or retreat.

2. Y Ty - A hidden area in Bat Xat district of Lao Cai, known as the magical place where earth meets cloud. Tourists are suggested to travel to Y TY by motorcycle and experience a night at homestay and wait for right moment to take spectacular photos of rice terraces, cloud, etc.

3. Bac Ha Market - It is around 70km from Lao Cai city, Bac Ha market is opened once a week on Sundays only. Market is where different ethnic groups come to buy and sell local stuff, to meet friends, to drink and enjoy life. The market is colorful and lively from early in the morning til 2pm in the afternoon.