Peter Zimmermann from Germany said he and his wife have been coming to Vietnam for 5-6 months every winter since 2013 and they always rented a house or a large apartment in the beach town of Nha Trang. "Vietnam is really an excellent place to live as a retiree as local people are open and very friendly. There are good hotels, resorts, restaurants, cafes and apartments. Great beaches by the sea and lots of culture and history to discover," he told VnExpress International . However, current visa policies remain a major barrier for pensioners looking to settle down in Vietnam because the country has not resumed its pre-pandemic visa policies. Apart from granting visa exemption to 24 tourism markets for stays of 15-30 days, Vietnam only issues a one-month single-entry e-visa to visitors from other countries, instead of the three-month multi-entry visas it used to issue. "It is not reasonable for pensioners like us to leave the country every 30 days and return with a new … [Read more...] about Vietnam visa policy rebuffs foreign retirees’ love
Vietnam visa canada on arrival
The art of motorbike repairs in Vietnam
Well you got caught with a flat? Well, how 'bout that Well babies, don't you panic By the light of the night, it'll all seem alright I'll get you a Satanic mechanic (Lyrics from the Rocky Horror Show) You hear that chunk and feel the dump and know you’re in trouble. Yes, it’s that wonderful time when you get a flat tire and need to find the repair shop pronto. Murphy’s Law (anything that can go wrong will go wrong!) applies here: 1) it nearly always happens when you are the furthest away from a repair shop; 2) it will happen when you are in a hurry to get somewhere; or 3) just when you’ve achieved that perfect mood to get through the day… (A note for English learners – ‘tire’ is used in America and Canada, however most of the rest of the world spells it ‘tyre’ – the rubber outside part of a wheel.) A mechanic repairs a motorbike for free during a rainstorm in Da Nang in December 2018. Photo: Doan Nhan / Tuoi Tre Your magic words will be ‘sửa chữa’ … [Read more...] about The art of motorbike repairs in Vietnam
☕ Afternoon briefing on August 17
Hanoi, (VNA) – The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency on August 17. – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reaffirmed the importance of developing high-quality human resources for agriculture, while attending an innovation event and job fair of the Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA) in Hanoi on August 17. The Government leader and others visited an exhibition of scientific and technological models and products by the VNUA’s businesses and partners. Read full story – Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on August 17 asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) to review the operation of household businesses in the tourism sector affected by the COVID-19. The ministry should coordinate with core travel firms to form key routes connecting localities, the official said at a meeting of the State Steering Committee for Tourism in Hanoi which assessed the implementation of tourism recovery solutions. Read full … [Read more...] about ☕ Afternoon briefing on August 17
Committee seeks ways to ensure rapid, sustainable tourism recovery
At the meeting (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on August 17 asked the Ministry of Culture , Sports and Tourism (MCST) to review the operation of household businesses in the tourism sector affected by the COVID-19 . The ministry should coordinate with core travel firms to form key routes connecting localities, the official said at a meeting of the State Steering Committee for Tourism in Hanoi which assessed the implementation of tourism recovery solutions. He ordered restarting heritage digitalisation with the participation of travel enterprises to promote new tourism products. Regarding electricity prices for tourism services and lodging facilities, Dam, also head of the Committee, asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) to submit a plan on power price adjustment to the Prime Minister before application. The MCST, travel associations and firms should propose specific tax and land incentives, he said. Minister Nguyen Van Hung … [Read more...] about Committee seeks ways to ensure rapid, sustainable tourism recovery
Cambodia eyes to serve 1.3 million foreign tourists in 2022
Angkor Wat, a UNESCO world heritage site, is the tourist icon of Cambodia. (Photo: Khmer Times) Phnom Penh (VNA) - Cambodia expects to welcome 1.2-1.3 million international tourists in 2022, said Director General of Tourism Development and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Tourism Thong Rathasak. Recovering fast from the COVID-19 downfall, Cambodia is banking on increased arrival of foreign tourists this year, compared to the last two years. According to Rathasak, the Southeast Asian nation served over 500,000 foreign visitors in the first half of this year, and this was a good comeback compared to the number of 200,000 tourist arrivals last year.. COVID-19 was a big lesson as Cambodia n people learned to coexist with a pandemic, he said, hoping that people who left the tourism sector would come back and rebuild their businesses or careers. For Cambodia, 2022 started well as it got the chance to organise the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), which was … [Read more...] about Cambodia eyes to serve 1.3 million foreign tourists in 2022
Climate change driving unprecedented forest fire loss
Forest fires supercharged by climate change are burning twice as much global tree cover as 20 years ago, according to a data Wednesday showing the equivalent of 16 football pitches are now lost every minute. The research showed in unprecedented detail how wildfires have progressed over the past two decades, with the blazes claiming an estimated three more million hectares each year -- an area the size of Belgium -- compared with 2001. The study showed that the majority of tree cover loss is occurring in the boreal forests that blanket much of Russia, Canada and Alaska, which are among the largest storers of carbon on Earth. Researchers from the University of Maryland used satellite imagery to map areas of tree cover lost, including that burned by what are known as stand-replacing forest fires. These are fires that kill all or most of the forest's canopy and which cause long-term changes to forest structure and soil chemistry. The data showed 2021 to be one of the worst years … [Read more...] about Climate change driving unprecedented forest fire loss