The coastal city of Vung Tau (Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province) is the leading summer getaway for Vietnamese tourists, followed by Phan Thiet City (Binh Thuan Province), Dalat City (Lam Dong Province), Nha Trang City (Khanh Hoa Province), and Danang City thanks to their cool climate and natural landscape, according to a survey conducted by Agoda, an online travel agency, in April this year.
The Agoda’s survey of local tourists’ most favorite destinations to escape summer heat is based on guests’ searches and room bookings at hotels and resorts throughout the country from April to August this year. Of the five leading summer getaways, four are sea tourism destinations and the remainder is highland tourism one.
According to vnexpress.net, on the occasion of the April 30 and May 1 holidays, sea tourism destinations received a huge number of tourists and earned extremely high revenue. Beaches in Ba Ria-Vung Tau welcomed up to 626,000 visitors, with room occupancy amounting to over 90%. Vung Tau City accounted for 46% of the total number of tourist arrivals, up 38% year-on-year.
Vietnamese police help African students
On the occasion of the Day of African Children (DAC – June 16), the working group of the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam on duty at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) coordinated with relevant agencies under UNMISS and the local police to pay a visit to local students.
At a junior high school and an elementary school in the refugee camp in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, UNMISS police officers and experts talked about gender and the importance of education to representatives of some 1,700 students. They also presented gifts to female students.
With the support from the Women’s Union of the Ministry of Public Security, the ministry’s working group at UNMISS presented thousands of teaching and learning tools to the teachers and students of the two schools. The Vietnamese police officers also donated toys and sports equipment to the students.
According to tuoitre.vn, this was the third charitable activity of the Ministry of Public Security’s Women’s Union that had been carried out in South Sudan by the working group to help local students living in refugee camps throughout the country in East Africa.
A free soup kitchen in town
A food kitchen serving free meals to those in need has been opened by Nguyen Duc Tuan, 59, at his house in Hoc Mon District, HCMC, for two months now.
Tuan told thanhnien.vn that the soup kitchen serves about 250 free portions a day to needy guests from 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday every week. He added that up to 70 diners can have their lunch at the kitchen at a time; and others will be served after the first ones finished their meals. This is why many diners have dubbed Tuan’s food kitchen as the “most visited eatery” in Hoc Mon.
To be able to serve a portion of rice, meat or fish, fried vegetables, and soup, to hundreds of diners free of charge, Tuan and his family members and friends have to prepare the meals hours earlier and serve them to needy people thoughtfully as though they were actual customers. A notice in front of his soup kitchen says that they do not receive any contribution, neither in cash nor in kind.
Tuan said he spent his own money, VND3-3.5 million, serving free meals a day, but he and his companions were happy to see the smile and gratitude on diners’ faces.
Returning forgotten VND500 million to passenger
The authorities of Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi have received a letter from a passenger expressing appreciation for Bui Thi Huyen, a staff member at the airport, for assisting in retrieving a cabin bag containing VND500 million, reported the Nguoi Lao Dong news site.
On June 13, the passenger and her father traveled from HCMC to Hanoi to visit seriously ill relatives. Upon landing, in their haste, her father accidentally forgot the cabin suitcase containing VND500 million and personal documents. Fortunately, upon returning to search for the bag, they encountered Huyen, a staff member who collects baggage trolleys, who informed them she had found it. After confirming the details, Huyen returned the bag to the passengers.
The passenger mentioned that her father was deeply moved and wanted to express gratitude for Huyen with a sum of money, but she gently declined.
The authorities of Noi Bai International Airport praised Huyen’s kind action.
