Fruit festival in Tien Giang

Tien Giang Province in the Mekong river cruise hosted the first ever national fruit festival in My Tho city from April 19 to 24

Tran Hoa Huy, a member of the organization board, said the festival would welcome over 100,000 guests and tourists. There are 350 rooms available for accommodation in My Tho City and in nearby provinces such as Long An, Ben Tre and HCMC. The recently opened Trung Luong Expressway makes My Tho City only a 40 minute drive from HCMC. Visit South Vietnam tours

With more than 700 stalls, the event displayed 2,000 tons of fruit from 24 provinces, including the well-known Hoa Loc mangoes, Lo Ren Vinh Kim star-apples, Chin Hoa durians and Hung Yen longans. Also, the festival features agricultural products and plant exhibitions, food fairs, firework displays and festivities at Cai Be floating market. Several national records are expected to be set during the festival too, including the largest map of Vietnam and the longest dragon made entirely of fruit.

Fruit festival in Tien Giang 

There would also be an awards ceremony to honor farmers, scientists and enterprises who have contributed to research and planting processes to deliver high-quality Vietnamese fruit to both local and global markets.VAM HO BIRD SANCTUARY

Nguyen Minh Chau, head of the Southern Fruit Research Institute, said the country, and especially the Mekong Delta, boasts a wide variety of good fruit owing to favorable climate and soil.

Vietnam has a total of 776,000 hectares under fruit cultivation and can increase competitiveness compared to leading exporters Thailand and China if it invests more into seedling research, modern techniques and brand building.

The Fruit Festival will host a series of seminars on developing trademarks for Vietnamese fruit on the global market and measures to create and strengthen links between scientists, farmers, processors and local authorities to increase value.

This festival is set to become a five-yearly event.

Discover Asia On An APT River Cruise

Winding your way past quaint riverside towns and floating markets surrounded by green fields along the Mekong Delta and its adjoining waterways is a great way to discover Asia. APT‘s Southeast Asia cruises offer beautifully furnished private suites, international cuisine and small group excursions on rickshaws and water boats. You can cruise magically through Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, discovering hidden gems not seen by land.

A visit to the Mekong Delta cruise is so special because of its unique diversity. See kids riding on water buffalo, rice workers hunched over their fields, flocks of storks at dusk and rowboats on its maze of channels. Home to over 1,000 varieties fish, 20,000 plant species and an array of wildlife, the Mekong Delta is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. It’s Asia’s third largest river; a comma-shaped flatland that is also known as Vietnam’s ‘rice bowl’, producing more than a third of the country’s annual food crop. Here are four countries you can explore on an APT Asian river cruise.

Discover Asia On An APT River Cruise

Otherworldly sights await at Vietnma’s Ha Long Bay
Vietnam
An APT Mekong Delta cruise can take you through the contrasts of beautiful Vietnam, from the hive of activity in its crowded cities,to the relaxed pace of the beautiful countryside. In northern Hanoi, you will find a beautiful blend of French colonial influence, with the modern pace of Asian city life before cruising onward past the spectacular mountains of Sapa and the sparkling Ha Long Bay.

Be transported further south to Saigon, where you will find a mix of soaring skyscrapers with French architecture and the energy of chaotic outdoor markets. Along the way, Australia’s revered chef, Luke Nguyen, can help you discover the culinary heritage of his home country.

See Cambodian life along the Mekong Delta
Travel to Cambodia
Channels carve a lifeline into Cambodia, a country full of history and magnificence. Visit the famous temples of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap and cruise past the beautiful Royal Palace. Located on the riverfrontm the Palace showcases classic Khmer roofs and ornate gilding.

You can experience Cambodia’s lush countryside filled with rice paddies and sugar palms, cruising along the south coast past tropical islands and beach huts.

 Lush landscapes around the Nam Song River, Laos
Travel to Laos
After years of isolation, Laos is now one of the most laid-back Southeast Asian destinations. Enjoy the well-preserved culture, stunning natural environment and friendly people. Life in Laos still revolves around tradition and you can experience riverfront life unchanged over generations. See the historic royal city of Luang Prabang where hundreds of saffron-robed monks move quietly among centuries-old monasteries.

The Mekong opens up at Si Phan Don (meaning literally ‘four thousand islands’). It’s an archipelago of tranquil islands popular with travellers for cycling, swimming, tubing, boat cruises, kayaking, and dolphin spotting.

Cruise into beautiful Bangkok
Thailand
Known as the ‘Land of Smiles’, you’re awarded the opportunity see Thailand’s famous beaches and lush mountain ranges on an APT river cruise. Stop at Bangkok for a spot of shopping in its many malls, or take in its history by visiting the ancient temples.

Heading further north, the landscape changes to dense forests, where you come face to face with hill tribes of and see village life rooted in centuries of tradition. The Mekong Delta and its distributaries are lined with natural beauty and is the perfect waterscape to discover Asia from a different perspective.

Halong cruise safety tips

Cruising on such a magnificent bay like Halong bay travel is undoubted a fantastic experience that you will never want it to be spoiled by any slight unfortunate accident. It is highly recommended to follow cruise ship safety instructions.

After boarding, the very first and basic thing that any reliable and responsive crew member would do is giving passengers a tour around the ship help you become familiar with escape routes and emergency exits. Crew member should also show you where to get life jackets and how to secure them properly. Please pay your fullest attention to this valuable instruction in case of emergency. In emergency situations, you will easily recognize by the evacuation signal (the most international standardized is seven short horn blasts followed with one long horn blast). 5 BEST CRUISES IN HALONG BAY

Halong cruise safety tips

Even when your boat has signs of sinking, please remain calm and follow instructions of the crew members to take lifebuoy or life jacket and head to rescue boat to escape safely from the cruise. Jumping into the sea is only suggested when there are no crew members around. A QUICK LOOK ON HALONG BAY MAP

If an emergency arises, please keep calm and listen to important announcements such as instructions guiding you to the exits and evacuation lifeboats.

Leave your valuable items like necklaces, rings, accessories home or in a safe for security reason.

Watch out for strong wind while walking on decks, wear comfortable walking shoes with good traction, and never stay on the decks during a heavy rain or stormy weather.

Drink an acceptable amount. Although some luxury cruise ships offer high quality wines, drinking excessively can impair your judgment and lead you to unexpected incidents.

You can avoid catching illnesses and viruses by washing your hands frequently. It is also advisable to carry extra hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes for better protection.

Although it is an interesting experience to cruise alone, try to form a group of 3 to 5 friends and families members so that you can take good care of each other.