6 last-minute options for Reunification Day holiday

World’s longest glass bridge

A 632-meter-long glass bridge in northern highlands town Moc Chau, 200 km from Hanoi, is scheduled to open to tourists during the Reunification Day (April 30) holiday. The glass bridge is scheduled to achieve a Guinness record as the world’s longest.

A glass bridge, said to be the world’s longest, in Moc Chau Town is set to open on April 30, 2022. Photo courtesy of Moc Chau Island Tourist Area

The relative height between the bridge deck and ground is about 150 meters. Standing on the bridge, tourists can view green mountains and valleys.

Entry tickets during weekends and national holidays cost VND650,000 ($28.24) for adults and VND450,000 for children up to 1.4 meters tall. Tourists can contact with Moc Chau Island Tourist Area to book tickets.

Cuc Phuong National Park

Cuc Phuong, Vietnam’s first national park, is situated in the Tam Diep mountain range that runs across the provinces of Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa.

April and May are fluttering butterfly season, with large swarms blotting out the sun.

The campsite for tourists is in Xom Bong, also known as the airport area, surrounded by mountains and forests. In addition, visitors can take photos at Mac Lake, go for a short trek inside the forest, or visit a newly-opened bamboo restaurant.

White butterflies inside Cuc Phuong National Park. Photo by VnExpress/Kieu Duong

Tourists should bring tents, food, electric lights, insect spray, and warm blankets if sleeping overnight.

For tourists who want to experience luxury camping, Sunny Camping, located in a golf course in Nho Quan District, about 15 kilometers from Cuc Phuong, would be an ideal option with green lakes, mountains, streams and waterfalls.

The price is around VND799,000 per person, including entry tickets, tents, a barbecue set, and breakfast if they stay overnight.

Enjoying a sunny beach in Quy Nhon

Quy Nhon in the south central coast is one of the suggestions of travel agencies for tourists who want to enjoy sunny beaches without jostling crowds.

Resorts like FLC Quy Nhon, Fleur De Lys Quy Nhon or Anya Premier Quy Nhon stretching along long, sandy beaches still have available rooms from April 30 to May 3 with rates ranging from VND1.6 to 3.5 million a night. In addition, air tickets from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Quy Nhon are “cooling down” at over VND2 million per person for a round-trip.

Hon Kho Island in Quy Nhon beach town is seen from above. Photo by Pham Huy Trung

In addition to staying at luxury resorts, do not forget to catch the sunrise from Thi Nai Bridge, go camping on Queen’s Beach, and enjoy local dishes like jumping shrimp pancake, jelly-fish noodles and banh hoi (rice vermicelli woven into intricate bundles) served with pork innards.

Chay Lap Farmstay in Phong Nha-Ke Bang

Only about 20 kilometers from Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park in central Vietnam, Chay Lap Farmstay is favored thanks to its natural landscape and green surroundings.

It has 41 rooms -14 farm rooms with unique floating house designs, 11 garden rooms, and 16 mountain rooms. Bungalows here are surrounded by green trees and located far from busy residential areas suitable for those escaping the crowds over Covid fears.

The facility has a swimming pool, and a large veranda for people to gather or have a barbecue.

A homestay inside Chay Lap Farmstay in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. Photo courtesy of the resort

At Chay Lap Farmstay, there is also outdoor picnic activities in Chay Village next to million-year-old limestone mountains and green forests.

Staying here, both adults and children can participate in different experiences like camping, boating, river cruises or cycling to explore countryside villages, or trekking the cave system in the national park.

From Hanoi, you can refer to flights of Vietnam Airlines and Bamboo Airways, with one-way ticket prices at VND1.3 million. From HCMC, one-way flights to Dong Hoi range from VND1.9 million at the last minute. Hotels in Phong Nha Town are quite affordable and cheap, with prices from VND200,000 per night.

HCMC floating restaurants

HCMC will set off 15-minute fireworks at two venues: Thu Thiem Tunnel between Districts 1 and 2 and Dam Sen Park in District 11 from 9 p.m. on April 30 to celebrate Reunification Day

You can choose a restaurant on the Saigon River to have dinner and watch the fireworks display.

Elisa Restaurant on the Saigon River. Photo courtesy of the restaurant

The suggestion is floating restaurant Elisa at No. 5 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street in District 4 that can accommodate 1,000 dinners.

The restaurant’s menu combines European and Asian cuisine, and the set menu is priced from VND1.88-2.48 million per person.

HCMC helicopter tour

Helicopter tours will be one of the newest travel experiences for tourists in HCMC during this weekend holiday.

Some travel companies in HCMC said tickets for this tour are near fully booked and currently only Fiditour still has available tickets for the tour scheduled to be launched on April 30.

For a 40-minute journey, the helicopter will depart from the helipad of Military Medical Hospital 175 or Tan Son Nhat International Airport and take tourists past destinations like Phu My Bridge, Thu Thiem Bridge, Landmark 81 – Vietnam’s tallest building, and Binh Quoi Tourist Area.

The tour will use AW-189 helicopter that allows a maximum 16 passengers.