THE HIGHLIGHTS OF LONG TAN BATTLE TOURS 2014 TODAY

Today, in the list About Vietnam, I would like to introduce Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province (Tỉnh Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu). It is located in the Southern Vietnam, to the northeast of the Mekong Delta. It shares its border with Dong Nai Province to the north and Binh Thuan Province to the east, Ho Chi Minh City to the west and East Sea to the south - east.

Guest spend experience trip of Long Tan Trek with OSC Vietnam Travel

Since 1990, OSC Vietnam Travel has been authorized by the local government to organize such tours for thousands of Aussies and Kiwis.

Australian interest in the Vietnam War is on the rise. New books, TV documentaries and increased awareness of battles such as Long Tan have led the trend.

The number of travellers visiting the epicentre of the Australian wartime presence in Vietnam, around Vung Tau, near Saigon, is also increasing.

Since some of the areas are not marked and are not terribly easy to locate, it is a good idea to take a tour to Nui Dat / Long Tan with OSC Vietam Travel. It is not presently clear whether the permission of local authorities is required to enter the Long Tan memorial site - another reason for you to take a tour with OSC Vietnam Travel.

For obvious reasons, the Long Tan memorial is a sensitive site. Guests travelling with OSC Vietnam Travel will be supported to register for your trip with Local Government and make it easier to get there. OSC Vietnam Travel also handles local arrangements for many Australia based tour operators.

OSC Vietnam Travel have years of experience in leading Australian travellers through the area. Especially OSC Vietnam Travel’s guides with their experience, enthusiasm, friendliness always bring satisfaction to every visitor during the trip. These professional guides have deep knowledge of the area - though perhaps not the intricate knowledge of battles and the political aspects of the conflict. In addition OSC Vietnam Travel also takes good care of visitors from the cold bottle of water, towels, to the fresh rose petal.

The main areas of interest include the former combat base at Nui Dat, the Long Tan Cross memorial, the Long Phuoc Tunnels, the Long Hai hills and the Horseshoe. They can all be visited in a 03 - 08 hour tour from Vung Tau or a full day from Saigon. There is not a lot to see here but those familiar with the history will find plenty of interest.

The day trip from Hochiminh city to Vung Tau is best done by taking the early 90 minute hydrofoil from the downtown port (Ton Duc Thang St opposite Nguyen Hue St). The journey costs around 200,000 VND and is easy, interesting and perfectly comfortable for a short ride. Services operate every 30 minutes during the day.

By contrast, the road trip is slow, often delayed in heavy traffic and not terribly scenic. Take you from 100 – 120 minutes.

If you have prearranged a tour, you will be met at the ferry wharf in Vung Tau by our guide and driver. There are enough things to see around Vung Tau to spend half a day here so if time permits. Add a night in Vung Tau either at the beginning or end of your tour. It's a nice contrast to the pace of Ho Chi Minh city.

Climate:

There are two distinct seasons: the dry (from November to April) and the rainy (from May to December). The annual average temperature is 27⁰C.

Tourism and Economy:

Ba Ria- Vung Tau Province is a large tourist center. It has over 100km seashore with beautiful swimming beaches, as well as many lakes and thermal springs. The offshore bench has two kinds of importance resources: petrol and seafood.

In Vung Tau City there are Thuy Van, Chi Linh, Back, Front, and Dau beaches; Long Dien District has Long Hai Beach; Xuyen Moc District has Ho Tram, Ho Coc beaches. In Con Dao Island, tourists are able to swim in Dam Trau, Hon Cau, and Hon Tre beaches... then they can climb in Thanh Gia Mountain, Nho Mountain. If tourists would like to improve their health, they could go to Binh Chau Hot Spring, which its temperature comes up to 80?C, then visit Binh Chau- Phuoc Buu Natural Preservation Zone.

Other popular places are Communal House of Dao Ong Tran, Ben Da Church, Bach Dinh vestige, Long Phuoc Tunnels, Minh Dam Revolutionary Area... and over one hundred Buddhist pagodas and temples such as Niet Ban Monastery, Thang Tam Communal House, Linh Son Pagoda, Dinh Co Temple.

Located in the 90km southern part of Vung Tau, Con Dao Island has a dense forest, which is Con Dao National Park with rich flora and fauna. The sea in this area is home to various valuable marine species. Especially, tourists have a chance of watching the turtle laying the eggs. It also used to host a convict prison during French colonial era, and later, during the American War.

Aside these, tourist can participate in some traditional festivals as Dinh Co Festival, Nghinh Ong Festival (Welcoming the Lord Whale Festival), play golf or watch dog racing in Lam Son stadium in Vung Tau City every Saturday.

In one popular destination like Ba Ria-Vung Tau, food is one important thing that keeps and lures the tourists. Khọt Cake, grilled octopus and grilled lobster are three best delicious foods that I always enjoy when visiting there. I suggest that you should eat one of them before eating anything.