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A cafeteria at Ham Ho. Photo by B.L |
6 days ago, visiting Ham Ho, the most beautiful ecological tourist spot of Binh Dinh Province, at a friendly invitation of Mr. Pham Van Man, Director of Ham Ho Tourism Joint-stock Co., I couldn’t hold a surprise. During the last days of the last lunar month, managers of Ham Ho tourist spot (at Tay Son District) has promptly upgraded infrastructure and services to receive tourists. Near the gate to the tourist spot, a floating pavilion which the visitors can find souvenirs of interest or enjoy drinks has just been built on the water of a fishpond. Newly-built construction works such as a car parking, a motorcycle parking, sanitary rest-rooms,etc. look clean, tidy and spacious.
Walking on 3.5-km road which includes newly-upgraded 500-m road leading to a bridge over Khe Stream around Ham Ho tourist spot, taking deep breaths of fresh air, watching verdant thick forests, I profoundly aware of changes of the tourist spot. Kut River which brims over with water in this season is flowing over ranges of innumerable rocks with murmurous sound and curving round high mountains and the thick forest. Thanks to this unique feature, the picturesque landscape of the tourist spot becomes more charming.
The visitors are now free from heavy boxes of their own food and drink because because they can enjoy different dishes, even forest specialities, at reasonable prices at 500-seat Hoa Loc Vung Restaurant, the first stop of the walking. 30 houses on stilts along the walk around Ham Ho have just been repaired. A fleet of newly-built 20 boats is waiting for its maiden row upstream.
According to Mr. Man, in 2006, number of the visitors to Ham Ho increased 23% and turnover raised up 51% in comparison with 2005. The company invested more than VND 4 billion (USD 250,000) to upgrade and build many works before this Tet festival. Another VND 4-billion (USD 250,000) worth of investment will be spent to build a complex of guest houses, parks, sports ground…Wild landscape of Ham Ho shows more and more beautiful under care of the company’s staff.
The first lunar month marks the most animated tourist activities in Ham Ho. On average, 1,000 turns of the visitors go to Ham Ho everyday. In the 5th day of the first lunar month, the numbers of the visitors increase threefold because many of the visitors want to go on a sightseeing tour of Ham Ho, to relax at Ham Ho after a pilgrimage to Quang Trung Museum. Hence, the company pays much attention to recruit and train a professional serving task force. Waiters and waitresses, security guards, rescue force, boat drivers,etc. are all ready to serve the visitors in the coming Tet festival.
