How is it customary to celebrate the New Year in Vietnam, traditions: how to celebrate the New Year in Vietnam. New Year in Vietnam

We are used to celebrating the New Year amid cold and snow, but there are places on our planet where it is truly warm at this time. To find them, you don’t have to go to the ends of the world - just get close to the equator, for example, fly to Vietnam. Here you will find hot sun, warm sea, sandy beaches and the warmth and friendliness of the local people. Be sure that you will remember the New Year in Vietnam for a long time.

Weather

At the end of December and beginning of January, the rainy season in the country stops completely, except that it may be a little humid in Nha Trang, but usually this does not interfere with rest. It is best to go to the south of the country, to Mui Ne, Phan Thiet or to the island of Phu Quoc - there the air warms up to +30 °C, the water up to +27 °C, and the weather is exceptionally sunny. In the center of Vietnam it is not so hot - the air temperature remains around a comfortable +28 °C.

In the north, in the resorts of Hue and Hoi An, the weather is quite sunny, but more suitable for walks and excursions than for swimming - daytime temperatures do not exceed +20 °C.

Resorts

Taking into account the weather in Vietnam for the New Year, it is best to choose any resort south of Nha Trang. The main celebrations are held in Nha Trang, but sometimes it rains here, so the vagaries of the weather can spoil the holiday a little. If your first priority is not sea entertainment, but simply relaxation in a warm climate, then Nha Trang will be suitable choice. Another place for a comfortable stay beach holiday- This is Dalat. It is located quite far from the coast, but here you will find clean mountain air, pleasant calm atmosphere, beautiful natural attractions and a huge amount of fresh fruit and delicious wines. The New Year is celebrated on a grand scale in Ho Chi Minh City - Lê Lợi Street is completely blocked and decorated with bright lights, and you can see tourists and Vietnamese celebrating.









If you still plan to swim and sunbathe on the beaches, then it is better to choose one of the warmer resorts. Tourists often stay in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet - a single resort area with deserted sandy beaches and clean clear water. Mui Ne has more cafes, hotels and entertainment. New Year is celebrated here fun and noisily. Phan Thiet is a little quieter; older couples and families with children prefer to stay here. This resort area is especially popular among our tourists, so signs, congratulations in Russian and traditional New Year's menu you are guaranteed - you can relax in comfort among your own people, without language and cultural barriers.






Another place where many Russian “winterers” live is Vung Tau. They appeared here back in Soviet times, when the office of a Russian-Vietnamese oil production company was located in the city. Today this company is long gone, but our tourists and those who come here for the winter like to stay in the established Russian region.





The beaches in Vung Tau are not very clean, with strong waves, but they are wide and uncrowded. There are special beach clubs - Vungtau Beach Club is especially popular among Russians. The city itself is nice and cozy, and on New Year’s Day a large Russian-speaking population takes to the streets and large-scale celebrations begin.

A more tranquil environment awaits you on the quiet fishing island of Phu Quoc. This place is suitable for those who are tired of the New Year's bustle and want to spend the holiday in solitude. Deserted beaches and tropical nature here coexist with five-star hotel complexes, comfortable bungalows and restaurants, so the holiday is not only relaxing, but also very comfortable. Fans of diving especially love Phu Quoc - right off the coast you can see untouched, bizarre corals.





Atmosphere

To understand when the New Year is celebrated in Vietnam in 2019, you need to figure out what kind of holiday it is. we're talking about. The traditional Vietnamese holiday Tet falls at the end of January - beginning of February and is celebrated on lunar calendar.

For this reason, the New Year on January 1st is not very popular among the Vietnamese themselves. Local youth go out only in company with tourists, and celebrations are held mainly in hotels and on beaches especially for guests of the country. The celebration is especially noisy in Mui Ne and Vung Tau, where many Russians and Europeans live.

The streets are always decorated with lights and artificial Christmas trees, but this is done not for the New Year, but for December 25, Catholic Christmas, as more and more Vietnamese today practice this religion.





Those who come here to celebrate the New Year on January 1 will be taken care of by the team of the selected hotel: traditionally on the evening of December 31, shows with Santa or Father Frost, fireworks and dinner with exotic dishes begin on the beaches and in hotels.

Entertainment

New Year is practically no different from other days high season. The period of late December-early January in the southern resorts of Vietnam is perfect for beach holidays and various water activities - from banana boating to diving. In Phan Thiet, high waves often rise in the afternoon, ideal for windsurfing and kitesurfing.

Of course, on New Year's Day you can visit Vinpearl - the main Vietnamese water and amusement park, located on a separate island, accessible by a cable car. Here you will find water and regular attractions, cafes, restaurants, an aquarium, cinemas and colorful shows.







From December 25, locals and tourists flood public beaches - music plays, bright fireworks fly into the sky in the evenings, you can watch a fire show or New Year's performances. This mainly applies to large cities - in quiet resorts like Phan Thiet or Phu Quoc, the beaches remain deserted, and only hotels offer guests an entertainment program with animation and New Year's treats.

The New Year's climate is well suited for sightseeing in Nha Trang, Dalat and northern resorts. These cities look festive with garlands, lights and decorated trees, and the humidity is low and not too hot weather allow you to comfortably visit as many natural and architectural monuments as possible.

Prices

The cost of tours to Vietnam for the New Year 2019 starts from 25-30 thousand rubles per week per person. The cost of the holiday sometimes includes a small festive dinner, especially if you are staying at a hotel near the beach. The cost of tours to Nha Trang starts from 50 thousand and above, a holiday in Phu Quoc can cost 70 thousand.

If you ever manage to visit this country during the Tet period (Tết means "first morning festival"), consider yourself lucky.

Vietnamese New Year is celebrated according to the lunar calendar, just like in China and other Asian countries. For residents of Vietnam, January 1 is rather an advertised holiday, like our Catholic Christmas.

Below you can find Vietnamese New Year (Tet) dates according to the lunar calendar from 2017 to 2030.

Dates of the Vietnamese New Year (Tet) according to the lunar calendar from 2017 to 2030.

Decorations

Tet is ancient traditional holiday, which, like ours, is usually celebrated with family and friends.

IN holidays everything around turns red. Red is the color of celebration. It may seem surprising, but at a wedding the bride is also usually dressed in a red dress, and a watermelon (a symbol of success) is placed on the altar in every home.

During the holidays, everything turns red. Red is the color of celebration.

Houses are decorated with red ribbons and lanterns, and large pots with tangerine trees are placed in front of the entrance to the home.

The tangerine tree is also a certain symbol of the New Year, which, most likely, was borrowed by the Vietnamese from their closest neighbors, the Chinese. Since the translation of the word “mandarin” sounds approximately the same as “luck”. Therefore, in Asia, in and around houses they place bets on luck. tangerine trees.

Houses are decorated with red and yellow ribbons and lanterns.

Even large international companies decorate their offices with this ornamental plant. It must be said that these tangerines taste completely inedible: they are very sour. They are probably grown this way on purpose so that the tree can last until the end of the holiday.

Cities and towns do not go unnoticed during the New Year period. Nha Trang, for example, from the end of December and a whole month after Tet is decorated with colorful signs with the inscription “chúc mừng năm mới” (sounds like “chúc mừng năm mới”), which means “Happy New Year!”

Holiday for all ages

Before the holidays, all Vietnamese families (with parents and children) start shopping. All shopping centers overcrowded, shelves are being emptied at incredible speed. Everything is bought: fruits, sweets, flowers, clothes.

In the evenings, in every yard you can hear the sound of drums from time to time. These are local youth, dressed as dragons, holding dances. The Vietnamese believe that the dragon dance wards off evil spirits from their homes and families.

The Vietnamese believe that the dragon dance wards off evil spirits from their homes and families.

The Vietnamese consider it a great success to carry out New Year's Eve in the company of an elderly person over 70 years old. At midnight, children congratulate their parents, grandchildren congratulate their grandparents and wish them health and for long years life. They, in turn, congratulate the younger generation and give red envelopes with money for good luck. Moreover, it doesn’t matter at all how much money is in the envelope, the main thing is that it is new bills.

It is considered great luck to spend New Year's Eve in the company of an elderly person over 70 years old.

After celebrating Tet with family, it is time to congratulate distant relatives and friends. In apartment buildings, neighbors go to visit their friends on the floor, then to another, to a third... and so on. Furniture is removed from apartments to create more space, and doors are opened wide. And anyone can come in to congratulate the owners and drink to their health. It is believed that guests bring good luck to the house. The guest can give the hosts small money (in local currency) in traditional red envelopes. This symbolic gesture is ancient tradition, which is observed by the Vietnamese from year to year.

Everyone dresses up in beautiful festive outfits.

The first New Year's morning traditionally begins with a trip to the temple, after which everyone returns to the table to taste the traditional Vietnamese dish - banh tring.

Vietnamese dishes for New Year

New Year's dishes are cooked on coals. In northern Vietnam, jelly made from meat and is popular. In the south - pork in a pot, boiled in coconut milk.

Ban Ching - rice cake rectangular shape wrapped in corn or banana leaves

The main New Year's dish in Vietnam (as well as in China) is banh tring, a rectangular or square shape, wrapped in corn or banana leaves and tied with bamboo threads. Banh Ching is filled with beans, glutinous rice and pork meat. The shape of the pie - a quadrangle - symbolizes the gratitude of the Vietnamese to the fertile land, which gives them food four times a year.

On holidays, Vietnamese people can spend the whole day at the table.

Memo for Russian-speaking residents of Vietnam during the Tet period

New Year holidays in Vietnam last about a week. During this period, many Vietnamese leave the city to visit their family and friends. Therefore, the streets become deserted, and in the evenings the courtyards are quiet and deserted.

It is very important to stock up on groceries in advance, since almost all stores close during the holidays. In Russia, even on January 1, you can easily find some operating supermarket, but here it’s unlikely. Therefore, make sure that your refrigerator is filled to capacity so that you can eat without problems for the next 5-7 days.

It is also important to remember that many renters increase the prices of their apartments during this period. There have been cases when owners set double the monthly rental price during the holidays, and then reduced it to the previous level. Exactly the same situation with .

Reminder for tourists

On the one hand, Tet is very interesting time, when you can see the traditions and culture of Vietnam in all their beauty. But on the other hand, most likely, this is all you will be able to see. Work in Vietnam is suspended. That is, be prepared that you won’t be able to go on any excursions or museums and will be forced to just walk around the city for a whole week.

It makes sense for tourists to visit Vietnam before Tet in order to capture just the beginning of the holiday and fly home safely.

Conclusion

Despite some inconveniences associated with the Tet holiday, this cultural event is definitely worth seeing.

A holiday is always a wonderful event. The whole family gathers at the table, the mood improves, and the anticipation of something new and joyful appears.

New Year in Vietnam or Tet

It is called Tet, which translates as “the festival of the first morning” (from the full name Tet nguyen dan). It is celebrated according to the lunar calendar and symbolizes the arrival of spring. For the Vietnamese this is the most main holiday year, and should definitely be celebrated with your family. Tet is celebrated for several days, but preparations begin 1-2 weeks in advance.

The roots of the holiday come, of course, from the rich culture of China, so the Chinese New Year almost always coincides with the New Year in Vietnam. But it goes without saying that Vietnam celebrates Chinese New Year. No, Vietnam celebrates the Vietnamese New Year, Tet. They have a lot in common, but each has its own local traditions and characteristics. A small example: in the Vietnamese zodiac, “cat” replaces the Chinese “rabbit”, and instead of “ox” - “buffalo”. And from 1975 to 2100, four times the New Year in Vietnam does not coincide with the Chinese one. But here are a couple of dates, so that the question does not arise, what date is the new year in Vietnam.


Mandatory symbols of the Tet New Year in Vietnam are tangerine trees, kumquat (yellow-orange fruit of the citrus family, similar to a small orange oval shape, also has the names kincan and fortunella), peach and apricot branches. They symbolize luck, warmth and wealth, which is why they always decorate every home.

How they celebrate and what they give for the New Year of Tet in Vietnam

Tet New Year in Vietnam is divided into three stages:


During Tet celebrations in Vietnam it is always very noisy. They beat drums, ring bells, set off fireworks and explode firecrackers, and all in order to scare away evil spirits with noise. You can also enjoy the lion dance, although this mythical animal is called Lan and is a mixture of a lion and a dragon.

New Year in Nha Trang 2016 or how we celebrated Tet

We were lucky to be among those who celebrated the Tet New Year in Nha Trang. By eastern calendar 2016 belongs to the Red Fire Monkey, the eccentric adventurer whose images decorate the city. The streets of Nha Trang began to bloom 2 weeks before Tet. It is to bloom, since in Vietnam one of the main decorations of cities for the New Year are fresh flowers. The sidewalks were occupied by flowerpots, and all the streets and alleys were full of them. Closer to the main day, tents with red lanterns and other New Year's Eve paraphernalia began to appear. “Vietnamese Christmas trees” shimmered with gold. Small groups of festively dressed young people walked around the city and loudly beat drums.






The closer the holiday got, the more people there were in the city. Whole families of Vietnamese arrived in Nha Trang to celebrate the Tet New Year on the seashore. On the eve of the holiday, we took a walk around the city during the day. Many shops were closed; signs on the doors indicated that all staff were on vacation for several days.





In the evening the concert began. He passed in the square near Lotus. Vietnamese singers and creative ensembles performed. For convenience, many sat directly on the asphalt, but most still laid small cardboards or used oilcloth.




Surprisingly, half an hour before the fireworks, in the very center of the events, we were able to buy (we were poorly prepared for the holiday) for the usual price. The seller who sells at this place every day has not raised the price by a single dong. And in a nearby Vietnamese cafe we ​​ate Pho soup, the price of which also did not change.

After passing the time before the fireworks, we went to the beach. A lot of people have already gathered here. The fireworks started at exactly 12 midnight. The volleys were low, and there was nothing surprising. A simple 15-minute fireworks display, which really upset us, since we expected a lot from the eastern fireworks for the New Year. The ash from the volleys got into my eyes a couple of times and smoked a little. Immediately after the end, the people quickly began to disperse, and we also left.



Speaking about how the New Year is celebrated in Nha Trang, we can say that the preparation for the holiday is much more interesting and colorful than the “New Year’s Eve” itself. At least for visitors. Unfortunately, most of the cafes in the center where you could sit and wait for the fireworks were either not open or closed early. On the other hand, when there is good funny company, then the location is not so important. We enjoyed our time there, the only drawback was the weather. It was cool that day and there was a strong cold wind.

In the end, I would like to remember another important tradition of the New Year in Vietnam - a general increase in prices: hotels, cafes and restaurants, groceries and even transport (not only taxis, but also intercity buses and trains). Unfortunately, this tradition has the worst impact on our wallets, but it brings the seller hope for wealth and prosperity in the new year.


For a change, you can celebrate the New Year of Tet in Nha Trang, but it’s not worth going specially and wasting your vacation just for it. And if you go, then to Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi. Although it is better to generally plan your vacation in Vietnam, and in Thailand on other dates: your wallet will be fuller, and crowds of Chinese and Vietnamese will not interfere with your vacation. And in Thailand you still don’t have to dry out in the literal sense of the word during the celebration. One of the main traditions of the Thai New Year is pouring water. And everyone participates in this game “by default”!



Vietnam celebrates New Year according to the lunar calendar. It is called Tet (Tet) and is celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month in the first season of the new year. The date of the new year on the eastern calendar moves from year to year between January 20 and February 20. Its onset does not occur exactly at 24.00, it is calculated for each year separately. Moreover, due to lunar calculations, sometimes the onset of the New Year in Vietnam occurs 1 day earlier than in China. This will happen, for example, in 2030 and 2053.
Outside of Vietnam, Lunar New Year is often called Chinese New Year. This is not surprising, because traditions and culture came to East Asian countries from China.
In Vietnamese, this holiday is fully written as Tết Nguyên Đán and is pronounced “tet nguyen dan.”

In 2019, Vietnam will celebrate the Lunar New Year on February 5th. This will be the year of the Boar (Pig).
As usual, on this day and for several days after it, life on the streets, in institutions, and in shopping places will freeze. This is very inconvenient for tourists. This applies less to crowded resort areas. Students at all levels from schools to universities, as well as children in kindergartens, are given 16 non-working days.

New Year's Eve in Vietnam

Tet is family celebration. Before Tet comes, you need to do general cleaning, in order to rid the house of the filth of last year’s failures, and also to cleanse yourself spiritually - to forgive the offenders and repent yourself. Also 23rd day last month the passing year should be celebrated with a modest sacrifice dedicated to the Master Craftsman, the Spirit of the Earth and the Kitchen God (or in another way, the God of the family hearth), because it is then that they fly to heaven, to the Jade Emperor, with annual report about family behavior. The magical Carp delivers the Kitchen God to heaven. Therefore, on Tet it is customary to release live carp into the river.

In the north of the country, a flowering peach branch is installed in the house on New Year's Eve or decorated with tangerine trees hung with orange fruits, symbolizing prosperity. During this period, peach and apricot trees, tangerines and almonds bloom. The streets are decorated with young flowering branches and simply bouquets of flowers.
In the south of the country on Tet they prefer to decorate their home with a blooming apricot branch, and apricot flowers must have five petals. In addition, southerners place watermelons on the altar, the red, sweet flesh of which symbolizes good luck in the coming year.
Regardless of the family’s wealth, before the New Year people try to buy food, fruits, flowers, and sweets in order to prepare a sacrifice on the altar of their ancestors and treat relatives and guests during three holiday days.
In the evening, on New Year's Eve, mass dragon dances take place. The most magnificent processions and colorful events take place at night. At dusk, bonfires are lit in parks, gardens or on the streets, and several families gather around the bonfires.

On the eve of Tet, many Vietnamese living in other countries come to Vietnam. Those who remain in their new homelands during this time still celebrate Tet at home.

Vietnamese New Year dishes

Special rice delicacies are cooked over coals. In the north of the country, these are pork legs with bamboo shoots, jellied meat, carp in salted sauce. In the south - pork in a pot, boiled in salted coconut milk, while the pork is boiled in coconut milk whole, with skin, fat and lean parts. In the finished dish, the fatty part looks transparent, and the lean part looks bright red, tasteful coconut milk. Southerners' tables also include pickled green pea sprouts with leeks, slices of carrots, turnips, and bitter melon stuffed with meat. Bitter melon is believed to have antipyretic properties, is highly nutritious and cures many diseases.
A very common dish everywhere is the banh chung square cake, which is one of the most famous dishes of Vietnamese cuisine. It is made with pork rice, green peas and pickled onions wrapped in bamboo leaves.

Tet - family holiday

At night, children and grandchildren congratulate their grandparents and parents and wish them longevity, good health and well-being. Then the adults congratulate the children and give them money for good luck. Money must be new, banknotes or coins, and packaged in new red paper or cloth bags with a red bow.
The next day is usually the Tet Festival.
According to Vietnamese tradition, the first New Year's guest in a house bestows good luck on the house. The guest can also give and receive money from the hosts. It is not recommended to hand over dollars and large bills. They also believe that you need to wake up early on New Year's Day. The day begins with a trip to the temple where the Vietnamese eat banh tring.
On subsequent holidays, adult relatives, friends, and family acquaintances come to visit and can also give money for the well-being of children.
Vietnamese women in Tet wear red and yellow flowers, and the men are dressed all in black. In mountainous areas where national minorities live, the celebration is slightly different.

During Tet in Buddhist temples, the monks themselves give money to the parishioners. They also put money in small red bags. It's like a gift of prosperity from Buddha, from God, for luck. A Vietnamese aphorism says: “A little prosperity from the Buddha is equal to a whole large basket of earthly prosperity.”

Every year more and more foreign tourists come to Vietnam for Tet. They see that despite the country's integration into world processes and the economy, the Vietnamese carefully preserve their traditions. The Tet holiday appears in many Vietnamese works of art.

Much attention is paid to the New Year holiday itself according to the lunar calendar. The influence of the eastern horoscope on a person’s fate in last years perceived with less confidence than before.

In recent years, the tradition of celebrating Tet only at home has become no longer as unshakable as before and many Vietnamese go to travel to other places, including abroad.

New Year's Eve dates according to the Eastern calendar for the coming years

February 5, 2019 - Year of the Boar (Pig)
January 25, 2020 - Year of the Rat
February 12, 2021 is the year of the Buffalo (Ox, Cow)
February 1, 2022 - Year of the Tiger
January 22, 2023 - Year of the Cat (Rabbit)
February 10, 2024 - Year of the Dragon
January 29, 2025 - Year of the Snake
February 17, 2026 - Year of the Horse
February 6, 2027 - Year of the Goat (Ram)
January 26, 2028 - Year of the Rooster
February 13, 2029 - Year of the Monkey
February 3, 2030 - Year of the Dog

How to choose a resort in Vietnam to celebrate New Year 2019? We are considering 4 popular resorts: Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Mui Ne and Phan Thiet. Weather, prices for hotels, food and tours, as well as the pros and cons of vacation.

Vietnamese celebrate the New Year twice: on January 1 and according to the lunar calendar (Tet). And if the celebrations on January 1 are more of a tribute to tourists, then their own New Year for the Vietnamese becomes a reason for spending: it is customary to wear everything new on this day and give envelopes with money to their guests. In this article we will talk about opportunities to celebrate at popular Vietnamese resorts international holiday the coming of the new year.

New Year in Nha Trang - 2019

For the New Year, all hotels and shopping centers in Nha Trang are decorated with Christmas trees and Santa Clauses. How do tourists celebrate the holiday? On the evening of December 31, people gather on the embankment, where a festive concert, everyone exchanges balloons and souvenirs, dances and listens to music. We celebrated the New Year 2016 right on the central beach of Nha Trang. Surprisingly, everything was quiet and peaceful, mostly tourists were just enjoying the breeze and the view of the night sea.

Some nightclubs organize a disco on the beach; tourists settle there or celebrate in a hotel or restaurant. The best new year parties, according to reviews from tourists, take place in hotels Vinpearl Resort Nha Trang 5*!} And Diamond Bay Resort & Spa 5*!}.

What to do in Nha Trang after New Year 2019? Tourists sunbathe, snorkel, dive and fish. Excursions around Nha Trang and its surroundings are popular - however, you can rent a bike and explore the beauty of Vietnam on your own, it will cost less and give you more impressions. Tourists usually visit temples, waterfalls, hot springs, a zoo and an aquarium, silk painting factories, jewelry and the entertainment island of Vinpearl.

Not far from Nha Trang there are several more islands where tourists are taken on excursions and where there are many good diving spots. Seafood in Nha Trang can be tasted anywhere, from restaurants on the waterfront to street stalls selling grilled catch.

Weather in Nha Trang for New Year

The end of December is not the best best time for a beach holiday, since it is ending and the weather in Nha Trang on New Year is changeable and capricious. The number of sunny and cloudy days is approximately the same. Although the temperature is usually +28°C during the day, it can sometimes be windy and rainy with the air temperature dropping to +24°C. The sea is warm +26°C and restless; due to underwater cold currents, the water can cool to +21°C.

(Photo © vitieubao / pixabay.com)

Prices in Nha Trang

Prices in Nha Trang are affordable, despite the dance with the ruble exchange rate. Accommodation in a 3* hotel on New Year's Eve costs from $25 per night for two; in a 5* hotel it will cost 5-6 times more. You can live on a very budget if you choose a small hotel without stars, from $7 for two - for example, in the winter of 2016 we lived in Minh Hoa!} about three months (from $13 per night, but there are discounts for longer stays). A simple, no-frills hotel, clean and with very friendly staff - the hostess constantly gave us gifts (fruit, cookies, water, etc.). The hotel has a homely atmosphere, and the sea is about 5 minutes walk away. We found the hotel on Roomguru - there you can find a hotel at the lowest price by comparing offers from popular booking systems.

In our opinion, the best hotels in Nha Trang with a private beach can be found at.

The cost of New Year's dinner varies from $16 to $160 per person, it all depends on the level of the hotel/restaurant. Lunch in a cafe costs from $9 to $16 for two, depending on the level of the establishment; in the tourist area the price tag is higher. On networks fast food and in establishments for local residents you can satisfy your hunger for only $1.5-3 per person. Excursions cost from $20 to $50 per person, massages and spa treatments - from $8.

Pros and cons of New Year holidays in Nha Trang

Pros. Low prices for holidays, interesting excursions, an abundance of attractions and a friendly atmosphere.

Minuses. The holiday is slightly overshadowed by the capricious weather and the lack of a private beach at most hotels. It is also important to remember that Nha Trang is a city, which means there are traffic jams, construction sites and an abundance of transport on the streets. Due to the increasing incidence of street thefts, tourists have to take certain security measures: girls refuse to carry bags, etc. Also, drunken songs are not fun on New Year’s Day Russian tourists(but on the street this is a rare occurrence).

Despite some disadvantages, Nha Trang left us with only bright impressions: the weather on New Year’s Eve was wonderful, the tourists behaved quite well, and the prices were low. The city is beautifully decorated with flowers for Tet in advance, and it is pleasant to walk around it. We lived in Nha Trang for almost three months.

(Photo © hughderr / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

New Year in Fukuoka - 2019

Phu Quoc Island is considered best place for in Vietnam, including for the New Year: perfect sandy beaches, healthy ecology and a warm transparent sea. Tourists celebrate the holiday in a restaurant or hotel; most decent establishments organize a lobster dinner and music program. Some vacationers prefer to get together in a close group and celebrate the New Year on the seashore, having previously coordinated their actions with the hotel administration.

Phu Quoc is a quiet place for a relaxing holiday, there is no nightlife and entertainment familiar to city residents. Vacationers mainly swim, sunbathe, study flora and fauna underwater world. Tourists are shown local pagodas, waterfalls, as well as a pearl and pepper plantation where they can purchase for friends and relatives.

Weather

The weather in Fukuoka on New Year's Eve pleases tourists with warmth: during the day on the island +30°C and above, at night +26°C, sea water +28°C. Most of the time it is warm and dry, rain is extremely rare.

Prices

Hotels in Fukuoka directly on the beach are expensive. Accommodation in a 3* hotel on the seashore starts from about $50 per night for two for the New Year; a holiday in Fukuoka in a five-star hotel is three times more expensive - from $156. If you want to live cheaper, you need to look for options a little further from the beach - they cost about $15. Find them on Roomguru. The most popular beach with developed infrastructure is Long Beach.

Pros and cons of New Year holidays in Fukuoka

Pros. Phu Quoc has the cleanest sea in Vietnam, and hotel prices are affordable. It's simple perfect place for a relaxing beach holiday. If you get bored, you can rent a bike and travel around the entire island or book an excursion. Here you can taste the freshest seafood at low prices.

(Photo © Mgzkun / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

Is it worth celebrating the New Year in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet?

Traditionally, hotels in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet are set up for the New Year. festive tables with seafood and other delicacies, sand snowmen and coconut trees are built on the beaches. Entertainment usually limited to performances by local groups, competitions and a lottery with prizes. Most hotels end the banquet after midnight, and vacationers go to hang out in night club or a restaurant. Judging by the reviews of tourists, the most exciting New Year's parties take place at the Dragon Beach club in Mui Ne.

On New Year's Day, Mui Ne is warm enough to spend time on the beach. After lunch the sea rises good wave, ideal for kiting and surfing. Excursions to local attractions are popular among vacationers: White Dunes, Red Canyon, Lotus Lake, Reclining Buddha Statue, Pitahaya Plantations and Phan Thiet Museums.

Weather

January is warm and dry: the air temperature during the day is +30°C, at night +21°C. The water in the sea is +25°C, but the sea is rough and suitable for swimming only in the first half of the day. After lunch, high waves often rise.

Prices

Mui Ne smoothly flows into Phan Thiet, but New Year prices in Phan Thiet are slightly higher than in Mui Ne, as it is considered a more expensive resort. A double room in a budget hotel costs from $10 on New Year's Eve, in a 3* hotel - from $20-30, in a 5* hotel - from $130. It is better to book hotels in advance on Roomguru, this way you can get a discount.

New Year's Eve dinner starts at $23 per person. Lunch in a cafe costs $9-20 for two. Instruction and rental of kitesurfing equipment - from $9 per day per person. Excursions - from 9 to 50 $ per person.

Pros and cons of New Year holidays in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet

Minuses

These former fishing villages and favorite places holidays for kiters and surfers have recently turned into modern resorts, so the prices here are inflated and there are few attractions (mostly natural). Another significant disadvantage is due to large quantity Our compatriots jokingly call these resorts the Russian ghetto. Judge for yourself, you go for exotic things, but find familiar surroundings and signs in Russian. Another drawback is that the sea is still more suitable for kitesurfing than for calm swimming; it is often stormy.

pros

However, it is worth noting that the resorts have good modern hotel facilities and Russian-speaking staff - this is convenient if you have problems speaking English. Vacationers have the opportunity to learn kiting and surfing at low prices. At the resorts big choice and, as, indeed, everywhere in Vietnam.

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