B: Walt wrote: “I was especially interested in the item about beaches in Vietnam, because I am very interested in tourism in Asia. I know that the tourism industry in Vietnam is becoming very important to the national economy, and it is developing very quickly.  I had not realised that there were so many attractive beaches along your coastline.  Your program inspired me to take a look at the website of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. I was surprised to discover what a beautiful country Vietnam is, and how many tourism opportunities there are for visitors from other countries.  I hope one day I may be able to visit your lovely country.”

Vinpearl resort in Nha Trang city

A: You’re welcome to visit Vietnam any time. Besides amazingly beautiful beaches Vietnam has many more things to interest the tourists, such as its oriental culture, ancient architecture, and historical relic sites. TripAdvisor, a popular worldwide tourism website, ranks Hanoi eighth among its top travel destinations for 2014.

B: Among Hanoi’s 85 listed attractions, its Old Quarter received the highest rating - 4.5 on a scale of 5 - and praise as “a must-see place”, “a wonderful place to wander and go shopping” and “never tired of walking around the area”. This is the second time Hanoi has been listed among the most attractive destinations in the world. The website’s readers also rated Hanoi as the second cheapest city for travelers of 49 cities rated worldwide. Based on a one-night stay in a four-star hotel, dinner for two with a bottle of wine, and a round-trip taxi ride for a distance of 3.2km. The average cost in Hanoi was 176.14 USD, while in Oslo, the most expensive city, it was 581 USD.

Foreign tourists prefer to gather at the "international cross-road" in the Old Quarter

A: Gerry Neumann, who has listened to VOV for about 20 years and has visited Vietnam regularly in recent years, shared his feelings after listening to Discovery Vietnam’s story on Hoan Kiem Lake in the centre of Hanoi. “I found this of special interest as I’ve walked around it and enjoyed its cool breeze on hot days as well as the nearby “Old Quarter” during my visits to Hanoi.”

B: Gerry singled out some features that he enjoyed in recent programs. On August 22 the Culture Segment was about Communal Houses in the Red River Delta, many of the most beautiful ones dating from the 17th Century. Gerry said: “Unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to visit any of those, but have seen some at the Museum of Ethnology. Maybe one day.... The program ended with a song about communal houses, and again was very interesting. On August 23 the Saturday Report was another feature that attracted my attention for its interest. It was about strawberry growing in Dalat. I very much enjoy hearing the many varied styles of Vietnamese music that are included in most broadcasts.”

A view of Da Lat city during a flower festival (photo: festivaldalat.cabaret.vn)

A: We’re glad that our cultural features and music inspire our listeners to consider a visit to Vietnam. Satoshi Nishioto said he has listened to the English broadcast every day recently. He’s delighted because he can study English while enjoying the fun atmosphere which is different in VOV’s Japanese and English broadcasts. Nishioto wrote: “I was surprised listening to a song by a high-tone female vocalist and the atmosphere of a jazz arrangement which is also like a Vietnamese folk song. I was delighted at the modern melody of Hanoi and the "Picturesque Sword Lake". I have wanted to go to Vietnam for a long time. I will go someday.”

B: Another Japanese listener, Fumito Hokamura, said he wants to visit Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city and try Vietnamese food and iced-coffee….Coffee shops are very popular in almost every street in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city. They serve different tastes ranging from western style to truly Vietnamese style.

A: Thank you, dear listeners, for your love of Vietnam and VOV Radio. We look forward to receiving your feedback and we hope welcoming you to Vietnam some day. Now let’s take a look at the quality of VOV’s overseas broadcast. Gerry Neumann of England said the reception at 17UTC on 9625 khz has begun to get worse with some interference from China on 9630 khz and occasional fading. One August 21 SINPO was 44544 but by August 23 it was 43333 at various times in the broadcast. 

B: Walt Davidson tuned in to VOV’s broadcasts relayed via the Woofferton, UK, transmitter on August 21 at 01 UTC on 12005 khz. He noted SINPO at 55455 which was a very strong signal with no interference or fading. There was just a very little noise. Walt said his house is located 65 km from the Woofferton transmitter, so the signal comes in by groundwave.

A: Andrew Jackson, who lives in Derbyshire, UK, picked up VOV’s broadcast on August 18 on the frequency of 9625 khz at 17 UTC. He used an Eton G8 shortwave radio with whip antenna and noted SINPO at all 5s. He broadcast signal was very strong, he said.

B: Listeners in European countries, including Grant Skinner of the UK and Ingmar Larsson of Sweden, tuned in to the frequency of 9730 khz and were pleased with the good signal quality. Reception reports from Indian listeners showed that the frequency of 9550 khz and 7220 khz came in rather clear and strong with the overall signal at 4. Li Hua of Hongkong, China, and Eddy Setiawan of Indonesia tuned in to the frequency of 12020 khz and rated the overall at 4.

A: That was listeners’ feedback on the broadcast quality in some areas worldwide. We’ll verify your reception reports and we hope you receive our QSL cards soon. We welcome your letters at: English section, Overseas Service, Radio Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at: englishsection@vov.org.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at www.vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs. Good bye until next time.