Blogs from Dong Hoi, Quang Binh, North Central Coast, Vietnam, Asia - page 3

I finally got permission to visit the communities in the buffer zone on Thursday. I went from one interview to another with the commune officials to determine their goals for a community-based tourism (CBT) business in their commune and to learn what they already know about tourism development. These places have tons of potential, with breath-taking scenery and residents excited about hosting tourists. However, there are many challenges, the biggest being the general ignorance of the residents and the authorities about tourism. They are very enthusiastic, and the officials talked about engaging in "rapid yet sustainable" economic development, but the obvious focus is on rapid. My involvement will ultimately center on capacity-building and awareness-raising among commune residents and officials so that they can make more informed decisions. I spent most of Thursday in Bong Lai village, ... read more

I met Chi Sen (my boss and mother figure in Quang Binh) at the train station at 10:30pm Thursday night and then fell asleep in my crowded sleeper car to the rocking of the train on its way to Dong Hoi. Dong Hoi is the capital of Quang Binh province, and my headquarters while working outside of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. I feel conflicted about this small and somewhat rural city. It is a beach town and beautiful, and 10x less chaotic and claustrophobic than Hanoi, but because it is not a tourist town (not international anyway), I am a walking attraction and I cannot communicate very well with anyone. My Vietnamese is horrible, even when reading directly from the phrasebook. But I have a nice balcony, and everyone is friendly and pretty patient so ... read more