The financing package will help Vietnam’s ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. (Photo: kinhtedothi.vn)

B: First, we’d like to acknowledge Abdul Mannan of Bangladesh, who complained about being unable to send his emails to us.

A: Mr. Mannan sent us a reception report on our English broadcast on the frequency of 7220 khz with excellent reception condition.

B: Thank you, Mannan, for sending us feedback on the program. We have fixed our mail box and will continue to receive correspondence from listeners around the world.

A: This week, Bidhan Chandra Sanyal of India, one of our regular listeners, expressed his interest with the news that the Asian Development Bank has secured a 135 million USD financing package to build Vietnam's first fully electronic public transport bus fleet and the first national electric vehicle charging network. This financing package will support Vietnam’s ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

B: Shivendu Paul of India sent us a reception report for the VOV English program from 16:00-16:30 UTC on the frequency of 7220 KHz using his Grundig YB 80 receiver.

Beautiful roads curve around Hai Van pass

A: Shivendu Paul asked about beautiful roads to travel in Vietnam. According to Lonely Planet, Vietnam is a perfect country for road tripping as it curves around the eastern shores of mainland Southeast Asia, stretching all the way from China in the north to Cambodia and the Mekong Delta in the south. Its twin megacities – Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City – are divided by 1,137km or 707 miles of mountains, jungles, paddy fields, beaches and historic sites.

B: If you have a chance to visit Vietnam, Lonely Planet recommends you to take Ho Chi Minh Highway from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi which is approximately 1,880km. There are several different routes between Vietnam’s two biggest cities, depending on whether you like beaches, mountains or smooth highways, but for the best balance between driving time (about two weeks) and excellent scenery, hit the Ho Chi Minh Highway, part of which was once used to transport soldiers and supplies during the war.

Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh expressway

A: After exiting busy Ho Chi Minh City, follow the road along the Truong Son mountain range as it snakes its way past sleepy hamlets, where the smell of coffee from nearby plantations hangs thick in the air. This barren plateau gives way to forested mountains as you reach Central Vietnam, considered the most scenic stretch of this epic road trip.

B: Adventurers will want to stop at Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, home to the world’s largest cave, and Cuc Phuong, Vietnam’s oldest national park, located in the Red River Delta, before joining the throng of traffic on the ancient streets of Hanoi.

A: Or you can also test your reflexes on the winding roads to Hai Van Pass. Translating as ‘Ocean Clouds’ in Vietnamese, the Hai Van Pass is bordered by jungle-clad mountains on one side and cliffs plunging down to the East Sea on the other, a dramatic setting that has made this road one of the most Instagrammed highways in the world!

B: Stop at the mid-way point for a Vietnamese-style iced coffee and admire the Indochina-era Hai Van Gate and the remains of several French fortifications. While the pass officially ends at the windswept Lang Co Beach at its northern end, most travelers continue for another hour or so to reach the former imperial city of Hue to gaze at its palaces and timeless tombs.

A: We hope to welcome you, our dear listeners to Vietnam. See is believing. So why don’t you arrange a trip to Vietnam??

A: Next, Pramahasompong of Thailand shared his joy at the news that 6 Vietnamese universities were ranked among the world’s top universities in 2023 saying this reflects the rapid development of Vietnam’s tertiary education.

B: Zhang Han of China says he regularly listens to VOV and visits our website. He praised the website’s diverse content which introduces Vietnamese culture, people and landscapes. He wrote that he particularly likes the double-decker bus tours in Vietnam and wants to learn more about Vietnam and visit in the near future.

(Photo: VOV)

A: A double-decker bus named Hop on-Hop off takes visitors on a tour around Hanoi every day. Tickets cost 10 USD and more depending on the time you want to take the tour.

B: The service, named Hanoi City Tour, is the first of its kind in the capital. The buses carry passengers through 25 streets and have 15 stops at key local tourist destinations such as the Hanoi Opera House, St. Joseph's Cathedral, Hanoi Flag Tower, President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hoa Lo prison, and the Vietnamese Women’s Museum.

City tour on a double decker bus around Hanoi (Photo: VOV)

B: The bus arrives every 30 minutes and each bus can carry 80 passengers. It is also equipped with free wifi, refrigerators, TVs, and surveillance cameras. The open top bus has an automatic multi-lingual narration system to suit the needs of tourists from around the world.

A: And that concludes today’s program. We welcome your feedback at: English Service, VOVWorld, the Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at: englishsection@vov.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs.

B: Check out our VOV Media App, available on both the IOS and Android platforms, to hear our live broadcasts. We look forward to your feedback on the mobile version of vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all for listening. Goodbye!