#Vietnam - A treasure bequeathed by millions of years of evolution in Phu Yen

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 At the foothills of Bai Xep in An Chan Commune, Tuy An District, Phu Yen Province is a unique geological formation with black and yellow basalt rocks in all kinds of conceivable shapes. Geologists have said that this is the result of volcanic eruptions that took place millions of years ago.

To reach Bai Xep, one has to travel 17 kilometers north on the Doc Lap coastal road of Tuy Hoa Town, the capital of Phu Yen Province.

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Bai Xep is surrrounded by the Ganh Ong (Ong Reef) and the Ganh Ba (Ba Reef) with two long beaches on each side. The place still remains relatively pristine, surrounded by casuarina equisetifolia, a tree that commonly grows in coastal habitats with white sands and cacti.

Thanks to its geological structure, many movies have been shot here, including the award-winning Toi Thay Hoa Vang Tren Co Xanh or Yellow Flower On The Grass directed by Victor Vu. The Vietnamese coming-of-age drama won in the 2016 Best Feature Film category of the Young People's Jury Award - part of the annual TIFF Kids International Film Festival in Toronto. It was premiere in Cannes Film Festival 2015.

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  Bai Xep has become one of Phu Yen's iconic tourist attractions. Phu Yen is the first point on the Vietnamese mainland to welcome the sun every morning. It has a diverse topography consisting of mountains, rivers, lagoons, bays, and islands and a myriad of beautiful natural sights for visitors to explore.

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Source - VN Express

Indonesia - Tambora festival returns with more locations

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Festival Pesona Tambora (Tambora Charms Festival) is set to return April 5 to 11 in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) for the third time.
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In addition to commemorating the volcano's massive eruption back in 1815, the event also aims to promote Sumbawa, especially for tourism.
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NTB Tourism Agency head Mohammad Faozal told The Jakarta Post in Mataram on Friday that this year's festival would be held across five cities and regencies on Sumbawa, namely the regencies of West Sumbawa, Sumbawa, Dompu and Bima, and the city of Bima. Last year's event was only held in Dompu and Bima regencies.
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"The peak of the event on April 11 will still take place in the Ndoro Ncanga savanna area at the foot of Mount Tambora, which is part of Dompu regency," he said.
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According to the schedule, the event will kick off with a three-day 320-kilometer Tambora Challenge ultra marathon, that will start from Mantar tourism village in West Sumbawa, as well as an international paragliding event, which has been dubbed "the village above the clouds". During previous ultra marathons, which require participants to finish the race in 20 hours, only two participants in 2015 and one in 2016 made it to the finish line.
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(Read also: Tambora festival expected to boost foreign arrivals in NTB)
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Meanwhile, Sumbawa regency is set to hold "One Night at Loka". Loka is the palace complex of King Sumbawa that has been declared cultural heritage. The city of Bima and Bima regency will join the festivity through Lawata Beach Festival and a seminar on the region's tourism and maritime potential.
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A number of travel packages have reportedly been booked for this year's festival, including a two-day and three-night package where travelers can stay for one night in Mataram and go camping in Ndoro Ncanga the next day.
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Co-organizer Kompas Media community director Rusdi Amral said that the company decided to commit to the event in 2015 to help develop Sumbawa's tourism potential. "Hopefully the region's tourism sector can boost its local economy," he added.
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