Chapa Ecolodge

The northern mountainous province of Lao Cai, home to resort town Sa Pa and Vietnam’s tallest mountain Fansipan, is one of five must-visit natural wonders in Southeast Asia, according to Forbes.

The list was compiled by the U.S. magazine based on its survey of 133 million tourists who visited the region in 2019 before the Covid-19 crisis broke out, resulting in border closures and travel restrictions.

“For those wishing to immerse themselves in the stunning terraced hills that Vietnam is renowned for, few destinations can compare to Lao Cai Province, a hilly region in the northernmost of the country,” Forbes wrote.

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Vietnam on March 15 fully reopened for international tourism after almost two years. However, when the date arrived, there was confusion as entry procedures, visa requirements, etc were not released by the relevant government agencies.

Nevertheless, more details were subsequently released.

The Ministry of Health late on March 15 released Official Dispatch No 1265/BYT-DP on the entry procedures for foreign arrivals to Vietnam. As per the document, foreign arrivals are required to:

• Take a COVID-19 negative test using the RT-PCR method 72 hours before entering Vietnam OR a rapid Antigen test (no self-test) 24 hours before entering Vietnam. This does not apply to children under 2 years of age; the test must be done by a competent health authority.
• Make a health declaration before entry and download the PC-COVID app;
• In case a COVID-19 test is not taken prior to departure, a test will be taken within 24 hours after arriving in Vietnam. If negative, travelers can travel anywhere within Vietnam without the need to quarantine; and
• While no quarantine is required, travelers should self-monitor their health for 10 days and report to local health authorities if they experience pandemic symptoms.

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