Even with a late summer holiday, children still have plenty of time for fun and valuable activities. Photo: DANG TUYEN
It’s worth mentioning that we are still in a ‘new normality’. Despite COVID-19 being temporarily under control, the pandemic is still likely to relapse shortly. The hardships stemming from COVID-19 have profoundly affected our economy, which will face further difficulties during the last quarter of 2020, where export activities come to a standstill, and tourist attractions lack the presence of international visitors.
Due to the fallout of COVID-19, the 2019-2020 school year will be prolonged compared to previous years, and the summer holidays will last until the end of August. The Ministry of Education and Training has stated that the 2020-2021 school year will begin on September 5th, meaning that the start of a new school year is also the back-to school ceremony.
From next year on, schools will not start the new school year in the beginning or middle of August to ensure the students’ 3-month summer vacation. This ‘new normal’ summer vacation, even though the previous school year ends late, will still last for one and a half months.
The government has been actuating domestic stimulus while most tourism businesses patiently wait for the summer season, the one that is named ‘domestic travel season’. This term refers to the season when teachers go on vacation, students are on their holidays with their family. Hopefully, the tourism industry will regain its momentum with the upcoming domestic travel season.
In a summer vacation with a limited amount of time and money, it is best to choose the most suitable domestic tours.
You are from Huế, and know much about the Imperial Citadel; but have you been to An Định Palace? You have been to the tombs of Tự Đức, Khải Định, Minh Mạng, but have you discovered Gia Long Tomb or known where the tombs of the Nguyễn lords are?
You are a Huế native, but have you stepped foot into Nam Đông, A lưới? I believe many of you will answer ‘no’. So how about an extraordinary summer holiday in unknown destinations around us? I think you will be very pleased with those suitable alternatives.
I’ve recently booked a tour to explore A Lưới on the weekends with a price of 830,000 VND/person. With that sum of money, we had a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a satisfying weekend at a homestay in A Nor village in Hồng Kim commune, A Lưới. Having the chance to submerge in the refreshingly cold waters of A Nor falls, to taste the delicious regional dishes of the Pakô community, and to wake up in the soothing birdsong and the brisk verdant forest.
On the A Lưới pine hills, I witnessed many young teachers riding bikes from Huế as part of their holiday. They were continuously astonished how similarly enchanting this ‘far-away land’ is to Đà Lạt.
These examples show that there are so many fantastic things unknown to us yet, and this summer vacation within the ‘new normality’ is a great chance to explore.
It’s been for years; and now the schools allow students to enjoy their summer until the end of August and start their school year on September 5. They don’t have to return to school in mid-August and learn for half a month before the back-to-school ceremony. This makes students miss the sweet memories of the first day they are back to school.
For this reason, COVID-19 has inadvertently helped remove the bad habits which had become an old-fashioned mentality and generate a memorable summer holiday in the ‘new normality’. Therefore, why not enjoy the best of this new vacation in the ‘new normality’?
By MINH DAN