Melingai opines Vietnam could be inspiration for Banjarmasin river tour

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (ANTARA) - A member of River Care Community (Melingai) of Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Murjani opined that Vietnam could become inspiration for other region in developing river tour.

Murjani, along with three other Melingai members, Mohammad Ary, Mohammad Ridho, and Hasan Zainuudin or Uncle Anum, have just toured along the Mekong River.

Murjani assessed that Banjarmasin, which has many rivers, shpuld sells its river uniqueness like Vietnam.

The condition of rivers of Vietnam's world river attraction is simply similar in Banjarmasin, full of nipa palm, rambai padi (soneratia sp), daffodils, and others.

However, rivers in Vietnam are relatively cleaner and seem to be maintained well. Plus, Vietnam creatively creates tour packages that are packaged in such a way.

Its river cruising tours are sold as tour packages and promoted through various media. Many pamphlets are available at tour and travel agents, hotels and restaurants.

One of them was the package enjoyed by Melingai members from Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City by bus filled with about 50 people.

On the way of the tour, guided by a tour guide, the group stopped to rest. Here many souvenirs of Viewtnamese products sold, such as accesories made of agate, cocunut tree trunks, various decoration from shells.

Also snacks from water plants, such as lotus, lotus tea, vietnamese coffee, and other various snacks.

After that, thr group continued their journey to the Mekong River pier, where tourists boarded a special boat and had to wear a life jacket.

The cruise was about half an hour enjoying the beauty of Mekong, the 12th longest river in the world, and the 10th largest in volume, with an area of 795,000 km². From Tibet, the river flows through China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

After that, tourists went ashore to be treated to cocunut processing tour, from how to make cocunut oil to various food  from coconut, such as coconut sugar, copconut biscuits, coconut candy, to coconut wood products.

Then in the tour which cost around IDR500 thousand per person, tourists were treated to lunch with various food menus.

"Because we are Muslim, we asked for a fish menu only, and we gathered with Malaysian tourists," said Murjani.

In the restaurant area, tourists were presented with interesting show, such as crocodile farming, phyton rearing, porcupines, and various other animals in addition to places for selfies.

The next was exploring Mekong on a small sampan with only five passengers, paddled by local residents, especialy mothers, with Vietnamese hats.

Its only a creek, but there were a lot of sampan back and forth full of tourists.

Also part of this package, tourists were treated to bee keeping with bee honey products, such as bee pollen and other products. Tourists  were free to taste it.

Finally, tourists returned to the river and went up to the land then returned to Ho Chi Minh City by the same bus.