Category: TRAVEL

ROME — Venice is going to broaden its tourist entry fee system in 2025, almost doubling the number of days visitors will have to pay to see the lagoon city, and hiking the price for last-minute arrivals, officials said on Thursday.

In a world first, the Italian destination introduced a 5- euro charge in April for daytrippers arriving on particularly congested days, hoping the levy would help thin the crowds.

The initial scheme, which was watched closely by other global tourist hotspots, covered 29 days over a four month period. This will be lifted to 54 days next year, over the same April-July window.

The charge will stay at 5 euros ($5.40) for those booking ahead of time, but will rise to 10 euros for anyone reserving within four days of their planned trip. As before, people with hotel and guest house reservations will be exempt.

“Venice has gone from being the city most exposed to and criticised for the phenomenon of overtourism, to being the city that is reacting to this phenomenon the earliest and most proactively on the global stage,” said Simone Venturini, the city councillor responsible for tourism and social cohesion.

He told a news conference the system was still in an experimental phase. He said places popular with tourists, including Japan’s historic city Kyoto and the Spanish island Formentera, had been in touch to ask about the scheme.

Critics have said the payment system failed to slow the flow of tourists, but Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said it was too soon to judge, with precise data only available this year.

He added that Venice did not want to shoo people away, but rather encourage visitors to rethink their dates.

“We are not against it (tourism). We just believe it can somehow be spread out,” he said, warning that the city would hand out fines in 2025 for people without a pass – something it had threatened to do in 2024, but did not.

In all, 485,062 people paid for a day pass this year, raising 2.25 million euros. This covered just some of the costs of the system, Brugnaro said, and was not aimed at raking in cash for the city coffers.

REUTERS, Oct 24, 2024

Phú Quốc island off the coast of the Mekong Delta province of Kiên Giang has been honoured among the top 10 best islands in Asia by the prestigious British travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler in its 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards.

The resort island, known for its service quality, stunning landscapes, sound cuisine, and locals’ hospitality, secured the fifth place with 91.01 points, as compared to 88.89 points in 2023.

Other destinations on the list are Koh Samui (Thailand), Langkawi (Malaysia), Boracay (the Philippines), Sri Lanka, Palawan (the Philippines), Phukhet (Thailand), Cebu & Visayan Islands (the Philippines), Bali (Indonesia), and Siargao (the Philippines).

Phú Quốc has received numerous accolades from the world tourism community this year. Three months ago, renowned travel magazine Travel + Leisure named it the second best island in the world, following Maldives. Besides, DestinAsian magazine, a prestigious travel and lifestyle magazine for travel enthusiasts around the world, recognised Phú Quốc as one of the top 10 most beautiful beach destinations in Asia.

The island has transformed itself from a hidden gem to a famous destination thanks to big investment in tourism infrastructure with an array of top-notch resorts. It has also offered visitors with various fascinating activities, including taking the world’s longest non-stop three-rope cable car line and premium art shows.

In the first nine months of this year, it welcomed more than 720,000 foreign tourist arrivals, up 56 per cent against the same time in 2023 and exceeding the annual plan by 8.6 per cent.

The island has served visitors from more than 150 countries and territories, with many direct flights from the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, and Taiwan (China). From October, new flight routes connecting the island with Hong Kong (China), Singapore and several Eastern European and Central Asian countries will be put into operation.

It expects to welcome some 100 international flights a week in the year-end tourism season, rising 25 per against the same time last year. — VNA/VNS, Oct 18, 2024

DUBAI — First off, a trip to South Korea is expensive. There’s no two ways about it. A return trip from Dubai costs in excess of $2,300 unless you opt to spending two days travelling in each direction. I chose the former.

There’s a perception that if you love Japan, you’ll also love South Korea. In fact, I found that South Korea was nothing like Japan. But why should it be? The Japanese dynasty ended a long time ago. Korea feels more humble, less in-your-face.

Seoul — the capital city — is large, clean, and very Western. The Metro system is busy and frequent, but unlike the public transport networks in the West, it feels safe. People are conscious of each other’s personal space and with a population of just over 10 million they need to be. But there’s no obvious fear of crime, everyone seems to have their heads buried in their phones. (For tourists, that might be because they’re checking their Korean translation app, an absolute necessity.)

To get the real vibe of this sprawling city — which is not dissimilar to Manhattan in New York — it’s worth walking the skyscraper-lined streets.

There are coffee shops pretty much everywhere you look. And in the malls, food courts are filled with baked goods, noodles and all varieties of meat. And while the fare is OK, none of it feels especially Asian, and judging by comments made by chefs this writer knows, Korea is not a place for foodies.

There’s a wide assortment of tours on offer — including a full day at the Demilitarized Zone on the North Korean border, which costs around $100 but is worth the effort and investment just to see across to the North with the guard posts in the distance and the 100-meter-high mast carrying the North Korean flag. You can also walk along a very claustrophobic tunnel dug by the North Koreans into the south.

Back in Seoul, the Starfield Library boasts a vast collection of 50,000 books in shelves that scale two floors – a must for those seeking an Instagrammable moment. There’s also a kitsch tribute to the novelty pop hit “Gangnam Style” — if indeed that is your style.

Seoul’s Anguk area is worth spending some time in; the art galleries and cafés have a youthful buzz and the Artist Bakery offered some beautifully mellow coffee and a huge selection of moreish salted butter bread treats.

There’s much to see in South Korea outside of Seoul, of course. And a three-hour trip on the bullet train takes you to the small(ish) city of Busan in the south east of the peninsular, where things feel much less Westernized. It’s a city crammed with markets and malls, selling anything and everything.

Find a hotel overlooking the water — there’s a lot of it and the fish market offers the chance to eat pretty much anything that is found in there. Be warned though, this place might look like a budget meal awaits you, but you can easily spend in excess of $40 for some octopus and something called “spoon worm” sashimi — the latter resembling a very particular internal organ.

Gamcheon Cultural Village — an assembly of narrow lanes and small pastel-colored houses on the side of a hill — provides stunning views down the valley towards the sea; another place for Insta-moments. And the Songdo cable car is worth a ride for the equally spectacular photo-ops.

Busan also provides plenty of opportunity to sample authentic and delicious Korean street food, just don’t be put off by the aesthetics of some of the outlets.

My final stop was Jeju Island — an hour away by plane — where I spent a few days ambling about, taking in the beautiful coastline with its jagged volcanic rocks. From the many bus tours on offer, the east and south were the highlights. The Yeha Bus Tour is particularly good, with stops including Stone Park, an ancient village, and the 600-step climb up Seongsan Sunrise Peak for some stunning panoramic views of the volcanic crater and surrounding area (followed by the slow hobble back down).

South Korea is certainly a destination worth visiting, but with a necessary proviso: Make sure you have plenty of disposable income so you can create memories that don’t break the bank.

AN, Peter Harrison

DUBAI — Portuguese football star Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr, said that it was easy for him and his family adapting to Saudi Arabia after signing with the Saudi football club to a two-and-a-half-year contract.

“To be honest, I am really happy to be there [Saudi Arabia],” Ronaldo said in an interview former Portuguese footballer, Rio Ferdinand.

“For me the adaptation was easy, and I really love it to be there,” he said. “It is a lovely country; I love to be there; my family loves to be there.”

Ronaldo was one of the first top-name recruits to the Saudi Pro League at the start of 2023, which paved the way for entry of other big-league players from Europe.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner began his club career with Portuguese side Sporting CP before joining Manchester United in 2003. Ronaldo moved to Spanish La Liga giants Real Madrid after six seasons at United. He then played for two years with Juventus before making a return to the Red Devils in 2021 where he played until 2023, before departing for the Saudi Pro League.

Ronaldo became the first man to score 900 career goals after tapping in the ball at the 34th minute of Portugal’s UEFA Nations League group stage match against Croatia in Lisbon, which they won 2-1.

The Portuguese football star called Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea his “second house,” adding that he loves to spend time there with his family.

“The Red Sea which is my second home or [even my] first home is unbelievable like a diamond,” he said, adding that it is “one of the most beautiful places” he has ever been to.

Ronaldo also spoke on AlUla, an increasingly famous tourist spot in Saudi Arabia’s northwest located near two oases, Khaybar and Tayma.

“It is beautiful because it is spiritual, you can feel the energy there. I felt it as well, to be honest,” the Portuguese star said.

“Even in the mountains they have snow. People in Saudi [Arabia]? Yes, they have snow. They have everything, so it is a lovely country.”

AN

HANOI — Vietnam’s capital city of Hà Nội has ranked among the top 15 culinary destinations in the world as voted by readers of the world’s largest travel guidance platform TripAdvisor.

Tripadvisor introduced Hà Nội’s cuisine as “refined and delicate”, saying that Hà Nội dishes are renowned for their natural flavours, clear broths, fresh herbs, and simple seasoning.

Hà Nội, with its rich culinary quintessence, offers visitors unique dining experiences from humble street food stalls to Michelin-recognised high-end restaurants.

The capital city’s cuisine is renowned for its refinement, subtlety, and the diverse natural flavours of local ingredients. Many of Hà Nội’s delicious dishes have gained international fame, such as phở, bún chả (rice vermicelli with grilled pork and fresh herbs), chả cá (grilled fish), and phở cuốn (fresh spring rolls).

Tripadvisor also suggested that visitors check out all of Hà Nội’s best hits by taking a street food walking tour around the Old Quarter, where they will get to try another local favourite.

Among the list of world’s Top 15 must-visit food cities were Hawaii and New Orleans of the US, Jamaica of Caribbean, Paris of France, Bangkok of Thailand, Kyoto of Japan, and others.

According to the municipal Department of Tourism, in 2024, the city’s tourism sector will develop and promote new tourism products, focusing on exploiting cultural and historical strength, associated with rural craft villages and local cuisine.

The department will build a Food Tour map, allowing visitors to explore and experience Hà Nội’s cuisine. The city has also organised activities to promote and culinary cultural values to domestic and international visitors.

In response to tourism promotion programmes to attract visitors in the summer and autumn of 2024, as well as the 70th anniversary of Hà Nội’s Liberation Day (October 10, 2024), several units in Hà Nội are working to diversify cultural and culinary experiences for residents and visitors. VNA/VNS

BANGKOK — With the Paris Olympic Games estimated to attract fewer visitors than expected, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) forecasts the French market to strongly pick up after the event, with 42 billion THB (US$1.17 billion) in revenue earned from this market in 2024.

Soraya Homchuen, TAT director of the Paris office, said the French market is facing a slow period as the country held two rounds of elections on June 30 and July 7. The flow of tourists will continue to slow during the Paris Olympics from July 26 to August 11 as a number of locals have to work as organisers of the event.

However, the agency predicted it would not take long to revive the market after the Olympics, with weaker crowds for this year’s event as locals are concerned about soaring expenditure and congested traffic in Paris.

Roughly 600 tour packages were sold as part of an “Olympic Getaway” campaign, which the agency launched with Carrefour in May and will continue selling until August to draw tourists after the games.

The agency will also partner with a large online agent to launch another flash sales promotional event during the Olympic Games.

In the first six months of this year, Thailand welcomed 380,013 French tourists, while the target for the whole year was set at 661,000 arrivals, generating 42.9 billion THB, which will be the same revenue as generated in 2019.

She said the number in the first half was higher than the half way mark of the entire annual target, while expenditure of this market is forecast at 65,008 THB per person, which is higher than the average of 55,000 THB.

Soraya said another tailwind that will help boost the post-Olympic market is lower airfares.

Excluding the period of the Olympic Games, airfares have continued in a downward trend since June, she said.

The remaining concern is seat capacity as direct flights between Thailand and France have recovered by only 70-75 per cent. — VNA/VNS

SEOUL — Tourists from the Republic of Korea (RoK) are increasingly interested in destinations in Việt Nam, according to a survey conducted by Rankify Korea website.

Among the three most preferred tourist destinations in RoK, two are in Việt Nam, it said.

The result was released based on a big data analysis programme to evaluate the search volume of Google Trend Index and Naver in the first week of July and compare it with that of the last week of June.

In the first week of July, Phú Quốc island in the Vietnamese southern province of Kiên Giang was in the first place with 12,855 points, up 2,962 points compared to the last week of June. The beach city of Nha Trang in the Vietnamese central province of Khánh Hòa ranked second with 10,157 points and followed by Tokyo (Japan) with 3,796 points.

Other cities in the top 15 are Bangkok and Phuket (Thailand), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Nagoya (Japan), Barcelona (Spain), Kyoto (Japan), Hà Nội (Việt Nam), Paris (France), New York (US), Sydney (Australia), Shanghai (China) and Munich (Germany).

The survey also showed the results of analysing preferences by gender and age for each of these cities. Specifically, Phú Quốc Island is more popular with RoK women, representing a rate of 67 per cent of the survey data. VNA/VNS

LÂM ĐỒNG — Đà Lạt City and art exhibition space Stop And Go Art Space launched the “Đà Lạt Art Street Season 2” (Cung đường nghệ thuật Đà Lạt) on July 11 after last year’s inaugural event became a big hit.

This open space exhibition programme, that will go on for months, will feature a variety of art exhibitions and musical performances.

A nude yoga photography exhibition has opened.

There is an exhibition of historical relics and items from the Central Highlands, including traditional farming tools, musical instruments, jewellery, and objects used in rituals.

​Đà Lạt Art Street Season 1, held from November last year to April, garnered positive attention and gave a fillip to Đà Lạt tourism, according to the organisers.

It received thousands of visitors every week, including foreign tourists.

It dovetails with the city’s tourism promotion plans, they said.

Phan Quang, founder of Stop And Go Art Space, said the non-profit programme aims to bring a rich art experience for everyone and help make Đà Lạt an art hub bringing together artists from many fields.

The programme will go on until May 2025. — VNS

RIYADH — In the heart of Diriyah’s Samhan district is an old Najdi-style house that’s been given a new lease of life as Bonjour Saudi — a ‘travel and experience design house’ and a local offshoot of UAE-based Bonjour Middle East.

“At Bonjour Saudi we focus on being a bridge between foreigners, expats, tourists and Saudi culture by creating experiences that showcase different parts of that culture — like cuisine, art, and tradition,” French co-founder Cecilia Pueyo told Arab News. “It’s very important for me to work routinely with Saudis to make this happen.

Pueyo is a crafting enthusiast herself, and noticed a gap in the market when she visited the Kingdom and found it hard to access workshops on traditional Saudi crafts such as Sadu weaving, palm weaving, or Kabsa cooking. So, she wanted to create a space for such workshops. It also includes House of Artisans — a store showcasing local handicrafts like candles, abayas, handbags, jewelry, and more, giving guests an opportunity to take a piece of Saudi home with them.

And Bonjour Saudi also provides guided tours across the country to popular spots including Jeddah, Abha, and AlUla.

Whether guests are signing up for a multi-day journey around historical sites or for a two-hour cooking or art workshop, though, the aim is the same: to leave them with a better understanding of Saudi culture and history.

“Even though it’s relatively new for the Kingdom to welcome foreigners and expats, (it’s clear that) people want to showcase their culture and share it with you, as well as their hospitality and generosity,” Pueyo said.

“Now, we are in a very important moment and shift in Saudi,” she continued. “This is what I think Bonjour Saudi is about; how we want to make an impact on people. Even if they only have one hour, we can connect them with the right person to deliver a message about the country, about the culture — about their passion — and I hope the guests will understand his or her vision of the Kingdom.”

AN

HÀ NỘI — As a gateway for tourists to come to Việt Nam, Hà Nội has rolled out initiatives to lure more travelers, focusing on diversifying cultural activities and promoting coordination between sectors to support the tourism industry.

The industry and trade, and agricultural and rural development sectors have been tasked with developing specialised cultivation areas for producing high-quality OCOP products, and establishing craft villages for tourism.

Hà Nội’s historical sites have welcomed over 1.3 million visitors so far this year, earning VNĐ70.4 billion (nearly US$2.8 million), reaching 93.9 per cent of the plan set for the year.

A series of art performance programmes have been held to serve political and diplomatic tasks, attracting over 270,000 audiences, and raking in over VNĐ24 billion.

The Hà Nội Museum, where various exhibitions have been held, served 39,700 visitors in the first four months of 2024.

Thanks to various innovative forms for promoting tourism, the number of tourist arrivals to the capital city has significantly increased in the last four months, reaching over 157,000 foreign visitors and 571,000 domestic ones, up 59.8 per cent and 19.1 per cent, respectively.

To attract more visitors, the Hà Nội tourism sector is developing products associated with heritage, relic sites, and craft villages, and others based on strengths of each locality, like sports tourism in the outlying district of Sóc Sơn, and community and medical tourism in Sóc Sơn and Ba Vì Districts.

The city has also set up connectivity with other cities and provinces such as Hà Nam, Ninh Bình, Sơn La, Lào Cai, and Lai Châu to form travel routes where their key, reciprocal products are brought into full play.

Attention has also been paid to tourism digitalisation, covering information about tourist sites, services, and markets. VNA/VNS

Sebuah bandar yang mempunyai kepentingan nasional, terletak di selatan Kazakhstan, Shymkent berdiri sebagai salah satu hab perindustrian dan ekonomi terkemuka Kazakhstan.

Dengan sejarahnya yang kaya terjalin dengan Jalan Sutera, Shymkent mengundang pelawat dalam perjalanan melalui masa, dari bandar purba Sayram hingga daya tarikan zaman modennya.

Diterjemah dari Farsi dan sebahagian daripada Turkic sebagai bandar hijau, Shymkent sesuai dengan namanya. Kehijauan yang indah menghiasi landskap dan tamannya, memberikan suasana tenang di seluruh bandar.

“Shymkent memegang tempat yang istimewa dalam kehidupan rohani orang kita. Ia merangkumi ciri-ciri terbaik watak Kazakh. Di bumi Shymkent yang mulia, negara kita telah dibentuk,” kata Presiden Kassym-Jomart Tokayev semasa pertemuan dengan orang awam Shymkent pada 27 September 2022.

Sejarah panjang bandar ini telah menimbulkan mercu tanda bersejarah yang luar biasa, menjejaki kembali aktiviti sejak Zaman Gangsa dan kemunculannya sebagai karavansaray di sepanjang Jalan Sutera pada abad ke-11.

Sepanjang abad, bandar ini telah ditawan oleh Genghis Khan pada tahun 1219, kemudian oleh Tamerlane, Dzungars, Kokand dan Bukhara Khanates, dan Empayar Rusia pada Julai 1864. Walaupun begitu, Shymkent telah mengekalkan dirinya, berkembang daripada penempatan kecil menjadi sebuah pusat perindustrian, perdagangan dan kebudayaan yang berkembang maju.

Tarikan untuk dilawati di Shymkent

Antara tarikan terkenal Shymkent ialah tamannya yang meriah, termasuk Taman Ken Baba, Taman Kemerdekaan, Taman Abai, Taman Metallurgist, Taman Techno Kiyal Alemi (Dunia Fantasi), Dunia Shamshi dan Dendropark. Setiap taman mempunyai sejarah, suasana dan daya tarikan tematiknya sendiri.

Taman Dendrologi, yang ditubuhkan pada tahun 1979, mempamerkan lebih 600 spesies tumbuhan herba di wilayah itu. Pengunjung boleh menerokai pelbagai jenis flora dan fauna, termasuk burung merak, tupai dan rusa belang. Selain itu, taman ini menawarkan aktiviti rekreasi seperti menaiki bot kayuh di tasik yang indah dan berbasikal di sepanjang denai yang ditetapkan.

Terletak di tengah-tengah Shymkent, Abai Park menyediakan tempat percutian yang tenang. Ia menampilkan tarikan seperti Muzium Seni Moden, yang mempamerkan budaya Kazakh dari zaman purba hingga kini, dan Muzium Khakim Abai, yang menempatkan koleksi barangan peribadi milik penyair dan ahli falsafah Kazakhstan yang dihormati Abai Qunanbaiuly.

Khazanah sejarah Shymkent

Kubu kota Shymkent ialah kompleks terbuka bersejarah dan budaya yang berfungsi sebagai kubu dan pangkalan tentera bersenjata untuk mempertahankan bandar Sayram di Jalan Sutera. Menurut ahli arkeologi, sejarah Shymkent mungkin berasal dari kawasan ini.

Dipulihkan kepada kemegahan asalnya, benteng ini berkeluasan hampir lima hektar, menampilkan tanda tempat seperti Stairway of Hope, Tower of Love, dan Tower of Alchemists. Pada tahun 2023, dewan pameran dan tapak arkeologi kubu purba di Shymkent mengalu-alukan sekurang-kurangnya 40,000 pelawat, di mana lawatan dijalankan dalam empat bahasa — Kazakh, Inggeris, Rusia dan Cina.

Lebih jauh terletaknya bandar bersejarah Sayram, sebuah penempatan berusia 3,000 tahun yang terletak di bahagian timur Shymkent. Terkenal sebagai salah satu bandar tertua yang didiami secara berterusan di Kazakhstan, Sayram berkhidmat sebagai hab perdagangan dan kebudayaan penting di sepanjang Jalan Sutera. Hari ini, ia menarik pelancong dari seluruh dunia dengan gugusan makamnya, termasuk Makam Ibrahim Ata dan Karashash-Ana, makam ibu bapa Sufi Khoja Ahmed Yassawi yang terkenal.

Selain itu, pelawat boleh menerokai Makam Abdel-Aziz Bab dan Mirali-Baba, Menara Kydyr dan Monumen Khojasalyk, yang semuanya menyumbang kepada warisan budaya yang kaya di bandar ini.

Permata tersembunyi Shymkent

Makam Domalak-Ana, yang terletak di kawasan Karatau di lembah Sungai Balabogen, berdiri sebagai monumen seni bina yang dibina di atas tapak pengebumian Ali Nurily Sylankyzy, yang dikenali sebagai Domalak-Ana kerana ciri-ciri kecilnya.

Versi lain berasal dari bahasa Parsi “Dihnat mom,” yang bermaksud Ibu Suci. Menurut legenda, terdapat dua batu suci di makam, dan hanya orang yang soleh boleh melalui di antara mereka. Penduduk tempatan menceritakan kisah indah tentang keluarga yang melawat Makam Domalak-ana untuk memohon restu dan akhirnya mempunyai anak yang ditunggu-tunggu.

Selama berabad-abad, makam Domalak-Ana telah dibina semula beberapa kali dan tidak mengekalkan rupa sebenar, tetapi muzium itu mengekalkan sejumlah besar manuskrip.

Salah satu tempat paling misteri berhampiran Shymkent ialah gua Akmeshit (masjid putih di Kazakh) bawah tanah yang terletak 80 kilometer dari bandar. Gua adalah objek semula jadi yang unik bukan sahaja dari segi skala tetapi juga dari segi penampilannya yang unik. Pembukaan panorama dari gua itu menyerupai shanyraq yurt Kazakhstan.

Menurut cerita penduduk tempatan, wanita dan kanak-kanak mencari perlindungan di dalam gua semasa pencerobohan Dzungar. Legenda lain menceritakan tentang seekor naga purba yang pernah menghuni gua, menyerang manusia dan haiwan. Semasa naga itu meregangkan sayapnya, ia menyapu dinding gua, menyebabkan bukaan itu membesar dari semasa ke semasa. Walau bagaimanapun, legenda mengatakan bahawa nabi Suleiman akhirnya menjinakkan naga dengan merantainya.

Satu lagi permata tersembunyi dan destinasi wajib bagi pencinta alam semula jadi, peminat hiking dan peminat hidupan liar yang ingin menerokai keindahan alam semula jadi dan warisan budaya ialah taman negara Sayram-Ugam.

Ia adalah taman negara yang terkenal di dunia, ditubuhkan pada tahun 2006, terletak 70 kilometer di selatan Shymkent di pergunungan Tian Shan Barat yang berceranggah. Taman ini menawarkan sepuluh laluan berkuda dan mendaki sepanjang 604 kilometer, 187 kilometer laluan mendaki, 231 kilometer menunggang kuda, dan 186 kilometer laluan kereta.

Bazar – rasa tradisi

Lawatan ke bazar Shymkent yang sibuk adalah penting untuk merasai suasana meriah di selatan Kazakhstan tradisional. Antara pasar terkenal di bandar ini ialah bazar Qyrgy atau bazar Atas, yang terletak di antara Dataran Ordabassy dan Dunia Shamshi. Di sini, warna-warna cerah, rempah ratus, dan deretan manisan dan buah-buahan yang tidak berkesudahan menanti pengunjung.

Bagi mereka yang mencari pakaian mampu milik dan pilihan fabrik, benang dan aksesori jahitan yang luas, bazar Bekzhan menawarkan pelbagai pilihan. Sementara itu, bazar Samal menarik dengan paparan perhiasan emas dan perak yang indah, menambahkan sentuhan keanggunan berkilauan kepada pasar yang meriah.

Bersiar-siar dan penginapan

Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Shymkent, terletak kira-kira 11 kilometer dari pusat bandar, menawarkan akses yang mudah untuk pelancong. Pilihan pengangkutan seperti bas, teksi dan penyewaan kereta tersedia, menyediakan ketersambungan ke bandar dan sekitarnya dengan harga yang jauh lebih murah daripada yang ada di Astana atau Almaty.

Bagi penginapan, Shymkent menawarkan pelbagai pilihan, daripada asrama mesra bajet hingga rangkaian hotel mewah seperti Rixos Khadisha Shymkent dan DoubleTree oleh Hilton Shymkent. Platform dalam talian seperti Booking.com dan Airbnb menyediakan pilihan tempahan yang mudah, mungkin dengan peluang yang lebih tinggi untuk mendapatkan perkhidmatan dalam bahasa Inggeris. Sebagai alternatif, terdapat platform tempatan seperti Krisha.kz, dengan pemilik individu menawarkan pilihan rumah mampu milik.

Cenderamata untuk dihargai

Di Shymkent, yang terkenal dengan ketukangannya, pengunjung boleh menemui pameran kesenian tempatan diperbuat daripada kain felt, sutera dan kulit asli. Barangan yang paling popular ialah selipar felt, patung unta mainan, yurt tradisional, anak patung Kazakh yang dihiasi dengan pakaian tradisional, dan patung alat muzik tradisional Kazakhstan.

Seseorang boleh membeli cenderamata perak dan emas buatan tangan seperti anting-anting, gelang, rantai, cincin dan barang kemas lain dalam gaya kebangsaan Kazakhstan. Selain itu, pakaian tradisional seperti chapan (gaun tradisional), kamisol (jaket atau rompi gaya tradisional) dan takiya bersulam (kopiah) berfungsi sebagai peringatan menawan tentang warisan budaya Shymkent, menjadikannya hadiah yang sesuai untuk dihargai.

Sumber teks/foto – Astana Times, 21 April 2024