The 80 contestants of Miss Universe 2008 will depart from Ho Chi Minh City today on a tour of Vietnam that will include visits to Hoi An Ancient Town, Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Nha Trang.

Visitors who happen to share this itinerary may get lucky and catch a glimpse of the beauties as they take in the gorgeous sites the country is renowned for.

The first stop is Hoi An Ancient Town, where tilted roofs and moss-grown walls along with the twinkling lights around Cau Pagoda will bring visitors back to times past.

Images of lantern boats idly floating down the river and unique cuisines such as Vac cakes and Cao Lau noodles will leave an indelible impression on guests.

In the northern capital, visitors will enjoy superb architecture at the Temple of Literature, Sword Lake, Ngoc Son Temple and Tran Quoc Pagoda.

A night in Hanoi wouldn’t be complete without snacking on snail dishes and crisp shrimp pastries around West Lake.

At the next stop on the journey, Ha Long Bay World Heritage site is like a painting dotted with thousands of islands.

La Vong Island resembles a man fishing, while Canh Buom Island juts outward like a sail in the middle of the sea.

Caverns such as Thien Cung, Tam Cung and Trinh Nu on several islands feature exquisite stalactites hanging from its walls.

The final leg of the tour will end in Nha Trang Town, where the 80 girls will compete in the 57th Miss Universe Pageant.

With a landscape comprised of mountains, seas, streams, rivers and plains along with the elegant Diamond Bay Resort, Nha Trang Town has become a tourist’s dream.

During the stay in Nha Trang, visitors can enjoy the various amenities at the five-star resort, first-class restaurants, and many entertainment centers.

Many tourist companies in HCMC are organizing tours to Nha Trang Town on the occasion of the Miss Universe contest, in addition to selling tickets for the event.

Fiditour has offered three-day tours on July 6 and 12 starting at the price of VND2 million (US$120.4) per person, not including tickets for the pageant.

Reported by Cam Nhi