Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Mu Cang Chai: charming and peaceful
The company has clinched a strategic cooperation agreement with Vietnam’s project owner Ninh Van Bay Travel Real Estate JSC to manage the two properties – Six Senses Latitude Phu Quoc in Kien Giang Province and Six Senses Latitude Saigon River in Dong Nai Province.
Hoang Anh Dung, board chairman of Ninh Van Bay JSC, said at a news briefing at the InterContinental Asiana Saigon Hotel on Tuesday that the company had invested some VND660 billion to turn a 117-hectare site on Phu Quoc Island into the Six Senses Latitude Phu Quoc Resort.
Mu Cang Chai: charming and peaceful
The resort will be home to 136 units, including 30 water villas, 18 beach villas, 20 tree top houses, 48 Latitude rooms, 18 residential villas and two rock villas. It is set to open to business by 2012.
In the other property, the company has invested some VND560 billion in the Six Senses Latitude Saigon River in Phuoc Dai Commune in Nhon Trach District in Dong Nai, a 20-minute boat ride from the heart of HCMC.
The five-star resort, which is designed with a landscape impressed from a southern village image of Vietnam, offers 215 guest accommodations including 63 residential villas for sales, according to the project developer.
The developer says the first model villa will be on display by March this year and the resort is scheduled to be launched by the end of the second quarter next year.
Dung said the newly signed agreement, valid for 30 years, between Ninh Van Bay and Six Senses would pave the way for both parties to enhance and accelerate their strategic partnership.
Six Senses will provide technical assistance for the local partner to further develop high-class resorts in Vietnam. In return, Ninh Van Bay will choose Six Senses as the top priority partner to manage its resort projects in the country.
Dung said the company would start work on a second phase for Six Senses Hideaway Ninh Van Bay in the central coast city of Nha Trang, with some US$12 million for 24 luxury villas along the beach.
He said the demand for tourism properties had prompted the company to build villas for sale, but he declined to reveal prices of the properties in advance. He added the company planned to move forward to the northern region for resort development after establishing a solid base in the southern region.
In another project, Six Senses Con Dao Resort, which is being developed by Indochina Land, is set to open late this year, offering to the local hotelier 35 villas for hotel services and 15 luxury residential villas for sale.
Established in 1995, the Thailand-based company has managed 26 resorts and 41 spas in six countries – Maldives, Thailand, Oman, Jordan, Spain and Vietnam.
Source: VietNamNet/SGT
Dalat flowering on
The French living in Vietnam at the turn of the 20th century were desperate to escape the sweltering heat of the lowlands – Bana, Sapa, Tam Dao and Dalat were all established as mountain retreats by the French.
Despite the precipitous mile-high slopes, Dalat was established by 1912 and has pretty much continued to serve its initial purpose ever since. With cascading waterfalls, rolling mountains and a year-round cool climate, the city was naturally endowed and attractive to tourists. The area was also blessed with stunning biodiversity with wild flowers and cherry blossom trees lining the streets. Wealthy French built vacation homes in Dalat, which remain standing today
Dalat flowering on
giving the city a distinctly Mediterranean feel.
The photographer Dang Van Thong remembers in 1947 how Dalat was still in a relatively “primitive form”. “The population was sparse and pine forests were thick and endless. The literati described it as a ‘city in a forest and a forest in a city’. Even in the late 1980s, Dalat’s landscape was still poetic and dreamlike,” says Thong.
Today there are now top class golf courses and luxurious resorts catering for tourists, who can fly into Dalat’s Lien Khuong airport. But the city still knows which side its bread is buttered on. People flock here for the crisp, cool mountain air and the stunning views.
Dalat has also quite literally blossomed into the “Flower capital of Vietnam”. The temperate climate means Lam Dong province is ideal for agricultural cultivation – the area is renowned for its coffee plantations, vineyards, fruit and vegetable farms as well as its flowers.
The annual Dalat Flower Festival is a chance to celebrate the city’s natural beauty while showcasing the locality’s prized products: flowers, wine and coffee. It’s also a party. This year there was a festival within a festival: the Dalat Wine Festival offered guests 5,500 litres of Vietnamese, Old World and New World wine, generously provided by Vinh Tien, Dalat (Lado Foods) and Lang Biang companies.
Over 60,000 tourists attended the week-long event. Visitors could last week marvel at some spectacular floral arrangements: a 3,200sqm-flower arrangement made by Lam Dong Flower Association’s 20 member companies and 6,000 tulips provided by Viet Dang Company at Xuan Huong Lake; a chrysanthemum-tiger made by Agrivina Dalat Hasfarm Company; 100 peach trees provided by Dalat Peach Flower Valley on Ba Huyen Thanh Quan street; flowers and ornamental plants associations from Holland, South Korea, China and Taiwan.
There were also several records set to mark the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi at the flower festival with a giant flower vase titled Hoan Kiem Lake made by 1,000 locals and tourists and two 54-metre long dragons representing the country’s 54 ethnic groups.
VietNamNet/Timeout
Take the local flavors home
Since it has been happening for nearly seven years now, the vendors are used to seeing a plump, elderly Vietnamese woman accompany groups of foreign tourists to the market without buying any clothes or souvenirs.
All they buy are herbs and other ingredients like meat, fish and condiments needed to cook traditional Vietnamese dishes.
Going to the market to buy fresh ingredients is the first step in a cooking tour that 60-year-old Pham Thi Tuyet, one of the city’s well-known culinary artisans, offers foreign visitors.
Take the local flavors home
Madame Tuyet became famous both locally and internationally when her Anh Tuyet Restaurant was visited in 2002 by American chef Anthony Bourdain, the host of Travel Channel's No Reservations show, to shoot A Cook’s Tour program.
At the market, Tuyet began by showing visitors how to choose and distinguish between different kinds of herbs and test their freshness by smelling them.
Then she told them how to “balance” the Yin and Yang qualities of the herbs.
To prepare ca kho nghe (braised fish with saffron), the group moved to the fish stalls.
Laura Melchor from San Francisco said, “I’m familiar with both fish and saffron, but I didn’t know how to combine the two together like the Vietnamese.”
The group then returned to Tuyet’s restaurant, which is actually a typical traditional house on Ma May Street in the Old Quarter.
“Cooking inside a Vietnamese family kitchen can make a deep impression on foreigners,” Tuyet said.
Apart from ca kho nghe, on the menu for the day was cha gio (spring rolls) made of pork, vermicelli and rice cake, that the students would learn to make by themselves.
Wrapping and rolling rice paper was not easy for the inexperienced, but it was a chore of joy for all. They broke into a sweat as they practiced seriously for almost two hours, but there were no complaints.
Tuyet, who won the Golden prize at a Culinary Festival held at the Hanoi Horison Hotel in 2001, also showed visitors how Hanoians change their staple menus for each season.
She said that in summer the locals like to eat che hat sen (sugar coated lotus seed soup) to reduce heat in the body, while in winter hot ginger and jasmine scented green teas are preferred.
Accordingly, the dishes featured in her cooking tour also change every season. However, the visitors can request their favorite dishes among more than 100 listed.
The preferences of visitors are also influenced by the climates and conditions they come from, she noted. Those coming from coastal areas like Australia often ask her to teach how to cook cha gio made of shrimp and crab, while the English want to learn how to cook pho bo (beef noodle soup).
Eating is always the most enjoyable part of the tour.
Tuyet said cooking tour was successful only when the visitors learnt to cook and enjoy the dishes properly.
“They should not be merely an audience, but become part of the local culture.”
Popular activity
Don Dockery, the British manager of Hanoi’s Highway 4 Restaurant, one of many cooking tour organizers in Hanoi, said the tours were popular among many tourists, especially food lovers.
“Food is a part of culture. These classes, unlike sightseeing tours, offer foreigners a great chance to discover the local culture and way of life in a deep way.”
Dockery said that many foreign tourists who come to Vietnam want not only to enjoy local food and drinks but also take Vietnam’s culinary art to their countries.
A tourist from Canada said, “Beautiful landscapes are still there, but it is not every time that you can learn how to cook local dishes with such an amazing artist like Tuyet.”
Reported by Phuong Anh
Tour prices set to rise during Lunar New Year
Tours prices to Hong Kong had also gone up by $100, it added.
High air travel prices are cited as the main reason.
“As usual, the prices of tours over the Tet holiday are higher then normal. The main reason is that airlines often raise their prices on seeing high demand,” said Duong Mai Lan, a representative of Vietravel in the capital city of Ha Noi.
Tour prices set to rise during Lunar New Year
Agreeing with Lan, Dao Thu Hien, director of Vietsky Travel, said that plane ticket prices increased by 30-50 per cent at Lunar New Year.
In some instances, she added, the price of a flight to Thailand at Tet increased to $160 from $70. Despite the fact that tour prices keep rising, demand has not stopped increasing.
“This year, many customers want to travel because they have six days off at Tet. Moreover, Valentines day falls during the festival so it is bound to make for a hectic year,” said Lan.
Recently, many tourism companies have had to turn away customers as they are fully booked.
Saigontourist announced that the number of customers looking to book holidays had increased by 15-18 per cent over the same period last year.
Meanwhile, Vietravel said that many of their outbound tours were almost full.
“About 70 per cent of Vietravel Ha Noi’s tours have been sold out, 90 per cent of tours to Thailand and other tours to China, South Korea and Japan booked by many tourists,” said Lan.
This year, tours to regional countries and territories such as Thailand, China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan are still in high demand.
Some visitors book trips to the US and Australia to visit their relatives but not that many. While many people book outbound tours for the Tet holidays, inbound tours have not seen a big change.
According to Lan, at the moment the number of inbound tours booked is only about 30 per cent of the predicted figure.
“Visitors often leave it till late to book inbound tours. Moreover, they can organise inbound tours by themselves,” Lan said.
Popular domestic destinations still include Sa Pa, Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Yen Tu, Ha Long, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Con Dao and Phu Quoc.
This year especially, many tours to discover northern regions have been organised to welcome Ha Noi’s 1,000th anniversary.
VietNamNet/VNS
Down on the farm
Farm Tours in the Mekong Delta have taken off, with weary city dwellers opting to enjoy the quiet, space and freshness of the rice paddies alongside local farmers.
More than 250 kilometers southwest from Ho Chi Minh City, is An Giang Province’s Long Xuyen Town, a busy commercial hub along the Hau River, a major Mekong distributary. But a 20- minute ferry ride across the river, reveals the peaceful farming village of My Hoa Hung Islet, a popular destination for tourists wanting a taste of the simpler Vietnam.
On the ferry ride approaching the village, the water is peppered with fish cages and the shoreline dotted with rice paddies and fruit and vegetable orchards by which local residents make their livings
Down on the farm
Farm tourists walk with local farmers through the shaded paths of the orchards and accompany them on the water to help breed and catch fish. Farmers teach the visitors proper cultivation technique and let them do the fishing, hoeing and plowing themselves. Tourists have even been known to get their hands dirty handling manure at the mango and cherry orchards.
Chau Van Ly, deputy chairman of Vietnam Farmers’ Union’s An Giang branch, said tourists liked to contribute during their travels by breaking a little sweat farming rice.
Thanh Tung, a representative from An Giang Province’s Farm Tour Management Board, said all farming families selected to host the specialized tours were trained to speak English.
And the homes that accommodate the travelers have also been upgraded for comfort, he said.
“Taking care of our plants and wandering the islet is pretty exciting for tourists,” said Dinh, head of one of the farm tour host families.
After a “hard day’s work,” tourists can relax and enjoy the quiet atmosphere by wandering the islet’s orchard lined paths in the afternoon. They can also drop into street-side restaurants to enjoy cheap local snacks like fertilized duck eggs. They’ll also be served large home-cooked meals at their host families’ houses.
Not far from My Hoa Hung is Tinh Bien District’s Van Giao Commune, an ethnic Khmer community in the foothills.
At Van Giao, farming tours offer travelers the chance to enjoy traditional Khmer music, said Thanh Tung from the Farm Tour Office.
He said the trips were extra exciting if they coincide with local Khmer weddings, festivals, or other community events.
Tourists in Van Giao can also visit brocade weavers and household factories that make lap xuong (Chinese sausage), banh canh (southern pork noodle soup), and mam (fermented fish sauce).
If tourists visit An Giang during high-tide, they can help harvest bong dien dien (sebania sesban flowers), also known as Egyptian peas, and water lilies. Local residents use the plants to make special dishes.
Reported by Chi Nhan
A good night for the roses
Early each morning, the streets around Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake are the site of small, slow flower parades. Vendors circle the lake on bicycles full of roses, lotuses, daisies and many other flowers.
They leave behind their buds’ sweet scent mixing with the crisp morning air. Their peddling is the only sound breaking the quiet of dawn.
Most of the flowers come from the Quang Ba Flower Market, a nighttime affair that begins before midnight and ends after the sun rises.
A good night for the roses
We visited around 3 a.m., taking Thanh Nien Road north of downtown to Au Co Street in Tay Ho District.
The flower market welcomed us with freshly-bloomed flowers piled high on the ground, on bikes and in vendor’s stalls. The various colors shined under fluorescent lights and the strong aroma of rose, lotus, daisy and orchid all mixed together was nearly intoxicating.
Quang Ba offers flowers from all over the globe: seasonal flowers from Tu Liem District on the outskirts of Hanoi, flowers from the Central Highlands and also imported flowers from Thailand and Europe.
Many of the vendors handling flowers, trimming leaves and cutting stems were husband and wife teams from Tu Liem and other districts outside central Hanoi.
“My workday starts at 3 or 4 p.m. when we cut flowers from our fields and prepare for a trip to the night market. We leave for the market at 1a.m.,” said Nguyen Thi Luong, a 40-year-old woman from Tu Liem who has been selling her homegrown roses and daisies at Quang Ba for 10 years. “The work on the flower field can be hard and it depends a lot on the weather. But the flower business is more profitable than growing rice.”
Le Thu, a 50-year-old woman from Bac Ninh Province, said she had been selling flowers from her bike for 15 years, all the while renting a small flat in Hanoi with seven other flower sellers. “It is hard, but it means everything. I’ve saved enough for my son to study at Hanoi Medical University.”
After strolling the market and talking with sellers for a few hours, the light of the sunrise began to touch upon the rich hues of the buds and blossoms.
Many small flower vendors from the city arrived on bicycles to pick up their daily inventory bound for downtown and Hoan Kiem Lake.
We left the market knowing we would come back soon in hopes of seeing the market glow during the Tet holiday season, when row upon row of peach flowers, bonsai, and cherry blooms will fill Quang Ba.
Reported by Tina Pham
Tet tours made easy
Tourism companies now offer several kinds of tours for those wanting to see different parts of the country during the major national holiday.
Vietravel has a 5-day, 4-night tour to many cities and provinces in the north, departing from Ho Chi Minh City by air. Starting February 13, travelers will visit the Yen Tu Mountain, a sacred Vietnamese Buddhist site. Then there is the Thap But or Pen Tower Pagoda, the country’s oldest pagoda in Bac Ninh Province. Vietnamese people visit pagodas during Tet to pray for luck, health and happiness. So you can invite good luck, health and happiness throughout the lunar year if you join the tour, which also takes you to old temples and tombs of Vietnamese kings in and around Hanoi. The tour also includes a visit to Ha Long Bay, one of the world’s New Natural Wonder nominees. The price per person is VND7.8 million or US$430 for Vietnamese citizens and VND8.4 million or $470 for foreigners.
Tet tours made easy
Already familiar with the north? A tour of the central region takes you to beautiful beaches in Nha Trang and Da Nang. Here, you can also enjoy the world heritage site of Hoi An Town, the Phong Nha-Ke Bang
National Park and wander around numerous monuments in Hue, the Imperial Capital. Vietravel offers this tour, starting from February 15, for nine days and eight nights. The price per pax is VND8 million or $450 for locals and VND9.2 million or $510 for foreigners.
Saigontourist has a trans-Viet tour for travelers who want to explore Vietnam in ten days. Starting in HCMC with its historic French-style structures and modern buildings, the tour will also take you to floating markets and lush, fruit-laden tropical orchards in the Mekong Delta. In the central region, vestiges of the ancient Cham Civilization stand against the impressive backdrop of five grand mountains. Winding through Hoi An Town and Hue in the central region, the tour heads north to the capital city of Hanoi and the picturesque Ha Long Bay. A train will take you to the unique world of ethnic minorities in Lao Cai, Bac Ha and Sapa with their colorful costumes and market courting traditions. Prices for the Vietnam-in-Depth tour ranges from $700 to $2,500.
Saigontourist also has package tours with other themes, like the Wonders of Vietnam and the Mandarin Route of Vietnam. Holiday makers who want to discover HCMC or Hanoi in a day or two during the Tet holidays can join the Morning or Afternoon city tours, or even the Mekong Delta tours. These tours cost several dozen dollars per person.
The Saigon-Buon Ma Thuot-Gia Lai and Kon Tum tours by Fiditourist take you to the Central Highlands region. The four-day tour from February 15 is ideal for holiday makers who want to see up close the majestic mountain scenery and lives of ethnic people in the region. The price is VND2 million or $110/pax for locals and VND2.4 million or $140 for foreigners.
Reported by Vinh Son
UNESCO to attend Hanoi’s 1,000th birthday
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has asked the Hanoi People’s Committee and the UNESCO National Committee in Vietnam to seek UNESCO’s support for the event.
Alongside the resolution on the anniversary, Vietnam has also been elected to the UNESCO executive council for the 2009-2013 term.
Reported by Nguyen Viet Chien
Leaving home for Tet
For many young people who are enjoying high incomes, Tet is not only a time for family reunion, but also an opportunity to shop and entertain families and friends. Trips abroad are a popular option for them.
Leaving home for Tet
Better services and competitive prices make the choice to go abroad easier. “With $400, I can enjoy a domestic tour to a beautiful beach in Quang Nam Province, but I have to stay all day and night in a resort, because there is nowhere to go for entertainment or shopping,” Xuan said, explaining why she chose the tour abroad for the same price.
Tran Thach Anh, an IT engineer, said he will spend the festival with his family in Japan. “We can either visit the country, or see my son. My wife has never been there,” he said, after booking a six-day tour.
According to travel agencies, tour prices surge during the Tet season, mainly due to higher aviation fees. However, the demand for tours, especially overseas ones, keeps increasing as well.
Tour prices have increased by 5-30 percent this season. A five-day trip to Thailand now costs $349, a seven-day trip to Singapore and Malaysia, $589, and four days in Hong Kong, $659.
“We are expecting to receive 12,000 customers, up 20 percent over the previous Tet. 60 percent of them have booked tours abroad,” said Duong Mai Lan, a representative of Vietravel. “Hong Kong is the most attractive destination, followed by Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.”
Nguyen Cong Hoan, deputy director of travel operator Redtour, said his company’s tours abroad are fully booked although Tet is still a month ahead.
“This year has seen the biggest-ever increase of about 170 percent in the number of booked tours to the countries,” Hoan said.
Hoan said his customers were mostly children of businesspersons or those with well-paid jobs in foreign companies or powerful state-owned enterprises in banking, finance, information technology and insurance sectors.
In the context of the economic upturn, travel agencies are expected to receive more foreign customers for domestic tours this Tet. Lan of Vietravel said her company’s foreign customers, including those from Japan, Europe and ASEAN countries, and overseas Vietnamese, are anticipated to rise by 20 percent compared to last year.
Inbound issues
Vietnam’s tourism industry is facing a shortage of hotels and human resources with good foreign language skills. It also needs more effective promotion campaigns and suitable development strategies, the lack of which was limiting growth, insiders said.
According to the Vietnam National Tourism Administration (VNAT), only 30 percent of foreign tourists to Vietnam want to return the country, mainly businesspeople coming to Vietnam to study investment and business opportunities.
But director of VNAT’s Travel Department Vu The Binh said, “The number (of foreign visitors returning to the country) is normal, as tourism is mainly about discovery. So, if you visit one country this year, you want make a trip to another the next year.”
Vietnam now is still an attractive destination, he said. The country lured 3.8 million foreign arrivals last year.
“However, we have many things to do to attract new visitors and encourage old ones to return. It is necessary to have the participation of many sectors in improving promotion and service quality,” Binh said.
The VNAT plans to implement promotion campaigns in some key tourism markets including Germany, Russia, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia in the first quarter of this year.
Hoan of Redtour said tour prices in Vietnam were high, which could make them less attractive for visitors. However, the country can earn small profits, only from the tour price, but not from their purchasing of goods and services.
“We should attract visitors with low-priced tours, but take measures to encourage them to spend much more money than in their country,” he said. He gave an example that Vietnamese citizens use just $250-300 to buy a tour to Thailand, but spend an additional $500-700 on buying its products and services.
Lan of Vietravel said, “We have to strengthen advertising and marketing of our products, especially traditional ones. Almost all visitors to Japan buy its traditional wine, Sake. Meanwhile, a few people know our “Lua Moi” wine.”
Reported by Ngan Anh
Tourism agency plans promo
The Viet Nam National Tourism Administration (VNAT) has said it would launch a new discount campaign this month to attract more tourists following a successful promotional programme last year.
The new campaign that will last several months aims to enhance the competitiveness of Viet Nam’s tourism sector. VNAT targets between 4.5 and 4.6 million foreign tourist arrivals this year, bringing in revenues of up to VND78 trillion ($4.2 billion).
Last year, more than 100 travel agencies, hotels and transport operators in the country participated in the year-long Impressive Viet Nam campaign, reducing their prices by 30 to 50 per cent.
Tourism agency plans promo
Tour launched to Sa Dec city
HCM City-based Ben Thanh Tourism company as introduced a new tour to the Mekong Detta city of Sa Dec, famous for its colourful flower villages, old houses and pagodas.
Tourists will be taken to Huynh Thuy Le’s house, a fine example of the combination of Eastern and Western architecture that is more than 100 years old. The house was built in 1889 by Le who was the inspiration for famous French author Marguerite Duras’s L’amant (The Lover) novel. With its elegant French architecture, traditional Vietnamese design and meticulous Chinese decorations, the 250sq.m house has been recognised as a national relic.
Meanwhile, the Sa Dec Flower Village has been famous for the variety of flowers and bonsai trees for over 100 years. The village, considered one of the ornamental plant centres of the southern region, covers about 60ha with 600 families and nearly 3,600 gardeners. In January, the village is busy with gardeners preparing for the Tet holiday. Sa Dec flowers, including daisies, roses, orchids, apricots and bonsai trees, are shipped all over the country, especially to HCM City.
Foreign troupes to perform in Hue
Forty foreign art troupes from 29 countries have registered to perform at the Hue Festival 2010 which will be held in the former imperial capital city between June 5 and 13. The main venues of the festival include the Ngo Mon (Noon Gate) Square, the Huong (Perfume) River and the Dai Noi (the Imperial Enclosure), where a number of parties and games will be organised.
Electric tourist cars for Ha Noi
Visitors to Ha Noi will be able to travel around Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake and the old quarters of the city on electric cars as from February 2010. This type of car will not only serve tourists but also passengers without bulky luggages. There will be four routes for the electric cars but initially, they will operate on two routes around the old quarter and Sword Lake, according to the deputy chairman of Hoan Kiem District People’s Committee, Nguyen Quoc Hoa.
Each car will have up to 12 seats, and tickets will cost around VND10,000 per tour. Twelve electric cars have been imported so far, said Hoa.
Saigontourist welcomes ship
Saigontourist Travel Service Co recieved 2,000 tourists from cruise ship Costa Classica which docked at the Sai Gon Port on Tuesday. During their stay in HCM City, the tourists visited My Tho City in the Mekong province of Tien Giang and the Cu Chi Tunnels in HCM City. They also went shopping at the city’s Ben Thanh Market.
During their visit ito Da Nang on Thursday, the were taken to the historic Hoi An Town, the Marble Mountain and the My Son Cham Tower Complex. They also enjoyed a boat cruise on the Huong River in Hue.
Later this month, Saigontourist will welcome two new cruise ships – Spirit of Adventure and Voyages of Discovery – that will ply the local waters for the first time. — VNS
Vietnam Airlines flies new route
The carrier decided to bring the route into operation to meet the demand of customers as Japan Airlines stopped its Osaka-Hanoi route on Jan. 12.
According to Vietnam Airlines (VNA), it is an important step to expand its market in Japan.
Director of the airline’s representative office in Japan, Nguyen Quoc Tuan, said Vietnam Airlines was determined to open the route with a desire to enhance commercial, investment and tourism activities between the two countries.
Vietnam Airlines flies new route
He said with an extensive flight network, Hanoi hoped to become a hub for visitors heading to Cambodia and Laos.
With this launch, the total number of flights per week operated by the airline to Japan will increase to 31.
The flights will operate out of Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports to the Japanese cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka.
Statistics released from the carrier showed that it accounted for half of the total direct flights between Vietnam and Japan in the first nine months of last year.
Source: VNA
Lion dance urges Tet
The atmosphere at Hang Anh Duong Lion Dance Center is busy and animated. The sound of drums and gongs resound through the spacious yard where 40 athletes painstakingly practice. Some practice martial arts, some drill with swords and some dance on pillars which are about 2.5 meters high.
Lion dance urges Tet
Practices sometimes are dangerous, especially dancing on the pillars. These athletes need to be trained to protect themselves and to react well to unexpected problems. There are also thick cushions on the ground to protect them when they fall.
“The lion dance troupe performs during the inaugurating of companies, launching events and even in music shows. During Tet, the troupe has to give more shows as ordered and has to make up new performances, nicer, more meticulous, bringing a cozy and bustling ambiance for Tet,” said Luong Tan Hang, head of the troupe.
The Nhon Nghia Duong Lion Troupe, established in 1937, is considered the oldest lion troupe in HCMC. “In the past, we only performed in the Mid-Autumn Festival and Tet, but since 2005, we have performed almost year round as the traditional activity is not blurred in the modern times but has developed more strongly,” said Luu Hoan Phi, head of Nhon Nghia Duong.
This year is the year of the Tiger, so the troupe has created and practiced many performances recalling images of the tiger, promising to bring many big surprises for locals and tourists. Thanks to restless creativeness and diligence, the troupe has been invited to perform in Macau, Hong Kong, Malaysia, China and Japan.
Apart from the Hang Anh Duong and Nhon Nghia Duong lion dance troupes there are about 30 other lion dance troupes in Saigon. Every evening, they make people eager to welcome Tet by peals of drums and steps of dances in an animated ambiance.
They do it not only for the money but also to preserve tradition.
Source: VietNamNet/SGT
Vietnam’s first Buddhist pilgrimage tour on horizon
Trinh Thuy Quynh, Director of the Viet Pilgrimage Tourism Company – an affiliate of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Economic-Financial Department, said the programme will include thematic tours.
Vietnam’s first Buddhist pilgrimage tour on horizon
The tours will provide participants with opportunities to have an insight into various Zen sects, Tinh Do Tong (Pureland Buddhism), Mat Tong (Esoteric Buddhism), and others.
Tourists will contemplate valuable treasures of the religion, study popular practice and continuance methods under the guidance of pagoda head monks, attend dialogues on Dharma, and experience the religious life as monks and nuns at pagodas.
The programme will also include visits to pagodas and monasteries entering Vietnam’s Buddhism Record List and ancient and famed pagodas scattering across the country, including Truc Lam Monastery, Xvayton pagoda, Thien Truc pagoda, and Dau pagoda.
Source: VNA
Vietnam Airlines aims for 1.8 bln USD revenue
To realise the target, the carrier estimates that it will have to transport more than 11 million passengers this year.
This year’s positive targets are based on its good performance last year which was in marked contrast to many airlines globally facing bankruptcy, losses and laying-off of staff
Vietnam Airlines aims for 1.8 bln USD revenue
The carrier notched up 24.5 trillion VND (1.36 billion USD) in turnover last year with the company netting a profit of 150 billion VND (8.3 million USD).
The results mainly stemmed from its focus on the domestic market.
It opened a series of new routes last year, including Hanoi-Can Tho, Hanoi-Quy Nhon, HCM City-Dong Hoi, Hanoi-Tuy Hoa, and Hanoi-Pleiku.
With such efforts, Vietnam Airlines transported about 9.3 million passengers last year, a 6.6 percent in increase from last year, with Vietnamese clients accounting for up to nearly 6.2 million, a year-on-year increase of 17.6 percent.
It also handled around 131,220 tonnes of cargo, up 2.3 percent from last year. Of the total, 87,000 tonnes of cargo was transported on domestic routes, a rise of nearly 13 percent.
The carrier also reported a seat occupancy rate of roughly 74 percent for both local and international flights.
Source: VNA
Top 100 tourism brands for foreign visitors get final vote
Nguyen Viet Anh, head of the travel division under the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, told the Daily that the selection committee picked the 100 brands on Tuesday from a list of 150 nominated items following a poll among tourists. The committee had earlier sent 14,000 ballots to voters.
Top 100 tourism brands for foreign visitors get final vote
Anh said the organizer would announce the list in a ceremony to honor such best tourism brands on February 1.
The “Exciting HCMC” program is organized by the city government and its tourism department with an aim to develop tourism products in the city and promote the city’s image to tourists.
Given the votes by tourists, the organizer will also select the best Vietnamese boutique services hotels, excellent Vietnamese restaurants, best shopping places for tourists, Vietnamese souvenirs and gifts, exciting entertainment venues, and stylish coffee shops.
Other categories are Vietnamese must-taste and must-see, the most favorite city tour programs, and prominent cultural, sport and tourism events.
Anh said that the department would print brochures, books as well as make DVDs and memory sticks as soon as possible to promote the selected brands to foreign partners at upcoming travel exhibitions and via Vietnamese embassies abroad.
The department is carrying out a similar program to select best brands for domestic travelers. The selection committee will have a meeting soon to choose the brands from votes by local tourists, and the final list will also be honored in the ceremony on February 1.
Source: VietNamNet/SGT
Ninh Binh tourism prepares for 1000 years of Thang Long
In order to create a good impression for tourists on the occasion of the National Tourism Year 2010 and great festival of 1000 years of Thang Long, Ninh Binh tourism sector is focusing on repairing the Trang An ecotourism area, Bai Dinh pagoda, Tam Coc – Bich Dong, Hoa Lu ancient capital, King Dinh Tien Hoang statue square.
Ninh Binh tourism prepares for 1000 years of Thang Long
The Ninh Binh Department for Culture, Sports and Tourism has also organized training courses to improve professionalism and foreign languages for tour guides at tourist spots in the province.
Apart from that, the Ninh Binh provincial tourism sector will also be paying attention to special dishes of the province such as goat meat and burnt rice to serve tourists.
Source: CPV
Six Senses to manage two more properties in Viet Nam
The company has clinched a strategic cooperation agreement with Vietnam’s project owner Ninh Van Bay Travel Real Estate JSC to manage the two properties – Six Senses Latitude Phu Quoc in Kien Giang Province and Six Senses Latitude Saigon River in Dong Nai Province.
Hoang Anh Dung, board chairman of Ninh Van Bay JSC, said at a news briefing at the InterContinental Asiana Saigon Hotel on Tuesday that the company had invested some VND660 billion to turn a 117-hectare site on Phu Quoc Island into the Six Senses Latitude Phu Quoc Resort.
Six Senses to manage two more properties in Viet Nam
The resort will be home to 136 units, including 30 water villas, 18 beach villas, 20 tree top houses, 48 Latitude rooms, 18 residential villas and two rock villas. It is set to open to business by 2012.
In the other property, the company has invested some VND560 billion in the Six Senses Latitude Saigon River in Phuoc Dai Commune in Nhon Trach District in Dong Nai, a 20-minute boat ride from the heart of HCMC.
The five-star resort, which is designed with a landscape impressed from a southern village image of Vietnam, offers 215 guest accommodations including 63 residential villas for sales, according to the project developer.
The developer says the first model villa will be on display by March this year and the resort is scheduled to be launched by the end of the second quarter next year.
Dung said the newly signed agreement, valid for 30 years, between Ninh Van Bay and Six Senses would pave the way for both parties to enhance and accelerate their strategic partnership.
Six Senses will provide technical assistance for the local partner to further develop high-class resorts in Vietnam. In return, Ninh Van Bay will choose Six Senses as the top priority partner to manage its resort projects in the country.
Dung said the company would start work on a second phase for Six Senses Hideaway Ninh Van Bay in the central coast city of Nha Trang, with some US$12 million for 24 luxury villas along the beach.
He said the demand for tourism properties had prompted the company to build villas for sale, but he declined to reveal prices of the properties in advance. He added the company planned to move forward to the northern region for resort development after establishing a solid base in the southern region.
In another project, Six Senses Con Dao Resort, which is being developed by Indochina Land, is set to open late this year, offering to the local hotelier 35 villas for hotel services and 15 luxury residential villas for sale.
Established in 1995, the Thailand-based company has managed 26 resorts and 41 spas in six countries – Maldives, Thailand, Oman, Jordan, Spain and Vietnam.
Source: VietNamNet/SGT
National tourism agency to launch promotion campaign
The nocturnal market will be opened from 4p.m to 4am.
The 200m-long walking street will start from the city’s international hotel to the Nha Long Cho Co area, while the nocturnal market will include an eating and drinking area, and souvenir shops.
The walking street and nocturnal market are expected to attract a large number of visitors both from home and abroad to Can Tho City each year.
Halong travel tips
The most interesting part of a Hạ Long tour is the boat cruise around the bay to admire hundreds of stone islets that seem to move and change as the boat passes, first seen from a distance, then hidden below the waves. The boat moors on some islands to allow tourists to visit caves and grottoes, and at sandy beaches for a rest, sunbathing and swimming.
Without advance knowledge, tourists may miss many beautiful stone islets, as there is so much to explore. Reading the introduction to the islands and the routes on the bay is good preparation, especially if you take a map of Hạ Long Bay to know where the boat is and which islands it is going to pass. You can also ask the captain to take the best route for the most picturesque scenery, and what to expect. You can also ask to reduce speed and cruise closer to the bases of spectacular and scenery.
It is an interesting experience to climb. Visiting the caves and grottoes is an interesting experience. Most are above sea level, but there are good stone and wooden steps leading to the entrances. The only difficulty is perhaps the narrow wooden gangway used for getting on and off the boat, as it is sometimes very steep when the tide is high. Sensible shoes are essential!
It is advisable to remember the boat’s name and number so that you can recognize it among the many boats anchoring at the pick-up point, particularly at busy times, as they are very similar to one another. Also, the landing and pick-up points are often in different places.
The paths in large caves are quite even and are illuminated. Tourists should, however, follow the guide and go in groups. You will be shown the many extraordinary figures among thousands of stalactites, stalagmites and other fascinating rock formations.
Tourists should return to boat schedule to be on time for visits to other places and to avoid keeping others waiting. There is plenty to explore and admire
2. Bai Chay beach Tourist Wharf
Traveling from Hanoi, shortly before reaching Bãi Cháy, tourists will see the Bãi Cháy Tourist Wharf on the right. It is very large and fenced, with a parking area for hundreds of cars.
All tourist boats anchor, load and unload here, except for a few large ships and speedboats.
Tourists should only buy tickets, hire boats and get on the boat inside the wharf. There are ticket offices (Tel: (84-33) 846 592), with a table of prices. Hiring or embarking on boats moored outside the wharf is likely to lead to trouble, as they are often unlicensed.
In Hòn Gai, there is another wharf for tourists to take trips to the bay from the eastern part of Ha Long City. Tourists can hire a boat at the ticket offices there.
3. Kayaking
This is a romantic, adventurous kind of tourism. A large boat carries tourists and small inflatable kayaks to a deserted area of sea around the bay. The boat anchors and the kayaks are inflated. Tourists are shown how to use lifejackets, paddles, the first aid kit, and how to call for help. Kayakers paddle in groups to little known areas and into caves, spending the night camping at the foot of an island. Boats providing food, tour guides and lifeguards are at hand.
Kayaking was introduced in Hạ Long in 1998, and is now a popular activity. A 2-day tour is priced at US$105, 5 days at US$290, and 7 days at US$390.
You can book these tours at Vidotour, Buffalo Tour and others.
4. Ticket for trips to the bay
All tourists are required to buy tickets to visit the bay. A ticket costs VND15,000 per route for a Vietnamese citizen, or VND30,000 per route for a foreigner.
Ticket class 1: is valid for visiting Thiên Cung Grotto and other caves (except Sung Sôt Grotto).
Ticket class 2: is valid for visiting Sửng Sôt Grotto and other caves (except Thiên Cung Grotto).
Two tickets will be therefore being necessary to visit both Thiên Cung Grotto and Sửng Sốt Grotto.
Tickets are available at the tourist wharf and at the entrances to Thiên Cung and Sửng Sốt.
Members of a package tour group should not buy tickets, as these are included in the tour price.5. Tourist Guide Information Centre
The Tourist Guide Information Centre is located just beside the exit gate of the Hạ Long Tourist Wharf (Tel: (84-33) 847 481). The centre provides help and information relating to land and sea tours. Maps, books and brochures about Hạ Long Bay in Vietnamese, English, Chinese and French are on sale.
The centre provides tour guides speaking Vietnamese, English, French, Chinese and Japanese. Large groups arriving early can ask for a tour guide free of charge
6. Overnight trips on the bay
All tourist boats anchoring or travelling overnight on the bay are required to have a licence issued by an authorised agency. Boat owners bear full responsibility for this procedure and for ensuring security and safety. Tourists should observe all the instructions of the tour guide with regard to security and safety.
7. Incidents, accidents, or medical emergencies on the sea
In the cold season (December, January, February and March) and on rainy and windy days, it is advisable to travel on large boats, which have enclosed compartments and roll less. In the stormy season (August, September and October), it is advisable to consult the tourist information centre before travelling to Hạ Long. Tourists should comply with any temporary travel restrictions on the bay to avoid dangers. Before paying for a tour, tourists should know what kind of boat the tourist company has hired for them.
Tourists should be aware of where the lifejackets are stowed and whether they are adequate. If a person falls overboard, anyone nearby should call loudly for help and immediately throw down a lifebuoy. Those who are strong swimmers should take a life belt and save the victim. First aid, such as artificial respiration, chest press or making the victim vomit water, should be attempted if necessary.
If someone becomes unconscious or gets injured: Any doctor or nurse, or anyone with good knowledge of first aid should help. If necessary, call for help from other boats, use the walkie-talkie in the steering cabin or use a mobile phone to call the information centre at the Tourist Wharf for help.
In case of unusually strong wind: Tourists should insist that boat heads for the nearest island that offer an anchorage and shelter. In case of unusually strong wind: Tourists should insist that boat heads for the nearest island that offer an anchorage and shelter.
8. Dining and drinking aboard
Having a meal cooked from live seafood on the boat is a great pleasure. Almost all package tours include a meal of fresh shrimps and fish brought aboard before departure.
If hiring the whole boat, tourists can request a meal on the boat. Menus and prices are open to negotiation and are not included in the price of boat hire. The average price ranges from VNĐ30,000 to VNĐ50,000 per person, not including drinks. The price will be higher if the meal includes lobster, or crabs with large roes. Cold food and rice are also available. Orders for meals should be made to the captain 30 minutes in advance.
On the boat, there are also soft drinks, tinned beer and mineral water available for sale at the same price as on land.
If travelling alone or grouped with other parties, tourists should ask the captain about joining dinner on the boat. 9. Film and photography
There are many photogenic seascapes, landscapes and scenery on the bay and in caves that are of great interest to photography and film enthusiasts.
Fast film, from 200 to 400 ASA, is advisable because the boat shakes, and the light in caves is dim. Be careful to protect cameras from saltwater splashes. Passing through the islands, it is wise to stand on the upper deck or on the top of the boat for a view of both sides. Cameras should be attached by a cord to avoid losing one’s grasp when the boat is rolling.
In caves, a tripod should be used with the camera on the B setting. To take photos from inside the cave outwards, the photographer should switch off the flash in order to reach a good contrast and definition. Popular colour, and black and white films, and batteries are available for sale at the photography service kiosks at Thiên Cung, Ðầu Gỗ, Sửng Sốt Grottoes and on Ti Tốp Island. Videotapes and special films and batteries should be prepared in advance before the trip. Batteries of video recorders should be fully charged and replacements are advisable. The electricity source on the boat is not suitable for charging and may cause serious damage.
Taking photographs from high positions. From the entrances of high caves and the tops of mountains, splendid shots of the landscape are possible. The best locations are the left of the entrance to Sung Sôt Grotto, the top of Titov Island, at the entrance of Thiên Cung Grotto and at the exit from Ðầu Gỗ Grotto.
There are also places on land where photographers can get good scenic overviews: the top or upper windows of the Plaza, Ha Long 1, 2, 3, Vường Đào and Heritage hotels, the top of Bài Thơ Mountain, the Maritime Guest House and from Cửa Ông Temple.
Dawns and sunsets in Hạ Long, especially in summer and autumn, are wonderful, but very short, shadowed by the many islands. Photographers should be well prepared for taking photos of these strikingly beautiful views. 10. Time for visits to the bay
Tourists are allowed to visit islands, caves and beaches only during stipulated hours. Boats arriving early or late are not allowed to dock.Opening time:
Halong sport & entertainments
- The international tourist resort in TuanChau Island, Tel: 033342115
- The International Royal Park: Halong Street, Bai Chay beach, Halong City,
Tel: 033346658
- Quangninh Provincial Museum:
165 Nguyen Van Cu Street, Halong City, Tel: 033325031.
- Viet Nam - Japan Cultural Center:
Le Thanh Tong Street, Halong City
Tel: 84.33325431
- Halong Cinema: Le Thanh Tong Street, Halong City
Tel: 84.33325383
- Quangninh Provincial Library:
174 Le Thanh Tong Street, Halong City
Tel: 84.33325384
- Sports Center:
Nguyen Van Cu Street, Halong City
Tel: 84.33323249
- Tennis courts: at the Children's Center, Le Thanh Tong Street,
Halong Hotel 1 and 2, Baichay, also next to the Halong Cinema.
- The Electronic Games Machine Club:
Halong Street, Baichay
Tel: 033344878, Fax: 033344879
- Dancing:
+ Heritage Hotel, 8 Halong Road, Baichay Tel: 033345020
+Top Disco, Halong Road, Baichay Tel: 03336000
+ Queen Vosa, 70 Le Thanh Tong Street, Halong Tel: 033326193
Halong history & legend
Ha Long” is literally translated as "Bay of Descending Dragons." Prior to the 19th century, this name was not recorded in any document or archive. When mentioning the present-day Quang Ninh Sea or Ha Long Bay, old historical books often referred to them by the names of An Bang, Luc Thuy or Van Don. Not until the late 19th century did the name of Halong Bay appear on a French Marine Map. “The Hai Phong News”, a French newspaper of the time, had an article, “Dragon appears on Ha Long Bay”, reporting the following story:
In 1898 a sub-lieutenant named Lagredin, captaining the ‘Avalanse’ reported seeing a huge sea snake on Ha Long Bay. This was also witnessed by many of the crews. Thus emerged the European image of the Asian dragon. Whether this appearance of a strange animal looking like a dragon resulted the name of Ha Long Bay is not known (Reference “Quang Ninh: Art and Culture” published in 2002).
There is also a local legend, which has been handed down, relating to the name Ha Long Bay, which tells the following tale:
“Long ago, in the first founding days, the Viet people were attacked by foreign aggressors. The Jade Emperor sent the Mother Dragon and her band of Child Dragons to help the Viet people fight the invaders. While the enemy vessels were launching massive attacks against the mainland, the dragons descended in flocks from the sky. They spat out innumerable pearls which changed into jade stone islands the moment they touched the water. These islands linked together to form firm citadels that checked the enemy’s advance and smashed their vessels to pieces.
After the invaders were driven out, Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons did not return to Heaven but stayed on earth, right at the place where the battle occurred. The spot where the Mother Dragon landed was Ha Long, and where the Child Dragons came down was Bai Tu Long. The place where their tails violently wagged was called Long Vi, the present-day Tra Co Peninsula with its soft sandy beach stretching many kilometers.”
Halong bay history
For hundreds of years, Halong Bay has been an important part of the culture and history of Vietnam. Though it only contains a coastline of 120 kilometers, the area has been a big part of life in northern Vietnam. Halong Bay, also known as Vinh Ha Long, means "Bay of the Descending Dragon". There are approximately 1,969 small islands in the bay, all comprised of different size and form. These islands have intrigued and amazed locals for hundreds of years. There are over 200 species of fish and over 450 species of mollusks in the waters around the bay. These waters now help sustain a community of fisherman, many of them living on floating junks in the water. These communities are close knit and extremely important to the success of the area. This area has also sustained naval wars for hundreds of years. At least three times in history this bay has helped stop the Chinese navy from invading northern Vietnam. This bay was also mined by the United States Navy during the Vietnam war. Many of the mines are still unexploded in the bay, which poses a threat to local fishermen. The area first became popular for tourists in the 19th Century, when French visitors explored the area. It now serves as the most popular tourist attraction and resort community in Vietnam.
Halong Tourism
Halong tourism potential
There are many beautiful beaches and natural beauty spots such as Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long bay, Trà Cổ Beach, Cô Tô Beach, Dài Beach in Vân Đồn etc. Besides, there are historical and architectural relics enabling the development of tourist tours on land, sea and islands.
Ha Long Bay covers an area of 1,553 sq. km including 1,969 islands, of which an area of over 434 sq. km including 788 islands has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage due to its cultural, aesthetic, bio-geological and economic value. There are in the bay many soil islands, caves, grottoes, beaches, beautiful landscapes enabling the development of attractive tourist sites of various types.
Tuần Châu Island belonging to Ha Long Bay has an area of 220 ha. It is 8 km from Ha Long City and 2 km offshore. This is an ideal spot to develop a super tourist complex. There are 100 hotels around the province all together with 3,000 rooms (1,200 rooms are international standard), e.g., Heritage (4-star, 101 rooms), Ha Long Plaza (4-star, 192 rooms), Ha Long Bay, Ha Long 1, 2, and 3, etc. Moreover, there are also hundreds of mini-hotels and guesthouses owned by the private sector. This kind of accommodation is supported by joint venture hotels in medium size, namely Hoàng Gia (Royal) (5-star, 360 rooms), Ha Long - Dream (4-star, 200 rooms), etc. There will be many modern international hotels, recreation areas in Ha Long and Móng Cái in the future.
Bai Chay beach developed by Royal Joint Venture Co. is a wonderful spot and provides full range of services.
Tourist boat unit is being enlarged and upgraded to enable service 5,000 guests visiting Ha Long Bay at the same time.
With around 500 historical, cultural and arts relics etc., attached with many traditional festivals; such as Yên Tử Pagoda, Cửa Ông Temple, Bạch Ðằng historical relic, Long Tiên Pagoda, Quan Lạn Communal House etc. which attract a large number of visitors, especially during festivals.
Coming to Quang Ninh, tourists can have good chance of enjoying seafood, including holothurians, abalone, shrimp, crab, arca, shellfish, glacilaria, etc.
Halong travel
The legend of Hạ Long has it that, “Once upon a time, soon after the Việt people established their country, invaders came. The Jade Emperor sent Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons down to earth to help the Việt people fight against their enemy. Right at the time invaders’ boats were rushing to the shore, the dragons landed down on earth. The dragons immediately sent out from their mouths a lot of pearls, which then turned into thousands of stone islands emerging in the sea like great walls challenging the invaders’ boats. The fast boats couldn’t manage to stop and crashed into the islands and into each other and broke into pieces.
After the victory, Mother Dragon and Child Dragons didn’t return Heaven but stayed on earth at the place where the battle had occurred. The location Mother Dragon landed is nowadays Hạ Long Bay and where Child Dragons descended is now Bái Tử Long. The dragons’ tails waving the water created Long Vĩ (present Trà Cổ peninsula) and formed a fine sand beach over ten kilometers long”.
Hạ Long Bay is located in the northeastern part of Vietnam and constitutes part of the western bank of Bắc Bộ Gulf, including the sea area of Hạ Long City and Cẩm Phả Town and part of Vân Ðồn island district. It abuts Cát Bà Island in the southwest. Toward the west is the shore with a 120 km-long coastline. It is located within 106o58’-107o22’ east longitude and within 20o45’- 20o50’ north latitude. The site is 1553 sq. km with 1969 islands of various sizes, of which 989 have been named.
The islands in Hạ Long Bay are mainly limestone and schist islands most lying in the two main areas: the southeastern part ofart of Hạ Long Bay. These islands represent the most ancient images of a geographical site having a tectonic age ofBái Tử Long Bay and southwestern p from 250 million to 280 million years. They are the result of many times of rising and lowering processes of the continent to form a karst. The process of nearly full erosion and weathering of the karst created the unique Hạ Long Bay in the world. In a not very large area, thousands of islands with different forms look like glittering emeralds attached to the blue scarf of a virgin. The area where many stone islands concentrate has spectacular scenes and world-famous caves and is the center of Hạ Long Bay Natural Heritage, including Ha Long Bay and a part of Bai Tu Long Bay.
The area is recognized as the World Natural Heritage that is the area of 434 sq. km with 775 islands. It looks like a giant triangle with Ðầu Gỗ Island (in the west), Ba Hầm Lake (in the south) and Cống Tây Island (in the east) as its three angle points. The nearby area is the buffer area and areas classified as national beauty spots in 1962 by the Ministry of Culture and Information.
Viewed from above, Hạ Long Bay looks like an extremely vivid huge drawing. This is a wonderful and skilful masterpiece of the Creation and of nature that turns thousands of dumb soulless stone islands into fantastic sculptural and artistic works of various graceful shapes, both familiar and strange to human beings. Thousands of islands emerging uneven in the fanciful waves look strong and magnificent but also mild and vivid. Amidst these islands we feel as if we were astray in a petrified legendary world. There are many names given to islands according to their shapes and forms. This one looks like somebody heading toward the shore: Hòn Ðầu Người (Human Head Island); that one looks like a dragon hovering above the sea surface: Hòn Rông (Dragon Island); another looks like an old man sitting fishing: Hòn Lã Vọng; some look like big sails struggling amidst the wind to set off for the sea: Hòn Cánh Buồm (Sail Island); then two islands look like a pair of chicken lovingly playing with each other above the sea: Hòn Trống Mái (Male and Female Chicken Island); and amid the vast sea stands an island like a big incense burner like a ritual offering to Heaven: Hòn Lư Hương (Incense Burner Island). All are so real that people are taken aback by them. Those stone islands have experienced unpredictable changes over time and they take different shapes from different angles of view. Here, we come to realize that they are not dumb inanimate things but are vivid and soulful.
Inside the stone islands are various breath-taking caves, such as Thiên Cung, Ðầu Gỗ, Sửng Sốt, Trinh Nữ, Tam Cung and others. These are really magnificent palaces of the Creation on earth. Long ago, Hạ Long Bay has been called by the great national poet Nguyễn Trãi:“a wonder of the earth erected towards the high sky”. Many men of letters from all over the world have been taken aback at the grandiose scenery of Hạ Long. They seem to get puzzled and incompetent as their treasure of vocabulary is not rich enough to depict the splendor of this place.
Hạ Long Bay is also attached to glorious pages of Vietnamese history, with famous sites such as Vân Ðồn, a bustling trade port in the 12th century, charming Bài Thơ Mountain, and not very far away from here is the Bạch Đằng River which witnessed two famous naval battles of the Viêt’s ancestors against invaders. Also, Hạ Long is one of the cradles of human kind with the glorious Hạ Long culture in the late Neolithic age, discovered at such archeological sites as Ðộng Mang, Xích Thổ, Soi Nhụ and Thoi Giếng.
Hạ Long is also home to great biodiversity with typical eco-systems like mangrove forest, coral and tropical forest. It is also home to thousands of plants and animals of numerous species, for example shrimp, fish and squid. Some species are particularly rare and can be found no where else.
With such special values, at the 18th Session of UNESCO’s Council of World Heritage held on 17 December 1994 in Thailand, Hạ Long Bay was officially placed on the list of the World Natural Heritage. In 2000, UNESCO recognized it as the World Heritage for the second time for its geographical and geomorphologic values. This confirms the global premier value of Hạ Long Bay.
Wherever you come from, whosoever you are and however old you are, you will certainly experience the same emotion and feeling when admiring this wonder of stone and water. And great experiences will always remain even when you leave the place. The legend of Mother Dragon and Child Dragons sending out pearls to form thousands of stone islands to stop invaders still serve as the soul of this invaluable heritage of the world.Have you ever come to Hạ Long, the unique wonder of the world of its kind, to admire and explore secretes implicit in the place.
Halong bay weather
The legend of Hạ Long has it that, “Once upon a time, soon after the Việt people established their country, invaders came. The Jade Emperor sent Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons down to earth to help the Việt people fight against their enemy. Right at the time invaders’ boats were rushing to the shore, the dragons landed down on earth. The dragons immediately sent out from their mouths a lot of pearls, which then turned into thousands of stone islands emerging in the sea like great walls challenging the invaders’ boats. The fast boats couldn’t manage to stop and crashed into the islands and into each other and broke into pieces.
After the victory, Mother Dragon and Child Dragons didn’t return Heaven but stayed on earth at the place where the battle had occurred. The location Mother Dragon landed is nowadays Hạ Long Bay and where Child Dragons descended is now Bái Tử Long. The dragons’ tails waving the water created Long Vĩ (present Trà Cổ peninsula) and formed a fine sand beach over ten kilometers long”.
Hạ Long Bay is located in the northeastern part of Vietnam and constitutes part of the western bank of Bắc Bộ Gulf, including the sea area of Hạ Long City and Cẩm Phả Town and part of Vân Ðồn island district. It abuts Cát Bà Island in the southwest. Toward the west is the shore with a 120 km-long coastline. It is located within 106o58’-107o22’ east longitude and within 20o45’- 20o50’ north latitude. The site is 1553 sq. km with 1969 islands of various sizes, of which 989 have been named.
The islands in Hạ Long Bay are mainly limestone and schist islands most lying in the two main areas: the southeastern part of Bái Tử Long Bay and southwestern part of Hạ Long Bay. These islands represent the most ancient images of a geographical site having a tectonic age of from 250 million to 280 million years. They are the result of many times of rising and lowering processes of the continent to form a karst. The process of nearly full erosion and weathering of the karst created the unique Hạ Long Bay in the world. In a not very large area, thousands of islands with different forms look like glittering emeralds attached to the blue scarf of a virgin. The area where many stone islands concentrate has spectacular scenes and world-famous caves and is the center of Hạ Long Bay Natural Heritage, including Ha Long Bay and a part of Bái Tu Long Bay.
The area is recognized as the World Natural Heritage that is the area of 434 sq. km with 775 islands. It looks like a giant triangle with Ðầu Gỗ Island (in the west), Ba Hầm Lake (in the south) and Cống Tây Island (in the east) as its three angle points. The nearby area is the buffer area and areas classified as national beauty spots in 1962 by the Ministry of Culture and Information.
Viewed from above, Hạ Long Bay looks like an extremely vivid huge drawing. This is a wonderful and skilful masterpiece of the Creation and of nature that turns thousands of dumb soulless stone islands into fantastic sculptural and artistic works of various graceful shapes, both familiar and strange to human beings. Thousands of islands emerging uneven in the fanciful waves look strong and magnificent but also mild and vivid. Amidst these islands we feel as if we were astray in a petrified legendary world. There are many names given to islands according to their shapes and forms. This one looks like somebody heading toward the shore: Hòn Ðầu Người (Human Head Island); that one looks like a dragon hovering above the sea surface: Hòn Rông (Dragon Island); another looks like an old man sitting fishing: Hòn Lã Vọng; some look like big sails struggling amidst the wind to set off for the sea: Hòn Cánh Buồm (Sail Island); then two islands look like a pair of chicken lovingly playing with each other above the sea: Hòn Trống Mái (Male and Female Chicken Island); and amid the vast sea stands an island like a big incense burner like a ritual offering to Heaven: Hòn Lư Hương (Incense Burner Island). All are so real that people are taken aback by them. Those stone islands have experienced unpredictable changes over time and they take different shapes from different angles of view. Here, we come to realize that they are not dumb inanimate things but are vivid and soulful.
Inside the stone islands are various breath-taking caves, such as Thiên Cung, Ðầu Gỗ, Sửng Sốt, Trinh Nữ, Tam Cung and others. These are really magnificent palaces of the Creation on earth. Long ago, Hạ Long Bay has been called by the great national poet Nguyễn Trãi:“a wonder of the earth erected towards the high sky”. Many men of letters from all over the world have been taken aback at the grandiose scenery of Hạ Long. They seem to get puzzled and incompetent as their treasure of vocabulary is not rich enough to depict the splendor of this place.
Hạ Long Bay is also attached to glorious pages of Vietnamese history, with famous sites such as Vân Ðồn, a bustling trade port in the 12th century, charming Bài Thơ Mountain, and not very far away from here is the Bạch Đằng River which witnessed two famous naval battles of the Viêt’s ancestors against invaders. Also, Hạ Long is one of the cradles of human kind with the glorious Hạ Long culture in the late Neolithic age, discovered at such archeological sites as Ðộng Mang, Xích Thổ, Soi Nhụ and Thoi Giếng.
Hạ Long is also home to great biodiversity with typical eco-systems like mangrove forest, coral and tropical forest. It is also home to thousands of plants and animals of numerous species, for example shrimp, fish and squid. Some species are particularly rare and can be found no where else.
With such special values, at the 18th Session of UNESCO’s Council of World Heritage held on 17 December 1994 in Thailand, Hạ Long Bay was officially placed on the list of the World Natural Heritage. In 2000, UNESCO recognized it as the World Heritage for the second time for its geographical and geomorphologic values. This confirms the global premier value of Hạ Long Bay.
Wherever you come from, whosoever you are and however old you are, you will certainly experience the same emotion and feeling when admiring this wonder of stone and water. And great experiences will always remain even when you leave the place. The legend of Mother Dragon and Child Dragons sending out pearls to form thousands of stone islands to stop invaders still serve as the soul of this invaluable heritage of the world.Have you ever come to Hạ Long, the unique wonder of the world of its kind, to admire and explore secretes implicit in the place.
Getting to Halong bay and around
Getting to Halong Bay is simple, and most travellers choose to do so from Hanoi, a mere 3 and a half hours by bus or faster still by private car.
Overland
There are many 'open tour' buses that will bundle a trip to Ha Long bay with a cruise on the water - these vary in quality from basic to luxury but generally if you are booking a cruise then transport will be paid for.
A private car or minibus will set you back between $80 - 120 one way and will be one of the fastest ways to cover the 170 km to Halong city as you will avoid unnessecary stops.
Public buses are also available and the cheapest option. They are generally reliable but make many more stops than tourist minibuses so can take up to 5 hrs if not on an express route. Expect to pay around $5
Air
The closest airport to Halong bay is Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi. From there it is about an hours drive into Hanoi and around 3 1/2 hours on to Halong Bay.
It is also possible to take a helicopter from Gia Lam Airport in Hanoi at a cost of $210 / hour, with an estimated flight time of one hour. Last we checked this service was only available on Saturdays
By Sea
You can take a hydrofoil from Hai Phong to Cat Ba for $10, and the journey takes an hour. The boat departs Hai Phong at 9am and 11.30am, and returns from Cat Ba at 3pm.
Impress Travel Vietnam
We suggested the name “Impress travel” due to our aim is bringing you an impression and relax vacation in Vietnam after hard working days.
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Impress travel Vietnam’s product including a wide range of services such as full visa approval services, ground transfers, accommodation bookings, restaurant reservations, domestic and international ticketing, professional local guides in different languages or on special request, boat cruise arrangements, express train ticketing and so on.
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Your excitement and relaxation during the trip are the most important to us, so Impress Travel Vietnam provides completely quality of services base on back and ford letter and final confirmation agreement.
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We commit to provide the best quality of services, and we sure that we give to you perfect itinerary, seasonable price and competitive price. However, our price is based on itinerary, and provided services.
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Nowadays, traveling is one of the indispensable needs for everybody, this is the best way to communicate with the other world, to discover the distinguished cultural and history. Our theory is tourism development to go together with respects to the cultural and historical values, protect our natural environment and wild animals, share the culture but do not encourage to change the native culture.
Son La travel
Son La belongs to North-West Vietnam ( Northwest Vietnam tour ), shares border with Yen Bai, Lao Cai, Lai Chau provinces on the north, Dien Bien Province ( Dien Bien Travel )on the west, Phu Tho and Hoa Binh provinces on the east and Laos on the south.
The province has many mountains, rives and mineral sources. Abundant water supply is suitable to hydroelectricity. Moc Chau Plateau is an ideal place to breed milk cow, plant tea and fruit. Annual average temperature is about 21?C. The weather is cold, dry in winter and hot in summer.
Tourism
Son La owns following interesting sites. Son La Former Prison and Museum preserves revolutionary remains and exhibits precious objects introducing the historical and cultural traditions of the 12 ethnic groups living in Son La. Stretching out 150m long, Tham Tet Toong Cave is a wonder of nature. Along the walls of the cave, there are numerous stalactites and stalagmites. Ban Hin (Hin ethnic minority hamlet) is marked by the traditions and culture of the Thai. There, tourists enjoy drinking ruou can and watching xoe dance by Thai women. Then visitor like to go to Yen Chau Site to try special bananas, longans and mangoes.
In 2nd lunar month, when ban flowers begins to blossom, coloring the mountains in white, Thai people held Hoa Ban Festival. Boys and girls go flower picking to celebrate the spring and entertain themselves by singing, playing tinh and khen flute, dancing xoe.
Transportation
Son La connects Hoa Binh by National Highway No. 6, Yen Bai by Highway No.37, Lao Cai by Higway No.279. Son La is 328km from Hanoi. In Na San Airport, Vietnam Airlines has daily flight from Hanoi to Son La.
Northwest Vietnam tour 7 days
Operate: Daily
Tour route: Hanoi - Mai Chau - Son La - Dien Bien - Lai Chau - Sapa - Hanoi
Brief description:The Northwest of Vietnam is still relatively untouched area of Vietnam. With possibly some of the most beautiful mountainous scenery in Vietnam, those who visit see this region will be greatly rewarded. Rich in history, visit such places as the former French hill station of Sapa and Dien Bien Phu ( Bien Bien Phu Travel )with its famous battlefields. Travel along roads snaking through high passes, journey through fertile valleys, see incredible rice terraces and visit colorful ethnic-minority markets.
Day 1: Hanoi – Mai Chau ~ 140 km (L, D)
Getting started from hotel in Hanoi at 07.00, Driving up to Hoa Binh City ( Hoa Binh Travel )is pretty flat and fast. Along the way, notice the different styles in cultural relics, the churches, pagodas and villages.
Driving pass Hoa Binh Hydro Electric City Plant – The biggest one in Southeast Asia. Stop at the village of Muong People along the way, and then We will spend the afternoon to walk around the two connecting villages, learn more about the ethnic Thai people, and finally experience their hospitality with a stay in their home on stilts. Enjoy dinner followed by traditional dances and a taste of the local rice wine, an experience in itself - Homestay in Mai Chau valley
Day 2 : Mai Chau - Son La ~170 km ( B, L)
After breakfast, saying thanks for nice homestay with Thai People, then we take the way to the west of Mai Chau to Son La. Stop at the small township of Moc Chau for a short tea break, we then have a brief look around this little hill town. Arriving in Son La in the afternoon we will check into our local guesthouse where we spend the night. Son La is located in a scenic valley, inhabited by Thai, Muong and H'mong minority people. This area was famous for its involvement in the Vietnamese struggle for independence from France during the first half the 20th century - Hotel in Son La town ( Son La Travel )
Day 3 : Son La – Dien Bien ~180 km ( B, L)
Following breakfast we will visit Son La prison, which is the remains of a former French prison. We then board our vehicle for the drive to Dien Bien Phu. Stop for lunch at Tuan Giao town. Continue for another hour before stop for visiting General Giap Bunker - Hotel in Dien Bien town
Day 4 : Dien Bien – Baso ~ 200km ( B, L)
Morning, we visit General Decarte Bunker, and Dien Bien museum. Continue our journey, our destination for today will be Baso. A long journey on rough roads (5 – 6 hours), but it is worthwhile as the scenery is dramatic. Along the way we will encounter members of While Thai, Black Thai, H’mong. Stop for some chit chats with the locals. Lunch will be at Muong Lay town - Hotel in Ba So
Day 5 : Baso – Sapa ~ 86 km ( B, L)
Morning, we enjoy a buffalo cart ride to a hot-spring, have a good dip before heading back to Baso for lunch.
After lunch, we set out for our drive to Lai Chau. A scenic drive with few people along the way. Once we reach Lai Chau we will visit the local market. We then continue to Tam Duong and then proceed to Sapa. We arrive at the beautiful hill station of Sapa late in the afternoon - Hotel in Sapa town (Sapa hotels )
Day 6 : Sapa (B, L)
Today we start by getting some exercise with a five to six hour trek to the hill tribe villages of Lao Chai, Ta Van Village, Giang Ta Chai,... situated in idyllic Muong Hoa valleys, which are covered with rice terraces. Get picked up back to Sapa. Free to explore the town - Hotel in Sapa town
Day 7 : Sapa – Hanoi ~ 380 km (B, L)
We bid farewell to Sapa and its friendly people for a long journey back to Hanoi. It is a 10-hour journey back to the nation's capital along some of Vietnam's most scenic roads.
Option: Overnight rain trip back to Hanoi in the evening. (Own expense)
Vietnam travel general information
Vietnam borders with China ( China tours )in the north, Laos and Kampuchea in the West, and the Pacific Ocean in the east. Its lies in the centre of South-East Asia. Vietnam's territory stretches from Lung Cu village (Ha Tuyen province) in the north to Rach Tau hamlet (Minh Hai province) in the south. It is a S-shaped pennisula, with thousands of off-shore islands and archipelagoes; the biggest of which are the Hoang SA (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelagoes. Vietnam's mainland covers 331,689 square kilometres .
According to archaeological discoveries made at Do Mountain, it is believed that life in Vietnam began as far back as 300,000 years ago. Officially, the history of Vietnam stretches back 4,000 years when it was founded by the Hung Kings. It was then named Van Lang.
When speaking upon the history of Vietnam, it is important to note the large role played by the French in Vietnam. It began in 1858, when the French took over Danang in southern Vietnam. Over time, more and more territory was won over by the French. It wasn't until 1954, when the French surrendered to to the Viet Minh, ending the French Indochina War, that the French colonial control in Vietnam ended.
The immediate image in the minds of most people at the mention of Vietnam is that of the war fought against the United States some twenty years ago. Most people think of the country only in terms of the American conflict in Indochina. The war ended nearly twenty years ago, and today, despite lingering signs of past American involvement, the situation in Vietnam is markedly different. People have finally begun to look at the country from another perspective, now that travelers and tourists from the West are being welcomed into what was once a forbidden country. It may take a bit more effort and tenacity to plan an excursion into Vietnam than it would for another Southeast Asian country, but Vietnam has much to offer in terms of culture and sights.
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2. WEATHER CONDITIONS
The weather in the southern part of Vietnam is tropical. It is monsoonal in the north, bringing a hot, rainy season from mid-May to mid-September and a warm, dry season from mid-October to mid-March. Occasional typhoons from May to January bring extensive flooding to the middle regions of Vietnam.
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3. PEOPLE AND CULTURE
The vast majority of the population is Vietnamese with minute percentages of Chinese. The Viet culture originated on the delta of the Red River and the Ma River where the Viet people cultivated paddy fields. They led a simple farming life in small villages, usually living around a communal house. Today the people living in the countryside follow this lifestyle. The Viet people are influenced by Confucianism, in particular the principle of respect for their elders.
In spite of the immense suffering of the Vietnamese and the somewhat ruined state of the country, they are generally warm and friendly, and surprisingly, the Vietnamese bear little if any resentment or bitterness toward Americans. Children in the streets will commonly greet visitors with the name Lien Xo, which means Russian, but they will easily be corrected if you respond, "Hello!" or "Good morning" and explain you are an American, European or Australian, etc.
Ethnic Groups:
The country is predominantly 85-90% Vietnamese, 3% Chinese, ethnic minorities include Muong, Thai, Meo, Khmer, Man, Cham, and other mountain tribes.
Languages:
Vietnamese is the official language; French, Chinese, English, Khmer and tribal dialects (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian) are also spoken.
Religion:
Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Roman Catholic, indigenous beliefs, Islamic and Protestant.
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4. LOCAL CUSTOMS
Be firm, yet diplomatic when dealing with officials who will often be very rigid. In the case of misunderstanding, patience is the best policy.
Small gifts such as cigarette lighters, pens, foreign cigarettes, liquor, perfume and even shampoo are greatly appreciated by anyone you wish to make friends with in Vietnam.
Out of politeness, always ask permission before taking photos of people. The same rule of thumb also applies to photos taken in places of worship. Permission will almost always be granted.
A gentle handshake is the most appropriate manner of greeting.
Be very discrete about giving anything to beggars frequently encountered in Ho Chi Minh City. If anyone is seen giving handouts to a beggar, he or she may end up being pursued by a mob of other beggars. This does not help create a good image for foreigners; it gives them instead the reputation of being easy to hit up for money.
Beware of pickpockets. Keep your ID and passport in a safe place and carry only photocopies of those items.
Remove your shoes before entering Buddhist pagodas. Small donations placed in the boxes found in temples are appreciated. It is acceptable to keep your shoes on within Chinese pagodas.
Never let the soles of your feet face other people or any sacred monument, such as a statue of Buddha.
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5. CURRENCY
The Dong (D) is the official currency in Vietnam.
Exchange rate is approximatley 1 USD = 15,000 Dong (Sep 01)
Bank notes currently in circulation are in denominations of 100 / 200 / 500 / 1,000 / 2,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 / 20,000 and 50,000 Dong
Notes under 200 Dong have little value and are rarely used.
The U.S. dollar is more or less a second currency in Vietnam. Other foreign currencies are not readily accepted. A large supply of US$1, US$5 and US$10 are almost essential for tipping, for small expenses and for hotel bills. U.S. money is so common that change will frequently be given in dollars.
You may bring in an unlimited amount of foreign currency as long as it is declared on the forms provided by customs officers. Foreign currency can be exchanged for dong at your hotel or at the State Bank of Vietnam.
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6. THINGS TO KNOW
Population: About 78 Million People
Capital: Hanoi
Flag: The flag of Vietman is red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center.
Shop Hours: Shops run from 7 or 8am to 11 or 11:30pm. Some are open from 1 or 2pm to 4 or 5pm.
Bank Hours: Most banks are opened from 7am or 8am to 11am or 11:30am Some are open from 1pm or 2pm to 4pm or 5pm.
Holidays
January 1 Solar New Year's Day
January/February Tet (Tet Nguyen Dan). The most important Vietnamese annual festival. This marks the new lunar year and the advent of spring. This is a three-day holiday, usually at the end of January or the beginning of February (according to the solar calendar)
February 3 Anniversary of the Foundation of the Communist Party of Vietnam
April 30 Liberation Day, the day on which Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) fell to Hanoi in 1975. This holiday is commemorated nationwide.
May 1 Labour Day
May 19 Birthday of President Ho Chi Minh
September 2 National Day of Vietnam
Time: +7:00, Vietnam is 11 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and 14 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time.
Tipping: Tipping is not customary in Vietnam, but it is enormously appreciated. A 5-10% tip for a meal is a very small amount of money, but to the average Vietnamese, it could easily equal a day's wages. Avoid tipping too much, as it will set a precedent for others.
Restaurants: Government-run restaurants catering to tourists add a 10% service charge to the bill.
Porters: Porters, if they are available, can be tipped with American coins.
Hotel maids: Government-run hotels catering to tourists charge an automatic 10% service fee.
Taxis: Generous tips are not necessary. A small gratuity, however, is expected by cab drivers.
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7. VISAS AND PASSPORT
Passports and visas are required for entry into Vietnam. The best place to obtain a visa for Vietnam is Bangkok. The visa will specify where you will be arriving and where you will be leaving, in addition to how long you can stay.
Formerly, tours had to be booked to obtain a visa, but this is no longer the situation. Potential visitors to Vietnam must fill out three applications for entry and exit visas, accompanied by three passport photos 4cm x 6cm. One of the applications must be sent to the most convenient diplomatic or consular mission of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The other two applications/photos are carried with you and handed in at the first point of entry.
If you require Asia Travel to assist you in the application, please send an email with the following information to:asiatrav@asiatravel.com:
Surname and first name
Date and place of birth
Nationality
Present place of residence
Profession
Time and point of entry and exit
Some Embassies of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam:
Australia
6 Timbarra Crescent
O'Malley
ACT 2603
Tel (062) 866059
France
62, rue Boileau
75016 Paris
Tel 4524-5063 or 4527-6255
Mexico
Sierra Ventana 255
11000 Mexico, DF
Tel 540-1612
Thailand
83/1 Wireless Road
Bankok
Tel (02) 251-7201
United Kingdom
12-14 Victoria Road
London W8 5RD
Tel 937-1912
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8. CUSTOMS REGULATIONS
Duty-Free Items
Visitors may import 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco, 1 liter of wine, 1 liter of liquor and an unlimited amount of film. Commercial goods and items of high value being taken out of Vietnam require export permits from the Customs Service. Antiques may be confiscated permanently. No local currency may be taken out of the country.
The Customs Service Headquarters
21 Ton Duc Thang St.
Ho Chi Minh City
Tel 90095
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9. TRAVEL TO THE COUNTRY
Airports
Noi Bai International Airport
Hanoi
Tan Son Nhat Airport
Ho Chi Minh City
Fares are significantly lower for those flying to Ho Chi Minh City. Although flights are available from the capitals of most Southeast Asian countries as well as from Sydney and Melbourne, the best place is from Bangkok as visas are easiest to obtain there.
Airlines
Vietnam Airlines (International)
116-118 Nguyen Hue Blvd.
Ho Chi Minh City
Tel (08) 292118
Vietnam Airlines (Domestic)
27b Nguyen Dinh Chieu St.
Ho Chi Minh City
Tel (08) 299980
Air France
Dong Khoi and Le Loi St. (Caravelle Hotel)
Ho Chi Minh City
Tel (08) 241278
Aeroflot
4H Le Loi St.
Ho Chi Minh City
Tel (08) 93489
Thai Airways
116 Nguyen Hue Blvd.
Ho Chi Minh City
Tel (08) 292118
Philippine Airlines
Ho Chi Minh City
Tel (08) 292200
MAS
116 Nguyen Hue Blvd.
Ho Chi Minh City
Tel (08) 30695
Trains
There are currently no train lines running between Vietnam and its neighboring countries.
Buses
Traveling by road from Cambodia is a slow and expensive alternative to flying. It is highly advisable that travelers fly in instead.
Ships and Ferries
There are no official passenger services. Travelers may be able to ride on a cargo ship to Ho Chi Minh City, Danang or Haiphong from Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Singapore and France. Check with the local shipping and travel agencies for rates and availability. A ferry service runs from Cambodia to Chau Doc in the Mekong Delta.
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10. TRAVEL WITHIN THE COUNTRY
Cars
Car rentals are currently not in existence. Cabs, which are unmarked cars without meters, can typically be rented for the day for US$30 to US$40. Trains
The Vietnamese railway system runs from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi along the coast and links with Haiphong and the regions further north. Odd-numbered trains travel South, and even-numbered trains travel north. The fastest trains take at least 36 hours from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. Reservations should be made a day or more in advance. The major setback to the railways is that tourists are charged many times more than Vietnamese people in the form of an outrageously high surcharge. For long distance traveling, it is best to fly.
Buses
The bus system runs almost everywhere within the country, with stations built around the country dividing the territory into regions. Buses tend to be slow and unreliable.
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11. SIGHTSEEING
Ho Chi Minh City
This is the largest city in Vietnam. It is the industrial, commercial and cultural center of the country. The central city area is still called Saigon.
WAR CRIME MUSEUM
This museum exhibit crimes committed by the Americans during the war. Photographs of the famous My Lai massacre, human embryos, genetically deformed babies and innocent civilians being tortured can be seen on display. An array of US armored vehicles, artillery pieces, bombs and infantry weapons are displayed in the courtyard. You can also see a guillotine used by the French to de itate troublemakers in the riots of the 1920s and a model of the famous tiger cages used by the South Vietnamese to house VC prisoners on Con Son island. The War Crime Museum basically reveals a different side of the stories about wars - the innocent victims of modern warfare.
HISTORICAL MUSEUM
Built in 1929 by the Societe des Etudes Indochinioses, it was formerly named Blanchard dels Brosse. A big statute of President HoChiMinh stands in the main lounge of the museum. The museum has an excellent collection of artifacts illustrating the primitive age, bronze age, the Tran dynasty and the Le Dynasty. Take a look at the array of musical instrument especially the special monocord of the one string musical instruments. There are many valuable relics taken from Cambodia's Angkor Wat.
REUNIFICATION PALACE
In 1868, the Norodom Palace (original name) was built for the French Governor-General of Indochina. A striking modern architecture was built when the original buildings were damaged by bombs. Rebuilt in 1962, it comprises of a ground floor, 3 main floors, two mezzanines and a terrace for helicopter landing. The palace includes many tastefully decorated rooms such as the reception room, the cabinet reference room, the study rooms, the credentials presentation room and the banquet room. It also has a basement with a network of tunnels connecting to the telecom centre and war room and one of the longest tunnels which stretch all the way to the Revolutionary Museum. The grounds outside contain one of the first tanks to burst through the gates of the palace to signify the end of the Vietnam War as well as the fighter plane which dropped further bombs towards the end of the war. Independence Palace was renamed the Unification Palace to denote the spirit and strong will for national independence and reunification
Ben Thanh Market
The Ben Thanh Market, formerly the main railway terminal, is the largest of the markets scattered throughout the city. A wide variety of goods are available, from imported electronics to imported perfumes.
Notre Dame Cathedral
This Catholic church was constructed in 1883 and is located near the Tu Do (Dong Khoi) Street, the former red-light district.
Presidential Palace
This building is now called the Reunification Hall. The center was built as a modern administration center and is where the war and the American involvement in Vietnam ended in April 1975, with tanks invading the compound. Guided tours will take visitors through the various rooms within the complex.
Cholon
Ho Chi Minh City's Chinatown. Sights include the Binh Tay Market, the An Quang Pagoda (District 5) and the scenic Thien Hau Temple.
Vinh Nghiem Pagoda
A modern Japanese-style Buddhist temple, easily one of the largest and most impressive in Ho Chi Minh City.
Tay Ninh
Cu Chi Tunnels
An extensive network of nearly 200 miles (322mi) of Viet Cong tunnels used in the French Indochina war and American war. The tunnels have complete facilities, from kitchens to printing presses and even street signs, all of which were used to aid the NLF (National Liberation Front) military. Tours involve a description of the tunnels, after which tourists are allowed to crawl about the maze. Located in Tay Ninh (suburb of Ho Chi Minh City), 24 miles (39km) northwest of central Ho Chi Minh City.
CAO DAI TEMPLE
Cao Daism seeks to create the ultimate religion by fusing Buddhist, Taoist, Confucianist and Catholic beliefs into a synthesis of its own. Witness the solemn ceremony of the unique religion - Caodaism at Caodai Holly See at its noon tide prayer service with followers dressed in red, blue, yellow and white robes. There is the divine eye above the altar, the religion's official symbol. The temple has nine levels which signify the nine steps to heaven, each level marked by a pair of multicoloured dragons.
MEKONG DELTA
One of the world's largest delta, the Delta Region is formed by the various tributaries of the mighty Mekong River which begins its journey to the sea in Tibet and winds its way for 4500 km through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Southern Vietnam. The vietnamese name for the Mekong is Cuu Long which means "nine dragons" and this is represented by the nine exit points of the Mekong River as it flows into the sea. The land of the Mekong Delta is renowned for its richness. Known as Vietnam's breadbasket, it produces enough rice to feed the entire country with a sizeable surplus leftover. Take a sampan ride that meanders through small villages and experience the simple lives of the Mekong people
Vung Tau Beach
Located at the mouth of the Saigon River is the popular Vung Tau beach resort. Pineapple Beach is probably the most pleasant, with its villas and generally tranquil atmosphere. The temples are a definite must-see. The Niet Ban Tinh Xa is the largest temple in Vietnam. Tourist accommodations are available at the Hoa Binh Hotel, as well as the Thang Loi, Thang Thai and Tho Nguyet.
Nha Trang
The central region near Nha Trang features some of the most beautiful beaches in Asia. The ocean waters are transparent, and the sands immaculate, attracting more and more visitors in recent times. Tours cover the Cham Ponagar complex, the north tower of which was built in 817 A.D. Ruins of the long-deceased Champa still stand as a testament to this once prominent kingdom.
Dalat
The mountain resort among the Central Highlands has scenic surroundings as well as remnants of the French colonial era. The Ethnic Minority Museum is certainly worth visiting for those interested in the costumes, gongs, ornaments and other artifacts collected by locals from the Lam Dong province. As another point of interest, there is even an old abandoned nuclear power plant.
Danang City ( Danang Travel )
Known as Tourane under the French, Danang is a seaport of endless stretches of unspoiled sandy beach midway between Ha Noi to the north and Ho Chi Minh City to the South. The city was also the center of civilization of the Champa Kingdom, a kingdom which flourished In the area as early as the 2nd century A.D. Appealing stone sculptures (from the 4th-14th centuries) of Vishnu , Shiva and other Gods of this Kingdom can still be found in the Cham museum located in the center of the city Towards the coast south of Danang are five large hills known as the Marble Mountain. Mysterious caves within the mountains shelter altars delicated to Buddha, Bodhisattvas and The different genies arising from the popular beliefs of the area's inhabitants. With its own international and domestic airport, Danang provides an ideal stopover based for excursions to the ancient town of Hoi An, the imperial city of Hue and My Son-site of the Ruins from the Cham civilization.
Cham Ruins
For those interested in seeing all that these fifteen towers have to offer, plan on spending a minimum of one day. These towers are located at My Son in the Duy Xuyen district.
Cham Museum
The Cham Museum built in 1915, expanded in 1935 , completed in 1936, is in a lovely setting And has large, open well lighted rooms with around 296 statues and artifacts of the Cham People dated back to the 7th century.
Marble Mountains
Consisting of five limestone peaks, about five (8km) miles south of town. They can be explored by following the paths leading to the peaks.
Non Nuoc Beach
China Beach, one the most wonderful beaches of Vietnam , was once an in country rest and Recreation centre for the US military during the Vietnam War.
Hoi An Ancient Town
Forty-five minutes by land south-east of Da Nang is the ancient town of Hoi An, which was one of the most important trading ports in Southeast Asia for merchants from China, Japan and afar for a couple of centuries ago. Originally a seaport in the Champa Kingdom, by the 15th century It had become a coastal town under the Tran dynasty. Also served as the hub of East-West c ultural exchange, Hoi An's ancient past is superbly preserved in its fascinating temples, pagoda, shop houses and home which make up the town's old quarter. Walking in the streets of this ancient town, one can observe the influence of the architecture, Sculpture and decorative styles of China and Japan and the skill of former Vietnamese architects Who have absorbed their influences and created something similar yet somehow uniquely different.
HUE
Hue, the imperial city, the citadel-city of Phu Xuan was originally built up during the end of 17th Century and became a political capital as well as the Imperial City of Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 till 2nd September 1945 when the Communist Party, leaded by President Ho Chi Minh had declared the Independent of the Nation and took over the power from the defeated Japanese Governor. Nowadays, this small & poetical city of 280.000 habitants becomes one of the main tourism site of Vietnam destination by its splendid tombs of the Nguyen emperors, several notable pagodas especially the Thien Mu Pagoda, the remains of Citadel as well as the romantic Perfume River where a cruise tour with Hue music performance in the moonlight was always provided since long time ago. Normally, visiting Hue within a day is a bit rush but still enough time to cover the main attractive sites such as The Citadel, The museum of antique, the tombs of Khai Dinh and Tu Duc emperors and a 02 hours cruise with stop over at Thien Mu pagoda.
Citadel & Forbidden City
This forbidden city of 10km. perimeter has 4 main entrance gates and well defended by kilometers of rampart was built in 1804 by the first emperor Nguyen Anh on a site chosen by geomancers and look likes a Chinese forbidden city in Beijin. Some parts of this forbidden city were totally destroyed during the war where now are under reconstruction providing UNESCO & Japanese non-government associations' fund. Lucky thing is most of the main area such as the citadel (the Imperial Enclosure), Flag Tower were remain intact where received hundred of visitors daily.
The Museum of Antique (Imperial museum)
This beautiful hall which house the Imperial Museum was built in 1845. The most precious artefacts were lost during the war (1954-1973) and the liberation day (1975) but ceramics, furniture and royal relics are remain until the present time.
Khai Dinh Emperor's Tomb
This is the final monument of the Nguyen Dynasty. The complex features ceiling murals, frescoes and a dragon staircase. Located on the slopes of the Chau E Mountain, six miles (10km) south of town. It takes almost 10 years (1920-1931) to finish this grandiose concrete tomb which is completely unlike the others tombs where there was a mixture of typical Vietnamese & French colonial architecture. After climbing 36 steps passing by rows of elephants, horses, civil & military mandarin you will be reached the main building where a full original artefacts are displayed to the public.
Tu Duc Emperor's Tomb
The most impressive of the tombs and pagodas at Hue. Located at the tributaries of the Perfume River, seven miles (11km) south of Hue, this complex has beautiful architecture, intricate decor and military statues. This majestic and serene tomb with lake view, grove of pines, temples, living house area is the most expensive tomb which was completely terminated after 5 years by thousands of labor-worker (1863-1868) for this intellectual-poet emperor.
Minh Mang Emperor's Tomb
The most impressive of the tombs and pagodas at Hue. Located at the tributaries of the Perfume River, seven miles (11km) south of Hue, this complex has beautiful architecture, intricate decor and military statues.
Thien Mu Pagoda & Perfume River Cruise
Unlike the typical boat used to provide in the past the present Hue cruise is providing a motorized boat which carry a 2 hours cruise along Perfume River including a 30 min stop over Thien Mu pagoda. This pagoda located on the hillock overlooking the Perfume River, built in 1844 by Thieu Tri emperor, 21m-high octagonal tower with seven-storey is one of the most famous structures in all over the country and become an unofficial symbol of Hue until now.
Hanoi
One Pillar Pagoda
Built in the 11th century, this pagoda sits on a stone pillar in the middle of a pond. This is one of the more unusual structures in Vietnam.
Lenin Park (Thong Nhat Park)
Built over a former marsh, this park surrounds a large lake containing a statue of Lenin, often the object of jokes among the locals. The park itself is quite beautiful.
Tran Nhan Tong Street.
National Preserve of Cuc Phuong
This national park is one of the last tropical primeval forest reserves on Earth. There are 64 species of fauna and thousands of species of flora, many of which are extinct everywhere else in the world. Bizarre and fascinating species of animals from flying lizards to monkeys dwell within the park's 61,000 acres. Caves and grottoes, where various artifacts have been discovered, are located in the mountains within.
Ha Nam Ninh Province. It is located approximately 62 miles (100 Km.) southwest of Hanoi. ( Northwest Vietnam tours )
Thu Le Park
Located northwest of Hanoi in the Thu Le village.
Haiphong
Cat Ba ( Cat Ba Island Travel )
This island is the largest in the Cat Ba archipelago. It is potentially one of the major beach destinations in Southeast Asia. This region has beautiful beaches and pristine waters. Within the mountains are caves and grottos. Located 36 miles (58km) east of Haiphong.
Halong Bay
One of Vietnam's most beautiful areas, Halong Bay has fascinating limestone formations, coves for nighttime excursions, sheer cliffs, grottoes, arches and scores of small islets.
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12. DINING AND DRINKING
Vietnamese food varies from region to region. Almost 500 traditional dishes have been recorded! Rice and noodles are staple foods, served with nearly all meals. The most popular dishes are nema rán (spring rolls), bún thang (noodles with sliced pork, eggs, shredded chicken and shrimp), shellfish steamed with ginger and sea crabs fried with salt. Among common ingredients used are: shark fin, duck, pork paste, fish, spices, fruits, vegetables, crab meat, lobster and oysters.
Imported beer is available in Vietnam, although a number of domestic beers are brewed. Rice wine is very popular, and there are many brands available. There is a variety of fruit wines such as apricot, orange or lemon. Soft drinks are processed from the many varieties of tropical fruits available. Water from the tap should be avoided, even though it has already been filtered and sterilized at 10ºC. If you must drink it, boil the water first.
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13. ENTERTAINMENT
Vietnam is not the place to go for the latest in nightspots, but a number of large hotels have nightclubs and dance halls. Bars are fairly easy to find, even in smaller hotels. Try asking the locals for the current popular spots.
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14. EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Police: 03
Ho Chi Minh City Police Station
161 Nguyen Du, Quan 1
Tel 99398 or 97107
Open from 8am-11am and 1pm-4pm
Hanoi Police Office for the Registration of Foreign Visitors
63 Tran Hung Dao, Hanoi
All visitors must register with the police within 48 hours of arrival. If you are on a tour, this should have been taken care of (but check anyway).
Fire Department: 08
First Aid: 05
International Dialing Access: Available at major tourist hotels and post offices
Country Code: 84
City Codes: Hanoi: 04 / Ho Chi Minh: 08
When calling from within the same city, delete the city code from the number. When calling to another city from within Vietnam, use the entire city code. When calling from outside Vietnam, delete the first digit (0) from the city code.
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16. USEFUL PHRASES
How are you? - Ong (ba) co khoe khong?
Fine, thanks - Cam on rat tot
My name is ... - Tên tôi là ... - diên thoai
Hotel - khách san