According to the Office of Kien Giang Province People's Committee, the Province is actively preparing to hold the inauguration of the airport in the first stage in the mid-December this year. This is a significant event, not only important to the province of Kien Giang but also to the whole of Mekong River Delta area.

Phu Quoc International Airport has been built in Duongto commune, Phu Quoc district and covers an area of ​​more than 900ha with a total investment of 16,200 billions VND, in which the investment until 2020 include of about 50% from the Southern Airports Corporation. The main items of this work include: the runways for landing and taking-off, taxiways, aircraft parking places with the total investment of 1,500 billions VND; passenger terminals of 1,576 billions VND; flight control center (VOR) of 70 billions VND. Accordingly, the taking-off and landing runways are 3,000m long, 45m wide ensure to receive the Boeing 777, Boeing 747 - 400 and the equivalent. By 2020, will construct the taxiways in parallel with the size of 3.000m x 25m and the connections of taxiways.

Currently, the main items of the airport are landing and taking-off runways, taxiways, aircraft parking and passengers terminal has basically been completed, ready to get into operation as planned.

Phu Quoc International Airport will be served on the mid-range and long-range flights linking Phu Quoc with Hanoi and the other northern provinces, the countries in the region and on the world, in order to exploit efficiently the advantages and the economic potential of Phu Quoc, especially marine tourism, trade and investment island.

This also is one of the important driving forces for Phu Quoc to be a high-quality eco-tourism at international stature, contributing to development of Phu Quoc in being the economy special zone of the country.

Vietnam travel news for Vietnam tour packages and  tours to Vietnam by  Vietnam tour operators and Vietnam travel agencies

(Source: Vietnam Tourism)

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According to the work plan of the Steering Committee for tourism development of Thua Thien - Hue province, there will be 9 activities in 2013 including:


Organizing of travel teams to study, understand, be familiar with and to make markets for travel agents by domestic and foreign journalists dedicated to tourism; organizing promotional sales in the low season; holding fairs for promotional sales; Organizing the "Tourism Golden Week"; Launching the response to Tourism Businesses; Developing tourism products and upgrading the quality of travel services; Honoring travel organizations brand.. Giving comments on the drafted opinions focused on the problems of the policy for travel businesses; The point of time to offer the key of stimulus programs; To raise the demands without cutting down travel prices, only increasing promotional packages; Making clear the criteria of travel businesses; Further getting the local media involved with advertisements..

In the 2012, the province of Thua Thien-Hue has received about 2.4 million tourists to visit Hue relics system, increased 25% compared to the 2011. The programs of Thua Thien - Hue province were all focused on exploitings festival and the marine tourism with the highlight Hue Festival 2012.

National Tourism Year 1012 successfully held in Hue

Marine tourism in Thua Thien-Hue in the last time had a series of tourism promotion activities, associated with such tours as "Tam Giang the River", "Thuan An beach calls" "Lang Co - the bay of world beauty"

In addition, the province has synchronized multiple solutions to improve the quality, increase the efficiency of the services, and updated regularly to provide information about the new products typically like Thanh Toan Tile Bridge, Phuoc Tich ancient village, Kim Long - Phu Mong house-garden.. The accommodation facilities, hotels, restaurants, are invested to upgrade, enhance the marketing, strengthen business methods..

Vietnam travel news for Vietnam tour packages and  tours to Vietnam by  Vietnam tour operators and Vietnam travel agencies

(Source: Vietnam Tourism)

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Vietnam Tourism Association will deploy the methods to deal with the mayhem, to sign with the travel enterprises to ensure the quality of tourism services, universal forms of information to promote and encourage good quality facilities and services

6.8 millions of international visitors and 160,000 billions VND (more than 7.5 billions $US) of sales in 2012 are remarkable numbers in the world economic situation but tourists have not been really satisfied with the human element, the cultural behaviors.


Invitation with insistence, pushing one another, fighting each other over customers are common images in many destinations of Vietnam. Visitors are usually surrounded by a line of all kinds from beggars, pickpockets, peddlers to shoeshine men, souvenir sellers. Regardless of the time, with need or not, customers are still "bullied" for the services. The stable growth of Vietnam tourism in the last three years can be seen as a bright spot in the difficulties of the economy. However, according to the experts, Vietnam tourism development is not commensurate with its potential. According to an evaluation report on tourism competitiveness of the World Economic Forum, Vietnam tourism has the strength of culture, nature, gastronomy however tourism environment, tourism infrastructure and the services are down sides.

According to the General Statistics Office, the number of international visitors to Vietnam in nov. 2012 estimated to about 656,000 passengers and the total of that 11 months has reached 6 million, 14.4% increase compared to the same period in 2011, taken 93% percent of international passengers targeted in 2012. Many tourists and the international travel organizations in Vietnam have to admire the beauty but only 15% of them want to go back the second time.

Transport, environment and food safety have always been the specter of the international visitors to Vietnam. Never has the the phrase "tourism culture" been mentioned that much. The nature beauties, the heritages, the abundance of food can attract visitors to Vietnam but such beauties are really endless when only 15% of foreign visitors want to come back for the second time.

Besides, the bully at the destinations is an alarming situation of Vietnam's tourism. There are cases for that any one can be startled such as a vendor took 1 million VND (50$US) for the 4 pieces of a pineapple and the photography taken beside Hoan Kiem Lake. Recently, the TTR Weekly magazine of Thailand published an article entitled "The invisible hand in Hanoi Old Quarter", reflecting the fact that international tourists have been pocket-picked by vendors here . According to the article, due to language barriers and trust from tourists, many foreign tourists were deceived large sums of money by the street vendors in many different ways, meanwhile, the thieves took advantage of the crowded streets to be active. These facts are harming the reputation of Hanoi tourism so that Hanoi government has to carry out powerful solutions to stop. The article also outlines the common tricks of the street vendors in town to foreign visitors when come to Hanoi. According to Ian-Lyne, the Leader of the group "program of tourism capability for environmental responsibility and EU society": "There must be community education projects, to educate street vendors and people of small services for tourism, what tourists need and the most important is their sense of pride in their country and the city they are living in. This must be done in all localities of Vietnam ".

In the coming time, the Vietnam Tourism Association will deploy the methods to deal with the mayhem, to sign with the travel enterprises to ensure the quality of tourism services, universal forms of information to promote and encourage good quality facilities and services. Many localities have issued decisions to stabilize the prices, the Department of Finance and other relevant agencies to organize multiple inspections requiring the accommodation facilities in the area not to rise more than 50% on regular prices, to have commitment to stabilize prices and improve service quality. Some localities have established a hotline to organizations, citizens and tourists for promptly report the violations of prices, quality of services to the authorities to have timely measures.

(Source: Vietnam Tourism)

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To build a good image of Hanoi tourism, the city needs to plan the parking places, saving spaces for pedestrians, needs to have solutions to overcome current traffic and environment issues, needs to plan areas reserved for visitors with tourism and commercial activities; methods to reduce population density, to reduce motorcycle traffic and to create the walking areas.


Recently, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Hanoi has a practical investigation on international tourist sources about the quality of the services with 1,420 visitors from many different countries at Noi Bai Airport and a number of tourist attractions in Hanoi showed that 81.32% want to return to Hanoi; 93.64% answered Hanoi is worth sightseeing.

In general, travelers to Hanoi felt relatively good about the city tourism. Most of the components of Hanoi tourist attractions are highly appreciated. The main reasons for tourists to choose Hanoi as a destination in their trips are the cultural values ​​and the historical values; the advices of friends and relatives for Hanoi as a safe destination; the hospitality of the people; the shopping opportunities...

However, the three most critical issues in the complaint of the travellers are the environment sanitation, the infrastructure, the traffic and the behaviors of a number of the drivers, sales staffs.

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Hanoi believes that to build a good image of Hanoi tourism, the city needs to plan the parking places, saving spaces for pedestrians, needs to have solutions to overcome current traffic and environment issues, needs to plan areas reserved for visitors with tourism and commercial activities; methods to reduce population density, to reduce motorcycle traffic and to create the walking areas.

The departments of Hanoi also need to improve the system of signs, the public toilets at the airport, the streets and the tourist attractions, the shopping places. In particular, it needs to propagate, educate and enhance the management of taxi drivers and street vendors due to their attitude and dishonesty, causing psychological discomfort and loss the good image of Hanoi tourism.

In the coming time, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Hanoi also enhance the management of travel businesses, tour operators, hotels, to reduce complaints about the quality and price of the services, to provide the satisfaction, the sense of safety and trust to the tourists coming to Hanoi.

At the same time, the Department have also proposed to the city for more entertainment activities at night, to better serve the needs of the tourists. In 2012, number of international tourists to Hanoi reached over 2.1 millions and in 2013 the city aims at 2.25 millions.

(Source: Vietnam Tourism)

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To become a rich in characteristic tourist site, many participants proposed to focus on developing such tours as community tours, eco-tours, adventurous excursions, cultural and belief tours; offering advantageous products, local-specific products, while enhancing the overall links in the region and the international areas. They also came up with five main groups of issues including: tourism development and tourism products; promotion for investments; create links between Mang Den and the outside; management of planning and building the national eco-tourism Mang Den and finally the human resource development. To deliver sustainable development, many scientists gave practical solutions such as the development of agriculture, of forestry and of handicrafts for the development of sustainable tourism in the ecotourism area of Mang Den. In addition, in order to promote tourism Mang Den to the outside, a number of participants also came up with solutions to build the tour should focus on the connection between the Mang Den "Central Heritage Road", "I Central Highlands Green Road ", Highlands with other regional and international ... To implement the above tasks, Kon Plong district needs to increase investment and exploitation reasonable infrastructure systems; investment environment, attract investment in manufacturing the product has the advantage of bringing local characteristics such as high-end vegetables, cold water fish, forest products such as alcohol Sim ...; focused on developing traditional manufacturing industries associated with tourism; uses and protects resources rational nature ... In addition, focus on propaganda, advertising and branding; tourism development must be linked to the conservation of heritage objects, intangible of each local community; branding for the national ecotourism Mang Den specific route. On the same day, in a square Kon Plong district, Kon Tum province solemnly celebrated published Decision 298/QD-TTg, dated 05/2/2013 of the Prime Minister on construction planning ecotourism region Status Mang Den and general urban planning Kon Plong district Kon Plong (Kon Tum) in 2030. (Source: Vietnam Tourism)

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The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has been asked by its department in Ha Noi to establish a tourism police force dedicated to protecting visitors who are increasingly suffering from tourist scams in the capital.

Cases are reported daily of foreign tourists being overcharged by taxi drivers and cheated by hotel employees. This has negatively affected the image of both the city and the country in the eyes of international visitors, said the department's deputy director Mai Tien Dung.

A crackdown on security management has been conducted in hotels, hostels and resorts, Dung said, adding that despite this, inspections could only go so far to solve the problems in the absence of specific regulations.

His department has proposed that as well as forming a special police force, other measures should be implemented. They suggested that crimes against tourists, such as overcharging, stealing and harassment from peddlers should be met with heavy fines.

Colonel Dao Duy Ngoc, deputy director of the city's police department, agreed with the proposal for the creation of a tourism police force. "This is a good idea. We will set up the force as soon as it is approved by a higher authority".

While the establishment of the force is considered an effective measure to tackle crime in the tourism sector, some people have argued that it has limitations.

Such issues arouse partly due to the lack of authorities' sufficient management in tourism. Major-General Le Van Cuong, former director of the Institute of Strategy and Science under the Ministry of Public Service, said that the force alone would not solve all the problems.

"The tourism industry should firstly analyse its strength and weakness. Only then will it know if co-operation from other authorities is necessary," he said.

"Another important measure is to raise people's awareness so that tourist businesses are fully conscious of the risks that their customers face and potential scammers know that their behaviour is unacceptable," he pointed out.

"However, if the police are needed whenever a problem occurs, then we will definitely set up a specific police force in the future," he added. 

Souce: Google.com

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VietNamNet Bridge – Travel firms prove to be very professional in soothing travelers with sweet words. That explains why many people fell into the firms’ traps, and they only realized that they were swindled after experiencing terrible trips.

Xuan Thanh, 30, in Hoang Mai district in Hanoi, is one of the travelers who have experienced a terrible trip to Da Lat.

“I booked a tour to Da Lat, and I thought I made a good deal. The tour was dirt cheap, just VND1 million for 3 days and 2 nights. However, I now feel regret for choosing the tour,” Thanh said.

“I have realized why the tour was so cheap,” he added.

The travel firm promised to arrange rooms at a 2-star hotel, but it was just a guest house which proclaimed itself as a hotel. Thanh and his family members had to stay in cramped and damp rooms.

“The meals were frugal with just some dishes. The drivers and tour guides were so unfriendly. I was scolded when I made complaints,” Thanh said. “What do you expect when you book a low cost tour? You get what you pay for.”

Thuy in Tan Binh district in HCM City was in the same situation. She booked a tour to the sea city of Nha Trang at VND1.4 million, which included the ticket for cable.

“I was so happy because I could book a tour at a reasonable price. However, in fact, this was a miserable one,” Thuy said.

“There was nothing more except some daily dishes and boiled vegetables. The tour guide disappeared when we came to the tourist site. We were told that we could go what we wanted before we had to come back on schedule,” she added.

The hotel was located near the beach, but it was so terrible and suffocated. However, Thuy still was asked to pay an extra sum of VND100,000. The hotel explained that it was in the high season, where the demand for accommodations was very high, and it needed to collect surcharges.

Though the surcharge was not mentioned in the contract signed with the travel firm, Thuy could do nothing except to pay the extra money, or she would be asked to leave the hotel.

Minh Long in Tay Ho district booked a tour from Hanoi to Cua Lo Beach which was design to last 3 days and 2 nights. With the offered discount of 40 percent, Long had to pay VND1,399,000.

However, VND1,399,000 was not the sum of money Long had to pay for the trip. He was told to pay VND250,000 per person in surcharge, because the tour was “at the weekend.”

“I’d rather to pay VND250,000 more to book the tour at weekend. If I changed my mind and booked the tour on normal days, I would have to ask the managers for a leave. If so, I would have a part of my salary cut. The part might be higher than VND250,000,” he said.

However, the problem was that Long was not warned about the surcharge until he came to the travel firm to sign the contract.

However, even when Long accepted to pay additional money, he still received bad services. The travel firm advertised that the tour guides were enthusiastic and friendly. However, in fact, the tour guide who came together with Long and others did not accompany the tourists to many points.

Souce: Google.com

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VietNamNet Bridge – The Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will set up two hotlines and an office to receive information about fraud and overcharging against tourists.

The department’s Deputy Director – Mr. Mai Tien Dung – has reported to the Hanoi People's Committee the plans to protect local and foreign tourists against fraud and overcharging in the city. Accordingly, the agency will establish an information bureau to receive and handle complaints of tourists.

The department will also set up two hotlines, which is open 24/7, to serve tourists. The officers in charge of the hotlines will receive complaints of visitors and quickly coordinate with the relevant authorities to solve them.

According to the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, although the local authorities have tried to control tourism-related services at tourist sites but negative phenomena such as overcharging and fraud have not been handled.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recently asked all provinces and cities to strengthen security and safety for visitors, including the establishment of a hotline to receive information and complaints of visitors.

Souce: Google.com

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Market survey firms, which believe that more and more high income tourists would come to Hanoi, have all predicted that more 5-star hotels would be available in the city by 2015.

Dau tu has quoted the report of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) as saying that 1.8 million foreign travelers came to Vietnam in the first 3 months of the year, a decrease of 6.2 percent in comparison with the same period of the last year.

Meanwhile, according to CBRE, a real estate service provider, 425,000 foreign tourists came to Hanoi during that time, up by 18.9 percent over the same period of the last year.

The increase in the number of tourists to the capital city has brought benefits to local hotels in the context of the economic recession and less spending on tourism. The hotel occupancy rate has increased slightly by 0.65 percentage points to 58 percent.

However, the occupancy rates varied for different market segments. While 5-star hotel room occupancy rate increased by 1.29 percentage points to 61 percent, the ratio of 4-star hotels decreased by 1 percentage points to 52 percent.

The 5-star occupancy rate improvement has been attributed to the 4.8 percent room rate decrease, now hovering around $103 per night. Meanwhile, the hotel room rates of 4-star and 3-star hotels decreased by 4.16 percent and 0.74 percent, respectively to $62.3 and $34.47. This has led to the increase of the RevPar (revenue per available room) of 3-star hotels and the decrease of the index for 4-5 star hotels.

According to Savills, also a real estate consultancy firm, Hanoi had 7,750 hotel rooms from 53 hotels in the first quarter of 2013. The three hotels Golden Silk Boutique, Lan Vien and Tan Da Spa & Resort have just been recognized as 3-star hotels. The average revenue per room available was VND930,000 in the first quarter, down by 5 percent in comparison with the quarter before, but up by 2 percent if compared with the same period of the last year.

The yearly occupancy rate remains unchanged at 57 percent, while the hotel room rate was VND1.64 million per room per night on average, a slight increase of 0.2 percent over the quarter before and 2.4 percent over the same period of the last year.

In general, the Hanoi’s hotel market remains stable, while there have been signs showing the increase in the hotel room supply and the upgrading in the quality to better satisfy the market demand.

Commenting about the Hanoi’s hotel market in the near future, Do Thu Hang from Savills said 5-star hotels would dominate the market by 2015.

According to Hang, 8 hotel projects would provide 1,400 more hotel rooms to the market in 2013. Many hotels would be managed by international firms like Intercontinental, Marriott, Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Candeo.

It is expected that by 2015, the Hanoi market would have 1,765 rooms from the 10 out of the 13 new projects, of which 5-star hotel rooms would account for 54 percent.

Richard Leech from CBRE believes that the demand in Hanoi does not change heavily like other markets thanks to the regularly organized conferences, exhibitions and other entertainment activities.

According to the International Air Transport Association, Vietnam would become the third fastest growing cargo and passenger transport market in the world. This has given more reason to investors to pour money into high end hotels.

Souce: Google.com

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An increasing number of Russian visitors are selecting Vietnam’s famous tourist attractions in the central region as ideal destinations for this year’s holiday season.

More Russian visitors prefer travelling to Vietnam’s central region for the holiday season. (Photo: TTO)

These days, pubs, restaurants and other recreational centres in BinhThuan Province’s Mui Ne resort are crowded with Russian tourists enjoying their holidays on the occasion of Vietnam’s V-day celebrations.

According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, more than 130,550 Russian tourists arrived in the province last year, making up 36.7 percent of the total number of foreign visitors to the locality.

Meanwhile, many restaurants and shops in Khanh Hoa Province’s Nha Trang City are advertising their products and services in the Russian language.

AndreyMolorov, a Russian visitor, says he is interested in beautiful beaches and nice weather condition in Vietnam’s central region. “If I have another chance to visit Vietnam again, I will come back to Nha Trang City to enjoy many specialties that cannot be found anywhere else in the world,” he says.

Alexandre, another tourist from Russia, expresses his pleasure at tasty food, saying that tourism services in Mui Ne are good and cheap.

Ton That Hung from Coco Café tour operator says nearly 30 percent of his customers come from Russia. After visiting Mui Ne, many Russian tourists continue their trip to NhaTrang City and the romantic Central Highland resort of Da Lat.

Tran Anh Thi, executive director of Seahorse hotel, says about 45 percent of his guests are Russian tourists who are keen on beach tours.

The Khanh Hoa provincial Department for Culture, Sports and Tourism reports Russian tourists top the list of international visitors to Nha Trang, with nearly 100,000 Russians visiting the city in 2012.

To meet the increasing demand from Russian visitors, the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has launched a direct air route from Moscow to Nha Trang, operating two flights a week.

NhaTrang-based Anh Duong tour operator is cooperating with Pegas Touristik travel agent to open 19 direct air routes connecting Nha Trang to 22 cities in Russia.

Le Van Nghia, a representative of Russia’s Transaero Airlines in Vietnam, says his firm has decided to conduct three flights a week from Moscow to HCM City right this summer.

The Vietnam Tourism Administration (VNAT) statistics show Russia was among Vietnam’s top ten markets last year. The first four months of this year saw a year-on-year increase of 50 percent in Russian arrivals to Vietnam.

Experts suggest Vietnam should tap its huge potential, especially beautiful beaches, for tourism development to attract more foreign visitors, including those from Russia, each year.

Apart from increasing tourism products and services, they say, Vietnamese tour guides should improve their Russian language to serve Russian-speaking tourists in the future.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has agreed to allocate VND6.3 billion to Khanh Hoa to train local students and tour guides in Russian.

Source: VOV

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Visiting Bình Thuan province, you should visit Co Thach tourist area, which is famous for the Hang temple, wild nature and the seven-color stone bank.

Co Thach Beach is located in a quiet place in Binh Thanh Commune, Tuy Phong District, Binh Thuan Province, about 90km from Phan Thiet City.Like other beaches of Bình Thuận, Co Thach sea is blue, limpid with quite strong waves. The most special thing of this beach is a bank of seven-color stones. The characteristics of this stone ground is due to the impact of tide, sea currents, sea water … stones of different sizes and different colors are push from the sea to the shore.

This rocky bank had been formed for hundreds of years, with a length of about 0.9 km and a width of 200-300m and a stone reserve of 243,900m3. The original shapes and colors of stone here attract the eyes of visitors. Under the waves and sunlight, the stone bank shines and stones look like jewels.Co Thach is also attractive to visitors by its huge rocks, which are attached to many legends. The rock bank is surrounded by a wild yellow sand bank named Bai Tien. According to legend, this place was the “resort” of fairies. Near the beach is the Hang (Cave) Pagoda.

(Souce: vietnamnet.vn )

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The Tourism Week will cover a wide array of cultural, tourism, and sporting activities, including art perfomances and a food festival.

The 2012 Ha Long – Quang Ninh Tourism Week will be held from April 22 to May 2, announced Quang Ninh Provincial People’s Committee on April 3.

The Tourism Week will cover a wide array of cultural, tourism, and sporting activities, including art perfomances and a food festival, as well as Tuan Chau International women’s beach volleyball, national beach sepak takraw and national dance championships. All of activities will combine traditional and modern styles.

Two exhibitions are also scheduled to be held during the week – the first a photography exhibition and the second to showcase relics and antiques related to Ha Long Bay.

The highlight of the week will be the 2012 Ha Long Carnival at Bai Chay Tourist area in the evening of May 1. The evening will honour and promote cultural values and the tourism potential of Quang Ninh province and Ha Long Bay.

During the course of the week, Quang Ninh Provincial People’s Committee will hold a ceremony to officially announce Ha Long Bay as one of the world’s seven new wonders of nature at Bai Chay on May 1.

Suoce: Indochina Tours

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The third Coconut Festival came to an end in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre On April 10, with hundreds of thousands of domestic and foreign visitors and local people taking part.

This year’s festival included an art installation of a coconut road, a coconut foods festival, a tour of a coconut plantation and a coconut carnival to celebrate the future of coconuts. A seminar on how to increase the value of coconut products was also held along with a beauty contest, for the title ‘ Miss Coconut Land ’.

During the event, Ben Tre People’s Committee met with several domestic and foreign organisations and businesses to promote Ben Tre coconut brand and attract more investment to the area.

During the festival, six investment projects with a total capital of 86 billion VND and 45.6 million USD were granted licences by Ben Tre provincial People’s Committee.

In addition, the province also signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on investment cooperation for five projects, with capital of over 2,500 billion VND.

The event honoured local farmers as well as scientists, researchers and businesses, who have helped to develop the Ben Tre coconut trade mark, not only in Vietnam but also overseas.

The provinces coconut products have been exported to 50 countries and territories across the world, accounting for 25 percent of the total industrial production value in Ben Tre province and 40 percent of its export turnover.

The festival also helped to encourage trade promotion, investment, tourism and marketing in the area and Vietnam in general.

At the closing ceremony, the organisers announced three national records for products made from the coconut tree, which were recognised by Vietnam ’s Record Book.

They also presented certificates of merit and mementos to 14 businesses that produce arts and handicraft products who had won a competition during the festival to create products from the coconut tree.

Souce: Indochina Tours

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The “Ho Chi Minh City – 100 interesting things” program was introduced on May 24 by the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper in Ho Chi Minh City.
The “Ho Chi Minh City – 100 interesting things” program was introduced on May 24 by the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper in Ho Chi Minh City.
Mr Nguyen Van Tin, Deputy Editor-in-chief of the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, said that the program aims to honour tourist products to open for the tourism promotion campaign in the period of 2012-2013 in Ho Chi Minh City.
According to Mr. La Quoc Khanh, vice director of the HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, this year the programme will expand its voting to include 20 categories, but narrow the number of candidates of each category from 10 to 5 in order to improve the quality of the vote.
The candidates participating in the program have committed to continue to create and maintain attractive, quality services and products with the tourism sector in advertising and promoting the image of the city.
100 interesting things will be chosen among 150 candidates from June 2012 in a vote to last about 45 days. The public can vote in two forms, by paper vote or electronic vote. The paper vote is freely delivered to the public through travel agencies. In order to choose by electronic vote, audience can directly access the website of the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper.
In 2009, HCM City organized the first “Ho Chi Minh City – 100 interesting things” program. The HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism turned the information into USB, DVD, postcards and guide-book in Vietnamese and English.
Moreover, this information was also introduced at sightseeing points, stations, airports, fairs and tourism exhibitions to boost promotion and invite tourists around the country and the world to Ho Chi Minh City.

Souce: Indochina Tours

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The authorities of the central province of Thua Thien – Hue has approved the plan to supply free wireless Internet service in the entire Hue city.

The plan will be implemented based on experience, learning from the similar plan that was successfully carried out in the ancient town of Hoi An.

In 2011, 22 broken phone boxes in Hue city were restored into free phone boxes where locals and tourists can make free urgent phone calls.

Early this year, Hoi An drew public attention when it became the first city in Vietnam and in Southeast Asia to offer free wireless internet in the whole city.

According to the local government, by the end of 2012, equipment would be installed completely in Hoi An and Cu Lao Cham Islet. At present, 50 out of the total 350 free wireless internet spots have been installed in central Hoi An.

With the free service, tourists can surf the web and check mail everywhere in the ancient town. If they want to use high speed Internet to listen to music and watch movies, they have to use internet cards supplied by the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT).

After the first phase, VDC 3 will implement the second phase of the project to bring wireless internet to the remaining area in Hoi An and the surrounding area.

Souce: Vietnam Tours

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About 4km from the city center, Phu Vinh Village in Vinh Thanh Commune, is well-known in the area for its old houses, many of which bear unique characteristics. The city's culture sector has singled out six houses that are almost intact, including old-style interior decor as well as vintage household objects.

The coastal city of Nha Trang is located in Khanh Hoa Province in the south-central region of Viet Nam, 440km north-east of HCM City. Known for the friendliness of its people, the city is flanked by nearly 10km of white-sand coastline, where the clear waters are warm all year round.

But don't be fooled into thinking Nha Trang is just a beautiful beach-side location – there's so much more. You can check out the city's ancient houses, a fascinating example of the cultural heritage that is being preserved by local people.

According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Khanh Hoa has around 50 old houses, mostly located in the districts of Dien Khanh and Ninh Hoa, and Nha Trang City. One-third of the houses are more than 100 years.

Visiting these houses will give you an insight into old customs, worship practices and the way local people lived many years ago.

There are two different ways to Phu Vinh Village: by car or by boat. Under the August scorching sun, I decided to take a boat along the Cai River, which starts 900m above sea level in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak and runs through Nha Trang.

It turned out to be a smart choice. As I was heading up river to the village, I felt completely relaxed. Along the way you can see some quintessentially Vietnamese landscapes of palm trees on the river banks and makeshift bamboo bridges crossing the river.

The house sits in the middle of a massive garden, providing a complete cool atmosphere.

About 30 minutes from the pier at the foot of the Po Nagar Temples complex, the boat stops at a small pier on the property of 72-year-old Nguyen Xuan Hai. His property in the village is open to visitors as an example of the area's traditional architecture. Surrounded by a garden, from the pier to the house you will stroll along a path filled with green trees blowing in the breeze.

This is one of the only six antique houses left in this village. The houses were all built according to a layout of three rooms in a structure supported by 36 pillars.

Hai's house has been extremely well preserved and he boasts that the house has never undergone major repairs during the six generations that have lived here.

Built 200 years ago, the house still has its original wooden doors, altars and pillars, which are carved with inscriptions. In accordance with tradition, altars for worshipping the family's ancestors take a central position in the house.

Like other houses in the village, Hai's faces the southeast and has a roof of yin and yang tiles. That's why Hai told me "you would feel like there is an air conditioner running inside the house even when it's hot outside".

The house is located in the middle of a massive garden covering more than 1,000sq.m and filled with fruit trees and indigenous plants. If you come at the right time, Hai may even treat you with some seasonal fruit in his garden.

The house's owner also spends his free time sculpting tables and chairs from tree roots from the area. He regularly entertains visitors to the house and garden, sipping green tea or a soft drink and enjoying the pleasant atmosphere.

It's easy to see why this part of south-central Vietnam attracts people from all over the world. From the laid back atmosphere of the magical islands and beaches to the old houses by the Cai River, all give you a sense of the diversity and beauty of Viet Nam. 

Souce: Vietnam Tours

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15052013

Hoi An’s Japanese Bridge

Hoi An is a the perfect place to visit for a slice of history and culture. The town is also renowned for its lanterns and full moon celebrations.

Light on the water

Hoi An is lit up with thousands of colourful lanterns on the streets and on the river each month which adds that extra special something to this already beautiful part of central Vietnam.

Lanterns by day

The festival is full of traditional music and the lanterns represent prosperity and good luck, so our Tyler made a wish or two earlier in the year in this video – lets hope they come true.

If you would like to catch the full moon celebrations, here are the dates for the rest of 2013  -

Tags:  Vietnam Tours | Vietnam travel | Laos tours | Cambodia Tours
 Soures: Indochina Tours  

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People in Vietnam are an eclectic mix of cultures, languages and religions and up to 54 ethnic groups. The origins of the nation stem from a combination of Mongol races in north and east Asia, but with influences from China and India.

People in Vietnam are an eclectic mix of cultures, languages and religions and up to 54 ethnic groups. The origins of the nation stem from a combination of Mongol races in north and east Asia, but with influences from China and India.

Its population is the second largest in Southeast Asia, but Vietnam is the most ethnically uniform country with around 90 per cent of its population being Vietnamese.

The Vietnamese language reflects the diverse origins of the people who speak it. It is a fusion of monotonic Mon-Khmer, and Thai tonality and grammar. It also demonstrates the nation's history as its governmental, literary, and technical vocabulary comes from the Chinese, as Vietnam was a province of the country for over a millennium.

Though an original writing system was made in the eighth century using modified Chinese characters, it wasn't until the mid 1600s that a proper way of spelling was developed integrating Chinese accents to indicate tone.

Popularity of the script spread and was made the official written language of Vietnam in 1910 by the French and is still now learnt by all Vietnamese people.


Traditionally people dress modern but modest. The Ao Dai which is a basic long dress with a slit at each side is thought to be the most representative of the country. The dress reflects a grace and serenity that many of the people identify with, especially women. It is still common in daily life and can be uniform in many schools and universities.
In the past women used to blacken their
teeth which was considered beautiful.
Elements of these traditions are still reflected
in the many festivals that the nation celebrates
to remind the new generations of their
cultural heritage.

With influences from the east and west it
is common to now see people wearing
jeans or other more casual clothes.


Legend

A lot of Vietnamese people believe an old legend that they were "children of the dragon and grand children of the fairy" through many generations. A great number of historians and writers have taken the folklore as background for research and writing.

The legend says that the Vietnamese were created from a bag of one hundred eggs born out by a fairy called Au Co who was married to a dragon named Lac Long Quan, who was King of under the sea. The couple became separated and the fairy led 50 of their sons to a new nation and these were the Vietnamese people.

Origins

Ancient society didn't have different classes; instead people would call each other by their role in the family, such as grandfather, mother, brother etc even when they didn't belong to the same blood family. This was unique to ancient Vietnamese people.

They decorated their body by painting or tattooing.
As a fishing nation it was often attacked by underwater monsters and complained to the
King, who advised them to decorate their body
to make them look like the sea creatures so
they wouldn't be attacked.

People had their hair short in ancient Vietnam probably to make swimming easier. They wore
a short garment with the flap closing to the left
but would wear feather hats during festival times.

The history of Vietnam has been one of struggle
with Chinese imperialism, a two-pronged battle,
to avoid annexation and acculturation.


Food

Undoubtedly cuisine is a big reason visitors flock to the country every year. Pho is a typical food that tourists will want to try during their visit. Each region has its own type of food or fruit that it is proud of and that locals feel represent their home.

Relationships

Respect is an important part of maintaining relationships, which is a focus of Vietnamese life and is embedded in several religions and philosophies held dear to many of the nation's people.

It is most commonly shown by different ways people address each other, but can also be expressed by non-verbal behaviour, which can be misinterpreted by Western cultures.

Many students will not make eye contact with teachers as a mark of respect for them, but this could be misunderstood as suspicious behaviour in other cultures. If a local person offers you assistance it is customary to give them small trinkets as thanks such as cigarette lighters.

Men will often hold hands in public as a sign of friendship, but hugging is only used between families. However women are unlikely to shake hands with men or each other.


Storytelling

Telling stories is very popular among Vietnamese people. Whenever people meet they will talk about neighbours and friends or entertainment. Many topics that would be deemed personal by Western culture are talked about openly like age, relationship status, if you have children and how much you earn.

Vietnamese people can be very intimate and are therefore a very romantic race, not only with partners but also with their families, country and village.

Tags:  Vietnam Tours | Vietnam travel | Laos tours | Cambodia Tours

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As an expensive destination to travel to, and having a thriving economy, Singapore can sometimes be overlooked when it comes to finalising an itinerary for a trip around Asia, but it really does deserve a place on the top of any travellers wish list.

It’s most definitely worth visiting this bustling and vibrant city-state, even if you can only afford to spend a few days there.  You’ll find that there are more than enough attractions to keep you busy (you could easily spend weeks trying to experience everything there is to offer here) and you’ll probably leave feeling like you’ve had an enriching experience which has left you thirsty for more (with plenty of brilliant holiday snaps to remember the trip by too).

Asia’s a popular continent when it comes to the average backpacker’s wish list andSoutheast Asiain particular has some of the cheapest destinations you’ll come across. Singaporeseems to be an exception to this rule, but it’s likely you’ll have saved so much money on your trip through this amazing continent that you’ll be able to spend a few days living it up there.

Before we take a look at my recommended highlights of Singapore for those on a fleeting visit, let’s take a look at some interesting facts about the city: Singapore is ranked as the 4th most influential financial centre in the world, it is home to the world’s 2nd biggest casino gambling industry, has one of the busiest ports in the world and is home to more US Dollar millionaires than anywhere else on the planet (perhaps why the cost of living is so high here).

If you are lucky enough to spend some time in this marvellous place then don’t miss the following:

Singapore Zoo

With a host of unique attractions, the Singapore Zoo is said to be one of the best in the world (are you starting to see the pattern with Singapore?), perhaps one of the most popular attractions of all though is the fantastic ‘Breakfast with an Orangutan’ experience which allows the masses of tourists who flock to see it a chance to get up close and personal with these amazing primates.  You’ll get a tasty breakfast whilst the Orangutan’s get theirs, and there’s only a small barrier in between you and these gentle giants which makes the experience that little bit more special.

 Singapore can sometimes be overlooked when it comes to finalising an itinerary for a trip around Asia, but it really does deserve a place on the top of any travellers wish list.

It’s most definitely worth visiting this bustling and vibrant city-state, even if you can only afford to spend a few days there.  You’ll find that there are more than enough attractions to keep you busy (you could easily spend weeks trying to experience everything there is to offer here) and you’ll probably leave feeling like you’ve had an enriching experience which has left you thirsty for more (with plenty of brilliant holiday snaps to remember the trip by too).

Asia’s a popular continent when it comes to the average backpacker’s wish list andSoutheast Asiain particular has some of the cheapest destinations you’ll come across. Singaporeseems to be an exception to this rule, but it’s likely you’ll have saved so much money on your trip through this amazing continent that you’ll be able to spend a few days living it up there.
Before we take a look at my recommended highlights of Singapore for those on a fleeting visit, let’s take a look at some interesting facts about the city: Singapore is ranked as the 4^th most influential financial centre in the world, it is home to the world’s 2^nd biggest casino gambling industry, has one of the busiest ports in the world and is home to more US Dollar millionaires than anywhere else on the planet (perhaps why the cost of living is so high here).
If you are lucky enough to spend some time in this marvellous place then don’t miss the following:
Singapore Zoo
With a host of unique attractions, the Singapore Zoo is said to be one of the best in the world (are you starting to see the pattern with Singapore?), perhaps one of the most popular attractions of all though is the fantastic ‘Breakfast with an Orangutan’ experience which allows the masses of tourists who flock to see it a chance to get up close and personal with these amazing primates.  You’ll get a tasty breakfast whilst the Orangutan’s get theirs, and there’s only a small barrier in between you and these gentle giants which makes the experience that little bit more special.

Another popular attraction is the ‘Elephants at Work & Play’ show where the caretakers of these majestic giants (known as ‘Mahouts’) show you how they would work with the elephants in a typical elephant logging camp to move logs logs from within a forest through tough terrain with only minimal damage to the surrounding forest.  It’s a brilliant way to see how the mahouts interact with the elephants on a daily basis.
Sentosa
This fantastic island will keep you busy for some time if you want to explore everything it has to offer.  From beautiful beaches to golf courses, a glitzy casino and even a Universal Studios with 7 exciting themed zones, there really is something for everyone here.  You can either cross a bridge to the island or, if you’re feeling adventurous and have a head for heights, why not take the fabulous cable car across to the island and enjoy the brilliant views and spectacular photo opportunities on the way.

Merlion Park
The Merlion Park, and the Merlion statue that resides in it, is one of Singapore’s most popular tourist attractions and many thousands of tourists flock to see it each year.  The Merlion – with the head of a lion and body of a fish – is said to resemble a weird and wonderful creature once seen by a Sumatran prince in the days of legend and it represents Singapore’s ancient history as a thriving sea town.
Completed in 1972, the iconic statue weighs in excess of 40 tonnes and reaches around 26ft in height, facing the bay of Singapore and spewing forth a torrent of water from its mouth, it makes for a spectacular photo opportunity and it’s easy to see why it’s such a popular attraction with tourists visiting this magnificent city-state.

If you like the statue then make sure you head to the 120ft high version on Sentosa island which has a viewing platform in the mouth that you can climb up to, a chance to get some more brilliant photo’s to remember your trip by.
Raffles Hotel
If you fancy splashing the cash for a day then the world famous Raffles Hotel is the place to visit.  Built in 1899 and with its imposing colonial style architecture, the hotel is one of the most famous landmarks in Singapore and has been the haunt of the rich and famous (past and present) for some time.  The hotel is also the home of the equally famous ‘Singapore Sling’ and it would be a crime to visit the city and not experience this cocktail in the place where it was originally invented (don’t forget to take part in the time honoured tradition of throwing your empty peanut shells on the floor).

raffles hotel

Night Safari

Last, but by no means least, the Night Safari is a tourist attraction not to be missed, extremely popular with tourists (expect it to be busy) and an amazing experience that will give you a unique opportunity to experience how nocturnal animals act in their natural habitat.

Everything’s been designed to make it look as close to nature as possible and you won’t see any fences or glass screens between you and the animals as the electric fencing and moats are carefully hidden to make it feel like you’re in the enclosure with the animals.

You can take a tram ride through the zoo to experience everything it has to offer, and there’s a brilliant ‘creatures of the night’ show which will keep the kids happy (if you have them in tow) and appeal to all ages.

In conclusion; a visit to Singapore is definitely worth the extra expense and you’re sure to be pleased with this amazing desination.  Whether you want to spend your time relaxing on an exotic beach, gambling the night away, blasting the plastic in the excellent shopping malls, simply just take in all the sights, Singapore really has it all.

Article supplied by MoneySupermarket.com, the UK price comparison website where you can compare travel insurance, flights, hotels, holidays and much, much more.

Tags:  Vietnam Tours | Vietnam travel | Laos tours | Cambodia Tours
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Thailand, Asian country with tropical climate, fantastic beaches and great food, is a magnet for travelers from all over the world. Many prolong their stay beyond the plan, and many other never leave. It’s a country that has it all, for all tastes and for all budgets: green jungles, sandy beaches with warm blue water, backpacker bungalows and luxury hotels, and one of the best cuisines in the world.

 

Thailand has three main weather season: cool, from November to February, when the temperatures can go as low as 55 degrees and there’s not much rain – best time to visit, especially during Chinese New Year; hot, from March to June, temperatures are around 104 F – good for time on the beach, bad for anything else; and rainy, from July to October, period of tropical monsoons.

In Thailand, you can find green jungles, waterfalls, and sandy beaches. The most developed beach resorts are Pattaya, Ko Samui and Phuket, but there are others with more relaxed vibes, such as Ko Chang. In the jungle, you probably won’t see any tiger or elephant, but if you want to spend the night there, you can expect to meet deers, gibbons and all sorts of birds.

In the cities, you can enjoy traditional Thai massage that will help you feel relaxed and energised, or simply you can enjoy in the Thai food. 

 Booking some of the worldwide flights to Thailand is a good start to come here. Air lines are regular and most of the western European countries, USA, Canada and rest of the Asian countries keep regular direct lines to Thailand.
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Australia is one of the most interesting countries to visit and it offers a lot of unique places to see, it also offers unique culture and nature. The entire territory of Australia, from the islands near the mainland, across the desert areas with wild nature and unique animal species, to the urban parts of the country, is magnificent and fascinating. The list below is gives you top 10 Australian tourist attractions. List is subjective thing

Sydney is the largest and most populous city in Australia and offers a lot of interesting tourist locations. The most famous is, off course, Sydney opera house. It is designed by the Dutch architect John Utzon. Tourists are allowed to see the backstage and the front of the house. Beside the Opera house, other tour destinations are the Hunter Valley Wineries, Harbour Highlights Cruises, Jenolan Caves, the marine aquarium at Darling Harbor and many others.

Perth is the city with a wide range of attractions from a sight-seeing, wildlife, aquatic fun and adventures to Aboriginal culture and dance. Attractions that should be seen in Perth are: Perth Zoo, the Perth Mint, Stirling Gardens, Lake Monger, the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Western Australian Museum, Concert Hall, Cultural Centre, His Majestys Theatre…

Tasmania is the place where you can go to take a break of the fast urban life. It is very unique place for holiday, and the nature and wilderness are inseparable. The reasons for visit Tasmania can vary… From rich Tasmanian history and culture, spectacular beaches to the mountains and lagoons. Tasmina is widely well known for its wild life and beauty.

Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island. You can call it hidden natural treasure. It is host of an endangered species of wild dogs, Dingos, and several types of fish found only in Australia. With the beaches that looks like haven, it is very popular holiday destination for people all over the world.

Kakadu National Park is declared as one of the World Heritage sites in Australia. Stretching for more than 200 km south from the coast and 100 km from east to west, Kakadu National park has a rich wild life and native plants. It is also home to about 500 Aborigines.

Uluru is the largest monolith rock in the world and it is one of the greatest world natural wonders. Uluru is considered to be an ideal activity at sunrise and sunset; it is the time when the range of colors across the red rock is available, changing in fascinating patterns.

 Cairns is the main entry point for Great Barrier Reef visits. Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world. It stretches about 80 million acres along the North East Australian Coast. It is home to some of the world’s rarest sea organisms and here you have opportunity to see them and observe them.

Kangaroo Island is a small and peaceful place. Here you can be close to wallabies, goannas, koalas, kangaroos, echidnas, dolphins, sea lions, penguins, fur seals, eagles, whales and ospreys. Sounds very interesting, don’t you think?

Adelaide is one of the best planed cities in the world and offers a lot of attractions. It is ideal place to get away, but in the same time offers interesting night life. Close to Adelaide are the Adelaide Hills with national parks and reserves. About one hour from Adelaide is the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale wine regions.

Jamison Valley is famous for its wonderful cable car tour. The Valley has a picturesque landscape that attracts thousands of local and foreign tourists a year.

As we said Australia has lot to offer and these places are only part of thousands and thousands of Australian attraction… Some will say these places are not the best of Australia, but as we said on the begining this list is subjective… Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Here is gallery with bunch of images from mentioned places, enjoy.

Tags:  Vietnam Tours | Vietnam travel | Laos tours | Cambodia Tours
 Soures: Indochina Tours 

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