Vietnam Breaking News

Chartered flights to central Vietnam on the rise

Chartered flights to central Vietnam on the rise
Chartered flights to central Vietnam on the rise
By Mong Binh – The Saigon Times Daily
HCMC – The number of chartered flights to central Vietnam is jumping between now and the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday compared to a year ago, according to the Danang-based tour operator Vitours and the aviation authority.
Vitours director Cao Tri Dung estimated local and foreign airlines had 12 to 15 charter flights from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and elsewhere in Asia to Danang International Airport alone in the period, with more than half of them catered to by Vitours.
Dung told the Daily on the phone on Monday that the number of chartered flights to the region in the period would triple or quadruple that in the year-ago period. This substantial increase is attributable to the fact that more foreign travel agencies are choosing central Vietnam as a new destination for their guests, coupled with a recovery of global travel demand.
“They (foreign travel agencies) charter flights for their customers to Phuket and Bali in previous years and now is the time for them to visit central Vietnam,” Dung said. He added this region was able to meet requirements for accommodation and entertainment, as it was now home to many luxury properties and UNESCO-listed heritage sites, including the former imperial capital of Hue and the Phong Nha-Ke Bang Caves in Quang Binh Province.
Dung said over half of the chartered flights to central Vietnam were operated by Vietnam Airlines from such markets as Korea, Hong Kong and Japan, and the rest by TransAsia Airways of Taiwan and other foreign carriers.
The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) said Shanghai Airlines had suspended services to Danang International Airport, but this did not result in a reduction in frequencies of chartered flights to one of the four international airports in central Vietnam. The others in the region are Phu Bai, Cam Ranh and Chu Lai airports.
CAAV demonstrated that Russia’s Vladivostok Air had kicked off their chartered flights from Vladivostok and Khabarovsk to Cam Ranh International Airport in Khanh Hoa Province.
About one month ago, Vietnam Airlines started a series of more than 40 flights chartered by the international travel firm Vietlink from Hong Kong and Danang until early May next year, using the 184-seat Airbus A321 aircraft.
Dung of Vitours said over the past years, Vietnam Airlines and other carriers had operated their medium-sized aircraft with 160 to 180 seats for the chartered flights to and from Danang with an average load factor of 70%.
Dung said the visitors using chartered flights often stayed four to five days exploring services and destinations in central Vietnam, and spent much money on services and products there.
Attracting visitors to central Vietnam on chartered flights promises a bright future because the number of scheduled flights to the region remains limited. Singapore’s SilkAir now has four weekly flights to Danang while Vietnam Airlines has launched its daily HCMC-Tokyo service with a stopover in the central city.
Dung said Vitours had invested US$40,000-50,000 this year on promotion and support programs in order to bring more chartered flights to Danang, or double the amount the company spent last year.
 
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Chartered flights to central Vietnam on the rise

Chartered flights to central Vietnam on the rise Chartered flights to central Vietnam on the rise By Mong Binh – The Saigon Times Daily HCMC – The number of chartered flights to central Vietnam is jumping between now and the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday compared to a year ago, according to the Danan…

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31 Oct 2016

Travel firms, airlines feel the pinch of airport closure

Travel firms, airlines feel the pinch of airport closure
By Dao Loan and Binh Nguyen – The Saigon Times Daily
<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="http://bit.ly/2e29DcJ" width="500" />
The Phu Bai International Airport in Hue will be closed to have its runway upgraded from May 13 to June 13 – Photo: Dao Loan
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HCMC – The temporary shutdown of Phu Bai International Airport in Thua Thien-Hue Province later this month is making major inroads into revenue and plans of tour operators and airlines, as they are not in a well-prepared position to deal with the already-decided closure.
Airline and travel representatives complained to the Daily that the one-month closure starting from May 13 had forced them to change their business and tour plans in accordance with a decision by the Minister of Transport last month.
Vietnam’s low-cost carrier Jetstar Pacific has to suspend its two daily services between HCMC and the former imperial capital of Hue more than a week before Phu Bai Airport is closed to have its only 2,700-meter-long runway repaired as stated by Decision 710/QD-BGTVT signed by minister Ho Nghia Dung on April 14.
Jetstar Pacific attributed the unexpected service suspension to Hue to a small number of seats already booked for its flights from May 5 and the fact that its agents stopped receiving bookings since Middle Airports Corporation previously informed them of a plan to upgrade the runway from May 5 to June 5.
The corporation told Jetstar Pacific and Vietnam Airlines about the upgrade plan in February ahead of approval from the aviation authority, the Ministry of Transport and the Prime Minister as required as Phu Bai is an international airport. Less than two months later, the transport minister signed the decision to officiate the runway upgrade.
As soon as the decision came out, Vietnam Airlines announced it would resume flights from HCMC and Hanoi to Phu Bai Airport until May 12, one day ahead of the closure, to serve passengers in need of air travel to and from Hue.
Jetstar Pacific did not have enough time to perform service to the central city as it got the decision regarding the exact period of temporary closure for Phu Bai days after it was issued. That is why the carrier cannot fly to the airport from May 5 to 12 as Vietnam Airlines does.
In the same boat are the travel companies that had received bookings and designed tours for their guests, particularly foreign tourists before they knew about the decision. Many tour operators complained that they were informed of the closure by ticketing offices and media rather than authorities and the corporation.
Travel companies said the one-month shutdown should have been publicized at least six months a head of the upgrade so that they would have time to prepare and then avoid unnecessary expenses.
Tour operators said they now had to re-schedule air-tickets for their guests to disembark and board at Danang Airport instead of Phu Bai and to pay an additional amount of VND200,000 (around US$9.7) for transporting every guest of the tours to Danang some 100 kilometers away.
Ung Phuong Dung, director of Indochina Services Vietnam, said tour operators would have to bear the additional cost in addition to a host of complaints for the itinerary change and more time of traveling by road.
Nguyen Minh Quyen, deputy director of Ben Thanh Tourist Travel Services Center, said it was fortunate for the company as it had reserved seats on the flights for their guests to Danang Airport since it heard about the upgrade plan. However, not many tour operators are as lucky as Ben Thanh Tourist.
An official of the Thua Thien-Hue tourism body told the Daily on the phone on Wednesday that this agency had known about the closure of Phu Bai Airport not long before so it had not been able to map out an appropriate plan to help companies in the hospitality industry.
The official said a number of travel firms and hoteliers in the central province were discussing a plan to hire buses to transport their guests between Danang and Hue to cut costs.
Vietnam Airlines operates 10 daily flights between HCMC and Danang and eight daily flights from Hanoi while Jetstar Pacific has four daily flights from HCMC to Danang and two from Hanoi. These carriers have not announced any detail plans for additional services to Danang when Phu Bai is temporarily closed.
 
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Travel firms, airlines feel the pinch of airport closure

Travel firms, airlines feel the pinch of airport closure By Dao Loan and Binh Nguyen – The Saigon Times Daily The Phu Bai International Airport in Hue will be closed to have its runway upgraded from May 13 to June 13 – Photo: Dao Loan HCMC – The temporary shutdown of Phu Bai International Airport in…

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31 Oct 2016

Bridges change lives in the Mekong Delta

Bridges change lives in the Mekong Delta
<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="http://bit.ly/2fiGjEJ" width="500" />
Easy does it: Children smile as they ride bicycles on the newly-inaugurated Khang Linh Bridge in Thiện Trung Commune, Cai Be District of Tiền Giang Province. -Photo Courtesy of Nam Phương Foundation
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<div><a href="http://bit.ly/24En4mq">Viet Nam News</a>
A bridge can make a huge difference for a community.
Especially if it means people no longer need to risk their lives to cross rivers.
Young people in Ho Chi Minh City have been building bridges for communities in the Mekong Delta who need them.
Their project started when a brother and sister were horrified to see a report on television about children who drowned on their way to school.
They decided to do something to help and it has been a great success.
By Bạch Liên
A new life began for residents of Thiện Trung Commune last August.
About 2,000 residents, young and old, were all smiles as they watched the inauguration of the Khang Linh Bridge in Cái Bè District, Tiền Giang Province.
The bridge was a dream come true for them.
It meant they no longer had to cross the river on wobbly ferry boats, an everyday danger that became much more risky during the flooding season.
The bridge was constructed at a cost of VNĐ2.7 billion (US$121,500), and residents contributed 40 per cent of the money.
The remaining 60 per cent came from the Build a Bridge project implemented by the Nam Phương Foundation (NPF).
With the inauguration of the new bridge, the foundation has, in the three years since it was established, helped build ten bridges in the Mekong Delta (Tiền Giang, Bến Tre, and Long An provinces).
Build a Bridge rose from the desire of a young woman, Đinh Thị Nam Phương, and her teen brother, Đinh Bá Khang, to help improve the lives of poor communities in the Delta.
Phương, 23, has just graduated from the Philosophy, Politics & Economics Faculty of the Oxford University in the UK, and Khang, 18, is studying economics at the University of California Los Angeles after completing his high school at the International School in HCM City.
Build a Bridge project is the first philanthropic project in Việt Nam that is run entirely by students from different parts of the world who share the goal of bringing out a “permanent, positive change”.
The idea for setting up the foundation was born one evening when Phương and her family were watching a TV report about students who drowned as they tried to cross the river to go to school.
The images haunted Phương and her brother, and they decided to something about it. Encouraged by their parents, they set up a foundation to build bridges to help students and poor communities in the Mekong Delta.
They solicited support and donations from parents, friends and companies. It was not easy. The lack of previous experience was difficult to overcome. The foundation’s activities depended on the efforts of unpaid volunteers who were unable to stay for a long time with the foundation.
But, as more people learnt about the organisation, greater support poured in from volunteer student ambassadors, celebrities, individuals and companies worldwide including Air France, Masan Group Corporation, and the Kinh Đô Company.
Hollywood director Phillip Noyce, one of the celebrity ambassadors of the project, said:
“I’m very glad to be part of Nam Phương’s Build-a-Bridge project, and we discussed how I can personally get involved to make a difference. What a gift to the children of Việt Nam! What a gift to all of us to be able to be part of this dream of improving the life of local people!”
Vietnamese singer Phương Vy, Winner of Vietnam Idol Season 1, 2007, one of the celebrity ambassador of the project said:
“I fully support this noble cause, which has been started by a group of very young people. So I want that each of us will do our bit to help build these very necessary bridges for rural, distant areas to help people move around easier, and bring happiness to children who can commute to school daily without dangers or fears.”
More than bridges
The foundation sees the project doing more than just building bridges. Its work offers opportunities for those in need to better their lives.
“Hundreds and thousands of children in rural areas drown each year on their way to school, since the only path often involves crossing rivers via hazardous old boats, flimsy self-built bridges or even swimming, with heavy books and shoes as anchors, unwittingly increasing the danger,” Phương said.
“Building a simple bridge can create an enormous difference for these communities. Not only will young children not be forced to face danger on a daily basis, a bridge will help improve the local socio-economic situation and transform a community,” she added.
Eighty-year-old Trần Văn Luỳnh of Lợi Nhơn Village became emotional as he talked about a new bridge, Ngọc Hoàng, also in Tiền Giang.
“The bridge is very beautiful, the children can go to school and we can move around more easily,” he said.
Lê Ngọc Hân, a 10-year-old student of Tân Tây school in Thạnh Hóa District, Long An Province, said that she enjoyed walking on the new Thủy Tân Bridge. “Before, I used to walk on the bamboo bridge. I was scared because it wasn’t steady.”
Rewarding work
Phương said “doing charity doesn’t just mean giving. It also means receiving a lot and learning a lot from other people.”
While working on this project, she said she’d been lucky to meet with several generous people who are not wealthy, but ready to spend their own money and effort building bridges for poor people in Bến Tre Province.
In the future, besides helping build bridges, Phương wants to help poor children who have had to drop out of school because of the dire financial straits their parents are in. VNS
About Nam Phương Foundation and Build a bridge
The Nam Phương Foundation, working with local governments, is dedicated to improving the lives of communities through micro-infrastructure projects that are low cost, high impact, and long term. The foundation aims to reduce water-related dangers facing young children, and improve the socio-economic situation of a community as a whole.
The Build a Bridge project builds bridges to link localities in the Mekong Delta region that are divided by the distributaries of the Mekong River. They work closely with local administrations to assess the needs of each community and discuss how to help locals benefit most from the bridges that are constructed.
The foundation usually contributes 70 per cent of the total expenditure for building a bridge, and the local commune and government is responsible for the remaining costs. This can be contributed in cash or in kind, through labour, transportation, accommodation, meals for construction workers and other activities.
GLOSSARY
A new life began for residents of Thiện Trung Commune last August.
Residents of a place are people who live there.
About 2,000 residents, young and old, were all smiles as they watched the inauguration of the Khang Linh Bridge in Cái Bè District, Tiền Giang Province.
An inauguration is a ceremony to mark the beginning of something, in this case the bridge.
It meant they no longer had to cross the river on wobbly ferry boats, an everyday danger that became much more risky during the flooding season.
If something is risky there is a good chance of things going wrong. In this case it would be that the boats could capsize (turn over) in the water.
The bridge was constructed at a cost of VNĐ2.7 billion (US$121,500), and residents contributed 40 per cent of the money.
Constructed means built.
Contributed means gave towards something. In this case it was towards the building of the bridge.
Build a Bridge rose from the desire of a young woman, Đinh Thị Nam Phương, and her teen brother, Đinh Bá Khang, to help improve the lives of poor communities in the Delta.
A desire is a wish.
Phương, 23, has just graduated from the Philosophy, Politics & Economics Faculty of the Oxford University in the UK, and Khang, 18, is studying economics at the University of California Los Angeles after completing his high school at the International School in HCM City.
To graduate means to pass a course at a college or university and be awarded a certificate for having done so.
Build a Bridge project is the first philanthropic project in Việt Nam that is run entirely by students from different parts of the world who share the goal of bringing out a “permanent, positive change”.
A philanthropic project is one that aims to help others and make the world a better place rather than to help the people who go about making the project happen.
A goal is something to aim to do or achieve.
The images haunted Phương and her brother, and they decided to something about it. Encouraged by their parents, they set up a foundation to build bridges to help students and poor communities in the Mekong Delta.
Images are pictures, whether they are physical, such as on paintings or photographs or if they are just things you “see” in your mind.
If images haunt you they stay in your mind and make you feel uneasy.
The lack of previous experience was difficult to overcome.
If there is a lack of something there is little or none of it. In this case it is little or no experience.
To overcome something means to win over it.
The foundation’s activities depended on the efforts of unpaid volunteers who were unable to stay for a long time with the foundation.
Volunteers are people who offer to work without asking to be paid.
But, as more people learnt about the organisation, greater support poured in from volunteer student ambassadors, celebrities, individuals and companies worldwide including Air France, Masan Group Corporation, and the Kinh Đô Company.
Ambassadors are people who represent organisations and institutions, including governments.
Celebrities are famous, popular people.
Hollywood director Phillip Noyce, one of the celebrity ambassadors of the project, said:
Hollywood is the movie industry in the United States.
“So I want that each of us will do our bit to help build these very necessary bridges for rural, distant areas to help people move around easier, and bring happiness to children who can commute to school daily without dangers or fears.”
Rural areas are places in the country and not in the towns and cities.
Distant areas are places that are far away from any big centres.
To commute means to travel between work, or school, and home every day.
Its work offers opportunities for those in need to better their lives.
Better, in this case, is a verb that means “to improve”.
“Hundreds and thousands of children in rural areas drown each year on their way to school, since the only path often involves crossing rivers via hazardous old boats, flimsy self-built bridges or even swimming, with heavy books and shoes as anchors, unwittingly increasing the danger,” Phương said.
Hazardous means dangerous.
Anchors are things that act as weights in the water, causing whatever they are attached to, not to float around too much.
“Not only will young children not be forced to face danger on a daily basis, a bridge will help improve the local socio-economic situation and transform a community,” she added.
To transform a community means to change it from one thing into something else.
Eighty-year-old Trần Văn Luỳnh of Lợi Nhơn Village became emotional as he talked about a new bridge, Ngọc Hoàng, also in Tiền Giang.
To be emotional means to have feelings for something and show them.
While working on this project, she said she’d been lucky to meet with several generous people who are not wealthy, but ready to spend their own money and effort building bridges for poor people in Bến Tre Province.
Generous means to be unselfish and willing to give.
In the future, besides helping build bridges, Phương wants to help poor children who have had to drop out of school because of the dire financial straits their parents are in.
To be in dire financial straits means to have desperate money problems.
WORKSHEET
State whether the following sentences are true, or false:
<ol>
<li>Nam Phương’s parents thought it would be a good idea for her to set up a foundation.</li>
<li>Trần Văn Luỳnh is ten years old and attends Tân Tây school.</li>
<li>The new Thủy Tân Bridge has replaced one made of bamboo.</li>
<li>Singer Phương Vy supports the bridge project.</li>
<li>Build a Bridge project is the fifteenth philanthropic project in Việt Nam that is run entirely by students from different parts of the world.</li>
</ol>
<a href="http://bit.ly/2fiFNGP">ANSWERS:</a>
© Duncan Guy/Learn the News/ Viet Nam News 2016
<a href="http://bit.ly/2fiFNGP">1.</a> True; 2. False; 3. True; 4. True; 5. False.
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Bridges change lives in the Mekong Delta Related image(s) 
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/2fiGjEJ" width="200" />

Bridges change lives in the Mekong Delta

Bridges change lives in the Mekong Delta Easy does it: Children smile as they ride bicycles on the newly-inaugurated Khang Linh Bridge in Thiện Trung Commune, Cai Be District of Tiền Giang Province. -Photo Courtesy of Nam Phương Foundation Viet Nam News A bridge can make a huge difference for a comm…

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30 Oct 2016

Tourism Companies Head North

Tourism Companies Head North
Tourism Companies Head North
By Dao Loan
<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="http://bit.ly/2f0P6ak" width="500" />
Tourists at Khue Van Cac (Constellation of Literature) Temple in Hanoi
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Some travel companies in HCM City have already opened branches in Hanoi for a few years. Yet the investment wave to develop the market in Hanoi and the North has just risen strongly in recent years. Nonetheless, it is not easy to exploit this market.
A number of tourism operators say business results in their Hanoi branches have been remarkable, with double-digit growth rate annually, which promises the market will become the second-biggest after HCM City. Years have passed since market infiltration, and solutions to administrative problems, product development and marketing that would be appropriate for an entirely different market from the South, are still sought by businesses.
Staff headaches
In 2008, a private company in HCM City opened its branch at a grand building in the ancient quarter of Hanoi, a prominent business location with promises of extending the firm’s operation in domestic and international tourism, airline ticketing and other services. After three years, the company had to make do with a smaller office at a less-central location.
When opening the branch, this company took the approach of using local people in order to maximize awareness of the market, which facilitates management. However, similar to other southern-based tourism companies expanding northbound, this business had to face the fact that brand quality could not be guaranteed due to discrepancies in tourism methods and viewpoints in different localities.
Dang Trung Nghia, deputy general director of Fiditourist, who is in charge of the company’s Hanoi branch, says while in HCM City, staff are aware that service means serving customers’ needs, it is extremely hard to require such an attitude from those in the North. Most employees still have the beg-to-receive thinking, which means having money does not necessarily mean being served; being friendly and helpful towards customers is still an alien concept. As a result, service provisions, approaches and consulting styles do not bring high satisfaction to clients as they do in HCM City.
Currently, the attitude of drivers and guides is still a predicament. Drivers usually put on cold faces and in many circumstances, even argue with customers. Meanwhile, tour guides are not that enthusiastic towards those who pay to hire them.
“To date, we still have to transfer guides from the South to serve in crucial tours. Regarding tours for foreigners in the North, 70% of customers’ complaints are related to guides. Thus, the most important thing is to change the tourism business thinking,” Nghia says.
Fiditourist opened the Hanoi branch seven years ago but has only boosted its operation over the past four years. Nghia has had two years of experience from traveling back and forth between HCM City and Hanoi each month to monitor the branch. If good progress is made, it will take another year before Nghia can feel assured about leaving the work to his employees.
Similar to Nghia, Vu Duy Vu, branch manager of Saigontourist Travel Service Co., also has to travel between the two cities to supervise operations. In his opinion, in order to improve the working attitude of staff, the manager also has to constantly remind employees and enforce clear rules for them to follow apart from simply giving them training.
“It does not take just a couple of days to change their thinking and working style. Therefore, besides trying to attain the standard of service, the management also needs to be patient,” he says.
Different working approaches between the two regions not only generate problems in human resources administration, but also make dealing with partners and drawing up services troublesome.
According to businesses, because many northern-based service providers are not aware of the importance of long-term business partnership, prices are not stable and service is not guaranteed.
“It may be due to the fact that the tourist season here is not as long as in the South, with the best time for business being summer. Thus, service providers opt for immediate, short-term profits, and are ready to rip off clients whenever possible. This irritates customers and tourism companies also find it hard to manage,” a director of a southern-based firm says.
Experience from tourism companies operating in this new market shows that businesses have to be prepared for reaction. Service providers do not have the habit of announcing prices or service changes in a timely manner, leading to passive product preparation and service planning for customers.
Different markets
The tourism services market in Hanoi and the North has stark differences from that in HCM City. First is the seasonality. While in HCM City, the tourist season is spread evenly across the year and there is usually not a huge discrepancy in product planning, the picture is different in Hanoi.
Here, the main tourist season is summer. This is when most companies operate to their full capacity to serve customers. When the market cools down in the winter, businesses have to be cautious when introducing new tours and services to increase sale feasibility.
“Introducing Europe tours in the winter to guests in Hanoi is a sure defeat, since the winter here is already too cold, and people only want to travel to warmer places,” Vu says.
Apart from seasonal differences, demands in using services and trip planning habits are not similar either. Excluding a small minority of customers frequently using high-class services, on the whole, tourists from Hanoi and the North have a lower demand for quality and more of a demand for lower prices. They are very concerned about costs and usually bargain before deciding on buying a tour. If a tour is designed as a four-star service for customers in HCM City, it can be changed to a three-star one in Hanoi. Foreign service operators also pay attention to this difference and often set a lower price band for the northern market.
Nghia of Fiditourist says customers from the North do not have the habit of pre-planning for a trip, but decide close to departure dates. For instance, in March, the company organized a tour to Singapore for 300 people, but the customers only gave one week’s notice. Only one day before departure, the tour operator officially signed the contract.
“We have to gradually persuade customers, to show them that good preparations and early reservations will yield more offers, more control and the trip service quality will also be better. In fact, some people have changed that habit recently,” Nghia says.
Tourism companies say that profits from selling tours and services to the Hanoi market are usually lower than in HCM City. The reason is many guests use services of lower standards and businesses have to pay extra commissions to partners. In HCM City, based on the terms and conditions of tour provision bidding, some big companies even demand tourism operators not to pay staff commissions. This is a difficult thing to ask from the northern market.
“When first arriving here, I even suspected my employees when they requested the commission for partners accounting for 50% of profits. And if sales representatives have good relations, there will be many big tourist groups, resulting in more profits. A manager has to understand the market’s characteristics to be flexible in decisions. Although difficult, the northern market is growing fast, which is really worth investment,” Nghia says. 
Since this is a promising market, many other companies do not want to miss out. As in the case of the aforementioned private firm, even though its branch’s operations were scaled down, hopes for this market have not diminished.
 
Tourism Companies Head North Related image(s) 
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/2f0P6ak" width="200" />

Tourism Companies Head North

Tourism Companies Head North Tourism Companies Head North By Dao Loan Tourists at Khue Van Cac (Constellation of Literature) Temple in Hanoi Some travel companies in HCM City have already opened branches in Hanoi for a few years. Yet the investment wave to develop the market in Hanoi and the North h…

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30 Oct 2016

Summer Vacations For All

Summer Vacations For All
Summer Vacations For All
By Dat Tien
<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="http://bit.ly/2e7TNjK" width="500" />
The mausoleum of King Khai Dinh, one of the famous historical and tourist sites in Hue City
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Spending a few days at a coastal resort on hot, dry days or visiting pagodas during summer retreats are among many things for tourists to experience
Subsidiaries of Saigontourist Holding Company are launching summer tours of various itineraries and prices so that customers can easily choose one tailored to their interests.
First-class tours
As an annual tradition, Saigontourist Travel Service Company provides a variety of tours from HCM City for customers to enjoy a summer vacation.
These tours are chosen by many people thanks to their diverse itineraries, convenient starting dates and acceptable service quality. On these tours, customers will stay at luxury seaside resorts and hotels. These tours last two to three days and cost from VND3.9-8 million (US$185-381) a guest.
Apart from package tours, the company also has Free & Easy tours. People taking this service are not provided with a tour guide and do not have to follow fixed itineraries but can enjoy such services as room and air ticket booking, and airport pickup. Since early June, many people have enjoyed tours to Vinpearl Nha Trang, Vinpearl Danang and Hon Tam Resort. The Vinpearl Nha Trang tour includes two nights’ stay in villa rooms at the five-star Vinpearl Resort, visits to the theme park and the aquarium, and free use of across-the-sea cable cars or speedboats.
The Hon Tam Resort tour lets people spend two nights in a bungalow, enjoy two meals at the five-star resort and free massage service at its healthcare center. These tours take three days and are priced at VND13.6-17.6 million each.
This summer, Saigontourist Travel Service is also launching cost-saving IKO Travel tours. From Hanoi, on July 24 or July 27, people can take a tour of the southern region. They can choose a tour to visit Can Tho, Chau Doc and Ha Tien, or Can Tho and Con Dao. On these tours, when arriving in Can Tho, tourists can study the lifestyle of people in Can Tho as well as the Mekong Delta by visiting Cai Rang Floating Market, orchards and ancient houses, and enjoying a traditional southern music show. These tours last four days and cost each tourist about VND7.3-9.5 million. A tour of this kind helps each save VND2-2.4 million.
Saigontourist also has IKO Travel tours in the central region and the Central Highlands. These tours start on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday every week. The tour of Danang-Hoi An-Hue lasts four days and costs a customer roughly VND3.6 million, excluding the air ticket. Other tours include the two-day tour of Phan Thiet, the four-day tour of Dalat, or the three-day tour of Nha Trang. These tours cost a customer from at least VND1.8 million and can save more than VND500,000.
Discovering central, northern regions with Fiditour
Fiditour has launched summer tours of the central and northern regions. The tours start in HCM City every week. In addition, customers in Can Tho City can also take a tour but will have to transit in HCM City.
To visit the central region, people can take a tour of Danang-Ba Na-Hoi An, or a tour of Danang-Ba Na-Hoi An-Hue, or a tour of Danang-Hoi An-Ba Na-Hue-Phong Nha. These tours last three to five days and cost each customer from VND6-8.4 million.
For visiting the northern region, there are tours of Hanoi-Bac Ninh-Halong-Tuan Chau-Yen Tu, Hanoi-Bai Dinh-Trang An-Halong-Tuan Chau-Yen Tu, or Hanoi-Sapa-Bac Ninh-Yen Tu-Halong. These tours last three to six days and cost a customer about VND8.8-10.8 million.
Taking a central region tour, tourists will visit scenic spots and world heritage sites such as the ancient town of Hoi An, My Son Relic, the ancient capital of Hue and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. Arriving in Danang, tourists will discover Son Tra Peninsula, Da Spring and But Beach. In Hoi An, tourists will visit ancient houses and family temples and eat cao lu (rice noodle with pork and vegetables).
When in Hue, tourists will visit the ancient citadel with the royal court of the 13 kings of the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945), enjoy a royal music show and take a scenic boat trip on theHuong River. They can also enjoy Hue folk music performed live on the boat by local artists and release lanterns on the river for good luck.
Crossing Latitude 17, which once divided Vietnam into two regions for two different political regimes, tourists will head for Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, one of the world’s two biggest limestone mountains, where they can visit magnificent caves.
In the tour of the northern region, Hanoi is an attractive destination with Sword Lake, 35 ancient streets and Temple of Literature. From Hanoi, tourists will go east to visit Ha Long Bay, a world natural heritage site with thousands of islands and illets. Other well-known destinations are Yen Tu, where King Tran Nhan Ton (1258-1308) practiced Buddhism in his old age, and Sapa, a tourist town in the mist.
Pilgrimage tours with Lotus
Lotus Tours has launched pilgrimage tours from June onward to meet increasing demands of clients. There are two kinds of tours: the Long Thanh (Dong Nai)-Ba Ria (Ba Ria-Vung Tau) tour and the Long An-My Tho tour. Each tour lasts one day.
Taking the Long Thanh-Ba Ria tour, tourists will have a vegetarian breakfast at Di Lac Pagoda, then visit Minh Duc Meditation Monastery, a famous tourist site at Dinh Mountain, Ngoc Son Dinh Pagoda and Ngoc Thanh Pagoda. They will take lunch at Van Phat Quang Dai Tong Lam, one of the biggest Buddhist monasteries in Vietnam, and continue visiting Thien Hoa, Pho Chieu and Hue Chieu monasteries.
On the Long An-My Tho tour, guests will have a vegetarian breakfast at Thien Khanh Pagoda, and then visit Vinh Trang and Pho Duc ancient pagodas, which give free medical exams and treatment to the poor. They will take a vegetarian lunch at Thien Phuoc Pagoda before visiting Ngoc Lam Monastery and Kim Cang Pagoda, where Buddhist scripts carved in wood and age-old statues are preserved.
The Long Thanh-Ba Ria tour costs one person VND369,000 and the Long An-My Tho tour costs VND339,000. They start on July 23, July 30 and August 13.
Saigontourist Travel Service Company: 45 Le Thanh Ton St., Dist. 1, HCM City. Tel: 08.38279279, website: <a href="http://bit.ly/1oSS5A8">http://bit.ly/1oSS5A8</a>
Fiditour: 129 Nguyen Hue St., Dist. 1, HCM City. Tel: 08.39141414, website: <a href="http://bit.ly/2f2t5a9">www.fiditour.com</a>
Lotus Tours: 104 Mac Thi Buoi St., Dist. 1, HCM City. Tel: 08.38257838, website:http://bit.ly/2e7ZbU3
 
Summer Vacations For All Related image(s) 
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Summer Vacations For All

Summer Vacations For All Summer Vacations For All By Dat Tien The mausoleum of King Khai Dinh, one of the famous historical and tourist sites in Hue City Spending a few days at a coastal resort on hot, dry days or visiting pagodas during summer retreats are among many things for tourists to experien…

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29 Oct 2016

Matthias Goerne Sings “Kindertotenlieder”

Matthias Goerne Sings “Kindertotenlieder”
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<div>Opening: 08:00 pm, Fri 11 Nov 2016</div>
<div>Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien Street, Hanoi</div>
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<h2>Classical German musical performances and songs.</h2>
(Songs on the death of children), by Gustav Mahler (1860-1911). Concert with the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, director: Honna Tetsuji.
“Kindertotenlieder” (Songs on the death of children) was composed by Gustav Mahler between 1901 and 1904 based on work produced by the poet Friedrich Rückert as he processed the loss of his two children.
Mahler lost 6 of his 11 siblings during childhood and was touched by Rückert’s poems.
Symphony No. 8 from Franz Schubert rounds out the program.
Also known as “The Great,”the composition is considered Schubert’s crowning symphonic work. Robert Schumann praised the “masterly technique” and “heavenly length of the symphony”.
Program:
Gustav Mahler (1860 – 1911) – Kindertotenlieder
Baritone: Matthias Goerne
Conductor: Honna Tetsuji
Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828) – Symphonie Nr. 8 “Die Große”
Conductor: Honna Tetsuji
The German baritone Matthias Goerne has collaborated with leading conductors and orchestras in Europe, America and Asia. The Weimar native is an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Ticket prices:
S: VND500,000 ($22.4)
A: VND350,000 ($15.7)
B: VND200,000 ($9)
Students: VND100,000 ($4.5)
Tickets are available at:
Opera House Hanoi , 1 Trang Tien Street 
Sketch Travel Hanoi, 3th Floor, Lancaster, 20 Nui Truc 
Star Lotus, 58 Ho Hien Thanh Street
 
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Matthias Goerne Sings “Kindertotenlieder”

Matthias Goerne Sings “Kindertotenlieder” Opening: 08:00 pm, Fri 11 Nov 2016 Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien Street, Hanoi Classical German musical performances and songs. (Songs on the death of children), by Gustav Mahler (1860-1911). Concert with the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, director: …

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28 Oct 2016

Four Vietnamese hotels win Condé Nast awards

Four Vietnamese hotels win Condé Nast awards
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Lap of luxury: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is one of four hotels in Việt Nam winning this year’s coveted Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards. — File Photo
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<div><a href="http://bit.ly/24En4mq">Viet Nam News</a>
Four hotels in Việt Nam have won this year’s coveted Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, with the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi and the Park Hyatt Saigon making it to the top three in the “Top Hotels in Southern Asia.”
La Residence Hue Hotel & Spa – MGallery by Sofitel is No 15 on the same list — its third appearance — besting the likes of big-name hotels like the Fullerton Bay and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, and coming within just a few beats of the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok.
Villa Song Sài Gòn made its first appearance on the list.
Announced in New York on October 18, Condé Nast Traveler’s 29th annual compendium recently underwent a restructuring of the voting process. – VNS
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Four Vietnamese hotels win Condé Nast awards Related image(s) 
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/2fcSjYi" width="200" />

Four Vietnamese hotels win Condé Nast awards

Four Vietnamese hotels win Condé Nast awards Lap of luxury: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is one of four hotels in Việt Nam winning this year’s coveted Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards. — File Photo Viet Nam News Four hotels in Việt Nam have won this year’s coveted Condé Nast Traveler’s…

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28 Oct 2016

Belgium plans new talks to break EU-Canada trade deadlock

Belgium plans new talks to break EU-Canada trade deadlock
BRUSSELS — Belgium’s political leaders looked Thursday to a new round of talks aimed at resolving differences that have blocked a landmark EU-Canada free trade deal.
The stakes are high amid warnings that the EU’s international standing, already battered by Britain’s shock June Brexit vote, will suffer further if seven years of trade negotiations go to waste because of internal Belgian politics.
Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said representatives from the federal government and the country’s linguistic communities would resume their talks at 0800 GMT on Thursday after adjourning before midnight Wednesday without an agreement.
He had earlier reported the sides were near a consensus that would allow Belgium to overcome objections from its French-speaking communities and support a trade deal which must be endorsed by all 28 EU member states.
But he added technical issues still needed ironing out.
“We are awaiting a definitive response from” the various communities, Reynders said as the talks wrapped up for the day.
EU leaders had voiced optimism that Belgium’s federal government could win over the holdouts by late Wednesday.
But Rudy Demotte, president of the southern French-speaking Wallonia’s parliament, cautioned “we have technical discussions which are complicated.”
With no agreement in sight, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau postponed plans to travel to Brussels on Thursday to sign the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) with EU leaders.
“The Canadian delegation will not be traveling to Europe tonight,” said Trudeau’s office.
’Canada remains ready to sign’
“Canada remains ready to sign this important agreement when Europe is ready,” it said in the statement.
When and if the documents are agreed by the Belgian politicians, they must be sent for review to the ambassadors of all 28 EU member states, then likely return to the Wallon parliament and other Belgian government institutions.
Reynders said he expected Belgium to send the trade documents to the EU ambassadors around 0900 GMT.
Paul Magnette, the head of the Wallon government, said: “We regret it but it will be impossible to hold the summit tomorrow.”
Oliver Paasch, head of the German-speaking community, said “I am certain it will not be possible to sign the treaty tomorrow” even if it is still possible to reach a Belgian consensus that could be sent to the other EU member states.
In the last few days, a range of intensive talks involving Belgian leaders as well as EU officials have been held in a bid to break the deadlock.
Donald Tusk, the European Council president who would host the summit, told the European Parliament in the French city of Strasbourg that he hoped the agreement would be finalised soon.
He also warned that the EU’s international reputation would suffer if the deal falls through with Canada, “the most European country outside Europe and a close friend and ally.”
Hinging on its success are other trade negotiations, including even more controversial ones with the United States.
The CETA pact would link the EU’s single market of 500 million people with the 10th largest global economy in what would be the most ambitious tie-up of its kind so far.
Leaders of Wallonia, a 3.5 million-strong region south of Brussels, want guarantees that CETA will not harm local farming and other interests.
Critics especially oppose terms of the deal intended to protect international investors which they say could allow them to force governments to change laws against the wishes of the people. — AFP
 
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Belgium plans new talks to break EU-Canada trade deadlock

Belgium plans new talks to break EU-Canada trade deadlock BRUSSELS — Belgium’s political leaders looked Thursday to a new round of talks aimed at resolving differences that have blocked a landmark EU-Canada free trade deal. The stakes are high amid warnings that the EU’s international standing, alre…

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27 Oct 2016

Sylvie Gazeau and Friends to perform in HCMC

Sylvie Gazeau and Friends to perform in HCMC
Sylvie Gazeau and Friends to perform in HCMC
By Tuong Vi in HCMC
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Sylvie Gazeau and Friends – Photo: Courtesy of Consulate General of France
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At the invitation of the Consulate General of France in HCMC, Sylvie Gazeau and her string orchestra will perform a concert called “Sylvie Gazeau and Friends” at the Music Conservatory of HCMC, 112 Nguyen Du Street, District 1, at 8 p.m. on March 10.
Gazeau will lead a one week string instrument course, including violins and violoncellos, for lecturers and students of the conservatory. The participants of this course, along with nineteen Vietnamese musicians who lecture at the conservatory, will join in this concert to mark the long relationship between the Music Conservatory of HCMC and the Consulate General of France.
The concert has received sponsorship from the Consulate General of France in association with 12 Vietnam-based enterprises such as Air France, Big C and L’Oreal.
Gazeau is a violin professor of the Paris Music and Dance School and her friends Jérôme Lefranc, Nguyen Huu Nguyen and Nguyen Huu Khoi Nam (French Vietnamese) have participated in many great orchestra concerts worldwide.
The concert programs consist of Schubert’s “Danses” pour Orchestre à Cordes, Shostakovitch’s “Quatuor N°8”, Boccherini’s “Grave et Fandango” pour Guitare et Cordes, Mozart’s “Quatuor en Ré Majeur” pour Flûte et Cordes and Dvorak’s “Quintette” pour Piano et Cordes.
Tickets, priced between VND150,000 and VND200,000, go on sale on Friday at:
– Music Conservatory of HCMC, 112 Nguyen Du Street, District 1, tel: 08 3824 3774 
– Exotissimo, 20 Hai Ba Trung Street, District 1, tel: 08 3827 2911, email: <a href="mailto:infosgn@exotissimo.com">infosgn@exotissimo.com</a> 
– HCMC – Sofitel Travel Desk, 17 Le Duan Street, District 1, tel: 08 3822 6962, email: <a href="mailto:sofsgn@exotissimo.com">sofsgn@exotissimo.com</a> 
– HCMC – New World Travel Desk, 76 Le Lai Street, District 1, tel: 08 3824 3759, email: <a href="mailto:newworldtraveldesk@exotissimo.com">newworldtraveldesk@exotissimo.com</a> 
– HCMC – Branch Office, SD5-2 Grand View Building, Nguyen Duc Canh Street, District 7, tel: 08 5412 2761, email: <a href="mailto:pmh@exotissimo.com">pmh@exotissimo.com</a>.
 
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Sylvie Gazeau and Friends to perform in HCMC

Sylvie Gazeau and Friends to perform in HCMC Sylvie Gazeau and Friends to perform in HCMC By Tuong Vi in HCMC Sylvie Gazeau and Friends – Photo: Courtesy of Consulate General of France At the invitation of the Consulate General of France in HCMC, Sylvie Gazeau and her string orchestra will perform a…

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27 Oct 2016

Indonesia to lure tourists

Indonesia to lure tourists
The Embassy of Indonesia in VN will think of efficient solutions to promote tourism development cooperation between Indonesia and VN, said Indonesia’s Ambassador Ibnu Hadi at a recent seminar to promote Bali’s tourism in Hanoi.
 
<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="Indonesian island Bali with capital Denpasar, is known for its beautiful beaches, and coral reefs." src="http://bit.ly/2eT4y8g" title="Indonesian island Bali with capital Denpasar, is known for its beautiful beaches, and coral reefs." />
Indonesian island Bali with capital Denpasar, is known for its beautiful beaches, and coral reefs.
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The seminar which was held on Tuesday with the subject Denpasar-Bali Tourism Gathering attracted the participation of representatives of Denpasar Tourism Promotion Board, and different travel companies from Indonesia and VN.
At the seminar, Ambassador Ibnu Hadi stressed that Indonesia was an attractive destination to Vietnamese tourists with its ancient history, original culture and pristine beaches. However, every year, only 50,000 Vietnamese tourists visit Indonesia. And more than 70,000 Indonesian tourists visit VN.
“Those figures are still modest in comparision to the tourism potential of the two countries,” he said.
The Ambassador said that in the coming time, the embassy will try to connect Vietnam Airlines with airline companies of Indonesia, with the hope of increasing direct flights between the two countries.
He hopes that the first direct flight from Hanoi to Jakarta and to Bali will be soon opened to create favorable conditions for tourists of the two countries and help save on travel fees. The embassy will also co-operate with the VN National Administration of Tourism and Vietnam Airlines to organise farm trips to VN’s delegates and journalists.
One of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, Bali was awarded the title of world’s best island by the International Travel Magazine. Bali, with capital Denpasar, is an Indonesian island known for its forested volcanic mountains, iconic rice paddies, beaches and coral reefs. However, many people do not know about the unique Balinese culture.
VNS
 
Indonesia to lure tourists Related image(s) 
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Indonesia to lure tourists

Indonesia to lure tourists The Embassy of Indonesia in VN will think of efficient solutions to promote tourism development cooperation between Indonesia and VN, said Indonesia’s Ambassador Ibnu Hadi at a recent seminar to promote Bali’s tourism in Hanoi. Indonesian island Bali with capital Denpasar,…

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27 Oct 2016

VTF, useful playground of tourism businesses in Nha Trang

VTF, useful playground of tourism businesses in Nha Trang
Established 4 years ago, Viet Nam Tourism Forum (VTF) in Nha Trang has become one of useful playgrounds of tourism makers in the beach city.
<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="Members of VTF Nha Trang exchange at Nhan Tam Ecological Tourist Site" src="http://bit.ly/2dMDi9l" title="Members of VTF Nha Trang exchange at Nhan Tam Ecological Tourist Site" />
Members of VTF Nha Trang exchange at Nhan Tam Ecological Tourist Site
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Members of VTF Nha Trang have just paid a visit to 3D picture gallery at CoopMart Nha Trang. After the visit, some travel firms have planned to put this gallery into their tour program as a destination in Nha Trang. So far this year, VTF Nha Trang has hosted many surveys at some spots like Nhan Tam Ecological Tourist Site, Hon Giao stone stream, etc and some restaurants, hotels in Nha Trang.
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According to Ta Kinh Dong, from the executive board of VTF Nha Trang, visits and surveys on destinations and tourist products in the province have helped members connected more closely. Then they have chances to introduce, share and use products of each other in their business. Member of VTF Nha Trang also can exchange with members of VTFs nationwide. Members of VTF Nha Trang meet each other every Thursday to exchange and join social activities, Dong revealed.
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Over 4 years from August, 2012, VTF Nha Trang has 60 members now that are representatives from travel companies, hotels, restaurants, tourist spots and tourist businesses in Nha Trang. This is a non-profit forum. No fees are charged for members. It’s useful for businesses to join it. “It’s useful to me as well as my business. Connecting with other businesses and using products of each other have made us try to improve products’ quality and keep stable prices which is good for businesses as well as consumers”, said Nguyen Thi Lien Anh, from Lien Thanh Co., Ltd.
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Vo Duc Thinh, director of BB Travel & Event Co., Ltd also shared that, “Joining VTF Nha Trang has helped our company sign many contracts with other members. We also have learned a lot of practical experience from other members.”
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According to Permanent Vice-chairman of Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa Tourism Association Nguyen Van Thanh, VTF Nha Trang should develop more members to increase the forum’s effects. VTF Nha Trang also may launch own product packages to introduce to partners and tourists.
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VTF, useful playground of tourism businesses in Nha Trang Related image(s) 
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/2dMDi9l" width="200" />

VTF, useful playground of tourism businesses in Nha Trang

VTF, useful playground of tourism businesses in Nha Trang Established 4 years ago, Viet Nam Tourism Forum (VTF) in Nha Trang has become one of useful playgrounds of tourism makers in the beach city. Members of VTF Nha Trang exchange at Nhan Tam Ecological Tourist Site Members of VTF Nha Trang have j…

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27 Oct 2016

Đà Nẵng mountain resort wins Best Resort in Asia award

Đà Nẵng mountain resort wins Best Resort in Asia award
<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="http://bit.ly/2f9802q" width="500" />
Handwoven boats: Traditional bamboo coracles on Sơn Trà peninsula. — VNS Photo Công Thàhh
</div>
<div><a href="http://bit.ly/24En4mq">Viet Nam News</a>
Đà Nẵng – American tourism magazine Conde Nast Traveler has announced the winner of its 2016 Reader’s Choice Awards, and the InterContinental Đà Nẵng Sun Peninsula Resort was named the best resort in the Asia.
The award was decided through votes from travel experts, tourists and readers all over the world.
It’s the second time that the Đà Nẵng-based resort has won a prize from the magazine. In 2012, it was named one of the 154 best new hotels in the world.
Earlier last week, the InterContinental Đà Nẵng Sun Peninsula Resort – situated 600m above sea level in the central city – was awarded three titles: Asia’s Leading Luxury Resort, Việt Nam’s leading resort and Việt Nam’s leading spa resort at the World Travel Awards ceremony in Đà Nẵng.
Opened in 2012, the 200-room beach resort was awarded the World’s Leading Luxury Resort title for the second consecutive year. It was voted Best Luxury Resort Spa 2015 and World’s Best New Hotel Spa 2015 and was named one of the world’s most luxurious chain hotels by CNN.
The resort’s La Maison 1888 also was recognised as one of the world’s 10 best new restaurants by CNN, and one of the 101 best restaurants in Asia by the Daily Meal, a US food website.
In 2015, its architect, Bill Bensley, won the ‘Best Achievement in Design’ award organised by Virtuoso Hotels & Resort and Virtuoso Life magazine.
The resort hosted a three-day vacation of billionaire financier George Soros in 2012. – VNS
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="http://bit.ly/2f9aaPK" width="500" />
Seen from the air: A bird’s eye view of Sơn Trà Peninsula in Đà Nẵng city. — Photo Chopper tours company
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<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="http://bit.ly/2eST05a" width="500" />
Tropical paradise: The InterContinental Đà Nẵng Sun Peninsula Resort and Sơn Trà Mountain. Conde Nast Traveler’s Reader’s Choice Awards 2016 named it the best resort in Asia. — Photo InterContinental Đà Nẵng Sun Peninsula Resort
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Đà Nẵng mountain resort wins Best Resort in Asia award Related image(s) 
<img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/2f9802q" width="200" />

Đà Nẵng mountain resort wins Best Resort in Asia award

Đà Nẵng mountain resort wins Best Resort in Asia award Handwoven boats: Traditional bamboo coracles on Sơn Trà peninsula. — VNS Photo Công Thàhh Viet Nam News Đà Nẵng – American tourism magazine Conde Nast Traveler has announced the winner of its 2016 Reader’s Choice Awards, and the InterContinental…

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27 Oct 2016

Thanh Hoa – the cradle of VN civilization

Thanh Hoa – the cradle of VN civilization
VietNamNet Bridge – Thanh Hoa is one of the biggest provinces in Vietnam and a cradle of Vietnamese civilization dating back 6,000 years ago. 
Presently, the size of the population of Thanh Hoa is third in the population chart, just behind Hanoi and HCMC, with 3,400,239 people. Moreover, the community in this province is diverse with many ethnic groups such as Muong, Thai, Tho, Dao, and Mong. But the Kinh are the majority.
Thanh Hoa tourism is famous for many beautiful landscape and historic sites. You can explore the natural and cultural beauty during a 2-day journey.
The God Fish Stream
The God Fish Stream is a fascinating tourism destination in Cam Luong commune, Cam Thuy district, Thanh Hoa province.
This has been around for a thousand years under the base of Truong Sinh Mountain. The place does not only draw travelers because of the majestically natural scenery with the high mountains, long rivers and a huge forest, but is also known for a special type of fish in the stream.
No one in the immediate area knows exactly what type of fish it is, but it is called The God Fish due to many mystical stories of these special creatures.
The local people believe that the fish can bring misfortune to those who dare to catch and eat them; therefore, they protect the fish carefully and never dare to catch them.
In addition, this area is an interesting destination with many religious and cultural attractions. Besides the temple that local residents construct to worship the God Fish, there is also another pagoda in the area named Snake God Pagoda.
The old stories say that on a specific day during the year, the snakes come to this stream and protect the fish, so the people in this area have built a pagoda for these snakes as well to appreciate their work and also pray for a peaceful life.
The area also has a considerable number of Muong people, which give visitors the chance to understand more about the culture of this ethnic group by participating in their traditional activities such as Pon Pong Dance, brocade textile or pipe wine.
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Hai Hoa Sea
 
<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img alt="Located 2 km of Tinh Gia town, Hai Hoa boasts a peaceful sandy beach with crystal clear sea and rows of green casuarinas." src="http://bit.ly/2f9bDFF" title="Located 2 km of Tinh Gia town, Hai Hoa boasts a peaceful sandy beach with crystal clear sea and rows of green casuarinas." />
Located 2 km of Tinh Gia town, Hai Hoa boasts a peaceful sandy beach with crystal clear sea and rows of green casuarinas.
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Hai Hoa looks best when it is at dawn with the image of Me Island and the economic zone of Nghi Son in the distance.
Hai Hoa also offers excellent tourist services with special foods and sea products. The local people are friendly and hospitable of these have made Hai Hoa an attractive destination for visitors.
Ben En National Park
 
<img alt="Image result for vuon quoc gia ben en" src="http://bit.ly/2eSRhwO" /> 
 
 
This park is located in Nhu Thanh and Nhu Xuan districts, 36km from Thanh Hoa City. It was first established in 1992, and then expanded to now encompass an area of about 16,634 hectares, including 8,544ha of primary and recovered forest.
This place is not only a protected breeding ground of many rare creatures, but also an attractive destination for ecotourism with its poetic and majestic scenery.
Ben En national Park has a wide and diverse system of lakes, caves, mountains and forest that is utilized to develop ecotourism. The two biggest lakes here are Ben En Lake and Muc Lake.
While Ben En Lake has a tranquil feel with cool and fresh air, Muc Lake is a moreexciting destination for the many types of animals like fish and bird that populate the caves and islets of the lake.
Forests in Ben En are rich with a vast number of valuable woods such as green ironwood and mahogany.
<div><img alt="Image result for vuon quoc gia ben en" src="http://bit.ly/2f9be6h" /></div>
In addition, Ben En has a limestone mountain with a beautiful and diverse system of primary caves. Among the caves, Ngoc cave is the more outstanding with its complex structure and bigger size. The inside of this cave is sparkling with rosin, and there is a giant rosin rock that resembles a pearl.
The cave is named after this rock, as “Ngoc” literally means “pearl” in Vietnamese. Next to Ngoc Cave lies Can Cave, where the visitors can see all of Ben En area from the top.
Ho Dynasty Citadel – World Cultural Heritage
 
<div><img alt="Image result for thanh nha ho" src="http://bit.ly/2eSSZ16" /> </div>
Recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Site at the 35th meeting in Bahrain in June, 2011, the Citadel is not only the pride of Thanh Hoa people, but also the pride of Vietnamese people.
This monument is a rare intact stone citadel in Vietnam, the only one in Southeast Asia and one of the few surviving stone castles in the world. After six centuries, the citadel is still stable with some intact portions of the walls.
<img alt="Image result for thanh nha ho" src="http://bit.ly/2f9dEBH" />
It is surprisingly said that Ho Dynasty Citadel had been built in only three months from January to March 1397. This citadel used to be the capital of both Dai Viet nation during the final years of Tran Dynasty and Dai Ngu nation for seven years.
It was officially named “Tay Do” (Western Capital) in order to distinguish from Thang Long – Dong Do Citadel (Eastern Capital). Ho Citadel is the only stone one in Vietnam constructed during a short period of time. It includes two layers: the inner called “Hoang Thanh” built with stone and the outer called “La Thanh” built with soil.
The outstanding feature of Ho Dynasty Citadel is that its stone walls were built to bear earthquakes with an average height of five meters. It is strange that the stones were laid without cement, each of them weighing up to 20 tons.
<img alt="Image result for thanh nha ho" src="http://bit.ly/2eSVxfD" />
Besides four gates at Ho citadel, there was a canal surrounding the citadel as an extra layer of protection. Witnessing the ups and downs of over its six-century history, some parts of the citadel are still standing.
Ho Dynasty Citadel was the symbol of power and military fortress. It was also built to represent both royalty and divine powers. It helped to link natural and human space. Time and weather cannot damage the major stone sections because of the citadel’s unique construction techniques.
In addition to visiting the gates, and the wall, you can visit the Museum of the Ho dynasty, the temples to understand the building’s history. Peanut candies and Vinh Loc tea are also interesting options for you to enjoy the historic stories about a mysterious dynasty.
If visiting in harvesting season, you can enjoy a great scene with bright yellow paintings inside the 600 year old citadel. The straight path and the ancient wall will give you a memorable photo opportunity. You should eat lunch at Vinh Loc to discover the land in the afternoon.
Sam Son
 
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Traveling to Sam Son beach, tourists not only are strongly impressed by a long coastline of white sandy beach, plentiful scenes, and historical vestiges, but are also welcomed by friendly and hospitable people. Don’t miss the chance to enjoy delicious specialties of the northern province of Vietnam here.
This place has been a famous spot for tourism in Vietnam since the beginning of the previous century, when the French begun to build facilities to serve themselves and the courts of the Nguyen regime. In addition to the gifts that nature presents, Sam Son also has many attractions for travelers to explore.
<img alt="Image result for sam son" src="http://bit.ly/2eSTaJA" />
Sam Son has a long and beautiful beach reaching more than 16km in length. The very flat and gentle sandbank, combined with the clean and blue water makes the scenery of Sam Son beach magnificent and attractive.
Visitors will have some unforgettable moments when they wallow in the cool blue sea, listen to songs of the wave and the wind, and take a nap on the sunlight sandbanks or build sand castles. Also, this is a good place to try various local seafood varieties such as shrimp, crabs, and fish and to bring back home some nice souvenirs.
Besides the beaches, Sam Son also has another fascinating destination with many natural attractions and historical relics: the Truong Le Mountain range.
The part that is contiguous to the sea is called Co Giai Islet. On top of this islet, there is a small pagoda named “Doc Cuoc”, which means “One Leg”.
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The pagoda is the place for the local people to recall the epic legend of a giant that manages to slay a sea monster and to guard the sea in the past.
Also, there is a special rock name “Trong Mai”, formed with two huge boulders on a flat rock. There is a story that these rocks represent a husband and wife, who love each other passionately even after both were transformed into birds.
Lam Kinh
 
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Lam Kinh is located in Xuan Lam Commune, Tho Xuan District. Here, tourists have a chance to visit a well-known historic relic related to the life and career of King Le Thai To, a famous king in Vietnamese history, as well aslearn about the uprising of the Lam Son troops in the 15th century.
After ten years of leading the Lam Son uprising to fight against the Northern invaders, Le Loi won and became a king in 1428 with the official name of Le Thai To. He set up the capital in Dong Kinh (Thang Long – present-day Hanoi). Simultaneously, he ordered an imperial city built in his birthplace and called it Lam Kinh or Tay Kinh.
<img alt="Co do Lam Kinh nhin tu tren cao hinh anh 1" src="http://bit.ly/2f997iW" />
According to historical documents and evidence found in the excavations in the area, the imperial city of Lam Kinh was built on a large-scale with the architectural style of “Noi cong, ngoai quoc” (the internal shape looks like the Chinese character “gong” and the external shape looks like the Chinese character “quo”).
It includes magnificent buildings like a palace, a southern gate, an imperial temple and a dragon yard. The imperial city sits on Dau Mountain in the north and faces towards the Chu River in the south. In front of it is Chua Mountain, on the left is Phu Lam Forest and on the right is Huong Mountain.
After five centuries, most of the structures in Lam Kinh were ruined and now there remain only four imperial tombs of kings from the Le Dynasty and the tomb of Queen Ngo Thi Ngoc Giao, mother of King Le Thanh Tong.
<img alt="Co do Lam Kinh nhin tu tren cao hinh anh 2" src="http://bit.ly/2eST9W2" />
In 1962, Lam Kinh Historical Relic was recognized as a national historic relic by the State. In 1994, the Government approved a project to restore 50 of the structures, including the citadel, the Ngoc River, an ancient well, a triumphal arch, the southern gate, imperial temples, the palace and imperial tombs. With these valuable historical structures, the relic has become a famous tourist destination in Thanh Hoa Province.
To reach the central area of the royal citadel, visitors pass over a stone bridge crossing the Ngoc River. Walking for about 50m, tourists see a green plot of grass and an ancient well with clean and clear water.
<img alt="Co do Lam Kinh nhin tu tren cao hinh anh 8" src="http://bit.ly/2f9aI8p" />
Next is the southern gate with a 300-year-old banyan tree covering up the roof of the gate and then a dragon yard. Passing the dragon yard, tourists come to the central palace where kings gave audience and discussed state affairs.
The central palace includes three large wood buildings which had great architectural value in the Le So Dynasty (1428-1527). Behind the central palace are nine imperial temples that were successfully restored.
From the central area of the royal citadel, on the roads paved with red bricks to forests tourists visit the tombs of kings in the Le Dynasty under green leaf canopies or climb up to the windy Dau Mountain and enjoy Tay Lake with its wild and poetic beauty.
Visiting the relics on August 22 of the lunar calendar, tourists not only enjoy a beautiful landscape and learn about the culture, architecture and history of this land but also participate in the Lam Kinh Festival with many traditional folk games. The festival is annually held on King Le Thai To’s death anniversary to commemorate his glorious achievements.
Nga Son
 
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Visiting Nga Son District, you will enjoy discovering magnificent landscapes as well as taste special foods. It will bring you unforgettable memories.
Nga Son District is considered to be a destination with beautiful and stunning sites as well as delicious and unique dishes. There are 250 cultural monuments with 42 monuments which have been rated in Nga Son. Coming to Nga Son, visitors will be surprised at seeing mountain ranges and learning about the legend of sites in this place.
Nga Son is attached to the legend of Mai An Tiem, Ba Dinh revolution and Nga Son mat weaving.
Mai An Tiem pagoda is the most interesting place in Nga Son that you cannot miss. This place is attached to the legendary figure of Hung Vuong.
The pagoda covers 3.5 ha in Nga Son and was designated the national cultural heritage. Annually, the pagoda often takes place the festival from 12nd to 15th of March (Lunar calendar). On the occasion of the festival, there are many activities taking place in this place such as performances, competition of folk games such as tug of war, bag jumping, human chess, cock fighting, rice cooking competition,…
<img alt="Image result for nga son thanh hoa" src="http://bit.ly/2f9byC2" />
Tu Thuc Cave is another destination in Nga Son that you should spend time visiting and experiencing its amazing beauty. The cave is attached to the legend of “Tu Thuc meets Fairy” and it was rated a national unique landscape by the Ministry of Culture and Information.
Tu Thuc Cave is a colorful and wonderful cave with a lot of stalactites of different shapes and sizes. You will seem to be lost in a paradise when coming to visit Tu Thuc Cave.
Tien pagoda is an interesting place to visit in Nga Son. The pagoda is located in Nga An commune and is surrounded by mountains. The festival of Tien pagoda often happens between 14th and 16th of March (Lunar calender), after festival of Mai An Tiem pagoda. It is also a place of worship and attracts a lot of tourists on the occasion of festival.
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Furthermore, Ba Dinh war Zone, Than Phu porch, Le Thi Hoa temple and Van Hoan pagoda are other fantastic destinations that visitors cannot miss on their trip. Let’s take advantage of your chance to go to visit Nga Son to know more about this natural and peaceful place.
One more thing that you will have chance to experience in Nga Son is how to make mat weaving. Most people know that Nga Son is famous for making sedge mats. People in this place have their own way to make products from shichito matgrass.
Nga Son is also well – known for special dishes such as Nhech raw fish, fermented pork roll, goat husk compost, mountain snail, glutinous – rice wine.
Pu Luong Nature Reserve
 
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Pu Luong is not only the habitat of plentiful of flora, but the living environment of many species of fauna as well. With an area of 17,662 ha, Pu Luong Nature Reserve is an ideal place for developing Vietnam tourism.
The Nature Reserve is situated along two parallel mountain ridges running from the northwest to the southwest. In the middle of the nature reserve is a valley that separates into two parts. This valley contains the settlements of several local people and a large area of agricultural land.
Pu Luong is the habitat of plentiful of flora. It hasa primary forest, regarded as an evergreen tropical seasonal forest. A diverse flora covers the forest with at least 1,109 vascular plant species. Three primary forest subtypes found at the site also play an important role, including primary lowland forest on limestone and schist/shale, primary coniferous submontane forest on limestone and primary submontane forest on basalt.
<img alt="Image result for khu bao ton pu luong" src="http://bit.ly/2eSPqrI" />
Pu Luong is also the living environment of total of 84 mammal species, in which there are 24 bat species, 162 bird species, 55 fish species, 28 reptile species, 13 amphibian species, 158 species of butterfly and 96 species of land snail. Here is an important place for the safeguarding of Delacour’s Leaf Monkey.
Thanks to the variety of flora and fauna inside, Pu Luong Nature Reserve should be an ideal destination for tourists in Vietnam travel, especially for those who enjoy eco-tourism and adventure tours.
The most beautiful beaches in Thanh Hoa
 
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Hai Tien beach
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Thanh Hoa is famous for beautiful beaches with blue sea water. Every year, Thanh Hoa welcomes a huge quantity of tourists.
One of the most beautiful beach in Thanh Hoa, Sam Son beach is 10km in length and has big wave, gentle water and fine sand. You can also visit famous monuments, landmarks like Gam Temple on Co Giai Mount. Sam Son attracts many tourists from many different regions. Hon Trong Mai is an attraction here. However, you should consider carefully because you might be easily ripped off.
Hai Tien beach, Hoang Hoa district 
12km in length, Hai Tien beach has long sandy beaches with fresh air. It still remains purewith few services but coming here, tourists can enjoy peace of nature besides the fishing village. There are huts to look after the oysters at the sea gate, salt fields or green forests.
Hai Hoa beach, Tinh Gia district 
Hai Hoa is a new beach in Thanh Hoa which has original and romantic beauty with white sand by the green casuarina groves. There are fishing villages living here so you can see the life of fishermen. The fish market is on the beach so it is easy for you to buy fresh and cheap seafood.
Hai Thanh beach, Tinh Gia district
 
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Hai Thanh beach is 4km in length, stretches from nose of Thoi Toi Mount to the foot of Du Xuyen Mount. Slight wavescaused the peace of fish villages here. The highlight of Hai Thanh beach is Hon Me which is offshore with more than 10 islands.
You can also visit historic sites here like Quang Trung Temple, Doi Tien Pagoda or Ba Lang church…Hai Thanh beach is famous for many fishing villages, Ba Lang fish sauce processing workshop and fresh seafood.
Compiled by Pha Le
 
Thanh Hoa – the cradle of VN civilization Related image(s) 
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Thanh Hoa – the cradle of VN civilization

Thanh Hoa – the cradle of VN civilization VietNamNet Bridge – Thanh Hoa is one of the biggest provinces in Vietnam and a cradle of Vietnamese civilization dating back 6,000 years ago. Presently, the size of the population of Thanh Hoa is third in the population chart, just behind Hanoi and HCMC, wit…

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27 Oct 2016

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