Feb 17

Seven international cruises to dock in central Vietnam

Posted on by

The Saigon Travel Service Company (Saigontourist) will welcome seven cruise ships from the high-end Star Cruises firm to Chan May Port in Thua Thien Hue and Tien Sa Port in Danang from February 14 to March 5.

This information was recently announced by a Saigontourist representative. The seven cruise ship dockings will bring a total of 15,000 tourists and crew to the two central coastal ports.

Under the plan, after docking at Chan May Port, the tourists will go on guided visits to Hue Royal Palace and Thien Mu Pagoda, take a cyclo tour, then have dinner and enjoy Hue Royal Court Music on boats on the Huong River. Moreover, tourists will have the chance to visit Danang City, Non Nuoc Stone Carving Village, My Khe Beach and Linh Ung Pagoda.

For ships docking at Tien Sa Port, Saigontourist will bring the passengers to visit the Cham Museum, shop at Han Market, contemplate the beauty of Hoi An Ancient Town and relax at Danang Golf Course.

In 2011, Saigontourist received and provided services for more than 115,000 maritime tourists.

(Source: CPV)

Feb 05

See The Best Of Australia

Posted on by

Australia is one of the most popular tourist destinations for so many reasons. The golden beaches, turquoise waters, awesome surfing and excellent dining are just a few of them. Here are some things you don’t want to miss on your next holiday.

The Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne are definitely worth a visit. Stroll around the tranquil gardens and ponds for a relaxing outing. There are activities for children, plenty of places for a picnic, and picturesque settings where you can just unwind and read a book.

Kangaroo Island in Kingscote is an adventure the whole family will love. Head out on a four-wheel drive guided tour around the island and see wallabies, koalas, fur seals, platypus, bandicoots, and of course, kangaroos. There are over 260 species of birds making their home here, and in the winter time you can even witness the whales that pass through the area. Enjoy food, wine and all the wildlife you could imagine on this exciting tour.

Beach lovers must head to the Gold Coast for the most excellent beach experience. Whether you are searching for the perfect waves to surf, the best reefs to snorkel through, or just want to sunbathe and sink your toes into the sand, the perfect beach is waiting for you. The Gold Coast also has many attractions such as theme parks, water park fun, illusion arcades, museums and so much more.

For a real taste of Australia, venture out on an outback tour. See the heart of the land, meet the friendly locals, see fantastic gorges, waterways, and spectacular waterfalls. An outback adventure is an experience you don’t want to miss out on. Planning a walkabout is also a great way to see Australia and all it has to offer.

The Great Barrier Reef is actually 2,500 different reefs where you can dive and enjoy the marine life that lives among them. The Ningaloo Reef is also an awesome diving spot, and it is here that you can dive with whale sharks, manta rays, and over 500 species of colorful tropical fish. The crystal clear waters only add to your excellent experience.

The Savannahlander train journey will show you the outback from a whole different perspective. Journey through the Kuranda range, stop at Barron Falls and Stoney Creek, and see Kuranda’s rainforest. It is definitely an unforgettable experience.

If you are tired of the daily driving you have to do, car hire Gold Coast can make your trip hassle free and relaxing. Let the experts do all the driving while you sit back and enjoy your holiday. You can find transportation from your hotel or airport, and get to all the attractions to wish to see in Australia.

Feb 01

Traveling to America

Posted on by

America is a multicultural country, is home to many diverse ethnic groups, traditions, and values. Speaking of the general culture of the majority of Americans are meant to “American mass culture.” It’s a culture is largely fed from the traditions of the immigrants from Western Europe, starting with the Dutch settlers and the British first. German, Irish and Scottish culture is also influential. Some traditions of Native Americans and many cultural characteristics of West African slaves were absorbed into the mass of Americans.

America is a tourist paradise of the world, is a favorite destination for many women because this place has a busy shopping center and meeting all tastes of consumers.

Traveling to America you can not ignore New York City – the most populous city in the United States and is the center of the New York metropolitan area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. As a pioneering global city, New York has a strong influence on trade, finance, culture, fashion and world entertainment. Being a place for the United Nations headquarters, it is also an important center of international issues.

Coming to this city you should be well-prepared . As it is a densely populated and expensive city so finding a cheap room in New York is not so easy. Once you have accommodation then you should find out if the sights are nearby or not and you should choose a convenient means of transport to visit the city.

Feb 01

Ho Chi Minh City in the top 10 of street food destinations

Posted on by

Ho Chi Minh City has been listed in the top 10 of world’s best street food destinations.

The list was created by Food and Wine magazine, a monthly publication of American Express Publishing.

Ho Chi Minh City’s most famous street foods include “pho” (rice noodles), “banh my kep pate” (sandwich with pate), and “banh xeo” (literary sizzling cake or fried pancakes made of rice flour, turmeric powder, and slivers of fatty pork, shrimp).

According to Food and Wine, street food has played an important role in the gastronomy of the world. The magazine sent readers to Ho Chi Minh City’s Ben Thanh market where food-lovers can discover the beauty of Vietnamese cuisine and enjoy delicious dishes. It also suggested other destinations where tourists could enjoy street food, such as Bangkok (Thailand), Penang (Malaysia), Berlin (Germany), Austin (Texas, United States).

Food & Wine was founded in 1978 by Ariane and Michael Batterberry, American food writers. It features recipes, cooking tips, travel information, restaurant reviews, chefs, wine pairings and seasonal/holiday content.

Jan 28

National Tourism Year – Hue 2012 kicks off

Posted on by

Central Thua Thien – Hue province has been selected to host the National Tourism Year – Northern Central Coastal Area 2012. It will host a series of activities throughout the year to promote national tourism and lure international tourists.

Starting the National Tourism Year 2012, the province has organised some cultural and artistic programmes such as “A Hue Night in the South” and “Hue Love” as well as participated in international fairs in Thailand, China, Japan and Indonesia.

The province has focused on developing unique and special tourist products based on its resources, including tours to craft villages, while promoting the category of tourism that incorporate meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE).

Thua Thien-Hue has planned to form shopping and food streets in Hue city as part of its tourist draws. It will also increase tours to lagoons, garden houses, countryside markets, ancient villages and eco-tourist sites.

A portal on the National Tourism Year 2012 has been put into operation in Vietnamese, English and French languages to serve tourists. A website on this topic in Japanese was also created.

During the year, Thua Thien-Hue province will host 20 events, including 11 national and nine provincial events.

The province has so far had 48 infrastructure projects for tourism development with a total registered capital of nearly 50 trillion VND. It now has over 500 accommodation establishments, including 200 hotels and 300 inns.

Jan 18

Vietnam’s tourism products introduced at ASEAN fair

Posted on by

Vietnam’s distinctive and high-quality tourism products are being showcased at an ASEAN international tourism fair in Indonesia.

The event, which opened on January 12, feature different types of tourism such as culture, heritage, sea and island.

Especially, Vietnamese travel agencies introduce visitors to Ha Long Bay, the new Natural Wonder of the World, and other Vietnamese landscapes which have been recognized by UNESCO as world cultural heritage sites in the central region at the fair.

The opening ceremony attracted the participation of 1,600 delegates from 300 travel agencies and hotels, and more than 100 media representatives from Asia and around the world.

The Vietnamese delegation, headed by General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Van Tuan, also attended the event.

The event is part of the ASEAN Tourism Forum, themed “ASEAN Tourism for Global Community of Nations”, being held in Indonesia from January 8-15.

The forum was initiated by ASEAN member countries with the aim of turning the regional bloc into an attractive destination, developing sustainable tourism, promoting the exchange of international visitors, as well as strengthening cooperation, friendship and cultural exchange.

(Source: VOV)

Nov 18

Air Mekong to offer more flights to tourist destinations

Posted on by

Air Mekong will operate an extra 50 flights on the routes mostly connected to tourist destinations from December 23 to January 3 to cater to surging air travel demand during the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays.

Truong Thanh Vu of Air Mekong told the Daily on the phone on Wednesday that almost all the additional flights would be conducted on the routes from Hanoi and HCMC to Phu Quoc, Dalat and Con Dao, with average frequency increases by 1.5 to two folds compared to normal days.

The airline plans to operate up to 14 weekly flights to Con Dao off Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province from the current five weekly times on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Vu said.

The private carrier will raise from one to two daily flights to Phu Quoc off the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang during the period.

From November 20, Air Mekong will add at least one daily flight to the Hanoi-HCMC route, which the airline currently has around three daily services. The carrier will sell some 40 seats on each flight for the same price of VND1.35 million, including a hot food portion.

From December, Air Mekong will service between Buon Ma Thuot and Vinh cities on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, or one more flight compared to its existing schedule. The airline credited this expansion to the route launched in October to connect the Central Highlands with the north of central Vietnam to a high occupancy rate of 80% and continuously rising demand.

Also in the plan is to launch the new Vinh-Pleiku route from December 1, the second of Air Mekong’s air link between the Central Highlands and the north of central Vietnam. As scheduled, flights will take off Pleiku in Gia Lai Province at 5 p.m. and Vinh at 6:45 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Air Mekong will apply promotional single fares from VND1 million to VND1.35 million exclusive of airport tax and surcharges to 50% of the 90-seat Bombardier CRJ 900 the carrier operates on the Vinh-Pleiku route. This promotion is valid for bookings until December 15.

(Source: Saigon times)

Nov 04

Vietnamese currency – Vietnam Dong (VND)

Posted on by

Vietnamese currency – Vietnam Dong (VND)

The currency of Vietnam is  “Dong” (abbreviated  “d” or  VND). Bank notes are: 100d , 200d and 500d (too small value – rarely used); 1,000d; 2,000d; 5,000d; 10,000d, 20,000d, 50,000d and 100,000d (each has two versions – cotton and polymer), 200,000d and 500,000d. Coins have recently come into circulation but not widely been accepted due to inconvenience, including: 200d; 500d; 1,000d; 2,000d and 5,000d. Their photos are as below.

US dollar is widely accepted while most major currencies can be exchanged at leading banks in Vietnam (Vietcombank, ANZ, ACB, VIB Bank…) or some hotels and jewelry shops. The official rate of exchange is approximately VND15,500 to US$1. With the relatively low value of Dong, you are recommended to carry US dollar in small notes; it will help you to change easily.

ATMs can be a choice as it’s very popular in most of tourist destinations now. Vietcombank (VCB) has the best network in the country. Withdrawals are issued  in Dong (50,000d and 100,000d only). There is a  limit of 2,000,000d (about US$125) for each withdrawal and a daily limit of 20,000,000d. Fee is 50,000d (US$3) each time.

Visa,  MasterCard and  JCB cards are widely accepted. Some merchants also accept  Amex. A  4%-commission charge on every transaction (3% for other cards) is pretty common, due to bank’s policy. Getting cash in advance from cards is possible at Vietcombank and some foreign banks in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Travellers Cheques are accepted at most of hotels, restaurants but in major cities. If you only have travellers cheques, stock up on US dollars at a bank, which usually charge anywhere from  1.25% to 3% commission to change them into cash. VCB charges no commission to changing travellers cheques for Dong. If your travellers cheques are in currencies other than US dollars, they may be useless beyond the major cities. Hefty commissions are the norm it they can be exchanged at all.

Nov 04

Vietnam custom regulations

Posted on by

Vietnam custom regulations

Arriving in Vietnam, all visitors must fill in  declaration forms and show their luggage to Customs Officials upon request. There are no limited amounts of foreign currency, objects made of gold, silver, precious metals and gemstones or plated with silver or gold but visitors must declare these in detail on the customs forms.

Luggage of Prohibited and Restricted carriage :

Following materials are prohibited accompanying baggage: corrosive, gas, explosive, toxic, oxygen, radioactive, flammable…
Following materials are not permitted accompanying baggage: knife, scissors, gun, cartridge, wheelchair with battery;
Passenger should not put money, jewel, document, important samples… in your baggage. Baggage should be covered and locked carefully;
Passenger should not put breakable materials such as china, electronic, bottle, jar… inside your baggage;
Following goods are prohibited carrying in flight: fish sauce, durian…

Entry Vietnam :

Tourists are authorized to bring in the following items duty-free: Cigarettes: 400 pieces; Cigars: 50-100; Tobacco: 100 gram; Liquor: 1.5l.
Personal effects of a reasonable quantity
Small gift items valued at not more than US$500.
You are expected to declare:

Cameras, camcorders and other electric equipments not for personal use
Jewelry not for personal use;
Currency over US$7,000 (There is no limit to the amounts of cash, precious metals and gems people can bring in, but amounts of over US$7,000 must be declared);
Video tapes (they may be kept few days and screened).

Exit Vietnam :

Goods of commercial nature and articles of high value require export permits issued by the Customs Office.
Antiques, some precious stones and animals listed in Vietnam’s red-book may not be brought out of the country.
Money: below US$3,000 of cash.

Nov 04

Business hours in Vietnam (GMT +7)

Posted on by

Business hours in Vietnam (GMT +7)

A normal working day in Vietnam starts from  7am to 8.30am and finish between  4pm to 6pm, from Monday to Friday and until noon on Saturday, leave the afternoon (most) and Sunday off.

Lunch is taken very seriously and virtually.  Everything shuts down between noon and 1.30pm. Government workers tend to take longer breaks, so figure on getting nothing done between 11.30am and 2pm.

Post offices keep longer, from 6.30am to 9pm.

Banks open from 8am to 4pm and Saturday’s morning.

Museums also open in the weekend for visitors but close on Monday.

Temples and pagodas open every day, from around 5am to 9pm.

Markets open at 7am and close at 5pm, except Night market (from Hang Dao Str. to Dong Xuan market – walking streets, in the evening of Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 8pm to 3am)

Super-markets (mini-marts) open from 8am to 8pm or 9pm.

Most private shops, restaurants and street stalls stay open seven days a week, often until late at night.

Bars and night clubs generally open in the afternoon and to midnight (official closing time) but always till 1pm or 2pm (most)