Origin Vietnam

Vietnam travel, Vietnam tours Ben En National Park bleeding

Ruby — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 05:59:29 +0000

Ben En National Park, a nature reserve in Nhu Thanh and Nhu Xuan districts, Thanh Hoa City, is suffering from an intensive “massacre”.

The area is home to a large bio-diversity with a great range of plants and animals. Much of the wildlife found here has been categorised as endangered or rare.

Following reports from local people, DTiNews went to view the jungle.

An elderly man volunteered to walk us through the jungle. He said that there were many old and rare trees chopped down by illegal loggers. We saw, indeed, many sections of Lim trees cut down to the ground. There were many huge stumps of Lim, still fresh, because they had only recently been chopped to the down.

Walking further into the jungle, we found Chu Khet and Sen trees chopped down, also very rare trees.

The old man told us that illegal loggers set up tents in the jungle and spend one week to cut down a large tree that is 1-2 metres in diameter. It appears the loggers not only cut down the trees, but also have a site to cut them into smaller sections as well.

This reveals that a large number of rare and old trees were deployed and taken out of the jungle. The question everybody is asking, “Why aren’t they being stopped by the authorities?”. Source:Dtinews

Vietnam travel, Vietnam tours, Tourist promotion to offer big discounts

Ruby — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 05:52:33 +0000

A campaign kicked off in Hanoi on March 12, offering deals for the months of August and September and discounts of between 10 and 30 percent on tourist services.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) expects that the “ Vietnam -Your Destination” programme will help it fulfil the yearly targets of 4.2 million foreign arrivals and 28 million domestic holidaymakers.

The Head of the Travel Department under the VNAT, Vu The Binh, said the campaign will focus on overseas Vietnamese to encourage them to promote Vietnam ’s image.

So far, about 80 percent of foreign arrivals say they based their decision to travel to Vietnam on the recommendation of someone who had visited, Binh said, explaining the VNAT’s policy.

The “ Vietnam ’s Impression” campaign launched by the VNAT last year considerably contributed to increasing the hospitality industry’s revenues by 9 percent year-on-year to some 70 trillion VND.

The VNAT reported that foreign arrivals in Vietnam surged by 27.4 percent year-on-year to almost 880,000 in this year’s first two months.

China took the lead with the number of arrivals into Vietnam reaching some 137,000 or an increase of 90.8 percent compared to the corresponding period last year.

Other major markets such as the Republic of Korea and Japan also showed signs of a rally with the number of arrivals up by 24.4 percent and 5.8 percent year on year.

Vietnam travel, Vietnam tours, A low cost tour? You can have it, but there are conditions…

Ruby — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:24:13 +0000

There are many opportunities to enjoy attractive trips within Vietnam these days. Travel firms offer a lot of low cost tours under tourism promotion programmes, but they come with strings attached.

Trip packages multiply

Discounted air tickets have been sold since March 1, 2010, competition that has helped create favourable conditions for travel firms to sell tours.

It is now the high season for domestic travel because people have the habit of attending spring festivals. The director of a travel firm in the north told VietNamNet that at the Yen Tu and Huong Pagodas, he heard a lot of people speaking with a southern accent.

In fact, sensing substantial new demand for discount packages, travel firms in the north are scurrying to collect travelers and prepare more tour offerings. However, most of them say that they cannot organize low cost tours right in this month because of the limited time. It takes from one week to 15 days to confirm seats on flights alone. Tran Thanh Cong, Deputy Director of Hanoitourist, said that he will only be able to start providing low cost tours in early April at the soonest.

The He Tre Travel Firm, however, rolled out its first tours of the Lunar New Year by organizing tours for two groups of 15-18 people who travelled from HCM City to Hanoi and then to Ha Long Bay, Trang An and Sa Pa. On March 25, other lucky travelers could buy low cost tours from Hanoi to the Mekong Delta from the Vietnam Tourism and Sports Company.

The discounted tours are very attractive. In-country travellers can now visit attractive destinations like Da Lat, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, the Mekong Delta, Da Nang, Hoi An, Sa Pa and Ha Long Bay for 25, 40 even 50 percent less than before.

Talking with VietNamNet, most travel firms said they hope for big growth in the number of domestic travelers in 2010. Hanoitourist is planning to serve a thirty percent increase in demand. In the south, twenty travel firms have signed up as members of the “Domestic Travel Promotion Group,” which aim to sell 20,000 tour packages featuring low cost air fare, or forty percent more than in 2009.

A deputy group leader, Tran The Dung, said that the team is going to visit hotels, restaurants, attractions and entertainment places and bus companies in fifteen key cities and provinces, calling on them to agree to twenty to forty percent service fee reductions in order to lure more tourists.

Strict conditions

Travel firms all said that because the foundation of the the low cost tour packages is low cost air tickets, travelers must accept very strict conditions to take the tours.

For example, at Hanoitourist, clients need to provide the exact names of travelers 15 days in advance. Tickets are issued 10 days before the departure time. Travelers must deposit of 50 percent of the tour value as soon as their seats are confirmed by the travel firm. Travel agents cannot cancel or change the flights if tickets are issued already.

Some other travel firms only quote the fees of the tours excluding airfare. Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh, Deputy Director of Vietnamtourism in Hanoi, explained that the total tour fee will be flexible depending on the airfare, which is decided by the time of booking. This means that if travelers book tours well in advance, they will be able to have cheap tours, while if they book tours just a few days before the departure time, they will have to accept higher prices.

Besides air carriers, Vietnam Rail has also joined the tourism promotion programme, announcing reductions of twenty to fifty percent on railway tickets for passengers between HCM City and Hue or Quy Nhon from March 15 to April 20 and from May 4 to May 31. The fifty percent reduction is for passengers using the SH1 and SH2 trains (HCM City – Hue – HCM City) and AQN1 and AQN2 (HCM City – Quy Nhon – HCM City).By Ha Yen. Source: VNE

Vietnam travel, Vietnam tours, Lazing along Lac Lake

Ruby — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:45:26 +0000

Lac Lake is one of the largest natural lakes in Viet Nam and is considered by many to also be the most beautiful. Covering more than 500ha at an elevation of 500m, it is one of the most famous landscapes in Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands).

Spectacular mountains and primitive forests surround the lake. Reflections of the pine trees turn the water a beautiful deep green, which can be seen between the lotus flowers that float on the surface.

A twisty path, lined with old trees, tall grass and wild flowers, meanders along the hillside to Bao Dai Palace at the summit. It was originally the summer residence of King Bao Dai, the last king of the Nguyen Dynasty, which has been renovated into a hotel.

From the palace, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the lake and the surrounding forests. Glimpses of Mnong villages can be seen through breaks in the leafy canopy. In good weather, Chu Yang Sin, the highest mountain of the southern Central Highlands, can be seen.

King Bao Dai built the palace in 1940 as a place to rest and hunt. The palace was built in a Western architectural style combined with traditional Central Highlands decorations.

Many generations have passed on legends about Lac Lake through their tradition of oral history. The lake gave Dac Lac Province its name. ‘Dac’ in the Mnong language means water, river, stream or lake. ‘Lac’ was the name of a young man with overwhelming courage and strength who found the source of water resource for villagers in the area.Locals tell the legend: Once upon a time, a long time ago, for reasons unknown to man, the God of Fire and the God of Water declared war on each other.

After a fierce fight, the defeated God of Water was forced to hide by turning himself into a boulder. Consequently, there was a huge drought. For many years there was no rain and all the plants and animals perished. Villagers waited in misery for any drops of rain.

Quest

Then one day, a poor youth named Y Lac started on a quest to find water for the village. He walked day after day until he became so tired one afternoon he had to sit down on a boulder to eat and rest. His eyes happened to fall upon a small eel coiled up deep within a crack in the rock. He caught it and put it into a pan from which it could not escape. The next morning, Y Lac noticed a drop of water, like a pearl, at the bottom of the pan.

The youth somehow knew that the eel was the God of Water transfigured, so he released it and followed the eel as it slithered away. After a very long journey, the eel disappeared and an immense lake suddenly appeared in front of the youth’s eyes. Lac Lake was formed.

Visitors to Lak Lake these days can hear stories about the past, sail around in dug-out canoes, take elephant rides and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of mountainous Mnong villages. Tourists can also go trekking over streams in the forests to enjoy the beauty of the diverse flora and fauna while listening to the songs of the birds and the breath of the wind.

When night falls, imbibe in a glass of wine, listen to Tay Nguyen boys and girls sing and dance by the firelight to the sound of gongs, while enjoying the elders tell khan tales. For dinner, indulge in a helping, or two, of newly harvested fragrant mountain rice paired with fried thac lac fish, one of the area’s specialities.

There seems to be an inexhaustible supply of thac lac fish in Lac Lake. The thac lac specimens here are larger and, some say, more tasty than those found in other lakes because of their abundant food sources and the pure water that originates from the mouth of the Krong Ana which runs from Chu Yang Sin Mountain.

A visit to Lac Lake promises wonderful experiences for tourists to dance with the locals, wander through the forest on an elephant’s back and enjoy unforgettable specialities around the campfire next to stilt houses.

Lac Lake is located about 52km south of Buon Ma Thuot city, in the Central Highlands province of Dac Lac, along National Highway 27 on the road to Da Lat city. Source: VNS

Vietnam travel, Vietnam tours, Vietnam hosts world gastronomy festival

Ruby — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:54:33 +0000

World gastronomy festival 2010 will be held in the southern coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau from July 21-25. A 3km-long party will be arranged along the beautiful beaches of Thuy Van and Bai Sau in Vung Tau City, Ho Van Nien, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, and Pham Quang Vinh, assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said at a press briefing held in Hanoi on March 11.

The festival will also include markets on specialties and dishes from all 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam and more than 80 nations in the world, they added.

With five main facets – gastronomy, culture, festivities, shopping and relaxing–the event is expected to provide visitors with opportunities to enjoy traditional dishes and beverages, explore different cultures, shop and take part in a colourful parade with thousands of other people from different countries as well as areas in Vietnam.

During the festival, cooking demonstrations will be held on the beaches.

The organising board hopes the festival will become an annual traditional event in Vung Tau Province and will be recognised as a Guinness world record in terms of the largest space for a gastronomy festival.(Source: VNA)

Vietnam travel, Vietnam tours, Vietnam has great potential in tourism

Ruby — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:52:20 +0000

Ha Giang Province’s terraced rice fields are invaluable sources of food and priceless natural heritage sites.

Vietnam has great potential in tourism, boasting famous beauty spots, world-recognized assets of natural and cultural heritage, a unique culture and diversified tourist services.

Deputy Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Hoang Thi Diep delivered the statement at a reception held on March 10 on the sidelines of the ongoing travel trade show in Berlin (ITB Berlin).

Vietnamese Ambassador in Germany Do Hoa Binh, representatives from Vietnamese tourist companies and the national flagship carrier Vietnam Airlines and international friends attended the reception.

Vietnam this year will organise a number of festivities, such as the Hue Festival 2010 and the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, promising to fascinate visitors, Diep went on to say.

The annual show attracted the participation of more than 40 Vietnamese tourist companies including big names such as Vietravel, Saigontourist and Mailinhtourism.

Right on the first day, many of them had reportedly secured contracts with foreign partners.

ITB Berlin is the world’s leading travel and trade show. This year, it is luring over 11,120 tourist businesses from 187 countries and territories. At least 170,000 officials, entrepreneurs and visitors are expected to join the show.(Source: VNA)

Vietnam travel, Vietnam tours, Vietnam launches new tourism promotion campaign

Ruby — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:47:29 +0000

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has approved a new tourism stimulus program for 2010 that will be officially launched Friday.

Under the “Vietnam – Your destination” program, travel agencies and service providers nationwide will be encouraged to offer 10-30 percent discounts to both local and foreign customers.

Vu The Binh, head of the travel department at the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said he expected to see “familiar names” of the industry in the program. His administration plans to spend VND1.7 billion to promote the program.

The government last year launched a similar national campaign called “Impressive Vietnam”, which authorities found really successful in helping the tourism sector weather the global economic slump.

Foreign arrivals in the first two months this year rose 27.4 percent from a year ago to around 877,700, according to the General Statistics Office in Hanoi. Arrivals from many key markets increased sharply in the two-month period, with the number of Chinese tourists up 90.8 percent.

The country expects to receive 4.5-4.6 million foreign tourists this year, up 18-21 percent from 2009.

Source: TBKTSG

Vietnam tours, Vietnam travel, Solutions to promote tourism in Dalat

Ruby — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:04:51 +0000

“It is crucial to comprehensively implement all 8 solution packages to develop tourism in Dalat City,” concluded more than 150 representatives at a workshop held in the central highland province Lam Dong on March 10.

The workshop was jointly held by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and the provincial People’s Committee.

20 speeches at the workshop broadly discussed the positive and negative effects of the local tourism industry. It also worked out practical and strategic solutions for tourism planning and investment, environmental and forest protection, improvement of landscapes and buildings and tourism promotion through images and unique products to meet different market tastes.

Other topics included tourism cooperation between regions, among key triangles and across the country, human resource training and enhancement public awareness of the need to get involved in development projects as well as management skills of tourism administrative agencies. (Source: VOV)

Vietnam travel, Vietnam Tours, The world’s largest grotto draws foreign reporters

Ruby — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:44:13 +0000

Many TV channels and magazines from the UK, the USA, Japan and Canada are arriving in Quang Binh to survey and shoot documentaries about Son Doong, the world’s biggest cave, as well as the biodiversity of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, a world natural heritage site. From March 6-26, British ITV Studio will make a TV documentary about Son Doong cave and biodiversity in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

US filmmakers from National Geographic will also visit the newly-discovered grotto to shoot a film. This survey will feature the famous British explorer, Howard Limbert and will be broadcast in 120 countries in various languages.

In January 2010, Canada’s Yap Films Ltd. produced a TV documentary about Phong Nha-Ke Bang. Filmmakers from TV channels in Germany and Japan have also visited.

The presence of foreign filmmakers and reporters once again demonstrates the value and interest of the international community in this world natural heritage site, especially Son Doong cave and the surrounding karst grottos.

In mid-2009, the British Royal Cave Society announced the discovery of the world’s largest cave in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang national park by Ho Khanh, who had named it Son Doong. The cave is 2 kilometers in length, 150 meters at the highest point, and 90 meters wide.

Before this site was discovered, Deer Cave in Malaysia was recognized as the world’s biggest cave at 100 meters high, 90 meters wide and 2 kilometers long.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is located in Bo Trach and Minh Hoa districts in the centre of Quang Binh province. It protects one of the world’s two largest karst regions with several hundred caves and grottoes.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park was first nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. It was recognised as a world natural heritage site at UNESCO’s 27th general assembly session in Paris from June 30-July 5, 2003.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is one of the world’s two largest limestone regions. In comparison with 41 other world heritage sites which have karsts, Phong Nha has dissimilar geomorphic, geologic and biotic conditions. The karsts of Phong Nha can be traced back to the Palaeozoic era, 400 million years ago. This makes Phong Nha the oldest major karst in Asia.

The area has numerous grottoes and caves. Vietnamese and British scientists have so far surveyed a total of 20 caves with a total length of 70km. Of these surveyed caves, 17 are in the Phong Nha area and three in the Ke Bang area.

The Phong Nha cave from which the name of the whole system and the park is derived is famous for its rock formations which have been given names such as the “Lion”, the “Fairy Caves”, the “Royal Court”, and the “Buddha”.

Besides the grotto and cave systems, Phong Nha has the longest underground river, the largest caverns and passageways. Phong Nha-Ke Bang also contains two dozen mountain peaks of over 1,000 metres in height. Noteworthy peaks are the Peak Co Rilata with a height of 1,128 m and Peak Co Preu with a height of 1,213 m. PV. Source: VNE

Vietnam Travel, Vietnam tours, Investment in tourism, global promotion tipped to continue

Ruby — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:37:59 +0000

An Ninh Thu Do (Capital Security) newspaper talked with the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Hoang Tuan Anh, about tourism prospects for this year. Last year, the culture sector carried out a lot of international exchange programmes. Will they be continued this year?

Promotional programmes about Vietnam have been conducted scientifically and creatively and have achieved significantly good results. This year is an important one for the country as it celebrates the 1,000th anniversary of the ancient city of Thang Long. The ministry considers the promotional programmes key and is looking to invest on a wide scale.

We will continue the exchange programmes signed with our international partners and boost negotiations for bilateral co-operation in culture, sport and tourism with Italy, Portugal, Russia, Romania, Peru, Brazil, Cuba and South Africa.

The campaign, Impressive Vietnam, designed to attract visitors to the country with lower tour prices, has made a significant change to domestic tourism. What more can be done to attract visitors to Vietnam this year?To cope with the reduction of visitors due to the economic crisis, we ran the programme and it resulted in a turnover of more than VND70 trillion (US$3.6 billion) for the tourism industry, an increase of around 10 per cent over 2008.

The stimulus campaigns will continue on a larger scale with cultural and sporting activities attached in both key and potential markets.

We will also invest in national tourism sites, tourism complexes and hotels. We hope to have more than 25,000 rooms available to meet the demand soon. We will also continue the programme for the development of domestic tourism from 2010 to 2020 and towards 2030, approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

Last year, restoration work took place at a number of historical sites, but it was of a very poor standard. Can the problem be solved this year?

The ineffective restoration of these sites, financially and artistically, has proved controversial over the past few years.

Our ministry’s inspectors have examined improvement works across the country.

After the inspections, we also reviewed the list of construction violations. We then issued an instruction last May for officials to strengthen their investigations and inspections on the work.

We are preparing a standard process for the improvement of wooden historical sites and we can be sure that the process, once completed, will help reduce shortcomings in the improvements.

How would you judge the results of the national cultural programme from 2006-10 and what is going to be carried out this year?

This year, the programme has three key targets of preserving local cultural heritage, building and developing cultural networks, especially in remote areas, and supporting film-making activities to meet the increasing demand of movie lovers.

The ministry will monitor the progress of these activities in order to highlight any shortcomings as well as praise good examples.

The culture sector will also work to solve the serious degradation of tangible cultural heritage as well as the risk of losing intangible cultural heritage. We will also deal with the lack of facilities as well as regulations for cultural matters at all levels.

We plan to ask the Prime Minister to apply special mechanisms and policies to improve the programme.Source: VietNamNet/Viet Nam News