Vietnam Travel Guide

Most travelers to Vietnam are attracted by the country's wonderful natural beauty: From green rice fields dotted with the conical hats of workers in Vietnam's north stretching to the fascinating bustle of the Mekong Delta in the south.When to goThe best time to visit Vietnam mostly depends on what you'd like to see and when you have time to go. There are a few places where it would be ill advised to visit at a few specific times because of the weather and some relatively undiscovered (uncrowded) times with gorgeous weather. (read more)Where to go Hanoi: Capital and the second largest city of Vietnam, just about everywhere but especially the Old Quarter with good local atmosphere, the French Quarter and Hoan Kiem lake area. Sapa: Surrounded by beautiful scenery, Sapa is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the views. Sapa is an awesome place for adventurous activities from trekking, cycling to motorbike trips to explore the mountainous region and visit the villages and markets of the ethnic minorities. Halong Bay (an UNESCO World Heritage): Undoubtly among the most popular tourist destinations of Vietnam offering both for the magnificent views of the bay and the relaxing boat trips.Hue: As the former capital of the emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty, Hue has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site, and a trip to Hue is not complete without a visit to the ancient citadel and imperial palace.Danang: The fourth largest city, Danang offers tourists with an ideal natural location, surrounded by mountains, rivers, and the ocean, including the Hai Van pass to the north, the South China Sea to the east, Ba Na mountains to the west, and the Son Tra Peninsula with Nui Son Tra (Monkey Mountain) to the northeast.Hoi An - Hoi An is known not only for its old-world atmosphere and architecture but also for its cheap tailors, quaint restaurants serving delicious Hoi An specialties, and relaxed atmosphere, as well as the nearby beach.Nha Trang - lies in a beautiful bay on the south central coast of Vietnam. Nha Trang is also known as one of the best places in Vietnam for snorkling and diving, and tours are arranged year-round, although visibility is worse during the rainy season.HCMC: Set on the Saigon River, Ho Chi Minh is a sprawling city, with myriads of rivers and canals, although most tourists spend most of their time in the central districts.Trips: Mekong Delta. Vung Tau by hydrofoil buys tickets from the booths on the riverfront. Cao Dai temple (very beautiful and apparently unusual- I have to admit I have not been but the pictures I have seen confirms)

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Smoking Shisha in Saigon

Shisha is imported from Egypt. It is a mixture of different kinds of leafs and tree roots scented with fruit or coffee flavors and mixed with bee honey. Smoking Shisha has become a popular fashion of young people in the city, who think that smoking Shisha is fashionable, doesn’t contain nicotine, and is not addictive.

At a corner of Habibi, a group of youngsters were enjoying Shisha. Huan, who had never used to Shisha, was urged to try it. A friend of Huan gave him a long, colorful pipe and said “Don’t be afraid! It is delicious! It is not addictive like a cigarette!”

Huan kept the pipe on his mouth and puffed deeply, then let out the smoke at ease. Other members in this group started passing the pipe from hand to hand.

A girl in this group, named Phuong Linh, said previously every weekend, her group rode their motorbikes on the road and sometimes joined a race. Since they knew Shisha, this group comes to this café often to smoke and chat with each other every weekend.

“It is bad to see girls smoke cigarettes. Smoking Shisha is more ‘cultural.’ I’m self-confident in smoking Shisha because it does not smell like a cigarette,” Linh said.

At 11:00pm at night, nearly twenty foreign people entered Habibi and asked for Shisha. Following a café employee to the service room, I saw the man put flavours in the top part of the pipe. He covered this part by a tin foil which had several holes, then put some pieces of burning charcoal on the top.

“When we smoke, the heat from charcoal will follow holes on the tin foil to burn Shisha. But the heat is not enough to make Shisha burn directly like cigarette so the flavor of Shisha is maintained,” the man explained.

Gparker, a French member of the group of foreigners, said he came to Vietnam with his parents. He and his friends often go to Habibi to smoke Shisha on weekends because smoking Shisha is not as expensive as going to night clubs and they could talk with each other there.

“A Shisha pipe is priced at VND 110,000. It is enough for five people within one hour. It is no problem because we share the pay,” Gparker said.

The owner of Habibi said Shisha is also called Hookah in Indian because it is sourced from India. Shisha traveled from India to some countries in the Middle East and some Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Shisha is very popular among youngsters in Hanoi. In HCM City, there are two cafes offering Shisha.

According to an official from the Ministry of Public Security’s Institute for Criminal Sciences, Shisha has little nicotine and it is not addictive. Shisha is not banned in Vietnam.

VietNamNet/VNE

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Travelling Ha Long Bay to… collect rubbish

600kg of waste a day

Two boats carrying over ten young people departed from the tourist wharf in Ha Long city to go to two fishing villages, Cong Dam and Vung Vieng, which are approximately one hour, by boat, from the tourist areas.

These people met online and have been gathering in Ha Long City on weekends to collect waste at fishing villages on the bay for nearly one year.

Volunteer Lan Phuong, 21, from the northern province of Ninh Binh, said: “When I knew about this useful activity, I registered to join. Many people just know of Ha Long Bay as a natural world heritage site, not a Ha Long Bay with rubbish. I think, along with voting Ha Long as a new natural world wonder, each person needs to do useful activities to show their love to this invaluable heritage.”

Lan Phuong began hearing about the group of volunteers in March 2008 through an online forum. She immediately joined this group, which is named “For a Green Ha Long.”

The tools of the waste collecting volunteers are very simple: a small fishing boat, a basket, and a bin. Kids from fishing villages are voluntary rowers to help waste collectors. After one day, rubbish is burnt or buried under sand at a nearby mountain.

The leader of “For a Green Ha Long,” Doan Van Dung, said: “We are very surprised about the results. Initially, we collected 500-600kg of rubbish per day. Most of the waste was disintegrated and discharged by fishing villagers and tourist boats.”

Enhancing fishermen’s awareness of environmental protection



Vung Vieng fishing villagers currently use waste bins, and do not throw rubbish to the sea anymore.

According to Dung, at the beginning, local villagers did not support volunteers and they still discharged waste to the bay. However, after a short period of time, they changed their behavior and positively joined the group’s activity.

Vong Vieng and Cong Dam are two fishing villages located on Ha Long Bay for hundreds of years. Their life is closely linked to the sea. Before the “For a Green Ha Long” group came, villagers directly discharged waste into the sea, where they live.

The Director of the Centre for Sea Preservation, Entertainment, Development of Quang Ninh province, Nguyen Viet Duong, said that villagers use coal as major fuel. On average, each family uses six pieces of coal. Only the volume of coal residues can pollute the sea.

Besides collecting waste, volunteers tried to persuade local people not to throw waste into the sea and presented waste bins to them.

This group of volunteers is working by their own funds. After this project, the group will work to save salt-marsh forest to preserve the bay’s landscape.

Kien Trung

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Hoi An’s heritage through signboards

There is nowhere like in this city where the past, the present and the future are as connected to business and nowhere like in Hoi An where signboards of shops can tell so much.

Some of the signboards in Hoi An have been around since the 18th century and they are still hanging on the doors of ancient houses like living proof of the ancient city’s history.

Culture of signboards

On ancient streets of Hoi An, old signboards prevail on doors, giving the ancient city a unique architectural characteristic.

Signboards of shops are very diverse and eye-catching. There are 75 old signboards on the road of Tran Phu and 40 on Nguyen Thai Hoc street, belonging to shops of Vietnamese and Chinese-Vietnamese.

According to the Hoi An Relics Preservation Centre, there are 45 signboards of 100-200 years old and 30 of less than 100 years. Many shops have been known for centuries, such as Duc Hung, Xan Thanh, Van Buu, Tan Ky, Tuong Lan, Chan Nam Hung, Thuan An Duong and Quan Thang San.

Mrs. Thai Thi Sam, 90, at No. 77, Tran Phu road, said: “Quan Thang San signboard is written in Chinese script. It has been used for more than 200 years, since the age of my paternal grandfather. It has been moved several times. Though my family doesn’t do business anymore, we still keep it because it is the brand of my grandparents.”

The old signboard Quan Thang San is now hung on the most beautiful old house in Hoi An. This house is a typical example of the architecture of Hoa Ha region in China. The house’s owner, Mr. Diep Bao Hung, is the 7th descendant of a Chinese captain named Thai Ke Trinh, who traded traditional Chinese medicines with Asian countries.

According to a survey of the Hoi An Relics Preservation Centre, most signboards were made based on the Chinese conception of prosperity and luck. However, the signboard of each house has its own special quality.

Most signboards of Chinese-Vietnamese are written in Chinese and made of wood. They are carved and gilded. Typical examples are Chan Nam Hung, Tuong Lan, and Tan Ky, which are decorated with leaves, flowers, dragons, and cranes.

There are some signboards made of concrete on walls, decorated with patterns, such as Thai Vinh Xuong, Nam Phat and Cam Thach.

Traditional values


Minh Duc Duong signboard, 120 Nguyen Thai Hoc.The names of signboards tell the history of Hoi An, a commercial port established by the open door policy of the Nguyen Dynasty to boost trade with Chinese, Japanese, Dutch and others.

Signboards also express good things, combining with the names of shop owners.

The signboards like Hoa An Duong, Chan Nam Hung, Bao An Long, Nam Phat and An Thai express the wish to live and work in peace in this southern land by Chinese traders from Fujian, Chiu Chow, Hainan, and Guangzhou.

Annually, signboards are cleaned by a wiping cloth wet with alcohol but they are never painted again. During the lunar New Year holiday, they are decorated with red-cloth flowers. Below the signboards are scrolls of parallel lines of script: “Safe and Sound” or “Prosperous”.

Whenever a shop hangs up its signboard, the owner always chooses a good time and performs rituals with flowers, betel and areca, wine, steamed glutinous rice, boiled chicken, incense and votive paper.

At Chinese shops, there are some more offerings like a bowl of noodles, a piece of red paper on the plate of chicken and steamed glutinous rice to wish for luck and immortality.

Le Thi Tuan from the Hoi An Relics Preservation Centre said that as trade has been the foundation of Hoi An for several centuries so shop owners treasure their signboards. The position of major signboards will never be changed. Each shop has 2-4 signboards, one in the house’s centre, one in the living-room, and another hung outdoors.

“Even when a shop changes its business, the signboard is still kept out of respect to tradition,” Tuan said.

Modern meanings

The famous La Thien Thai shop.There is nowhere like in Hoi An where signboards contain intangible cultural values. By looking at signboards and talking with signboard owners, one can learn about the life, habits and trade history of a family and the prosperity of Hoi An from the past to the present. Thus, the local government has regulations to manage signboards.

According to the chief of the Hoi An Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Nguyen Van Lanh, in 1997, Hoi An issued the first regulations on signboards in the ancient city. These regulations are very strict and based on the traditional way of using signboards at shops in Hoi An.

“Hoi An can both develop business, tourism while preserving its traditional values when it preserves its unique signboards,” Lanh said.

According to regulations, signboards must be clear, of standard size and suitable to the traditional style of Hoi An.

In region 1 of the ancient city, signboards must have brown, stone, dark yellow colours. The local authorities encourage traders to use wood to make signboards. The script on signboards must be Vietnamese.

Of nearly 1,000 signboards in Hoi An, around 70% are made of timber and done in the traditional style.

Hoi An will continue to introduce its culture to tourists through this system of unique signboards.

VietNamNet/LD

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Sports tournaments in Phan Thiet to celebrate Vietnamese Sports Day

Meanwhile, Suoi Cat Entertainment Park will host the first Boxing Championship 2009 with participation of more than 100 athletes from provinces and cities nationwide, including Daklak, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, HCMC, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Tay Ninh, Ca Mau and the host Binh Thuan.

Phan Thiet starts construction of Legend Sea resort

Dai Thanh Quang in the central province of Binh Thuan has broken ground for a luxury resort and department complex in Phan Thiet City’s Tien Thanh Commune.

The complex will feature a deluxe hotels, conference hall and MICE center, trade center, supermarket, luxury resorts and apartments as well as a park and entertainment area. The complex will be built on 278 hectares with projected cost of over VND11,000 billion.

The work is expected to enhance Tien Thanh-Ham Thuan Nam tourist site and promote local tourism.

706B Street sees completion next month in Phan Thiet City

The building of 706B Street in Phan Thiet City will be completed on April 18 to mark the 34th anniversary of the city’s Liberation Day (April 19, 1975-April 19, 2009), said Pham Vu Ngoc Phuong, deputy director of 515 Company, the owner of the project.

706B Street runs from Phu Hai Ward to Mui Ne Ward, along side endless sand dunes. At 52 meters wide and 16.4 kilometers long it is the biggest street in Binh Thuan Province. The project costs VND24 billion.

VietNamNet/SGT

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Vietnam to advertise on BBC World and taxis in UK

Tinh told VietNamNet that the ministry will have a working session with the BBC about the advertisement. Meanwhile, the advertisements on taxis in the UK is planned to be carried out in a larger scale and for longer time.

Could you please tell us about the program on advertising Vietnam’s image on the BBC? Is that true that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2008 once suggested the idea?

Vietnam once carried out the advertisement campaign on international media with the advertisement spots on CNN, about which people give different opinions about the efficiency. However, as we only advertised on CNN Asia, it had limited effects on attracting more international travelers.

According to the General Statistics Office, it is estimated that 340,000 international travelers arrived in Vietnam in March, down by 0.9% in comparison with February 2009. In the first three months of the year, 1.3 million travelers arrived in Vietnam.

The number of travelers to Vietnam from several markets keeps rising. The travelers from Canada, for example, increased by 28%, the US 27%, and Australia 15%. Meanwhile, the number of travelers from several markets decreased significantly, like from Thailand, down by 32%, South Korea 23%, China 21%, Japan 10%, and Malaysia at 8.6% over the same period of the last year.

In 2009, the advertisement will be carried out on BBC World with 320 spots. It is expected that each spot will last 30 seconds. There will be eight weeks of broadcasting in Asia Pacific, six weeks in Europe, and six weeks in America.

The BBC has said that the advertisement will cost US $204,000, not including the expenses on making the video clips for broadcasting, which is estimated to cost between US $15-20,000. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is working on with the Ministry of Finance on the sum of money.

How about the advertisement on taxis in the UK?

Last year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism got a sponsor package worth £7,000 to advertise Vietnam’s images on public means of transport in the UK, especially on buses, for three months.

We plan to expand the advertisement on taxis this year, providing the images of Ha Long bay and sea tourism in Vietnam.

The Government last year approved the budget of VND 30 billion for tourism promotion, but the sum of money was not used up. Will the situation repeat in 2009?

It is true that the sum of money was not used up last year. However, the Prime Minister has asked to build up the regulations on using the sum of money. We have drawn up the regulations and are consulting with ministries and branches before the regulations are submitted to the Government.

As far as I know, many enterprises once protested the advertisement of Vietnam’s image on the BBC.

It is because they don’t know exactly the details of the campaign. We will advertise on BBC World, which means the images will be seen all over the wall. The BBC will send staff to Vietnam to make clips and will broadcast the clips after Vietnam approves the content. We will discuss the detail of the work next week.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has launched the program on slashing tour fees to stimulate the demand. Will the details of the program be provided on the advertisement shot?

The shots will last 30 seconds only. Vietnam needs to advertise its beautiful landscapes like the beautiful sea and Ha Long Bay.

When will the spots appear on BBC World?

I think in April 2009.

Ha Yen

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Visiting Nga Nam floating market in Soc Trang

However, Soc Trang is well-known for the floating markets, of which Nga Nam floating market is the most striking.

Nga Nam is a new district in Soc Trang Province, having been separated from Thanh Tri District.

It is the intersection between Quan Lo-Phung Hiep, Xeo Chich, Xang Chim, Tra Ban and Phu Loc. From here tourists can head to Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Can Tho, Phung Hiep, or go to Phu Loc and downstream to My Thanh, Tran De Port and mangrove forests along Soc Trang Sea.

Despite being in the remote district of Soc Trang, Nga Nam is busy from sunrise to sunset and even into the night.

The bustling life is due to floating markets such as Long Tan, My Quoi, Tan Long, especially Nga Nam.

Set in 1975 as the venue linking five canals flowing to five regions, Nga Nam floating market is the meeting place for trading boats and traders. Early morning or at twilight the market sparkles in the glistening rays of oil lamps and mantles as stars twinkle in the sky and shimmer on the water.

On holidays, especially Tet holidays, Nga Nam floating market are radiant with the bright colors of apricot flowers, daisies, peach flowers and other typical flowers of the Mekong Delta, as well as the dark green of watermelon. Everything is sold from wooden boats.

As with other floating markets, products hang in front of the bow of the ship so that buyers can easily see and buy. The only one product not hanging, but always available, is petrol.

As well as fresh agricultural products and seafood, Nga Nam also is a stop for rice traders. Tourists heading to the mangrove forests in Soc Trang often stop by Nga Nam to buy food stuffs before going on their boating adventure on the endless alluvium river to forests.

Nga Nam also lures tourists with its culinary culture and traditional fare. Tourists on boat trips around Nga Nam floating market can sense the typical flavors of the Mekong Delta from dishes made of bun (rice noodles) featuring the spices of Southern Khmer people and hu tieu (kind of noodle) cuisine of the Tieu Chau.

On arrival in Soc Trang, tourists may be inspired to explore the ancient architecture of well-known pagodas, stroll in orchid gardens, and experience nature in mangrove forest, as well as immersing themselves in the bustling atmosphere of life in floating markets.

VietNamNet/SGT

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Cambodia keen to open tour to Phu Quoc island

Cambodian Minister of Tourism Thong Khon said he hoped that the new tour connecting Phu Quoc island with the provinces of Koh Kong, Kongpong Som, Kampot and Posat, would help increase the number of foreign travellers, including those from neighbouring Laos and Vietnam, to Cambodia.

The minister explained that Phu Quoc island is emerging as an attractive destination for tourists in the region, and according to some forecasts, it can draw around 3 million visitors each year by 2012.

He noted Cambodia needs to improve its infrastructure facilities as well as the tourism environment in a move to develop the non-smoking industry in the years to come.

Minister Thong Khon added that Vietnam’s tourism sector has attracted a growing number of foreign visitors thanks to its increased amount of investment poured into tourism facilities and traffic infrastructure.

VietNamNet/VOV

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PM urges Vietnam Airlines to take off

In his working session with the national flag carrier’s leaders on March 25, the PM said in the context of the global economic slowdown, which would lead to the sharp decrease in cargo and passenger transport this year, the airline should maintain its routes, flights and personnel, save fuel, improve services and pay attention to personnel training.

He also said that Vietnam Airlines must to make good its shortcomings in service quality and personnel training to preserve its prestige.

PM Dung voiced support for Vietnam Airlines’ move to purchase large airplanes and join global aviation alliance.

Vietnam Airlines General Director Pham Ngoc Minh reported that the airline transported more than 8.8 million passengers, and fetched up revenues of nearly 27 trillion VND and a profit of over 230 billion VND last year.

He said the carrier set a target of 9.4 million passengers in 2009 and revenues of 23.6 trillion VND, with attention paid to expanding markets, tightening expenditure management, ensuring security, improving service quality, and developing personnel.

Vietnam Airlines cancels int’l ticket commissions

The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will adopt a zero percent commission policy for international tickets issued in the country as of April 1, 2009.

As a result, Vietnam Airlines’ booking offices will no longer receive the 3 percent commission on international tickets. Instead, they are allowed to collect service charges from 7-35 USD, depending on the route and seating class.

The charges will be applied to the first ticket issuance, and not to changes made after. The service charge will be decided based on the cost of the booking, ticket issuance, service management, and travel distance. These charged will be posted at all Vietnam Airlines’ booking offices.

Deputy General Director Trinh Hong Quang said the zero percent commission policy is a global norm, and Vietnam Airlines is following suit.

Thanks to the new policy, passengers can expect lower prices and can select travel agents based on competitive service charge levels

VietNamNet/VNA

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Sensing flavors of Phan Thiet Seafood

Vietnam is internationally acknowledged for its diverse seafood, with squid being one of the most popular items on many menus. Phan Thiet City has built its image on a particular squid dish known as sun-dried squid, which has attracted many chefs and revelers to the city.

Muc mot nang is fresh squid that has been dried in the sun for one day. The squid, grilled with chilies and lemon and served in fish sauce, is available anywhere in the city but one of the best places to try this tasty specialty is Cay Bang Restaurant.

Another local favorite is steamed bo hom fish, nicknamed “Thiet giap bien” (sea armour) because of its square shape and the patterns on its body. It is sweet, juicy and nutritious, especially when combined with the flavors of aromatic herbs, salty fish sauce and sweet Phu Long griddle cake. Revelers can enjoy bo hom at many of the eateries on Pham Van Dong Street along Ca Ty River.

While steamed bo hom fish is typically a low-priced dish, steamed mu fish, mixed with fragrant vegetables and fish sauce prepared with lemon, sugar, garlic and chilies, is more expensive and provides high nutrition. Toan Duong Restaurant near Doi Duong beach and Sao Bien Restaurant are two of the more popular venues for this dish.

In addition to distinctive seafood Phan Thiet is also known for recipes made with dong. The dong is a reptile shaped like a lizard found in and around the sand dunes. It is served grilled, steamed, fried or minced with citronella and chilly at seafood restaurants around Hon Rom resort. Ca Ty Restaurant is famous for its grilled dong.

Cay Bang Restaurant is located on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, Ham Tien Ward, Phan Thiet City.

Toan Duong Restaurant is located at 164 Le Loi Street, Hung Long Ward, Phan Thiet City (near Doi Duong Beach).

Ca Ty Restaurant is at 40 Phan Boi Chau Street, Duc Nghia Ward, Phan Thiet City.

Sao Bien Restaurant is at 22 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, Ham Tien Ward, Phan Thiet City.

VietNamNet/SGT

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Doubts raised about plan to advertise on BBC

In fact, the idea of advertising on the BBC was approved by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) last year. However, at that time, many travel firms voiced concern over the feasibility of the plan. The travel firms wanted to know if MCST thoroughly considered the main audience of the channel and if the travelers watched this channel for tourism information.

According to Nguyen Quoc Ky, Director of Vietravel, it is necessary to set up advertisement plans based on thorough analysis. It is also necessary to know what the key markets are for Vietnam and how high the tourism demand is in the markets.

Meanwhile, Baron Ah Moo, CEO of Indochina Land’s Hotels and Resorts, said that BBC is really a famous politics and economics TV channel, but the main audience of the channel is businessmen.

The businessmen watch BBC in order to get information about political situations, labor markets and investment policies in countries. Therefore, tourism advertisement pieces will not catch the attention from audience, even if they are broadcasted on BBC World.

Luu Duc Ke, Director of Hanoitourist, related that when he asked a Spanish senior marketing expert about the efficiency of tourism advertisement pieces on CNN and BBC, he said that the audience absolutely does not expect to get tourism information on CNN and BBC. The marketing expert said that it would be better to advertise on Discovery or Geographic, which specializes in tourism.

Mr. Baron Ah Moo said that Vietnam needs to thoroughly consider the taste of travelers, listen to advisors and travel firms in order to build up specific advertisement programs for different markets.

The argument of state management agencies

An official from the Culture, Sports and Tourism Centre, who asked to not be named, said that there are three factors for which the International Cooperation Department under MCST decided to advertise on BBC.

BBC is a channel shown worldwide, including Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. BBC is broadcasted in 200 countries and territories. Statistics showed that 276 million families watch BBC and the channel is viewed in 1.5 million hotel rooms worldwide. In Japan, for example, hotel rooms do not have CNN, but have BBC.

Moreover, BBC has good experience in advertising tourism as it has done this for more than 40 nations, including the big tourism countries like Australia, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

The noteworthy thing is that the mode BBC offers to Vietnam proves to be very reasonable. BBC has offered to send a delegation to Vietnam to make a video clip which will be broadcasted on BBC. The total expenses prove to be reasonable, $204,600.

Regarding the main audience of BBC, the official said that at first, Vietnam needs to advertise its national image, so that travelers can have a good impression of the country, and then it needs to advertise tours. The more people the information can reach, the better for Vietnam’s tourism, no matter who the people are.

“It is quite good to aim to businessmen, and it is also good to target popular travelers. Tourists not only watch tourism channels, they also watch other channels, especially news channels.”

“In the global economic crisis, tourists tend to travel to near-by countries. Therefore, Asia Pacific should be the choice. Europe has always been one of the key markets for Vietnam. Meanwhile, North America has always been a big market,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ky thinks that there are four markets Vietnam needs to target on, East Asia, North East Asia (Japan, China and South Korea), ASEAN and inner-region, Australia (which bears less financial crisis’ impacts than Europe and US), and cruise tourism.

Vietnam not keen on advertisement

Pham Hoang Tuan, Deputy Head of the Tourism Promotion Division under Vietnamtourism in Hanoi, said that Vietnam is still not keen on advertisement, pricing and offering tourism products.

Having returned from ITB (in Germany) and MITT (in Russia) trade fairs, Dang Bao Hieu, Director of Focus Travel, said that he was disappointed when seeing that the publications advertising ‘Impressive Vietnam’ were very poor.

Ky from Vietravel said that state management agencies should have overall advertisement campaigns which aim for long-term development, rather than short-term ones.

“I cannot see any bandmaster, who takes the responsibility for promotion tourism at the national level,” said director of a travel firm.

In April, the International Cooperation Agency under the VNAT will kick off the advertisement plan. It remains unclear about the broadcasting time. However, in general, there are two main tourism seasons, in June-July and September-October. Therefore, the advertisement pieces will appear in June 2009 at the soonest.

Ha Yen

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Foreign arrivals down by 16 percent

The number of visitors coming from Vietnam’s traditional markets such as China, the Republic of Korea, Japan and Taiwan sharply decreased by 11-25 percent as compared with last year. Only the US, Australian and Canadian markets saw rises of between 5-17 percent.

Travel companies blamed this downward trend on the global financial crisis and economic recession and the ineffective cooperation among domestic tourism businesses in implementing tourism stimulus packages.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism is joining efforts with travel agencies to reverse the situation.

VietNamNet/SGGP

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Shanghai airlines starts direct route to Hanoi

This carrier is offering a promotional campaign from now until the end of April with a 35 percent discount on return tickets, normally priced at US$280.

The Hanoi-Shanghai flights will depart on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday and the return flights on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday every week.

VietNamNet/VOV

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Visiting Betel Garden and Bang Lang Shrine in An Giang

Visiting the betel garden evokes ancient Vietnamese customs from the time of the Hung kings. There is a legend about the betel and that tells of a young man dying and turning into an areca tree; his wife in her grief dies beside him and turns into a betel plant, attaching herself to the tree. Traditionally Vietnamese people invite their guests to chew betel before starting a conversation, and betel and areca are essential betrothal gifts in weeding parties.

In Long Son Commune, the betel is a well known product. It has existed there for thousands of years, having originated from a famous betel from Ba Diem, and has made Long Son famous. Traders go there to buy 7,000 to 8,000 betel leaves a day to sell in Chau Doc, Tan Chau (An Giang), Hong Ngu, Dong Thap, and even to export to Cambodia

The betel garden of Nguyen Phu Trung in Long Hoa Commune in Tan Phu District is an amazing sight, with the betel vines climbing endlessly in the glistening sunlight on the immeasurably high betel trellis. Just a short walk from the garden is Bang Lang Shrine, built to worship Lady Thuong Dong Co Hy on an area of 1,000 square meters.

Near the shrine are three ancient, giant bang lang trees which blossom with purple flowers in winter, creating a sanctuary of calmness and providing an escape from the hustle and bustle of life. The local Cham people hold an annual Bang Lang Shrine Festival on the 15th and 16th of the third lunar month (April 9 and 10, 2009) to pray for a peaceful life and better crops. Visitors to Long Son during the festival will enjoy diverse artistic activities and local folk games in the jubilant atmosphere of the festival.

An Giang also holds a series of annual festivals such as Ba Chua Xu, Chol Chnam Thomay and Dolta festivals, and has many popular tourist attractions including ox racing, Sam Mountain in Chau Doc, Cam Mountain in Tien Binh, Tuc Dup Hill, a network of grottoes in Thuy Dai Son, Anh Vu Son, Co To, and many traditional craft villages.

A visit to An Giang will satisfy any traveler’s search for splendid scenery and traditional Vietnamese culture.

VietNamNet/SGT

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Name that tune

Whenever I arrive in Hoi An one of my first missions is have a bowl of cao lau, a centuries-old local noodle dish that is unique to Hoi An. On the second floor of a restaurant on Bach Dang street I munch on the noodles and gaze out at the port, imagining how Asian traders would have sat at this very spot eating noodles while keeping an eye on their ship.

This is said to be the origin of the name cao lau, which means literally “high upstairs”. The thick yellow noodles are topped with thinly sliced pieces of marinated pork, beansprouts and local herbs (mint, chives and cilantro) and crunchy banh da as well as a splash of fish sauce, soy sauce, some garlic, sugar, salt and pepper, et voila – one of the most perfect meals you’ll ever find in Vietnam.

Afterwards, I take a stroll down Tran Phu and Nguyen Thai Hoc streets. It’s nine in the evening and the streets are quiet (compared to Hanoi they’re deserted). The thick scent of joss-stick wafts out onto the streets as shopkeepers give thanks before shutting up shop for the day. Then as I wander aimlessly, I hear the faint melodies of traditional instruments in the distance. Intrigued, I try to locate the source.

I arrive at the An Hoi Bridge where a crowd has gathered. On a small stage built with bamboo musicians patiently wait for the crowd to settle. The band is made up with a drummer, a flautist, a two-chord fiddler, and a singer, who is dressed in a charming loose-fitting blouse. She explains that we are going to play bai choi, a folk game that originated in Binh Dinh and Quang Nam provinces in Central Vietnam.

It is a kind of traditional opera but involves the crowd. I sit on a small bamboo stool under a small stall and try to figure out how to play. There are people of all ages – from toddlers to pensioners – and as many locals as there are tourists. “It’s great fun and easy to play but only by being getting involved can you understand what it is like,” says Thanh Hai, a 34-year old Vietnamese tourist. “I never miss a chance to play when I come to town.

In fact I always plan my trips here when I know there’s a performance!” Hai explains for VND5,000 you receive a bamboo card in the shape of ping pong racquet. On the card will be a traditional ideograph, which will have a specific name. To start the game, the MC will lift up her bamboo vase of sticks and pull one out. She will then recite a poem or sing a folk song.

The last words will be the name of one of the cards the audience has picked. Players with the right card will receive a small silk flag from a man dressed as a soldier. After nine songs, if you have a card with three right names, you will be the winner (for each game there will be three winners). The prizes are relatively modest – you might win a box of candied fruit, watermelon seeds, a silk lantern or a DVD of bai choi songs – but of course it’s the taking part that makes it fun and both winners and losers seem delighted with themselves.

“To be a winner means that you will have luck all year,” says Truong Thi Luong, a 65-year old restaurant owner from Hoang Van Thu street. “I love the game because the songs and the rules express the cultural identity and lifestyle of our people in Quang Nam. You can use bai choi to understand the main characteristics of Hoi An and Quang Nam people – we are cheery, enthusiastic and liberal.”

Foreign tourists don’t have to learn Vietnamese to get involved, just remember the names of each bamboo card. In fact, while I’m there one German man was amongst the winners. “The game will be the reason I return to Hoi An! This game is very funny and the folk melodies are wonderful even though I can’t understand the meaning of songs!” says Felix, the lucky winner of a Hoi An silk lantern from Germany.

VietNamNet/Time-out

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The Nam Hai scores “Best Destination Spa” award

The accolade was announced at the annual Asia Spa & Wellness Festival, the region’s premier exhibition for the spa and wellness industry in Bangkok, Thailand. The seaside resort scooped the category of “Best Destination Spa,” which was voted by a panel of judges comprising notable socialites, editors of regional spa publications, tour operators and spa enthusiasts.

“What’s noteworthy about this award is that it was earned based upon what we used to offer,” said Herbert Laubichler-Pichler, the resort’s general manager. “Since the judges’ decision, we’ve actually improved our spa with the introduction of a menu long on singular treatments.”

The new menu includes The Nam Hai Indulgent Oriental Ritual, a three-hour experience that includes an aromatherapy foot polish, a four-hands jade massage designed to dissolve muscle tension and soothe the spirit, a Traditions D’Orient organic facial, an Asian-style foot massage and a Himalayan crystal body polish.

The choice of a bath strewn with rose petals while enjoying Champagne and canapés has also been added to the list of new spa options.

Owned by Indochina Capital and managed by GHM, The Nam Hai owes its spa concept to GHM’s corporate director of spa, Brenda Ramen, who drew from her travels in Asia when conceiving rituals and selecting products.

A tranquil lotus pond surrounds The Spa which features two spacious pavilions with eight spa villas, relaxation areas, steam showers and changing rooms. This facility has been nominated as ‘One of the World’s Top New Spas’ by Conde Nast Traveler (USA) and called one of the world’s ‘Top 75 Spas’ by Conde Nast Traveller (UK).

VietNamNet/SGT

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Grottos more than a picture

Tam Coc, also known as Ha Long Bay on land, is home to an awesome stretch of giant limestone karsts jutting out of the rice paddies surrounding a small river.

Located about 8km southwest of Ninh Binh City, or 100km south from Ha Noi, Tam Coc, which literally means "Three Grottos", is a secluded oasis away from the big city.

The journey to Tam Coc starts from the Van Lam wharf – where visitors can step inside a typical scene from a northern village. There’s an ancient banyan tree, a river wharf surrounded by bamboo boats and a communal house.

"The landscape is seemingly untouched by time and that’s the way locals want it to stay," says Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung, a tour guide for Tam Coc-Bich Dong Tourism Site’s Management Board. "Although tourism has developed over the past few years, they still want to keep the original features of the region."

Tourist Tran Mui from HCM City, agrees. "Nobody uses motor boats here because they would disturb the natural landscape," he says, gesturing to the bamboo boats tethered by the jetty.

"Although the boats look flimsy, they are a defining feature of this place."

Bobbing up and down on one of the bamboo vessels, surrounded by the beautiful landscape and breathing in the fresh air – it’s idyllic, says Linh Nham, a visitor from Hoang Mai District in Ha Noi.

"Coming here makes me feel light-hearted and calm."

Rocking boat

Once you push off from the jetty, your little boat will take you down the river, which winds like a silk ribbon around the limestone mountains.

Colours change with every season. The bright green paddies that stretch out alongside the water turn golden when the harvest season comes in June. And come the wet season from August to September, the river is covered with purple water lillies.

It’s difficult to take a bad photograph here.

Krist Van Laere, a Belgian tourist, says he came to Tam Coc after seeing a photo of the area in his travel guide.

"I was really impressed by the photo. It was taken from above and showed the winding river, speckled with tiny boats, meandering through the rice fields. When I came here, I realised the picture was completely faithful to reality. It’s so relaxing and peaceful here."

Grotto extraordinaire

Serenity: Foreign tourists enjoy the relaxing and peaceful landscape of the Tam Coc.

Floating downstream, visitors eventually come to Ca Grotto – the first of three grottoes on the Tam Coc tour. This natural piece of art, dripping with stalactites and stalagmites, is known across the country as Nam thien de nhi dong (the second nicest grotto in Viet Nam). It is the longest and widest in the area.

If visitors come to the cave in the morning, they can see the cliff at the grotto’s entrance sparkling with the reflection of the dawn.

Once you enter the cave, it is dark and all other sounds seem muted apart from the gentle swish of oars as they sweep through the water.

Navigating the bamboo boats through the cave takes skill, says Hanoian tourist Nham.

"The rowers must be really good because they never bump into one another and seem to know exactly where they are going in the darkness," she says.

Having emerged into the sunlight again, the next cave over the river is 60m-long Hai Cave, which opens like an enormous mouth filled with long, sharp teeth. Droplets of water fall from the tips of the stalactites into the river.

The final grotto is only around 100m from there – named simply Ba Cave. It’s the shortest and the lowest cave on the journey. Visitors can reach up and touch the roof with their hands if they don’t mind being dripped on.

The next leg of the tour is on dry land – a trip to a small temple built by a local resident to worship the King of the Forest – Ong Ho (Mr Tiger).

According to tour guide Nhung, in the future, the tour will not end at this spot, but will go on to nearby Trang An Eco-Tourism complex and Hoa Lu, the capital of the country between AD 968 and 1009.

"The new trip should start in 2010," she says.

By prolonging the tour to equally tranquil spots that are more than easy on the eye, you can’t really go wrong.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

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Foreign arrivals in HCMC down in Q1

The HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s tourism division told the Daily on Tuesday that arrivals in the first quarter makes up 26% of the whole year’s target, but the first three months normally is the busiest time for the hospitality industry.

International travelers coming by air total some 630,000, down by 13% year on year, and major source markets include the U.S., Japan, Korea, Australia, Taiwan, Canada, China, France, Singapore and Malaysia.

Nevertheless, the city sees a slight increase in revenue attributed to better performance with the domestic and outbound tourism segments compared to the same period last year.

The tourism division said in a report that some 200,000 local tourists have traveled abroad via Tan Son Nhat International Airport to favorite destinations such as China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia in the year to date.

The report showed that the city tourism’s revenue reached VND7.7 trillion, up 15% year-on-year and equal to 22% of the whole year’s target of VND34 trillion. Hotel and restaurant service contributes an estimated VND6.16 trillion, up 12% year-on-year, while that from travel service is VND1.54 trillion, up 28%.

Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai, director of public relation communications department of Tan Dinh Trade and Travel Service Co., better known as Fiditourist, told the Daily that her company saw a fall in the inbound business, but witnessed 22% improvement in domestic and outbound segment in the first quarter of this year.

Mai said that some big tour operators in HCMC have enjoyed the nationwide tourism promotion program initiated by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, under which airlines are offering discount of up to 60% in airfares.

Mai said Fiditourist package prices for domestic tours have been slashed by between 32% and 40% depending on destinations, while outbound travelers could save from US$100 to US$300 a trip to other countries in the region.

She added that travel would likely pick up much more as many take the promotion chance to spend their vacation during the coming Summer holidays at local seaside destinations. Especially, several tours to the northern region are some VND2 million cheaper than before.

Vu The Binh, head of Travel Department under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, told the Daily on the phone on Tuesday that it was not until March 29 to know the exact number of foreign arrivals in the country.

He, however, estimated that the numbers of foreign arrivals, local tourists traveling abroad and domestic tourists would decrease around 10% against the same period last year.

VietNamNet/SGT

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2009 Do Son tourism festival starts in April

VietNamNet Bridge - The 2009 Do Son tourist festival will run from April 30 to May 3 at the Do Son tourist site, Hai Phong City.

This is the fourth consecutive year Do Son district has held the festival at the start of the tourism season and is hoping to attract over 2 million visitors.

This year activities will include a traditional buffalo fighting, a dragon boat race, a women water volleyball competition and a golf tournament at the newly-established Do Son Seaside Golf Resort.

Do Son is gradually improving its tourist services to make it become better known as an impressive venue for national and international seminars, conferences and other important events.

VietNamNet/VOV

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Hoi An launches Light Off Hour – periodic tourist product

VietNamNet Bridge – Authorities in the central city of Hoi An have decided to hold a monthly “Light Off Hour” on the lunar 14th night, to join the Earth Hour Campaign 2009 organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as well as to launch a new tourist product for the ancient town.

Tourists look at colored lanterns in Hoi An.

Light Off Hour is themed on previous events “Night in Ancient Town” and “City Without Motor” which are gradually losing their significance after eleven years of implementation. The new program aims to provide calmness as the city is lit with the sparkling lights of colored lanterns hanging on the corners of the streets, said Nguyen Su, Chief of Hoi An’s Party Committee.

All light bulbs and unnecessary electricity equipment will be turned off in the city for one hour, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on March 28. Residents and tourists are encouraged to join the program and to use environment-friendly light, such as candles and lanterns.

The evening will also feature a flower lantern festival, traditional music show on the river and ethnic instrument performances.

In July the city plans to recreate Hoi An City as it was in the early 20th century, said Su, adding that tourists will experience the daily life of ancient Hoi An’s residents with trading activities and traditional costumes.

VietNamNet/SGT

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