Sunday, May 27, 2012

Airlines wing it to Vietnam | Vietnam Travel News

Airlines wing it to Vietnam

Written by admin | May 28, 2012 | 0

A few foreign airlines are potentially mapping out routes to Vietnam.

Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam deputy director Lai Xuan Thanh said this was a positive sign thanks to a promising market and favourable conditions offered by Vietnam’s government.

Vietnam’s aviation industry offers rich potential with 14 per cent growth in 2011 and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecast that by 2014, Vietnam would become the world’s third fastest growing market for air passengers and cargo, just behind China and Brazil.

By 2015 there would be 34-36 million passengers coming to Vietnam, and by 2019 that figure would reach 52-59 millions.

The Ministry of Finance has also done its bit to attract airlines by reducing services fees, by up to 50 per cent, on international airlines’ fees to Vietnam and allowing international firms to exploit low-peak hours,

Recently, Finland’s Finnair appeared in Vietnam and selected East Sea Tourism Company as its general agent.

“Vietnam is one of important markets that the firm expects to open direct flights from Helsinki in the future”, said Finnair’s Southeast Asian Sales & Makerting director Retteri Kostemaa.

From Vietnam, Finnair has cooperation with Vietnam Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Jetstar to provide transits for its flights to Helsinki, other Finnish cities and more than other 60 destinations within Europe.

On the occasion of its first operation in Vietnam, Finnair has offered attractive deals on the routes from either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City to Helsinki, other its domestic destinations or all around Europe.

Earlier, the Philippines’ largest airlines Cebu Pacific opened two weekly flights on its new Manila-Hanoi route, became the only airline to operate direct flights between Manila and Hanoi, after exploiting the Manila-Ho Chi Minh City route successfully in 2011.

Meanwhile, in March, the US’ United and Japan’s ANA declared to expand trans-Pacific price and route map cooperation on the Vietnam-US route from April, 1 2012.

With such cooperation, Vietnamese passengers have choice to transit in either Hong Kong or Japan on the route.

However, the domestic scene is less promising with Indochina Airlines going belly up and low-cost Jetstar Pacific, after years counting losses, transferred a 70 per cent stake to Vietnam Airlines.

Even Vietnam Airlines is restructuring and privatising to make itself more efficient in a tough operating environment.

(Source: vietnamnet)

http://vinatravelnews.com/airlines-wing-it-to-vietnam/

Infrastructure system too weak to develop tourism | Vietnam Travel News

Infrastructure system too weak to develop tourism

Written by admin | May 28, 2012 | 0

When designing new tours, travel firms always have to survey the infrastructure system in order to draw up reasonable products. However, the infrastructure system in Vietnam remains too poor for tourism development.

Poor infrastructure may spoil tours

“We have to examine the stretches of roads, the stops and the capability of providing services so as to inform to partners and clients. After that, we have to survey the tourism infrastructure items such as accommodations, services at the destination points,” said Lai Van Quan, Head of the Tour Operator Division of Mai Linh Tourist Company.

“The stretch of road from Dien Bien to Lai Chau provinces on the northwest arc usually sees landslide in the rainy season. Therefore, we had to follow another itinerary, following the Highway 279, then to the Highway 32, crossing Than Uyen and then to Lai Chau province,” said Duong Xuan Trang, Branch Director of Mai Phuong Vy.

“However, with the new route, travelers would have to travel 100 kilometers more, while the quality of the road is low, thus making travelers feel tired. As a result, the travel firm later had to make some adjustments to ensure the travelers’ health,” he added.

An executive of Tan Hong travel firm, specializing in receiving cruise travelers, also complained that the poor infrastructure has made many travelers hesitant to choose Vietnam as the destination.

Foreign cruise travelers just want to stay for one day at the Ha Long Bay and then want to go to Hanoi. However, the road from Ha Long to Hanoi, though having been upgraded, still comprises of many strait parts. As a result, it takes travelers eight hours to go to Hanoi and return to Ha Long in total, while they only have four hours to visit Hanoi.

It’s clear that the localities which have airports and sea ports would more easily attract travelers. In the central region, for example, which attracts tourists with wonderful beaches, Nha Trang has always been the top choice because there is an international airport.

However, according to Nguyen Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Travel Department of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), said it would be unreasonable to build airports in all localities. It would be better to form up good transport network and provide high quality transport services which connect key traffic points with different localities.

In fact, the new tourist sites with uncompleted infrastructure items are really attractive with their primitive beauties. However, with poor infrastructure, they can only fit trekking or adventure tourism.

State needs to make investment as “bait capital”

It always takes huge capital to build or upgrade roads to make it more convenient for tourists. Therefore, Tuan believes that the State should make investment first– pouring the “bait capital” into the projects; then call on other investors and people to join hands to upgrade the tourism points.

In the period from 2006 to 2010, the State funneled 3460 billion dong to 59 provinces and cities to help them upgrade the tourism infrastructure system.

However, local authorities complained that the capital is just a “drop of water in the ocean,” because the allocated budget just can satisfy 20 percent of the capital demand.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vietnam would need 15 trillion dong to develop the tourist infrastructure in 2011-2015. Meanwhile, the state budget would be able to provide 8 trillion dong, while the remaining sum of money would be mobilized from other sources.

The principle of “bait capital” is believed to help much in upgrading the infrastructure system. Once the state injects money in the projects in some localities, the land value in the localities would increase, thus attracting many investors who would spend money to build tourist works there. The works then would serve as the magnet to lure travelers.

(Source: vietnamnet)

http://vinatravelnews.com/infrastructure-system-too-weak-to-develop-tourism/

Violet and flamboyant roads in Hanoi | Vietnam Travel News

Violet and flamboyant roads in Hanoi

Written by admin | May 28, 2012 | 0

In the summer, many roads in Hanoi are dyed by violet color of crape myrtle flowers or the red color of flamboyant flowers.

(Source: vietnamnet)

http://vinatravelnews.com/violet-and-flamboyant-roads-in-hanoi/

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Vietnamese, Belgian comic festival in Hanoi | Vietnam Travel News

Vietnamese, Belgian comic festival in Hanoi

Written by admin | May 26, 2012 | 0

The Belgian Wallonie-Bruxells Delegation to Vietnam in conjunction with Kim Dong Publishing House will organize this year’s comic festival at the Hanoi Library, 47 Ba Trieu Street from May 31 to June 8, Tuoi Tre reports.

The festival consists of two exhibitions, namely ‘Traveling in the ninth arts’ featuring comics from Wallonie-Bruxells and ‘From ideas to comics’ with local comics.

In Belgium, comics are considered the ninth arts while more than half of the publications in the nation are comic productions. Therefore, the Belgian comic exhibition is expected to introduce over 60 Belgian comic writers to locals.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese exhibition presents 11 new works of local comic writers, including Do Thai Thanh, Lai Hien Luong and To Nhu Nguyen.

Jean Auquier, director of the Belgian Comic Strip Center (CBBD), will join a seminar as part of the festival at 9 a.m. on May 31 on the history of comics, literature and films. While a seminar will focus on comic writing skills.

(Source: SGT)

http://vinatravelnews.com/vietnamese-belgian-comic-festival-in-hanoi/

Int’l Paramotor Race opens in Danang | Vietnam Travel News

Int’l Paramotor Race opens in Danang

Written by admin | May 26, 2012 | 0

Twenty five pilots from Japan, the US, France and Poland are taking part in the Danang International Paramotor Race (DIPR 2012) from May 26-27.

They are competing in four events: top air speed, flying to avoid obstacles, flying in formation, and search and rescue.

This is the first time this type of competition is being held in Vietnam in accordance with International Air Sports Federation (FAI) regulations.

The DIPR 2012 is jointly organized by the Danang Municipal People’s Committee and the C.A.T.I. company, with consultation from the Japan Hang & Paragliding Federation (JHF) and the Japanese Airea company.

Deputy Chairman of the Danang Municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Xuan Anh said the DIPR 2012, which follows the Danang International Fireworks Competition, will help promote the city’s image to domestic and foreign visitors.

(Source: VOV)

http://vinatravelnews.com/intl-paramotor-race-opens-in-danang/

Banh tet la cam – a delta classic | Vietnam Travel News

Banh tet la cam – a delta classic

Written by admin | May 26, 2012 | 0

Instead of using gac fruit (cochinchina momordica seed) and pineapple leaves, now many people in the Mekong Delta use cam leaves to dye noodles or rice to make banh tet la cam (glutinous rice cake filled with green bean paste and fat pork and covered by cam leaves). Cam leaves grow on cam trees in the delta; they are about 40-50cm high and have purple flowers.

Banh tet is often prepared for traditional ceremonies, festivals or Tet holidays. To make banh tet la cam, you have to choose good-quality and fragrant glutinous rice. Then you cut fresh cam leaves, clean them and boil them well to make the water purple. The rice will be cleaned up then fried with salt, sugar and coconut flesh then continue to be fried with cam leaves in the purple water.

It is up to you whether you want to eat the dish sweet or salted; the stuffing of the cake can be made with green beans, banana or pork, dried shrimps and eggs. To cover the cake, you use banana leaves. Stretch the banana leaves then put in the green bean paste, pork and other stuffing then more green bean paste and finally rice. Roll the leaves and use bamboo string to tie it together.

You boil it for about six hours then you can enjoy the glutinous taste of rice, flavor of cam and banana leaves as well as the sweetness of green beans and mixed spices of stuffing. Diners will be attracted by the colors of the cake with purple rice in the outside layer, green beans in the second layer and the red of egg in center.

The cake will be more delicious when served with pickled vegetables and pickled scallion heads.
Coming to the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, tourists can buy the cake at Minh Tan shop, 44 Tan Trao District in Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City. The shop also sells many delta specialties.

(Source: SGT)

http://vinatravelnews.com/banh-tet-la-cam-a-delta-classic/

Vietnam’s impression on National Geographic | Vietnam Travel News

Vietnam’s impression on National Geographic

Written by admin | May 26, 2012 | 0

Vietnam’s beauty appears on National Graphic through pictures featuring girls in ao dai, romantic sandy banks in Binh Thuan, terraced fields in northwestern Vietnam…

Terraced rice paddies ring the Vietnamese countryside in bright green. The crop,
a staple of Southeast Asia, has been grown in Vietnam for thousands of years.

Perched on the edge of the Mekong Delta and a stone’s throw from Cambodia, Chau Doc is a
river city where the local economy depends on fishing. The Mekong’s iconic floating houses,
wooden boats, and fish farms offer a glimpse into Vietnam’s hardworking agricultural communities.

This riverboat captain ferries passengers through the ancient trading town of Hoi An, a U.N. World
Heritage site. Considered a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port,
Hoi An’s harbor mouth is now filled with fishermen and guided boat tours.

A woman rows a boat along the Thu Bon River in Hoi An, Vietnam.

Hoai River, Hoi An town.

An ancient house in Hoi An.

Cao Dai Ceremony: Cao Dai is a Vietnamese religious movement that unifies elements of Buddhism,
Taoism, Confucianism, and Catholicism. Formally established in 1926, this syncretist faith maintains
that all religions are the same in principle. Cao Dai temples dot the Mekong Delta region, with the
epicenter at the Holy See in Tay Ninh province, southern Vietnam.

A peddler in Hoi An town.

Hmong Women, Bac Ha: A festive event held every Sunday, the Bac Ha market in northern
Vietnam is an occasion for neighboring ethnic groups to gather for gossip, food, and handicrafts.
Within a sea of color, Hmong women stand out in their vibrant head scarves and elaborately embroidered tops.

Child in a Red Dao Village in Sapa.

A young girl of the Red Dao Hill Tribe of northern Vietnam gets help from her
grandma putting on her earrings.

Hmong Woman and Child, Cao Son

Sapa Valley: Nestled among the Hoang Lien Son Mountains in northwest Vietnam, the Sapa Valley
is home to a diversity of hill tribes. Due to variable climate conditions and steep terrain, the productivity
of farming in the region is at the mercy of nature, as only one crop can be cultivated within a single year.

A young girl enjoys a meal in Ho Chi Minh City.

Noon Gate, Hue: Of the ten entrances to the city of Hue, the most dynamic is the Noon Gate, or Cua
Ngo Mon, which leads to the Imperial Palace. Constructed in 1833 during the reign of Emperor
Minh Mang, this southern gate has borne witness to significant political announcements,
destructive battles, and modern-day processions.

Old Quarter, Hanoi: Pedestrians and motorists surge through Vietnam’s capital city at night.
Keeping a thousand years of history intact, the Old Quarter preserves the original layout and
architecture of the 36 streets that made up old Hanoi. Each street name still reflects the
trade specializations of its 20th-century inhabitants.

A woman burns incense inside a Ho Chi Minh City temple.

Three young girls gather in their ao dai, the traditional dress of Vietnam, to offer prayers
at a vigil held at Tay Phuong Pagoda on the outskirts of Hanoi.

Tour boats moored in Ha Long Bay at dusk enjoy a serene seascape of limestone sculptures hewn by nature.
This UNESCO World Heritage site is host to a diversity of ecosystems including sandy beaches,
mangrove forests, and offshore coral reefs. Some of its roughly 1,600 islands and islets boast
beautiful grottos with hidden ponds and unusual stone formations.