Five more luxury hotels operational in Hanoi for National Tourism Year

Hanoi plans to put into operation five more luxury hotels, offering an additional 2,000 rooms during National Tourism Year 2010.

They include four five-star hotels, namely Hanoi Plaza, with 600 rooms, the PetroVietnam hotel complex with 350 rooms, Keang Nam Vina complex with 500 rooms and Crowne Plaza Hanoi, 393 rooms.

The city now boasts 213 hotels with nearly 10,000 rooms, including 36 three to five-star hotels.

Last year, the room occupancy rate was 55.41%, a fall of 21.7% compared to 2008.

The average duration of stay was 2 days per foreign tourist who came from major markets as Japan, the Republic of Korea, France, Australia, China and ASEAN countries.

The city’s tourism sector expects a surge in the number of foreign tourists during the national tourism year, helping raising the rate of hotel room occupancy.

(Source: VNA)

Cam Ranh to become international airport

Cam Ranh Airport in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa will become an international airport with the opening of an official direct air route linking Cam Ranh and Vladivostock in Russia on December 12.

This was announced at a recent working session between Chairman of the Khanh Hoa provincial People’s Committee Vo Lam Phi, leaders of the Minh Nhat Ltd.Co. and representatives of Russia’s Vladivostock Avia and Transero Airlines.

Under the agreement, TU204 aircraft will be used for a flight every two weeks and the flight frequency will be increased later. Another air route will also open for flights from Moscow to Cam Ranh and vice versa.

Mr. Phi also asked hotels and guest houses to offer promotion programmes and lower service prices on the occasion of the inauguration of Cam Ranh international airport.

Travel agents’ hotels have pledged 50-70% discount in hotel room prices for nearly 130 international tourists flying from Russia to Cam Ranh on December 12.

The national aviation sector invested more than VND200 billion in building a new terminal, air traffic control station, a modern runway lights and other facilities in Cam Ranh Airport.

The capacity of the new terminal doubles the old one, which was only capable of loading 300 passengers per hour.

(Source: VNA)

Nguyen-era items show in Hue

Forty-eight relics from the Nguyen Dynasty era donated by private collectors to the Hue Royal Fine Arts Museum are on display at the former royal capital’s An Dinh Palace. The Hue Royal Fine Arts Museum, run by the Hue Historical Relic Preservation Centre, houses a large collection of relics from the time of Vietnam’s last imperial dynasty, which ruled from 1820 to 1945.

The objects on show at the exhibition, organised by the museum, are mostly made of silver, brass, precious stones, porcelain, silk, wood and paper.

Among them are a pair of ivory tusks donated by a Vietnamese expatriate living in France, a tea set gifted by Doan Phuoc Thuan, a collector in the central coastal province of Phu Yen, and a collection of King Minh Mang’s poems written on paper donated by Frenchman Andre de Crozet.

A set of three life-size brass statues of Jesus’s mother Mary, donated by a Hue-based company, is among the most valuable relics on show.

At the time of the exhibition’s opening, Nguyen Huu Hoang donated a porcelain basin and plate, Le Gia donated a land register, and a group of collectors presented a pair of vermilion-lacquered gilded wood panels.

The exhibition will go on until the end of the year.

(Source: VNA)

Cu Chi Tunnels Adventure with Jeeps by Vietnam Travel Depot ( Vietnam Jeep Tours)

This is one of our interesting trip: ( if you like this trip and wanna join with us, please visit www.vietnamtraveldepot.com or email us at sales@vietnamtraveldepot.com)

In this tour, our group included our drivers and tour operators with 16 French tourist.

In this morning, at 7:30 AM our jeeps arrived early to stick the numbers on each jeeps then we pick up the tourist at their hotel and let jeep to the extraordinary Cu Chi tunnels, just outside Ho Chi Minh City.



On the way to Cu Chi, we stopped for a while to take photos of Notre Dame Cathedral and Post Office ( which were built during the French Colony). Then we jeep straight to Cu Chi Tunnels to start our adventure in Underground World.










During the war for independence, Viet Cong guerrillas built the labyrinth of narrow tunnels virtually underneath U.S. bases, using them to hide during bombing raids and to stage surprise attacks. On the way to Cu Chi, we saw many cottages and beautiful fields which still only exist in Vietnam countryside.



At the end of this tour,at 1:30 PM, on the way to Saigon from Cu Chi, we had lunch at Ben Nay Restaurant. The food is delicious and the sights are very nice.

We arrived Saigon at 4:00 PM, a little bit late with the time we had planned before because there was traffic jam after the rain. Any way, this is really interesting trip. Hope you will enjoy this tour with us someday soon! :)

( if you like this trip and wanna join with us, please visit www.vietnamtraveldepot.com or email us at sales@vietnamtraveldepot.com)

Bonus: Our "soldiers" Jeep on the way and parking at Cu Chi.

Ancient tomb dated back 1,800 years unearthed

An ancient tomb with exterior and interior coffins has been unearthed in the northern port city of Hai Phong, according to the city’s museum.

The tomb was found by construction workers who were digging into the Thanh Den Mountain’s side to expand the acreage of the Tan Phu Xuan cement plant.

The exterior coffin is made from large pieces of ironwood while its boat-shaped interior coffin is carved out from a big tree trunk, a style belonging to the Dong Son culture, which existed more than 2,000 years ago.

No vestiges of bones were found except a rush map used to cover the dead.

Archaeologists also found seven large trays, four human statues, plates, bowls and combs, all made from wood, and several terracotta pots, jars and bowls with beehive and line patterns.

According to archaeologists from the Hai Phong Museum , the tomb is believed to date back to the 2nd-3rd centuries AD or 1,800 years ago.

(Source: VNA)

Vietnam Travel Depot Launches Jeep Adventure

Hochiminh City, 16 October 2009 - Vietnam Travel Depot has launched Jeep tours for the adventure enthusiasts. The unconventional tours by the US military Jeep M151 A1 and M151 A2 - vehicles once used in the Vietnam War will cover famous destinations such as historic Cu Chi Tunnel, Cao Dai Temple, Vung Tau Beach & Australia War Memorial, Mui Ne Beach, up to the mountain of Dalat or Central Highland or deep into the forest of Nam Cat Tien National Park.

Beside tours on Jeep, Vietnam Travel Depot offers travelers with various combined options such as camping in the forest, trekking, motorcycling, biking, camera rally or team building based on customer's individual interests. The company also specially developed a website www.vietnamjeeptours.com to provide detailed information and images about the Jeep travel, its technical specifications for the serious travelers who wish to know more about the historic vehicles and this special service.

About Vietnam Travel Depot

Online travel portal specialized in travel to Vietnam focusing on individuals and small groups travel. More information the company, its offers and rates please visit www.vietnamtraveldepot.com or Tel: (84 8) 5404 3116.

About Vietnam Jeep Tours

A special service dedicated to Jeep adventure in Vietnam with adventure activities of Jeep-ing, camping, trekking, motorcycling, biking, camera rally or team building. Vietnam Jeep Tour is a specially product managed by Vietnam Travel Depot. More information please visit www.vietnamjeeptours.com

Ca Tru and Quan Ho folksongs recognized by UNESCO

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has inscribed Vietnam’s Ca Tru on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on October 1.

Ca Tru is chamber music in which the singer is rewarded for each of her successful passages by bamboo tablets, which can be converted into money.

The recognised heritage will immediately be registered on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity or the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding and will be preserved at an international level.

A day earlier, Quan Ho was also recognized by UNESCO in the same category of Ca Tru.

Quan Họ folk songs form the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang, are performed as alternating verses between two women from one village who sing in harmony and two men from another village who respond with similar melodies, but with different lyrics.

More than 119 cultural items from 34 nations have been nominated as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding but only 15 have been approved.

Vietnam has been commended for its vision in preserving its cultural heritages. Next, the country will nominate its Giong Festival and Xoan singing.

(Source: VOV)

Non-stop travel between Vietnam and Cambodia

From September 30 all vehicles will have freedom of movement between the Samat international border gate in Tay Ninh Province in Vietnam and the TrapeangPlong border gate in KamPongCham Province, Cambodia.

This is the second international border gate to be put into use by the two countries. The first, Moc Bai-BaVet, started operating in September, 2006.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Transport Le Manh Hung praised the cooperation shown between the transportation sectors of both countries for their efforts to implement the Agreement on Road Transportation signed by both governments.

As a result, seven border gates connecting the two countries are now in operation. Both countries have opened up their borders so vehicles do not have to stop, which saves time, cuts costs and boosts trade, tourism, and investment.

Deputy Minister Hung and his Cambodian counterpart Takch ChanKosal also agreed that both countries should make more effort to exchange information, manage transport links and work together to make it easier to travel between both countries.

(Source: VNA)

Folk music is a mere phone call away

At a time when the modern music industry in Viet Nam is producing mostly flash-in-the-pan pop stars, modern technology is starting to prove convenient in keeping traditional music alive.

The 87 - year - old lady is performing folk songs on mobile

Fans of quan ho (love duets from the northern province of Bac Ninh) no longer need to visit the province to enjoy live performances of this ancient folk music.

Now the music is just a phone call away.

Thanks to such clubs as the Hoa Dinh Club in Hoa Dinh Village, Bac Ninh City, quan ho fans can dial in to listen to their favourite love songs, performed live by well-known singers.

With modern technology often distracting from the country’s traditions, it’s a refreshing change to see it help promote an ancient art form for Vietnamese everywhere.

The Hoa Dinh Club’s head, Tran Van Quyen, says most customers who phone in requesting songs are overseas Vietnamese and people in other provinces.

"It all started at a quan ho singing competition and festival in Spring 2008," he recalls.

During the festival, the club’s artists met with many tourists who said they wanted to enjoy these folk songs from home.

"At the end of the festival, we returned to our day jobs. The quan ho singers of Hoa Dinh Village continued to practise every Saturday evening.

"One day, some of the tourists who had my mobile phone number called me, saying that they wanted to enjoy some songs. We couldn’t refuse their passion for the music," he says.

At present, the club has 51 members, including elder, middle-aged and young people. The oldest member Nguyen Thi Bay is 85, but she still isn’t too old to teach young people how to properly sing the classic melodies.

Bay and other club members are ready to sing via mobile phones to fans, free of charge.

"The most important thing that we gain is that we can popularise the culture of quan ho and images of quan ho artists who are friendly and hospitable to people both in the country and abroad," he says.

"We don’t join the club for money," says artist Nguyen Thi Ly. "We are determined to preserve the ancient folk songs and we want the songs to be handed down to future generations."

The director of Bac Ninh Province’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, Dang Van Tuc, said the service has received a lot of attention.

"This service also helps popularise quan ho to the world. We want quan ho to be recognised one day as a UNESCO heritage. During this time of international integration, people all over the world can simply pick up their cell phones and listen to songs by famous singers."

Recognising the potential of wireless communication, the department has asked the provincial People’s Committee to give each quan ho club a mobile phone to help boost this service.

For many old people living in rural villages, mobile phones have been an unaffordable luxury, but there has been a recent spike in the number of elderly with mobile phones.

According to artist Nguyen Thi Thuy, quan ho is an acquired taste, and not everyone wants to listen to these old folk songs.

"That’s why we the quan ho singers always respect the requests of people who really want to listen to the songs. Among them, many are overseas Vietnamese who visited the homeland but didn’t have a chance to visit Bac Ninh," she says.

During the summers, the club also organises classes to teach quan ho to children in the village.

Other than the Hoa Dinh Club, many other clubs have been formed, attracting new performers and fans. They include clubs in Dao Xa Village in Phong Khe Commune, Bac Ninh City, and Diem Village in Hoa Long Commune.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is completing files on quan ho to submit to UNESCO, asking the organisation to recognise the music as an intangible part of their culture.

Just as modern technology seems to facilitate cheaply produced music, this original use of cell phones proves that tradition does not have to be traded for modernity. This also proves that quan ho culture still has a strong presence.

Club telephone numbers The following clubs provide live performances on Saturday evenings. Fans can listen in by calling: Hoa Dinh Club in Hoa Dinh Village, Bac Ninh City 095 372 3234 Dao Xa Village Club in Phong Khe Commune 0241 246 329 Diem Village Club in Hoa Long Commune 0241 862 092

(Source: VNS & VietNamNet Bridge )