More boat trips for tourists to visit Wild Ly Son Island

With many historical, cultural relics and fascinating tourist areas, Ly Son Island in the central province of Quang Ngai is becoming an amazing travel attraction of Vietnam.

Thank to The district’s Passenger Transport Co-Operative, there are now four boat trips to the island each day to cope with the increasing number of visitors. Since the beginning of this year The Island has welcomed more than 6,000 visitors, receiving 200 to 350 tourists a day. Tourists can catch boats from Quang Ngai province’s Sa Ky port to reach Ly Son Island after nearly one hour.

Visit isolated Ly Son Island referred as the “fairy island” & “Garlic Kingdom”, travelers have chances not only to learn about its very diverse ecosystem with five mountains including many mysterious caves, imposing waterfalls, and splendid rivers and lakes (Thoi Loi, Gieng Tien, Hon Vung, Hon Soi and Hoi Tai) and the  lines of stunning beaches laid with colourful rocks, pebbles and corals but also to see many artifacts of Sa Huynh and Cham Cultures. Especially, the Thien Yana and old ruong houses are evidence for Sa Huynh and Cham’s ancient civilizations.

Vietnam Travel Depot is operating 03 days 2 nights package tour to visit beautiful Ly Son Island, for more information, please contact sales@vietnamtraveldepot.com or hotline: +84 909 602 370.

Vietnam mountain elevator to open by end of April

The Ngu Hanh Son Mountain Elevator, in central Vietnam, will be operational in time for the country’s Reunifi cation Day holidays on 30 April, local media has reported.

According to the Saigon Times, the 50-metre tall elevator, which lies approximately 8km from the central city of Danang, was completed seven months ago but has not yet been put into service. The lift has two cabins which can transport approximately 20 guests at a time to the pagoda that sits on top of the mountain. A journey on the elevator will cost VND30,000 (US$1.40) per person – twice the price of a ticket to the pagoda itself.

Source: Travel daily asia

Majestic Hotel To Expand New Hotel Complex

Saigon Tourist Company plans to invest VND1, 900 billion (US$92 million) in expanding the old Majestic Hotel in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City.

Two 24 and 27 storey buildings with a total of 353 rooms and four basements will form the expansion plan.

The old Majestic Hotel built in 1925 in French architectural style and recognized by the Viet Nam National Administration for Tourism (VNAT) as a 5-star hotel in 2007, will remain unchanged and will preserve its heritage status.

The old hotel has 185 rooms and along with 353 rooms in the new hotel complex, the majestic hotel will offer a total 538 guest rooms. The new complex will be fully operational by 2014.

For more information about the hotel, you can visit http://www.majesticsaigon.com.vn/ or contact Email: sales@majesticsaigon.com.vn.

Vietnam to host the first international balloon festival in Binh Thuan Province

Vietnam to host the first international balloon festival in Binh Thuan Province The event will take place from April 26 to May 1 in the skies over Phan Thiet City and Hoa Thang commune of Binh Thuan Province at the altitude of 150m to 500m. During the festival, there will be 20 to 30 balloons (ranging in height from 20-25m and diameters of 16-18m) which will be performed by pilots from many countries including France, German, Belgium, Japan and Indonesia.

The festival will not be limited to daytime activities, as lantern performances are scheduled for the evenings. During the daytime, balloons will be flown within the observation range of viewers. At night, the flying team will perform lantern effects. Once successful, the festival will be held annually in Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan province.
Related programs to Phan Thiet of Binh Thuan Province: (Please contact adventure@vietnamjeeptours.com for more tours to Phan Thiet – Mui Ne & around):
  5 Days Southern Coastal Lines on Motorbikes 
- Full Day Mui Ne Kite Surfing
19 Days on Bike from Saigon to Hanoi

U MINH THUONG NATIONAL PARK – WETLAND ANGLERS’ PARADISE

Every weekend, hundreds of people flock to U Minh Thuong National Park in the southern province of Kien Giang to go fishing for different kinds of fish far beyond their wildest dreams.

Most of anglers from Saigon travel by car down to the Mekong Delta area. The approximately 300 km trip from Saigon to the forest takes them around seven to eight hours drive crossing most of the delta provinces such as Vinh Long, Can Tho, Dong Thap.

The route is quite lengthy, across two river ferries (Vam Cong & Tac Cau Ferry) but it is worth for tourists to see the landscapes on the way as well as people daily lives on the way. Especially for many people, fishing in this remote area is a unique way to escape from the bustle of city life and enjoy the primitive cajuput forest, where they are greeted by birdsong and chirping insects.

Declared as a National Park in September 2000, U Minh Thuong covers 21,100 hectares. The core 8,000 hectares are strictly protected, while locals live in the remaining 13,000ha growing rice and fruit and vegetables and exploiting government owned cajuput forests.

U Minh Thuong is home to more than 250 species of plants and 500 species animals, with nine species of birds that are listed in the Red Book as endangered. At least eight species of economically valuable fish have been found at the park.
One of the last significant peat forests remaining in Viet Nam, the park has also been recognized as one of the three highest priority sites for wetland conservation in the Mekong Delta.

In order to preserve and maintain the natural environment, tourists are only allowed to travel within a 500 hectare area of the park's central zone.

Most of the tourists like to fish under humble cajuput-wooden tents by Hoa Mai Lake which is the only place that offers food and other basic services.

While the boats glide through the water, visitors may see thousands of bats hanging on tree branches. If they are lucky, they may even spot some monkeys quickly fleeing deep into the jungle after catching sight of humans.

Many tourists look forward having a meal prepared with fresh fish and other indigenous vegetables right on the spot, and then lying in a hammock to enjoy the forest's tranquility.

Those who are not interested in fishing can climb to one of the several watchtowers and enjoy a panoramic view of the reserve. An immense green zone stretches as far as the eye can see, and the harmonious melody of the wind blowing and birds singing will purify and refresh anyone’s spirit.
For more information about U Minh Thuong National Park, please visit

Tram Chim National Park to be recognized as a World Ramsar site

Tram Chim National Park located in Tam Nong district, the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, will turn into Vietnam’s fourth Ramsar site, after Xuan Thuy Natural Wetland Reserve in the northern province of Nam Dinh, which was recognized in 1988; the Bau Sau (Crocodile Lake) Wetlands and Seasonal Floodplains in Cat Tien National Park, selected in 2005; and Ba Be National Park in Bac Kan northern province, recognized in 2011.

According to park authorities, this designation of Tram Chim National Park acknowledges the fundamental ecological functions of a wetland and its economic, cultural, scientific and recreational value.

Nguyen Van Hung, the park's director, said that the Ramsar Convention Bureau is finalising procedures to pronounce the park a Ramsar site.

Tram Chim National Park with its 7,588-hectares is home to 130 class of plant, some-more than 120 class of freshwater fish, 40 opposite amphibian and invertebrate species, and over 200 forms of birds - of that 16 are listed as endangered. The most distinguished resident bird is the Sarus crane (Grus antigone), which has been recognized as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red Book.

For more information about Tram Chim National Park, please visit http://www.vietnamjeeptours.com/national-park-collection/tram-chim-national-park-45.html

Related programme to Tram Chim National Park:
3 Days 2 Nights Bird-Watching at Tram Chim National Park of Mekong Delta

Cebu Pacific to start flights from Manila to Hanoi in March, 2012

Cebu Pacific is launching its flights to Hanoi on March 17, 2012, making it the only airline flying from Manila to the Vietnam capital.

For the route from Manila to Hanoi, Cebu Pacific will set two flights a week that one departs Manila at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Saturdays and arrives in Hanoi at 12:30 a.m. the next day. Return flights (Hanoi – Manila) will leave Hanoi at 1 a.m. every Wednesday and Sunday, and arrive in Manila at 5 a.m.

To celebrate the launch of the Manila-Hanoi flights, Cebu Pacific is offering an introductory P888 seat sale from November 3 to 7, for travel from March 17 to May 31, 2012. This is lower than regular year-round fares starting at P2,499.

Cebu Pacific also operates daily flights between Manila and Ho Chi Minh.

For more details about Pacific Air, here is their official website: www.cebupacificair.com

Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Nội), the capital of Vietnam, is a fascinating blend of East and West, with Chinese influence from centuries of dominance, and French design from its colonial past. It is largely unspoiled by modern architecture of the 1970s and 80s, and is now going through a modernization that is making it a rising star in Southeast Asia.

Related programmes to Hanoi: (Please contact adventure@vietnamjeeptours.com for more tours to Hanoi):

Hanoi Highlights 4 Days
Hanoi Traditional Villages of Arts and Crafts
North And South Vietnam Discovery 8 Days
Vietnam Impressions 8 Days
3 Days Taste of Ho Chi Minh Trail
Full Day Trekking in Ba Vi National Park
Full Day Bike Rural Duong Lam Village