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TUESDAY 30 JUNE, 2009 |

Top ten hotels, travel firms in Vietnam announced

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The list of Vietnam Tourism Award 2008 winners has been released, with many familiar names like Saigontourist, Fiditourist, Ben Thanh – Rex Hotel and De Nhat – First Hotel.

Foreign visitors to Vietnam so far this year reduce by 18% year on year.

This is an annual award for tourism firms in Vietnam. Its previous name was the Top Ten Hotels and Travel Firms in Vietnam.

Ten tourism companies are honoured as the leading international travel firms in Vietnam in 2008, including: Saigontourist, Exotissimo – Cesais, Vietnam-Hanoi Tourism JS Company, Tan Dinh Tourism JS Company, Ben Thanh Tourist, Hoa Binh Tourism Company, Vitours, Vietnam Tourism JS Company in HCM City, Huong Giang Tourism Co, Ltd., and Oriental Tourism Trading Co., Ltd.

The five top domestic travel firms are: Saigontourist, Ben Thanh Tourist, Youth Tourism JS Company, Hanoitourist and An Giang Tourism JS Company.

Instead of choosing only ten top hotels, the Vietnam Tourism Association selected 30 hotels based on star standards.

The top ten five-star hotels: Sofitel Plaza Hanoi, Melia Hanoi, Ben Thanh - Rex Hotel (HCM City), Renaissance Riverside Sai Gon (HCM City), Nikko Hanoi, Evason Ana Mandara Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa), Sunrise Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa), Vinpearl Resort & Spa Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa) and Furama (Da Nang).

Top ten four-star hotels: Dong Khoi - Grand Hotel (HCM City), De Nhat - First Hotel (HCM City), Sunway Hanoi, Yasaka Sai Gon Nha Trang, Palace Sai Gon, Hoan Cau - Continental Hotel (HCM City), Grand Palace (Ba Ria – Vung Tau), Hoi An (Quang Nam), Sai Gon Morin (Thua Thien – Hue) and Sai Gon Phu Quoc (Kien Giang).

Top ten three-star hotels: Que Huong 4 - Liberty 4 (HCM City), Que Huong 1 - Liberty 1 (HCM City), Hoa Binh (Hanoi), Vien Dong (HCM City), Petro Song Tra (Quang Ngai), Rex (Ba Ria – Vung Tau), Thang Long Opera Hotel (Hanoi), Phuc Long (HCM City), Festival Hue (Thua Thien - Hue) and Cuu Long (Can Tho).

The Vietnam Tourism Association will also present the “Reputed Transporter 2008” title to Hoa Binh Tourism Company and “Reputed Shopping Address 2008” to Yaly Tourism Service, Trade and Fashion Company (Quang Nam) and Minh Anh Company (Hai Duong).

The awards ceremony will be held on July 2 at the Hanoi Opera House.

PV

Gushing forth and falling over

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But to have springs, waterfalls, mountains, plains and the sea all in one place is a package deal that is difficult to resist, and this is what Hoa Lan Spring Tourist Resort offers.

Hoa Lan Spring is located in a mountain range about 18km north of Nha Trang. It is fed by many small springs from different mountains in the range. Along the six kilometer long waterway are plenty of wild plants and orchids. The spring merges with the Nha Phu Swamp that is connected to the mountain range by a smooth land area of about 20 hectares.

It is in this area that the Hoa Lan Spring Tourist Resort stands.

For visitors, the waterfalls by themselves are worth the trip. Set amidst the wilderness are many rapids and waterfalls, each with its own shape and beauty. The tallest fall cascades from a height of 350 meters, and the highest mountain peak is double that.

Since the mountains, springs and waterfalls are located on the coast, visitors can also bathe in the sea or just listen to and watch the waves sitting under a hut.

After sunset the resort offers the entertainment of a camp fire around which visitors can gather, sing, dance, tell stories and drink ruou can (ethnic wine in jar with straws). It is a perfect way to round off the evening.

Situated on the Heo Islet, the resort can be reached in about 30 minutes by motorboat from the tourist wharf of Nha Trang Town.

Apart from its diverse terrain, the resort also hosts relics of Cham ethnic people. The rock at the foot of the spring, for instance, carries an ancient Cham inscription announcing that a Cham king once stopped here.

The resort has several other attractions including an orchid garden with many varieties from Vietnam and other countries, a section with water entertainment and sports, a 400-seat restaurant, guest houses, and an entertainment park for children.

A really special treat is to row a kayak from Hoa Lan to the Mong Mo springs and the estuary, a trip that will imprint the scenic beauty of the place forever in one’s mind.

Reported by Diem Thu - thanhniennews

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Journey to the south

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Locals harvest paddies in the Mekong Delta, long considered Vietnam’s rice basket   Despite the global economic downturn, tourism in the Mekong Delta continues to flourish.

According to the latest reports from the departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mekong Delta cities and provinces have welcomed more than 400,000 foreign tourists since early 2009, a 40 percent increase over last year. While other established tourist hotspots have struggled to maintain business, Dang Hoang Kim of the Can Tho municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the revenue generated from international and domestic tourists to the Mekong in the first six months of 2009 was approximately VND283 billion ($US15.71 million). Of the total number of tourists, 85,300 visited the region’s central city of Can Tho while other popular destinations included the Delta provinces of Tien Giang, Ben Tre, and Vinh Long. Famous floating markets A trip to the Cai Rang floating market in Can Tho City is an ideal way to learn about daily life on the Mekong River. Canoes and small boats offer the most efficient mode of travel along the myriad waterways that snake around the entire Delta region A panoramic view of a floating market in the Mekong Delta, where vendors and buyers engage in a flurry of daily activities Visitors can play with pythons while visiting Dong Tam snake farm in Tien Giang Province The Mekong Delta is also home to many flower farms, including daisies Cruising through the small, picturesque canals in a rowboat, local vendors conduct all their business right on the water. “You can’t say you’ve been to Can Tho City until you’ve visited the Cai Rang floating market,” says tour guide Hung Lam. One of the largest of the Mekong’s floating markets, Cai Rang opens from sunrise until evening and the busiest time is from dawn until 9 a.m. The main items for sale are primarily farm products and specialties of Cai Rang Town in Chau Thanh District, along with a vast array of items from other nearby communities. It is essential for each boat to display a long upright pole at its bow on which samples of the goods are hung. Normally, vendors shout out to advertise what goods they’re selling, but on the open water and amongst the noise of boat engines, their cries are difficult to hear. By using a display pole, however, buyers can see what items are on sale from a distance. During the early morning market hours, larger sized boats anchor and create lanes that smaller boats weave in and out of. The waterway becomes a maze of hundreds of boats packed with mangos, bananas, papaya, and pineapple. Smaller boats sell beer, soft drinks, wine and even cigarettes. Trading activities at the market are also an occasion for tourists to learn more about the local peoples. “The [warm greetings], friendly smiles, and welcoming gestures all make the place really special,” said a tourist from Singapore. “From the kids to the parents, [Mekong Delta residents] are always friendly and helpful. It is one of the friendliest places I've visited. “Once you look at how people depend on the vast river system for their livelihood – food, water and transport – you see it is the very essence and sustenance of life,” he added. There are also a host of handicraft villages to visit along with a rice-husking mill and the Can Tho Museum. Visitors may also want to take in a traditional tai tu (southern folk) music performance. Tour guide Hung Lam says more than 500 tai tu clubs, whose members range in age from 20-70 years old, are now running in Can Tho City. “They all share the same wish to preserve this aspect of the country’s traditional music,” he adds. On the way to Can Tho, visitors can stop to visit Tien Giang Province’s My Tho Town and take a boat trip to visit orchards, bee farms and coconut candy shops in Ben Tre Province. The Mekong Delta also boasts some of the country’s best fruit orchards and national parks including Tram Chim National Park I in Dong Thap Province and U Minh Forest in Ca Mau Province. Phu Quoc Island and An Giang Province’s That Son and Sap mountains are also popular destinations for travelers. Developing sustainable tourism According to Le Thanh Binh from the Diem Hoan My travel company, the global economic crisis has yet to affect tourism in the Mekong Delta. However, the biggest threat to tourism in the region, Binh says, is the current lack of coordination and organization between the government, tour companies, and local residents. Sustainable tourism is needed to protect both the environment and local peoples from exploitation. In addition, regulations are needed to prevent unhealthy competition between the Delta’s inhabitants and local tour companies since tourism exploitation can negatively impact daily life in the delta. The Mekong Tourism Association (MTA) last month discussed implementing more diverse and higher quality services for tourists and encouraged travel companies to set up tours in conjunction with local residents to help generate sustainable income for them. A co-operation program to develop sustainable tourism through 2010 has also recently been established by the provinces of Kien Giang, An Giang and the city of Can Tho. Vinh Long Province and Can Tho City, meanwhile, are working to promote ecotourism, cultural and historical tourism, and home-stay tours. Authorities have spent around VND98 billion ($5.3 million) to upgrade some 50 tourism sites in the region to attract more visitors. Can Tho, for instance, has invested VND16.6 billion in transport infrastructure and the restoration of the century-old Binh Thuy house, a national relic in Binh Thuy tourism village. It has also upgraded several tourist attractions along the Hau River. Agencies are also focusing on training tourism service providers to increase the overall quality of the local industry. Reported by Hoang Kien - thanhniennews

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Summer fun on Con Dao Island

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Summer is here, and from the southern island of Con Dao, you can cruise to the neighboring islets, enjoy bathing and fishing, or walk through splintered sunlight in a tropical jungle. There are few tourist services but many people like it this way because there is less hassle.

Con Dao island, known as “The Hell on Earth” under the French regime and during the American War, draws many visitors who come to learn the history. Fishing is one of the interesting activities on this beautiful island. Some sportsmen have great luck in the channels between islets. Most people prefer the tamer waters near Wharf 914. Live bait is available at the market, which is a short walk from the wharf. Some sellers give the bait away.

“It is very small, I cannot sell it to customers to make food. So you can take it, just for fun”, a seller told us when we asked for a couple of small fish to try our luck.

You might not catch too many fish but you never feel lonely because the wharf is usually crowded with fishermen and kids. The kids are there just for fun. Despite going home empty-handed most of the time, these kids are ready to help you catch a fish and tell you what you are doing wrong and why your bait is no good and snap your camera for you when you do land a fish. They spend the great majority of their lives on the beach and usually have enough free time to keep you company all day.

On a full moon, when the tide ebbs, the islets grow taller giving you a chance to have a nice long walk straight into the ocean. Some nights you can walk more than one kilometer under the moon. You will bump into many friendly locals out here hunting for cuttle-fish.

This can also be a romantic setting, but the opportunity only lasts for a few hours and then the sea quickly reclaims the exposed skin of the island. Give yourself plenty of time to start walking back in.

There are 13 flights to the Con Dao every week.

VietNamNet/SGT

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Sapa on list of world’s most magnificent terraced fields

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The terraced fields of Sapa in Vietnam have been recognized as one of the world’s, and Asia’s seven most beautiful and magnificent, US-based Travel & Leisure magazine has announced.

Other fields include Banaye (the Philippines), Yuangyang (Yunnan, China), Ubud (Bali, Indonesia), Annapurna (Nepal), Mae Rim (Chiang Mai, Thailand), and Longji (Guilin, China).

These results came from a vote by the readers of Travel & Leisure.

The magazine described the terraced fields of Sapa located in the northern province of Lao Cai as ‘ladders to the sky’.

It said they have helped attract a great many tourists, who travel to Lao Cai city by train before going by coach to the Sapa tourist area to experience both the rice fields and the hospitality of ethnic Mong and Zao girls in colourful costumes and to soak up the view of Mount Fansipan, the highest peak in Vietnam (3143m).

VietNamNet/VOV

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News for Thursday 25 June, 2009

• Horticultural heaven

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