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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Are you ready for the country?

After a two hour drive from Hanoi you will arrive at Giang Mo village in Cao Phong district of Hoa Binh province, where Muong people live in a wonderfully idyllic setting.
It remains relatively tourist free to promote itself as a ‘tourism village.’ The village is populated by Muong people, the third largest ethnic group in Vietnam with an estimated population of 1.2 million, the bulk of which dwell in the mountainous regions of Hoa Binh or Thanh Hoa provinces.
A hundred stilt-houses built on the mountain slope look down onto the terraced fields of the villagers. Outside each house, there is a small shrine dedicated to the Muong people’s gods and ancestors. The bucolic landscape is inspiring. The autumnal air is fresh and fragrant. You can smell young sticky-rice and wild flowers in the air.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Vietnam expects to welcome more British tourists - Vietnam Travel News


Hanoi Daily ToursVietnam is forecast to grow in popularity as a destination for British tourists this year, according to the Holiday Money Report 2011, recently issued by the Post Office, the UK's largest foreign currency provider.



"Movie stars and backpackers have long since discovered its beaches but 2011 was the year when Vietnam finally seems to have made it onto the world stage," states the report. The document reviews UK travel trends from previous years and identifies holiday hotspots for 2012 based on exchange rates, trends and resort costs.

After a yearly 106 percent growth in sales of the dong between August-November of 2011, Vietnam, together with Argentina, is tied for the top position on the Post Office's first list of emerging holiday destinations.

With the December launch of the first non-stop service from London to Hanoi and HCM City, the floodgates are "likely to open as a crop of new beach hotels compete head to head with Thailand on price", according to the report.

"Vietnam could finally prove to be the next big thing in long haul tourism," the Post Office forecasts.

The Post Office's worldwide holiday cost barometer, which compares costs for holiday travel packages, puts Vietnam as the 10th cheapest of the 40 destinations surveyed.

Thailand is still the cheapest South East Asian country surveyed, but Vietnam has emerged as a good value with just 50.71 GBP (US$80) for eight tourist items, including dinner for two with wine, in resort areas. (Sri Lanka was the cheapest place and Australia the most expensive of all for British travellers.)

Vietnam is a little more expensive, 9 percent more than Thailand, but still it's a better place than other regional countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

Some British tourists said Vietnam is even cheaper in reality, with a bottle of local beer sold at about VND10,000 ($0.47), instead of $2.76 as reported by the barometer.

Vietnam received more than 156,000 UK visitors in 2011, up by almost 90 percent compared to 2005, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

Although the UK is not in Vietnam's top 10 tourism markets of 2011, which is headed by China, it has been one of major European markets.

"Everyone is going to Vietnam," said Anne Smith, a retired Briton who has planned for a trip to Vietnam herself this summer.

VNAT's Travel Department director Nguyen Quy Phuong said the country will focus on promotions in the UK, given that the direct flights and the Post Office's ratings were opportunities for a tourism boom after economic downturns.

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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

West Lake electric car service launched

The TLC West Lake Joint Stock Company has officially opened the Ho Tay (West Lake) electric car tourism route for visitors to discover the history, culture and beauty of the 18-km long lake.Electric car tours in West lake Hanoi City Tours hanoi one day tours Go asia Travel

Five tourism packages will be offered to visit famous sites, discover and enjoy the beauty of the lake, transport passengers, and other services as requested.

Tourists will have the opportunity to visit famous sites along the route including Vong Thi, Tao Sach, and Tran Quoc pagodas, Quan Thanh temple and 20 other relics, and enjoy the special food around West Lake including noodles, snails, and crispy shrimp pancakes.

Each tour lasts from one to two hours. There are a total of 30 cars, each one covering 0.6-1km. The electric cars star from the West Lake Water Park, over 20 famous travel sites and stop at Union Hotel Hanoi. The cars serve from 8 am to 6 pm (in winter) and 9 pm (in summer).
Visitors can buy tickets at the West Lake Water Park (614 Lac long Quan), Lac long Quan Flower Garden, Ly Tu Trong Flower Garden (Thanh Nien Road) Tran Quoc Pagoda, Tay Ho Temple or ticket service of Go Asia Travel.

On the same day, a pair of ceramic dragons, the largest of their kind in Vietnam, were inaugurated in the West Lake area.The two ceramic dragons, which are made after the dragon style of the Ly dynasty, are 7.5 meters tall each. Their bodies are decorated by ceramic plates.

The work was made by artisans from Bat Trang pottery craft village in Hanoi at a total cost of nearly VND2.6 billion. Earlier, the pair set the Vietnam Guinness record as the largest ceramic dragons and they were on display on the occasion of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi in 2010 before being moved to the new site.

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Sunday, February 12, 2012

Hanoians open up their homes for tourists to get a feel for family

Canadians Andrew and Marith Kull had intended to find a good restaurant for their final evening in Ha Noi, but they changed their plans after hearing about a tour to a local house, which they described as "the perfect end to our trip".

The couple and their children were among the first tourists to go on the Ha Noi Home Visit Tour, a project initiated by non-profit organisation Students in Free Enterprise (SiFE) from Ha Noi University. The project provides foreign tourists with a chance to visit ordinary families to see how they live and their traditional features and customs, with the aim of developing and expanding Vietnamese culture. Leader Mai Quang Huy, a junior at the university's Faculty of Business Administration, said: "While travel agencies offer tours to historical and cultural destinations, we want to help foreigners experience a family dinner in Viet Nam."

Hoan Kiem Lake - The heart of Hanoi Capital

Hoan Kiem Lake

Hoan Kiem Lake, also called Lake of the Restored Sword, is located in the center of Hanoi. The name Lake of the Restored Sword is derived from a legend. After ten years of hard fighting (1407-1417), the Lam Son insurrectionists led by Le Loi swept the foreign invaders out of the country of Dai Viet (Great Viet), ending the Ming's 20-year domination over the Viet people. Le Loi became a national hero, proclaiming himself kings, called Le Thai To, and establishing his capital in Thang Long. On a beautiful afternoon, the King and his entourage took a dragon-shaped boat for sight-seeing on Luc Thuy (Green Water) Lake, which was located in the centre of Thang Long capital (present-day Hanoi). As the boat was gliding on the lake, suddenly there was a great wave and on top of the wave, the Golden Tortoise Genie appeared, telling the King:
- Your Majesty, the great work is completed. Would you please return the sacred sword to the King of the Sea?

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Alova Halong Cruise 2 days 1 night

Discover the mysterious Halong Bay on Alova Gold Cruise – a Vessel consists of 9 deluxe cabins decorated in classic Asian style. This journey will take you into the legendary world with various activities that will truly provide an unforgettable impression.
Day 1: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Alova Gold Cruise
ALova Gold Cruise Rooms7h45 – 8h15: Alova Gold Cruise’s bus and guide will pick you up at your hotel & start the 3 hour and a half drive to Halong Bay.
12h00 – 12h30: Board Alova Gold Cruise at the Bai Chay port, enjoy welcome drink, crew briefing before checking in cabin. Start cruising and enjoy a Special lunch with Vietnamese Traditional Dishes while the boat slowly slides on romantic waves of the sea to the legendary fishing village
14h00: Spend one hour Kayaking on emerald water of the world heritage.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Hanoi City Private One Day Tour - Hanoi Daily Tours

Hanoi City Tour by Go Asia travel:

8h00 am our bus and guide picks you up to visit Ho Chi Minh Complex with Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, and Ho Chi Minh Museum.
A short drive to The Temple of Literature - The first university in Vietnam dating back to the 11th century to admire the beautiful construction and learn about Royal court and Vietnamese talents.