Foreign geologists survey Dong Van Karst Plateau

A delegation from Global Geoparks Network (GGN) conducted a survey from August 6-9 of the construction and development of the Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark.

At a meeting with local authorities on August 9 to review their assessment, the delegation, consisting of experts from Malaysia, France, and Brazil, spoke highly of the efforts of Ha Giang province to uphold the heritage values of the global geopark.

They also were inordinately complementary of Ha Giang province for its commitment to raise ethnic minority people and young generation’s awareness of the importance of geological heritage protection.

They noted that to fully meet all criteria recommended by GGN, Ha Giang province still has many things to do in the coming time.

They emphasised that the planning work must be linked to conservation, restoration and promotion of the natural heritage values, contributing to developing socio-economy, ensuring national security, and improving the quality of local people’s lives.

The Dong Van Karst Stone Plateau is the first official UNESCO Global Geopark in Vietnam and the second in Southeast Asia.

Tourist arrivals to Lao Cai up 25 percent in seven months

Over the January-July period, the number of tourists to the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai topped 800,000, up a whopping 25 percent thanks to the locality’s tourism stimulus drive for 2014, reported the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Lao Cai’s transport system, including roads and railroads, is offering better convenience to visitors. In particular, Noi Bai – Lao Cai expressway that opened to traffic recently has halved the time to travel from capital Hanoi to Lao Cai.

Throughout the rest of this year, Lao Cai will offer more discounts of at least 30 percent on tourist services, waive or reduce entrance fees at several tourist spots.

It will launch a Red River spiritual tour starting from Phu Tho through Yen Bai to Lao Cai, a night festival of coloured lanterns and a street show slated for September in Sa Pa, an international marathon tournament on September 20-21, and eight new tours from September 8.

The province now registers 450 lodging facilities with over 5,400 rooms, not to mention home-stay services in the districts of Sa Pa and Bac Ha, popular destinations for community-based tourism.

It has so far lured more than 10 new developments in upscale hotels and resorts worth up to tens of millions USD.

Between now and 2016, the locality plans to invest over 200 billion VND (10 million USD) in tourism infrastructure.

Lao Cai is said to be one of the most interesting and beautiful areas in Southeast Asia. Located about 300 kilometres from the capital city, the province is blessed with an abundance of scenic spots and a treasure chest of biodiversity.

Home to about 27 ethnic minority groups, Lao Cai possesses many special cultural and historical sites, such as the 110-year-old popular resort town of Sa Pa, which is named by Australia’s travel magazine Lonely Planet as one of the top ten walking sites in the world for tourists.

The US-based Travel and Leisure Magazine has listed Sa Pa’s terraced rice fields as one of the seven most magnificent examples in the world.

First five-star hotel in north central region recognised

The Muong Thanh Song Lam hotel in Nghe An province has been recognised as the first five-star hotel in the north central region.

The Muong Thanh Hotel Chain held a ceremony to receive a decision on the recognition on August 11.

Located in Vinh city, the 135m high hotel comprises 33 storeys and one basement with 425 international standard rooms. It is also a complex of restaurants and bars, convention halls, a fancy spa and yoga fitness centre, an open swimming pool and sports clubs.

The hotel was inaugurated in May last year, becoming the highest and most modern hotel in the province, and a new symbol of Vinh city in its integration and development period.

The hotel was also recognised as “Vietnam’s biggest private hotel chain” record presented by the Vietnam Guinness Book of Records.

The north central region of Vietnam consists of six provinces, namely Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue.

Smartphone app offers new options to last-minute travellers

Last-minute hotel-booking software through smartphone HotelQuickly has been officially launched in HCM City.

With over 3,000 3-5 star hotels in 12 Asia Pacific nations and territories, it can offer customers who use iOS, Android and BlackBerry 10 prices up to 28 per cent less than other online booking agencies. Bookings can be done at the last minute, up to 4am instead of the typical midnight deadline.

HotelQuickly received an investment of US$45 million from GREE Inc., and is offered in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Indonesian Bahasa.

In Viet Nam, HotelQuickly has 15 destinations and 330 hotels.

Saigon Railways offers 50% discount on ticket price

Saigon Railways is offering a special promotional discount of 30-50 percent on train tickets starting on August 11.

The program is applicable for passenger who buys tickets 30-60 days before journey of 1,300km and over. It is also applied for SE19 and SE20 trains from routes of  Sai Gon-Thap Cham, Quang Ngai-Hue and Nha Trang-Sai Gon.

Passengers can book tickets directly on the railway websites www.vetau.com.vn and gasaigon.com.vn; or contact with the phone number 08.38436528.

Vietnam Airlines launches 12th ‘Golden Moments’ program

The national flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines is launching the 12th ‘Golden Moments’ promotional program on some domestic and international routes on August 12-26.

One-way tickets for Ho Chi Minh City - Da Lat/Buon Ma Thuot/Phu Quoc/Cam Ranh route will be VND399,000; Ho Chi Minh City- Hue/Quy Nhon/ will cost VND499,000; Hanoi-Da Lat/Buon MaThuot will be VND999,000.

The special rates will be applicable for flights departing from August 16-October 31.

Return tickets for international routes between Da Nang-Siemriep will be VND1.25 million (US$59); Ho Chi Minh City-Phnom Penh will be VND2.1 million (US$99). The special rates will be applicable for flights departing from September 5-October 31.

Saigontourist offers special tours on National Day

Saigontourist is launching special tours on the occasion of the national day (September 2) and price is unchanged.

Saigontourist’s director said tourists like 4 or 5 day tours which depart on Thursday, Friday or Saturday. Thus, in order to meet domestic tourists’ demand, Saigontourist has designed domestic tours to Da Lat, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, and Mekong Delta’s destinations in August and September.

The price of these tours is from VND 1.85million to VND 3.1million. Tours which take airlines cost from VND 5million to VND 6million including Ha Noi, Ninh Binh, Ha Long, Sapa, Hue, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Con Dao…

Tour traveling to Da Lat is added two more new destinations; accordingly, tourists will visit strawberry Farm & Biofresh Organic Farm located in Than Tho Lake and Sculpture Tunnel.

Five day tour visiting Thailand costs VND 5.999million. Four day tour to Singapore costs around VND 9million to VND 10million.

Summer rain turns out Da Lat’s tourist draw

The Central Highlands province of Lam Dong is bustling with Da Lat Summer Festival – “Rain in the mountain city”, which is turning its peak rainy season into a draw to tourists from far and wide.

The festival, the first of its kind, began on August 7 with a photo exhibition at Thuy Ta restaurant, featuring 20 pieces of snapshots about different moments of local lives in the rain.

Around “waiting for the rain” spaces in local restaurants, visitors can enjoy a cup of coffee while listening to beautiful songs about love, life and rain.

In a poetic rainy setting, lovebirds are also able to walk on ‘Romance Palace” road, a venue expected to leave an unforgettable memory in their mind.

The four-day festivities will end with a fashion show “Catwalk in Da Lat’s rain” and arts night “Summer rain” as a farewell to festival-goers.

Famed for its mild climate all year round, Da Lat has two distinct seasons, the rainy and the sunny. The rainy season usually begins in May and finishes in October. Never in Da Lat could one ever catch a storm, which makes it favorable for tourists to take any daytime leisure walk.

It is also popular for French-style architectures, namely King Bao Dai’s Palace, Ngo Dinh Diem and Nguyen Cao Ky’s villas, Hang Nga villas which demonstrate the deeply special beauty and somehow culture of the old French.

PVN opens four-star hotel in Sapa

The Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PVN) inaugurated the new four-star U Sa Pa hotel in Sapa district, Lao Cai province.

Located at 8 Cau May street in the heart of the district, U Sa Pa was built with a total investment of VND 100 billion (US$4.7 million).

This is the second four-star hotel in Sapa, after the Chau Long Sapa 2 on Dong Loi street.

The deluxe hotel offers 57 accommodation options including superior rooms, deluxe rooms, junior suites and full suites, together with function rooms for reading, sporting events and entertainment.

The architecture and interiors of U Sa Pa hotel have been designed with a beautiful French Colonial style with an indigenous twist combined with services that are delivered with U’s unique concept.

At the inauguation ceremony, the PVN presented the Sapa II High School with VND 50 billion to purchase teaching resources for students and teachers there.

Playing with reptiles while sipping coffee

Many young people come to Ba Bo coffee shop in HCMC’s Phu Nhuan District where they can play with many species of reptiles.

First-time comers might be afraid to touch these animals but after listening to careful instructions by the café’s staff they may embrace and pose for photos with salamander, python, frog, green iguana and snake, among others.

The shop has over 20 species of reptiles. Despite their scary appearance, these animals are gentle and harmless. Guests can also feed these reptiles.

A visit to this shop at weekend might bring people a new and unique experience.

Foods and drinks are priced from VND15,000 to VND28,000.

Ba Bo Café is located No. 009, Condo A3, Hoa Phuong Street, Phu Nhuan District, HCMC.