Vietnam ranks 81st on global travel freedom index

Vietnam ranked 81 out of the 219 countries and territories surveyed in a recent global visa restriction index, prepared by the residence and citizenship planning adviser Henley & Partners.

Vietnamese citizens can travel to 45 countries and territories around the world without visas, making it ninth out of the 10 ASEAN members, Thanh Nien (Young people) newspaper quoted a source as saying.

Singapore’s score was the highest, followed by Malaysia and Brunei.

Dutch, English, and Swedish citizens are the most welcomed in the world, as they can travel to 173 countries and territories without a visa.

The passports of Denmark, Germany, Luxemburg and the US are the world’s second best with visa-free entry to 172 destinations.

Sixteen European countries rank among the top 20 of the list.

Citizens of Afghanistan and Iraq have the lowest free entry with 28 and 31 destinations, respectively.

Khanh Hoa attracts tourists on Reunification holiday

The central coastal province of Khanh Hoa expects to welcome 97,000 visitors for the holidays marking National Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day.

According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, most local hotels, resorts and restaurants plan to serve tourists with special packages that include cuisine, cultural performances and sports and leisure activities. Up to 80-90% of the total number of rooms at these places have been booked.

Vinpearl Land, Hon Tam Resort, the mud-bathing hot springs and tours to Nha Trang Bay are expected to be attractive destinations for tourists.

The department will also organise a number of traditional art performances such as “cai luong” (reformed theatre) and “tuong” (classical drama) to serve local people and visitors on the occasion.

The province now has 540 accommodation facilities with nearly 15,000 rooms, including 5,000 at three to five star hotels, which ensure demand is met for high-class accommodation.

It has also enhanced public order at tourism areas and introduced measures to control the prices of tourism services, especially room rentals.

In the first four months of this year, Khanh Hoa received more than one million tourists, including 293,000 from abroad, up around 35% from the same period last year.

Hotels ready for Reunification and Labor days

Five-star hotels in HCMC have put on their special food programs to serve guests on the Reunification Day (April 30) and International Labor Day (May 1) holidays.

Caravelle

Guests will enjoy two exquisite dinner buffets featuring crab meat salad, salmon head curry, Singapore chili crab and roast suckling pig, among others at Restaurant Nineteen on April 30 and May 1.

A fresh seafood corner, barbecue stations, and mouthwatering dessert options are also available.

Equatorial

The hotel’s Orientica Restaurant and Chit Chat Restaurant will run some programs for these two special days.

Diners to Orientica on the hotel’s level 2 can savor Eat All You Can dim sum at a price of VND338,000++per person (including tea) from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Those who choose to dine at Chit Chat Restaurant will enjoy a Lavish Buffet Dinner at VND798,000 ++ per person, including a free flow of wine, beer and soft drink.

Moevenpick

The hotel’s popular Seafood Night will be available on the two special days with an array of fresh seafood, food at open kitchens and carving stations, and desserts.

Renaissance Riverside

Diners who wish to both celebrate the Reunification Day and enjoy a fireworks display can consider the hotel’s restaurants Riverside Café, Kabin, and Poolside which overlook the Saigon River. On offer are a dinner buffet with a free flow of wine, beer, cocktail and soda at Riverside Café on the ground floor, a dinner “All You Can Eat” at Kabin on level 1 and a BBQ dinner with an acoustic music band from 8 p.m. at the Poolside on level 21.

All diners have access to the rooftop Poolside to watch the fireworks display. Surcharge applies on dining vouchers and Club Marriott discount is applicable.

Sheraton Saigon

Saigon Café will be introducing a buffet night with fresh seafood, Japanese specialties, Vietnamese food corner, action station with live seafood and fresh meat and carving station. There is a sweet corner with choices of fresh fruits, mouthwatering cakes and sweet soups, and creamy ice cream for diners.

Guests to this special buffet night will enjoy free flowing Chandon sparkling wine, house wine, coffee and tea.