Bhaya Cruises launches new boat; Tour operators laud Cambodia visa exemption; HCM City hosts unicorn dance festival; New romantic tours for couples; Biking tours in Mekong Delta

Ha Long Bay.

A take copy of an ancient wooden sailing boat, the new 40m luxury boat has 20 cabins, all equipped with private bathrooms, international telephones and air-conditioning.

The Bhaya ll also has restaurants serving eastern and western cuisine, a spa, a shop and a library spanning three decks. The spacious sun deck offers panoramic views of the bay.

Tour operators laud Cambodia visa exemption

Passport holders from Viet Nam and Cambodia will be exempt from visa requirements to travel in either country. The agreement was signed between the two countries last week. Travel firms in HCM City said the number of locals travelling to Cambodia has been increasing, and will be further bolstered once the visa agreement takes effect.

The majority of local visitors travel via the Moc Bai border gate in Tay Ninh Province for trips to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap for an average four to five days. Current visa charges are US$20 to $25.

HCM City hosts unicorn dance festival

An international unicorn dance festival, with groups from Cambodia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Macau, Singapore, Taiwan and Viet Nam, will take place at HCM City’s Nguyen Du Stadium today until November 17. Competitions between the troupes will be showcased on November 15 and 16, and the lion and dragon dances, drum dances, martial arts and music will also be performed during the festival. It has been organised by the Centre of Sports and Physical Culture of District 1, the HTC Corp and HCM City’s Nhon Nghia Duong unicorn, lion and dragon dance troupe.

New romantic tours for couples

Saigontourist has introduced romantic, short tours called Take Care Together.

The three-day tour, Love at Vinpearl Land, is priced at VND13.8 million per couple, exclusive of flight ticket, and a three-day tour Romance on Pearl Island – Con Dao is priced at VND3.7 million a couple, exclusive of flight ticket.

The four-day and three-night tour Nha Trang – the Beauty of Sea and Island” costs between VND4.6 million and VND5.9 million a couple and the two-day and one-night tour Romantic Night in Ha Long is VND9.25 million a couple.

The Love at the Vinpearl Land tour features a fascinating trip in a cable car to the Vinpearl Land resort in the central coast city of Nha Trang where guests will relax in a hot spring mineral bath and mineral mud bath at the Thap Ba hot springs.

In Con Dao, couples are free to discover isolated sand dunes such as Dam Trau dune, the Da Trang rock field with endless rocky layers in mysterious white color, and the Love Top, an ideal place for couples.

Biking tours in Mekong Delta

Victoria Can Tho Resort has launched biking tours, offering guests an opportunity to discover daily life in the heart of the Mekong Delta region. The tours, which range from 57km to 87km, take riders through a series of small paths, luscious green fields and tropical fruit orchards with the resort’s own fleet of quality mountain bikes. Highlights include canal crossings on local boats, handicraft and rice paper making villages and the famous town of Sa Dec.

For a more cultural experience, the Long Xuyen-Chau Doc route will take guests through small provincial towns to see ethnic Cham villages as well as Muslim mosques near the Cambodian border, renowned for an eclectic mix of Cham, Khmer, Chinese and Vietnamese cultures.

The tours costs from US$97 per person upwards, and include professional mountain bikes, safety helmets, a repair kit and a supporting mini-van at disposal at all times.

(Source: Viet Nam News)