Ha Long Bay ranks 6th in National Geographic
cruise list

National Geographic magazine has ranked Viet Nam’s Ha
Long Bay sixth in a list of the world’s 10 best sailing cruises.

Ha Long Bay. (Photo: VNN)

This UNESCO World Heritage site is best explored by a cruise on
a junk.”

The list also included the Nova Scotia and Labrador Tall Ships
cruise in Canada; US Washington state’s San Juan Islands; a Pirate Cruise of the
Grand Cayman Island; the Star Clipper to French Polynesia; a Junk Cruise in
Andaman Sea, Thailand; the Seychelles Islands; a Dhow Cruise through the Strait
of Hormuz, Oman; Lamu Island, Kenya and the Evia Island Cruise, Greece.

Last month, the Lonely Planet magazine also introduced the Ha
Long bay as one of the world’s top ten best boat journeys.

Central region helicopter tours offered

Da Nang-based
Vitours has launched new helicopter tours around destinations in central Viet
Nam, taking in sites in Da Nang, Cham Island in Quang Nam Province, Ly Son
Island off Quang Ngai and Con Co Island off Quang Tri.

Vitours
offers four tours, including the half-day Da Nang city tour, the one-day tour
from Da Nang to Cham Island and My Son Tower Complex, the one-day tour from Da
Nang to Con Co Island, and the one-day tour from Da Nang to Ly Son Island.

The
half-day Da Nang city tour for groups of 16 to 19 people costs from US$340 to
$375 per person. The company has also launched chartered flights for tourists.

Locals snatch up package tours

More
than 27,200 local tourists have bought promotion tours this year, twice the
number last year, prompting the Tourism Stimulus Team 2010 to ask the national
tourism agency and more airlines to create promotion programmes for 2011.

Tran The
Dung, deputy head of the team, said that prices of package tours to familiar
destinations like Da Nang, Hue city, Hai Phong, Ha Noi, Can Tho and Buon Ma Thuot had
been slashed by 30 per cent to 35 per cent.

Viet Nam
Airlines has lent a helping hand by slashing prices by half, while several
travel service providers have marked down prices by 5 per cent to 10 per cent.

Up to 26 travel companies in HCM City have joined the Tourism
Stimulus Team 2010 to promote discounted tours.
They include Saigontourist, Ben Thanh Tourist, V.Y.C Travel, Youth Tourist,
Fiditourist, Lua Viet, Young Generation Travel Co, Ltd, Peace Tour and SPSC
Tour.

Da Nang to host firework contest

The
central city of Da Nang will host an international fireworks contest from April
29-30 2011. Four foreign teams from South Korea, China, Italy and the UK are
expected to participate in the event.

According to a plan announced by the city authorities, the UK team (Jubilee
Fireworks Company), the South Korean team (Hanwha Group) and the host Viet Nam (Da
Nang City’s team) will perform on the first night. The second night will see
fireworks set off by the Italian team (Parente Fireworks A&C SNC Group) and the
Chinese team (Panda Fireworks Art Display Co Ltd.)

Quang Nam tourist complex gets nod

Quang
Nam Province plans to license a US$4 billion complex to the south of Hoi An.
Genting VinaCapital’s Nam Hoi An project will feature a five-star hotel, a
resort, villas, 2,500 houses and a casino. Genting VinaCapital is a joint
venture between Malaysian resort developer Genting and Vietnamese fund manager
VinaCapital.

Previously, the province had cancelled the licence issued for the $4.15 billion
Dragon Beach eco-resort in Dien Ban District after its US developer failed to
pay the advance amount and carry out some other tasks as agreed.

Golf complex opens in Hai Phong

Tourists
travelling to the northern port city of Hai Phong will have another option now
that the first phase of the Song Gia Resort Complex in the province’s Thuy
Nguyen District has opened.

Covering
130-ha, the first phase includes a five-star 60-room hotel, a 27-hole golf
course, a driving range and golf academy, as well as serviced townhouses and
luxury villas.

The
second phase of the resort that will cover 530-ha will include a landscaped
park, resident suites, a trade centre and a nursing house, and is expected to be
completed in 2015.

The
complex is being built and managed by South Korea’s Hyundai Amco – a
construction affiliate of Hyundai Motor Company.

“With experience in managing leading golf courses, including the
Haevichi in Korea, we will offer the best services, which are deserving of such
a leading golf course in Viet Nam,” said Seok
In-young, a member of the Hyundai Amco directorial board.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News