Lao Airlines ventures to Danang

Lao Airlines ventures to Danang Lao Airlines last week launched a three weekly service to Danang in central Vietnam, the first link from the landlocked nation to the seaside resorts of Danang and Hoi An.
Unfortunately for passengers it is not a nonstop service. It touches down in two Lao tourist destinations on the way. The service operates from Vientiane with stops in Savannakhet and Pakse on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday using ATR72 aircraft.
The flight departs the Lao capital at 0700 and arrives in Danang at 1040. The return flight departs 1140 and lands in Vientiane at 1520.

The roundtrip fare is US$251 from Vientiane; US$221 from Savannakhet and US$191 from Pakse. Last November, the carrier kicked off a nonstop service to Guangzhou, China, with three flights a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The flight departs at 1310 and lands in Guangzhou at 1610. The eturn flight leaves at 1710 and lands at 1810. Lao Airlines operates 20 regional routes from Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet and Pakse to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Jing Hong, Kunming, Guangzhou and Singapore.
It achieves this remarkable growth over the last two years without any marketing or sales budget. The advertising budget is almost zero and very few financial incentives are offered to travel agencies.

With this investment, tourists from Laos can be more easy in transportation as well as time saving; and have a greater opportunity to visit the charming Danang – Hoi An to enjoy some of our exotic city tours Da nang - Hoi an. Please contact us for further information.

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Rustic homestay trend in Can Tho

Traveling experience in Can Tho is no longer merely sightseeing beautiful landscapes, but participating in the daily life of the locals with gardening, tree growing, fishing or producing cacao.

On the way to the homestay area of Muoi Cuong, tourists may have chances to enjoy the poetic stream of Can Tho River, over Cai Rang Floating Market and Ong De Cannal along the peaceful river with ever-green coconut rows and orchards.

The most distinctive feature of this new type of tourism is that tourists are wholeheartedly welcomed by attentive host families, who are carefully chosen. The room amenities are also of comfortable with air-conditioning and spacious rooms.

Many tourists attend this tour shares that they felt like being home since the host family treats them like members in their family. “They shares with us funny stories, gorgeously offer us delicious Vietnamese foods and guide us how to harvest cacao seeds without breaking the fruit, pick vegetables and cook on the firewood instead of electric stove”, said Jenna, a Canadian tourist.

Fresh and peaceful environment with alluring tropical fruits trees such as bananas, polemos, mangos, papayas and pineapples, in combination with unique cultures here promise an excellent choice of inner peace.

If you are interested in this home-stay trend, Threeland Team believes that you will enjoy our related Mekong Delta tours. Check out the detailed information on our website and contact us to receive instant advice from our professional tour consultants.

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Hanoi improves craft villages

Hanoi will develop six traditional craft villages to attract more domestic and international tourists and establish the city as a tourism gateway.

The six traditional craft villages are: Phu Vinh rattan and bamboo weaving in Chuong My district; Son Dong fine art sculptures in Hoai Duc district; Bat Trang-Kim Lan pottery in Gia Lam; Van Phuc silk in Ha Dong district; Ngo Ha mother-of-pearl inlay in Phu Xuyen district; and Du Du sculptures in Thanh Oai district.

Phu Vinh village has been chosen to pilot the scheme that will run until 2015.

According to the development plan, the city will focus on preserving old houses, restoring historical and cultural sites, building areas for product displays and upgrading transport, waste and water treatment facilities at the villages.

Also home-stay services will be offered to give visitors an opportunity to learn about local people’s daily life and the handicrafts they produce.

Based on the success of the six villages in phase one, the city says that by 2015, it can complete development of 14 village-cum-tourist destinations which in turn will encourage more visits to the capital.

It is forecasting visits to all 14 villages at 300,000 to 500,000 international visitors and 2 to 3 million domestic tourists a year once the project is up and running.

If you are interested in these craft villages, Threeland Team believes that you will enjoy our related Hanoi Tours. Check out the detailed information on our website and contact us to receive instant advice from our professional tour consultants.

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VFS adds visa centre in Vietnam

Embassies of Italy and Spain in Vietnam have partnered with London-based VFS Global, to launch a new Schengen visa application centre in Ho Chi Minh City, 2 January 2013.

The visa centre, at Resco Tower, 4th floor, 94-96 Nguyen Du, District 1, will start operations 3 January. The opening times will be 0830 to 1200 and 1300 to 1600, from Monday to Friday.

The move should encourage travel to Europe by making it easier to apply for the Schengen visa, Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Lorenzo Angeloni told a press conference last week.

It is also part of cost cutting measures as both government’s face an unprecedented financial crisis. Out-sourcing visa processes allows embassies to cut staff costs substantially.

VFS Global, a worldwide outsourcing and technology services company for diplomatic missions and governments, will be responsible for processing applications for Schengen visas from applicants residing across Vietnam, if the first port of entry in Europe is either Italy or Spain.

Lorenzo Angeloni

 VFS collects a non-refundable fee for the service in addition to the visa fee itself. It is one of most lucrative enterprises related to travel with guaranteed income and very little risk for the company.

Head of the Commercial Office of Spain in Vietnam, Antonio Bretones, said: “We’d like to make the whole process of applying for a visa to Spain easier for the citizens in Ho Chi Minh City, in order to encourage the exchanges between the two countries.”
VFS Global’s South East Asia and Pacific head, Loren Dsouza, said: “We’ve been privileged to be associated with the government of Italy in 17 countries and serve the government of Spain across 35 countries.”

He added his company had 775 visa application centers around the world.
What he omitted to explain is how the company guarantees the security of data and information it collects on visa applicants, which includes in many instances personal bank details, financials, company records and other confidential information.
TTR Weekly has often posted questions to companies handling visa processes to explain the rules they apply to information storage and at what point do they destroy supporting financial documents presented by visa applicants.
So far the responses have been circuitous and less than reassuring for security conscious travelers.

This new visa center will support incoming tourists who are interested in Vietnam Travel. Check out many exotic Vietnam tours on our website and contact us to receive instant advice from our professional tour consultants.

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Vietnam wetlands recognized

This southernmost province’s Mui Ca Mau (Ca Mau Cape) National Park will be recognized as a new world Ramsar site and the fifth site in Vietnam.

Ca Mau Agriculture and Rural Development Department said the World Environment Organization will announce the official recognition of the park, 13 December.
The 41,862-hectare site, including 15,262 hectares of land and 26,600 hectares of coastal areas, are mainly saline wetlands.

The attraction is home to 93 species of birds, 26 species of animals, 43 species of reptiles, nine species of amphibians, 233 fish species, including many rare ones.
The national park is one of the three main parts of the Ca Mau Cape global biosphere reserve, which was recognized by UNESCO on 26 May 2009.

Currently, Vietnam has four Ramsar sites, including two in the north and two in the south.
The northern Ramsar sites are Xuan Thuy Natural Wetland Reserve in Nam Dinh province and the Ba Be Lake in the mountainous province of Bac Kan, recognized in 1988 and 2011, respectively.
The southern ones are Bau Sau in Cat Tien National Park in Dong Nai province and Tram Chim National Park in the southern province of Dong Thap, recognized in 2005 and 2012, respectively.

The Convention on Wetland, known as the Ramsar Convention is an inter-governmental treaty that encourages member countries to maintain the ecological character of their wetlands regions.
Vietnam first participated in the Ramsar Convention in 1989.
To explore those wetland sites thoroughly, tourists can refer to our exotic Mekong Delta tours. Check out the detailed information on our website and contact us to receive instant advice from our professional tour consultants.

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Hanoi Horison Hotel Rebrands as the Pullman Hanoi

Accor has expanded its portfolio of hotels in Vietnam with the opening of the 242-room Pullman Hanoi, the first Pullman brand hotel in Vietnam.

Previously known as the Hanoi Horison Hotel, Pullman Hanoi recently completed a comprehensive refurbishment that transformed it into one of the city’s most modern properties.
The hotel provides free Wi-Fi internet access in rooms and all public areas.

Mr. Patrick Basset, Senior Vice President of Accor Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and the Philippines said, “We are very proud to introduce the Pullman brand to Vietnam with the opening of Pullman Hanoi, completing Accor’s brand portfolio in the country. With the opening of the hotel, we now offer a hotel brand for every market segment including luxury Sofitel, upscale Pullman and MGallery, midscale Novotel and Mercure, and economy ibis. This hotel will offer guests a unique, tailored hotel experience – catering to both business and leisure guests visiting this capital city.”

Hanoi Horison Hotel - Pullman Hanoi

Guests looking for a culinary experience will be able to enjoy the completely redesigned La Cheminée restaurant, offering the best international and local culinary selections in a contemporary ambience. For a wonderful wine-tasting experience, Vinoteca by Pullman offers a large selection of wines and grands crus from the world’s famous vineyards, served by the bottle or by the glass. The Mint Bar is situated in the heart of the lobby and provides drinks and snacks for a relaxing, convivial experience from early morning until midnight.

Guests looking to exercise or relax will be pleased when the hotel puts its final touches on its Pullman’s signature Fit Lounge and Spa Lounge. Once complete, these well-being facilities will provide guests with the top-of-the-line equipment and ensure guests full relaxation during their stay at the hotel.

Pullman Hanoi is located just ten minutes from Hanoi’s historic quarter and within close proximity to government, embassies, and business offices. The hotel is a 10-min walk to the Ho Chi Minh Museum and a 40-min drive to Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport.

Simon Jinks, General Manager of Pullman Hanoi said, “Pullman is Accor’s upscale international hotel brand, renowned for its vibrant and cosmopolitan touches while maintaining a reputation of innovation and comfort for all types of guests. Our hotel is ideal for travelers seeking an upscale hotel in Hanoi that provides services and facilities that satisfy today’s modern lifestyles.”

In addition to Pullman Hanoi, three other Pullman hotels are in Accor’s confirmed development pipeline in Vietnam.

There are currently many big deals in Pullman Hanoi. Visitors now can easily connect with our stunning Hanoi tours. For more information, please contact us at contact@graylinevietnam.com.

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Vietjet to fly to Bangkok

VietJet Air has announced it will launch a Ho Chi Minh City-Bangkok service, 10 February 2013, an auspicious day in a week of Chinese New Year celebrations. Tickets are on sale already.

Vietjet Air will be the second low-cost airline to operate between the two cities. The other is Thai AirAsia, while most of the capacity is offered by full-service airlines - Thai Airways International, Vietnam Airlines, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa.

 The airline will initially operate a daily flight using an Airbus A320 aircraft departing Ho Chi Minh City at around 1120 and returning from Suvarnabhumi Airport at 1355.

The carrier recently launched its newest route from Ho Chi Minh City to the former imperial city of Hue in central Vietnam, 22 November and will add two more routes connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Phu Quoc and Hanoi with Dalat later this month.

The airline now has seven domestic routes on a network that also links Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Nha Trang, Danang, Vinh and Hai Phong. More international routes linking Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to major destinations in Southeast Asia and North Asia are planned for 2013 and it hopes to increase its fleet from six aircraft at the end of 2012 to 15 aircraft by 2015.

VietJet Air

Last October, national carrier, Vietnam Airlines, increased frequency from two to three flights daily on the Bangkok route. THAI continues to offer two daily flights; QR and Turkish, one daily each, Lufthansa three weekly and FD, three daily.

Price-wise, Vietjet Air will pitch regular fares from around Bt4,000, while Thai AirAsia, sells at Bt5,300. There is also a limited promotional fare of Bt2,300 on FD.

Full-service airlines from Europe and the Middle East also serve the Ho Chi Minh City-Bangkok route, but with lower frequencies. The fares are competitive.

Lufthansa has the lowest frequency and the cheapest economy fare at Bt5,560 followed by Turkish at Bt5,990 and Qatar, Bt6,345. Vietnam Airlines sells from Bt6,935 and THAI, Bt12,960. Business class fares are quoted at Bt12,375 by TK; Bt14,015, LH; Bt15,570, QR; Bt16,035, VN and Bt19,885, TG.

This new air route will boost tourism in both countries, especially to Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok. To enjoy better, please check out our Ho Chi Minh City tours on our website and contact us to get instant advice. 

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An Giang province to promote handicrafts

Vietnam’s An Giang province says it has developed several traditional handcraft villages and linked them to tourism routes to help to attract more arrivals.

An Giang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism director, Nguyen Van Len, said the province is launching tours for Buddhist followers and other options focusing on ecology and agriculture.

“Authorities are hosting seminars and fairs to promote sustainable growth of arts and crafts production to help enterprises to penetrate markets locally and internationally.”

In addition, the province plans to develop traditional crafts villages, which will require financial support in the first phase of around US$2.9 million for 43 projects and US$221,000 for seven projects in the second phase.

Mat weaving traditional village in Tan Hao - An Giang

The province People’s Committee deputy chairman, Huynh The Nang, said: “An Giang will create jobs for around 33,000 residents with average salary of US$62 a month through these projects.”

Specialized tours will offer visitors a chance to see artists from traditional craft villages making textiles or finished clothing that tourists can buy on the spot. They will also demonstrate how to weave bamboo products.

An Giang has 34 traditional handicraft villages. Located on the western side of the Mekong Delta, the province attracts more than 5 million mostly domestic holidaymakers.

If you are interested in these special handicraft tours, Threeland Team believes that you will enjoy our related Mekong Delta tours. Check out the detailed information on our website and contactus to receive instant advice from our professional tour consultants.

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Vietnam Airlines to add new services

Vietnam Airlines plans to open two new services next month to Jakarta, in Indonesia, and to the domestic tourism destination Phu Quoc.
The airline will offer discounts on the two routes until the end of December.

The Vietnam national carrier will fly the Jakarta service from its base in HCMC four times a week and offer five weekly services from the capital Hanoi to Phu Quoc.

Vietnam airline

The first route is set to start on 2^nd December using an Airbus A321, flying Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Flights will take about three hours, departing HCMC at 1000 and arriving in Jakarta at 1315.

The Hanoi – Phu Quoc service will commence on 12^th December with five flights.

The airline offers a 22% discount on round-trip tickets for the HCMC-Jakarta service, while fares on the domestic Hanoi – Phu Quoc route have been reduced 11%.

Vietnam Airlines currently operates air services to 68 destinations – 20 domestic routes and 48 are international flights.

This new airline service will boost tourism in both Hanoi and Phu Quoc province. If you are currently in Phu Quoc, take this chance and head to Hanoi to enjoy our stunning Hanoi Tours with various special packages. Contactus for detailed information.

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