| Travellers
Notes
(10-09-2005)
Tour
old Ha Noi in a vintage car
Visitors who want to take
a walk in the past can experience Ha Noi to its fullest
while taking a tour of the city in a vintage French
Citroen car, available at the Sofitel Metropole Ha Noi.
Recently refurbished to
maintain its comfort and elegance, the classic Citroen
Traction fits in with the hotel’s colonial-style architecture.
There are two different
tour packages for visitors: Ha Noi’s shopping tour and
Ha Noi’s discover tour. The old car will bring visitors
to the city’s must-see spots including the Old Quarter,
The Temple of Literature, President Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum,
One Pillar Pagoda and the Fine Art Museum.
In addition, visitors can
arrange a customised tour with the hotel.
Helicopter
tours of Vung Tau
Vung Tau Tourist Co is offering
three new helicopter tours over tourist attractions
in Ba Ria–Vung Tau. The tours, which take 6, 17 and
42 minutes respectively, depart from Vung Tau Airport.
The shortest tour costs US$20 per person and takes tourists
over Back Beach, O Cap Cape, Cau Da Wharf and Co May
Bridge.
A slightly longer tour includes
views of Ganh Rai Cape and costs $30 per person. Finally,
for $55-80, tourists can take in the Cua Lap Bridge,
Ky Lan Cape, Loc An, Ngai Giao and Cau Da Wharf. On
the tour passengers can relax or take a quick hot mud
bath at Binh Chau Resort before returning to Vung Tau.
Lower air
fares for Europe
Despite the increasing cost
of jet fuel, Viet Nam Airlines will slash airfares for
flights between Viet Nam and European destinations by
20 to 30 per cent. The carrier said from September 1
to October 31, return (roundtrip of one way) flights
from Ha Noi and HCM City to European cities, such as
Paris and Frankfurt, will run from $777 to $888.
Four-star
hotel in Quy Nhon
Sai Gon-Quy Nhon Hotel opens
today in the central coastal province of Binh Dinh.
The 4-star hotel, a 30-minute drive from Phu Cat Airport,
has 148 rooms, three meeting halls and other facilities.
It is a joint venture between the HCM City-based Saigontourist
Holdings Co, Peace Tours Co. and provincial partners.
Food
and Culture Week begins
Vietnamese Food and Culture
Week was kicked off on Thursday in Bangladesh’s Dhaka
City.
Organised by the Vietnamese
Embassy in Dhaka, the event will introduce the Bangladeshi
people to Viet Nam’s natural beauty and its rich historical
and cultural traditions.
In addition, the unique
flavour of Vietnamese cuisine was presented.
"To prepare Vietnamese
dishes, almost all of the ingredients had to be brought
to Dhaka by the three chefs from the Melia Hotel in
Ha Noi," said Paolo Randone, the food and beverage
director of the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.
The event runs until next
Wednesday.
HCM City
gets Malaysia promotion
Tourism Malaysia and Malaysia
Airlines opened a week-long cultural and food promotion
campaign in HCM City yesterday. Fifteen dancers from
National Arts of Malaysia already flied to HCM City
for the event. During the festival, artist Mior Sarali
Bin Mohd Radzi will perform a Teh-Tarik tea preparation,
while clothing designer Amin Johari will introduce a
collection of Malaysian Batik silk.
Taiwanese
investor plans resort
The Taiwanese company Bentham
International plans to develop a US$25 million resort
in Vung Tau City as a retreat for people working in
HCM City and neighbouring provinces. Provincial authorities
approved the plan last week to develop the Golden Coast
Resort in Vung Tau’s Chi Linh-Cua Lap area. The developers
plan to build a hotel, a villa complex and an entertainment
area on 30ha. — VNS |
