Travellers'
Notes
(17-09-2005)
Chilean fesitival
kicks off at Melia
A celebration of Chilean gastronomy
kicked off this week at the Melia Hotel Ha Noi. The festival
will feature Chilean specialities like empanadas and wine.
Eaters can also enjoy characteristic South American melodies.
The week, which ends next Saturday,
is organised to celebrate Chile’s National Day (September
16).
The event is sponsored by Montes
Wines, represented by Vine Group.
HCM City gets
tourist info counter
An information counter will soon
open at Chi Lang Park in HCM City’s District 1 to assist visitors,
the city’s tourism authority has announced.
The stand, which cost about US$95,000,
provides assistance to foreign tourists, first in English,
and later in Japanese, Chinese, Korean and German.
More booths will be opened at
other tourist-frequented spots in the city, such as the Museum
of War Remnants and the backpacker district on Pham Ngu Lao
Street in District 1.
Royal Khmer
Air launches flights
Cambodia’s Royal Khmer Airlines
launched daily flights from Siem Reap to Ha Noi and HCM City
on Thursday.
The HCM City flight will depart
from Siem Reap at 2.20pm, arrive at 3.30pm, and return to
Siem Reap at 4.30pm.
The flight from Ha Noi departs
at 8am, arrives in Siem Reap at 10am and departs for return
to Ha Noi as 6.40 pm. The carrier operates Boeing 737s for
the services.
Vietravel expands
to Thailand
The HCM City-based Vietravel will
open three representative offices in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand
later this year.
Nguyen Quoc Ky, Vietravel’s director,
said the company will focus on Thailand, the major market
for the company’s overseas operation.
Last year Vietravel organised
overseas tours for 32,540 local tourists and received nearly
12,000 foreign guests for tours of Viet Nam.
Caravelle wins
top award
The 5-star Caravelle has been
named HCM City’s Best Business Hotel for the fourth consecutive
year in the Business Traveller Asia 2005 Awards.
The Caravelle was one of only
two independent hotels to win an award, the other being The
Garden Hotel in Guangzhou. — VNS
