QUANG BINH TO OPEN AIR ROUTE TO THAILAND

The Quang Binh provincial People’s Committee has worked with the budget carrier Jetstar Pacific to open two air routes from Dong Hoi to Chiang Mai (Thailand) and Hai Phong.

Accordingly, the Dong Hoi – Hai Phong air route is scheduled to open in the end of May 2017 with two flights a week, while air connection between Dong Hoi and Chiang Mai is being discussed for launch in June 2017.

Currently, Thai tourists are interested in Vietnam’s tourist attractions like Hoi An, Sa Pa, Ninh Binh and Quang Binh. Specifically, Chiang Mai has familiar attractions to discover nature, culture and history with Quang Binh. However, it take two days for travellers to come to Quang Binh by road, while they need only spend two hours to travel by air.

The launch of the Dong Hoi – Chiang Mai air route aims to lure more Thai tourists to northern localities, creating two tourism routes: Quang Binh – Hoi An and Quang Binh – Ninh Binh – Ha Long – Hanoi – Sa Pa.

Meanwhile, the operation of the Dong Hoi – Hai Phong route will create favourable conditions for people of central coastal localities to visit Hai Phong and northern localities, especially tourists to Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park./.

INSIGHT ASIA TRAVEL LAUNCH FREE CHOICE OFFERS

For the Summer 2017, Insight Asia Travel Vietnam introduces the “ Free Choice Offers including Free Choice Sightseeing - Free Choice Street Food and Free Choice Dining “. All the free choice options are included and clients do not have to pay any extra. (TRAVPR.COM) VIETNAM - May 9th, 2017 - Hanoi - Vietnam - May 9, 2017 For the Summer 2017, Insight Asia Travel Vietnam introduces the “ Free Choice Offers including Free Choice Sightseeing - Free Choice Street Food and Free Choice Dining “. All the free choice options are included and clients do not have to pay any extra. Insight Asia Travel proud to be the first Vietnam-based International Tour Operator offers the “ Free Choice Sightseeing - Free Choice Street Food and Free Choice Dining “ for clients when they are travel to Vietnam and Indochina. Different people, different interests and tastes. That ‘s why we launch this Free Choice Offers, Mr.Nguyen Viet Trinh, Insight Asia Travel Managing Director said. The “ Free Choice Sightseeing - Free Choice Street Food and Free Choice Dining “ give clients the chance to maximize and personalize their visit on their very own way for the truly authentic experience. Totally difference from almost the tour programs with its fixed places of sightseeing, set-menu meals at the restaurants arranged by the local tour operator, the Free Choice Sightseeing in each visited city is list of all city attractions, a list of nearby highlights surroundings such as handicraft villages, ancient villages so that clients are more easier to decide what and where to spend their time when they are in the city and never miss any things. Experiencing the local culture is a huge part of travelling and trying traditional food is largely connected with that cultural experience. That’s why all the packages are included two options: Free Choice Dining & Free Choice Street Food. For afternoon break, the “ Free Choice Street Food” offers clients to taste local food with local people at a very local restaurants while the “ Free Choice Dining” offers choices of dining at some of the best local restaurants available. Tasting a vegetarian food like the Vietnamese Buddhist is an option and worth to try. Do things the local do for a truly authentic experience and enjoy a wonderful trip is what we like to offer. From 1 May - 30 Sep 2017, all the ready-to-made packages are discount up to 15% for the group of 2 persons. Bigger group or family can get better offer. Visit our website and contact us for more information: Insight Asia Travel 1 Do Hanh street, Ha Noi ., Vietnam E:  sales@insightasiatravel.com|  W: www.insightasiatravel.com International Tour Operator License : 01-572 / 2015 / TCDL - GPLHQT About Insight Asia Tarvel Insight Asia Travel, a 100% fully registered and privately-owned Vietnamese company, founded by travel specialists who are well placed being Asian born and bred to understand our unique areas, its customs, sites and quaint habits, as we’ve worked in this Tourism Industry all our professional lives. We have a proud history of service and understanding of what our clients visiting from afar  want to see and do whilst in our care, exploring Indo-China. Our reputation has grown throughout the world for our quality of service and expertise.  Regardless of what brings you to our shores, be it cultural, business conferencing, family holiday, a honeymoon, soft adventure, sports orientated – such as a golfing holiday – or just to relax at one of the many resorts,  either on the beach or in the mountains, we are here to make your dream a reality.  ###

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Phuoc Tich ancient village

Bridge - More than 500 years of existence, through wars and the destruction of nature, Phuoc Tich village in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue still preserves the pristine beauty of a traditional Vietnamese village.
Phuoc Tich, about 30 kilometers from center of Hue, is famous for pottery. Now, tourists come to Phuoc Tich in order to contemplate Ruong houses of 500 years old. 

Built in 1470 under the reign of King Le Thanh Tong, the village was recognized as a national relic in 2009. This is the second village of Vietnam with the recognition.

The first stop in the village may be Cay Thi Temple, which is about 700 years old. The temple retains harmonizing aspects of Vietnamese and Cham architecture, with linga and yoni relics.

Of the village’s 117 houses, 37 are between 100 and 200 years old. They are so well preserved as to astonish cultural anthropologists, architects and historians. 

Phuoc Tich houses are mainly made of jackfruit wood and are adorned with exquisite and lively carvings, most of which remain undamaged despite having gone through so many wars throughout the years.

The interiors usually include parallel sentences, a horizontal lacquered board, wooden scrolls, a plank bed and a wardrobe altar.

The mossy, tile roofs of the houses sag slightly.  Brick walkways, wind screens and old water wells complete the picture. Lines of Chinese tea trees are often charming substitutes for walls.

The green garden surrounding the ancient “Ruong” houses create the unique Phuoc Tich. The number of “Ruong” houses preserved in the village is approximately 30 houses. It is known as the village of rich people or mandarins in Hue ancient capital.

The village is also associated with Hue’s royal music (Nha Nhac), which has been recognized as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.

Phuoc Tich is the second ancient village in Vietnam ranked as a national relic of Vietnam, after Duong Lam.

An ancient house in Phuoc Tich, which is now a family temple.

Cay Thi Temple

A pottery kiln.

A private museum of ancient pottery items in Phuoc Tich.

A garden house in Phuoc Tich

Vietnamese aviation authority close to all clear for direct flights to US

Airlines will launch direct flights to the U.S. next year if safety protocols meet stringent standards.

Vietnam’s aviation authority is likely to have its safety credentials approved by the United States next month as part of the process to allow Vietnamese airlines to open direct flights to the U.S., a Vietnamese aviation official said.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to grant its approval in May for the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) to get its Category 1 (CAT1) rating, which recognizes the CAAV as having the capacity to ensure safety on Vietnamese airlines.

“Pending further good results, the FAA will give official recognition this year,” CAAV director Lai Xuan Thanh told VnExpress.

The CAAV currently follows standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization, but in order to earn the CAT1 it has to make certain improvements, including completing a new set of regulations, ensuring a sufficient number of staff and improving its supervisory capacity.

Thanh said Vietnam is prepared for the overall assessment on aviation safety supervision and U.S. evaluation.

After receiving the CAT1 rating, the CAAV will supervise airlines based in Vietnam and ensure they are eligible to operate direct flights to the U.S.

Vietnam and the United States signed an air transport agreement in 2003 to allow airlines to operate direct flights between the two countries.

In 2004, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines sought permission from the U.S. to provide direct services. However, the request was denied because the CAAV did not meet safety supervision requirements set by the FAA.

The airline said it has reapplied to the U.S. Department of Transportation to launch direct flights, and if Vietnam gets the CAT1 rating, Vietnam Airlines will start offering the service in 2018.

(Doan Loan - vnexpress.net)

Kayak tours banned in Ha Long Bay

The administration of the northern Vietnamese province of Quang Ninh, home to Ha Long Bay, has slapped a ban on kayak tours at the World Natural Heritage Site, citing its damage to the local tourism environment.

The ban will take effect on April 1, the provincial administration announced in a directive on Wednesday.

Paddling a kayak through the drowned limestone karst landforms scattered across the bay and admiring the area’s natural beauty have become a favorite activity for visitors to Ha Long, leading to a boom in kayak tours – many of which operate without approved business plans.

As kayaking was omitted from the province’s heritage conservation plan for Ha Long in 2015-2020, authorities felt it necessary to put an end to the activity, the local Quang Ninh newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The ban also seeks to protect tourists from kayak tour operators that either fail to list their service prices or charge tourists more than their quoted rates, adversely affecting the reputation of Ha Long’s tourism environment.

Aside from tour operators who advertise kayaking as a stand-alone service, tourist boats on Ha Long Bay often own their own kayak fleets.

Typically, passengers aboard those boats can use the kayaks while a crewman follows behind to provide guidance and ensure their safety.

The Quang Ninh administration has extended the kayak ban to these tourist boats to avoid “fewer crewmen on board the tourist boat than required.”

Offending boats will be suspended from sailing for 30 days, according to the directive.

The provincial administration also urged tourist boat operators to strictly adhere to fire safety requirements in the wake of numerous situations where boats have burst into flames on the bay.

Three boat fires have been reported so far in 2017, with the latest occurring on the night of March 4, when a ship caught fire while docked at Tuan Chau International Passenger Seaport.

(From tuoitrenews.vn)

VITM Hanoi travel mart to offer 45,000 low cost air tickets

Over 45,000 low cost air tickets and 15,000 discounted tours will be offered for sale at Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) 2017 themed “Hanoi-destination of Vietnamese tourism”.

The announcement was made by Mr. Vu The Binh, deputy chairman of Vietnam Tourism Association at a press conference in Hanoi yesterday.

The 450-stall mart will take place from April 6-9 with the so far attending registration of 652 businesses and management agencies from 43 provinces and cities and 25 nations and territories. Fifteen US travel companies have registered to take part in the mart.

The organization board says that this year the tourism industry targets American market. Vietnam receives about 500,000-600,000 American visitors a year most of them are overseas Vietnamese.

Within the framework of the mart, Vietnamese and US Travel Associations will sign some cooperation agreements, opening opportunities for Vietnamese companies to attract visitors from the north American market and facilitate Vietnamese’ travel to the country.
For the first time, the mart will host international street cuisine festival joined by many well known chefs to advertise Vietnamese food and introduce street cuisine of other countries in the Asian region.

Visitors to the mart will also enjoy cultural and music performances comprising Vietnamese religious practice of “Mau Tam Phu” (Worship of Mother Goddesses) recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

On April 7, the Vietnam Travel Association will launch Vietnamese cuisine study, preservation and development center.

By SGGP

Paradise found: Con Dao Island is a mong 12 crowd-free Asia island escapes

(Insight Asia Travel) Finding an empty beach in Asia was a breeze a few decades ago, but it's not quite so easy anymore. As zealous souvenir hawkers follow busloads of tour groups to Asia's most famous islands, discerning travelers must look farther afield for more authentic getaways. The good news? Whether your idea of paradise involves a tropical beach framed by palm trees, or wildlife encounters in the woods, Asia has an island for you. From Indonesia to India, we've singled out a dozen of the best throw-back islands -- places where traditional cultures and unspoiled landscapes will transport travelers back in time.

Among these 12 crowd-free Asia island escapes is Con Dao Island., Vietnam
Once a penal colony known as the Devil's Island of French Indochina, this 16-island archipelago off the Mekong Delta has turned to more peaceful pursuits in modern times.
Reachable by flight from Ho Chi Minh City or ferry from Vung Tau, Con Dao offers coral reefs, palm-shaded beaches, rainforest trails and chic beach hotels like the Six Senses Con Dao. History buffs will revel in the island's role in the age of ocean exploration -- Marco Polo allegedly stepped ashore at Con Dao on his long return journey to Venice. To learn more about the island's war-plagued past, travelers can explore the Revolutionary Museum -- located in the former French commander's residence -- or tour the old prisons on the main island. The best way to get around Con Dao is via motorbike, easy to hire from most hotels or a local rental outfit. Con Dao is a haven for outdoorsy types too, with plentiful scuba, snorkeling and fishing opportunities. Between May and October, visitors can watch sea turtles lay their eggs, while the infants hatch and scramble into the sea.

By Joe Yogerst, CNN