A cheaper way to make a trip to Mui Ne

Thanks to its natural land-scapes and pristine beaches, Mui Ne is a popular destination for international and local tourists who go there to expand their travel itinerary or for a weekend escape from work. Scattered along the coastline are many resorts offering comfortable and luxury accommodations and other services for tourists to relax during their holidays. And off course, in return for the comfort, vacationers have to pay more money. However,...

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Practice martial arts in the Delta

A tour to the Mekong Delta could be an interesting trip for visitors who want to explore the culture and the daily life of the local people in the southern area of Vietnam. This time, it could offer them a more special experience as the tour operator has added a new feature: a chance to learn some martial arts. This two-day tour in Vinh Long Province in the Mekong Delta starts in HCMC in the morning. After a sight-seeing trip to the Vinh Sang...

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Enjoying barbeque and hot pot dishes in town

When Saigonese people dine out, they often fre-quent restaurants that serve barbeque and hot pot dishes, making the two dishes popular gastronomic trends in HCMC. The restaurants featuring these dishes are often the choices of Saigonese diners because they are ideal places to not only enjoy tasty food but chitchat with family and friends. Guests who want to have a quiet, airy space to enjoy barbeque and a view of the city center at night can go...

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Wandering around Hoi An ancient town

Located in the central region of Vietnam in Quang Nam Province, the ancient town of Hoi An, one of six sites in Vietnam granted world heritage status in 1999, is a very popular destination for tourists. The ancient town is registered UNESCO’s world heritage list as being a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port dating back the 15th to 19th centuries. Besides the ancient beauty of Hoi An, local tourism has turned the town into a...

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Visiting Dray Sap waterfall in Central Highlands

A view of the upstream of Dray Sap waterfall in the central highlands In the Central Highlands, travelers wandering about 30 kilometers south of Buon Ma Thuot City to Krong No District in Dac Nong Province will find themselves in the misty world of the Dray Sap waterfall. The Dray Sap is one of a popular group of waterfalls in the Central Highlands including Gia Long, Dray Nur and Trinh Nu (Maiden). It is called the waterfall of smoky mist because...

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Quang Nam: Tourism and trade village exhibition fair 2007

The Quang Nam Department of Trade, in conjunction with the Duy Xuyen’s People’s Committee, held a traditional trade village and tourism exhibition fair for the first time in July, in Duy Xuyen District. The fair attracted the participation of 150 kiosks from 60 domestic and foreign enterprises and traditional trade villages of Duy Xuyen District. The fair is one of the major commercial promotion activities of Quang Nam Province, with the aim of...

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Pandanus woos travelers with new services

Tourists ride the all-terrain vehicle, a sea sport game at Pandanus Resort After 12 years developing as a tourist destination, Mui Ne, in the coastal resort town of Phan Thiet in the central province of Binh Thuan, is the home of some 80 small and large resorts which were built on winding pristine beaches and lie under thousands of coco trees. Traveling along Nguyen Dinh Chieu Road, travelers have many choices of resorts for their vacations. The...

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Touring Tien River in the south

Tourists visit Thai Son Isle by boat The Tien River, a branch of the Mekong River in south-ern Vietnam, flows through an area enriched with alluvium, making the land of Tien Giang and Ben Tre, the two provinces that the river flows through, prime for growing thousands of hectares of tropical orchards. Lying not far from HCMC, the two provinces attract many visitors coming for eco-tourism, exploring specific features of the land along waterways...

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Trans-Asia Bridge Span Festival – A friendly art space

On the occasion of celebrating important events in 2007, Quang Tri Province planned to organize a series of festivals, especially the second “Trans-Asia Bridge Span Festival” from July 24 to 30. The festival is expected to make Quang Tri an interesting place for tourists. The second “Trans-Asia Bridge Span” Festival will host participation from numerous art troupes nationwide. Particularly, during the festival, apart from exhibitions, fairs,...

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A restaurant of Vietnam’s country life

On the way from Nha Trang to HCMC, travelers can easily find a small signboard at Km5 telling the way via a small street to Thon Viet Restaurant. Literally, the meaning of the restaurant’s name is simply Vietnamese Village, implying a place that promises guests the quiet and peaceful atmosphere of the country life of Vietnam. Without the signboard, guests could hardly find the way to the restaurant nestled under the lines of betel trees, the...

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Like a shy lass sleeping in the mountain

The landscape on the way to Si Ma Cai Mountain adventurers like to compare Si Ma Cai in Lao Cai Province to a shy lass with discrete charms sleeping in the mountain as the beauty of the little-known village lies in the quiet and simple daily lives of different people. Si Ma Cai is not as frequented as Bac Ha or Sapa, also located in the mountainous province, since it is nestled at the far end of a road near the border with China. Many travel tips...

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Banks bank on property

The majority of commercial banks still rely on real estate as collateral assets for providing loans to small- and medium-sized enterprises. The IFC, the World Bank’s private sector arm and the Vietnam Bankers’ Association, recently completed a survey of lending practices showing that 93 per cent of banks prefer property as collateral for commercial loans. Most businesses assets, especially for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), are usually...

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Tourism: Tortoise’s In Town

Located in the heart of HCM City, the Tortoise Fountain is among the city’s well-known historical sites Tortoise Fountain is the name of a square in central HCM City. It is located at the intersection of Pham Ngoc Thach, Vo Van Tan and Tran Cao Van streets, approximately 200 meters from the Notre Dame Cathedral. The structure was originally built in 1879 and had gone through many alternations ever since. Initiated by the French, the 20-meter-high...

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Tourism news: Famtrip to India

Saigontourist Holding Co. is collaborating with its partners for the press trip from India to Vietnam. In the program, Indian reporters will visit different destinations in Vietnam, including HCM City. India is now viewed as a potential market for the tourism industry, specifically from Saigontourist standpoint, which has launched many programs to promote the industry to India. The tourism conference named Vietnam an attractive destination for Indian tourists in New Delhi is the result of their efforts. It is well received and is much appreciated...

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Big Push For Stronger Banks

Banking regulators want stronger local banks to be able to stand the fiercer competition now that Vietnam has to open its economy as a WTO member Vietnam is in the process of opening its finance-banking sector in line with its commitments to the World Trade Organization. At present, there are five State-owned commercial banks, one policy bank, one development bank and 37 commercial joint stock banks holding nearly 90% of the banking market share. However, except for a few strong banks, most of the commercial joint stock banks are not large by...

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More Choices Available

Many Vietnamese travel companies continue to introduce new products and services to serve the ever increasing and diversifying demand of tourists, both local and international MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and meetings) has been the strength of Saigontourist Travel Service. In the first five months of this year, Saigontourist organized MICE tours for over 4,000 tourists in China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Portugal and Singapore. This June,...

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New bank establishment not easy

A new commercial joint stock bank must have at least 100 founders, according to a new regulation issued on June 7 by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), Vietnam’s central bank. Decision 24/2007/QD-NHNN, which details regulations for the establishment of a new commercial joint stock bank, states that the new bank must also have at least three member institutions, each with capital valued at a minimum of VND500 billion. New banks must meet the legal requirement of capital, at least VND1 trillion initially, but no less than VND3 trillion by early 2009. The...

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Investors look past corporate tax cuts

The government is planning to lower the corporate income tax rate in a bid to favour investors, but some observers have countered that greater investment incentives should also be taken into consideration। Scores of foreign invested firms have put their hand up in support of lowering corporate tax ratesTruong Chi Trung, Vice Minister of Finance, said the plan to reduce corporate income tax (CIT) by 3 per cent down to 25 per cent, which would...

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Foreign currency reserves at record high

Vietnam has seen record increases in foreign currency reserves in the first half of 2007, due to rising indirect investment in the stock market and a stabilised domestic exchange rate. State Bank governor Le Duc Thuy said the increases in foreign currency reserves had tripled those of 2006 in the first five months of this year. “The central bank of Vietnam will continue to invest in foreign currencies in the next few months to meet the target level equal to 20 weeks of imports,” said Thuy. According to the IMF, Vietnam’s total foreign currency...

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HCMC’s largest shopping center opened to business

Shoppers buy discount luggage at the Parkson Hung Vuong Plaza in HCMC's District 5 on the opening day FridayBy QUOC HUNG(SGT-HCMC) Hung Vuong Plaza, HCMC’s largest shopping center, started operations in busy District 5 Friday and has since attracted large numbers of shoppers as well as curious window-shoppers.The US$45-million Hung Vuong Plaza comprises of a luxury commercial complex and two 30-floor blocks with 276 apartments.The complex, surrounded...

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Making an affectionate homeland tour

A tour guide (R) guides foreign tourists to visit Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) in Hanoi The affectionate homeland tour of Ben Thanh Tourist was designed for travelers who have plenty of time for vacations. They can combine traveling in cars and planes. The 13-day tour, which starts in HCMC, gives tourists an opportunity to enjoy great sunny beaches in a beautiful country for those looking for relaxation, plus learning about the...

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Chinese, CambodianOr Vietnamese?

A tasty dish will go around the world, but in Saigon the world comes to you, delivering three versions of that one dish Hu tiu, the Chinese rice noodle soup, was imported to Saigon and southern Vietnam by Chinese immigrants centuries ago. Ask for hu tiu at any Chinese restaurant that serves dim sum (breakfast), and you’ll have a hot bowl of white noodles whose flavor will make your mouth water. On top of the noodles are slices of pork, and on top...

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The Shame Of Saigon’s Traffic Chaos

Traffic jams in HCM City are worsening as a result of the growing number of vehicles and of infrastructure projects. But people’s disregard of traffic rules is the biggest reason. My working week started with angry words from a colleague in the editorial staff about the battle he had getting to work because of traffic jams. Traffic jams have become a well-worn topic in this city, which is said to be resident or temporary home to seven million people...

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The History Of Me Linh Square

The tides of history are reflected in the use of a park in the center of HCM City The term Me Linh reminds Vietnamese of two national heroines, the sisters Trung Trac and Trung Nhi. The sisters led a revolt against the domination of the Han Emperor from China. Trung Trac’s husband, General Thi Sach, was killed by the Han rulers because he did not submit to them. In the year 42 A.D., Trung Trac and her younger sister, Trung Nhi, started a resistance...

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Small “Pyramid” Cakes

Tết Đoan Ngọ, or Doan Ngo festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. This year, the festival is on June 19. By Thong Nhat and staff writers Tet Doan Ngo originates from a big festival in China where it is called the Dragon Boat Festival or the Festival of the Double Fifth. There are several legends surrounding the origin of the festival. In Vietnam, the best known version tells the story of Qu Yuan, a celebrity in the Chinese...

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