Posts filed under 'Vietnam Destination'
Hong Kong Airlines has recently launched the new route Hong Kong-Ho Chi Minh City-Hong Kong with three weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The two-and-a-half hour flights will depart Hong Kong at 9.30 a.m. and arrive at Tan Son Nhat Airport at 10:30 a.m. while the return flight leaves Ho Chi Minh City at 11:15 a.m. arriving at Hong Kong at 2.45 p.m. using a 165-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the route.
A representative of the carrier said one more weekly flight on Sundays would be added to the three weekly flights beginning on Sunday.
For further information, please check out its website on:
http://www.hkairlines.com
Source: VietnamNet
September 8th, 2007
Tan Son Nhat Airport will soon officially open a new terminal to serve international airlines operating into and out of Ho Chi Minh City. Airport authorities began a one-week test in the new terminal on August 14 for check-in formalities by Mandarin Airlines, Tiger Airways, Shenzen Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines and Uni Air. 
If the test run goes smoothly, all 35 international airlines flying into and out of the airport will use the new facility after September 02 2007. The older terminal will serve only domestic flights.
With the additional terminal, the time required to check-in will be comparable to other international airports in Southeast Asia. The new terminal equipment meets international standards and includes 10 luggage conveyor belts, 8 sky bridges, 20 escalators, 18 elevators, 8 moving walkways, 10 sets of automatic doors, 43 X-ray machines, flight information boards and security equipment.
The four-storey terminal also has specialized retail areas, and will offer services such as the Internet, online ticket sales, entertainment areas, and health and beauty care. The new terminal, which covers 100,000 square meters, will accommodate 8 to 10 million international passengers per annum. The second phase of the new terminal, to be completed by 2010, will increase capacity to 15 million passengers a year.
Construction on the terminal began August 2004. The Japan Airport Consulting Company holds the design and construction contracts, which it sub-contracted out to a consortium of four Japanese companies: KTOM - Kajima Corporation, Taisei Corporation, Obayashi Corporation and Maeda Corporation - who constructed the terminal and installed the equipment. Tan Son Nhat Airport now accounts for nearly two-thirds of the international flight arrivals and departures in the country.
Controlled by SAA, Tan Son Nhat Airport has undergone various expansion projects to keep up with demand. In 2002 the Civil Aviation Administration of Viet Nam put forward a construction plan for a new international terminal. The project was to be financed by a special Japan Government Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan of 3.4 trillion VND (260 million USD). SAA said by 2015 a new international airport, which will be built in Long Thanh district, Dong Nai province, some 40 kms. from downtown of Ho Chi Minh City, will supersede Tan Son Nhat, which would then only handle domestic flights.
Source: VNA
August 31st, 2007
Japan’s All Nippon Airways plans to increase the number of flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Tokyo by one each week as of October 01 2007. On this occasion, the airline will reduce US$50/round-trip ticket of one-month validity, departing from October 01-15 2007.
The airfare for a round ticket on Nippon Airways, with 30-day validity, between Ho Chi Minh City and Tokyo is US$ 830.00 at present, with four flights each week.
All Nippon Airways opened its first representative office in Vietnam in 1996. One year later, it joined hands with Vietnam Airlines to connect Narita and Hanoi.
In April 2001, the airline launched the HCM City-Tokyo route with two flights per week.
Source: VNE
August 31st, 2007
About 2.46 million international tourists visited Vietnam during the first 7 months this year, a jump of 16.2% compared to the same period in 2006, according to the country’s General Statistics Office. These rapidly rising figures have not been met with an expansion in the hotel room inventory. The resulting shortage of accommodation has lead to increases in room rates, especially in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Indications are room rates will continue to increase next year (our note: from 10% up to 50% for some hotels or some period!). Hoteliers suggested this upward movement in rates would taper off in another 2-3 years when more rooms came online.
In Ho Chi Minh City, 6000 “high-end rooms” would be added by 2010. It now has 3599 five-star rooms, 1281 four-star rooms, 1671 three-star rooms and 3394 two-star rooms.
The Hanoi Department of Tourism estimated the city needed 26,000 new hotel rooms, three-star and above, to house the two million international tourists expected by 2010.
The above information is from TTG Asia magazine (August 2007).
So if you plan to travel to Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi before these additional rooms are ready – our advices are:
1). We strongly recommended that you book the hotels as early as you can. The sooner you book, the better chance you can get the rooms at the hotels you want. From our experiences, if you can book 2 or 3 months in advance, there will be MUCH more chance to get the hotels confirmed!
BUT – if you plan to travel during the holiday time (such as Christmas/New Year or Chinese New Year period) – we STRONGLY recommend you book as early as 5-6 months ahead of the traveling dates!
2). Be flexible with the hotels to stay. As you know we always try our best to accommodate you at the hotels you request but in case that they are really full, we will have to secure you the alternative choices instead.
3). Be flexible with your traveling dates as because of the problems in getting the rooms confirmed – you might have to adjust your plan such as reduce the number of nights in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi and spend more time outside of these two cities if necessary.
We very much hope that this information will be useful for those of you who are currently planning to travel to Vietnam soon.
August 30th, 2007
Please kindly be informed tthat according to the new Vietnamese government’s regulation, all cyclo tours are NOT allowed to enter the Old Quarter area as of May 2007 onwards. Of course, there are other areas which is equally interesting!
August 29th, 2007
Myanmar will celebrate the traditional New Year from the April 12-21 2007. During this period - the Water Festival will take place from the April 13-16 2007. Its the period when everyone cannot avoid getting very wet because everyone throws water at everybody. People drive through the city in open cars and there are stages along the street where people throw water. During this time, everything in Burma is closed: restaurants, shops, markets, Museum, etc.
Here is some useful information on the Water Festival:
Around the middle of April, the 3-day Thingyan (Water Festival) starts the Burmese New Year. Thingyan, from theh Sanskrit samranta (fully passed over), celebrates the passage of the sun from the sign of Pisces into the sign of Aries in the zodiac. This is the height of the dry and hot season and, as in Thailand’s Songkran, it is celebrated in a most raucous manner - by throwing buckets of cold water at anyone who dares to venture into the streets. Foreigners are not excempted!
In cities, temporary stages called “pandal” are erected along the main throug-fares. Each pandal is sponsored by civic groups, neighourhood associations, student societies or government departments, the members of whom stand next to rows of water barrels and douse every person or vehicle that passes by.
On the spiritual level - the Burmese believe that during this 3-day period, the king of the “nat (spirits)”, Thagyamin, visits the human world to tally his annual record of the good deeds and misdeeds humans have performed. Villages place flowers and sacred leaves in front of their homes to welcome the nat. Thagyamin’s departure on the morning of the 3rd day marks the beginning of the new year, when properly brought-up young people wash the hair of their elderly kin, Buddha images and ceremonially washed and hpongyi (monks) are offered particularly apetising alms food.
Although the true meaning of the festival is still kept alive by the ceremonies such as these, nowadays its mainly a festival of fun. In between getting soaked, there will be dancing, singing and theatre. In the latter, the emphasis is on satire - particularly making fun of the govenment, the latest female fashions and any othner items of everyday interest. (Source; Lonely Planet).
March 8th, 2007
| Beginning on March 02 2007, the five-star express train connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang will begin making a quick stop in Phan Thiet along the way allowing the popular train service to be used by weekenders wanting a quick and comfortable means of getting to Mui Ne when their time is at a premium. |
The train will depart at 6.15 a.m from Ho Chi Minh City and arrive at Muong Man Station at 9.45a.m. After a short stop it will then continue on to Nha Trang.
Passengers heading back to Ho Chi Minh City from Phan Thiet can catch the train there at 7.35 p.m at the Muong Man Station. The train arrives in Sai Gon Railway Station at about 11:20 p.m.
Price-wise, the rail company offers a 5 Star Club ticket for VND350, 000, a deluxe service for VND250, 000 and a Standard-class at VND160, 000.
The company will offer some discounted prices for the new service for the month of March in honor of International Women’s Day.
(Source: SGGP)
March 8th, 2007
Vietnam Airlines has recently announced that a direct flights from Hanoi to Buon Me Thuot will begin on March 10 2007 using the airbus 320s aircraft.
Flights will be operated every Tuesdays and Sundays until March 25 2007. From then on, there will be another flight added with a return ticket of VND 2.8 million (US$ 175.00) per person.
Currently, passengers flying from Hanoi to Buon Me Thuot will have to travel via Danang or Ho Chi Minh City.
Source: VNA
February 27th, 2007
Vietnam National Administration of Tourism recently announced that Saigon Passenger Transport Company will operate VIP bus service from Ho Chi Minh City to Cambodia’s Siem Reap via the Moc Bai border in Tay Ninh Province.
The new service started on February 17 2007 and should operate twice a week.
The fare is US$ 20.00 for one-way and US$ 36.00 for a return ticket for the 8-hour trip from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap.
Passengers are provided with breakfast and lunch and a guide, who can speak Vietnamese, English and Khmer.
A new Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City bus route also recently kicked off daily service.
The fleet of 50-airconditioned busses - decked out with 39 bunk beds, deluxe interiors, audio and video equipment, 3 TVs, a toilet and other amenities between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City - is operated by the Hoang Long Transport Company Limited.
The 30-hour journey covers approximately 1,000 kms. with buses leaving daily from Luong Vien Bus Station in Hanoi and the Mien Dong Bus Station in Ho Chi Minh City.
Buses depart from both cities every 2 hours starting at 0500 hrs. with the final departures at 2300 hrs. The fare is VND 650,000 (US$ 40.00) and includes meals and insurance.
Source: TTR Weekly
February 27th, 2007
As of March 02 2007, Bangkok Airways will begin direct flights between Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City three days a week on Tuesdays, Friday and Sunday.
Flight schedules are as follows:
Flight number: PG# 939
Departs Bangkok at 1630 hrs.
Arrives Ho Chi Minh City at 1755 hrs.
Flying time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Flight number: PG# 040
Departs Ho Chi Minh City at 1850 hrs.
Arrives Bangkok at 2015 hrs.
Flying time: 1 hour 25 minutes
For more information, please click on the airline’s website:
http://www.bangkokair.com/
February 15th, 2007
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