TRAVEL IN BRIEF 10/4
21:03' 10/04/2009 (GMT+7)  
Costa Classica makes maiden visit to Ha Long Bay

The five-star cruise ship Costa Classica arrived in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province on
Monday, bringing in 1,600 tourists, mainly from Italy, France, Germany and the UK.
Costa Classica belongs to the Costa Crociere S.p.A Group and is part of the maritime
tourism group, Carnival. It also owns the cruise ships Costa Allegra and Costa Marina that
regularly bring tourists to Ha Long.
On its first call, Costa Classica’s passengers visited Ha Long Bay, Bai Chay beach and the
Yen Tu area.
Earlier this month, Ha Long welcomed the five-star cruise ship Crystal Serenity from
Bahamas with some 670 foreign visitors on board.
Beds on trains to cost more from HCM City and Ha Noi
As of June 1, 2009, the fares for berths on trains running between Ha Noi and HCM City to
tourism spots like Nha Trang, Da Nang, Dieu Tri, Vinh, Dong Hoi and Hue will increase by 5
per cent on average.
Fares for hard seats will not change while fares for cushioned seats will be five per cent
lower.
According to a recent decision by the Viet Nam Railway Corp, during June 1 to July 31, if
passengers buy tickets 30-59 days before the date of departure will enjoy a 3 per cent
discount; and those who buy them at least 60 days before the departure date will get a 5
per cent discount.

South Korea attracts Vietnamese tourists
RoK Travel companies have launched promotion campaigns to entice more travellers from
Viet Nam. Hyo Sik-jeon, director of the RoK Tourism Promotion Office to Asia Pacific, said
his office is working with Korean foreign affairs agencies to facilitate visa procedures for
Vietnamese tourists.
According to Vo Anh Tai, director of Saigontourist Travel Service Company, under a
promotion programme launched by the company, Vietnam Airlines and Korean partners,
prices of tours to Seoul will be reduced by up to 40 per cent. A six-day tour from HCM
City/Ha Noi to Seoul is down from US$1,600 to $911; and a four-day tour has fallen from
$1,000 to 699.
South Korea received some 18,000 Vietnamese tourists while around 20,000 Koreans
visited Viet Nam in 2008.

Caravelle hotel preps to celebrate middle age
The Carvelle Hotel will celebrate its golden jubilee on May 8. Renowned wartime journalist
and Pulitzer-prize winner Peter Arnett will deliver the keynote address at the anniversary
celebration, accompanied by Robert Wiener, another wartime journalist.
On this occasion, the hotel will cut its room rates by 50 per cent through 31 December
2009. The month-long discount will be in effect only for online bookings made at hotel
website www.caravellehotel.com from May 1 to 31.
The Caravelle opened in 1959 and was renamed Doc Lap (Independence) in 1975. In
October of 1992, the Saigontourist Holding Company teamed up with Glynhill Investment
Viet Nam as a joint investment partner to form a new company called Chains Caravelle Hotel
Joint Venture Company that sought to revive the landmark property.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News






- Tourist firms anxious about electricity price increases
- Tourist firms anxious about electricity price increases
- Music show to raise funds for mine clearance
- View from the top
- South Korea keen on Vietnam tourists
- TRAVEL IN BRIEF 10/4




LE NGUYEN TRAVEL
                                   INTERNATIONAL TOUR OPERATOR LICENCE No 0474/TCDL - GP LHQT
OFFICIAL PARTNERS
Visit Counters
Counter
INTERNATIONAL TOUR OPERATOR  LICENCE No 0474 - TCDL- GP LHQT
Add: 32 Tran Hung Dao str..., Hoi An town - Quang Nam province
Tel: 84.510.916218 - 916805; Fax: 84.510.916427
Email: info@lenguyentravel.com
Website: www.lenguyentravel.com
Copyright 2007 Le Nguyen Travel
Your
Hotels
In
Vietnam
Indochina Travel & Tours