(23-07-2005)
Ha
Noi in top five Asian cities
Ha
Noi has been selected as one of the top five best Asian
cities by readers of US magazine Travel and Leisure.
Ha
Noi ranked fifth in 2005 compared with its fourth position
in the 2004 poll. Bangkok was voted the best Asian city,
followed by Chiang Mai also in Thailand, Hong Kong and
Kyoto.
Australia’s
biggest city, Sydney, has again been named the world’s
best, according to the 10th annual World’s Best Awards
readers’ survey.
New
security team for tourists
A
team of security guards to protect foreign tourists
will begin working in October, said the city’s Tourism
Department.
The
security guards will help tourists with problems such
as traffic disorders, harassment and overcharging.
The
city will also set up a hotline for tourists who can
call if they need help from guards. The team is part
of a larger effort to promote HCM City as a safe destination.
Backpacker
area to be revamped
A
plan to turn Pham Ngu Lao Ward in HCM City’s District
1 into a big tourist hub is to be submitted soon to
city authorities.
The
city’s Tourism Department’s recent survey of 333 tourists
in the popular budget area revealed that the visitors
came from a variety of professions, including doctors,
engineers, business people and students.
New
eco-resort for Da Nang
The
central city of Da Nang will set up a new eco-spa resort
near the famous tourist site Ngu Hanh Son (Marble Mountain)
which symbolises five basic elements: metal, wood, water,
fire and earth.
The
Ngu Hanh Son spa resort will be built on more than 8ha
and will offer a swimming pool, museum and mud bath.
More
resorts in Quang Nam
Quang
Nam Province will have two more resorts, with the first
a VND100 billion to be invested by a local Mua Vang
Co in the central coastal town of Hoi An.
The
4.5ha Mien Chim Ngoi Resort will include 13 Vietnamese-style
villas and will serve as a venue stage performances
of folk music, such as ca tru (ceremonial songs),
quan ho (love duets) and hat boi (Vietnamese
classical theatre).
The
provincical authorities have also approved a French-invested
resort project with a VND500 billion investment on 18ha
in Binh Duong Commune in Thang Binh District.
VN
has ‘best food in the world’
Viet
Nam was recently recognised both as a gourmet paradise
and as one of the safest destinations in the world for
travelers.
A
Footprint Travel author writes that the country’s "environment
is captivating and the food divine. I think it’s the
best food in the world." Aon Insurance Company
ranked Viet Nam among the safest countries.
Viet
Nam’s tourism is booming, with 1.7 million tourists
arriving in the first half of 2005, an increase of 23.7
per cent compared to the same period last year. The
country is targeting 3.5 million visitors this year.
— VNS
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