The hidden charms of Binh Duong province
"Two days in Binh Duong? That industrial place?" My friends were skeptical when I said I’d spent that much time in the southern province neighboring Ho Chi Minh City.
Well, it does have well-known tourism spots as well, like the Ba Thien Hau Pagoda and the Dai Nam theme park, but I was after other “prey.” And believe it or not, I felt the trip was too short, given the number of places in the province worth discovering.
My first stop was at the Hoi Khanh Pagoda in Thu Dau Mot Town. Originally built in 1741, the pagoda was destroyed by French troops in 1860. It was reconstructed by a monk named Chanh Dac in 1868.Air Mekong to start non-stop route from Hanoi to Phu Quoc
Private carrier Air Mekong will start a non-stop route next Thursday from Hanoi to the southern island of Phu Quoc, news website VnExpress reported.
This is the longest domestic route offered, and it will cut the flying time in half by avoiding a transfer in Ho Chi Minh City, it said.
Craft village tourism needs a boost
Craft villages are often places of interest to both domestic and foreign visitors. Apart from travelling, many tourists want to learn more about the cultural life of people living in areas where they set foot in.
Hanoi and HCM City are two cities in the country boasting the highest numbers of craft villages which bear special traits of each region’s cultural tradition.
Vietnam, Belgium boost cooperation between universities
A Belgian delegation of rectors of a dozen Belgian universities wrapped up their visit to Vietnam, which aimed to boost training and research activities between Belgian and Vietnamese universities, on April 16.
Speaking at a meeting to review the visit at the Ho Chi Minh City National University the same day, Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Hubert Cooreman stressed that the visit was an important step forward to meet Vietnam’s expectation of training 20,000 PhDs.
Galaxy opens two more 3D theaters in city
Galaxy Cinema will launch two more 3D theaters at HCMC-based cinema systems Nguyen Du and Tan Binh on Friday, upgrading the number of 3D theaters to eight with 2,166 seats in the city.
Galaxy is expanding their 3D theaters in time to bring 3D U.S. blockbusters to local cinemas. It will screen 3D movies including Rio and Thor this month, Pirates Of The Caribbean 4 next month, Priest and Kungfu Panda 2 in June, Transformers 3 and The Smurfs and Cars 2 in July.
Phu Yen becomes destination for Russian tourists
Central Phu Yen province with its pure environment and pristine natural scenery will be a popular destination for Russian tourists, said a Russian diplomat.
At a working session with Phu Yen provincial authorities on April 1, Russian Counsellor Gendany S. Bezdetko highlighted Phu Yen’s tourism development potential, saying that he would work to promote the province’s image, land and people to Russian people.
Ho Chi Minh City to host International Travel Expo
Southern hub CPI in March grows 2.2 percent
The Ho Chi Minh City Statistical Office reported a growth of 2.2 percent in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in March over February, representing a year on year increase of 10.76 percent.
The office deputy director, Nguyen Duc Tri, added that the index rose 4.89 percent over the beginning of the year.
Leading the CPI growth was the transport sector with a rate of 7.73 percent, of which transport charges were up from 10 to 24 percent.
Owning social houses remains a question
Hanoi has implemented projects to build houses for low-income earners for more than a year but there remain barriers preventing poor people from buying them.
Tour prices to leap by 20%
Many travel companies in the country plan to increase the price of local tours by 15–20 per cent, following the rise in prices of many tourist services such as transport and accommodations.
Pham Duc Hoa, Deputy Manager of the HCM City-based Saigontourist, said prices for his company's local tours would increase by 15–20 per cent in April.
