Tet
Nguyen Dan, is the lunar New year Festival and it is the most important
Vietnamese holiday. Tet is the celebration of the beginning of spring as
well as a new year. It is the time for family reunions, exchanging gifts,
best wishes and the beginning of a new year.
February. The Tet holiday is officially three days but is often celebrated
for seven. It is believed that the course of the few days of Tet will
determine the path of the coming year. People are on their best behavior.
People stop their quarreling, children vow to behave, and families make
special efforts to gather together. Prior to the celebrations homes are
cleaned and painted. The yellow
blossoms of the Hoa Mai decorate the home.
The
first person to enter the home after the start of the New Year sets the
precedence for the coming year. Many people will arrange to have a child or
someone well off enter the home minutes after the start of the New Year .
VIETNAM
- Authorities in the northern province of Quang Ninh have asked that more
than 500 Ha Long Bay boats be painted white details to highlight the boat,
saying the change befits the bay's recent international recognition.
Hanoi
was famous with 36 Old Quarter streets near Hoan Kiem Lake which has
the original layout and architecture of old Hanoi. Each street then had
merchants and households specialized in a particular trade, such as silk
traders, jewellery, etc. The street names nowadays still reflect these
specializations, although few of them remain exclusively in their original
commerce. The area is
famous for its small artisans and merchants, including many silk shops.
Local cuisine specialties as well as several clubs and bars can be found
here also. A night market (near
A
city between the rivers, built from lowland, Hanoi has many scenic lakes and
it is sometimes called "city of lakes". Among its lakes, the most famous are
Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, Halais Lake (Hồ Thiền Quang
in Vietnamese), and Bay Mau Lake. Hoan Kiem Lake, also known as Sword
Lake, is the historical and cultural center of Hanoi, and is linked to the
legend of the magic sword. West Lake (Hồ Tây) is a popular place for people
to spend time. It is the largest lake in Hanoi and there are many temples in
the area. There are small boats for hire and a floating restaurant.
Vietnam expects 6 million foreign tourists this year
Vietnam
has welcomed more than 5.42 million international visitors in the first
11 months of 2011, a rise of nearly 18 percent compared to the same
period in 2010,
reported the General Statistics Office.
Nguyen Van Tuan,
head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, says that Russia
is one of the top 15 markets sending tours to Vietnam. Last year, nearly
83,000 Russian visitors came to Vietnam, up by 68percent year-on-year.
This year, some 120,000 Russian vacationers are expected to fly to
Vietnam.
Gearing up for Hue Festival (April 7 - April 15, 2012)
The former imperial city of Hue in central Vietnam has held the Hue Festival four times, attracting an increasing number of both domestic and foreign tourists every time. All the sub-festivals under the umbrella of the Hue Festival are organized using social resources, said Ngo Hoa, Vice Chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue Provincial People’s Committee. Private investors have spent several billion Vietnam dong preparing art exhibitions and garden houses for the festival and they will also invest a lot more in 10 other events for the Hue Festival. Investing in Hue festivals also helps promote Vietnam’s cultural values and turn Hue into a major tourism centre of Vietnam.
New Hotels & Cruise Service 2012
Wow Luxury Service Halong – Luxury Day Cruise (opening January 2012)
Wow Cruise Halong is the most luxury and newest day cruise in Halong bay. It’s a rare opportunity for travelers to combine leisure cruise with activites, passing wonderful narrow channels in Bai Tu Long Bay and exciting fishing village in Halong Bay. Choose to join WoW crew to do bamboo boat row or relax on board and participate the talent chef’s cooking demonstration and flower carving.
Intercontinental Danang Resort (opening April 2012)
Upon arrival, guests will be greeted by a beautiful 20ft Vietnamese statue rising through the center of a circular courtyard hall. The resort presents exclusive tiers of accommodation. Intercontinental Danang has an exciting array of restaurants and bars to cater to your tastebuds with the best view of the resort. The origins menus include regional dishes and special local ingredients Vietnam and Danang is known for. Alternatively the World Kitchen menus leverage our global know-how to create authentic dishes from around the world.
Church Boutique (opening December 2012)
The Church Boutique Hotel in Hang Gai or in Hang Ca is perfectly located for both business and leisure guests to Hanoi. The hotel provides all the amenities that today's travelers desire in all of its 40 rooms. Each of the hotel's guestrooms offers internet access – wireless, bathrobes, in room safe. Services and amenities available for guests at this Hanoi accommodation consist of salon, laundry service/dry cleaning, room service, safety deposit boxes. The hotel provides a warm and welcoming service of international standard.
