40 cargo ships and 11 passenger ships have docked at Da Nang port in central Vietnam since early this year. Last year, its total cargo handling rose to 114,400 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit), up 28 percent from a year earlier. In January alone, the port handled 336,443 tonnes of cargo and received 11 cruise ships with more than 11,700 passengers on board. With the opening of additional routes, the port expects to handle 60 percent of Vietnam's total container cargo by 2015 and 80-85 percent by 2020, thus turning itself into a modern cargo port in the future. In its socio-economic development plan, Da Nang aims to build a regional centre for logistical for services in Da Nang by connecting transport links to distribute transit goods to the north, the south, and the central highlands, the southern region of Laos, and the northeastern region of Thailand. The transportation of goods from the southern region of Lao to the northeastern region of Thailand through the port … [Read more...] about Da Nang port receives many cargo and passenger ships after Tet
Central tet
Travel firms reap success in Tet holiday
Travel firms reap success in Tet holiday By Dao Loan - The Saigon Times Daily HCMC – The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday, or Tet, turned out to be a golden opportunity for local travel agencies and operators of entertainment and tourism parks to make money in the new season. Numerous large tour operators in HCMC such as Ben Thanh Tourist, Fiditourist, Vietravel, Saigontourist and Lien Bang Travelink reported good performance during the Tet holiday for both outbound and inbound tourism segments. Saigontourist last Thursday had up to 40 tourist groups leaving for local tours as the second peak day of the company in the Lunar New Year. Meanwhile, its busiest day is the second day of the first lunar month, or last Tuesday, with 60 groups totaling 2,100 customers to tourist attractions like Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Dalat, Ninh Chu, Buon Ma Thuot and Tuy Hoa. From January 23 to 30 only, Saigontourist has mobilized over 270 tourist buses of 25 to 45 seats to serve tour buyers. The firm … [Read more...] about Travel firms reap success in Tet holiday
Flower markets in full swing for Tet
As the Lunar New Year (Tet) is one week away, flower markets in big cities enter their busiest time of the year. Since early morning Monday, Gia Dinh Park in Go Vap and 23-9 Park in District 1 (Ho Chi Minh) have opened their New Year flower sales with a variety of products from bonsai to pot plants. As the New Year will be the Year of Dragon according to local traditional zodiacs, many of the plants have dragon-like shapes of different positions and sizes. Flowers and plants not only are popular for their decoration purpose but also believed to bring good luck and fortune to the households in the New Year. Below are pictures of the flower markets in Ho Chi Minh and other big cities like Hue, Da Lat and Can Tho: … [Read more...] about Flower markets in full swing for Tet
Can Tho-Taiwan flights for Tet
Vietnam Airlines will operate 11 direct flights between Can Tho and Taiwan during the Lunar New Year in January, using Airbus 321 aircraft which can carry 100 to 130 passengers. There will be six flights from Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Taichung to Can Tho and five in the reverse direction, with the first flight from Taipei to Can Tho scheduled for January 17. It is for the third successive year that Vietnam Airlines is offering a direct air service between two cities to allow Vietnamese expatriates to return home for the New Year. * Floods attract tourists A flooded Hoi An is emerging as a favourite destination in central Viet Nam for foreign visitors during the rainy season. When the town is flooded with water from upstream Thu Bon River, tourists take a boat trip around. Robert Taylor, an Australian traveller, said he had come for a second successive flood season this year just to experience the pleasure of exploring Hoi An when its streets are submerged under water. … [Read more...] about Can Tho-Taiwan flights for Tet
Ho Chi Minh kicks off Tet Festival
Ho Chi Minh City kicked off its Lunar New Year celebration which falls on January 23 with a street parade and international food festival Monday. Le Duan street with sparkling blue lights Photo: Tuoitre The street shows are part of a month-long festival which comprises of various performing arts and cultural activities to welcome the Lunar New Year 2012 in downtown Ho Chi Minh. The opening which was held at the central 23/9 Park in District 1 drew thousands of locals and international tourists to join. Millions of LED lights lit up the night sky as decorations along central streets including Le Duan, Dong Khoi, Le Loi and Nguyen Hue on the same day. The light exhibition will run every night until the end of January. Dong Khoi street with big replicas of yellow apricot flowers Nguyen Hue street livens up with a huge model of the globe Le Loi street with flower-shaped lights International tourists were looking at a local wine product from Ninh Thuan at the 6th … [Read more...] about Ho Chi Minh kicks off Tet Festival