Wanderlust Tips Team, Author at WANDERLUST TIPS • Page 140 of 190

The Garden of Eden

The fresh breath of summer is permeating on all the garden trails, early morning mist lingers and the blooming and innocent beauty of a young woman dressed in the feminine designs of No Model appears dreamy and pellucid, yet modern and elegant, attracting all glances.

[rpi]

The “Garden of Eden” photo set is like the rippling groove of a bell taking us on a journey of gentle and fragile emotions. Accompanying the journey is a woman of shy and innocent beauty like a budding briar bud. Although only established at the end of 2016, the high-class domestic fashion brand No Model is a favourite with fashion lovers and has captured all their attention.

Not pursuing any current market trends, No Model’s fashion always appears to be youthful and innocent, creating its own trend, being various in design but unified in a Vietnamese sense of fashion. The designs of No Model – whether for men or women – are full of creativity, personality, luxury and elegance in both look and material.

Photographer: HOANG DANG
Make-up & Hair: MONICA THACH THAO
Stylist: HUYEN GIN
Model: KY DUYEN
Costume: NO MODEL

Wanderlust Tips

Fashion collection: A curious wanderer

William Arthur Ward said: “Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.” A bit of boldness, effervescence, and curiosity along with a lot of enthusiasm is the driving force for young people to start their own inspiring journey to explore our wonderful world.

[rpi]

A passion for learning, a desire to experience novel things and the challenge of ones own limitations coincidentally are also the elements that combine to make the soul of the architectural masterpiece Bill Watson created for JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay – a structure simulating a fictional university named Lamarck University.

The backdrop of the architectural masterpiece Bill Bensley created is the beautiful Khem Beach and Kenzo’s designs add youthfulness, boldness, and durability in black, grey and white and geometrical tiger, graphic and diamond patterns on delicate and sturdy knitting fabric.

The talented Bill Bensley has translated the story that inspired the design from words into the enchanting language of architecture. And to complement the emerald-coloured sea and the lush surrounding landscape, Bensley picked a palate of warming reds, turquoise, blues and greens for the interiors.

Custom-designed furniture in dark timber and patterned flooring further elevate the sense of comfort and luxury in the rooms. All accommodation is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and spacious bathrooms with a pair of vanity basins and lavish amenities.

Photographer: HOANG DANG
Make-up: BIN NGUYEN
Hair: MONICA THACH THAO
Stylist: HUYEN GIN
Model: MINH TU – TOP 2 ASIA’S NEXT TOP MODEL
Costume: KENZO
Location: JW MARRIOTT PHU QUOC EMERALD BAY (VIETNAM)

Wanderlust Tips

Viva Mexico is back at Hotel Nikko Saigon

On the occasion of celebrating Mexican National Day 16^thSeptember 1821 – 16^thSeptember 2017, Nikko Saigon Hotel is delighted to host the Viva Mexico food festival at La Brasserie from 11^th – 17^th September 2017 with an epic buffet dinner features the rich and vibrant flavors of Mexican cuisine.

[rpi]

In partnership with Embassy of Mexico and inspired by the hotel’s talented native Mexican Executive Chef, Viva Mexico has been an annual successful food promotion held at Hotel Nikko Saigon since 2012.

Mexican cuisine is elaborate and often tied to symbolism and festivals, one reason it was named as an example of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Many of the foods of Mexico are complicated because of their relation to the social structure of the country. Food preparation, especially for family and social events, is considered to be an investment in order to maintain social relationships. Even the idea of flavor is considered to be social, with meals prepared for certain dinners and certain occasions when they are considered the most tasty.

With the slogan “No time to siesta. It’s time to fiesta!”, La Brasserie restaurant will bring guests an exceptional gastronomic fiesta as an exciting adventure to one of the world’s best culinary destinations. A wide selection of fantastic Mexican favourites and drinks will be presented along with the endless flow of premium seafood.

Typical Mexican delicacies includes: Lamb Barbacoa, Lobster with Chipotle, Pozole, Fresh Marinated Grouper, Guacamole with fried totopos, Iberian Belota, Boqueron, Quesadilla, Enchiladas, Tostadas, Carne Asada, Tamales, Empanada, Tacos Al Pastor, Cactus Salad with Tomato Salsa, Pastel de Tres Leches, Polvorones de Canela etc.

La Brasserie, 6:00pm – 22:30pm, price: VND 1,200,000++ per person. Including free flow of Tequila, Margarita Cocktail (Classic, Strawberry), Pina Colada in coconut, Sangria, Fruit Punch, house wine, beer, soft drinks, juices, tea and coffee.

La Brasserie, Level 2 Hotel Nikko Saigon

Phone: (08) 3929 5520
Email: dining@hotelnikkosaigon.com.vn

Wanderlust Tips | Cinet

Ly Son: Hot volcanic island

‘Ly Son’ should be the name of a mountain. Why would an island nestled amidst the sea have the name of a mountain? The name ‘Ly Son’ suggests that there is something distinct about this increasingly popular island – Ly Son not only has blue sea, white sand and sunshine. Ly Son is also Vietnam’s only island formed by a five-crater volcano 25-30 million years ago. In the past, when fishermen saw this island from a distance, it looked like a range of five mountains rising up from the sea, and because the sea and oceans are measured in nautical miles, they called this island Ly (meaning nautical mile) Son (meaning mountain).

[rpi]

STONE MASTERPIECE
Up on getting to the island by boat, I understood why ‘nautical mile’ is an important part of the name of this island. The distance from the nearest port, which is Sa Ky, to Ly Son is 15 nautical miles (28 kilometres). When the boat started to cleave the waves, we wished that the distance were only 1-2 nautical miles.

The entire 75 minutes on board turned passengers into acrobats. But unfortunately, we are not circus performers aside from being able to juggle. The waves here are really big, bigger than waves in Co To. You should listen to music so that you do not hear the sound from the stomachs of the people around you.

My friend who has travelled a lot by boat recommended I lie down on a chair. The balance gained that way prevents you from feeling dizzy. However, there was a side effect that only came when we went to bed: the bed seemed to turn into a ship and I felt light-headed again.

The island here! We were as happy as Robinson or Pi once we started exploring. Although the first impression was not favourable, as the port area is dusty and crowded like a market, my travel instincts told me that beautiful and interesting things rarely appear immediately. Patiently discover and to find it – that is the interesting part of a journey.And we did not have to wait too long. Due to a natural phenomenon, the volcano erupted, spilling its lava, which then encountered air and cold sea-water to create a rare and magnificent sight.

To Vo Gate, a black 2.5-meter-high arch formed by volcanic rock emerges amidst the sea, creating a spectacular view during dawn and sunset. The little rocks scattered around it, are the evidence of a volcanic eruption like the one we witnessed when we first got here. Local people named it ‘To Vo’ because it looks like a beehive. To Vo Gate is similar to the Azure Window, a famous symbol of Malta Island, one of the tourist paradises of the Mediterranean. Azure Window unfortunately collapsed during a strong storm in March, disappointing tourists and locals alike.

Vietnam is fortunate to have such an amazing wonder and there are many people climbing on the gate to capture selfies. Tourists and even brides and grooms wait for a moment to capture beautiful photos. Worried about the Gate, the Department of Culture and Information of Ly Son District recently announced a limit of five people climbing up on the gate at one time. However, no one looks after it, so few people abide by the law. So do hurry to visit To Vo Gate before it collapses due to this storm of visitors.

Besides To Vo Gate, Thoi Loi Mountain, the highest of the five craters is also a special gift of nature to Ly Son. With a height of about 170 metres above sea level, from the mainland, Thoi Loi Mountain looks like the dome of this island. You can easily get to the top of the mountain by walking or by motorbike, but you should be careful because there are some steep slopes.

Once getting to the peak, you can comfortably drop your soul into the white clouds above your head, or the blue carpet of the endless sea below that is decorated with white dots of tiny ships departing for the high sea and the light green border of the water with white sand at its bottom.

We also saw a white strip below – part of Cau Cave at the foot of the mountain. Cau Cave is the result of mountain erosion by wind and waves over the course of millions of years. The white strip we saw is a small sandy beach in front of the cave. The water here is so clear that from the shore I could see the layers of seaweed changing colour from dark to pale green to brown next to blocks of stone – another great place for a selfie with a Fisheye Lens. Swim and dive and you will find yourself lost in the world of clownfish like in the movie ‘Finding Nemo’ with lots of colourful little fish swimming around you. Many people travel to this beautiful place to relax and go fishing, hence it is named Cau (meaning fishing) Cave.

If you come here in the afternoon when the tide is low, you can walk through the cave to get to Hang Pagoda, which is nearby. We arrived in the morning and had to wade through the cave when the tide reached our bellies. Being in the cave is like an adventure, but you should be very careful as there is a multitude of slippery stones below. If you do not want to get wet, you can rent a rowing boat for only VND10,000.

As the name suggests, Hang Pagoda is a temple located in a cave. The pagoda was built by one of the first settlers of this island during the Le Kinh Tong Dynasty (1588-1619). Overlooking the sea, the surroundings and entrance of the temple are cliffs with beautiful stone patterns that create a sculpture made by nature. In this 400-year-old temple, the air is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. This is a refuge for people in times of natural disasters or to hide from pirates. At the entrance, there is a small well built to catch the falling groundwater from the cliff. This water is considered sacred as it helped people survive when staying here. Today, visitors to this pagoda often drink a sip of this sacred water for good luck, wealth and to pray to the deity for a male heir. But according to the locals you should not look at the well when you drink as then you may miss the opportunity to become a millionaire.

Although I wanted to drink enough sacred water for all of my future wishes, I decided to go to the next place so as to not miss out on the best moments of the present, like a chance to go to Be Island (Little Island) – a small island near Ly Son said to be a must-see attraction when you come here.

WHERE THE MEDITERRANEAN MEETS HAWAII

Unlike Ly Son, Be Island made us fall in love at first sight. A beautiful small dock is nestled in calm blue water below the coconut trees making this island look as charming as a young girl. We spent so much time at this place just taking photos that people passing by started reminding us that the most beautiful scene was yet to come, so we rushed ahead.

A vehicle looking like the tuk-tuks of Thailand only costs VND10,000 per ride, but we refused because Be Island is very small so it only takes 10 minutes walking through the fields and lush gardens to get to where we wanted to go.
The ‘young girl’ grows into a ‘beautiful woman’ and takes your breath away with a mix of the deep blue colours of the water bringing a Mediterranean feel to the place and white waves and black volcanic cliffs reminiscent of Hawaii. Though some people think Ly Son is like the gentle Maldives of Vietnam, I found it to be hotter and more impressive.

We rented basket boats and went diving to admire coral reefs – a popular activity here. It was an enjoyable experience. The circular shape of the boat requires a very special rowing method, the rider has to stand on his boat and keep the balance while leaning his body to the left and then to the right. It made me understand that the reason men here have very toned bodies is thanks to this daily work-out.

However, the corals here are not very colourful so we went back to the beach to relax, and do a bit of sightseeing. Only when we got hungry did we start thinking of the seafood. The specialties of the area are King crab, lobster, moon snail and sea urchins, as well as popular dishes such as fresh steamed sentinel-crab and steamed squid, which made us happy. Yes, sometimes happiness is that simple.

Now back in Hanoi, whenever I think of Ly Son, a 3-in-1 feeling appears: dizzy (with waves), breath-taking (thinking of its the beauty) and salivating (remembering the seafood).

W.TIPS

TRANSPORTATION

From Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, there are daily flights operated by Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air and Jetstar to the nearest airport, which is Chu Lai in Quang Ngai. Round-trip flight tickets range from VND1.5 million to 3 million per person. You can also fly to Danang and then drive 130 kilometres to Sa Ky Port. Train and bus tickets are cheaper but you have to spend half a day travelling. Sometimes, a flight ticket is even cheaper than a train ticket, so if you are lucky you can get a promotional ticket from VND400,000 to VND600,000 per person.

From Chu Lai Airport, you have to travel 50 kilometres to get to Sa Ky by bus or taxi. Here, you can buy high-speed ship tickets to the island. There are many ships from 7:30am to 3:30pm. If you want everything to follow your schedule, then you should book tickets in advance, especially on weekends or holidays because the tickets often sell out very quickly. You can book tickets by phone with the Port Management Board: (0255) 3626 431 or email: dangky.skg@gmail.com.

To get to Be Island, you have to buy a high-speed boat ticket at Ly Son Port at a price of VND80,000 per person and the ride takes 15-20 minutes.

Travelling on the island: it is best to rent a motorbike or car because the attractions are 5-7 kilometres apart. The price for renting a car is VND150,000-200,000 per day at the hotel or motel.

ACCOMMODATION

Ly Son Island: Muong Thanh 4-star hotel and Ly Son Central 3-star hotel are the two most popular hotels with prices of VND1.2-2 million per night. There are some small hotels and motels from VND200,000 to 300,000 per night like Hoa Bien: 0983867522 (near Thoi Loi Mountain) or near the dock like Tan Tien: 01678344108, Dai Duong: 0977205818 and Minh Tam: (0255) 3867268.

Be Island: There are no hotels here. But there are some homestays, which cost VND200,000-300,000 per night, such as Minh Vy Homestay: 01658768790/01688313631 or Bui Minh Homestay: 01657452175.

EATING

There is a common characteristic for seafood restaurants here, which is that they all offer local specialties in addition to basic dishes. There is a fresh selection of produce for you to choose from. Prices are much cheaper than in other places, like VND600,000 per kilogram of crab or VND800,000 per kilogram of lobster.

SHOPPING

The Ly Son’s specialties you can buy as a gift for family and friends is garlic. Solo garlic is the most expensive as it is a rare type of garlic. Each hectare of land can only yield a harvest of about 1-2 kilograms or at most 5 kilograms of this garlic. And it is considered a precious medicine, which can cure flu, stomachache, cardiovascular disease and kidney disease so it costs from VND800,000 to 1,200,000 per kilogram. The more common garlic comes as type 1 and type 2 with prices from VND50,000-250,000 per kilogram.

HAI AU RESTAURANT

Located in the centre of the island with cool airy space overlooking the sea, this restaurant is suitable for both families thanks to its warm interior and tourist groups as it has a large yard outside. In addition, the restaurant offers services such as organising campfires, events, barbecues, music shows and galas in accordance with individual needs. There is also a karaoke area.
Address: Dong Hamlet, An Vinh, Ly Son. Phone: 094 502 72 53.

PHAT HAI RESTAURANT

The restaurant is located right by the sea. From the wharf, turn right and continue for about 1-1.5 kilometres to get to this restaurant. This is one of the most crowded restaurants on Ly Son and some dishes here are more expensive than at other places.
Address: By the coast, An Vinh, Ly Son.

LONG HIEN RESTAURANT

This is a barbecue seafood restaurant frequented by both Ly Son locals and tourists, located near Ly Son Port. It is recommended to visit the restaurant in the evening because that’s the suitable time to enjoy fresh seafood, caught in the afternoon. And the owner is very friendly.
Address: Tay Hamlet, An Vinh, Ly Son, Quang Ngai. Phone: 0984477600.

HOA BIEN SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

The restaurant is in a guesthouse so it is very convenient for the guests and the seafood is varied and fresh.
Address: Dong Hamlet, An Vinh, Ly Son, Quang Ngai. Phone: 0983867522.

Le Diem | Wanderlust Tips

Wildlife photography experiences

If you are nourishing the idea of having breakfast with cute manor giraffes in kenya, or admiring the graceful addax wandering across a meadow, you should know that they also make for beautiful models for an incredible snapshot. There are many protected areas and national parks known as paradises for wildlife photographers, especially in the countries of east africa. Here are some useful tips to capture memorable wildlife pictures during a trip to nature.

[rpi]

The bodies of most modern cameras are sturdy and you have a choice of full-frame or crop cameras. The body of a crop camera is usually better than the expensive full frame’s body as most of them can be used for long-distance shoots (1.6x), in which case a lens with a focal length of 200mm is as good as a 320mm lens. Every brand-name product has its own strengths. When photographing animals in the forest, the most important thing is to have a lens which photographers often call “gun”.

CHOOSE A SUITABLE “GUN”

Being the “battle rifle” (tele lens) that it is, you need to buy a lens which has a wide focal length with a minimum of 70-200mm, the wider the better, as you can encounter animals both very far away and really close up. Wildlife photography “hunters” cannot approach their wild “models” and must travel in specialised vehicles and on top of that are not allowed to go out of the designated area. A lens with fixed focal length is really inconvenient. It is recommended to use an anti-vibration lens with a good light-sensitive sensor. Lenses from f2.8 to f4 are great! Or you can buy a camera with a focal length of 70-200mm, and a 1.6x or 2x converter if it is a cheap camera and the focus speed is slow. But when using this kind of device, sometimes you will miss beautiful moments in nature that only last a second.

The best choice is a lens with a focal length of 400-600mm. If the focal length is over 600mm, the lens is too long, so when heat ascends from the ground, the air will be disturbed and this results in photos that are out of focus.

Do not forget to prepare and bring a lens with a medium focal length: 16-35mm, 50mm, or 24-70mm. These lenses will be extremely useful to capture portraits and daily life scenes when entering traditional villages or markets, or to take photos of loved ones and friends in the beautiful scenery of Africa.

HOW TO SHOOT?

When capturing moving objects, we always need to prioritise speed. You should choose a speed of at least of 1/640. If the lens and body are fast, you can set the speed to 1/1000. You should only reduce the speed to 1/250 if the photo still lacks light after adjusting other parameters to their lowest setting. Set the ISO automatic mode up to 1600 only. If you set the ISO mode to a higher parameter, the image will be broken when zooming in.

The aperture: you can open up your aperture as most lenses have the aperture up to f4 or f5.6, but if the weather is very sunny, it can be reduced to f8. Except for photographers with lenses fixed at f2.8 costing thousand dollars, anyone can capture beautiful photos in any light conditions.

Choose Centre Weighted Average mode to balance the overall picture with a strong bias towards the centre of the frame and change to Al Servo so the camera always focuses on the object. When encountering a situation where you do not know when you should start shooting, such as hunting or fighting scenes, set the camera to continuous shooting mode, like burst or high speed, then you can check and choose the best shot later.

Last but not least, no lens is better than your eyes and no memory cards are better than your mind. So look with your eyes, capture with your mind and feel with all your heart.

W.TIPS

♦ The weather in these areas is quite dry, so if your trip lasts only a few weeks the equipment won’t get wet, however if you travel a lot and there is a lot of dust, you need specialised cleaning tools to use frequently when needed.

♦ Place the camera on a coat or scarf on the seat when not using it, to prevent the camera from shacking.

♦ It is very expensive to buy a high quality new lens for a trip lasting only a few weeks, with the cost possibly being the same as the budget for the trip. Renting lenses is also not a cost-effective solution. So the best solution is buying a new or used lens in prestige shops and then selling it after the trip. This way you only need to spend 1-2 million VND for this. Of course, the lens should be protected carefully during the trip.

♦ Capturing an object with many different focal lengths allows an array of impressive pictures. So also try the longest focal length on wild “models”.

♦ During different times of day and in different settings experiment with taking a few photos to check the light mode, increase or decrease the EV from 1 to 2 stops for the best image.

♦ Use memory cards with 16Gb as they are more reliable than a 32Gb or 64Gb card. It’s a good idea to copy all your photos onto a computer, phone or your Google drive every day.

Thanh Cao | Wanderlust Tips

Wanderlust Tips Magazine | Save up to 35% at Palm Garden Resort Hoi An

Palm Garden Resort: My love story…

After graduating from university with a very good degree, I rewarded myself with a solo trip to Hoi An’s ancient town in Vietnam. Perhaps it was a miraculous arrangement, as this is where my love story began.
[rpi]

During a pellucid morning with the fresh scent of the dew lingering on the meadows and the sun having just emerged to send its first rays across the sea, the breeze gently stroking my skin, I met Loan. She was running across the beach of Palm Garden Resort where I was staying. Her unexpected “hello” as we were meeting for the first time made me a little embarrassed.

I happened to meet Loan when I was having breakfast on the veranda of Terrace Restaurant and like me she was a visitor of Palm Garden Resort. Interesting! We arranged to join a bike tour around Tra Que Vegetable Village and enjoy local specialties together. And of course I did not miss out on inviting her to a romantic party at Palm Garden Resort on Saturday afternoon. The space was decorated with colourful Hoi An lanterns, a varied buffet that offered an array of dishes from regional delicacies to fresh seafood was on offer and we could enjoy the wine and listen to the uplifting tunes of a Filipino band, all of which made our weekend evening a memorable delight. Although we did feel blue when we had to say goodbye the next morning to continue our daily lives.

Returning to Palm Garden Resort after 7 years, many things have changed – from the trees to the suites, but memories of the first meeting flooding back still leave me feeling thrilled. Loan still accompanies me, but in the role of the mother to our 2-year-old son. The sunrise still shines on the sea, the scent of grass remains the same and our love journey continues.

PALM GARDEN RESORT

Address: Lac Long Quan, Cua Dai Beach, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province.
Phone: 0235 3927 927
Email: reservation@pgr.com.vn

Wanderlust Tips

Children participated in painting contest at Diamond Sea Hotel

A painting contest for children themed ‘My Dreams’ took place at the Diamond Sea Hotel in Danang. It was an opportunity for children to indulge in creating and have fun during National Day.

[rpi]

A painting contest for children themed ‘My Dreams held on 1^stand 2^nd September was one of many programs celebrating National Day at the Diamond Sea Hotel.

Besides the fun it provided, the contest helped children to develop more skills, increase their imagination, express themselves and explore the world.

The children’s intuitive works are pictures of vibrancy and colour. The topics of the paintings were varied, expressing children’s vibrant and innocent dreams, from school to traffic and the beautiful scenery of the deep blue sea.

The children who won the competition received a number of attractive gifts:

01 First prize: A gift for the child and 1 night in a Superior room including breakfast for 2 adults valued at VND2,700,000.
01 Second Prize: A gift for the child and one Vietnamese dinner for 4 people including fresh water valued at VND1,500,000.
01 Third prize: A gift for the child and 4 breakfast vouchers valued at VND800,000.

Through the contest, Diamond Sea Hotel hopes children can achieve their future dreams and contribute to the development of Vietnam.

Wanderlust Tips | Cinet

The 13th edition of International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City

ITE HCMC 2017, themed ‘Your Gateway to Tourism in Asia’, continues to be one of the most important and established international travel events in Vietnam and the region, further promoting Vietnam’s tourism and enhancing the development of the tourism industry regionally and globally.

[rpi]

The International Travel Expo, Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) 2017, returns for the 13th time as the largest and most established annual international travel trade event in the Mekong sub-region. ITE HCMC 2017 continues to grow from strength to strength on the scale of the expo and the quality of participants, delivering the hospitality of Vietnam’s destinations and Ho Chi Minh City.

Endorsed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism, Vietnam, and the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, the 13th ITE HCMC will be held from 7th to 9th September at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Organised by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT); Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism; Informa Exhibitions Pte Ltd; and the Vietnam Trade Fair & Advertising Joint Stock (VINEXAD), ITE HCMC 2017, themed ‘Your Gateway to Tourism in Asia’, provides a platform for the international and local travel businesses to keep up with the travel trends, get updated on tourism products and services, establish connections with new business partners, further boosting the tourism potential of the country and the ASEAN region.

Mr Bui Ta Hoang Vu, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, and Chairman of the Organising Committee, says: “ITE HCMC 2017, themed ‘Your Gateway to Tourism in Asia’, is celebrated with the 50th Anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). ASEAN is a highly integrated and dynamic political – economic organisation, enhancing connectivity and cooperation among the country members in all sectors, and tourism is one of the most important areas of cooperation.”

Delivering products that enhance the tourism competitiveness of Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City is at the heart of ITE HCMC this year. With that in mind, the ITE HCMC Organising Committee has dedicated to improving the quality and content of event, bringing new and exciting activities for the participants, some of which including exclusive buyer-seller online pre-appointment system, a destination visitor survey programme, specialised international seminars, Travel Fun Fair Day, special travel discounts and promotions, and other cultural musical performances, catering not only for the international and regional buyers, sellers, travel trade experts and media partners but also the public. These wide range of activities are customised to keep the event attendees updated with the current news and trends of the Travel & Tourism industry.

INCREASED ACTIVE PARTICIPATION FROM INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL MARKETS – AN EFFECTIVE INTERNATIONAL MARKETING CHANNEL

With a plan to create more opportunities for international and local businesses to promote their tourism products and bring the businesses together, the ITE HCMC 2017 Organising Committee has invested to expand the total area of exhibitions of scale, with an increase of 15 per cent as compared to 2016, for the 300 exhibition booths. The expo attracts a wide range of international and local travel companies from 25 countries.

This year sees the strong continued participation of international promotion agencies such as the Indian Tourism; Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO); Korea Tourism Organization (KTO); Kyushu Tourism Promotion Organization (KTPO); Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lao PDR; Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia; Penang Global Tourism (PGT); Taiwan Tourism; Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB); Tourism Authority of Thailand; Tourism Promotion Organization for Asia Pacific Cities (TPO); Turkish Embassy Tourism and Information Office; the Union of Myanmar Travel Association (UMTA); and the Wuhan Tourism Development & Investment Group Swan International Travel Service (China).

ITE HCMC this year also attracts a number of international tourism enterprises seeking business and cooperation opportunities in the Vietnamese market such as the Tour Diamond Company – Myanmar, Prince Hotel – Japan, Traveltek Travel Company – Australia, Plumeria Resort – Maldives, Kansai Airports – Japan, Aeroflot Russia Airlines – Russia, Resorts World Sentosa – Singapore, Daegu – Korea, and Japan Excellent Health Organization – Japan.

Not only the international tourism promotion agencies and businesses will participate in this year’s event, ITE HCMC 2017 also attracts hundreds of travel companies, large resort hotels, as well as small and medium enterprises from Ho Chi Minh City and other 30 provinces and cities in the country.

HIGH PRIORITY ON THE ANNUAL HOSTED BUYERS & MEDIA PROGRAMME

Across the region, ITE HCMC also serves as an international travel hub where professionals network and conduct businesses. The annual Hosted Buyers and Hosted Media Programmes are the two areas of the most importance at ITE HCMC, again highlighting and reaffirming ITE HCMC as the prime international trade travel event for regional and international businesses.

ITE HCMC 2017 has attracted professionals and representatives from more than 700 international travel companies. The Organising Committee and Advisory Board of the Hosted Buyers Programme have invited up to 300 international buyers from 40 countries and territories, especially from the key markets of Vietnam such as the U.S., the U.K., France, Italy, Germany, China, Japan, ASEAN, India, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and some other new markets such as Iran, Iraq, South Africa, and Nepal.

Alongside the Hosted Buyer Programme, the event will also host 40 international media from prominent travel, lifestyle, tourism, and broadcast platforms, as well as award-winning travel bloggers and digital influencers with a strong following on social media from the U.K., France, the Netherlands, Germany, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, Thailand, Taiwan, the U.S., Korea, China, Australia, the U.A.E, Turkey, Singapore, Norway, Japan and the Philippines.

The hosted buyers and media will be engaged in the Destination Visitor Survey Programme to different major travel destinations in Ho Chi Minh City such as Can Gio, Mekong – Delta – Can Tho, Da Lat – Ninh Thuan, Phan Thiet – Binh Thuan, Phu Yen and Ha Long. The hosted buyers and media will also attend the exclusive Tourism Promotion Exhibition Programme and Seminars on Introducing Key and Potential Travel Destinations in 2017, and on Developing MICE Tourism in Ho Chi Minh City, presented by leading international speakers. These customised programmes are designed to provide a unique networking and insights exchanging platform for domestic and international businesses.

EVENT DETAILS & PRE-REGISTRATION
♦ Dates &Time:
7th September (Trade Visitors): 8am – 5pm
8th September (Trade Visitors): 9am – 5pm
9th September (Public & Visitors): 9am – 5pm
♦ Venue: Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre (SECC)

Wanderlust Tips | Cinet

Vermicelli dishes in Hanoi: Full of beef with only VND25,000

If you are still wondering what to eat today, why not try a bowl of vermicelli with beef stewed in red wine?

[rpi]

Hanoi has a very diverse food culture from the traditional dishes which have been well-known long time ago, to the local dishes from all over the country to come here, and some new receipts people create themselves like the vermicelli with beef stewed in red wine. There is such a dish, strange from the name to the taste.

If the bread with beef stewed in red wine is too familiar to many people living in Hanoi, this vermicelli with beef stewed in red wine seems to be quite new. Kham Thien is one of the rare places in Hanoi selling this dish.The restaurant is located at the beginning of the alley on Kham Thien Street. Every morning, the little alley is so crowded when the visitors come to enjoy this dish.

According to Mrs. Lan the owner, 15 years ago, she only sold Vietnamese rice vermicelli with crab paste soup and rice pancake soup. Just five years ago, she came up with this dish. Actually, the restaurant also has many other dishes such as beef noodle, beef vermicelli. But somehow, most of people coming here love to eat vermicelli with beef stewed in red wine.

Besides usual vermicelli, thin sliced beef, a bowl of vermicelli with beef stewed in red wine here also has beef stewed in red wine.

When you do not know what to eat this morning, “bun bo sot vang” will be a good choice for you. Moreover, for a price of only VND25,000 for a breakfast is so suitable for those who love delicious – nutrient – cheap food.
One more thing that one can not forget about this small noodle stall is its good and kind owner – Mrs.Lan.

Address: Cong Trang Lane, Kham Thien Sreet, Hanoi
Price: VND25,000
Open time: 5:30am – 10am

Wanderlust Tips | Cinet

First 12 open-top double-decker buses inaugurated in Da Nang

The first batch of 12 open-top double-decker buses has started service at Coco Bay entertainment-cum-hospitality complex in the central coastal city of Da Nang.

[rpi]

Each decker has 54 seats, with 12 seats on the lower deck and 42 seats on the upper deck.

The service, called Coco Bus Tour, has two routes with the first departing from Da Nang airport to the south of the city with 25 stops, while the second route will be put into operation in September 2017 to the north of the hub, from the airport to Son Tra peninsula with about 18 stops.

There are 30 open-top bus services a day, with an interval of 30 minutes between 07h00 and 22h00. The listed price is VND250,000 (about USD10.98) which can be used for either route within 24 hours and allows passengers to hop off and hop on at any stop.

The tour will run free of charge until the end of August 2017, and will offer a 50% discount from September to November 2017. The project was jointly developed by Empire Group and local car maker Truong Hai. Earlier, in July 2017, the two businesses tested the operation of the 12 buses to serve tourism in the city.

Vietnamtourism | Wanderlust Tips | Cinet