WHAT’S NEW?

Cycling Tours on the Ho Chi Minh Trail

The Vietnam Government's travel service, Saigontourist, has recently (2005) introduced a 21-day cycling tour along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The tour commences in Da Nang, on the central coastal and takes in Hoi An, Hue and a variety of other interesting towns en route to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

The tour was designed for adventure lovers and those who wanted to see the country up close rather than speeding through towns on the regular 'Open Tour' buses. Travellers have many opportunities to admire the beauty of the countryside and learn about the culture and customs of the people they meet along the way.

Saigontourist is also responsible for organizing the Saffron Road Vietnam Tour for Motorbikes which takes in Ho Chi Minh City, Dalat, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, Sapa and Halong Bay.

For more information contact: info@saigontourist.net

Eco-Tourism

Environmentalists in Vietnam have welcomed the recent (2005) publication of an Eco-Tourism Map of Vietnam.

The map, which includes attractive photographs of endangered species and landscapes in Vietnam, is colourful and informative. It guides you to all the national parks and nature reserves in Vietnam with pinpoint accuracy and tells you the best ways to get there. It also provides information about the flora and fauna you will see there.

The map includes six inset maps of protected areas including topography information, walking trails and points of interest. It highlights current initiatives in eco-tourism in Vietnam and encourages visitors to be responsible eco-tourists, considerate of the local communities in which they are travelling.

By involving the local people through the use of local guides, transport and home-stays, it is hoped that tourism will serve to increase the awareness of the villagers of the importance of preserving their environments, as well as providing a new source of income for these often very poor communities.

Proceeds from sales of the map go to support endangered Vietnamese primates such as the Western and Eastern Black-Crested Gibbon, Tonkin Snub-Nosed Monkey and Red-Shanked Douc Langur. The maps are on sale at selected tour operators and bookshops in Vietnam (VD80,000) and in the U.K.

For more information, check out the website: www.fauna-flora.org

New Discover Vietnam Tour

A new 18-day tour of Vietnam's main attractions has also recently been introduced by Ben Thanh Tourist in Ho Chi Minh City. The tour takes in Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Da Nang, Hue and Hanoi with a side trip to Halong Bay.Tourists travel by coach and return by plane and will stay in double rooms at 3-star hotels, a great way to see the highlights of the country for those who don't have a lot of time.

For more information contact: domestic@benthanhtourist.com

New Flight Route

On June 20, 2005, Vietnam Airlines commenced a direct route to Frankfurt, Germany, replacing the current flights which stopover in Moscow. This has reduced the flight time by 4 hours, to 11 hours.

From 1 May, 2005, Scandinavian citizens from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, will no longer need a visa to travel to Vietnam for up to 15 days. They must have a current passport with at least 3 months validity and possess a return or onward flight ticket to another country.

Bird Flu Update

Effective May 2005, the ban on poultry farming in southern parts of Vietnam has been extended to a further 15 cities including Hanoi, Hue, Danang, Quang Ninh and Can Tho provinces. Small local markets selling poultry products are being closed and replaced with official slaughterhouses and there is now a total ban on free-range breeding of waterfowl.

Whilst officials assure us that there is no sign of the virus spreading to humans, they still advise caution when eating duck meat, particularly in the Mekong Delta area. As with all meats, care should be taken to ensure the duck is thoroughly cooked.

The free, 2007 Editions of the on-line Cambodia and Thailand Travel Guides are now available in English. Other Travel Guides will be available in the near future.

In addition, Arikah now also features free, online encyclopedias in Dutch, English, German, French, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish.