VietJetAir offers 14-cent ticket celebration

VietJetAir said on Wednesday that it will offer 300,000 tickets fromVND3,000 (US$0.14) to celebrate its three millionth passenger.

The tickets will be sold on the airline's website (www.vietjetair.com) from August 21 to September 19, for flights departing between September 5 this year and December 31, 2014.

The cheap rate (which does not include taxes or service fees) will apply to the airline's 11 domestic destinations and its two international routes, which link Ha Noi and HCM City to Bangkok.

Can Tho City to offer Homestay Tourism

My Khanh Eco-Tourism Company has plans to coordinate with households in traditional handicraft villages to offer Homestay Tourism in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

The company will build rooms in 20 local households to provide accommodation for tourists and offer a unique experience of daily life and hospitality in the Mekong Delta Region.

Households will earn from the profits and also be able to sell their products directly to travelers.

The new service is expected to attract international visitors, promote tourism in Can Tho and help local people economically.

30 Russian firms to take part in Tourism Expo in HCMC

A conference on Russia-Vietnam tourism cooperation and development in Ho Chi Minh City in September is expected to attract about 30 Russian travel companies .

The meeting is part of the City’s annual tourism event, the ‘International Tourism Expo’.

There will be two direct routes from Russia to Vietnam in coming time. Thus, the Vietnamese tourism industry expects to lure 500,000 Russian visitors every year, said Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hung, Deputy Director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

Phan Thiet City in the central coastal province of Binh Thuan has become a popular destination for Russian tourists, with Russia ranking 10th on Vietnam's list of top tourism markets.

Tourism experts say that Russian travelers are attracted to Vietnam’s wild and beautiful beaches and warm climate.

The country receives more than 18,000-19,000 Russian visitors each month.  Russian tourists have become a vital part of the Vietnamese tourism industry particularly in the coastal provinces.

La Vang Pilgrimage Festival opens

Thousands of pilgrims flocked to the opening of the 2013 La Vang Pilgrimage Festival yesterday at La Vang Church in Hai Lang district, central Quang Tri province.

The event features various activities and Catholic rituals which involve the participation of many bishops, priests and Catholic devotees from across the nation.

The bishops, priests and other Catholic dignitaries expressed thanks to provincial, district and communal authorities for creating favourable conditions for religious activities held  during the annual festival.

The festival is held to commemorate a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary seen by several Vietnamese Catholics.

Luxury Travel kicks off helicopter services for visit to old battle fields

The Luxury Travel will be launching day trips by private charter helicopter from Ho Chi Minh City to Ba Ria Vung Tau for travelers.

Long Tan is a village in Ba Ria Vung Tau province, Vietnam. When it was part of former South Vietnam, it is renowned for its rubber plantations.

The Battle of Long Tan is arguably the most famous battle fought by the Australian Army during the Vietnam War. The battle took place from August 18-19, 1966 and was fought in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tan, about four kilometres northeast of Vung Tau.

The action occurred when D Company of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), part of the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF), encountered the Viet Cong (VC) 275 Regiment and elements of the D445 Local Forces Battalion. D Company was supported by other Australian units, as well as New Zealand and United States personnel.

The battle is often used in Australian officer training as an example of the importance of combining and coordinating infantry, artillery, armour and military aviation.

“Your tour of this historic site will start with a 07:30 pick up from the main lobby of your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. After breakfast, travelers will drive to Tan Son Nhat Heliport to fly to Ba Ria Vung Tau. You will fly over the coastal city and have 15 minutes in the sky to take in the panoramic view of the former Nui Dat Task Force base. Then, you will land at Vung Tau Airport. “This bird’s eye view is great and quite emotionally moving, especially for veterans,” said David Nguyen Sales and marketing director of Luxury Travel Company.

Luxury Travel’s driver will wait for travelers there, and then transfer them to Long Tan Nui Dat to see the remains of the vast camp. The former runway is now a wide street in the local village and what was the helipad is now a soccer field. A school established by Australian veterans is also nearby.

Later, travelers will drive past the location of the Horseshoe (access not permitted these days due to mining activity) and go to the DeCourtney Rubber Plantation, then pause to reflect at the Long Tan Cross before helicoptering back to Ho Chi Minh City where travelers will arrive at 17:00 and return by car to hotel.

The company provides private charter airplane or helicopter to Con Dao, Phu Quoc islands.

“We are constantly breaking new ground to develop innovative and interesting new tours. To whet your appetite, and to suit those with special interests, we have come up with some ideas such as helicopter travel, private jets, archaeological travel, medical tourism, photography holidays, veteran tours, agriculture travel, pilgrimage tours, art tours for collectors, and volunteerism/ philanthropy excursions,” said Pham Ha, founder and CEO Of Luxury Travel.

“Let us help to make your dream vacation a reality with a personally tailored experience designed for your needs. We are specialists in privately guided and fully tailor made holidays. Whatever vacation experience you desire, we will deliver it in style.”

Source: SGT/SGGP/VNA/VNS/VOV/ND