Vietnamese Water Puppet Show in Saigon

Water puppetry (Vietnamese: Múa rối nước, lit. "puppets that dance on water") is a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century CE when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam. Today's Vietnamese water puppetry is a unique variation on the ancient Asian puppet tradition.
When you travel to Ha Noi, you can see water puppet show in Thang Long Water Puppet Theater (57b Dinh Tien Hoang Str., Hanoi ). But when you travel to Sai gon where to see Water puppet show?
There are three places where you can see "puppets that dance on water" in Sai gon:

1. The Golden Dragon Water Puppetry Theatre (HCM City Labour Cultural House)
55 B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai St, D1, HCMC
Inside of Tao Dan Park
The show is every day on 6.30 pm and 8.30pm.
The ticket cost about 65,000 VND (4 USD) per person. There is a discount if you comes in group
Duration: 50 minutes.

From Pham Ngu Lao Area, you can walk to or take a taxi to this place. The taxi cost is about 20.000 - 30.000dong.

2. History Museum
2 Nguyen Binh Khiem, Ben Ghe Ward, Dist1, HCMC (next to the zoo and botannical gardens.)
Tel: 0938500545
Open Monday to Sutarday 8am-11am, 1:30pm-4pm
Sunday and holidays 8:30am-4pm
Cost 15000 dong
There is also a water puppet theatre but will only performed if more than 5 persons have bought tickets.
Taxi cost from Pham Ngu Lao Area to here is about 50.000dong

3. Thao Dien Village
Weekly one show is held from 19:30 to 20:00 every Saturday at Ngon restaurant Thao Dien Village (Vietnamese Food)
Address: 195 Nguyen Van Huong, Thao Dien Ward, District 2 Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: +84 8 37446457
Fax: +84 8 37446458

Vietnam: Death anniversary of the Hung Kings

Death anniversary of the Hung Kings (Vietnamese: Giỗ Tổ Hùng Vương) is the Vietnamese festival to worship Hung Kings. Since 2007, it has been a public holiday in Vietnam celebrated on the tenth day of the third lunar month.

Generation have gone by, the folk lore song still remains:

" Whether up or down you go
Remember our Ancestor's Death Anniversary on 10th of March "

Time: The 8th to the 11th day of the third lunar month, main festival day on the 10th day of the third lunar month.
Place: Nghia Linh Mountain, Hy Cuong Commune, Viet Tri City, Phu Tho Province.
Objects of worship: Kings Hung.
Characteristics: This is the ancestors' death anniversary of the whole nation. At the same time with incense-offering ceremony at Hung Temple in Phu Tho Province, sacrifice-offering ceremonies at Hung Temple in Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and other provinces are aslo celebrated.
Main activities:
- The procession of 3 local communes from the communal houses to the foot of the mountain.
- The incense offering ceremony.
- Xoan singing, bronze drum dancing

A sovereign nation
It is said that the first king of the country was Kinh Duong (Vietnamese: Kinh Duong Vuong), who ruled over a vast territory in the south called Xich Quy (Red Devil).
Kinh Duong King married the daughter of Than Long (Sacred Dragon), king of Lake Dongding. The couple had a son, Sung Lam, who later became king and called himself Lac Long Quan (King Dragon of the Land of Lac). The wife of Lac Long Quan, Au Co, gave birth to a sac containing 100 eggs from which 100 babies were born.
One day, Lac Long Quan told his wife "I descend from dragons and you from fairies. We’re as incompatible as water and fire and we cannot continue in harmony." The king parted from his queen, taking to the sea with 50 of his children and his wife moved to the mountains, followed by the rest of the clan.
The eldest son, who was with this mother, established himself at Phong Chau, now the southern part of Phu Tho Province, and made himself king. That was King Hung I whose realm was made up by 50 tribes.
The 18 Hung kings then ruled the country from 2879 to 258BC.
According to historical records, the regime of the Hung Kings was an impressive, brilliant and outstanding start for establishing Viet Nam as a sovereign nation.
The 18 generations of the Hung Kings saw the birth and development of a nation and are credited with forging national characteristics such as the sense of community, mutual affection, patriotism and unwillingness to yield to oppression. From this original settlement, the Hong (Red) River civilisation and the pre-Dong Son cultures grew.
This celebrated date, the 10th day of the third lunar month, is dedicated to commemorating the anniversary of their ancestor’s death, founder of the Vietnamese nation—the first Hung King.
Hung Temple is located on Nghia Linh Mountain range, 100km north-west of Ha Noi in Lam Thao District, Phu Tho Province.

Vung Tau Travel Guide

By Taxi

• Bà Rịa Taxi
Add: 1268 Bach Dang St, Vung Tau City
Tel: (064).3827474

• Petro Taxi

Add: 192 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ward 2, Vung Tau City
Tel: (064).3851851

• Gili Taxi
Add: 01B Le Ngoc Han, Ward 1, Vung Tau City
Tel: (064) 3858585

• Mai Linh Taxi
Add: 12 Hoang Hoa Tham, Vung Tau City
Tel: (064).3565656

By motorbike

1. Rent a motorbike at Bai Truoc (Front Beach) or Bai Sau (Back Beach), if not you can contact with your recepptionist to rent his/her motor bike.

Some motorbike rental service in Vung Tau:

• Motorbike, car rental service
Tel: (064) 3210263

Cell: 0906881081

• Car rental service:
35 Nguyen Huu Cau, Ward 3, Vung Tau City
Tel: (064). 3531860
www.vungtaucar.com

Remember : always agree on a price before you rent their motorbike.

2. Take a xe-om (motor taxi):

Remember : always agree on a price before you set off.

Since December 15th, 2007 all riders in Vietnam are now required to wear helmets an this is strongly enforced. As such, the driver should supply you with a helmet. If he doesn't - find another one, as you'll be the one stuck with the fine.

By double-bike (Xe đạp đôi)

It has been popularin Vung Tau.

A standard double-bike can carry 3 people in which 2 take the ride.

You can rent a double-bike at your hotel, the Bãi Trước (Front Beach), Bãi Sau (Back Beach)...

The rental price is about 15000dong/hour (1usd/hour).

You should give your ID Card or Your Passport while you rent a double-motor.

Walking

I don't think Walking is a good way to discovery Vung Tau.

By E-car (electric car)

Tour 1: Around Vung Tau with e-car.

Duration : 2 hours/tour

Distance: 20km (thời gian 2 giờ/tour)

Car with 3 seats: 150.000dong/car/tour
Car with 7 seats: 200.000dong/car
Car with 10 seats: 280.000dong/car
Car with 13 seats: 320.000dong/car

Tour 2: Nui Nho (Small Maountain) tour

Duration : 1 hour 30 minutes.

Car with 3 seats: 100.000dong/car
Car with 7 seats: 150.000dong/car
Car with 10 seats: 200.000dong/car
Car with 13 seats: 250.000dong/car

Contact:

Bien Dong (Biển Đông) tourist zone08 Thuy Van, Ward 2, Vung Tau City
Tel: (64) 3816 318 - 3816 319
Fax: (64) 3816 893
www.khudulichbiendong.com

Travel service center
Add: 29 Tran Hung Dao, Ward 1, Vung Tau City
Tel: (064).3857527 – 3511043
Fax : (064).852284

By Helicopter

Tour 1: Around in Vung Tau

Price: 20usd/pax/tour

Tour 2: Around in Vung Tau

Price: 30usd/pax/tour

Tour 3: Vung Tau + Long Hai Beach

Price: 60usd/pax/tour

Booking tour

Travel service center
Add: 29 Tran Hung Dao, Ward 1, Vung Tau City
Tel: (064).3857527 – 3511043
Fax : (064).852284

Mui Ne - Phan Thiet Travel Picture

In Phan Thiet City

Thuy Tu Temple

Ho Chi Minh Museum in Binh Thuan (near Duc Thanh School)

Duc Thanh School where Nguyen Tat Thanh (later President Ho Chi Minh) stayed in 1910

Water well in Duc Thanh School

Doi Duong Beach - form here you can see Cham Towwer

Doi Duong Beach (in Phan Thiet city, near Novotel hotel)

Some nice pictures i took at Doi Duong Beach

Phan Thiet in Night

Photo in Mui Ne

I will write Mui Ne Phan Thiet travel guide article in the near future.

Phu Quoc Travel Picture

Phu Quoc – the uncovered paradise to discover on your holidays to Vietnam

Fish sauces of Phu Quoc is famous all around Vietnam

There are lots of desert places in Phu Quoc island for you to discover

Thien Duong Ruc Nang – The Sunny Paradise’ Phu Quoc is sunny year round.

Such a good & quiet place to relax here in Phu Quoc island Vietnam

Fishing village in Phu Quoc island Vietnam

At the central market of Phu Quoc island Phan Thiet Vietnam

ACCOR is giving Thailand tourism a nudge with a “cash back” incentive at its 36 properties in the country.
Until September 30, guests staying at participating Pullman, MGallery and Novotel hotels will receive 500 baht (US$15.41) per roomnight. Those staying in participating Grand Mercure and Mercure hotels get 250 baht, while guests at ibis and all seasons properties pocket 150 baht.
The “cash back” credits are to be used on hotel services such as spa treatments and F&B.
Oswald Pichler, Accor vice president for operations – Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, believed that as the country regained stability, tourists would be looking for deals to travel to destinations such as Bangkok, Phuket, Samui, Chiang Mai and beyond. Accor's promotion, he said, would match the call.

(Sources: Bangkok, TTGAsia)

Billion-dollar development planned for Cambodian island

KOH Puos Investment Group (KPIG), a Cyprus-registered company funded by a group of Russian investors, will spend more than US$1 billion on developing a southern Cambodian island into a mixed-use tourism and real estate empire.

The project, to be marketed internationally as Morakot Island, will occupy the 120 hectare Koh Puos island, located off the coast of Sihanoukville.
The development, to be carried out in phases throughout 2016, will comprise of hotels, a casino complex, sports facilities, luxury residential villas and apartment buildings, nature trails and modern landscaped beaches, among others.
Andrew Halturin, COO and project director of KPIG, told TTG Asia e-Daily the group was in talks with several international chains, including Hilton Worldwide, Marriott Hotels and Resorts, Starwood Hotels and Resorts and InterContinental Hotels Group, on hotel development projects.
He said the project will be “far superior than any construction currently in Cambodia and will rival similar developments in Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia”.

(Sources: Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok, TTGAsia)

More funds for Regional Victoria to attract business events

AUSTRALIA'S Victorian State Government has announced a A$1 million (US$870,776) funding to attract more conferences and delegates to Regional Victoria over a four-year period.

This comes just after the state was given A$150,000 by the Australian Federal Government for delegate-boosting initiatives and destination promotions to the business event market.

Although it was not clear at press time how the additional funds would be used, Business Events Victoria chairperson Andrew Hiebl told TTG Asia e-Daily that the funds and "new spotlight on Regional Victoria are welcomed" by the organisation, which operates as a collective group of conference venues, hotels, tour operators, local councils, regional tourism organisations and service providers targeting business events market.

Hiebl said a current campaign has allowed Victoria's 10 regions to apply for grants to develop tools that benefit event planners. For instance, Great Ocean Road used the funds to develop two personalised viral campaigns that organisers can use to entice delegates to business events in Geelong and the Surf Coast regions.

"Business Events Victoria would envisage that any future funding would be used to continue the great work that has been achieved to date and further promote Regional Victoria to the business events sector."

(Karen Yue, Singapore, TTGAsia)

Phuket gunning for six million visitors

PHUKET is expected to attract six million visitors this year, up from 2009’s 5.5 million, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
TAT Phuket office director Bangornrat Shinaprayoon said the forecast was based on the southern Thailand beach destination's monthly year-on-year growth of 20 to 30 per cent from January to May.
Foreign visitor numbers are projected to reach 4.5 million, an increase over last year's four million. Australia, the UK, Sweden, South Korea and Germany were Phuket's top five markets in 2009.
Bangornrat said Russia was poised to overtake Germany this year as the island's fifth largest source market.
Meanwhile, the growing number of direct regional flights is expected to bring in even more visitors from Australia, India, the Middle East and South Korea.

(Sources: Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok, TTGAsia)

Bangkok is hot again for Singaporeans

BOOKINGS to Bangkok are returning for some travel agents in Singapore, with leisure FIT and group bookings taking the lead.

AD Travel, which suffered a 70 per cent dip in bookings to Thailand in April, has so far enough leisure and incentive bookings to the destination to “cover at least a month's office rental”, said its director/general manager, Joe Lim.

Hong Thai Travel Services also saw a pick-up in leisure bookings to Bangkok that came “sooner than expected”, said its spokesperson.

Extensive hotel promotions, such as one-plus-one and two-plus-one roomnights, as well as airfare promotions by Thai Airways International and Cathay Pacific have helped.

Accor is offering cash back to guests staying at 36 hotels and resorts in Thailand between now till September 30. For instance, guests of Pullman will get 500 baht (US$15) per roomnight to spend in the hotel.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand in Singapore is also giving visitors vouchers to use at Let's Relax Spa, which has branches in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Phuket, or Ramayana Restaurant in King Power Downtown Duty Free Complex.

(Sources: Karen Yue, Singapore, TTGAsia)