New plan to attract tourists of Sapa

Sapa District’s People’s Committee in the northern province of Lao Cai plans a culture and entertainment complex in the district to attract more international tourists.

According to the plan, the project will be built on 41 ha of land near Nguyen Chi Thanh Road and Hoang Lien National Park in Sapa district.

It will be divided into three main areas including a central community zone, an entertainment area, souvenir shops, restaurants, guesthouses and cable car terminal to make it more convenient for visitors to reach nearby peaks and viewpoints.

Sapa is the main destination in in Lao Cai province in northwest Vietnam. It is one of the main market towns in a very mountainous region, where several ethnic minority groups such Hmong, Dao (Yao), Giay, Pho Lu, and Tay live.

Thousands of tourists head for Sapa to enjoy the cool weather at an altitude of around 1,500 metres. The nearest train station is at the base of the mountains in Lao Cai town, which is also on the border with China. The rail line links China to Vietnam’s capital Hanoi.

Lao Cai will assume much greater significance as a regional economic and trade hub given its strategic location ahead of the ASEAN Economic Community free trade era, that is due to start in December 2015.

The border town has road, railway and waterway connections and in the future will include air routes. Lao Cai is also located on an economic belt project that will link ASEAN members and China.

But its main appeal is Sapa that nestles in a mountain range overlooking Lao Cai and is best known for its trekking, cool weather and its role as a market town for ethnic minority groups.

The best time to visit Sapa is from February to April and September to November to enjoy spring and autumn weather. It is extremely cold in December and January and guest houses lack heaters in the rooms. Four-star hotels are better equipped to keep their guests warm even to featuring fireplaces in bars or lobbies.

Visit us at http://www.threeland.com/ to get further information about traveling around the world to have access to the best travel services and to meet our professional consultants who're always available for help. For any inquiry please contact us.

A warm welcome from Threelanders.

Read More

New eco-friendly travel's choice: Hoi An cycling

Hoi An’s People’s Committee says bicycles have been selected as the vehicle of choice for the world heritage town to help it become an eco-friendly destination.

The city’s people’s committee vice chairman, Truong Van Bay, said favoring cycles over cars and other transport would in the long-term help to preserve the environment and make the town more friendly for visitors.

“We will encourage local people to use standard bicycles, or battery-powered bicycles, and to walk more to keep the city clean and residents healthy.”

The city has gradually limited the use of motorbikes in the old quarter, prior to banning motorbikes in these areas, he added.

“Cycles are very popular with tourists to get around the town and visit nearby beaches.”

Since 2002, the city has successfully operated a pedestrian street in the old quarter and hosted Nature Day for the past four years, the vice chairman said.

The city’s natural resources and environment office head, Nguyen Van Hien, said cycles were used by mainly by women and children in the city.

“They prefer riding bicycles to markets and schools, and around town. The old quarter is quiet with pedestrians and bikes during the day…evening and at night time most people just walk around the old quarter.”

The city’s people’s committee plans to promote bicycle and introduce a Car Free Day in March before establishing the cycle only policy. It will need to accommodate around 100,000 bicycles if the project takes off all residents comply with the new policy.

The world heritage town was first in Vietnam to host a Car Free Day, in an effort to make the environment cleaner.

The city also launched an action programme to stop the use of plastic bags in the town.

Last year, UNESCO-recognized the city’s solar power public lighting system along the city’s Hoai River Square as a major step forward in maintaining its world heritage status.

Also, Hoi An has been chosen for the 2013 Townscape Award by the UN-Habitat Regional Office in Asia.

Hoi An was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1999 as an example of a well-preserved trading post that was a port of call for traders from China in 1600s.

Visit us at http://www.threeland.com/ to get further information about traveling around the world and Vietnam holidays 2014; to have access to the best travel services and to meet our professional consultants who're always available for help. For any inquiry please contact us.

A warm welcome from Threelanders.

Read More

Vietnam Develops Cave Adventures

Vietnam’s most famous cave system, Phong Nha-Ke Bang, will add a zip line by the end of this month and host a hiking race in March.

According to the site manager, the zip line will run above the Chay River into Toi (Dark) Cave, allowing tourists to fly through the cave and release from the line for a dramatic dunking in a river below.

An annual adventure race will also be organized to highlight soft adventure features of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, which won UNESCO heritage recognition in 2003.

The park consists of 300 different caves and grottos with limestone structures and the oldest karst formation in Asia, dating back some 400 million years. It is home to what is credited to be the longest and largest cave in Southeast Asia.

The park attracted more than 3,500 tourists during the first four days of Tet (Vietnam’s New Year) starting 31 January, up 30% over Tet 2012. Foreign visitors increased by 25%.

Only some of the caves are accessible to the public, including Tien Son that was reopened 1 January after 10-month hiatus to allow a US$713,000 installation of floors and lights.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is in the Quang Binh province, 500km south of Hanoi.

Visit us at http://www.threeland.com/ to get further information about traveling around the world and Vietnam holidays 2014; to have access to the best travel services and to meet our professional consultants who're always available for help. For any inquiry please contact us.

A warm welcome from Threelanders.

Read More