Investors are lining up for a piece of Da Nang beach, which industry players say could become a tourism hotspot to rival Bali or Phuket.

Stretching about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the mountain-fringed central city of Da Nang to the heritage town of Hoi An, the white sand beach – known locally as a series of several different beaches like Non Nuoc and My Khe – has been relatively undeveloped despite its beauty.

But foreign and local investors have staked their claims, walling off areas of the beach in preparation for development, even though some sites remain little more than sand-blown scrub beside the glistening sea.

“I think our beach is better than Bali,” says Nguyen Duc Quynh, executive assistant manager of the Furama Resort Da Nang, which opened 12 years ago as the beach’s lone five-star resort and is preparing to build 134 adjacent residential villas with private pools.

“Actually we wanted to start at the beginning of the year,” he said. “The real estate market was not there. Now, I think the market’s already back.”

Tourism and investment officials in Da Nang list several other developments under way along the beach, despite a global economic and financial crisis that affected some projects and reduced the number of overseas tourists.

They say a shortage of direct international flights to the area and insufficient promotion of its attractions have also hindered development, but express faith in its longer-term potential.

“Over the next 10 years we’ll fully develop that strip,” said Truong Hao, vice-director of the Da Nang Investment Promotion Center. “We have to go step by step.”

Some developers are not waiting.

Vietnam’s Indochina Land, the real estate arm of financial services firm Indochina Capital, began selling condominiums and villas on April 30 at its Hyatt Regency Da Nang Residences on the beach.

Major construction had not yet begun but by late June more than 60 percent of units were sold, mostly to local investors, said Phan Thi Y Nhi, a sales executive for Savills, the agent.

“All the project will be finished in 2011,” she said at a model condominium unit on the site, where foundation stones were piled on the beach.

A 75-square-meter (807 square feet) apartment was selling for US$180,000, she said, adding that a Hyatt hotel is to be part of the development.

Indochina Land is also developing the Montgomerie Links Vietnam golf course and villas further along the strip toward Hoi An, not far from a similar project by Vietnamese asset management and real estate firm VinaCapital.

VinaCapital’s Greg Norman-designed golf course is taking shape on one side of the road while, on the beach side, a sign promotes The Ocean Villas, starting from $320,000.

Even before the project’s formal launch in August, about 20 villas were reserved by Vietnamese buyers over a three-week period, said Nguyen Ngoc Thuyen, Savills’ project manager.

He foresees Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City residents buying the villas as second homes because “it’s 10 times cheaper than Hanoi… It’s a good investment.”

JW Marriott is to manage a hotel on the site, with construction set to begin next year after bank funding is secured, he added.

The company plans a second hotel and golf course over a 10-year period as the area aims to compete with regional tourist centers like Indonesia’s Bali and Phuket in Thailand, said Thuyen, showing a model of the resort.

“Over 10 years the project is feasible.”

Along with golf, a casino is coming to the beach, another developer said.

A joint venture between US-based Silver Shores and Hoang Dat of Hanoi, is backing the casino-hotel project, said Nguyen Truong Chung, its administration and foreign manager.

The casino operator has not been finalized but Crowne Plaza will manage the hotel, Chung said at the site, where a grand-looking central structure is taking shape.

Chung said his project will open by the end of 2009, and in the next few years “you will see a change along this coast… it will become a new urban area for the city.”

For the moment, much of the beach road south of Da Nang still has the character of a village, with small homes and shops in faded pastel colors, pagodas and a couple of down-market hostels.

In the first half of the year, Da Nang received an estimated 600,000 tourists, said Nguyen Phuc Linh, deputy director of the local Culture, Sports and Tourism Department.

Domestic arrivals were steady compared with the same period last year but foreign visitors, who numbered about 200,000, were down 17 percent during the global financial crisis, he said.

The “still limited” number of tourists is a factor behind the relatively low level of resort development, said Hao, the investment official.

With only two direct international flights, from Bangkok and Singapore, the Da Nang area has also been somewhat isolated, although a charter service from Japan is expected to begin by year-end, Hao said.

He called for more joint tourism promotions with nearby Quang Nam Province – home to UNESCO World Heritage sites in Hoi An and My Son – and neighboring Hue, the former imperial city and another World Heritage destination.

A combined effort can help the area develop “better than Bali,” he said.

(AFP)

Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay has entered the third phase of a campaign voting for the world’s seven new natural wonders, according to the New Open World (NOW) website on July 10.

The bay, which has been twice recognised by the UNESCO for its landscapes and geological values, is in Group G, which includes sea landscapes and beaches.

In the voting launched by NOW at www.New7wonders.com, a total of 260 national and international sites are divided into seven groups from A to G. The voting is divided into three phases.

Twenty-eight finalists will be announced by the organisers on July 21 at the NOW headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. Seven new natural wonders will be announced in 2011. (VOV)

The central province of Binh Dinh entices nature lovers with its diversity of coastline, mountains, rivers, swamps, lakes, islands, fields, countryside villages and traditional festivals. The province is nationally known for producing talented martial artists and as the birthplace of national hero Quang Trung Nguyen Hue.

Thi Nai Lagoon is the largest lagoon in Binh Dinh at more than10 kilometers long and 4 kilometers wide and is a source of delicious seafood. On a small island in the lagoon is a small temple which was built by the villagers to worship the Water God. East of the lagoon, Phuong Mai Peninsula guards Quy Nhon city. North of the peninsula are beautiful beaches reaching to Phu Cat district.

Ham Ho Tourist Area is a 3-kilometer stretch of river that winds through the forest and is especially popular with fish who love to gather here during flood season.

Thanh Mountain stands like a moss covered city wall. Hoi Van Hot Spring in Cat Trinh, Phu Cat district is a traditional healing institute. It is said that water from this source saved the life of a Cham princess, so it is also called Fairy Spring.

One-Mountain Lake in Nhon Tan commune has a surface area of over 1,200 hectares. Around the lake are springs, waterfalls, caves and primary forest and its sheet glass surface begs for skiers. Near the lake, residents of Bana village usually invite tourists to party with them.

The Banh It Tower complex in Tuy Phuoc district’s Phuoc Hiep commune consists of four towers dating back to the 11th century. Each tower has its own specific architecture and on the top of each is a stone statute of the God Shiva.

Duong Long Tower in Tay Son district’s Binh Hoa commune is a group of three Cham Towers that were built at the end of the 12th century, the most prosperous stage of the development of Cham art. The middle tower is 24 meters high and the two towers that flank it are 22 meters high. Sculptures here are glamorous yet delicate and the lively animal motifs are mysterious. Duong Long is considered one of the most beautiful towers in Vietnam.

The Binh Dinh Museum holds public martial arts performances.

Binh Dinh’s four-star Saigon-Quy Nhon hotel is launching a 30% to 50% discount on room rates at VND1.5 million per two nights for two in a Deluxe Sea View room. The offer includes buffet breakfast and airport transfer and is valid until September 30.

By Luc Citrinot, eTN Staff Writer | Jul 09, 2009: As the economic crisis takes its toll on tourism in Indochina, both Cambodia and Vietnam are introducing new measures aimed to boost tourist arrivals. Cambodia currently is seeing a sharp contraction in tourist arrivals to Siem Reap and the famous temples of Angkor Wat.

In 2008, total arrivals to the city declined by 5.5 percent including a 12.2 percent decline in air arrivals. Foreign tourist arrivals to Cambodia dropped again by 3.4 percent in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period of 2008 according to the Ministry of Tourism statistics.

Cambodia is now reacting by introducing more flexibility for visitors to the fabled Angkor Wat temples. Since July 1st, the 3-day entry pass to the Angkor Heritage Area will be valid on any 3 days within a calendar week instead of 3 consecutive days. Even better, the 7-day entry pass has now validity for an entire month instead of the week of issue. The strict rule of using the pass only in consecutive days was a main reason of complaint from both tour operators to the destinations and visitors.

Cambodian authorities are also mulling over the idea of opening some of the temples at night to draw more visitors to the World Heritage site.

In Vietnam, authorities are doing back-pedal. Last January, eTN reported that
Sport and Tourism Deputy Minister Tran Chien Thing did not see the possibility of granting visa on arrivals at international border crossings for travelers, while estimating that it would put the safety and security of the country at stake.

The economic crisis seems to make things now possible. After a decline of 10 percent in international tourist arrivals from August to December 2008, the declining trend is accelerating in 2009. From January to April, total international tourist arrivals reached only 1.297 million, down by 17.8 percent compared to the same period of 2008. According to market research company CB Richard Ellis Vietnam (CBRE), room occupancy at five-star hotels in Ho Chi Minh City in the first quarter plunged 31.5 percent year-on-year while room rates falling about 6.6 percent. Hanoi does slightly better.

The Vietnamese government has then officially announced that Vietnam will “soon” start to provide visa-on-arrivals at international airports and border crossing points for all international travelers. Vu The Binh, head of the travel department of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), officially gave the information to reporters. The implementation will take a few months to give time for the Customs Department to adapt its information technology system to accommodate the new system. VNAT and other concerned departments will then look at the new visa procedures.

In another effort to attract more travelers, Vietnam is also waiving visa fees for tourists buying a package tour under the “Impressive Vietnam” promotional program. Available until September 30, “Impressive Vietnam” package programs are sold by over 90 tour operators, all listed under a special website. If successful, the program could be prolonged until the end of the year. With visa available on arrivals, Vietnam is likely to enter into a new tourism era. At last!

(travelvideo.tv)

 HANOI, July 9 (Xinhua) — China’s Hainan Airlines will soon launch a direct flight between Haikou, capital of China’s southern Hainan province and the Vietnamese capital city of Hanoi, an official of Hainan province said here on Thursday.

    Luo Baoming, governor of China’s Hainan province, said Hainan and Vietnam are strengthening transportation linkage to serve the two-way trade and development.

    The sea routes linking Hainan’s Yangpu port respectively with Vietnamese northern Haiphong city and southern Ho Chi Minh City will be launched in October this year, said Luo at a trade forum held here.

    The forum is attended by over 300 government and business representatives of Hainan and Vietnam.

    Hainan and Vietnam boasted huge cooperation potential in tourism, chemical industry and modern agriculture, said Luo.

    Eight cooperation deals were inked at the forum, covering areas including tourism, agriculture and seafood processing.

Ha Long Bay, one of Vietnam’s two UNESCO natural world heritage sites, is leading the list of 11 candidates of Group G in the second phase of campaign voting for seven new world wonders of nature.

Tourists go on a cruise aroung Ha Long Bay (Photo: Hanoi Tourist)

According to a recent announcement released by the NewOpenWorld, the campaign is now entering the end of the second phase, where 21 sites with the most votes will be selected for the final round.

The organizing committee will announce the list of 21 finalists on July 21. There after, the campaign will continue to vote for New 7 Wonders of Nature, which will be unveiled in 2011.

During the first phase of the campaign, which took place between July 2007 and December 2008, three of Vietnam’s famous tourist attractions were nominated, including Halong Bay, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park – another UNESCO Natural World Heritage, and Mount Fansipan.

The campaign takes place on www.new7wonders.com. 

Ninh Thuan is home to a rich Cham culture and spectacular beaches. As the driest province in the country, the weather is bound to be perfect for sun-lovers.

 The sun and sand of Ninh Thuan Province is only 350 km northeast of HCMC, but it doesn’t get any where near the number of beach-goers that visit Nha Trang (150 km further north) or Phan Thiet (150 km toward south).

It boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam, including the crescent shaped 10-km long Ninh Chu Beach, 80 km from the provincial capital Phan Rang which has two new resorts. With a rainfall of less than 700 mm a year the sun is usually shining.

The Den Gion resort and four star Saigon-Ninh Chu are attracting international tourists from France, the UK and Japan who come to enjoy the sunshine and the ocean.

For more seclusion the province has Ca Na and Binh Tien beaches.

Forty-two kilometers northeast of Phan Rang is Vinh Hy Bay. From the mainland town of Vinh Hy visitors can take a boat trip to the Hon Do coral beach. Hon Do is a gorgeous beach that contains 307 varieties of coral.

Only a few kilometers south of Phan Rang, near the Lu River, the Nam Cuong Sand dunes stand above the shoreline.

At Nam Cuong visitors can watch the colors of the sand changing as the sun sets. The local children often invite foreigners to play games with them.

Ninh Chu is considered one of Vietnam’s nine most beautiful beaches. The Ninh Thuan authorities are hoping that it will become a popular tourist spot.

The white sandy beach backed by clumps of red cactus, rows of poplar trees humming in the wind and Cham women in traditional clothes carrying pots of water on their heads conjure up images of the African desert.

Many tours have a one or two-day stopover in Ninh Thuan to spend a night at the beach and take in the province’s tourist attractions, including the Po Klong Garai Towers, the salt fields in Phuong Cuu and Tri Hai, and the gardens in the villages of Van Hai and Van Son.

Cham Culture

Handy to Phan Thiet, Da Lat or Nha Trang, Ninh Thuan is rich in Cham culture – unforgettable art, music and dancing that originated in India.

The culture of Ninh Thuan is deeply influenced by the 50,000 or so ethnic Cham who are descendants of the erstwhile great kingdom of Champa in the province.

Popular Cham festivals, such as Cham New Year Raja N’gar, or Kate, when the Cham Ahier people commemorate their ancestors and masculine Cham Gods, are provincial public holidays.

Something unique to the Cham is their matriarchal society, in which women inherit all the property.

It is said that Cham women possess mysterious powers and can hex men to marry them and give away their property.

The Cham are also well-known for their traditional handicrafts. In the village of My Nghiep, 12 km southeast of Phan Rang, visitors can see the weaving techniques of the Cham as they make decorative cloth.

For a display of ceramic production, head to the village of Bau Truc about 10 km south from Phan Rang. The composition of the clay from the Quao River is one of the secrets behind the beautiful Bau Truc ceramics.

If you want to try your own hand at it, you can even dig your own clay in Quao River to turn into pots or bowls at one of the ceramics factories.

The history of the Champa Dynasty is brought to life when you visit any of the three-tower sites of Hoa Lai, Po Klong Garai or Porome.

The Hoa Lai Towers, dating back to the ninth century, is 15 km north of Phan Rang on Highway 1A. This three-tower site is the oldest in Vietnam.

Po Klong Garai Tower, 6 km west of Phan Rang, sits atop Trau Hill. Po Klong Garai was built by King Simhavarman III at the end of the 13th century.

The towers were dedicated to King Po Klong Garai, a king legendary for defending the Champa Kingdom. The main tower faces the east and is a good representation of Cham architectural and decorative style.

Porome Tower, about 17 km south of Phan Rang, dates back to the end of the 15th century.

The site includes an 8-meter high main tower dedicated to King Porome, the last king of the Champa Kingdom.