Asean Travel And Tours

Discover Ho Chi Minh City, where landmarks, markets, architecture, and modern marvels coexist to offer a vibrant and unforgettable travel experience 1. War Remnants Museum The War Remnants Museum offers a moving insight into Vietnam’s turbulent history during the Vietnam War. It has photographs, artifacts, and military equipment that tell the stories of the war’s impact on Vietnam and its people. The 20,000 artifacts include weapons, personal belongings of soldiers, propaganda posters, and letters from soldiers to their families during the war. There are photographs and documentaries that vividly depict the atrocities committed by the Americans, including massacres, the use of chemical agents like Agent Orange, and the devastating toll on civilians. Millions of Vietnamese continue to endure the lasting impacts of these events, including physical health issues, genetic disorders, psychological trauma, and the socio-economic challenges of rebuilding after the war. In 2022 the Canadian to...

A Vietnamese tourist has filed a police report saying she lost over VND1 billion ($39,600) after trying to book rooms at a resort in northern Vietnam through a Facebook fanpage displaying a verified badge. Hai Phong police on Thursday said the victim had intended to reserve two rooms at the Minawa Kenh Ga Resort & Spa Ninh Binh, and contacted a Facebook page bearing the resort's name. The person operating the supposed "verified" page repeatedly urged quick payments, citing high demand, the woman said in her report. She initially agreed to pay a VND6.5 million down payment. However, she was then told the money had been transferred improperly and that the reservation could not be completed. The other party instructed her to include specific numerical codes in subsequent transactions to "verify" the payment and reclaim her initial transfer. Following these instructions, Tan entered several codes: 9.5 million, 125.6 million, 379.6 million, and 485.6 million, whi...

  Tourists on the Chao Praya River in Bangkok on Dec. 9, 2022. Photo by AFP Thailand's Cabinet recently introduced updates to the qualifications, criteria, and conditions of the Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa program, aiming to attract a broader range of experts, investors, and executives to strengthen the country's foreign talent pool. In a statement on Jan. 15, the Board of Investment (BOI) said the minimum annual income requirement for Wealthy Global Citizens category applicants has been removed to prioritize the cumulative wealth and investments in Thailand, which are the core requirements for this category, aligning with the goal of encouraging greater foreign investment activity in the country. Meanwhile, the corporate revenue requirement for overseas-based employers sponsoring an applicant has been lowered. The rights for dependents of the principal applicant, to any of the four LTR categories have been expanded without a limitation on the number of dependents. The rights...

A Vietnam Airlines aircraft lands at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, June 15, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran Vietnam Airlines has been named one of the 25 safest airlines globally in 2025, according to AirlineRatings, a renowned website for airline safety and product ratings. The national flag carrier ranked 22nd on the list, which was led by Air New Zealand and Qantas. AirlineRatings evaluated 385 global airlines for its annual ranking, assessing factors such as recent incident records, fleet age, and results from audits by aviation authorities, including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Vietnam Airlines continues to focus on flexible capacity management, cost optimization, and strategic discount negotiations while capitalizing on the growth of international travel, according to a company press release. Other carriers included in the list were Taiwan's Eva Air, Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific and South Korea's Korean Air.

Malaysian passports. Photo courtesy of the official portal of the Sarawak government Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei hold the most powerful passports in Southeast Asia in the latest ranking released by British global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners. With visa-free access to 195 countries and territories, Singapore holds its title of having the most powerful passport in the world and Southeast Asia, according to the Henley Global Mobility Report. Malaysia ranked second in the region with visa-free entry to 183 destinations, followed by Brunei with 166 destinations. Timor-Leste ranked fourth with visa-free access to 97 destinations. Thailand, whose economy heavily depends on tourism, came in fifth in the region with its passport holders having access to 82 destinations without a visa. Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, ranked sixth with access to 76 destinations without a visa. Filipino passport holders can access 67 countries globally without a vis...

 The US magazine Traveler + Leisure has recently voted Ninh Binh Province as one of the 12 "coolest filming locations" in Asia.  Ninh Binh Province is only around 2 hours driving from Hanoi. This is home to Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam under the reign of the Dinh Dynasty (968-980). Ninh Binh Province with Trang An Complex became famous worldwide since being the filming place of the blockbuster movie: "Kong: Skull Island" in 2016. Travel+Leisure said: "The Ninh Binh area is known as the inland cousin of Ha Long Bay. Scenically similar, though significantly smaller, it has far fewer visitors." Other filming locations included in the list are Siem Reap in Cambodia, Busan in South Korea, Khempur in Asia, Krabi in Thailand, Singapore, Bali in Indonesia, the Maldives, and Tokyo in Japan.

The trip is on 26 March 2024, and bookings open on 25 February 2024 via D-Ticket mobile application or at SRT stations across Thailand. Bangkok, 24 February 2024 – The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is organising a special excursion train from Bangkok to Ayutthaya with steam locomotive to celebrate its 127th anniversary on 26 March 2024. Travellers will get a chance to ride on a Pacific steam locomotive, numbers 824 and 850, from the World War II era. The special steam train ride will leave from Hua Lamphong. Train No. 901/902 will depart the station at 08.10 Hrs. and will arrive in Ayutthaya at 10.20 Hrs. Passengers will have six hours to tour the ancient capital, before the train leaves for Bangkok at 16.40 Hrs. and arrive in Bangkok at 18.50 Hrs. The train will stop at Sam Sen, Bang Sue, Don Mueang, and Rangsit stations, so passengers can board or disembark at any of these stations. Bookings open on 25 February 2024, from 08.30 Hrs. onwards via D-Ticket mobile application and websi...

From mid-May, the terraced fields in Bát Xát are flooded ready for the harvest and as people in the northern highlands only cultivate one rice crop a year the rainy season is a totally unique and only fleeting experience, not to be missed Bát Xát District’s terraced rice fields seen in the rainy season. - Photo toquoc.vn Lâm Giang If tourists are looking for a tourist destination that is both majestic, with mountains and hills, while still romantic, with trees and flowers, Bát Xát District is a place worth visiting. Not flowing along straight lines like the rice fields in the delta, the terraced fields in Bát Xát District, Lào Cai Province are like rounded stairs leading up to the sky, creating a truly beautiful landscape. From mid-May the terraced fields in Bát Xát are brought alive in the rainy season. People in the northern highlands only cultivate one rice crop a year, so this is a unique time, colourful and beautiful. The surface of the field is flooded layer by layer, reflecting ...

High-rise buildings along the coast of Da Nang City in central Vietnam. Photo by Kim LienDa Nang ranked second in a list of Asia's five cheapest destinations to retire for foreigners with a monthly average cost of living for expats of US$867, according to a recent report. Thailand's Chiang Mai topped the list with the average cost of living at $667 a month, according to GOBankingRates, a personal finance publication run by Nasdaq. The Philippines' Cebu ranked third where the monthly average living costs stood at $840, followed by Taiwan's Taipei at $1,268, and Japan'’s Kyoto at $1,565. "Da Nang offers pristine beaches, scenic mountains, a warm climate and modern amenities. With its affordable housing options, excellent healthcare facilities and growing expat community, Da Nang is a no-brainer," the U.S. publication said. Da Nang, home to 1.2 million people, is considered Vietnam's third most important city after Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. In 2018, Pan...

  Street food vendors are seen in the Laos capital of Vientiane. Photo by AFP Nearly 399,000 Vietnamese tourists came to Laos in the first half of this year, the second biggest number of foreign visitors to Laos during the period, according to the Lao Tourism Development Department. A recent report by the department shows that Laos welcomed over 1.67 million international arrivals in the first six months of this year. Topping the contingent is Thailand (over 668,000), followed by Vietnam, China (over 317,000), South Korea (nearly 73,000), and the U.S. (30,455). Tourists from ASEAN countries accounted for the largest number of the visitors to Laos, with nearly 1.1 million, followed by the over 427,000 visitors from other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. In the first half of this year, Laos attracted only over 100,000 visitors from Europe, and over 41,000 visitors from the Americas. According to the Lao media, the higher number of foreign visitors can be attributed, in part, to ...

Foreign tourists take a group photo at Southeast Asia's deepest canyon Tu San in Ha Giang Province in northern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Ha Giang Department of TourismThe exemption of tourist visas for citizens of all 27 EU member countries would help Vietnamese tourism compete with neighbors like Thailand and Singapore, experts say. "Vietnam should consider waiving visas for all EU citizens to boost its tourism industry and strengthen its ties with the European Union," Martin Koerner, head of tourism working group at Vietnam Business Forum, told VnExpress International. "It will attract more visitors from the EU market, which has a population of over 500 million and a high demand for travel as well as high budget." The European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam last week called on Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to waive visas for the remaining 20 countries in the 27-member EU. Now only nationals of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland can e...

A group of foreign tourists at Phu Bai International Airport in the central Thua Thien-Hue Province, April, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Vo Thanh A common point among some of the popular tourism destinations I have been to is that the people there are friendly and enthusiastic and offer proper services. Earlier this year I went on my first trip to France. It was late at night when the plane landed in the capital. The first thing I saw was a huge sign saying, "Paris vous aime" (Paris loves you). Throughout the Charles de Gaulle airport were countless such welcoming signs. I traveled with my daughter and we were the only Vietnamese on that flight. When it was our turn to go through immigration, the French customs officer, a young man, smiled, glanced at my passport and said "Xin chao, ban co khoe khong?" meaning "Hello, how are you?" in Vietnamese. We were surprised and uncertain for a moment if the French officer had just greeted us in Vietnamese. He didn't...

The Ministry of Transport on Tuesday agreed to increase daily flights between Hanoi, HCMC and Da Nang from the current six to 16 from December 1-14. In the remaining half of next month, the number of daily flights on each of the Hanoi-HCMC, Hanoi-Da Nang and Da Nang-HCMC routes will increase further to 20. The ministry also agreed to increase flight frequency on other domestic routes to nine a day from the current four. The government allowed airlines to resume all domestic routes on Oct. 21, but with reduced frequency. Between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, they currently operate a maximum of six flights a day either way. Last week, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam sought approval from the ministry to increase flight frequency among major cities to cater to higher travel demand during the year-end peak season. Currently, passengers need to satisfy one of three conditions: a negative test within 72 hours prior, a certificate showing they are fully vaccinated with the secon...

Experts are suggesting that the government follows countries in the region and lift mandatory quarantine rule for international passengers as the country prepares to reopen regular flights from next month. On Thursday, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had informed Japanese business leaders that Vietnam plans to reopen international flights early December, including routes to and from Japan, one of Vietnam's biggest feeder tourism markets. If the plan is implemented, the resumption of regular international flights will take place one month earlier than a proposal by the Ministry of Transport. The ministry had proposed that international commercial flight are resumed from January to 15 countries and territories with high Covid-19 vaccination rates, including Asian economies like Japan, South Korea, mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore. Under its plan, fully vaccinated passengers would have to undergo a seven-day quarantine at paid facilities upon arrival. Bui Doan ...

Russian tourists in Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa Province, February 2020 Khanh Hoa's vice chairman proposed the government allow visa exemption for foreigners visiting Vietnam during the vaccine passport trial to stimulate international tourism. The central province, home to popular beach towns Nha Trang and Cam Ranh, is one of five localities allowed to welcome back foreign tourists from this month, along with Da Nang, Kien Giang, Quang Nam and Quang Ninh. Its vice chairman Le Huu Hoang said European and Russian tourists often want to travel longer and could stay in Vietnam for up to 20 days. After completing their seven-day tour package in Khanh Hoa, they would want to visit other destinations allowed to receive foreign tourists, he told a meeting with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports on Monday, as cited by Voice of Vietnam. He said it is necessary to offer relaxed visa procedures to create the most favorable conditions for foreign tourists to Vietnam. Over 9,000 foreign touri...

 Four Vietnamese representatives are among 21 finalists shortlisted for the People's Choice category in the Environmental Photographer of the Year Awards 2021 contest. Tran Tuan Viet is in contention with a 2018 shot capturing people struggling in a flooded street in Hanoi’s Quoc Oai District. Photo taken by Tran Tuan Viet The 2019 capture of a young Jrai boy hiding from the sun in a pile of old nets in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai has earned Nguyen Linh Vinh Quoc the possibility of winning the award. Photo taken by Nguyen Linh Vinh Quoc Nguyen Duy Sinh is shortlisted thanks to a 2021 photograph of the small home of an elderly Vietnamese couple living in the middle of a heart-shaped swamp in the central province of Quang Ngai. Photo taken by Nguyen Duy Sinh The other Vietnamese photographer in the fray is Pham Duc Huy with his 2019 shot of a fisherman rowing his boat on Tuyen Lam Lake near Da Lat on a foggy morning. Photo taken by Pham Duc Huy The voting is open on the...

Effective from 1 November 2021, Thailand is ready to reopen for fully vaccinated travellers from the 46 initially approved countries, including Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. Key Points of TEST & GO Travelling - Fully vaccinated travellers who completed the COVID-19 vaccines approved by WHO or the Thai Ministry of Public Health at least 14 days before their travel date. Those who had positive of COVID-19 must present a medical certificate of recovery with 1 dose of vaccine no later than 3 months. - Travel by air from the 46 approved countries. Currently, Thailand has approved quarantine-free entry for arrivals from Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slov...

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) would like to provide an update that the quarantine time for fully vaccinated international travellers arriving in Thailand, including pilot reopening destinations through the Alternative Quarantine (AQ) system, will be reduced from 14 to 7 days, starting from tomorrow (1 October, 2021). 7-day Quarantine For travellers who have been fully vaccinated with a vaccine approved by Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) or the World Health Organisation (WHO) no less than 14 days before their travel date, they are required to present the vaccine certificate (either the original or a printed copy) at the point of entry into Thailand. During the quarantine, they are required to undergo two RT-PCR tests – first upon arrival on Day 0-1, and the second before finishing the quarantine period on Day 6-7. 10-day Quarantine Travellers who have not been vaccinated, without a vaccine certificate, or partially vaccinated, and who arrive in Thailand by air will...

The Vietnamese Embassy in Turkey has introduced the country’s traditional products at the 27th Annual Charity Bazaar held by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spouses’ Solidarity Association (DMEDD) in Ankara. This year’s November 25 event featured more than 100 stalls of over 40 representative agencies from foreign countries.  Vietnam’s two stalls displaying traditional handicrafts and dishes drew the great attention of visitors. Typical products were lacquer and Dong Ho paintings, ao dai (long dress), palm-leaf conical hats, Pho (noodles served with beef or chicken), and coffee. In addition, the Vietnamese Embassy coordinated with the Ha Noi Trade Corporation (Hapro), the Trung Nguyen Legend Group and the Dakmark Food Joint Stock Company to display Viet Nam’s agricultural products such as bean and instant coffee, tea, rice, pepper and cashew nuts. The bazaar is an annual activity hosted by the DMEDD for foreign diplomatic corps, organisations and busine...

If were on the streets of any city, town or even village in Việt Nam in the weeks or even months before Tết, you would know something was in the air. If you knew Việt Nam well, you would also know it is the most important festival of the year for all Vietnamese people, whichever part of the world they live in. And you would know that it was a time that everyone looks forward to with great expectations of having a great time with family and friends, renewing relationships, not to mention all the special food and drinks. However, something that goes unsaid almost all the time is that when there are great expectations, there’s great pressure, too. And this pressure can take some gloss off the most important time of the year. So, with 37 days to go for the latest Tết (Lunar New Year) Festival, preparations are underway all around the country, and children are typically the most excited, though adults don’t lag far behind. Almost. An essay written by a prim...