TRAVEL IN BRIEF 17/4

      Binh Thuan plans summer attractions for visitors
The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Binh Thuan Province has announced several cultural festivals to attract tourists during summer and winter holidays.
Festivals in summer focus on water sports and competitions, highlighting cultural and artistic programmes including a fish praying festival and Phan Thiet cultural week. Winter events include a kite festival at Poshanu Temple in late December
The department says Phan Thiet is expected to receive about 25,000 visitors on Liberation Day and Labour Day (April 30 and May 1).
Thai caravan travellers visit central provinces
More than 10 cars with steering wheels on the left were part of a caravan tour from Thailand welcomed by Huong Giang Travel Agency in Hue last week.
During the five-day visit to central provinces, the Thai tourists visited Vinh Moc Tunnel in Quang Tri Province, the Phong Nha-Ke Bang world heritage site in Quang Binh, the former imperial city of Hue, Lang Co Beach, the Cham Museum and Non Nuoc stone carving village in Da Nang, and the historic city of Hoi An.
Love market highlight of Sa Pa cultural week
The 2009 Cultural and Tourism Week will start on May 1, featuring various activities, including the love market in Sa Pa town and the cloud festival on Ham Rong Mountain, which spotlights the traditional culture of ethnic minority groups in northern mountainous provinces.
A photography exhibition, The Colour of Sa Pa, will also be on show during the week together with a musical programme and a culinary arts fair. The week will also feature nearly 100 types of orchids which are indigenous to Hoang Lien Son forests and mountain ranges in Sa Pa.
180 horses to contest annual 1,500m Lao Cai race
The annual Bac Ha (Northern) horse race is scheduled to take place in Lao Cai Province on May 30, with 180 horses running.
The jockeys, who must be male aged between 18-40, must show their skills on the 1,500m race course during individual and team events. The winning team takes a VND10 million prize and the winner of the individual event will receive VND5 million.
The horse racing tournament aims to make Lao Cai and other north-western provinces attractive destinations.
Company launches regular bus tours to Laos
Mai Linh Tourism Company on Monday launched two bus tours between the central coastal city of Nha Trang and the southern Lao province of Champassak.
The Vietnamese company uses 16-seat buses for the tours. Both take two days and one night to go through six provinces in Viet Nam’s central region and Central Highlands, as well as the Lao province.
The first tour starts on Mondays and the second starts every Thursday
Each tour costs VND850,000.