TRAVEL IN BRIEF 4/12

Japanese flower arranger decorates Ha Noi
Flower arrangements by Eikou Sumara, one of Japan’s top artisans, will be on display alongside works of 10 local artists at the second Ikebana Festival that will open at Ha Noi’s Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) tomorrow, December 5.
The ikebana shows will be supplemented with traditional Japanese music. Artists from Japan will also teach visitors how to make simple ikebana.
Vibrant flower collections, traditional Japanese kimonos and traditional Vietnamese ao dai will also be presented as part of the event which is expected to attract more than 3,000 visitors.
Costa Classica brings 2,000 cruise tourists
Saigontourist Travel Service Co has welcomed in HCM City some 2,000 tourists onboard the Costa Classica cruise liner, its third trip to Viet Nam.
The tourists, mainly from the UK, Spain and Germany, made sightseeing tours of HCM City, Cu Chi Tunnels and My Tho City in Tien Giang Province before leaving for the central region, including Da Nang, Hoi An, My Son and Hue.
Saigontourist organised tours in Viet Nam for more than 64,000 cruise tourists in the past 11 months.
Southern provinces put on Cambodian road show
Tourism authorities and companies in southern provinces will organise a road show in Cambodia next week in an aim to develop tourist properties.
The road show, which runs from December 7-9 in Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh, will offer a chance for local investors to have meetings with local officials from Cambodia’s Tourism Ministry and provincial authorities.
HCM City will join forces with other southern localities, including An Giang and Kien Giang provinces, to organise events in the neighbouring country.
Mekong travellers get discounted Thai tours
Saigontourist has launched a promotion campaign for travellers in the Mekong Delta who buy five-day tours to Thailand.
Under the programme, a joint campaign with Vietnam Airlines and Thai partners, travellers will be offered a discounted price of US$279 per person compared to the regular price of $349.
The discounted tour will begin on January 13, 14 and 18 next year.