Travel in brief 20/2

HCM City flower street sees more than 1 million visitors
In the week since it was opened, Nguyen Hue Flower Street in downtown HCM City has received more than 1 million visitors. Themed "Dawn of Spring" this year, the flower-bedecked street which opened on February 11, evokes images of the tiger. Saigontourist Holdings Company, the organiser, said the flower street indicates city residents’ faith in the country’s development in the Year of the Tiger.
New tour of northern mountains, Ba Be Lake
HCM City-based travel company The He Tre (Young Generation) has launched a tour linking Dong Van Highlands in Ha Giang Province and Ba Be Lake in Bac Can Province. Tourists will depart HCM City by plane and then travel from Ha Noi to Ha Giang, around 290km away, by car.
They will be taken to Lung Cu Flag Tower, some villages inhabited by Mong and Lo Lo ethnic people, Ma Pi Leng Mountain Pass, and Quan Ba Heaven Gate in Quan Ba District. The trip to Ba Be Lake on the fourth day will mostly involve floating on Nam and Nang rivers.
From Quan Ba, the visitors will travel to Bac Me District by car and across the Nam River to Tuyen Quang Province for sightseeing before cruising along the Nang River to Ba Be Lake. The next two days will be spent exploring Ba Be National Park and some attractions in Ha Noi.
The tour costs VND8.7 million (US$469) to 9.6 million, depending on the type of hotel.
Mui Ne proves itself as a hot Tet holiday destination
More than 7,000 tourists were expected to check into resorts along the Mui Ne coast in Binh Thuan Province between February 12 and 16 according to the province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Deputy chairman of Binh Thuan Tourism Association, Le Ngoc Ha, said many tourists, including from Russia and Germany, travel to Mui Ne to avoid the harsh winter in their home countries and enjoy Viet Nam’s traditional and vibrant Tet holidays.
Macau budget carrier launches Ha Noi flights
Low-cost airline Viva Macau began a thrice-weekly direct service between Macau and Ha Noi on February 13.
A Viva Macau spokesperson said the new route follows the successful operation of the Macau-HCM City service. Initially, the low-cost carrier will operate flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays every week.
Speaking at the inuagural ceremony, Vietnamese consul in Hong Kong and Macau, Pham Cao Phong, said the new service would help promote bilateral trade, investment, and tourism..