Some 3,000 cruise ship tourists will travel to Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Long Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh to view the natural beauty of Vietnam and join attractive tours during the Christmas season, said Saigontourist.
According to the company, it will welcome 500 tourists and crew members from the Spirit of Adventure of the British Saga Shipping firm, and 1,100 tourists and crew members from the Costa Marina ship docking at Saigon Port on December 24. A day later, the company will receive 1,000 more cruise tourists from the Costa Allegra docking in Ha Long port.
This will be the second time the Spirit of Adventure tours Vietnam, with a trans-national tour from December 24 to 30. The ship is expected to dock in the central cities of Nha Trang and Danang, as well as Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Long.
As planned, tourists from the Spirit of Adventure call at places of interest in Ho Chi Minh City, including the Museum of History, the Reunification Palace, the municipal Post Office, China Town and Thien Hau Pagoda.
They also discover nature and lifestyle in the river area of My Tho, learn about the Cu Chi Tunnel, join southern food and drink programs and a traditional wedding party of Vietnamese couples in Binh Quoi resort.
Having left Saigon Port, the ship will dock at Nha Trang port on December 26 to visit the Oceanography Museum, view the panorama of Nha Trang beach from the Bao Dai Palace, call at Long Son Pagoda and Ponaga tower, and learn about the local boat building craft.
Tours to the fishing village in Vinh Ngoc commune, Dien An district are also organized for the tourists. Diving tours near Hon Mun Island in Nha Trang Bay are expected to impress the tourists.
The tourists will arrive in Danang two days later to tour Quang Trung Square, join a city tour on cyclos, a river tour on the Han River to view the Danang by night and enjoy traditional music, and a tour to conquer the Ngu Hanh Son (Five Mounts).
Tours to the ancient town of Hoi An, the ceramics village of Thanh Ha, and Thu Bon river are included in their stay in Danang city.
Meanwhile, the Spirit of Adventure will arrive in Ha Long on December 29. Tourists visit Ha Long Bay and after that travel to Hanoi by road, visiting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the One-Pillar Pagoda, Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter. The ship is scheduled to leave Cai Lai port in Quang Ninh province on December 30.
The Costa Marina ship will arrive in Vietnam for the first time on December 24 to tour Ho Chi Minh City, My Tho, Cu Chi and Ha Long Bay and leave the country on December 27, and the Costa Allegra will travel to Ha Long Bay on December 25. The ship arrives in Ha Long city every five days under a fixed program.
The number of cruise ships to Vietnam has increased since the end of last year. It is expected that around 10,000 international vacationers will arrive in the country on star cruises this year.
Vietnam Economic Times, Liberated Saigon
Vietnamese
