December 08 - January 09
Note from our President
Dear Partners,
2008 looked promising for tourism worldwide and especially for tourism in Vietnam. As the year turn out, optimism too widely shown by some actors of this sector in conjunction with the current international context are progressively leaving place to "era of reason". There is little doubt that the year 2009 will be for all of us a new year of big challenge. At the time of globalization and despite the distance between us, this is hand in hand with all our partners that we intend to take up this new challenge.
Thank you to all of you for your trusting and for your numerous thank you messages in this period of year end.
All the team of Phoenix Voyages sends you its best wishes for the year 2009.
Happy New Year to all the unconditional readers of our Newsletter!
Best regards,
Edouard GEORGE, President
PHOENIX NEWS
BE CAREFUL:
Lunar New Year in Vietnam is approaching, please refer to the section "Important News" for visa request and closing days information.
Welcome to Jean-Yves Blanc our new Director of Sales & Marketing
Mr Jean-Yves Blanc joined Phoenix Voyages group acting as Director of Sales & Marketing based in Ho Chi Minh City Head Office. Jean-Yves spent nearly 13 years in network of travel agencies and took care successively of the functions of Sales Executive Groups/ Incentives, Managing Director of Agency then Area Sales Manager. Those last 5 years, he has been responsible for commercial agreement and sales on the market of Networks, Internet and corporate for Vietnam Airlines, based in Paris.
Passionate by Vietnam and this part of the world, he decided at 41 years old to join the president Edouard and its team and to take up a new challenge within Phoenix Voyages group which is clearly showing today international ambitious.
He is new sales and marketing team is made up of 30 persons servicing hundreds of partners located worldwide.
We wish all the best to Jean-Yves among the group.
ATF 2009 in Hanoi
Edouard George, Jean-Michel Romon, Jean-Yves Blanc and Doan Huy Long will be attending ATF 2009 in Hanoi that will take place from the 9 to the 12th of January 2009. Should you need to meet them, we invite you to pass by our both A179 or to contact us.
ITB 2009
Our team will also attend ITB 2009 in Berlin from the 11th to the 15th of March 2009 at booth 26B/217. To arrange an appointment with our team you are kindly requested to contact us at: info@phoenixvoyages.com.
Vietnam
IMPORTANT NEWS
Closing places for Vietnamese New Year
While everybody is busy preparing the year end celebrations, Vietnam is starting to be into turmoil as lunar New Year celebrations are approaching. The year of the Rat will leave the place to the year of the Buffalo on the 26th of January 2009.
As every year Vietnamese New Year is the occasion for local people to visit and spend some time with family. Please find below the list of places officially closed for the Vietnamese New Year celebrations:
All sightseeing places are normally opened in the North of Vietnam: Pagodas, temples except on the 1st day of the Lunar New Year (26th of January 2009) where sites may not open before 09h00 or 10h00.
The following site will be however closed in Hanoi:
- Temple of Literature will be closed on January 26 in the afternoon only
- Ethnology Museum from January 25 to 28 inclusive- History Museum from January 25 to 26 inclusive
- Army Museum from January 25 to 28 inclusive
- Revolution Museum on January 26
Note that ethnic minorities markets in the area of Sapa are opened even on the 1st day of the Lunar New Year.
SOUTH VIETNAM
Reunification palace in Ho Chi Minh City
This place will be closed on January 25 and 26 inclusive. Big groups of more than 10 persons may be however allowed to visit the reunification palace upon request on the 25.
History Museum in Ho Chi Minh City
This museum will be closed on January 25 in the afternoon only.
Binh Tay market in Ho Chi Minh City
This market will be closed from the 26 to the 29th of January inclusive.
Cao Dai Temples in Tay Ninh, Ben Luc or Cai Be
Those temples will be closed from the 18 to the 25 of January inclusive.
Cai Be
The floating market will be closed from the 25 to the 31st of January inclusive.
Cai Rang & Phong Dien
The floating markets will be closed from the 26 to the 29th of January inclusive.
Please note that this list is not exhaustive. Our Sales team will contact you individually and will do its best to adapt the files concerned.
Immigration office in Vietnam closing days for Lunar New Year 2009
On the occasion of the Lunar New Year holidays, the Vietnamese Immigration Department will be closed from the 24th of January until the 1st of February 2009 inclusive.
You are kindly requested to send your request for visas at the latest on the 20th of January 2009
Phoenix Voyages Offices in Vietnam closing days for lunar New Year
Please note that our offices in Vietnam will be closed during the Lunar New Year holidays from the 24th to the 29th of January inclusive. As usual, we will have some staff on duty in each office to handle emergencies.
HOTEL UPDATES
New Promotions 2009
Sunrise Beach Resort Nha Trang
Valid from the 21st January to the 31st October 2009
Promotion stay 3 nights, pay 2.5
Promotion stay 5 nights, pay 4
Promotion stay 7 nights, pay 6
Promotion stay 10 nights, pay 9 and enjoy one complimentary set dinner.
Promotion applicable only for new FIT bookings and not valid for Tet and public holidays in Vietnam.
Chen La Resort in Phu Quoc
Chen La Resort is a newly opened hotel located in a quiet bay of Phu Quoc Island. The resort features 37 rooms including 12 Beach front villas (78 m2), 12 Sea View villas (86 m2) with outdoor bathroom, 6 Jacuzzi Villas (137 m2) and 7 Sea view pool villas (137 m2) with a private swimming pool. All villas are equipped with international in-room amenities. Other facilities of the resort include one restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine, one bar offering all kind of international cocktails and drinks, a swimming pool, a spa as well as a water sport center where guests can practice kayak, wind surfs or sailing boats.
Star View 3-star hotel in Hanoi
Conveniently located near the heart of the city centre and formerly know as the Sunny hotel, the Star View hotel has been agreeably renovated and can be now another good alternative for 3 star hotel in Hanoi.
Activities at Victoria Can Tho
For those you want to discover the countryside in a different way, please note that new biking tours are available departing from Victoria Can Tho hotel.
3 different itineraries are available :
Can Tho / Long Xuyen with an optional extension to Chau Doc aboard a traditional rice barge.
- Can Tho / Sa Dec / Can Tho.
- Long Xuyen - Chau Doc
Quality mountain bikes are provided as well as supporting vehicle with qualified guide for each trip.
For those who are interested in cooking, Vietnamese cooking class at Victoria Can Tho resort or in exotic locations such as an ancient house or a traditional converted rice barge can be organised from the hotel.
New Junior Suites at Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa
20 rooms of the Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort have been enlarged to become Junior Suites of 53 sqm each featuring a private terrace, new bathroom with Jacuzzis and alfresco shower.
USEFUL THINGS TO KNOW
Airline news
New flights between Hanoi and Can Tho
Effective from January 2009, 11 flights per week will be operated between Hanoi and Can Tho Airport.
Vietnam Airlines will operate one daily flight Hanoi - Can Tho and vice versa as follows:
VN 289 HAN-VCA 14h30-16h40
VN 288 VCA-HAN 17h30-19h40
Dragonair launched a service Hanoi - Hong Kong
Dragonair, a subsidiary of Hong-Kong's largest airline Cathay Pacific, has launched its first flight in Vietnam end October with a daily service between Hong Kong and Hanoi.
Boat news
New two nights cruises on baord the Indochina Pandaw
From July 2009, the Pandaw will operate on the RV Indochina Pandaw a 2 night cruise program twice a week between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh.
The Indochina Pandaw, which is currently under construction, will feature 30 staterooms and is a new boutique version of the existing colonial-style Pandaw boats.
Bassac offers daily departures from Cai Be and Can Tho
Transmekong Company operating the Bassac boats informed us that with Bassac III now in operation, they are able to operate departures from both Cai Be and Can Tho every day. No need to remember on which day the boat departs from where, booking a journey on board one the Bassac boat is now as easy as booking one hotel.
Train news
Tulico Huong Giang Train, a new train linking Hanoi to Danang
Hanoi - Hue - Danang night trains on board the comfortable Tulico Huong Giang are now operated. The company offers in total two air-conditioned wooden carriages featuring 6 cabins of 4 berths per cabin. Deluxe cabins of 2 berths are also available.This new train is another alternative to the standard train currently operated. Both ways are operated by night as per the schedule mentioned below:
- Hanoi - Hue - Danang
19h50 - 10h30 - 14h30
- Danang - Hue - Hanoi
16h25 - 19h30 - 07h10
Myanmar
HOTEL UPDATES
The Mrauk Oo Princess Resort in Mrauk Oo, in the Rakhine State
The owners of Inle Princess Resort have recently opened a new hotel in Mrauk Oo on the northern cost at around 120 km from the Bangladesh border. Mrauk Oo Princess Resort features 21 House style spacious guest rooms nicely furnished with a terrace.
Change of management contract for Popa Resort & Kandawgyi Lodge in Pyin Oo Lwin
Since the 1st of December 2008, Htoo Trading has taken over the management of Popa Resort located near the Mont Popa and the Kandawgyi Lodge located in Pyin Oo Lwin, 3 hours drive from Mandalay town. Please note however that the new management confirmed they will honour all bookings for the year 2009 at the conditions previously agreed.
Laos
HOTEL UPDATES
Villa Maly in Luang Prabang
This Residence of charm is located at walking distance from the heart of Luang Prabang.Villa Maly is a complex of 7 buildings housing 33 rooms including 28 superior rooms and 5 deluxe rooms. All the rooms are nicely furnished mixing the traditional Lao style and the colonial style. Other facilities include one restaurant serving local traditional cuisine, a spa and a nice swimming pool.
Pakbeng Lodge increases its room capacity and open one elephant camp
Pakbeng Lodge in Pakbeng will offer 30 additional rooms at the end of January 2009. The hotel will have different categories of rooms such as superior in the old buildings and deluxe and suites in the new ones.
Pakbeng Lodge has also taken over elephants from Hong Sa Elephant Lodge which has closed its doors and settled an elephant camp right in front of the hotel on the other bank of the River. Day trip including elephant riding or short trekking in hill tribe villages can be now organized from the hotel.
USEFUL THINGS TO KNOW
Boat news
Lunch and dinner cruises in Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang 2 is a boat specially designed for meal cruises. Located in Luang Prabang, the boat will come into operation mid-January 2009.
With a seating capacity of 40 seats, the boat can be used either for one day program including the lunch and visit of Pak Ou caves or for diner cruises downstream the Mekong. Meals on board are offered by the renowned restaurant "Couleur Café";.
Cambodia
HOTEL UPDATES
Boutique hotel The Sothea in Siem Reap
The Sothea hotel is the new all-suite luxury hotel in Siem Reap. The hotel provides 39 impeccably designed suites ranging from 45 to 130 square meters. Located beside the Cambodian Cultural Village only 10 minutes drive from Siem Reap International Airport and 15 minutes from Angkor Temples, The Sothea hotel offers a personalized Butler Service, 24-hour room service, a library of movies, books and music cds, Internet access, a swimming pool and gym facilities as well as Private Yoga sessions.
The hotel which is member of the "Preferred Boutique" will officially open its door on the 14th of February 2009.
