Vietnam’s classy hotels, excellent service and range of internal flights take the destination’s appeal way beyond its established backpacker market, according to leading Far Eastern operators.
“Vietnam is firmly on the backpacker circuit, but for those who don’t want to strap on a rucksack, the country offers a good choice of upmarket hotels with excellent service and facilities,” said Travel 2 product manager, Far East, Alastair Scott.
In the capital Hanoi, to the north of the country, the operator features the four-star French colonial-style hotel the Sofitel Metropole, where clients can stay in an ultra-modern room in the new Opera wing or a classic turn-of-the-century room built in traditional hardwood.
Bales Worldwide features the five-star Majestic hotel in Ho Chi Minh city, formerly Saigon. “It is in a fantastic location in the centre of town, well-positioned for eating out,” said tailormade executive MarkBennetts.
“There are two things that clients are pleasantly surprised by when they visit Vietnam – the standard of the hotels and the standard of the domestic flights,” he added.
“There has been a huge improvement in the national carrier Vietnam Airlines, which now boasts one of the youngest fleets in the world. There is a high frequency of flights between the two main centres – Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city. Smaller towns on the tourist route such as Da Nang and Hue are also well served. It makes the whole country more accessible.”
Vietnam’s excellent facilities complement its wide range of tourist attractions and compact north-south tourist trail that stretches from Vietnam’s second city Ho Chi Minh city in the south to the picturesque rock formations of Ha Long Bay in the north.
“We get clients who are interested in the history of the war and want to visit the Cu Chi tunnels where the Viet Cong hid underground from the American B52 bombers. Others visit the hill tribes in Sa Pa, in the northwest of the country. It is one of the most genuine places to see indigenous people in Southeast Asia,” said Bennetts.
Vietnam also has great beaches, so clients can relax after a cultural tour. “Vietnam has some of the best unspoilt beaches in Asia with miles of white sand and ubiquitous palm trees,” said Destination Far East sales and marketing director Neil Gregory.
In the operator’s new brochure, due out mid-June, the company is planning a six-day optional Dream Beaches add-on. Five nights in three-and-a-half-star accommodation in Phan Thiet will cost around £289 including transfers to and from Ho Chi Minh city.
Beaches will also feature in Kuoni’s Vietnam programme for 2000, as the company plans to add an optional beach extension to Nha Trang, which is a 50min flight from Ho Chi Minh city.
“Clients will be able to add a few days on the beach to a tour. It will make Vietnam more of a standalone destination,” said product manager Claire Billingham.
For those who want to see the countryside between the big cities, soft-adventure specialist The Imaginative Traveller offers a 15-day Cycle Vietnam tour for £775, with accommodation in guest houses in rural locations, and a 14-day Vietnam Motorbike Adventure for £1,050, based on three-star hotels and guest houses. Prices do not include flights from the UK.