Quang Binh University, Dong Hoi City, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam, 1-3 April 2009

      

Travel and Tourist Information

Visa to Vietnam For entering Vietnam, participants should possess a passport with valid visa which can be obtained at the Vietnamese Embassies or Consulates in the corresponding countries. Visas are exempted for the citizens of the countries, which have signed a bilateral visa exemption agreement with Vietnam, including countries listed in this link: http://www.mofa.gov.vn/en/... Vietnam also made a unilateral decision on visa exemption for the Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish, Japanese and Korean citizens for short visits within 15 days. Invitation Letters The Conference Organizers will be pleased to send an invitation letter to any scientist upon his request. It must be understood that these letters are only intended to help participants to obtain a visa or to raise travel funds and do not commit the Conference Organizers to any financial nor insurance obligations. To obtain the invitation letter the scientist must register to attend the conference and pay the fee. International flights to Ha Noi There are international flights operated by Vietnam Airlines and other airline agencies to Hanoi from many countries such as Australia , China , France , Germany , Great Britain , Japan , Korea , Russia , Taiwan , U.A.E/Emirates, and Southeast Asian countries. To date, Vietnam Airlines is reaching 24 international destinations worldwide with its fleet of 36 modern airplanes. Travel to Dong Hoi city by 3 ways: - Flights from Ha Noi - Train express from Ha Noi - Bus or train express from Hue Travel by flights from Ha Noi to Dong Hoi There are some domestic flights operated by Vietnam Airline from Ha Noi to Dong Hoi. It takes about near 2 hours and costs 94 US$ for round-trip ticket. The schedule of flights may be referred at URL: http://www.vietnamairlines.com.vn/default.aspx?tabid=139 A taxi from Dong Hoi airport to conference venue will charge US$ 5 and 20 minutes. Travel by trains from Ha Noi, Da Nang or Hue to Dong Hoi More information About Dong Hoi Dong Hoi is the capital city of Quang Binh Province, in the north central coast of Vietnam. It is located at around 500 km (310 mi) south of Hanoi capital, and 260 km (160 mi) north of Danang. It is on the National Road 1A, North-South Railway and Ho Chi Minh Highway, it is easily accessed by train and bus form international airport. Nhat Le River is the only river that runs through the city. Tro Lake is the source of fresh water for the city-dwellers. The Nhat Le Beach is endowed with fine and white sand. The Da Nhay and Ly Hoa beaches (60 km north of the city) are popular tourist destinations. The Bang Spa (hot mineral spring) is ideal for those who enjoy spa baths. Specially, the city is situated 50 km south of the World Heritage Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (has evolved since the Palaeozoic, some 400 million years ago and so is the oldest major karst area in Asia) which is ideal for cave and grotto exploration and biological research activities. Dong Hoi is also included in former battlefield tours where travelers can visist several once dangerous fields along Annamite Range and Ho Chi Minh Trail.                             The city provide tourists with over 100 hotels and guest-houses from 1 to 4-star hotels like Cosevco Hotel, Saigon-Quang Binh Hotel and especially the 4-star resort of Sun Spa Resort. The available cuisine includes seafood, the traditional "hot pot", Vietnamese and European-style meals.