The project, designed by the Central Branch of the Institute of Building Science and Technology, however, is also required to be submitted to the Government for approval.

Hoi An is a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century.

Over recent years, the town with its buildings and street plan reflecting the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site, has become a very popular tourist destination in Vietnam.

In 1999, it was declared as world cultural heritage site by UNESCO.

The occasion will offer a look into unique Mexican cuisine with the presence of two visiting Mexico’s leading Master Chefs Roberto Treves and Sergio Snyder who will not simply be content with displaying their immense culinary prowess but will also entertain audiences by their wonderful Mexican songs.

The two chefs will showcase a remarkable range of food and refreshments for delightful evenings. Action station will offer popular Mexican finger foods such as: Tacos, Quesadillas, Burritos. Blending and swirling chilli, spices, herbs, roots and even flowers with meats and seafood, the chefs will offer a spread of nearly 30 dishes during this Fiesta which will include soups, salads, mouth-watering main dishes, desserts and drinks options. Audiences will also have a chance to know more about the Mexican art through the exposition of 12 paintings by Mexican artists at El Patio and Cava Lounge.

Mexican cuisine is known for its intense and varied flavours, colourful decoration, and variety of spices. Most of today’s Mexican food is based on ancient traditions, such as the Aztecs and Maya, combined with culinary trends introduced by Spanish colonists. Mexican foods tend to be very colourful because of the rich variety of vegetables (among them are the chilli peppers, green peppers, chillies, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes) and meats in Mexican food. A highlight of Mexican drinks is Tequila, Margarita. Tequila is made from the blue agave (Agave tequilana azul), which is native to Mexico. In Mexico, tequila is drunk straight without salt and lime. The Margarita is one of the most common tequila-based cocktails in the world, made with tequila mixed triple sec (an orange-flavored liqueur) and lime or lemon juice, often served with salt on the glass rim.

The event, is jointly organised by the Meliã Hanoi Hotel and the Embassy of Mexico in Vietnam, aims at presenting the country from both culinary and cultural point of view from Mexico.

06 May 10 (TravMedia.com): Australians are getting behind Tourism Australia’s new global campaign - There’s nothing like Australia – already exceeding the target of more than 15,000 entries in the national promotion to show the world what’s unique and special about our country.

Since 15 April, Australians have been uploading their local holiday photographs and stories to the website www.nothinglikeaustralia.com. With the promotion closing at midnight on 12 May 2010, those Australians yet to share their holiday tips need to act fast if they want to be part of the new campaign to promote Australia to the world.

Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy said Australians had responded enthusiastically to the promotion with images and stories received from around the country.

“Australians have demonstrated how passionate they are about promoting their country to the world by submitting thousands of images and stories of the many experiences travellers can have in Australia,” Mr McEvoy said. “It is terrific to see this level of support from communities across the country.”

“The entries really capture the essence of Australia – both the people and places – and the diversity of the country from the well-known icons and big cities to the hidden gems that only locals know about.

“So far entries for holiday experiences in New South Wales are leading the tally, just slightly ahead of Queensland, Western Australia, Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory, Tasmania, and the ACT.

“With only a week to go I urge all Australians to log on to nothinglikeaustralia.com to upload their own stories and images to show what’s great about where they live or holiday and put their holiday tips on the map,” Mr McEvoy said.

Tourism Australia will use the images and stories entered in the promotion to create a new interactive map of Australia, made up of all the things Australians think are special about their country. It will be searchable by experience type, location, and by 1,000 keywords. That map will be housed on www.australia.com, which attracts more than a million unique visitors each month, and also at www.nothinglikeaustralia.com.

Entrants will also be eligible to win prizes. A winner will be chosen from each state and territory to win an Australian holiday valued at $5,000. An overall winner will then be selected to win the ultimate Australian holiday valued at $25,000.

The second phase of the campaign will be announced 31 May 2010.

(source: Travel Daily Asia)

The trip will last two months under which travellers will drive through Vietnam for 20 days, then travel across Laos, Cambodia and Thailand before ending up in Malaysia.

The tour is offered by the Vinh Tan Tourism and Trade Company (VT Tours), which is also the first travel business in Vietnam and Southeast Asia to arrange trips of this type for tourists going in groups.

VT Tours Director Phan Than said his company came to the idea of this type of tour in the light of its 12-year experience in offering trans-Vietnam motor tours for foreign tourists.

According to Than, such tours are popular among foreign travellers despite higher prices.

Than said he thought Vietnam has a great potential for developing this type of tourism as the country is located on the trans-Asia road and boasts various recognised world natural and cultural heritage sites such as the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, the former imperial capital of Hue, the ancient town of Hoi An and the My Son relics.

However, the number of motor tours remains limited at several trips a year in Vietnam due to complicated procedures in tour approval and granting driving licences for travellers, Than added.