Vietnam Travel Agents Arrange Special Peace And Quiet Tours HANOI - To take advantage of the increased demand for relaxation holidats during the Tet, or Vietnamese New Year holiday period, travel agents and tourist companies in HCM City have launched several tours to popular destinations in the region at affordable prices. According to the Lua Viet Tourist Company official, the company will offer 19 different domestic tours during Tet. She recommends the four-day tour of Da Nang and Ba Na which includes visits to some of the most beautiful spots in the central coastal region including Ngu Hanh Mountain, the traditional fine art handicrafts villages at Non Nuoc and Hoi An Ancient Town. The tour, which costs VND2.35 million per person, also features a cruise on the Thu Bon River. If you are interested in local history then for VND230,000 per person you can join the Ben Cat-Loc An-Ray River programme which visits some former revolutionary bases. Over two days and one night travellers will visit the Hong Phu Tourist Resort and cruise on the peaceful Ray River. Lua Viet also has a six-day overseas tour, HCM City-Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hongkong-Macao, priced at VND9.890million per person, which caters for those people who want to visit their relatives in China. The official said Lua Viet hopes to attract about 4,000 tourists during the holiday period. The company is offering discounts of up to 30 per cent for group bookings. Like Lua Viet, the First District Tourist Company (Fiditourist) is offering six tours during Tet, mainly to the coastal and highland regions of Nha Trang, Buon Ma Thuot and Da Nang. It is also offering a five-day Hanoi-Ha Long-Chua Huong trip. Meanwhile, the Thanh Nien (Youth) Tourist company is focusing on green tours and trips to the remote homes of several ethnic minorities which are timed to coincide with a number of traditional festivals. This tour also features traditional food and folklore. The company has organised 31 different tours, some of which include visits to interesting spots in the north such as the Perfume Pagoda, Quan Su Pagoda, Tran Quoc Pagoda and Thien Phuc Pagoda at VND4.059 million per person with a 10 per cent discount for large groups. Travellers will get a chance to see the Sam Mountains in An Giang's Chau Doc, Phu Dung Pagoda in Kien Giang's Ha Tien, and Mui Ne and Nha Trang on the central coast. For the more adventurous, there are trips to the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum. Saigon Tourist also has some new tours for Tet. These include visits to the My Thuan cable stayed bridge, the floating markets in Phong Dien and Bat Pagoda in Soc Trang. Trips to Con Son Island, Ma Thien Lanh-Ben Dam, Hoa Lan Springs - Monkey Island in Nha Trang, Pongour Fall-Langbian Forest in Da Lat and other eco-tours to the Central Highlands are also available. For those people who would prefer to stay at home with the family during Tet, the city's recreation parks are offering new entertainment centres and games. In addition to live music and comedy shows held every night, the Dam Sen Recreation Park will feature traditional games like dragon dance performances, southern floating markets and roller coasters. The Suoi Tien Tourist Site, Saigon Water Park, Vietnam Water World and Saigon Wonderland will also be open during Tet. Vietnam News Agency - February 3, 2000.