Practical

Since 1993 the Rencontres du Vietnam, which is an official partner of UNESCO, has organised international scientific conferences and thematic schools to foster exchanges between Vietnamese or Asia-Pacific scientists and colleagues from other parts of the world.

The International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science Education (ICISE <http://rencontresduvietnam.org/>) in the city of Quy Nhon (Central Vietnam)  has the ambitious objective to focus on developing science and education, helping young Asian students and scientists to meet with the international science community, bringing the ​opportunity to accelerate their knowledge by attending lectures and sharing ideas with overseas high-level counterparts.

ICISE Maps

(Click on the picture to locate ICISE on Google Maps with satellite view,  or click here for standard view.)

Quy Nhon is a coastal town in central Vietnam that can be reached by plane from Hanoi and from Ho Chin Minh City (Saigon). Arriving from abroad, the second alternative is recommended because of the fare and the time duration of the journey (one hour instead of one and half hour). Indeed, from Ho Chi Minh City, there are daily flights at 6:00 and 14:25 (Vietnam Airlines) and at 08:40 (Air Mekong) but it must be checked. From Hanoi there is a single flight at 6:00 (Vietnam Airlines) every days excepted on Wednesday. See also the useful booking sites (Vietnam Airfare, Jetcost). The airport is around 20 km north-west of Quy Nhon.

Alternative solutions are bus and train (useful informations are here). The bus is the cheapest means of transport. Buses are becoming on more international standards. The express buses are faster than local buses, which stop anywhere on request. There are also buses chartered by private companies. The express train connecting Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is named the Reunification Express. There are 3 per day in each direction. Trains that are registered SE are the fastest, while the TN are (much) slower, see Golden Trains (between Saigon & Quy-Nhon).

ICISE03-p-IMG_0835ICISE Quy Nhon Dec 2013 41Nuit magique

Travel

There are two main international airports in Vietnam: Hanoi (Noi Bai airport: HAN) and Ho Chi Minh (Tan Son Nhut airport: SGN).

As there more flights from Ho Chi Minh to Quy Nhon, it is more convenient to fly from foreign countries to Ho Chi Minh than to Hanoi.

In order to welcome you and organize your transfert from Quy Nhon airport to the conference hotel, please inform the conference secretariat of your flight number as well as the date and the arrival time in Quy nhon.

Conference buses will be available at Quy Nhon airport on Sunday July 31st (morning and afternoon flights) and Monday August 1st (morning flights).

Conference hotel address:
Hotel Hai Au : 489 An Duong Vuong Street, Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh province.

As a rough guide to organize your trip, you can have a look to flights schedule hereafter but check a possible updated at corresponding websites.

Sunday July 31st: Ho Chi Minh to Quy Nhon

Ho Chi Minh – SGN
08:30
Quy Nhon – UIH
09:40
Vietnam Airlines
VN 1392
Ho Chi Minh – SGN
10:05
Quy Nhon – UIH
11:15
Jetstar Pacific
BL 252
Ho Chi Minh – SGN
13:45
Quy Nhon – UIH
14:55
Vietnam Airlines
VN 1397
Ho Chi Minh – SGN
14:45
Quy Nhon – UIH
15:55
VietJet Air
VJ 310

Saturday August 06th: Quy Nhon to Ho Chi Minh

Quy Nhon – UIH
10:25
Ho Chi Minh – SGN
11:30
Vietnam Airlines
VN 1393
Quy Nhon – UIH
11:50
Ho Chi Minh – SGN
12:55
Jetstar Pacific
BL 253
Quy Nhon – UIH
15:40
Ho Chi Minh – SGN
16:45
Vietnam Airlines
VN 1397
Quy Nhon – UIH
16:30
Ho Chi Minh – SGN
17:40
VietJet Air
VJ 311

Sunday July 31st or Monday August 01st: Hanoi to Quy Nhon

Hanoi – HAN
07:00
Quy Nhon – UIH
08:35
Vietnam Airlines
VN 1621
Hanoi – HAN
11:55
Quy Nhon – UIH
13:35
Vietnam VietJet Air
VJ 431

For those arriving via Hanoi, you can also take a flight to Ho Chi Minh City for catching up the afternoon flight to Quy Nhon.

Saturday August 06th: Quy Nhon to Hanoi

Quy Nhon – UIH
09:20
Hanoi – HAN
10:50
Vietnam Airlines
VN 1620
Quy Nhon – UIH
14:10
Hanoi – HAN
15:50
Vietnam VietJet Air
VJ 432

Websites of above airlines

Immigration / Visa

All participants do require a visa to visit Vietnam, except for few exemptions listed below.

Vietnam Visa exemption is granted to citizens of:

  • Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos for visits of 30 days at the maximum.
  • Philippines for visits of 21 days at the maximum.
  • France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia and Finland for visits of 15 days at the maximum.

Apply for a TOURIST VISA either at your nearest vietnamese consulate or through the Internet (you will have to retrieve it on your arrival) at websites:

This internet visa procedure is the simplest and the cheapest, but it will take you some time on arrival in Vietnam at the airport immigration office (up to ~ 60 min waiting, depending on your position in the queue). Do not forget to bring with you 2 passport photos and the required amount of USD currencies (exclusively) in cash.

Please inform the conference secretariat (rencontres.vietnam[at]gmail.com) of your arrival date and time at the Quy Nhon airport.