Saigon by Vespa Part 1

VietNamNet Bridge – For foreign travelers who want to explore the city, taxis or Xich lo (cyclo) are the most popular means of transportation. However, now there is an additional choice for anyone interested in riding bikes or scooters. In addition to classic bikes, like the Lambretta and Sprint, tourism agencies, in cooperation with Saigon Vespa Club, can now arrange tours on Vespa scooters. The Vespa tours have attracted attention from many Saigonese and foreign tourists on the city streets. Dominic Steven, a tourist, told the Daily last Friday that he found the scooters convenient, faster and less expensive and more exciting for touring the city. The Saigon Vespa Club has about 60 members, ten of them women, offering Vespa tours of the city. Chairman of Saigon Vespa Club Nguyen Anh Tuan told the Daily that traveling on scooters has been an option for years, but has become more popular these days. His club is aiming to offer Trans-Viet tours on those bikes in a near future.Tuan said that his club now has about ten to fifteen tours each month. He added that all profits, less the cost of gasoline that is approximately US$10 per tour, would go into the club's charity fund for supporting disadvantaged children and solitary elderly people in the city. After taking those tours many visitors have been interested in Vespa scooters and wanted to know more about them. After taking a tour last Friday a visitor asked about the model and price of the scooter, and said that he would buy one on his next visit. For more information, contact travel agencies in the city or Saigon Vespa Club at 135 Hai Ba Street, Ward 1, Ben Nghe District, tel: (08) 323 99 88. http://english.vietnamnet.vn/travel/2008/09/805319/