Practical Information for Participants

The Meeting

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Ministry of Information and Communications of Vietnam (MIC) are jointly organizing the International Satellite Symposium 2015: Satellite Regulation, Market & Technology Trends, and Industry Opportunities, on 30 September – 1 October 2015. More detail about the Symposium, please visit: http://satellitesymposium2015.org/

The Symposium will be preceded by the ITU Workshop on the Efficient Use of the Orbit/Spectrum Resource on 29 September 2015. More detail about the ITU Workshop, please visit: http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/space/workshops/danang-2015/Pages/default.aspx

Venue

The International Satellite Symposium 2015 and the ITU Workshop on the Efficient Use of the Orbit/Spectrum Resource will be held at,

Vinpearl Premium Da Nang
Hoa Hai Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District, Da Nang City, Viet Nam
http://vinpearlluxury-danang.com
Tel: + 84 511 396 8888 Fax: + 84 511 393 8188  

Transportation and Access

The Da Nang International Airport is 2.5 km south-west of the city center. It is the third international airport in the country, besides Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi) and Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh city). It is an important gateway to access central Viet Nam.

There are domestic flights to some cities. There are direct flights from Seoul, Tokyo, Siem Riep, and Singapore to Da Nang city by Viet Nam Airlines, PB Air, Siem Riep Air way, Far Transportation, China Airlines and Silk Airways.

Detailed information about Da Nang International Airport can be found at : http://www.danangairportonline.com/

Airport taxis are available from Da Nang International Airport to the Vinpearl Premium Da Nang Hotel and the other hotels. The fare is around VND 235,000 (about US$11). Delegates need to arrange their own transportation from airport to their respective hotels.

Getting around Da Nang is relatively easy thanks to a well-integrated and inexpensive transport system of public buses, taxis, limousines, and motorcycle taxis. 

 Taxis: Mai Linh and Vinasun are the most trustworthy taxi company and you should be able to find one easily in any of the tourist areas. Always go for the meter over negotiating a price. Fares begin at 12,000 VND and then it is about 15,000 VND per kilometer. 
 Motorcycle Taxi: It is locally called ‘Xe Om’. Price depends on the distance, the quality of road, or even the weather. Price of VND10,000 – 15,000 per kilometer is reasonable.  

Hotel Accommodations

The following hotel has been designated as an official hotel for the events. 

​Official Hotel ​	Start Rating/ Distance​ ​	Room Rate / Room Type​ ​		​Facilities (complimentary) ​
		​Single	​Double/ Twin
​Vinpearl Premium Da Nang Hoa Hai Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District, Da Nang City, Viet Nam	​5-star Meeting Venue Hotel 15 min drive from Airport	​VND 3,550,000 [~US$ 163.5] (Deluxe) Inclusive of all taxes	​VND 3,650,000 [~US$ 168.2] (Deluxe) Inclusive of all taxes	​• Daily buffet breakfast • Wireless Internet in room • Internet TV • Daily seasonal fruit plate • 2 bottles of water daily

Alternative hotels for stay are, 

Alternative Hotels ​	Start Rating/ Distance​ ​	Room Rate / Room Type​ ​		​Facilities (complimentary) ​
		​Single	​Double/ Twin
Sandy Beach Resort Da Nang 21 Truong Sa Road, Hoa Hi Ward, Da Nang Vietnam Tel: +84 511 396 1777; Tel: +84 511 396 1777	​4-star 3-minute drive from the official hotel 20-minute drive from Airport	VND 2,090,000 [~US$ 96.3] (Premium Deluxe Garden/ Premium Deluxe Ocean) Inclusive of all taxes	VND 2,190,000 [~US$ 101] (Premium Deluxe Garden/ Premium Deluxe Ocean) Inclusive of all taxes	​• Daily buffet breakfast • Wireless Internet in room • Internet TV • Daily seasonal fruit plate • 2 bottles of water daily
​Bac Cuong Hotel 30-32 Nguyen Van Thoai Street, My Khe beach, Da Nang City, Vietnam	​3-star 20-minute drive from the official hotel 15-minute drive from airport	​VND 800,000 [~US$ 37] (Deluxe) Inclusive of all taxes	​VND 800,000 [~US$ 37] (Deluxe) Inclusive of all taxes	​​• Daily buffet breakfast • Wireless Internet in room • Internet TV • Daily seasonal fruit plate • 2 bottles of water daily

Reservation of the accommodation can only be done by completing the Hotel Reservation Form and sending to the Meeting Secretariat (see contact information below).

Due to the peak season of Da Nang during the meeting period, participants are kindly requested to send their Hotel Reservation Form to the contact persons indicated below by 1 September 2015 at the latest.

Rooms and prices will not be guaranteed if the reservation form is submitted after the due date. Hotel booking confirmations will be sent to participants after successful reservations.

Hotel Reservation Cancellation policy:
• No charge for Cancellation/Amendment made before 1 September 2015
• Cancellation/Amendment made during the period from 1 September 2015 until 20 September 2015 will be charged at one night’s room and Tax
• Cancellation/Amendment made after 20 September 2015 will be charged at all reserved nights and Tax.

Visa and Immigration Requirements

Visas are exempted for the citizens of the countries which have signed a bilateral visa exemption agreement with Viet Nam. For information on entry visas to Viet Nam, participants are kindly requested to check the web page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

Tourist visas may be valid for 15 to 30 days. Tourist visa can only be obtained in Vietnamese Embassies and Consulates abroad.

A business visa will usually require a Visa Approval Letter (Visa Reference Number) which will be sent directly from Vietnamese Immigration Department to the relevant Vietnamese consulate or embassy. It takes at least 3 weeks to process the internal Visa Approval Letter (Visa Reference Number).

Foreign Currency Declaration

The local currency of Viet Nam is Dong (VND). One United States Dollar (USD) is approximately equal to VND 21,700.

For money changing, banks and money changers are conveniently located over the city and at the airport, as well as at the hotels. Major banks are open from 08.00 a.m. to 04.00 p.m., Monday to Friday. All main credit cards such as VISA, MASTER, AMEX, etc. are welcome.

Under Vietnam law, any person who brings or takes an aggregate amount of foreign currency exceeding VND 15,000,000 or USD 5,000 or its equivalent into or out of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam shall declare the amount of foreign currency to a Customs Officer. Amounts under USD 5,000 or its equivalent to be deposited in credit institutions and branches of foreign banks must also be declared on arrival. Failure to make such a declaration or making any false declaration to a Customs Officer is a criminal offence.  

Travel Insurance

Participants are reminded that it is advisable to obtain travel insurance. Such insurance should cover payment for your medical care in the case of hospitalization as well as the cost of repatriation to your home country if that should become necessary. The organizers do not take responsibility for any individual, medical, travel or personal insurance. Participants are advised to secure their own insurance policies as necessary. 

Climate and Food

The average temperature in Da Nang city during September varies from 200C to 280C degrees . For more information, please refer to: http://www.danang.gov.vn

A wide range of choices in the food/diet from Asian style to Western style is available in hotel restaurant and food-courts nearby the meeting venue. The local cuisine is excellent for different tastes.  

Communications

The Country Code for Vietnam is +84
The City Code for Da Nang is +84(0)51 or +84(0)511

Area Codes in Vietnam are referred to as STD codes. STD codes for some cities are:
Danang: (0)51 or (0)511
Ho Chi Minh City: (0)8
Ha Noi: (0)4

Dialing Vietnam: Landline International access code (00 or +) followed by 84, then STD CODE followed by Landline no. e.g. +84 51 XXXXXXXX Dialing Vietnam: Mobile International access code (00 or +) followed by 84 and the 9-digit Mobile no. eg. +84 XXXXXXXXX.  

Language

English is spoken in most hotels, shops and restaurants as well as in major tourist destinations. 

Time

The time in Da Nang is 7 hours ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +7). 

Electricity and Power Plugs

The mains voltage in Viet Nam is 220 Volts, 50 Hz AC throughout the country. The power plugs used are of the 2-pin flat or circular.