2nd Symposium of the “Flore du Cambodge, du Laos et du Viêtnam”

2nd Symposium of the “Flore du Cambodge, du Laos et du Viêtnam”

6th – 8th December 2010
M.O.D. (Ministry of Defence) Palace Hotel, 33A Pham Ngu Lao Street,
Hanoi, Vietnam
Third Circular

Programme:

Detailed programme will be printed in the symposium booklet that each registered participant will receive during pre-registration on 4-5 December and main registration on 6 December.

Saturday 4th December

Pre-registration at lobby of Hong Ha Hotel, 204 Tran Quang Khai Street, Hanoi from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.

Sunday 5th December:

Pre-symposium tours: Buses will leave from the front of  the Hong Ha Hotel, 204 Tran Quang Khai Street, Hanoi at 7:00 a.m. to Tam Dao National Park and at 8:00 a.m. for Hanoi City Tour; payment will be collected before boarding bus; exact payment will be appreciated: $35 for Hanoi City Tour and $41 for Tam Dao; wear modest clothes (shirts with sleeves and long trousers) to be able to enter Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum during Hanoi City tour; bring light jacket or sweater and binoculars (optional) to Tam Dao; tour to Ba Vi National Park has been cancelled.

Pre-registration at lobby of Hong Ha Hotel, 204 Tran Quang Khai Street, Hanoi from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.

Monday 6th December:

08:00      Reception and registration (at entrance of Conference Hall 2, MOD Palace Hotel), including payment of fees, lunches, closing dinner and post-symposium excursions.
               Setting up of posters (Conference Hall 3)
10:00      Opening ceremony (Conference Hall 2)
12:30 – 13:45  Lunch (Conference Hall 5)
13:45 – 15:45 Biodiversity Conservation (4*) – Conference Hall 2
              Taxonomy (4) – Conference Hall 4
              Ethnobotany (4) – VIP Room
15:45 – 16:15 Break for tea or coffee
16:15 – 17:45 Biodiversity Conservation (3) – Conference Hall 2
             Taxonomy (3) – Conference Hall 4
             Ethnobotany (3) – VIP Room

Tuesday 7th December:

08:30 – 10:00 Biodiversity Conservation (3) – Conference Hall 2
             Taxonomy (3) – Conference Hall 4
             Ethnobotany (3) – VIP Room
10:00 – 10:30 Break for tea or coffee
10:30 – 12:30  Biodiversity Conservation (4) – Conference Hall 2
             Taxonomy (4) – Conference Hall 4
             Ethnobotany (1), Flora (2) and Editorial Board Meeting – VIP Room
12:30 – 13:45 Lunch (Conference Hall 5)
13:45 – 15:45 Biodiversity Conservation (4) – Conference Hall 2
             Taxonomy (4) – Conference Hall 4
             Flora (4) – VIP Room
15:45 – 16:15 Break for tea or coffee
16:15 – 17:45 Flora (3) – Conference Hall 2
             Taxonomy (3) – Conference Hall 4
             Ecology (3) – VIP Room

Wednesday 8th December:

08:30 – 10:00 Flora (3) – Conference Hall 2
             Taxonomy (3) – Conference Hall 4
             Informatics (3) – VIP Room
10:00 – 10:30 Break for tea or coffee
10:30 – 12:30  Taxonomy (4) – Conference Hall 2
             Taxonomy (4) – Conference Hall 4
             Phytochemistry and Molecular Biology (4) – VIP Room
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 15:30 Posters – Conference Hall 3
15:30 – 16:00 Break for tea or coffee
16:00 – 16:30 Posters– Conference Hall 3
16:30 – 17:15 Closing Ceremony
19:00  Farewell Dinner

Thursday 9th December:

Group 1. Travel to Suoi Goi Resort on Cat Ba Island: Buses will leave at 8:00 a.m. from the front of the Hong Ha Hotel, 204 Tran Quang Khai Street, Hanoi. Bring light jacket or sweater and binoculars (optional).
Lunch on boat, arrival at Suoi Goi Resort around 14:30. Barbecue dinner and overnight at the resort.

Group 2. Travel to Cuc Phuong National Park and Van Long Nature Reserve: Bus will leave at 8:00 a.m. from MOD Palace Hotel, 33A Pham Ngu Lao Street. Bring light jacket or sweater, insect spray, and binoculars (optional).  Arrive Cuc Phuong at noon; lunch at the Park. Spend the afternoon hiking the trails and exploring Cuc Phuong fauna and flora with park guides. Dinner and overnight in Park guest houses.

Friday 10th December:

Group 1. Cruise Ha Long Bay: departure after breakfast, visit cave, lunch on boat, arrive at Ha Long Pier, return to Hanoi between 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Group 2. Visit Van Long Nature Reserve: departure after breakfast, observe Delacour’s langurs in the wild. Return to Hanoi between 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Notes:

* The numbers in parentheses indicate the number of presentations in each session.

Registration Fees: $30 (or equivalent in VND), accompanying person: $15 (or equivalent in VND).
The registration fee includes symposium materials and coffee/tea breaks. Lunches and dinner at the closing ceremony will be served to those who purchased meal tickets during registration periods (4-6 December 2010).

Meals during the scientific sessions will cost:
             Lunch (6-8 December): US$ 15.00 × 3 days = US$45
             Farewell Dinner (8 December): US$ 25

Lodging: Confirmation of hotel room reservations will be sent later.

A workshop on scientific drawing (botanical illustration) will be organized by Agathe Haevermans of the Muséum national d’histoire naturelle.

Contacts:

Sovanmoly HUL, MNHN (hul@mnhn.fr) ; Tran Huy Thai, IEBR (thaiiebr@yahoo.com.vn)

Practical Travel Information:

Visas:

Most visitors will need an entry visa to Vietnam, with the exception of citizens of ASEAN member countries, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. Check with the Vietnamese embassy or consulate in your country if you need a visa. It is possible to get Tourist visa upon arrival at Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport, but you must be in possession of a visa approval document.

Airport Taxis

Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport is 30 km from city centre. A taxi from the airport to Hanoi costs $15-$18 and can be paid either in dollars or Vietnam dong. The price is per car, not per person, and includes toll fees. You can save money if you share ride with one or two symposium participants. Tipping the driver is appreciated but not expected. You should change some money at currency exchange counters in the arrivals area before leaving the airport terminal. On page 4 of this circular, you can print the card of the hotel where you have registered and show it to the taxi driver.

Money

The Vietnam currency is the Vietnam Dong (VND). The rate of exchange (at 8 November 2010) is 1 USD = 19,500 dong. Only major hotels, restaurants and stores in big cities will accept credit cards. There are plenty of ATM machines that dispense VND but there is a limit on the amount of withdrawals and there are bank fees associated with each transaction.

Electricity

Standard 220 Volts AC (at 50Hz cycles). Plugs have two round or two flat pins.

Telephone

The country code for Vietnam is 84 and the area code for Hanoi is 43. SIM cards are widely available and can be used with GSM 900 compatible cell/mobile phones.

Weather

December is a cool and dry month in Hanoi with average high of 22° C and average low of 16° C. Bring light jacket or sweater, especially if you plan to join the excursions to Tam Dao National Park, Cuc Phuong National Park, and Halong Bay & Cat Ba Island.

Maps