Posted by admin on October 26, 2010 under Vietnam hotels | 
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| Deluxe Ocean View Room |
NHA TRANG, Vietnam —On the sunny shores of the south-central coast, Starwood celebrated the grand opening of the Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa, downtown Nha Trang’s only 5-star hotel, October 5th.
The new 284-room property, the first Sheraton beach property in Vietnam, features sweeping views of Nha Trang Bay, a 340-square-metre ballroom, as well as several restaurants including The Wine Bar, Feast and Steam n’ Spice, an high-end noodle shop specializing in Chinese cuisine with dimsum and noodles.
Sheraton Nha Trang is decidedly modern, but echoes the surrounding seascape with an ornate lobby chandelier crafted from glass seagulls as well as top-floor suites decorated in earth-toned furnishings. The contemporary theme is furthered in the Shine Spa design highlighting clean lines and tawny tones—the couples treatment room overlooks the bay and the 6th-floor infinity pool.
The new hotel also features the first purpose-built cooking school inside a hotel in Vietnam, as well as the sky-high Altitude, a multi-purpose function room on the 28th floor.
Posted by admin on October 25, 2010 under Vietnam Travel Info, Vietnam hotels |
Additionally, two new mid-scale hotels committed for the country
- Announcing two newly signed projects – Pullman Danang Beach and Pullman Hai Phong Flamboyant Island Resort
- A total of five Pullman hotels will be operating in the country by 2013
- Accor announces two new mid-scale hotels – Novotel Dalat and Mercure Danang Son Tra
Accor, the largest international hotel operator in Vietnam, announces today two new developments for the Pullman hotel brand for the country – Pullman Danang Beach and Pullman Hai Phong Flamboyant Island Resort.
“With sustained economic growth and significant investment in infrastructure leading to increased volumes for business travel and continued international and domestic leisure strength, opportunities continue for
quality upscale hotel developments in Vietnam.” says Patrick Basset, Vice President of Operations for
Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan and South Korea. We are delighted to announce these two new hotels in
Danang and Hai Phong and excited about the prospects for the Pullman brand in Vietnam.” added Mr.
Basset.
Accor has commitments to develop five Pullman hotels in Vietnam: Pullman Vung Tau, Pullman Danang
Beach and Pullman Hanoi Horison are scheduled to open in 2011; and Pullman Saigon Centre and Pullman
Hai Phong Flamboyant Island Resort are due to open in 2013. Pullman Danang Beach is due to open in mid 2011 and located on the beach front. The hotel will feature 207 guest rooms, 4 restaurants and
extensive leisure facilities including three swimming pools. The city of Danang attracts tourists from Vietnam and abroad and is renowned for having one of the worlds top ten beaches. This hotel will be the debut ofthe Pullman brand in Vietnam.
Pullman Hai Phong Flamboyant Island Resort is located in Vietnam’s industrial and seaport centre on northern coastal area of the country. Located on Flamboyant Island in Do Son District, this 300-room hotel will support the increasing number of travelers to the northern parts of Vietnam seeking an international quality upscale hotel. The hotel will have superb facilities with three restaurants, two bars, a ballroom, meeting rooms, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, an entertainment centre, spa and an amphitheatre.
Pullman Vung Tau will have 360 guest rooms, a ballroom that can accommodate up to 500 guests, several smaller meeting rooms with “Chill-out” zones, a business centre, gym, spa and a swimming pool.
The hotel will also provide an all-day dining restaurant, a specialty restaurant and a lobby bar and lounge. Pullman Vung Tau is located adjacent the international convention centre and a 5-minute walk to
the beach.
Pullman Hanoi Horison is located in the city centre and is currently undergoing and extensive renovation and upgrade. Once completed this 250-room hotel will have significant event space accommodating up to
1,000 guests, whilst providing facilities such as outdoor swimming pool, a fitness centre, restaurant, lobby and pool side bars. With an extensive range of tailored services to accommodate meetings and seminars, Pullman Hanoi Horison will entice business travelers and events visiting the nation’s capital.
Pullman Saigon Centre a 290-room newly constructed upscale hotel with contemporary architecture and chic interiors will be located in District One of Ho Chi Minh City. Once completed, Pullman Saigon Centre will comprise of 1,500 sqm of ballroom and meeting facilities, two restaurants, a bar, an outdoor
swimming pool, business centre and fitness facility.
Pullman in Asia Pacific
16 Pullman hotels are operating today throughout Asia Pacific and a further 25 hotels are committed to
development in the region. The brand is on track to achieve 100 hotels in the region by 2013.
The Pullman brand Pullman is Accor’s upscale hotel brand that is ideal for travelers seeking services and facilities that satisfy today’s modern business and leisure lifestyles. Pullman hotels provide first-class meeting and conference facilities specifically designed to serve the MICE market (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions).
Pullman hotels around the world are fast becoming a favorite choice among corporate and event organizers.
All Pullman hotels provide full wireless and broadband communications, executive floors and lounges, chillout
zones and state-of-the-art meeting and function facilities as well as signature services such as Pullman
Welcomers, IT Solution Managers and Pullman Event Managers – all based on the brand concept of “Co-
Meeting: Commitment, Connectivity, and Cohesion”.
Two additional developments
To provide for the growing domestic and international mid-scale demand in Vietnam, Accor has also
announced Novotel Dalat and Mercure Danang Son Tra.
Novotel Dalat will be a newly built 175-room hotel located in the city centre of Dalat and overlooking the
scenic Xuan Huong Lake. The hotel is also very close to the renowned Dalat Market. Hotel facilities include a restaurant and a bar, a swimming pool, fitness centre, spa, a ballroom and meeting rooms available for mid-size meetings and events.
Mercure Danang Son Tra will consist of 119 rooms and 20 villas, and will be the first international beachfront hotel on Son Tra Peninsula, a 15 minutes drive from Danang City and around 30 minutes from the ancient town of Hoi An. The hotel facilities will include a restaurant, a bar, a ballroom and several meeting rooms.
*** Ends***
Posted by admin on October 24, 2010 under Vietnam Travel Stories, Vietnam beauty, Vietnam tours |
When Monsieur and I travelled through Vietnam some time back, this fascinating country and its people had such a profound effect on me that I haven’t yet blogged about it. Every time I think of our journey, my mind fills with such a kaleidoscope of vistas and tastes and people and experiences that it overwhelms. But now, sixteen months later, I’m going to try to share our experiences.
To start with, here’s a synopsis of how we did it. We didn’t see everything that we wanted to see, because Vietnam is a big place with troublesome roads and slow trains and we only had two weeks within which to learn how to cross the roads and explore as much of the country as possible. The upshot of that is that there’s plenty to keep us busy when we go back one day. And we will go back one day. If I could wangle it, I’d go back right this minute.
GETTING THERE AND BACK:
Monsieur and I flew on Eva Air from London to Bangkok because direct flights from London to Vietnam are exorbitant and this way we’d both save money and see a little bit of Thailand. It’s significantly cheaper for UK residents to fly to Bangkok and then hop across to Vietnam on one of the region’s low cost airlines. In our case we flew Air Asia from Bangkok to Hanoi, and from Ho Chi Minh City back to Bangkok. Air Asia is cheap and efficient, but the baggage allowance is a meagre 15 kilos. Going out, this wasn’t a problem and my packed suitcase only weighed 10 kilos, which is somewhat of an achievement for this girl scout who likes to be prepared for all eventualities. Quite naturally, as we travelled about, Monsieur and I picked up more baggage weight in the form of clothes and gifts for family and friends, so that by the time we left Vietnam, our baggage excess was such that we had to pay a hefty $125 US dollars. The way we looked at it this was that once added to the cost of the flights themselves it just made the flights feel more regular in price as opposed to a real bargain. You have been warned.
Internally we flew Vietnam Airlines, which we found to be pretty good. We later found out that they have a terrible reputation but that wasn’t our experience at all. Had we had more time, we would have liked to try the train that travels up and down Vietnam, but unfortunately the journey times were too long to be practical for us.
So here’s what we got up to. It would be great if you pick out something that you’d like to hear about, leave it in the comments and I’ll write it up for you.
THE ITINERARY
Day 1 – Arrive in Bangkok. Stay at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Swim off the travel grime and enjoy lovely buffet at the hotel.
Day 2 – Breakfast by the river. Hire a driver to take us around Bangkok for 5 hours for the equivalent of a 15 minute cab ride in London. We manage to take in the Golden Buddha, the Grand Palace and a vibrant weekend market before returning to the hotel. Cocktails at the Sirocco Bar with fantastic views over Bangkok and dinner at the Blue Elephant.
Day 3 – Fly to Hanoi. Have fun with immigration officials and ATMs at Hanoi airport. Stay at the beautiful Sofitel Metropole Hotel. Learn to cross streets without being mown down by a tidal wave of mopeds. Walk to old town via Hoan Kiem Lake. Visit Ngoc Son temple. Circle the lake. Dinner at the Spices Garden restaurant at the hotel.
Day 4 – Take tour to Halong Bay. Long day. Epic ingests an entire dish of MSG. By herself. And suffers the consequences.
Day 5 – Walk around Hanoi. Visit Temple of Literature, Hanoi Hilton. Just about evaporate in the heat and humidity.
Day 6 – Fly to Danang. Pass China Beach on way to Hoi An. Stay at Ha An Hotel. Lunch at Banana Leaf. Do walking tour of Old Town – temples, Japanese Bridge, a ‘real’ Vietnamese home etc. Visit Yaly tailors. Dinner at Mango Rooms.
Day 7 – Fitting at Yaly then a lazy day at nearby Cua Dai Beach. Lunch at the beach. Dinner at Brothers Café.
Day 8 – Fly to Nha Trang. Stay at Six Senses resort. Laze around at the beach and in the pool. Dinner and DVDs in our room. We need to slow down for a couple of days, and so we do just that.
Day 9 – All meals taken at the hotel. The much-needed chilling-out period after so much travelling helps a lot so we spend another day at the beach.
Day 10 – Travel by road to Dalat. Looks close on map. Takes hours each way. Visit our driver’s family shrine, rest stop in village, see Dalat train station, Prenn Falls. See coffee/ tapioca/sugar cane plantations. Afternoon at Dalat Palace Golf Club. Interesting drive back to Nha Trang with our fascinating driver. Much of our conversation is taken up by what Vietnamese eat, which is just about everything.
Day 11 – Another day chilling out. Vietnamese coffee rocks. We watch Vietnamese musicians at dinner. We also have a sunburn relief massage with fresh aloe vera. I’d never had a massage before. What total decadence!
Day 12 – Fly to Ho Chi Minh City. Stay at Majestic Hotel on Dong Khoi. It rains buckets. Visit the post office, haggle with street vendors, give thanks for safe travels at Notre Dame Cathedral. Walk to Reunification Palace. Dinner at M Bar with great views over river. That river is a floating highway, even at night.
Day 13 – take tour out of HCMC. Visit Cu Chi Tunnels and My Tho on the Mekong Delta. Boat ride to Ben Tre for lunch. Coconut candy factory, snakes and longboats. Cao Dai Temple. Lacquerware factory visit. Dinner with Adam from Vietnam Travel Notes – we go to Ben Thanh Market together. REALLY good night!
Day 14 – last day in Vietnam. Shopping in town. Lunch at Lemongrass. Dong Khoi. Back to the airport. Long delay because of riots in Bangkok. Stay at The Peninsula Hotel.
Day 15 – Fly home with a head full of wonderful, colourful memories of Vietnam.
+16 months – Epic finally gets around to blogging about it.
(Source: epicurienne.wordpress.com)
Posted by admin on October 23, 2010 under Vietnam Travel Info, Vietnam Travel Tips |
Holiday ideas around the world
After bringing us the likes of Simon Cowell, Osama Bin Laden, Jordan and Jedward, the Noughties are almost over. But what were the Destinations of the Decade – stunning new places that are now firmly on the tourism map – and what will be the holiday hotspots of the Twenty-Tens/Oh-tens/Teenies/Tenties/Tenners? Here are some predictions from the experts:
The trend of the decade: Staycations
“Of the many holiday destinations British travellers have turned to in the past decade, our own backyard, the UK, has fared especially well as its appeal broadened,” according to Simon Tregoning of Classic Cottages.
“The profile of Cornwall, in particular, has grown since 2000 partly due to a rash of new attractions, from the Eden Project to high-profile celebrity restaurants like Fifteen: Cornwall, while Newquay has become synonymous with Britain’s new found passion for surfing.
“New air links have made Cornwall more accessible for residents across the country, and an increase in accommodation options – from the green to the ultra-luxurious – mean everyone is catered for, and at a higher standard than ever before. Long live the staycation!”
The short break of the decade: Unknown Italy
“As people worked longer hours throughout the decade, they felt the need to get away more frequently – and short breaks consequently exploded in popularity, with Italy leading the way,” says Kirker Holidays’ Ted Wake.
“Although Venice, Florence and Rome remain the classic choices, the likes of Sicily and the art cities of northern Italy – such as Bologna, Mantua and Ravenna – have enjoyed a steady rise in visitor demand. Just when you think you’ve seen every great Italian town or city, there’s always another one to seek out.”
The short/mid-haul holiday of the decade: Morocco
“Ten years ago the short break really took off: and, after Paris and Madrid, the exotic appeal of Marrakech suddenly registered. Just three hours away existed a cultural vortex – a land of souks, sorcerers, spas and sun, and a very cost-effective one at that,” explains Steve Diederich of The Best of Morocco.
“Beyond Marrakech lay similar jewels; packed into a relatively small country were ski resorts and high mountains, beaches, first-class golf-courses, Berber villages and the most scenic of desert-scapes.”
The ski resort of the decade: Kicking Horse, in British Columbia
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort started life as Whitetooth Ski Area, run by local volunteers in the town of Golden. In 1999 it was bought and hugely upgraded, reopening in Dec 2000 under its new name.
Back then, few people knew of it but “today Kicking Horse has worldwide renown for its powder, challenging skiing and 4,133ft vertical drop, second in Canada only to Whistler Blackcomb, and also as a fine option for beginner or intermediate skiers”, says Richard Rice of Ski Safari.
“Bring on the next decade, too: there’s newly a ten-year, $300 million development plan in place to expand Kicking Horse by 1750 acres.”
The safari of the decade: Botswana’s Okavango Delta
In the 1990s, the Okavango was still split up into the Moremi Game Reserve and a number of hunting areas – and tourism to the Delta was relatively small.
According to Chris McIntyre of Expert Africa the last decade has seen a steep change: “Southern African safaris are no longer the poor relation of East Africa trips, and the Okavango has turned from a backwater to the continent’s ultimate safari destination.
“From 2000 onwards, small, often fabulous lodges began arriving in areas previously reserved for hunting: gradually, over the last decade, we’ve seen many of these change to be photographic concessions, where hunting is no longer practiced. Safaris are now firmly established in the Okavango as a much more humane money-spinner.”
The adventure destination of the decade: Vietnam
“Options for the traveller to Vietnam have expanded dramatically in the past decade, explains Peter Crane from Explore.
“There have been vast improvements in the transport and hotel infrastructure, while enterprising locals have introduced an array of ways to see their destination: now there are luxury junk cruises around the incredible karst scenery of Halong Bay, tribal homestays and trekking in the North and Central Highlands, cycling holidays along the Mekong Delta, cookery schools in Hanoi and Hoi An and all sorts of volunteering trips.
“Combine these with beautiful landscapes, beaches, popular cuisine and a tropical climate, and it’s a winning combination. The icing on the cake is that Vietnam has consistently offered excellent value for money.”
The Latin America trip of the decade: Oaxaca State, Mexico
“During the past decade, more and more people have been discovering Mexico’s rich interior, heading beyond the commercial beach resorts to find colonial cities, elegant architecture, culinary treats and congenial people – all elements which can be found in the state of Oaxaca,” says Lloyd Boutcher of Sunvil Traveller.
“In the city of the same name, live performances take place in the main square, chic boutique hotels offer first-class accommodation and grasshoppers fried in chili make for unusual meals. In the country, Zapotec rugs are hand-loomed as they have been for centuries and the tombs of Monte Alban offer arguably Mexico’s best archaeological site. It’s easy to see why enquiries for travel to Oaxaca have risen so steadily over the past decade.”
Travel trends for 2010
Zimbabwe
“With the Mugabe era likely to end in the next few years, Zimbabwe’s tourism industry is poised to bounce back, and the good news is that its environments are generally in great shape,” according to Chris McIntyre of Expert Africa.
“The wonderful national parks are all situated on land that’s difficult or impossible to farm, so they remain largely untouched, while much of the game is apparently in good shape, too – even if a few areas have had high levels of hunting.
“Recent news has been very encouraging: an apparent upsurge of visitor numbers in 2009, and now a much less unstable, dollar based economy. Once an effective protection plan is re-installed and development returns to the country’s people, I can see it taking off fast in tourism terms. Zimbabwe used to have vastly more visitors than either Botswana or Namibia – and it can do so again.”
Colombia
“After years of civil unrest and conflict, stability has been restored in Colombia – and mainstream tourism seems likely to follow,” says Explore’s Peter Crane.
“Most emblematic of the country’s new era is the city of Medellin: once famed as the home of Pablo Escobar, it’s now a vibrant tourism stop, as new museums, parks and direct flights to Florida attest. All around are new options, however: from plantation stays and jungle trekking to eco-beach retreats and even medical tourism.
“Officials have boldly estimated 30 per cent annual increases in visitor numbers and it’s easy to see why: put simply, Colombia is the one Latin American destination with every kind of landscape – from beach to mountain, rainforest to plantation.”
India for skiing
“While the likes of Japan, Mongolia and Chile are likely to emerge as viable ski destinations in the coming ten years, and Russia will host the Winter Olympics in 2014, we feel that India’s slopes will be the hottest draw of the next decade,” notes Richard Rice of Ski Safari.
The Kashmir paradise of Gulmarg is already well-established as a resort, but now there’s talk of Doodpathri and Aur at Pahalgam following suit, and of New Zealand-style heli-skiing at Sonamarg. Tourism is always involving in India – with ever-improving flight services from the UK – and skiing seems likely to be the next big sector.”
Scandinavia – Noel Josephides
“Scandinavia remains Europe’s last great wilderness, offering dramatic and diverse scenery, excellent food, warm and welcoming people, surprisingly good summer weather and an unexplored, untouched appeal,” explains Noel Josephides of Sunvil Holidays.
“It is good value – the pound has held up comparatively well against the Swedish and Norwegian currencies, unlike the euro – and it’s so close: flights to Stockholm for example are just 2.5 hours from London. From a short-haul perspective, Scandinavia seems the obvious choice for the discerning traveller in the twenty-tens.”
Burma
“Lots of the potential new destinations for the next decade are places that are currently marginal for tourism due to restricted access. North Korea, Zimbabwe and Iran are all ripe for more mainstream tourism if they see internal changes in the coming decade – and especially Burma,” according to Derek Moore of AITO.
“This may not necessarily mean a change in regimes but an awakening to the potential earnings of tourism. Burma has a fascinating Buddhist tradition, pagodas stretched down the dreamlike Ayeyarwady, miles of beaches and the cultural idyll of Mandalay. Despite such unlimited potential for visitors, it will open up slowly, perfect for small tour operators rather than mass market operators.”
South-Eastern Mediterranean
“Perfect for discerning travellers balancing a sense of adventure with an urge for warm sunshine, the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean will prosper as a short break and longer-stay destination in the next decade,” in the opinion of Ted Wake from Kirker Holidays.
“Recent infrastructure improvements and the emergence of high-quality, often quirky accommodation in the likes of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel amount to an unforgettable cultural experience.”
Posted by admin on October 22, 2010 under Vietnam Destinations, Vietnam beauty |
Life on the river in Hoi An
Nick Claxton has never ventured outside of Europe before but a combination of too many years in London, a lack of proper responsibilities and an unhealthy admiration for Michael Palin now means he is spending a year travelling the globe. A terminally-disorganised 24-year-old taking on the world – solo. Here is his 26th blog entry:
Hoi An is unlike most Vietnamese cities.
Formerly a port city in the 16th and 17th centuries, its Old Town is packed tightly with Chinese-style shop-houses while the atmospheric riverside also harks back to the colonial era with its paper lanterns, French-style restaurants and covered bridges – perfect for a stroll as the sun goes down.
The streets are even mercifully clear of the hordes of motorbikes that plague Ho Chi Minh City, although the hundreds of tailor shops provide a certain menace of their own.
More than 400 tailors are reportedly plying their trade in Hoi An, crammed one after another into this small riverside town.
This means rock bottom prices are on offer for made-to-measure shirts, blouses, dresses and suits, but the intense competition has its downside: be prepared to smile and shrug off the attentions of salesmen almost constantly during the day – but thankfully, they’re not so insistent at night.
I had no desire to remind myself of work back home by buying a suit (even for just US$50/£30), but if you’re in the purchasing mood, then give Hoi An’s tailors a few days and attend multiple fittings to get it right. I met one pair of girls who had to wait three days extra for their dresses before they finally could squeeze into them. Despite the low prices, you can definitely get quality garments eventually, but remember – this isn’t Savile Row!
Apart from the tailors hawking their wares, the pace of life in Hoi An seemed much slower than many of the other towns we’d seen further south. As I’d planned on taking it easy after spending eight days on the bike, Hoi An’s chilled vibe was ideal. I spent the hot days in restaurants or enjoying the view over the fields from outside my room, before mixing with other backpackers down in the bars along the river in the evening.
Hoi An is perfectly placed for tourists travelling along Highway One as its roughly halfway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. This means popular haunts such as the Salsa Club or the always-rocking King Kong Bar are packed out most nights.
Most of my nights were spent dancing on King Kong’s pool table – meaning my days were mainly filled by nursing a hangover. But, more often than not, I still managed to drag myself downstairs and rent a bicycle for around 25,000 dong (£1.10) or grab a taxi to the nearby Cua Dai Beach.
Here I could watch the kite surfers, unwind with fellow bleary-eyed travellers and marvel at the peace on this spotless arc of white beach – where fifty years earlier the gentle sound of the waves may have been broken by the whir of choppers or the crack of rifle fire.
Within a few days, I felt both recuperated and buoyed by the engaging tales of the north told by other travellers. Also, many others were all following the same trail through Laos, so we had the promise of meeting up with some of our newfound friends again.
Eventually, we bid goodbye to Hoi An and made the short trip up to Hue. Nik and I had passed through here before on the bikes and so we headed back to the same hostel for a short one night stay – just so that Ciaran could get a flavour of the old imperial city.
The Perfume River slid slowly by and the oriental influence was just as prevalent just as it had been when Nik and I dashed through Hue five days before. It turned out that only real difference to our stay this time came as we sat in the bar just around the corner from the Nguyen Tri Phuong Hotel (three-bed shared room US$20).
Our first hint of trouble came when a Vietnamese guy pulled up on his bike, conducted a frenzied search through the bar for us and then urged us to come back the hostel in broken English.
Naturally, Ciaran and I left it to Nik to find out what it was about. We had beers to finish after all.
But a shock awaited us when we arrived back at the hostel. Our room was covered floor to ceiling in a thick layer of ash. Clothes, bags, beds, everything had been dusted grey and the roof was marked with a deep black scorch mark.
A quick glance at the scene showed clearly what had happened. The wall-fan had built up so much heat that it had blown clean away from its fixing and shot across the room and onto my bed, where it had set alight the covers – just where my right leg would have been if we’d had an early night!
By threatening me with a fiery death (well, sort of), the Nguyen Tri Phuong Hotel had already lost any chance of my money or recommendation – but they managed to make me dislike them even more by attempting to pin the blame on us. Thankfully, we soon convinced them otherwise – I think suggesting that we ask the police their opinion may have had something to do with that.
Anyway, despite the minor conflagration, none of our stuff had been damaged – other than picking up a new coating of grey – so we dusted it off, threw it into another room and then headed back to the bar.
However, our inflated stories of fire-fighting heroism had worn thin by the next morning. So it was decided that we should take the whole incident as a not-so-subtle hint. That afternoon, we left Hue for Hanoi – hoping for a slightly less eventful time in Vietnam’s capital.
Nicolas Claxton
(Source: www.travelbite.co.uk)
Posted by admin on October 21, 2010 under Vietnam Destinations, Vietnam Travel Info, Vietnam attractions, Vietnam beauty |
Colourful lanterns for sale in Hoi An (photo: Natasha von Geldern)
Vietnam isn’t just the sound and fury of hawkers in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh trying to sell you cheap rubbish. Somewhere between those mighty cities, Kwok W Wan visits a friendly textile town that was once the ancient crossroads between Japan and China.
I first experienced the difference when sharing a taxi from Da Nang airport to Hoi An with the taxi driver’s family. They asked if I minded but how could I refuse when they smiled like cartoon teddy bears?
Most visitors to Vietnam only visit the busy cities of Hanoi to the north or Ho Chi Minh to the south. Da Nang, a couple hours flight from Hanoi, is nearly halfway between the both and is the closest airport to the Unesco World Heritage town of Hoi An.
This charming place almost seems to like visitors, unlike the bigger cities which seem hell-bent on taking your money and then charging for the privilege.
Hoi An’s character became apparent as I went for a leisurely walk around the street market by the town’s main river. Under a string of naked bulbs, people were selling all the wonderfully-shaped fruits of south-east Asia: Shiny mangosteens, red shaggy rambutan and bright-pink dragon fruit with green horns.
No-one was hassling me to buy anything, so I took my time and selected some lungan from a family stall, listening to the gentle hum of chit-chat.
Maybe the calmness of the night market lulled me into a false sense of security, but I forgot the cardinal rule when buying something in Vietnam: I didn’t haggle. I handed the little girl the amount she asked for without even thinking such an innocent child could be capable of ripping me off.
Her Mum, a rotund weather-beaten woman, said something to her daughter. The child turned around sheepishly and the mum repeated what she said. The little girl turned and handed back half the money I gave her. I looked at her mum and said thank you. She just smiled and as I left I was sure her daughter was blushing.
Although Hoi An has a thriving tourism industry, the Japanese covered bridge in the old town was as close as it got to being crowded. The bridge was built in the early 1600s by the Japanese community and is the most popular tourist site in the town.
As I approached on foot, tuk-tuk drivers, who elsewhere in Vietnam chase people for fares, just parked beside the road and lazily asked me if I wanted to go anywhere. Even more shockingly, they actually took “no” for an answer.
I crossed the bridge, walking under white paper lanterns, and visited a small wooden shrine midway across. On the other side I found old stone homes and shops, all standing in casual desolation.
Further along were quiet streets with abandoned meeting halls, expansive grey courtyards and faded paintings on the walls. I entered a few of these open spaces and found decorated buildings, paint flaking and crawling with mystic creatures.
I imagined that under these auspices the town elders stood and chaired discussions with their community; this was where the issues of the day were debated and agreed on.
Near the Japanese covered bridge was a better preserved Cantonese assembly hall. Inside I saw colourful ornate fountains and gardens. The walls were adorned with paintings of Chinese folklore and there were several tables and chairs for meetings.
Many of the surrounding buildings melded architectural influences, as blue Chinese dragons danced along red Japanese roofs.
I also visited several open houses and walked around the dusty rooms while the residing families tried to keep out of the way of snap-happy foreigners. One house had turned the backroom into a gift shop, where every surface was covered with trinkets.
Its history as a major port town means textiles from all around China and Japan have long passed through Hoi An, which developed a regional clothing industry.
Tailors still make up the majority of shops, each adorned with numerous headless mannequins wearing the latest in Hollywood fashions.
One morning over breakfast an American man and his Vietnamese wife recommended I go to Yaly’s for some cheap tailored clothes, telling me they are the best in town.
Yaly’s have two branches in Hoi An and are known locally as master tailors. The façades of both shops look more like abandoned colonial mansions than clothes shops.
Inside are stacks of rolled materials, including reams of all the colours and patterns you can imagine. Assistants take your measurements while other customers swan around in their new outfits – dressed for a ballroom in the sweltering heat of the whitewash walls.
Dotted around the shop are international fashion magazines. I picked out the coat I wanted (as worn by Matt Damon) but decided to change the colour and add some extra buttons. The assistant took notes and told me to come back for a fitting.
They take great pride in their work and when they don’t, the marauding owner makes sure they know that it’s his reputation on the line and orders them to do it again. I went in thinking I might buy a single coat. I walked out a few days later with three suits, two coats and two shirts, all perfectly fitted.
Perhaps that’s the problem when things are too easy. You let your guard down and you get suckered.
To round off my stay in Hoi An, I decided to treat myself with a visit to the masseuse. In typical Vietnamese style, the female staff were beaming with happiness to see me when they were in fact fully booked.
They had to call in another person to massage me and I waited and watched as a heavy-set man rode in on a motorbike. I was instructed to get semi-naked and lie on a table while this man stood over me. I admit now that I felt a little bit vulnerable.
The man rubbed his hands together while speaking to the other staff. He smiled at me but for once that didn’t make me feel any better. His hands were surprisingly warm when he got started and the massage was actually quite good.
I had finally started to relax when suddenly the man started pounding me. He made fists with his hand and rained thumps on the back of my legs. I looked at him and he looked back and smiled. I also smiled while I endured the beating until my fully-paid up hour was over.
I left the masseuse, slightly shaky on my feet, but surprisingly relaxed. As I wobbled back to my hotel, past the colourful lanterns and ancient buildings, I suddenly feared I would fall. I wasn’t worried about hurting myself, but that I would never get up and stay in this delightful town forever.
Kwok W Wan
http://www.travelbite.co.uk/
Posted by admin on October 15, 2010 under Vietnam Beaches, Vietnam attractions, Vietnam beauty |
The Diamond Princess cruise ship, carrying 2,500 international tourists from 47 countries and territories, anchored at Nha Trang Bay in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa on October 14.
This is the fourth time Diamond Princess has visited the city during its round-the-world trips, giving holidaymakers the chance to explore popular tourism sites such as Po Nagar Cham temple tower, Long Son pagoda and the private residence of King Bao Dai as well as tours of traditional handicraft villages and ancient houses and enjoyment of special artistic performances.
Later on the same day, the 288-m long five-star cruise ship left Nha Trang Bay for the southern coastal city of Vung Tau./.
Posted by admin on October 12, 2010 under Vietnam Travel Info, Vietnam beauty |
A lot of guides list the water puppet show as a “must see” in Hanoi. I was frankly quite skeptical, but was happily surprised to find that the show really is something that shouldn’t be missed.
Water puppetry is an art form which originated in Vietnam at least 1,000 years ago. The puppets are essentially marionettes, except that in place of strings or wires, the puppets are mounted on long poles, which remain totally hidden under a shallow pool of water. The workings of the puppets can be quite elaborate, and part of the fascination of the show is figuring out how each puppet works.
The performance is a series of unconnected skits or vignettes. Some simply depict scenes of everyday village life, such as planting rice or catching fish. Others act out famous legends or myths. Each act uses specially made puppets, each of which is different than the ones used by the other skits. The puppets are carved of wood and painted or lacquered with bright colors. The water and lighting provides some spectacular effects with only these very simple elements.
Shows last about an hour and consist of about 16 vignettes. The entire performance is accompanied by a live orchestra sitting to the left of the stage. The traditional instruments include drums, flutes, xylophone and the harp-like dan bau. The band is accompanied by a singer as well. Many of the acts have spoken dialog as well, but it isn’t necessary to understand the words in order to appreciate the scenes.
Water Puppet Performance Times and Admission
The theater is located near the shores of Hoan Kiem Lake, just a short walk from the Ngoc Son Temple.
There are several performances every day, beginning at 16:15, with the last performance at 21:15. You must book your seats in advance, as the performances tend to sell out every day. You’re advised to drop by the theater in the afternoon on the day you want to attend. There are two classes of tickets. First class tickets cost 40,000 Dong (2.00 USD) while second class is 20,000 Dong (1.00 USD). It doesn’t appear that there is any difference between the first class and second class tickets, other than where you sit. At one time, the theater gave out VCD copies to first class ticket holders, but this has been discontinued.
There is a special show on Sunday at 9:30 when the admission is 20,000 Dong for adults and 10,000 (0.50 USD) for children.
Note that performances begin at exactly the time booked. The doors open 20 to 30 minutes before the performance and close at the beginning of the performance. If you’re more than a couple minutes’ late, you may not be admitted.
For more information, you can see the web site of Thang Long Water Puppet Theater.
Posted by vietnamtravelblog on October 8, 2010 under Vietnam attractions |
The Ho Dynasty’s extremely short tenure is marked by long-standing achievements including a citadel that still stands, six centuries later
The southern entrance of the Ho Dynasty (1400-1407)’s citadel with three gates in Thanh Hoa Province
The Ho Dynasty was founded in 1400 after Ho Quy Ly (1336-1407), the highest-ranking general of the Tran Dynasty, dethroned King Tran Thieu De and declared himself the new emperor. However, his reign proved short-lived when China’s Ming Dynasty invaded and took over the country in 1407.
Although Ly has been heavily criticized for overthrowing the Tran Dynasty and letting China dominate the country again after 500 years of independence, several reforms that he initiated during his eight-year reign have stood the test of time, including the circulation of paper money.
He is also said to have brought new ideas to the construction of the Tay Do (Western Capital) citadel, in present-day Thanh Hoa Province, where he placed the central government.
The citadel is considered a “miracle of labor”, as it was built manually in just three months. After more than 600 years, the monument still stands, and the mystery of how it was built still endures.
Built with green block granite, the citadel was trapezoidal while other citadels until then were built of bricks and clay earth and bricks and were hexagon shaped.
| GETTING THERE |
By motorbike or car:
From Thanh Hoa Town, go northeast along the National Way No. 45 for about 43 kilometers.
Or, from Ha Trung District, go along National Way No. 217 to Vinh Loc District which is about 20 kilometers away.
By bus:
Buses to the citadel are available on both the national ways from Thanh Hoa Town.
Ticket prices: VND10,000 (US$0.51) each person.
To Thanh Hoa Town: A four-hour train journey from the Hanoi railway station; and you can get there by car, bus or even motorbike on National Highway No.1.
Round stones believed to have been used as levers to move giant granite blocks to build the citadel hundreds of years ago
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The rocks, some of which are 1.3 meters high and 1.59 meters wide, were brought from many places by road or by river. How the work was done remains a mystery.
The citadel has an average height of between five and six meters, with some points reaching ten meters. Its north-south and east-west lengths are 870.5 meters 883.5 meters respectively. It has entrances on all sides, but the main one in the south, with the biggest of its three grates stretching 5.82 meters wide.
Historic documents show that Ly ordered that the citadel be built in 1397, and then coerced Kinh Tran Dieu De to move the capital from Thang Long(now Hanoi).
Three years later, he dethroned the king and set up his own court at the citadel, which has been praised by historians for its good geographical location, as it is backed by three mountains and has two rivers flowing through it.
Inside the citadel there once were palaces comparable to Thang Long’s, but all of them were abandoned and destroyed when Ly was captured and taken prisoner by Ming troops.
In recent years, the old citadel has been opened to tourists who can either make it a destination on its own or as part of a package tour that links different destinations, like Sam Son – Ho Dynasty citadel – Cam Luong Spring – Lam Kinh.
Among the interesting artifacts at the citadel are round stones that are believed to have been used as levers to move giant granite blocks hundreds of years ago.
As at other Vietnamese destinations, local culinary specialties are on offer. In Vinh Loc District, where the citadel is located, che lam and banh rang bua – different varieties of rice cake, are worth trying.
Reported by Phan Huy Tram
Posted by vietnamtravelblog on under Vietnam Travel Info, Vietnam tours |
VietNamNet Bridge – Hanoi’s tourism companies have launched many tours to discover Hanoi’s culture on the occasion of the capital city’s 1000th anniversary.
The Dong Xuan JS Company introduces five tours to the Old Quarter on tramcars. Tourists will discover relics inside craft houses and artisans, learn about the spiritual culture of Hanoians at Buddhist temples, sample the famous cuisine of Hanoi and shop at Dong Xuan market.
The most special tour among these is a tour through 19 old streets. Tourists are allowed to choose three sites from the below list to stop over for 30 minutes each: 48 Hang Ngang, Dong Xuan market, Huyen Thuyen pagoda, Bach Ma temple, O Quan Chuong gate, old house at 87 Ma May, the Great Church, King Le Thai To statue, King Ly Cong Uan statue and Ngoc Son temple.
Vietran Tour offers “Hunting Ly Dynasty’s Secrets” which allows tourists to discover the history of Thang Long-Hanoi and a special tour to some martial arts clubs in Hanoi. Tourists will watch a Binh Dinh Gia martial arts show at the Tram pagoda, Vo Dang Thai Cuc Chinh Tong martial arts at Phap Van pagoda and Shaolin martial arts at Bao Long club.
“1000-year journey of Thang Long – Dong Do – Hanoi” is a collection of tours designed by Vietravel, including four tours: Hanoi – Ha Long – Trang An – old capital Hoa Lu (4 days); Hanoi – Yen Tu – Ha Long – Ninh Binh (4 days); Hanoi – Phu Tho – Ninh Binh – Ha Long (6 days), Hanoi – Yen Tu – Ha Long – Sapa (6 days).
Joining these tours, tourists will visit historical and cultural relics in these provinces and cities and participate in activities to celebrate Hanoi’s 1000th anniversary.
PV
