Travel story: Shopper’s Delight Hoi an

Posted by admin on February 25, 2011 under Vietnam Travel Stories | Be the First to Comment

So by the time we left Hoa’s Place we had quite a crew happening, there was Cia from Melbourne, Dan, Sally and Steve from London and in Hoi An we picked up a Mexican his name Efrain. This was to be our gang for the next few days.

Hoi an like Halong Bay and My Son is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is an old port town but nowadays is famous for its 100’s of tailors and cobblers. We got Jono a 3 piece suit made and me a dress, unfortunately we forgot to take a pic of his suit before we shipped it off (Trace it should be showing up in about 3 weeks) , he reckons its the comfiest suit ever and I must admit he does look dashing in it!
Even more exciting for me is we got shoes custom made, we got 2 pairs each for $85 , so now we are strolling the streets in pumps that have our names embroided on them, it had to be done!

So far Hoi An has been our favorite place and we have also had our best food here. Because Efrain had been in Hoi An for 3 weeks he knew where to go for cheap beer, and I’m talking 15 cents for a glass and for good food, to Ms Nam’s. We cruised across the river to Ms Nams on our first evening after a few beverages and had an AMAZING meal, so we jacked us up a cooking class there the next day.
The cooking class was a lot of fun, we learnt how to make spring rolls, banh xeo this pancake thing that you wrap in rice paper (so so good) and white rose which is a dumpling type thing that is unique to Hoi An. Jono was made the scribe by the group as he wasn’t super interested in the cooking so we could take the recipe’s and make them at home.

The next day Jono, Cia and I decided to hire bicycles and ride to the beach. Of course we got lost and went on a minor detour but this is always the fun part. Eventually we made it to the beach where we stopped for a beverage before starting the trip back into town.

That night we were all booked onto the sleeper bus to out next destination Nha Trang………

by JayZee, Mekong Meanders and Beyond, travelblog.org

Collected by vietnam hotel

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Vietnam: Danang’s masterly mayor

Posted by admin on under Vietnam Travel Info | Be the First to Comment

Think investing in Vietnam is all about Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City? Think again.
Danang, Vietnam’s fourth most populous city, has been booming over recent years, thanks to its great geography, nestled between jungle-covered mountains and miles of sandy beaches.

While the beautiful setting has spurred tourism – resorts, villas and golf courses proliferate on the beachfront road south of the city – a growing number of factories have been established here to take advantage of Danang’s location in the centre of Vietnam. (danang hotels)

Danang’s success is also down to the single-minded leadership of Nguyen Ba Thanh, the head of the local government, says Peter Ryder, chief executive of Indochina Capital, an investment firm that has pioneered a number of high-profile developments in the city. He says that  Danang is regularly voted the best place to do business in Vietnam. It has the best infrastructure by far of any major urban area and the growth in per capita income has been ahead of other places in Vietnam. Nguyen Ba Thanh is the nearest Vietnam has to a Lee Kuan Yew.

Like Hanoi, the capital, and Ho Chi Minh City, the main business centre, Danang’s economy has been growing way above the national trend rate of around 7% over the last decade. From 2006-2010, the city’s economy grew at around 11% per annum and it is targeting 13.5%-14.5% growth over the next five years.

In contrast to the chaotic, traffic-clogged streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, travelling around Danang, a city of 900,000 people, is a breeze, with wide boulevards, ring roads and bridges in all the right places.

The decent infrastructure, combined with the stunning setting, is helping to attract a growing number of tourists and developers.

A golf course designed by Colin Montgomerie, and backed by Indochina Capital, sits next to another course designed by Greg Norman, and backed by VinaCapital, a rival investment group. (Nick Faldo is getting in on the act 20 miles north, in a village called Lang Co).

Small apartments in luxury beachfront developments are being sold for around $100,000 for a 50-year lease, while high specification villas are being picked up at over $1m, according to people working in the local property market.

The vast majority of the buyers are the first generation of Vietnamese “second-homers”, mostly from Hanoi (where they like to pay in cash) and Ho Chi Minh City (where they prefer credit).

But the rapid pace of construction has inevitably stoked fears about overdevelopment. A number of large projects have been halted ostensibly for lack of financing – although local cynics say that some speculators only want to give the impression of construction in order to get hold of the land before flipping it for a quick profit.

Ryder says: ” We’re definitely concerned about over-building on the beachfront. What we’ve done has been unique enough so it will still wind up doing well. But we don’t have any plans to do any new projects.”

Another developer argues that demand from cash-rich, wealthy Vietnamese who want a combined holiday home and investment will continue to support further development in Danang.

With the currency continuing to depreciate against the dollar, inflation accelerating and the stock market in the doldrums, many well-off Vietnamese still feel that property is their best bet.

Source: blogs.ft.com

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