Author Archive

An Lam Saigon River – recent visit and review

22 December 2011 by

Ho Chi Minh City hasn’t quite captured the boutique hotel scene like the rest of Vietnam, especially Hanoi where there are some beautiful hotels right in the heart of the city. But finally a property has arrived, and although not located right in the city centre, it’s a 15 minute speed boat ride up the Mekong river to the stunning An Lam Saigon River ‘private residences’.

View from one of the balconies

 

I have to admit, I’ve seen a lot of hotels on my travels and some are memorable and others just don’t really work, but I was most intrigued about seeing An Lam Saigon River because it’s such a fantastic concept and really could fill a gaping hole in the market for those who don’t want to travel for long distances to see river life, i.e. in the Mekong Delta.

 

Typical guest room

The property itself has kept its private residence name and is a collection of 7 buildings which will eventually house 15 luxury and intimate guest rooms, all individually designed in a contemporary feel with elegant Vietnamese touches. All of the rooms have stunning views of the Saigon River and most have huge private pools (you definitely don’t need to use the word ‘plunge’ here!). You’ll also find all your mod cons, rain showers, huge bathtubs and so on that you would expect to find in a luxury hotel.

 

Outside bathroom

The property has literally only just opened and they were still adding the finishing touches as we looked around. It’s got a very relaxing feel, especially because of the river setting, but with the setting in tropical gardens and the small pleasant houses containing the rooms the property seems to suit its surroundings quite naturally already!

 

Epikurean are the management company looking after this hotel, and having already done a superb job of opening and running An Lam Ninh Van Bay, in Nha Trang close to the Six Senses Hideaway, it’s clear that this hotel will run to the same standard and you’ll find every member of staff going out of their way to make your stay most memorable.

 

This property is going to work fantastically when combined with a stay in Saigon city centre, so you may have already travelled for a couple of weeks and want some chill time before you hit the busy centre, or equally if you need somewhere to unwind straight away at the beginning of your holiday this place really is ideal. On the other hand, if you don’t like big Asian cities, District 1 of the city is only 15 minutes by speedboat, so you can use this property as a base and easily explore without actually staying there. Plus the Cu Chi tunnels are accessible from the river, and it only takes 45 minutes by boat as opposed to the 1.5 hr journey by car, so it really doesn’t feel isolated if you don’t want it to be. I have to admit as well – the speed boat ride is very cool!

 

Honestly I can say that there aren’t many properties like this Vietnam and I don’t think there is anything else like it in the south of the country. If you’ve been to Sri Lanka with us, you’ll find it very similar to the boutique hotels we use there. Check out our website for similar hotels or tours of Vietnam.

One of the pools

 

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Vietnam family holidays – an overview of where to go, when, what to do and which hotels?

13 December 2011 by

Vietnam is a fantastic place to take you next family holiday, either cultural/activity based, or relaxing on the beach, or of course, both!

In the sapa hills

Vietnam in the past hasn’t really seen the influx of families that other destinations in SE Asia do, especially the obviously countries like Thailand and Bali, but finally things are starting to fall into place and Vietnam is becoming a great family destination either over Easter or the long summer holidays. April is ideally the best time to go – it’s before the rains come, and you can tie in a beach stay in the south. August will likely see more rainfall that the rest of the year, especially in the north and south, i.e. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city, respectively, but the beautiful Hoi An, with it’s all encompassing cultural, history, scenery, shopping and beach is actually relatively dry this time of year and means each member of the family can get there fix of what’s fun for them.

Here are a few ideals below on what to do on a trip to Vietnam, and the best types of accommodation for a family stay:

 

A trip based on lots of tours and keeping you all busy, suitable any time of year:

Hanoi

Explore this hectic city on foot, or cyclo. You’ll probably need a bit of time to get over your jetlag. This is definitely a great place to introduce yourself to Vietnam and first task will be learning to cross the road! The museum of ethnology may sound boring to some (!), but it actually has a great range of traditional houses from the Sapa region in its garden.

  • Which hotel?

-Maison D’Hanoi for the boutique more traditional hotel, no pool though. Easy to explore the old quarter

-Intercontinental West lake for it’s fantastic lake spot and pools. Kids club, and large interconnecting rooms.

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Matts most recent trip to Vietnam – an overview

9 December 2011 by

For those not in the know about Vietnam, or have no idea about the different places to visit, or what’s on offer, then read below and this gives a very general overview of my recent 2 week trip , and idea of what to expect from all the ‘must see’s of Vietnam’. I journeyed north to south, so that I could finish in the warm weather of the south, but just personal preference – I love a bit of sun (and humidity!)

Sampling Pho in Sapa market

Hanoi
A hectic buzzing, horn beeping, confusing warren of streets and a serious introduction to the Vietnamese life. Having been here before, it’s not so much of a shock, but my advice is to be brave, head out to the streets and really experience local life. Get lost in the old quarter, and shop to your hearts content. Although I didn’t get to stay at the Sofitel Legend Metropole, I did go for afternoon tea, this is definitely something I would recommend to any client, and follow with a walk around the more modern, moneyed French quarter. My favourite hotel in the Masion D’hanoi – with its great location, and beautifully designed rooms, it definitely falls into the boutique category, and the service is top notch.

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From hectic life to escapism in 5 simple steps:

15 July 2011 by

1) Take an overnight flight from London to Colombo, arriving at the international airport around lunch. Drive to the Mudhouse, passing from busy Sri Lankan cities to idyllic flat plains and farming country of Anamadewa.

2) Settle in to your private Mudhouse hut, with your own ‘grounds’ including shower area, dining hut, hammock and outside chill area. Sip a beer whilst watching the sunset over the nearby lake and see a multitude of birds go fishing.

3) Have a beautiful cooked local Sri Lankan feast, including Ash Banana curry, spicy cabbage and sweet cucumber with roti and rice.

4) Wake up to the sound of the rainforest and take a morning walk with the local staff to ‘the rock’ where you can gain the most stunning views of the flat plains, tanks (lakes), and an obscene amount of bird life.

5) Fall asleep in your own hammock, and realise that you really are in one of the most special places in Sri Lanka, and not 36 hours before, you were probably rushing to the airport.

You have now escaped…. (more…)

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