Archive for the ‘Vietnam’ Category

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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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Over 200 new species discovered in the Mekong region

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According to an article from the Guardian website, the WWF has announced that 208 new species were discovered in Southeast Asia’s Greater Mekong area in 2010. Discoveries included a new kind of monkey in Burma’s remote Kachin state, a rainbow gecko in Vietnam, and new species of carnivorous plants too.

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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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Vietnamese Rhino Extinct

8 December 2011 by

Sad news from Vietnam, where the WWF and other wildlife and conservation organisations have announced that they believe the last remaining Vietnamese Rhino has been poached. The Javan Rhino had been on the critically endangered list for some time, but now it appears the battle for its survival has been lost. Once prevalent from Indonesia to India, the Javan Rhino was thought to only exist in Vietnam and Indonesia.

WWF Manager for Vietnam Simon Cox added: “The single most important action to conserve Vietnam’s endangered species is protecting their natural habitat and deterring poaching and illegal wildlife trade. The report shows that these actions were inadequate to save the Javan rhino in Vietnam and this continued situation will no doubt lead to the extinction of many more species from Vietnam. Vietnam’s protected areas need more rangers, better training and monitoring, and more accountability.”

I personally recall visitting National Parks in Vietnam and not seeing a single bird or animal, only insects. There was a sanctuary at the entrance to one of the parks where various primates that had been rescued from poachers were housed. Safe behind wire fences, it seemed somewhat tragic that they were not safer in their natural habitat which surrounded them.

With their proximity to China, whose demand for exotic creatures appears to remain unchanged, and their own passion for hunted meats, it appears the battle for species conservation in Vietnam will be long and tough. Some sources suggest that a kilo of Rhino horn will fetch as much as 30.000 us dollars in China.

Tigers, elephants, crocodiles and a variety of monkeys are still on Vietnam’s endangered list. Let’s hope we can report more positive news in the battle for their preservation in due course.

It is thought there are between 15 and 60 remaining Javan Rhinos in Indonesia, some footage of which can be seen below. For Rhino conservation see www.rhinoconservation.org.

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New Vietnam Airlines Route

1 December 2011 by

As we have mentioned several times before, Vietnam Airlines are commencing their direct flights from London to Vietnam on the 8th December. This is a very exciting development for Vietnam tourism as it will shave as much as 12 hours of the average return journey time. There will initially be 4 flights weekly, flying into Hanoi and Saigon.

The schedule runs thus:  Hanoi to London, two flights per week on Monday and Thursday at 23:40 and 06:20.  Ho Chi Minh to London: two flights per week on Tuesday and Friday at 23:20 and 06:20.
London to Hanoi,  two flights per week on Tuesday and Friday at noon and 06:30 and from London to Ho Chi Minh, two flights per week on Saturday and Wednesday, at noon and 07:10.

They will be flying Boeing 777′s.

Hanoi Motorbikes

Learning to cross the road in Hanoi just got that much easier...

There has never been a better time to holiday in Vietnam: the direct flights make it much easier and it is still great value – talk to us about this exciting, vibrant and changing country.

 

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Top 10 unusual foods you might encounter in Southeast Asia

21 October 2011 by

Southeast Asia quite rightly has a reputation for some of the world’s most delicious food: in the Experience Travel office the virtues of Thai Food are regularly extolled and we’re still looking for a Thai restaurant in London that can offer the same standard of culinary experience that you can get in Thailand (any suggestions are welcome).

However, Southeast Asia can also offer the western visitor some of the world’s strangest (well, strange to a western palette anyway) delicacies. At Experience Travel we’ve all been there, done that, and some of us even have the t-shirt when it comes to sampling unusual dishes. In this article I run down the top 10 most unusual foods you might encounter, and which 5 I would recommend giving a try (provided you’re up for such an experience!) and which I think it’s best to avoid. Of course, it’s all a matter of personal taste… (more…)

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Orion Cruises in Southeast Asia

25 July 2011 by

Cruise ShipOrion cruises in Southeast Asia Orion Cruises are now offering discerning clientele the opportunity to experience some of the most exciting and exotic parts of Southeast Asia in true comfort and style – until now no other cruise company has come close to offering the same insight into the region as that offered by the Orion Cruises.

The whole idea behind Orion Cruises is to allow their passengers to have truly extraordinary and genuine experiences in isolated parts of the world . The ships themselves are incredibly luxurious offering 5* facilities and great service with a high staff-to-crew ratio, but actually the focus is on the outside world and the experience to be had on shore. (more…)

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Phu Quoc Island (again!)

19 July 2011 by

It was with some excitement that I returned to Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island, four years after my only previous visit. Resting in the Gulf Of Thailand, Phu Quoc is, geographically speaking at least, closer to Cambodia than Vietnam. Wild, windswept and gloriously remote in parts, the natural landscape is, not surprisingly, similar to the islands off Cambodia and the south-east of Thailand. Access is by a 45 minute flight from Saigon or a more adventurous ferry ride from the southern port town of Rach Gia. (more…)

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Vietnam Airlines to fly direct to Hanoi and Saigon

13 July 2011 by

Yes: it’s true. Finally there will be a direct flight from UK to Vietnam – Gatwick to be precise from the 8th December this year. There will be 2 direct flights a week to Hanoi and 2 to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh). It is old news now – but the fares are not quite available to book, but get in there ahead and talk to us now about your holiday in Vietnam.

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