As we walked through Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), or Saigon as the locals still’determinately call it, we realised that it is a very different city to Hanoi.’ While the traffic remains as insane the feel of the city and the set up for tourists is very different.
Selling Pineapples on the Mekong Delta
Sorry to keep harping on about low fares, but we have just had some even better specials given to us by Singapore Airlines. These allow you to fly in or out of Siem Reap, Ho Chi Minh, Danang (Hoi An) or Hanoi, so are incredibly flexible. Obviously Singapore Airline are second to none in terms of the quality of service they offer too. The fare part is coming out at including tax, around £350 each.
They have meant that we can take at least √Ǭ¨√Ǭ£100 per person off all our advertised website prices at the moment and in some cases up to √Ǭ¨√Ǭ£300 each! There really has never been a better value time to visit Vietnam and/or Cambodia. Hotels also have some fantastic offers and in combination we can do some amazing deals! The Nam Hai is a case in point – Vietnam’s best hotel is doing a stay 2 get 1 free offer from now until April 2010. We’ll pass you the savings directly.
You will have to hurry though – the Singapore offer ends on the 30th June and already the limited seats released for this price seem to be going fast.
Arriving in Nha Trang was quite a strange experience as it is so different from all the places we have visited so far in Vietnam.’ It is a real ‘holiday’ destination (for Vietnamese as well as westerners) and has a Vietnamese feeling of a spanish holiday resort!’ If you want peace and quiet then this is not the place for you, but we had a lot of fun there nonetheless.
Hoi An is a charming town in central Vietnam and is a fantastic place to spend a few days. It one of three UNESCO world heritage sites in central Vietnama and as such oozes history. You do not even need to set foot inside a museum to soak up the past that has made the town as it is. The different influences from the French to the Chinese is evident in the architecture and it is easy to imagine how it used to hustle and bustle as a trading port.
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Prices for Asia are cheaper than they have been for a very long time. There has never been a better time to book that holiday in Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Laos. Conveniently for us, that’s just what we offer at Experience Travel….
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Hoi An is an extremely pretty town and in its architecture you can clearly note the different influences that have helped shaped its development.’ The Victoria Hotel takes’these’influences and cleverly combines them into its design.’ The elegant reception has an open, colonial feel and all the staff were extremely friendly and welcoming on arrival. (more…)
As we drove down the’landscaped driveway we were filled with excitement about the experience to come.’ We were off to the Nam Hai – Vietnam’s premier resort. ‘ Upon entry to the cool villa we were blown away with the interior design.’ The simple yet stunning’design topped with the incredible views brought a massive smile to both our faces.’ As we were shown around the villa’our eyes strayed’to the spectacular eggshell lacquered sunken bath and outside shower.
Heaven is the Nam Hai....
We used these at the first possible opportunity!’ The villa manages to provide all of the amenities you could ever need, whilst maintaining the elegant finish and all of this’ with an amazing ocean backdrop.
Our visit to Hue was short and was more a passing through in order to see some of its impressive sights, rather than a chance’to soak up the atmosphere of the ancient city.’ This was a shame. ‘It is a pretty city set on the Perfume river and’the tombs and citadel of the Nguyen dynasty comprise a UNESCO World Heritage site.
historic Hue
We left the busyness of Hanoi for a couple of days in Sapa.’ This mountainside retreat was originally built for the French as a cool getaway in 1922 and after some years’of neglect has in recent years undergone a revival and is now a key tourist destination in Northern Vietnam – and with good reason.
Great post from harry and Ben in Vietnam there – tales of random street food from Asia always makes me crazy with jealousy!
We are hearing great things from our clients about Cat Ba. It’s a great way to see Halong Bay away from the busy junk boat routes – and with trekking in the jungle as well as a beach you can’t really go far wrong!’ We use the excellent Cat Ba Sunrise Hotel.
Cat Ba Island
