Why Vietnam? Top Ten Reasons to Visit Vietnam

Vietnam has a wealth of attractions that make it one of the must-visit destinations in the world. It is a beautiful country with a stunning coastline, highland areas inhabited by colorful hill tribes, miles of lush green rice paddies, several World Heritage sites, a rich imperial history, delectable cuisine and fun-loving, friendly people.

Here are the top ten reasons to visit Vietnam, selected by Anita Sach of Luxury Travel and five star Emperor Cruises www.facebook.com/emperorcruises .

1. The people
It goes without saying that Vietnam is a particularly beautiful country, but this is enhanced by its people, who are hardworking, forward looking, hospitable and who have a wonderful sense of humour.

2. The variety
Vietnam is a country of contrasts with its lush green patchwork of rice paddies, dramatic mountains, unspoiled coastline and the watery worlds of the Mekong and Red River deltas. Other top attractions include the enigmatic limestone karsts in Halong Bay, bustling Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, laidback Hue and also Hoi An.

3. The accommodation
Whatever your budget there is somewhere to stay that is perfect for you from simple mini-hotels, through to welcoming mid-range hotels, stylish boutique hotels and smart international chains.

4. The food
Vietnamese food combines the best of Thai and Chinese cuisines with a twist of French heritage and Vietnamese creativity. Seafood is fresh and a hearty bowl of pho a must. Whether you choose to dine in a roadside café with the kitchen out front where you can watch your selection being freshly cooked or in a chic restaurant in an old colonial mansion, you won’t be disappointed. Of course, if you are hankering for a burger, curry or pizza, you won’t have to look far.

5. The culture
Culture vultures won’t know where to start! Take in ancient temples and pagodas such as the Temple of Literature in Hanoi, the Jade Emperor in Ho Chi Minh City and Cao Dai temple in Tay Ninh. In Hue, wander round the intriguing, beautifully landscaped tombs of the Nguyen dynasty emperors and try to imagine how the imperial palace would have looked in its heyday.

6. Colonial history
Wherever you look you will see the remnants of the French colonial period from the freshly baked French-style bread to the gorgeous old villas in the former hill stations. Dalat could be a typical Provencal town surrounded by alpine scenery. The hill tribes selling vegetables in the market are a reminder that you are actually in Vietnam.

7. Luxury journeys
With new luxury hotels and world-class golf courses opening as well as helicopter tours and sea plane flights over Halong Bay Vietnam is fast emerging as the world’s latest luxury destination. For train lovers, the evocatively named Victoria Orient Reunification Express is a must.

8. Cruising
From the decks of a smart river cruiser, enjoy viewing river life as you cruise along the waterways from the Mekong delta deep into Cambodia or overnight on Halong Bay.

9. Shopping
Leave plenty of space in your suitcase for those must-have items, clothes, silk bags and lacquerware all of which can be found in the colourful markets. Enter into the fun by bargaining hard!

10. Authenticity
Travelers always want new and exotic experiences, plus value, both in terms of personal value and value for money. They seek new destinations, new hotels and new experiences. They want to be the first to discover a destination. Many have moved towards a quieter understated luxury and plan their trips with a focus on authenticity and experiential travel, particularly enriching once-in-a-lifetime experiences. For travel experts, it is essentially about creating a experiential travel that is personal as well as authentic and memorable.

Service at the Highest Level

Garuda Indonesia Wins ‘World’s Best Cabin Staff’ at 2104 World Airline Awards

Garuda Indonesia has been named the Airline with “The World’s Best Cabin Staff” in the Skytrax Worlds Airline Awards.

The award was given to the Indonesian national flag carrier for the unparalleled level of service provided by Garuda cabin crew to the Airline’s passengers.

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In winning the award, Garuda beat out two other nominees: Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways.

The award ceremony naming Garuda for possessing “The World’s Best Cabin Staff 2014” formed a part of “The World Airline Awards 2014”held at the Farnborough International Airshow held in London, on Tuesday, July 15, 2014.

The CEO of Skytrax Edward Plaisted handed the award to the CEO ofGaruda Indonesia, Emirsyah Satar.

In receiving the award, Emirsyah Satar said: “The award as The World’s Best Cabin Staff’ is solid proof of hard work by the entire team, while at the same time reflecting the friendliness of the Indonesia people.”

The 2014 award from Skytrax follows Garuda winning The World’s Best Economy Class in 2013 and The World’s Best Regional Airline in 2012. The award given to Garuda is based on customer satisfaction surveys submitted by 18 million air passengers.

Emirsyah said he sees the latest award as part of the transformational program “Quantum Leap 2011-2015” that is intended to render the Indonesian flag carriers into a five-star airline in 2015.

Article attributed to http://www.balidiscovery.com.

The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Jazz

Ubud Jazz Festival August 8-9, 2014

The Ubud Jazz Festivalreturns to Ubud August 8-9, 2014 sponsored by BRI Bank.

“Awakening Indonesia” has been adopted as the theme of the Ubud Jazz Festival that will see national and international stars take to the stage.

This year’s festival will also include an important educational element, presented in cooperation with The Dutch Jazz Summer School form South Korea. From August 3-8, 40 participants will follow a jazz school held in Ubud.

The “Jazz Camp” will offer 6 course of study including guitar, drum, piano, double bass, vocal and wind instruments with special focus sessions on music theory and jam session performance.

Advance sales tickets can be purchased on line from the Festival’s website.

Among the jazz performers slated to appear at Ubud Jazz festival 2014 are Gilad Hekselman Trio (USA), Dian Pratiwi and Uwe Plath (Germany), Astrid Sulaiman and Yuri Mahatma Trio (Bali), Balawan BID Trio, Rio Sidik, The GAPPProject. Feat Dave Barlow (Australia- Indonesia), Dwiki Dharmawan (Indonesia), Erica Tucceri (Australia (Bali), Ben van den Dungen Quartet (Holland), Deborah Carter (Holland), Endo Seiji (Japan) and Chika Asamoto (Japan-Bali).

The Ubud Jazz Festival traces its roots to 2010 when the first even was held.

Ubud Jazz Festival Website

Article attributed to http://www.balidiscovery.com.

Lonely Planet guide to Vietnam

Provided by Luxury Travel Co.Ltd

A MECCA for foodies and a paradise for beach bums, Vietnam is also loaded with cultural interest

SENSORY OVERLOAD

Unforgettable experiences are everywhere in Vietnam.

There’s the sublime: gazing over a surreal seascape of limestone islands from the deck of a Chinese junk in Halong Bay.

The ridiculous: taking 10 minutes just to cross the street through a tsunami of motorbikes in Hanoi.

The inspirational: exploring the world’s most spectacular cave systems in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

The comical: watching a moped loaded with oinking pigs weave a wobbly route along a country lane.

And the contemplative: witnessing a solitary grave in a cemetery of tens of thousands of war victims.

A local noodle delicacy called cao lau.
A local noodle delicacy called cao lau.
A CULINARY SUPERPOWER

The Thais may grumble but in South-East Asia nothing really comes close: Vietnamese food is that good. Incredibly subtle in its flavours and outstanding in its diversity, Vietnamese cooking is a fascinating draw for travellers – the dozens of cooking schools in Hoi An are testament to this. Geography plays a crucial role, with Chinese flavours influencing the soups of northern Vietnam, spices sparking up southern cuisine and myriad herbs and complex techniques typifying the central region, rightly renowned as Vietnam’s epicurean epicentre.

THRILLS AND CHILLS

If you’ve got the bills, Vietnam’s got the thrills and chills. Some activities require physical effort, like motorbiking up the jaw-dropping Hai Van Pass in central Vietnam. Others require even more sweat: kitesurfing the tropical waters off Mui Ne or hiking the evergreen hills around Bac Ha or Sapa.

Kitesurfers at Mui Ne
Kitesurfers at Mui Ne
And after the adrenalin rush, relax and indulge in Vietnam’s outstanding spas – from marble temples of treatments, to simple family-run massage salons with backpacker-friendly rates.

MEET THE LOCALS

The Vietnamese are energetic, direct, sharp in commerce and resilient by nature. The locals love a laugh and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to socialise with them and hear their tales.

Generally, the rule is the more uncomfortable the (always tiny) seats in the bar or cafe, the more fun you’ll have.

Poor in parts but never squalid, Vietnam is developing at an astonishing pace and inevitably there are some issues to consider (including a few minor scams).

However, on the whole this is an extremely safe (apart from the traffic!) and wonderfully rewarding country to explore.

The Japanese Covered Bridge in Hoi An
The Japanese Covered Bridge in Hoi An
TOP FIVE

1. HOI AN

Vietnam’s most cosmopolitan and civilised town, this beautiful, ancient port is bursting with gourmet Vietnamese restaurants, hip bars and cafes, quirky boutiques and expert tailors. Immerse yourself in history in the warren-like lanes of the Old Town, shop till you drop, tour the temples and pagodas, and dine like an emperor on a peasant’s budget (and even learn how to cook like the locals). Then hit glorious An Bang Beach, wander along the riverside and bike the back roads. Yes, Hoi An has it all.

2. FOOD

Perhaps Asia’s greatest culinary secret, Vietnamese food is on the radar but hardly a global phenomenon. Essentially it’s all about the freshness of the ingredients – chefs shop twice daily to source just-picked herbs from the market.

The result? Incomparable texture and flavour combinations. For the Vietnamese, a meal should balance sour and sweet, crunchy and silky, fried and steamed, soup and salad.

Wherever you are, you’ll find exquisite local specialities – the “white rose” of Hoi An, the canh chua of the Mekong Delta or the good ol’ pho of the north.

3. MUI NE

Perhaps the adrenalin epicentre of Vietnam, the relaxed, prosperous beach resort of Mui Ne is a kitesurfing capital with world-class wind and conditions, and excellent schools for professional training.

For those who prefer dry land, sandboarding and golf are popular alternatives.

The resort itself has more than 20km of palm-fringed beachfront that stretches invitingly along the shores of the South China Sea. From guesthouses to boutique resorts, designer bars to fine-value spas, Mui Ne has a broad appeal.

Rice terraces in Sapa in the country’s northwest
Rice terraces in Sapa in the country’s northwest
4.SAPA AND THE TONKINESE ALPS

Dubbed the Tonkinese Alps by the French, the spectacular Hoang Lien Mountains soar skywards along the rugged edges of northwest Vietnam towards the Chinese border.

Shape-shifting clouds and mist ebb and flow in the mountainous area around Sapa, parting to reveal a glimpse of Fansipan, Vietnam’s highest peak. From the sinuous and spidery ridges, rice terraces cascade down into river valleys, home for several centuries to ethnic minority villages of H’mong, Red Dzao and Giay peoples.

5. HUE

The nation’s capital for 150 years in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Hue is perhaps the easiest Vietnamese city to love.

Its situation on the banks of the Perfume River is sublime, its complex cuisine is justifiably famous and its streets are relatively traffic free.

And that’s without the majesty of the Hue Citadel, with its royal residences and elegant temples, formidable walled defences and gateways.

On the city’s fringes are some of Vietnam’s most impressive pagodas and royal tombs, many in wonderful natural settings.

WHAT’S NEW

> Zone 9, Hanoi

Filling a former pharmaceutical factory with bars, galleries and art spaces, Hanoi’s Zone 9 precinct is the city’s hippest and most vibrant new destination.

> Hill Station Signature Restaurant

In chic surroundings in Sapa, learn how to cook H’mong cuisine at the Hill Station Signature Restaurant. Wash it all down with a tasting set of delicious ruou (traditional rice wine).

> Cat Ba Island Hotels

New hotels are opening up on private islands in the Cat Ba area, including Cat Ong Beach Cottages, which has its own private beach and bungalows.

GETTING THERE

Vietnam Airlines, the state-owned carrier, flies to 28 international destinations, including Australia.

Lonely Planet’s guide to Vietnam.
Lonely Planet’s guide to Vietnam.
TOP TIPS

Prepare yourself for the crazy driving: traffic can come at you every which way, and in the cities swarms of motorbikes reach biblical proportions.

Try to keep calm and consider arranging a massage after a long journey. Be aware that Vietnam has more than its fair share of scams; most concern overcharging.

Though very rare, there are some more serious dangers (like unexploded ordnance) to also be aware of. Relevant warnings are given in destinations throughout this guide.

In towns like Hue and Sapa, and beaches popular with tourists, expect plenty of hustle from street vendors, cyclo drivers and the like.

Off the beaten track there’s little or no hassle.

Kamandalu Ubud announce newly enhanced Resort

Garuda to use 'Wonderful Indonesia' logo on international-flight airplanes

The launch of the "Wonderful Indonesia" tourism logo for Garuda Indonesia aircraft was officiated on Tuesday by Tourism and Creative Economy Minister, Garuda Indonesia President Director, and Deputy Transportation Minister. 
“Up to 22 of Garuda's aircrafts will use the logo. Presently, eight of them have already attached it to the fuselage,it was reported at a press conference on Tuesday 1st July 2014.

The national flag carrier will put the logo on 11 Airbus A330-200, five Airbus A330-300, five Boeing B777-300ER and A-Check position aircrafts that fly to 17 international destinations, such as Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

This is part of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding,  concerning tourism promotion between the Tourism Ministry and Garuda Indonesia that was officially signed on Feb. 21, 2012.

Since 2008, the airline had attached the "Visit Indonesia" slogan to its aircraft

Information has been added to the website Indonesia.Travel, regarding the new logo. So if tourists ask, they can easily look it up via the website.

In addition to the logo, Garuda will also play traditional music and offer local movies during flights as part of its efforts to promote Indonesia.

Special Offers - Elite Havens, Indonesia

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