Hotel Taj West End is Bangalore’s unique 5 star deluxe category hotel, situated near the city center. Set amongst 20 acres of blooming colorful gardens creating a relaxing, peaceful atmosphere. The hotel is centrally located – just 36 km from the domestic and international airports and close to the city’s prime commercial.

The Taj West End Hotel offers a total of 122 rooms. These include superior rooms, luxury rooms, Taj club rooms and Taj club premium rooms. Sleek and stylish, all guestrooms at Taj West End offer luxurious comfort and excellent amenities.

Room Facilities: Alarm Clock, Hairdryers Available, Room Service, Mini Bar, Safe Deposit Box, Television with Cable, DVD Players.

The hotel offers excellent business amenities to the corporate travelers. There are 5 meeting rooms which can accommodate 30 to 450 guests.

Dining options include the Blue Bar, situated amidst water gardens, and the Vietnamese Blue Ginger restaurant.

You can workout at the state-of-the-art gymnasium, have a bracing dip in the swimming pool, relax at the sauna or indulge in the game of tennis at your leisure. Spa services may be requested.

Ha Long Bay, 170 km from Hanoi, blends earth, sea and sky into one of the world’s most iconic beauty spots. Cat Ba, the biggest of a mini archipelago of 366 islands, typifies the breathtaking rock relief and bizarre rock formations of the Ha Long World National Heritage Reserve: 2,000 large and small islands with cliffs towering a sheer 50-100 m from the shallow sea. Photo by: Fulco

Cat Ba’s mountains interior is covered by tropical moist limestone forest, but its spectacular scenery also features coral terraces, sandy beaches, freshwater wetlands, tidal flats, mangrove forests and willow swamp. Archelogical evidence shows farmers and fishermen have lived here for 6, 000 years. Cat Ba’s 1986 designation as a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve – the first in Vietnam to include both terrestrial and marine ecosystems – as well as many rare speciesof plant, mammal and bird. Photo by: mamacu

Cat Ba is a widely popular destination for short holidays, but most visitors remain near the hotels ad bars lining Cat Ba town’s waterfront strip, the lively beaches of Cat Co and Cat Dua. Besides the golden – headedor Cat Ba langur, for which the island is the last sanctuary on earth, you might see the rhesus macacque, the southern serow, leopard cat, oriental giant squirrel, sea-eagle and massed formations of butterflies. Photo by: K_BoT

When to go: Year-round. Population: 13,500. How to get there: By bus/car from Hanoi or Haiphong to Ha Long City, then by water-tazi or tour boat to Cat Ba town. Photo by: hkpmhkpm

Ha Long Bay is one of the world’s greatest scenes of natural beauty. Turquoise waters, gigantic limestone outcrops, echoing caves and secluded bays. The great number of tourists who visit Vietnam (around 90%) will end up at Halong Bay, a huge stretch of coastline containing nearly 2′000 islands of varying size. Surrounding many of the islands are floating villages – small communities of locals who have probably never lived on solid ground.

Above is one of many floating schools to be found around the shores, flanked by school boats, the floating village’s equivalent to a school bus. If you can’t read the sign this construction was funded by the embassy of united kingdom through the national fund for vietnamese children.

Situated in the heart of Lam Son Square in Ho chi Minh, the Park Hyatt Saigon Hotel, one of the most reputed 5 stars Hotels in Vietnam. The hotel is within walking distance of cultural and historical sites, Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon and Ben Thanh Market.

Xuan Spa offers seven private rooms with recreational facilities include a fitness studio and a 20-metre swimming pool amidst a beautifully landscaped tropical garden.

252 luxurious  rooms and suites are at Park Hyatt standard: AC, ceiling fan,  telephones, multi-channel flat TV, mini-bars, electronic key systems, in-room safes, tea/coffee-making facilities, hair-dryers. The rooms and bath are spacious and immaculate.You will get various facilities as regards dining, business and recreational facilities.

The restaurant features a large show kitchen with a wood-burning pizza oven and a glass wine case with a boutique wine selection from Toscana, Veneto, Sicilia and Umbria. Square One: a stylish restaurant featuring Vietnamese and Western cuisine complemented by a bar, four private dining areas and an outdoor terrace.

Sport and  Recreation: Massage, Jacuzzi,Gym/Fitness Facilities,Pool Outdoor, Spa, Garden, Six meeting rooms, Designer retail shop, Nursery for Children.

I have written many times about the miraculous country called Cambodia. But this time I will present a really different look of the country. To many tourists Cambodia means only two things: the majestic temples of Angkor Wat and the Killing Fields of Phnom Penh. But the southern coast of the country is ”Another Cambodia” and during the recent years emerged as an alternative to the heavily trafficked beaches of Thailand.

Some people said that almost every place in Cambodia has a ghost story attached to it. This is why Cambodian people practice Theravada Buddhism. Their Gods are able to cross between the border of the world. When you are in Cambodia I strongly recommended you to go in Kep, where a series of funky bamboo and wood tree houses, many with terrific views of the Gulf of Thailand and the Vietnamase island Phu Quoc.

The image shows Rajana in Sihanoukville, a chain of nonprofit stores with wonderful textiles and some clothing and knickknacks. Sihanoukville is a place with white sands, authentic shops and non-restaurant-based night life.

If you stroll down to Serendipity Beach will bring you in contact with fire throwers, mystics, British Vogue photographers, sex tourists and many, many opportunities to indulge in something called a “vodka bucket.” Several airlines, including Cathay Pacific (with a stop in Hong Kong) and Korean Air (with a stop in Seoul), have flights from Kennedy Airport in New York, with round-trip fares in April starting at about $1,300, based on a recent Web search.

Laos or the Lao People’s Democratic Public is a landlocked country in southeast Asia, offering an untouched glimpse of traditional life.

In Laos, a bungalow is the best place to enjoy sunset along the Nam Song River. the town is famous for its adventure destination, due to the many options for kayaking and caving.

The road from Ban Beng to Tha Taeng in southeastern Laos, where is possible to bump into  the indochinese tiger, the giant gaur and the Asian elephant.

Fresg vegetables are available at the main market called Talat Nyai in Attapeu.

A vendor at the Attapeu market. The Lao economy is heavily dependent on investment and trade with its neighbors, Thailand, Vietnam, and, especially in the north, China. Pakxe has also experienced growth based on cross-border trade with Thailand and Vietnam. Much of the country, however, lacks adequate infrastructure. Laos has no railways, except a short link to connect Vientiane with Thailand over the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge.

Children jumping in Cai Lay!Going downstream the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam affords a kind of eye-level communion, whcih you can't get on a bus or train.

Most of the delta's roads are built atop narrow levees so the only way to get round is by bike. These are rice paddies near by the village Thu Thua.

Clothing, fruits, souvenirs and much more can be found in the trading post of Cai Be.

The game Pick-up soccer in Cai Be is playing on a field enclosed with hand-tied nets.

A farmer cuts lemon grass to sell at the Cai Lay market.

Seattle Asian Museum reopens its doors two week ago. The institution used to be housed in an old garage and now is really fantastic home for Seattle’s Chinatown district. This museum is unique from its a self-created tribute to a hyphenated existence.

As well as the museum is called after Wing Luke, a Seattle city councilman who died in a plane crash in 1965. The museum will be a cultural home for local Asian-Americans, paying homage to their accomplishments and recounting how they overcame the many obstacles once thrown in their way.

Like many other identity museums, this one proudly presents some mainstream accomplishments: a shaving brush, a suitcase, an iron, a waiter’s uniform. But one of the museum’s most attractive artifacts is a 15-by-30-foot theatrical curtain on which is painted an array of advertisements for local Japanese businesses. The Yick Fung Company, are also here, moved from a block away when the store closed. In the store’s prime the bottles of bean paste that might have made their way to the Chinese restaurants of the Northwest would have been accompanied by offers of taxi services, haircuts and steamship tickets to China.

The museum also has a balconied room on a top floor where traditional Chinese family associations would meet. The room is decorated with tin ceiling and original paintings and Chinese landscapes mixing with American scenes.

There’re a theater for small events, a library and a community hall with a catering kitchen and multimedia system. Even the exhibitions are “community based,” as the museum puts it. In coming months a series of small galleries will provide exhibitions about Filipino, Vietnamese and Cambodian cultures.

The Wing Luke Asian Museum is at 719 South King Street, Seattle

Today in Vietnam golf is becoming more popular. One of the greatest golf club there is the Dalat Palace, which sits in the heart of the small old city at 5,000 feet above sea level. There are a dozen clubs or courses and as many as 30 more are being planned.

The Sofitel Dalat Palace is in fact a renovated palace of the Francophile emporer Bao Dai’s, with breathtaking views over the lake that touch the golf course. With its quiet staff and air of formality, it is the kind of place where whispering seems most appropriate.

Squeezed between the South China Sea and the largely unimpressive southern city of Phan Thiet, a slow, four-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City, Ocean Dunes is essentially a renovated 1980s Russian beach hotel with a golf course out back. The Ocean Dunes course, designed by Nick Faldo, has a more Floridian feel. Ocean Dunes is a narrow corridor of palm trees ending on a green with stunning views of the water. The greens at Ocean Dunes are aerated by hand.

Located directly on the beach on 26 000 square meters of tropical gardens overlooking the sea in Nha trang, Ana Mandara reminiscent of an old Vietnamese village and furnished with native woods and rattan, The Six Senses spa with designer outdoor massage areas at seaside, excellent service, fine cuisine and a host of activities, means that there’s something for everyone, combine to make this one of Vietnam’s top resorts. From the moment you step foot in this your “home away from home” a truly unforgettable sense of warmth can be felt from the welcome alone. The name means “beautiful home for the guests” in the Cham language and though it comes with a price tag, the hospitality and kindness extended here is quite sincere. The delicate blend of graceful architecture and gracious service, peaceful atmosphere and captivating scenery, Ana Mandara offers a unique experience in simplicity, serenity and refinement. Relaxing on the white sandy beach, listening to the lapping of the waves will soon make any worries disappear.

The Ana Mandara Resort comprises of 17 villas containing 74 well-appointed guest rooms. Making up the 74 rooms are 35 Garden View rooms, 11 Sea view rooms, 24 Deluxe rooms, and 4 Suites – Ana Mandara Villas. The rooms and villas at the resort have their own private terrace along with all amenities and comforts of a five star resort. Each room is double-height and airy with wood beams, rattan ceiling, stylish furniture, and designer tile floors. All rooms features IDD telephone, in-room safe, satellite TV, mini-bar, coffee/tea making facilities, hairdryer, stationery kit, newspapers. When you check in, the bed sheets are set up in the most exquisite fan pattern, with flowers artfully scattered and a draping mosquito net over your private canopy. Bathrooms have a large window facing a private outdoor enclosure, like your own Zen garden. Thirty-six units face the beach, and others face a courtyard with lush, exotic plants.

And it’s the little things that make this resort special: native art and handiwork all about, the bowl with floating flowers in the bathroom, the basin of rainwater on your private veranda for rinsing sandy feet, the burning incense in the open-air lobby.
Enjoy traditional Vietnamese and international cuisine by chef Jim Tawa at the Evason Ana Mandara restaurant. The chef and his team work to produce a selection of dishes that allow east to meet west, while providing endless culinary experiences. To compliment the dining options, we offer a wine list that covers many recognized wine producing regions plus some new world sources.

The Tet Festival is a long standing tradition for Asian communities worldwide, and the year 2007 marks the 25th Lunar New Year celebration for the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California. Beginning in 1982, in recognizing the cultural significance of Tet, UVSA organizes an annual celebration of Tet for Southern California in order to maintain a core tradition of the Vietnamese community.
Tet Festival in San Diego entitled “Spring of Hope”. proud to bring the biggest The Kids Tet Festival back to Qualcomm Stadium! VAYA hopes to take the festival to even greater heights by creating an ambiance that depicts true Tet in Vietnam and to increase the number of attendees from the broader communities. Pageant Show is created to allow young Vietnamese American to show the true beauty, talent, and essence of their Vietnamese Culture. Winners will be judged on, but not limited to: punctuality, charisma, ability to comfortably speak in Vietnamese, ability to answer questions, ability to sing, and most importantly, the knowledge of his/her culture. If interested, please read guidelines and rules for participation and mail complete application with picture to the VAYA office no later than Saturday 1/20/2007.

“Tet” – Lunar New Year in Vietnam – is the most important festival tradition, observed by all Vietnamese, even those abroad. Every family in Vietnam, whether they have money or not still tries to buy traditional goods such as flowers, sweets and square rice cakes for this special occasion.

Morocco is the most exotic country within easy reach of the United Kingdom, yet it remains enigmatic, uncrowded and full of the mysteries of the “east”. Rabat is the capital of Morocco with an ever-growing population of nearly one million people!

Hassan Tower or Tour Hassan (Arabic) is the minaret of an incomplete mosque in Rabat, Morocco. Begun in 1195, the tower was intended to be the largest minaret in the world along with the mosque, also intended to be the world’s largest. Begun in 1195, the minaret was intended to be the largest in the Muslim world, soaring some 86m (260ft) into the sky. Construction was abandoned, however, upon the death of the sultan, Yacoub al-Mansour, in 1199 and the tower instead rises to just 44m. Tour Hassan is located along the banks of Bou Regreg River.
The mosque should have been the largest of the Islamic world : 312 columns and 42 marble pillars. It would have been larger than the Giralda of Seville and the Koutoubia of Marrakesh. When Sultan Yacoun El Mansour died in 1199, the half finished mosque was abandoned. The rest of the mosque was also left incomplete, with only the beginnings of several walls and 200 columns being constructed.

The Mausoleum, a beautiful white marble building designed by the Vietnamese architect Vo Toan and built in the 1960’s, houses the tomb of King Mohamed V and some of his family, namely his son, King Hassan II. Mohamed V figure is much respected in Morocco because he his considered the main responsible for the independence from the French, who effectively ruled the country since the late 19th century until 1956. The tower, along with the remains of the mosque and the modern Mausoleum of Mohamed-5, forms the most important historical and tourist complex in Rabat.

Grand Hyatt Dubai offers a first for a Dubai hotel – the concept of a city resort which includes first-class recreational facilities such as a Zen-inspired Grand Spa, tennis, 2 squash courts, yoga and pilates classes, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and jogging track set. A supervised childrens club is available for children of 4-12 years.The hotel is situated close to the city centre and just minutes from Dubai International Airport.

Grand Hyatt Dubai features 674 hotel guest rooms and suites, luxuriously appointed and classically-styled, yet in keeping with the ever changing needs of the international traveller, each providing ultra-modern digital technology andGrand Hyatt Dubai features 674 hotel guest rooms and communications.

Within the hotel, 14 restaurants, bars and cafes offer a selection of Dubai’s finest cuisine.With a choice of authentic, international dining including Italian, sushi and noodle bar,Vietnamese, Singaporean, Lebanese, coffee shop and bakery/deli and a fine American grill restaurant, as well as wine and cocktails bars and MIX, a multi-levelled nightlife complex, Grand Hyatt Dubai offers a one-stop entertainment hub.

Room Facilities

* AM/FM Alarm Clock
* Coffee Maker in Room
* Hairdryers Available
* Mini Bar
* Non-Smoking Rooms/Facilities
* Room Service
* Safe Deposit Box
* Television with Cable
* Air Conditioning
* Private Bathroom
* Internet Access

Hotel Facilities

* Concierge
* 24 Hour Front Desk
* Handicapped Rooms/Facilities
* Free Parking
* Laundry/Valet Services
* Tour Desk

Dining & Entertainment

* Bar/Lounge
* Restaurant

Sports & Leisure

* Pool
* Fitness Center and Spa

Meeting Facilities

* Business Center