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

The Con Dao Archipelago lies 180 km south of Vung Tau, exposed in the South China Sea. Its isolation makes it unsurprising that Con Son, its main island, was a penal colony until 1975.  Today the small town that has developed round the remains of the penal colony is friendly and attractive. The group has evergreen trees and cool sea breezes. Dolphins jumping and playing round the boat when you visit Con Dao’s smaller islands. Photo by: Cmicblog

With potential infrastructure already in place, major tourist development is inevitable unless Con Dao as a whole is elevated from its present National Park to full-blooded UNESCO World Heritage status. The dense forest cover -especially the humid forest growing above 500 m – is pristine. Over 1,000 hectares of Con Dao’s living coral reefs survive in shallow waters. The terrestrial and marine biodiversity is colossial: Con Dao’s habitants attract hawksbill and green turtles and dugong among 1,300 species of sea animals. Photo by: vinh_hcmc

When to go: Con Dao’s climate is governed by the convergence of warm and cool ocean currents. Frequent, violent storms hit the archipelago’s western side from June to September, then reverse to hit the eastern side form October to December. Come between March and early June when the sea is at its most calm. Population: 5,000. Photo by: John Patrick Tobin

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.

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.

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 Dalat Palace Golf Club is a golf retreat that soothes the senses, invigorates the body and calms the mind.

Visitors to Dalat are reminded of the days when the pursuit of leisure was an art form. Now with the opening of Dalat Palace Golf Club, this same pursuit of leisure has returned to the majestic and temperate highlands of Vietnam.

Since the opening of Dalat Palace Golf Club in 1922 (originally a 9-hole course), the city has hosted golfers from around the world, including American champion Billy Casper.

The Dalat Palace Golf Club remains linked to its past by the original clubhouse, built in 1956 when the initial 9-hole club was first renovated. The clubhouse has been fully restored and remains in use today with a full pro shop, restaurant, fireplace and outdoor patio areas.

The clubhouse restaurant offers both superb Vietnamese and International cuisine. Local and expatriate staff greet members and their guests with warm, friendly smiles and service that have made Dalat a popular retreat for decades.

Areas surrounding the clubhouse are landscaped into beautiful gardens, respecting another fine Dalat tradition. Vistas from the clubhouse offer a wonderful canvas of terraced fields & pine trees.

At 7,009 yards in length and par 72, Dalat Palace Golf Club is an enjoyable challenge for golfers of all levels. Low handicap players will be tested by a series of lakes, which meander through ten of eighteen holes, as well as strategically placed bunkers, which penalize the miscalculating risk-taker. Novice players will find relief with large accommodating greens normally left open for run-up approach shots, as well as wide, forgiving fairways.

Dalat Palace Golf Club features par 3’s ranging in length from 164 to 234 yards and par 5’s up to 556 yards. These varied lengths allow a true examination of one’s golfing skills, and require that players use each club in their bag – the hallmark of a great golf course.

Four different tee areas on each hole allow players to determine their own degree of challenge on the course. A full practice area complements the golf course, with an open 290-yard driving range, a putting green, and practice bunkers. The Dalat Palace Golf Club is the only golf course in South East Asia with bent grass tees, fairways and greens – considered to be the ultimate playing surface in golf. The large, undulating bent grass greens are maintained to impeccable standards.

They present a friendly challenge unto themselves and once the pace and trueness become familiar players will agree that they are truly among the finest greens in Asia.

Dalat Palace Golf Club is managed by Jeff Puchalski, PGA A-13 and is fully owned and operated by Dalat Resort Incorporation (DRI), a joint venture between Lam Dong Tourist and Danao International Holdings Ltd, a privately-held US-based company.

Memberships to Dalat Palace Golf Club are available and begin at US$ 13,800 for individuals and Annual memberships are available at US$ 2,000 a year. Family and Corporate memberships are also available, with all memberships transferable (except annual memberships).

Corporate nominees can be re-nominated. All memberships are subject to the approval of Club Management.

Getting there – Vietnam Airlines operates daily flights to/from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a 40 minute flight via the newly built 66 seater, French ATR 72’s. If you prefer to see the countryside, traveling via road from Saigon is a leisurely four hour drive through Vietnam’s scenic rural landscapes, plantations, rivers and mountain passes.

The Sofitel Dalat Palace epitomizes the seductive charms of Dalat. It is one of the few remaining historical hotels in Asia. Truly a Palace in every sense of the word, the hotel is amongst the few other 5-Star hotels in Vietnam. It offers the finest European atmosphere, amenities and service.

Built in 1922, it has been for decades the most beautiful hotel in Southeast Asia. The Sofitel Dalat Palace has been entirely renovated to its former glory. Special emphasis was made to maintain its colonial style, preserving its unique and charming historical place in Vietnam.

Local legend says that long ago when the Vietnamese were fighting Chinese invaders, the gods sent a family of dragons to help defend the land. This family of dragons descended upon what is now Ha Long Bay (hence the name “Bay of Descending Dragons”) and began spitting out jewels and jade. These jewels turned into the islands and islets dotting the bay, linking together to form barriers against the invaders. The people kept their land safe and formed what later became the country of Vietnam.

This myth is in line with the Vietnamese myth of their origin Con Rong Chau Tien. This myth describes the union between a king (representing the dragon) and his bride (representing a goddess) giving birth to 100 children which are the ancestors of the Vietnamese people. The Ha Long myth illustrate the Vietnamese belief of their origin and the fact that throughout their history, they are aided by their ancestors, the dragon and the gods, in the defense of their land.

Google Earth Placemark – Ha Long – Bay of the Descending Dragon