VIETNAM-First, it earned the label “Nha Trang’s only 5-star international hotel.”Then, it opened The Altitude, the highest bar in this city on one of the world’s most beautiful bays (www.world-bays.com).

Now, the 30-story Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel is raising the bar again, by catering to the development of Nha Trang in a way no other property on Vietnam’s south-central coast can.

Last month, the year-old hotel unveiled its plush apartments and penthouses — inventory that positions this Sheraton as the address of choice for those shaping the new Nha Trang.

“Business is booming here,” said Debbie Chee, Sheraton Nha Trang’s director of sales and marketing. “It’s no secret people are moving here to participate in the area’s growth spurt. We’re hearing from them, and what they’re saying is they want somewhere comfortable to stay for a week, for a month, sometimes longer.”

“At the moment, we’re the only place in Nha Trang capable of providing the standard of accommodation and services most of these temporary residents are looking for.”

The appeal of the apartments is in their spacious and airy living areas — all five units feature a kitchenette adjacent to a lounge and dining room with sweeping views of Nha Trang Bay.

Other amenities include a powder room; bathroom with separate bathtub and rain shower; wireless and broadband data ports; and at least two flat screen LCD televisions per unit.

“The three two-bedroom apartments are especially attractive,” Chee says, “because they are split over two levels and have real design character. Each one has a different floor plan due to the shape of the building.”

The twin 180-square-meter penthouses also enable split-story living, but include additional luxuries such as generous studies, private elevator access and an expansive communal balcony that drinks in the most spectacular panorama in Nha Trang.

Another benefit to guests of these new room categories: Access to the only club lounge along Vietnam’s lengthy coastline — the Sheraton Club Lounge, a private sanctuary on the 25th floor with indoor and outdoor seating areas and complimentary daily refreshments, breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails and canapés.

“Our club lounge is a chill-out spot,” says Chee. “It’s a place where you can go and enjoy a drink while watching TV, read a newspaper or magazine, maybe surf the Internet on your iPad, or just step outside for some fresh air and sea views.”

“We’re trying to change the perception that if you have a club lounge you’re a business hotel. Our club lounge is like being in your own living room, only you have the option to interact with hotel guests.”

The towering Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa opened in March 2010 as the first Sheraton in Vietnam outside of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

In less than a year, the hotel has won recognition from Conde Nast Traveller India (‘Top 5 Beach Spas in Asia’) and made Travel + Leisure’s list of the ’Best Affordable Beach Resorts’ in the world

For a long time, Hue has been famous for many beautiful and ancient landscapes, and one of them is the Perfume River.

Perfume River flows mildly like a silk range and leads to Vy Da garden, Thien Mu pagoda, Bach Yen River and Huyen Khong pier one after another. All of these four destinations are magnificent, peaceful and ancient.

Along with those beautiful and romantic scenes, Huế is also famous for many pleasure activities, which are very interesting such as “Releasing boat”, “Playing with the moon”, “Hue singing”, “Sleeping on boat ”and“ Playing with verse All these activities are associated with Perfume River and only have in Hue.

“Sleeping on the boat” is just a name, since nobody come to the boats for sleeping but only for enjoying the cool wind, watching the moon and the sky and listening to the beautiful songs.

“Playing with verse” is a literary gamble, which enquires players to be very intelligent as well as to have good plans and strategies. The interesting point of the game is that players cannot only make use of all knowledge about literature that they have but also learn many new things from others.

Huế singing is originated from the combination of traditional music and royal music. This elegant and attractive kind of music is really worth listening. Tourists would have a chance to sit on the imperial boats that kings and lords used to be seated in the old time.

In the hold of the boat, there is an imposing orchestra includes nearly all kinds of Vietnamese traditional musical instruments.

The bandsmen as well as the singers are still very young, and they all wear “áo dài”, the Vietnamese traditional clothes. On the prow of the boats, there is a wide and airy space for enjoying the moonlight and the fresh air.

When the night falls down, Perfume River becomes more fantastic. The lamplight spreads on the river just like silver. The winds blow softly and the boat floats slowly. Everything makes travelers feel so peaceful.

In the distance across the river, Thien Mu pagoda appears vaporously, Phuoc Duyen tower looks like being laminated with the moonlight. The scene is so charming and romantic.

Having a night on Perfume River, listening to Hue singing and enjoying the fresh cool air along with the beautiful scenes around, tourists would discover some feelings that could only be found in Huế.

Source: SGGP

Cat Tien National Park

The Management Board of the Dong Nai Nature Reserve and Cultural Site on Monday announced that the Cat Tien National Garden has been recognized by UNESCO as Vietnam’s seventh World Biosphere Reserve, according to local media.

This information was released by the Management Board of the Dong Nai Nature Reserve and Cultural Site on July 18.

Accordingly, the Cat Tien Biosphere Reserve has been upgraded to the Dong Nai World Biosphere Reserve.

Cat Tien primeval forest is home to 1,700 rare plants and more than 700 animals, many of which are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of endangered animals, including the one-horned rhino, peacocks, ostrich and pheasant.

It is also the homeland for 11 ethnic minorities and a model for multipurpose preservation offering the sustainable development of both people and the environment based on biological and cultural diversity.

The recent recognition of Vietnam ’s Ho Dynasty Citadel by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage brought the number of world natural, cultural and documentary heritages possessed by Vietnam to 15.

Of the three world natural heritages, Halong Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh was honoured as a wonderful masterpiece of nature with 1,969 islands.

With an outstanding landscape, the 1,553 sq. km bay was officially placed on the list of the World Natural Heritage by UNESCO in 1994. Six years later, it was recognised as a World Natural Heritage by the organisation for the second time for its geological and geomorphological values.

Boasting a unique beauty of limestone mountains, the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park in the central province of Quang Binh was included in the list of World Natural Heritage in 2003 for its geological and geomorphological values. It was also being proposed for inscription into the list for a second time, in terms of biological diversity.

Covering an area of 2,350 sq. km, Dong Van Stone Plateau in the northern province of Ha Giang is home to 45 geomorphological heritages, 33 tectonic heritages and numerous fossils in the sedimentary stone strata. The plateau was honoured by UNESCO in 2010.

To date Vietnam had ten world cultural heritages, including five tangible cultural ones – the imperial city of Hue, the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty which was recognised in 1993; Hoi An Old Quarters, a busy trading port between the 16 th century and the 19 th century and My Son holy land, the central prayer and worship ceremony place of Cham Pa reigns in the central province of Quang Nam recognised in 1999; Thang Long Royal Citadel, constructed by Vietnam’s dynasties which won the recognition in 2010; and the only stone citadel in Vietnam – the Citadel of the Ho Dynasty, which was recognised in 2011.

Five world intangible cultural heritages were Hue Royal court music recognised in 2003, the cultural space of gongs in the Central Highlands region in 2005, the Bac Ninh love duet folk music and the ceremonial singing in 2009, and the Giong festival in 2010.

Hue Royal court music was often played in royal festivals under the Nguyen Dynasty between the 17 th century and the 19 th century.

The cultural space of gongs in the Central Highlands was a special activity closely tied to community cultural rituals and ceremonies of ethnic groups in Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong provinces.

Meanwhile, with the diversified tunes and singing contents, love duet singing, often performed on the occasion of lunar New Year in villages, reflected the colourful life and outstanding cultural features of Kinh Bac people.

The ceremonial singing was an traditional genre of music featuring female vocalists who sang while playing music on bamboo tablets. It was especially popular in the 15 th century.

The Giong festival was held annually in several parts of northern Vietnam , most typically in the Phu Dong and Soc Temples in Hanoi , to commemorate Saint Giong, one of the immortal quartet in Vietnamese legends.

Vietnam also had two UNESCO world documentary heritages, including 82 stone stelae engraved with names of doctorate holders during the Le and Mac dynasties (1442-1779) in the Temple of Literature .

The stelae were placed on the lists of the World Documentary Heritage in Asia-Pacific in 2010 and the World Memory in 2011.

Another heritage was the wood blocks used for rudimentary printing during the Nguyen dynasty era (1802-1945).

Apart from their historical values, the blocks were also artistically and technically precious, since they marked the beginning and development of wood-block carving and printing in Vietnam . They entered the list of the World Memory in 2009.

Source: VN