Output file - La Residence Hue

TravelAgent
FebrUary 25, 2013
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Destinations
PaCifiC-asia
Temple in hoi An,
a city designated
a UnESCo World
heritage Site in 1999.
Central Vietnam
Insider access to the region’s top hotels, beaches and attractions.
Think oF Vietnam and the bustling
streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh
(Saigon) instantly spring to mind. But
there is another side to this beautiful country that offers a much quieter,
calmer, and more relaxed welcome to
travelers who want to mix sun, sand
and seafood with temples, history and
culture.
Halfway between these two great
cities,Vietnam’s beguiling Central
Coast is not only blessed with some of
the finest beaches in Southeast Asia, but
is also home to many important and
authentic cultural attractions. Thanks
to new nonstop Korean Air service
between Seoul and Danang, the Central Coast’s international gateway and a
rapidly growing beach resort destination,Vietnam is suddenly as compelling
a vacation option as Phuket and Bali.
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, the old trading
port of Hoi an (www.vietnamtourism.
com/disan/en), about 20 miles south
of Danang, is a national treasure. Dating
back to the 16th and 17th centuries,
and influenced at various times by Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, English, French,
and Portuguese traders, the ancient
town is a maze of beautifully preserved
merchant homes, temples and muse-
16 | TravelAgent | www.travelagentcentral.com | FEBRUARY 25, 2013
ums as well as bustling shops, bars and
restaurants. Tip: A $5 entry ticket allows
access to five cultural sites in town.
Hoi An is famous for its fast turnaround and high quality tailors, the best
being Yaly Couture (www.yalycouture.
com) at 47 Tran Phu Street. Ngan Xua
Art Gallery, situated at 95 Tran Phu
Street, offers striking lacquered paintings, while Metiseko (www.metiseko.
com), at 3 Chau Thuong Van Street,
sells beautifully crafted home wares.
Another must-see is the ancient
temple complex of My Son, nestled
in a lush valley about 30 miles from
Hoi An. Lost to the wider world for
centuries until they were rediscovered
by French archeologists in 1898, the
1,500-year-old brick-built temples
are a cornerstone of Vietnam’s Cham
culture.
The intriguing Marble Mountains,
five miles south of Danang, are a group
of five marble and limestone hills that
became a stronghold for Viet Cong
rebels during the Vietnam War. Today,
visitors can climb one of these mountains to see caves, tunnels and pagodas
that still remain intact.
The Nam Hai Hotel
Danang is humming with new hotel
and golf developments, but by far
the best place to stay is The Nam Hai
(www.thenamhai.com), about 20 miles
south of the city, an exceptional beachfront resort having 60 one-bedroom
villas and 40 pool villa residences, many
with direct access to the beautiful Ha
My Beach.
Ignacio Maza, EVP of Signature
Travel Network, describes The Nam
Hai as “a masterpiece of modern Asian
design” and recommends requesting a
villa with a private pool.
“The hotel has two main restaurants,” he says, “one by the sea offering
fresh seafood and lighter fare, and the
main restaurant, which serves a creative
East-West fusion menu, with an open
kitchen layout.
“One of the resort’s standout features
is the spa, which has won awards in
a region known for its excellent spas.
Make sure you book treatments for
your clients in advance to avoid disappointment,” Maza adds.
Maurice Bonham-Carter, president
and CEO of ID Travel Group, says the
luxe pool villas on the north side of the
resort, close to the beach, are his pick
of accommodations. “The views across
the water to the Cham Islands are spectacular,” he says.
“The exceptional breakfast with its
Vietnamese specialties changes daily,”
he adds. “My advice would be—let the
server choose for you, everything is
delicious, and you will never have had
anything like it for breakfast before.”
Agents can reach out to Albert
Deluxe room at
La Residence Hotel &
Spa in Hue
The ancient
temple of My
Son, 30 miles
from Hoi An
Lafuente (dosm@thenamhai.com), The
Nam Hai’s director of resort sales and
marketing, with any queries.
The City of Hue
About 50 miles north of Danang, Hue
has a rich imperial history extending from the vast Citadel of Hue on
the banks of the Perfume River to the
Nguyen Tombs and more than 300
pagodas scattered throughout the city.
“Hue is the heart and soul of Vietnam and travelers should spend at least
two nights here. There’s a great deal to
see and do, and many travelers make
the mistake of rushing through it on
one-day visits from Hoi An/Danang,”
says Maza.
Hue’s centerpiece is the Imperial
City, an extraordinary complex of
palaces, pavilions, temples, gardens and
fortifications which formed the capital
of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802
until the abdication of Vietnam’s last
emperor in 1945.
Other must-sees include the Nguyen
Tombs, laid out in seven separate mausoleums south of the river, which acted
both as summer residences and final
resting places of the Nguyen Dynasty
kings. The most impressive is the tomb
of Minh Mang, who reigned from 1820
to 1841. A network of temples, palaces,
courtyards, gardens and ponds surround
the emperor’s burial site.
Hue’s unique collection of Buddhist
pagodas offers another seam of spirituality—the best examples being Thien
Mu, Tu Dam and Tu Hieu—while the
exquisite palace of An Dinh, a former
royal residence which is soon to open
to the public after an extensive renovation, provides a glimpse into the city’s
more recent imperial past.
La Residence Hotel & Spa
It’s a rare hotel that can transport guests
back to a bygone era but La Residence
Hotel & Spa (www.la-residence-hue.
com) in Hue pulls it off in spectacular style. Built in 1930 as part of the
former colonial governor’s residence
overlooking the Perfume River, this
architectural gem was restored and
re-opened in 2005 as a deluxe hotel,
and is now part of Accor Hotels’ stylish
MGallery portfolio.
The Art Deco design runs throughout the hotel from the central reception rotunda, flanked by two wings, to
Continued on page 18
FEBRUARY 25, 2013 | www.travelagentcentral.com | TravelAgent | 17
Destinations
Continued from page 17
Le Gouverneur Bar, Le Parfum dining
room, formal gardens, swimming pool,
and 122 guest rooms and suites.
Signature Travel Network’s Ignacio
Maza recommends booking rooms
facing the Perfume River or the pool/
garden area. “If your clients want larger
rooms with more atmosphere and oneof-a-kind layouts,” he adds, “I recommend one of the ‘colonial’ rooms and
suites in the main building, especially
ones facing the pool.”
Agents can direct any questions
about La Residence to Phan Trong
Minh (resa@la-residence-hue.com),
on travel agentcentral .com
FiRst-tiMe visitors to this region
may prefer to travel by ship.
search “Vietnam cruises” at
www.travelagentcentral.com.
MSG 618:Layout 1
1/11/13
2:59 PM
the hotel’s newly appointed general
manager.
Dining Tip: Apart from Le Parfum
at La Residence Hotel & Spa, there are
no international restaurants in Hue but
travel agent enjoyed a pleasant lunch
at Y thao Garden (www.vietnamfoodtour.com) near the Citadel. La
Carambole (www.lesjardinsdelacarambole.com) bistro is also highly
recommended.
Getting There
Korean air (www.koreanair.com) offers
daily nonstop flights to Seoul from
major U.S. gateways and four nonstop
flights a week from Seoul to Danang.
We recommend the excellent Prestige
Class (business) service on the most
spacious A380 aircraft (New York and
Los Angeles), with fully flat sleeper
seats, a super efficient cabin crew and
two private bar lounges.
Page 1
AgentADvIce
For any journey in Vietnam, ID Travel
Group’s Maurice Bonham-Carter recommends allowing twice as much time
as you would expect, or are told to
expect, and do not drive yourself. “Besides wanting to stop and see things,”
he says, “the roads are bad, and traffic is 10-to-one in favor of scooters and
motor bikes over four-wheel vehicles…
weaving in and out of traffic.” Besides,
he adds, “A local guide will enhance
your journey and is not expensive.”
Signature Travel Network’s
Ignacio Maza recommends riding on
Hue’s traditional cyclos (pedicabs) to
experience daily life in the city. “Hue
is much less crowded than Saigon or
Hanoi, making a cyclo ride here much
more pleasant,” he says.
—Andrew ConwAy
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18 | TravelAgent | www.travelagentcentral.com | FEBRUARY 25, 2013
*Conditions Apply: Prices do not include airfare. Special promotions valid on new bookings only.
Prices are per person, based on double occupancy accommodations. Tour and land packages do not
include meals unless otherwise indicated. Savings reflect land prices only and vary by resort and travel
dates. Resort credits are not redeemable for cash. Availability is limited. Rates and/or package prices
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travel 4/1-4/30/13. CST#2088177 MSG#618 SS 1/13