Quang Ninh bestows ‘Tourism Beach’ title on two destinations — TalkVietnam

Quang Ninh Province has recognised Soi Sim beach in Ha Long Bay and Tra Co beach in Mong Cai town as meeting standards required for tourism.





Tra Co beach (Source: dulichgo)

It now requires local authorities to display “Tourism Beach” signs and enforce rules specific to such beaches.

Both have soft sand, reliable security and rescue systems, and well-trained service teams.

The Quang Ninh Province Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has also been tasked with organising a provincial tourism logo and slogan contest in co-operation with the local Literature and Arts Association.

The department hopes to hold the contest this year with assistance from marketing consultancies.

(Viet Nam News)







Quang Ninh bestows ‘Tourism Beach’ title on two destinations — TalkVietnam

Sheraton Hotel Opens in Nha Trang, Vietnam

Sheraton Opens in Nha Trang, Vietnam

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts

One of the world’s most beautiful bays comes on display like never before next month as the Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa preps for its grand opening in this beach town on the south central coast.

The 30-story property delivers dazzling sea views from each of its 284 rooms and a collection of restaurants and bars that immediately establish Nha Trang as a culinary destination for a host of new reasons.

Three years under construction, the hotel ranks as the first internationally renown, 5-star brand to cultivate a beach destination within the country.

“This hotel is like a standing ovation on one of Vietnam’s most alluring attractions,” said Scott Hodgetts, general manager of the hotel. “I’ve been looking at this bay, and its islands, for the past two years as we fine-tuned this launch, and I’m still not tired of it. I can’t wait to see our guests’ reaction.”

The hotel’s overarching appeal is exemplified, collectively, by its 10 classes of accommodation, from spacious deluxe rooms to 70-square-meter executive suites and one awe-inspiring 182-square-meter presidential suite.

Outside every room, a balcony juts far enough to admit open-air ogling of the bay and a beach that’s been described by many guidebooks as the best in Vietnam. A Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bed is standard in every room.

The hotel’s décor exudes a deliberate, earthy warmth, with an appealing palate of tawny tones inspired by the beach. The beige and yellow hues, and the custom carpets in jute and cotton evoke familiar Asian themes.

One travel industry writer who toured the hotel prior to its Grand Opening said this about her first impression: “This Sheraton certainly sets a new bar for style.”

The Sheraton Nha Trang’s charms reach their zenith in Altitude, a multi-purpose events room on the 28th floor with panoramic views of a bay renowned as one of the world’s most beautiful (www.world-bays.com) and wonderful environs replete with hills, rivers and an array of cultural attractions.

Three floors below, the Sheraton Club Lounge, which Hodgetts describes as an awe-inspiring modern lounge, delivers a sumptuous, multi-dimensional, uplifting guest experience. Business travelers and leisure travelers who crave extra-special treatment and amenities, and who’ll be staying in a room or suite on floors 22 through 26, will check in here.

If Altitude is the hotel’s zenith, then the 6th floor is its heart and soul. The pools include an infinity-edged pool expansive enough to accommodate lap swimmers, a reflecting pool for sun deck sun soaking and a kid’s pool.

Thirsty? Turn to Plunge, where pina coladas and strawberry daiquiris rule the bartop. Tired? Perk up at Sheraton Fitness, featuring Life Fitness equipment and specially tailored regimens by Core Performance. Got the kids? Steer them into the Sheraton Adventure Club.

While the kids explore new horizons, the Cooking School — Vietnam’s first purpose-built cooking school! — beckons older guests keen to explore the culinary heritage of Vietnam.

On the 7th and 8th floors, Shine Spa makes its mainland Asia debut. In nine treatment rooms, therapists practice treatments borne of the Mediterranean, Arabia, India and Asia with a particular emphasis on Vietnamese traditions.

However attractive the Cooking School, most of the hotel’s culinary adventures will take place in a number of singular restaurants and bars. Another first at the Sheraton — this time for the entire Starwood group of hotels — is Steam ‘n Spice, a restaurant that celebrates the best of Asia’s streets with a cheery indoor space.

The hotel’s largest restaurant, Feast, is a tried-and-true culinary concept that taps the culinary heritage of Italy, India and a number of distinct Asian locales and turns out a la carte dishes a la minute.

Outside Feast, a gallery lords over the lobby. On the far side of the open space, the Wine Bar and its glass walls position casual drinkers with opportunities for both bay-watching and people-watching in the lobby below.

This same floor also features the Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft, a unique WiFi lounge launched by Sheraton last year. In the Link@Sheraton, guests can surf the Internet, send email, watch TV on a plasma screen or indulge such old-fashioned media as newspapers and magazines.

Down the circular stairway into the lobby, Connexions and Toastina offer additional opportunities to quench a thirst or partake of deli favorites, to-go style.

For less leisurely pursuits, the hotel is shaping up as a magnet for businesses and conferences that require as much as 1,600-square meters of ballroom space. Although Nha Trang can feel like a destination apart, the 24-hour business centre ensures that guests can get right into the thick of it as necessary.

For more information about the Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa, or to make a reservation, visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

Beauty and the beach

Lang Co is a quiet but breathtaking beach that so far has avoided the tourist boom, but for how long can this beach stay off the beaten track?

I’m probably not the only traveller who on the road to Danang from Hue has whizzed past a pristine, beautiful beach without even knowing it. For years Lang Co has been Vietnam’s most conspicuous secret. I first spotted this stretch of white sand going over the Hai Van Pass. I remember thinking I would find out where this beach was and check it out on my next trip. Lang Co is only 40 kilometres from Danang – not that much further than the highly popular Cua Dai beach. Three years ago, however, it took forty minutes just to conquer Hai Van pass in a large tourist bus. The climb over Hai Van, which means pass of the ocean clouds, was notoriously treacherous. Break downs and accidents were common. Now the drive to Lang Co from Danang takes less than an hour, thanks to the opening of Hai Van Tunnel, the longest road tunnel in Southeast Asia. Accidents have occurred in the tunnel but it is much safer than driving over the pass with heavy trucks, buses and cars driving on a steep, winding road. By taking the tunnel road you will miss that magical feeling as you move through the cloud at the top of the pass as well as overlooking the cobalt sea below. However you will get to Lang Co quicker and there you can dive into the very same cobalt sea while soaking up the spectacular views of the swaying pine trees and majestic mountains that lie inland. The beach, which seemingly runs endlessly, (a local claims it’s over 10km long), is also uncommonly empty. There are no hawkers, no postcard sellers or large groups of tourists. This is a hassle free paradise. At midday in the restaurant at Lang Co Beach Resort you might find group of tourists stopping for lunch, who are either on their way to the former Imperial City of Hue or Hoi An. With the waiters occupied I decide to have lunch later on and stroll along the beach. Though it isn’t long before I find a hammock and decide there’s no need to be too ambitious when I have everything I need. Happily I loll under the shadow of the palm trees and enjoy the sound and the smell of the sea breeze. It’s no exaggeration to say this is a heavenly experience for an urban dweller. Just yesterday I was breathing in toxic fumes while stuck in a traffic jam. Nearly 100 years ago, Emperor Khai Dinh was inspired by the beauty of Lang Co. He composed a poem to describe the area on a stone, which is preserved in a rarely visited mall village nearby. However, Lang Co might not be a hidden charm for long. Local authorities hope that it will become a member of The Most Beautiful Bays of the World Club. Currently there are just a few resorts and a small number of guest houses. The largest is Lang Co Beach Resort with 70 spacious and private villas built in traditional Hue style. Right next door is Thanh Tam, a small resort which is currently expanding. In the distance bulldozers are levelling ground for the construction of luxury resorts. The Singapore-based Banyan Tree group is said to be building a $1 billion resort in the area, featuring more than 1,200 rooms and a golf course. For the time being it’s just you and Mother Nature. All around Lang Co you can discover canyons, mountain springs and lagoons nestled in a tropical forest. One local I meet tells me I can go night fishing with local fishermen. The thought of fishing reminds me it’s lunchtime. Seafood is foremost on my mind. Off the coast of Lang Co I’m told you can find lobster, crabs, squid and clams. Yet, there are no seafood restaurants on the beach. I walk towards Thanh Tam Resort but I’d rather enjoy seafood away from a resort. My friends have already consulted our driver who assures us he knows just the spot. We drive back towards Danang and just before the entry into Hai Van tunnel, there’s a line of seafood restaurants on the banks of a lagoon. We choose Be Den, a rustic looking spot with a stunning panoramic view of the lagoon and majestic mountains above. A nice setting though the service at first is worryingly incompetent. Judging by the crowd the restaurant is well known to tour operators, truck drivers and expats living in the locale. At lunchtime the flustered staff can hardly cope. Our first waitress answers ‘yes’ as if she heard our order clearly but then she disappears without a trace and our dish never materialises. When we complain to another waitress about the service, she quickly turns the tables and barks at us: “You should have ordered all your dishes at once. We can not serve you plate by plate. We have a lot of customers to serve!” The seafood however is fresh and delicious. We order steamed squid, grilled clams, grilled shrimp, crab in tamarind sauce and plenty of Saigon beer to quench our thirst. Soon everyone is completely stuffed. Well, not everyone. For dessert one of my travelling companions orders another plate of steamed squid. “Hey, it’s really delicious and sweet,” he says in his defence.