Recommend November 2015 - (Page 18)

WHY VIETNAM NOW! onsite review A U G U S T 2 0 15 carla hunt Sightseeing in Hue. The assignment is: Go find out what all this bucket-list buzz about Vietnam is; why this country is atop so many hotspot lists. Cut to the end of a 10-day trip, and the answer can start with: This is a surprising place of dramatic landscapes, fascinating history, pulsating energy and epic food. And if you follow your nose and eat often and delectably in the local street markets, you meet a lot of outgoing and hardworking Vietnamese people. Some 70 percent of them were born after the American War, as it is called locally, and they tend to look forward rather than back. And imagine, I had nary a personal encounter with anti-Americanism when dining around in outdoor kitchens, or riding around in open cyclos or on backs of motorbikes. ho chi minh city My travels in Vietnam first had me sailing on the Mekong with AmaWaterways; then I went happily urban on my own in Vietnam's three largest cities. I started with only a day in Ho Chi Minh City (its official name, but everyone still calls it Saigon), a metropolis on the move, galloping ahead in the last 25 years to change its image from a war-torn wreck to economic success: "A phoenix risen from the ashes," to quote our guide. Visitors can get a bird's-eye view of the city's French Colonial architecture, pagodas and Soviet-style housing blocks from the 49th floor of the Bitexco Financial Tower, the city's tallest building. Back on the ground, I learn if you have just one temple to see in this city, make it the Jade Emperor Pagoda, where through a fog of incense emerge beautifully carved woodwork and a collection of weird and wonderful deities-both Taoist and Buddhist-beneath a roof that groans under the weight of dragons and birds. Another essential stop is the Ben Thanh Market, where among a tight grid of aisles, there's the souvenirs section, with conical hats, lacquerware and "Good Morning, Vietnam" t-shirts. Next, I head downtown for a quick look into the just-opened Reverie Saigon. With a sleek contemporary exterior and an extravagant Italianesque interior, this 286-room luxury property is one of the newest additions to The Leading Hotels of the World portfolio. I walk farther, passing two prime examples of French colonial architecture-the handsome Notre Dame Cathedral, whose rosy red bricks were shipped in all the way from Marseille, and the Central Post Office, designed by Gustave Eiffel. hue When I get to my next stop, Hue, I do all my touring by motorbike, seated behind guide par excellence Xuan Hoa. It's really the finest 18 november 2015 (and coolest) way to explore this perfectly gorgeous city. Hue was the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945, and her centerpiece site is the 19th century walled Citadel, enclosing the Imperial City, where the Emperor and his entourage presided over an extraordinary complex of palaces, pavilions, temples, gardens and fortifications. Following the bitter battle fought during the Tet Offensive in 1968, the task of rebuilding the enormous destruction got a boost when UNESCO listed the city as a World Heritage Site. Again spectacular today is the Thai Hoa Palace, whose interiors glow with red and gold lacquers. Special, too, is The Mieu complex, with its elaborate ancestral altars, and Dien Tho, the queen mother's residence. By motorbike, I, along with my guide, speed out of town, heading to the pine-covered hills, where, in the Royal Mausoleums-eclectic architectural confections set in gardens-the spirits of the Nguyen emperors live on. I cool off on a boat trip along the languid Perfume River, with views of Hue's oldest pagoda, the 7-story Thien Mu. While in Hue, I'm ensconced in the rambling La Residence Hue Hotel & Spa (rooms from $192), incorporating the former Art Deco residence of the French governor into an expanded, graceful, 122-rooms and -suites luxury boutique hotel. Guestrooms in the original residence are particularly appealing, as are the gardenembraced saltwater pool, spa and Le Parfum restaurant. hanoi I fly north to Hanoi and check into the 364-room Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi (rooms from $300). Opened in 1901 and located close to the Old Quarter, it has hosted the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Jane Fonda and Mark Zuckerberg. Guests have a choice of staying in the Historical Wing rooms with original grandeur (good choice) or the newer Opera Wing, a study in neoclassic luxury. Facilities include a splendid spa and outdoor pool; among the choice bars and restaurants, tops in my book is the Spices Garden, elegantly serving Vietnamese specialties. And heads-up: A guest-only bonus is a 50-minute Path of History guided stroll that recounts the hotel's storied history, topped by dropping down into a wartime air raid shelter, discovered recently when renovating the Bamboo Bar. Often dubbed the most Asian city in Asia, Hanoi is a millenniumold capital of crumbly pagodas, labyrinthine streets, tree-lined boulevards and French colonial villas-all undergoing a werewolflike transformation into a 21st century metropolis. Founded at a bend of the Red River, the city mixes it up with Vietnamese, Chinese and French influences, while also boasting glitzy megamalls, wine recommend.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend November 2015

Editor’s Notes
Hotel Desk: Hilton
Tour Talk: What’s New
Cuba for Everyone
Cruising Asia’s Waterways
AmaWaterways’ AmaDara
Why Vietnam Now!
Canada: Road Tripping Through Ontario
Cool Patagonia is a Hot Ticket
Manchester, England
The Art of Cooking

Recommend November 2015

https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/april2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/feb2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/2019DeltaGuide
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/january2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/december2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/deltaguide2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/nov2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/oct2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/sept2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/august2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/SaintLucia2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/july2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/june2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/may2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/Guatemala/Guatemala
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/april2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/march2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/feb2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/jan2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/Jandelta2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/DeltaDec2017Guide
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/december2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/nov2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/oct2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/Martinique
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/septrec2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/august2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/july2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/june2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/may2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/DeltaGuideJan2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/april2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/Delta
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/march2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/february2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/january2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/december2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/saintlucia
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/november2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/oct2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/sept2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/august2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/july2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/june2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/may2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/mayjune2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/april2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/march2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/february2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/january2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/saintlucia
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/december2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/november2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/october2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/SUPPLEMENTS/guatemala
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/september2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/august2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/july2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/june2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/SUPPLEMENTS/trinidadtobago
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/may2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/april2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/march2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/february2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/SUPPLEMENTS/delta2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/january2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/december2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/november2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/october2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/recommendoctober2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/september2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/august2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/july2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/june2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/may2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/april2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/march2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/SUPPLEMENTS/CostaRIca
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/february2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/SUPPLEMENTS/delta
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/january2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/recommendnovember2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/october2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/RecommendSeptember2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/august2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/SUPPLEMENTS/guatemala2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/Brazil2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/july2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/june2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/may2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/SUPPLEMENTS/IsraelTravelPlanner2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/SUPPLEMENTS/Tahiti
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/april2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/mexicoweddingplanner2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/march2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/february2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/january2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/december2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/november2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/october2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/september2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/august2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/july2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/june2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/may_2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/april2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/march2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/february2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/january2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/december_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/november_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/october_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/september_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/august_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/recommend/july_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/june_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/may_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/april_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/march2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/feb_11
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/january_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/December_2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/November_2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/Recommend/October2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/sept_2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/august_2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/recommend/july2010
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com