ADMIRE MILLION-DOLLAR CASTLE RESTAURANT IN SAIGON

Located a little slanted toward the west of Semicircle lake (district 7) and near Anh Sao bridge pier, Cham Charm castle is prominent with the architecture imitating majestic and splendid Ankor Wat temple.

The shade of splendid Cham Charm Castle is onSemicircle lake  The first impression about the restaurant is the pure white color of a splendid castle that is prominent with 4-metre-high stairs going along two rows of trees. When the door closes, the space inside the restaurant is like the palace of a Cham pa King, especially the bricks that are alternated in the walls are covered by mysterious red light. Furthermore, it also decorated with a range of stone column in My Son, terra-cotta idol, Linga statue, old relics, sculpture statue… Warm light of light system make every corner, every floor…mysterious, exquisite and luxurious. Cham Charm has an area of 5,000 square meters, so it can hold 600 customers. The space of restaurant is divided into 3 areas. The upstairs is for customers to enjoy grill dishes in a large and romantic space. The ground-floor has many private rooms that are for VIPs who need a quiet space. The restaurant is also known as the first cuisine gallery of Asia with more than 1,300 kinds of wine all over the world. Let`s enjoy these nice pictures of splendid castle restaurant:

Co Loa - Special national relic

The Co Loa archeological, architectural and historical relic site got a certificate recognising it as a special national relic on February 14

The Co Loa archeological, architectural and historical relic site got a certificate recognising it as a special national relic on February 14

The ceremony was jointly held by the Hanoi municipal and Dong Anh district People’s Committees and Thang Long Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, central and municipal officials, overseas visitors and locals attended the event.

Addressing the ceremony, Nhan affirmed that Co Loa’s new status was to add historical and cultural value to the relic.

The Hanoi authorities have been paying great attention to conserving and restoring its cultural vestiges, including Co Loa, in coordination with developing tourism, which promotes Vietnam’s traditional cultural identity, added Nhan for Vietnam travel guide.

For her part, Deputy Chairwoman of the Hanoi municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc requested the city’s departments, industries and authorities to continue preserving and restoring the relic.

Co Loa is a relic complex of unique architectural and archeological value. The focal point of the complex is a three-round spiral citadel with 16km in length, an outstanding example of Vietnamese and Southeast Asian architecture.

Co Loa was the ancient capital of the Vietnamese state of Au Lac during the reign of King An Duong Vuong 2,300 years ago.

Dan Tranh 16 - string zither

The Dan Tranh is also known as Dan Thap Luc or sixteen-stringed zither. Its shape resembles a bamboo tube that has been sliced vertically in half. The Dan Tranh has mostly been seen performed by female musicians in Vietnamese traditional dress (Ao Dai).

When played, the instrument is placed in front of the musician, who uses her right hand to regulate the pitch and vibrate, while plucking the strings with her left hand. The 16-string zither has a rectangular sounding box, about 110 centimeters long that tapers about 13 cm toward an end, with a warped sound board made of unvarnished light wood. The sides are made of hard wood decorated with various designs, either lacquered or inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The bottom is made of light wood with sound holes. The broader end of the sound box is pierced with 16 holes and reinforced with a metal band. Toward the middle of the sound board there are 16 bridges made of wood or bone tipped with copper that can be moved to vary the tension of the strings, thus creating various notes. At the narrower end of the box are sixteen pegs for tuning. The strings are metal and tuned to the pentatonic scale. The Dan Tranh sits flat like an autoharp and is plucked using all fingers. Players will usually wear picks made of plastic or tortoise shell on their fingers to facilitate plucking. The sound reverberates through the hollow wooden box below the strings. Sounds can be altered through cupping, pressing or stroking the strings instead of simply plucking. The Dan Tranh originates from the ancient capital of Hue city, where women once played it for royalty, and the instrument is still considered a symbol of the city. The Dan tranh is normally played unaccompanied, but it can also be used to accompany a singer or as part of an orchestra. Grand Vietnam tours

Relaxing at An Lam Villas Vietnam

The road from Cam Rahn airport snakes along the coast, past fleets of blue-hulled fishing boats and the beachfront hotels of Nha Trang.

North lies Da Nang and, ultimately, Hanoi, capital of the Republic of Vietnam, but an hour after leaving the airport, a signpost reading An Lam Villas signals a side road leading off Highway One.

A speedboat lies alongside a nearby jetty. We climb aboard, our suitcases follow and the driver guns the engine and sends the boat skimming across Ninh Van Bay to An Lam Villas, the latest resort to lay claim to a share of the tourist dollars flooding Vietnam. 

Accessible only by sea, An Lam Villas is part of the Epikurean stable of up-market properties made up of 35 individual villas, most of which front a lagoon and in which the accent is on low-key luxury. 

 The villas are large, the walls of the bedroom and living areas sliding back to give views across the private plunge pool and to the lagoon and the beach and bay beyond.

An open-air shower and sunken stone bath tub open off the central area which is fenced by bamboo.  At the lagoon edge, day beds stretch beneath a canopy for languid lounging of which you tend to do quite a bit.  A stand of pine trees separates the villa and the lagoon, the soft swish of the sea breeze as it moves gently through the branches a potent lullaby. Privacy is absolute and if your concept of a holiday includes hanging off the bar and making several dozen new best friends, then An Lam Villas is not for you.

On check-in, guests are asked to indicate the level of attention they require from their personal butler. Do they wish him to attend them at specific times, attend only when called or be constantly at hand.  We place Phong, a small, gentle man whose home is in Nha Trang, on standby. He offers to unpack my luggage and I assure him I am capable of doing it myself. Like most Australians, I feel a vague sense of unease when waited upon by a personal servant. 

I ask about the bicycles I have seen parked outside villas and Phong produces one within minutes. I pedal along a sandy, shaded road past well-tended herb gardens and the bamboo fencing of my fellow guests, the road rising and then turning down to the beach, the bar, restaurant and infinity swimming pool.

Empty hammocks swing in the afternoon breeze and bodies are draped across deck chairs strung out along the white sand curve of the bay.  You can do as little or as much as you like. Recommended activities include fishing, bicycle tours of Nha Trang and surrounds, boating excursions and cooking classes.

I meet the executive chef at dinner that night and the accent is unmistakable. Walk into the kitchen of almost any significant resort or hotel in Asia and you will find an Australian at the burners.

An Lam is no exception and chef Briony Crowder is a Sydney girl who has worked in London, Amsterdam, Istanbul and Thailand and was working in Melbourne when she heard about the position of executive chef with Epikurean.

She's helping train the local chefs and says there are at least two in her team who will become professional, international chefs.

"The challenge is to keep the menus interesting," she says. "We get long-stay guests and we mix the a la carte menu between Western and Vietnamese dishes. My herb garden is coming along wonderfully. Just about anything grows here except some of the European herbs such as thyme."  Phong takes us hiking to one of the two waterfalls on the resort from which it sources its fresh water.

We climb for 15 minutes, emerging on a rocky outcrop with sweeping views of the bay. On the rocks, two deck chairs sit beside a pool of spring water. "For picnics," he explains, pointing to the chairs.

There are no jet skis or parasailers at An Lam, just the steady putt-a-putt of the occasional fishing boat as its owner heads out to tend the lobster farms that dot the surrounding waters.

We stayed for three nights and two days, indolently sleeping and reading in the cool retreat of the villa or swimming and lolling on the beach.

In the mornings I stood beneath the open-air shower head, sun shining from a crystal blue sky, warm water cascading down with the only sound the gentle splatter of the shower on the stone floor.

General manager TJ Grundl-Hong, "TJ" to all, owns a nightclub in Ho Chi Minh and operates another Epikurean property on the Mekong. He has run properties throughout Europe and Asia and is as charming as he is knowledgeable.  He recommends a restaurant when we return to Ho Chi Minh. "It's the best food in Saigon and it's cheap," he says. "I'll make a reservation for you."

After three days we leave the bliss of An Lam Villas and return to Ho Chi Minh which is gradually reverting in popular usage back to its former name of Saigon. As we depart we pass a couple which TJ says has booked a villa for 40 days. As the speed boat curls away from the jetty and heads back to Nha Trang, I try to imagine 40 days cloaked in the tranquillity of Ninh Van Bay.

The mind can only encompass so much relaxation. That night we catch a cab to the Cuc Gach Quan restaurant (10 Dang Tat, Ward Tan Dinh, HCMC District 3. Ph: +84 83 848 0144).

It's in an old colonial house and overflowing with people and my waiter tells me Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were there a few weeks before. The food is some of the best I have ever eaten and the bill, with drinks, comes to about $70. 

Top 10 bays in Vietnam cannot be missed

Top book center of Vietnam record Organization has just nominated 10 most breathtaking bays in Vietnam. Visitors cannot miss the romantic and stunning scenery of beaches.

1. Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh)

Ha Long Bay is like a vivid huge water-color painting. Thousands of rocky islands bobbing on mysterious shimmering waves, are not only strong and spectacular but also charming and vivid.

On November 11, 2011, The New 7 Wonders Foundation officially listed Ha Long Bay as one of new seven natural wonders of the world.

2. Lang Co Bay (Thua Thien – Hue)

Lang Co Bay, Phu Loc district is a potential place due to the nature and beautiful scenery. Above the bay is Hai Van moutain pass, mountains stretch away to the edge of sea. Below the bay is Lang Co beach with a stretch of white-sand and blue seawater.

Lang Co is a peaceful and primitive beach with a stretch of smooth white- sand and a blue and clear sea. Now, Lang Co Bay is officially the 30^th member of World bays Club.

3. Xuan Dai Bay (Phu Yen)

Travelling about 45 kilometers to the north of Tuy Hoa city, Xuan Dai will appear as a water-color painting. The Bay is created by a range of mountains stretching away 15kilometers to the sea. It is like a head of unicorn.

Xuan Dai Bay has a variety of terrain. Rapids follow puddles, puddles follow beaches, beaches follow mountains, stretching endlessly. Xuan Dai has plenty of mountains, islands and peninsulas. All of them bring primitive beauty.

The other distinct character of Xuan Dai is smoothly white sand. In the nominated list of the most beautiful bays in the world, Xuan Dai bay is one of the tourist attractions in Phu Yen.

4. Vung Ro Bay (Phu Yen)

Vung Ro bay comprises 1,640 hectares of water surface with fascinating landscape which is ideal for sightseeing and swimming. There is a lot of seafood and and colorful coral reefs in the seabed of Vung Ro and services of fishing, swimming and diving.

Peninsulas cover Vung Ro, making it a good harbour for ships to anchor, to avoid storms and to fish. Vung Ro is shielded in the north, the west and the east by 3 ranges of mountain Deo Ca, Da Bia and Hon Ba. The south is seaport and Hon Nua island that is 105 meters in height and is like a fortress to guard vessels.

5. Nha Trang Bay (Khanh Hoa)

Shielded by 19 large and small islands, Nha Trang bay is out of wind without big waves. In Nha trang, there are almost 10 islands of salangane. Exploiting salangane’s nest gives Khanh Hoa provincesale of million dollars annually. The other exciting world under the surface of Nha Trang bay is the world of 350 species of coral, 190 species of fish, mollusk, crustacean, sea grass…

Regarding to the ecosystem, Nha Trang bay is one of rare natural system of  beaches and bays in the world because it has almost typical and rare ecosystem of tropical beaches. That is wetland ecosystem, coral reefs, mangrove forest, sea grass cover, estuarine ecosystem, island ecosystem, coastal sand ecosystem.

In July 2003, Nha Trang bay, together with Ha Long bay, is officially recognized as one of 29 most beautiful bays in the world.

6. Van Phong bay (Khanh Hoa)

Van Phong is in Van Ninh district. From Nha Trang, it is about 80 kilometres to the north. There is a variety of the terrain of the bay, especially the system of islands, peninsulas, deep bays, attractive sand dunes. The bay has the diverse ecosystems such as tropical forests, mangrove forests, coastal flora and fauna.

In recent years, Van Phong bay has attraction of domestic and international researchers and tourism operators.

7. Ninh Van bay (Khanh Hoa)

Ninh Van is a beautiful island located in the community of Nha Trang bays, in Hon Heo peninsula, Ninh Hoa district, Khanh Hoa. The landscape in Ninh Van  unchanges in comparison with the natural and primitive scenery. Ninh Van is like a peaceful heaven with high mountains, and the forest stretching as far as the eye can see.

The smoothly white sand, turquoise blue sea or exciting coral reefs are main factors attracting visitors to go to Ninh Van. You can only see small wooden houses in the seaside, in rocks or in hillside here…

8. Cam Ranh bay (Khanh Hoa)

From Nha Trang city, travelling about 60 kilometers to the south, you will arrive Cam Ranh bay. The bay is immense and tranquil in the color of blue. In the bay, there are many coral reefs and flocks of colorful fish, which attract people having passion on scuba diving.

Beautiful beaches with lines of high coconut trees feature the central coastal region. Cam Ranh bay is an ideal place for international sea tourism such as: boating, fishing, diving and seeing coral reefs, relaxing, treating, climbing mountain…and is in no way inferior to anywhere in the world.

9. Vinh Hy Bay (Ninh Thuan)

Located in Vinh Hy village, Vinh Hai commune, Ninh Hai district, Vinh Hy Bay is about 40 kilometers from the centre of Phan Rang city. Vinh Hy Bay is surrounded by rocky mountains with mysterious caves. Vistors can enjoy clear atmosphere and watch flocks of fish swimming around boats in the blue seawater.

Vinh Hy is a charming picture. In the picture, life of people here and the short stop of visitors are sketchy lines, which make the picture more fascinating. In the journey, tourists will spend time on visiting and feeling the simple and wonderful gift of nature in the central Vietnam.

10. Ha Tien Bay (Kien Giang)

Ha Tien Bay has 105 large and small islands. One of them is Hon Nghe island where fish-breeding  is developing, and there are many tourist attractions.

Nature bestows on Ha Tien a harmony of landscapes: mountains, sea, islands and delta combined to form a picturesque land. Ha Tien Bay attracts almost visitors going to Mekong delta due to the breathtaking landscapes and a lot of specialities.

Chu Dong Tu temple altars a immortal Vietnamese spirit

Chu Dong Tu Temple altars Chu Dong Tu - one of four immortal Vietnamese spirits. It still preserves many precious relics, among which is an invaluable pair of Bach Tho vases.

Location: Located in Binh Minh Commune, Khoai Chau District, Hung Yen Province, about 25km from Hanoi along the Red River. Characteristics: This temple worships Saint Chu Dong Tu, who has been honored as one of four immortal Vietnamese spirits, and his wife, Princess Tien Dung, who was the daughter of 18th King Hung. Also called Da Hoa Temple, the temple is located on a rectangular, even, wide and high area of 18,720m², facing the west. Its Ngo Mon Gate (Principal Gate) consists of three doors. The main door leads to a wide and high three-partitioned house with a top engraved with two dragons flanking a moon. This door is only opened on special occasions. The two side doors receive visitors at any time. Passing through the yard visitors will arrive Dai Te, Thieu Huong House, De Nhi Palace, De Tam Palace and finally the Sanctuary. The Thieu Huong House was built in a solemn spacious architectural style. The ending of the upper rooftop and the edge of the roof are carved in detail and colourfully modeled with many decorative shapes such as dragons and lions. The door at De Nhi Palace is carved with a phoenix, huge blooming chrysanthemums and other kinds of fruits flowers painted in vermilion and gilt. There are also beautiful bronze statues of Saint Chu Dong Tu and his wife. Today, Da Hoa Temple still preserves many precious relics, among which is an invaluable pair of Bach Tho vases (Bach Tho here refers to one hundred Tho Chinese characters engraved on the bodies of the vases in various different styles). If tourists in Vietnam Travel have chance to visit Hung Yen province, Pho Hien is a must-see place that should not be missed!

Phu Quoc sim wine big hit with tourists

Ruou sim (wine made from sim fruit or Rose Myrtle) is popular with the many tourists visiting Phu Quoc Island as it delivers a fragrance and sour taste similar to cocktails. However, the man who made the beverage is completely unknown.

Mac Van Nghiem is seen next to a liquidizer machine.

Mac Van Nghiem was born in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long. He lived with his grandfather who helped inspire the young boy to make new varieties of drinks. His first two drinks were made from banana and glutinous rice.

In 1945 his aunt’s husband, a fish sauce seller, took him to Phu Quoc to reunite him with his aunt but the man died of cholera in Ha Tien on the long voyage to the island. So the young Nghiem suffered a tough life without an adult’s protection as he had to work as a firstly a porter at a fish sauce factory and then as a fisherman.

Then, he joined the revolution against the French and lived in the forest where he had gained a reputation for his talent of making wine from acerola fruits, banana and glutinous rice.

After the war, he was head of the financial committee of Phu Quoc Island and retired in 1990. A chance meeting with an officer from HCMC who came to visit the island inspired him to try to make sim wine.

The officer told Nghiem about a recipe on how to make this drink from ethnic minority people in the Central Highlands. After three months of experiments, the first batch of sim wine came out and received great response from Nghiem’s colleagues and friends.

The wine, which is below 15% proof, is suitable for people of all ages.

As the numbers of customers were rising to crazy levels, he decided to start a business out of making sim wine.

He opened a factory and hired workers to speed up the capacity and to answer the high demands of customers.
Nghiem used thousands of sim fruits annually.

However, he was starting to suffer as other rivals imitated his wine and they registered for trade marks to lure customers. Finally, he received support from the chamber of economy and culture to acknowledge him as the creator of sim wine with the registration wine brand named Bay Gao. The wine’s name originates from a love of this wine so its taste delivers customers both the passion and honestly of the true love of one man.

Last year, sim wine of Phu Quoc was voted into the Top 10 most unique wines in Vietnam by the Vietnam Record Books (Vietking).

Nghiem is now 88 but he looks much younger. His youngest son has followed him into the sim wine business to preserve the family’s tradition and his father’s recipe. Apparently the area of sim forest may be narrowed down for construction, however Nghiem said that the local authority has plans to preserve this tree for many years and many factories on the island have planted more trees to maintain the survival of Phu Quoc’s sim wine.