TRAVELLIVE 04-2016
Istanbul, the first days of spring… I’m warming myself in the sun on a café’s balcony in the Old Town. The sunbeams are as stunning as the fine strands of newly reeled silk. Meanwhile the old oak trees give their morning greeting to the glossy stone road as their red-brown leaves gently fall. The Old Town is still half-asleep, like a lazy girl who’s turned off her alarm after ringing the first time. Sunlight visits each street, dancing happily on passers-by’s shoulders, making the atmosphere more intimate to me – the traveler’s first time here. I feel more amorous in Istanbul. I’m enchanted by everything, from sweet lokum to the light sour ice-cream with ground ice on top, or from the gorgeous domes of hundreds of mosques and palaces to their uniquely designed windows, and from the discreet eyes of Muslim girls to the multitude of boards and posters with the images of Besiktas – the city’s legendary football team. I have fallen in love with Bosphorus Bay since the first time seeing the seagulls hovering in the open sky, creating invisible strings that connect the two continents – Asia and Europe. The clear blue sky is reflected on the deep blue sea, giving me tranquility. I drop my last Lira into the water of the Bosphorus, not to make a wish, but in hopes that they will preserve my memories here. And somehow, the water currents might bring them somewhere else to be found by me again, or might accidentally be stumbled upon by a boy who is playing with sand on a sunny beach. Tomorrow, I will go to Grand Bazzar, buy some postcards, and write something to leave beneath the sun near a mosque before sending them to some friends of mine. I do hope that these postcards, together with the coins, will inspire and attract more visitors to this land. Uhm… will you come there?
Istanbul, the first days of spring…
I’m warming myself in the sun on a café’s balcony in the Old Town. The sunbeams are as stunning as the fine strands of newly reeled silk. Meanwhile the old oak trees give their morning greeting to the glossy stone road as their red-brown leaves gently fall. The Old Town is still half-asleep, like a lazy girl who’s turned off her alarm after ringing the first time. Sunlight visits each street, dancing happily on passers-by’s shoulders, making the atmosphere more intimate to me – the traveler’s first time here.
I feel more amorous in Istanbul. I’m enchanted by everything, from sweet lokum to the light sour ice-cream with ground ice on top, or from the gorgeous domes of hundreds of mosques and palaces to their uniquely designed windows, and from the discreet eyes of Muslim girls to the multitude of boards and posters with the images of Besiktas – the city’s legendary football team.
I have fallen in love with Bosphorus Bay since the first time seeing the seagulls hovering in the open sky, creating invisible strings that connect the two continents – Asia and Europe. The clear blue sky is reflected on the deep blue sea, giving me tranquility. I drop my last Lira into the water of the Bosphorus, not to make a wish, but in hopes that they will preserve my memories here. And somehow, the water currents might bring them somewhere else to be found by me again, or might accidentally be stumbled upon by a boy who is playing with sand on a sunny beach.
Tomorrow, I will go to Grand Bazzar, buy some postcards, and write something to leave beneath the sun near a mosque before sending them to some friends of mine. I do hope that these postcards, together with the coins, will inspire and attract more visitors to this land. Uhm… will you come there?
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SPECIAL PROMOTION<br />
TERRACOTTA HOTEL &<br />
RESORT DALAT<br />
Terracotta Hotel & Resort Dalat<br />
is offering a honeymoon package<br />
at the price of VND3,060,000/<br />
couple. The package includes a<br />
2-night stay in a Superior room,<br />
a cocktail before a romantic<br />
dinner at Montaigne Restaurant,<br />
a 60-minute body treatment<br />
therapy session for two, fresh<br />
flowers in room on the first day,<br />
and an hour free to use bikes.<br />
The promotion is valid until<br />
November 30 th . For booking<br />
in HCMC please contact at 08<br />
6258 0386 or email info.dalat@<br />
terracottaresort.com<br />
Ä LA CARTE DA NANG<br />
BEACH<br />
Are you looking for a relaxing<br />
therapy session for your holiday<br />
in Danang? Relax and let your<br />
brain and body go free with<br />
a special promotion at Spice<br />
Spa in Ä La Carte Da Nang<br />
Beach. For only VND1,095,000/<br />
guest, you can enjoy 60 minute<br />
body massage, 30 minute facial<br />
massage, sauna, free fruits and<br />
Ä La Carte yogurt. For booking,<br />
please contact at 0511 3959 555.<br />
HOTEL NIKKO HANOI<br />
The Dim Sum menu for which<br />
the Tao Li Chinese restaurant<br />
has become famous will be<br />
enriched with new dishes this<br />
month. Apart from favorites<br />
such as Cantonese roasted duck,<br />
suckling pig, shrimp dumplings,<br />
and shumai, there are many<br />
other meticulously prepared<br />
and beautifully presented dishes.<br />
These include the vegetable<br />
fried cheesecakes in the shape<br />
of an eggplant, fried tomatoshaped<br />
cakes with jackfruit<br />
filling, fried corn-shaped cakes<br />
with prawns and corn filling,<br />
urchin-shaped dumplings<br />
with egg and milk filling, and<br />
oyster-shaped dumplings with<br />
cocoa and milk filling. All these<br />
dishes are hand-prepared with<br />
natural ingredients and colors.<br />
The Dim Sum menu is served<br />
every Saturday and Sunday lunch<br />
and on the 8 th , 18 th , and 25 th<br />
of each month. Families with<br />
more than 2 kids will be given a<br />
book about teaching children in<br />
Japanese style when visiting the<br />
restaurant during the weekend.<br />
For further information, please<br />
contact: Hotel Nikko Hanoi, 84<br />
Tran Nhan Tong, Hai Ba Trung,<br />
Hanoi. Tel: <strong>04</strong> 3822 3535.<br />
MELIA HANOI HOTEL<br />
Secretaries are always busy at<br />
work with data and meetings.<br />
Leave your work aside and<br />
treat yourself with a special<br />
buffet at El Patio Restaurant<br />
to celebrate International<br />
Secretaries Day on April 21 st<br />
- 22 nd . Price: VND495,000++/<br />
guest including 1 soft drink or<br />
beer. Don't forget to bring with<br />
you your staff card to get a 50%<br />
discount at the restaurant during<br />
these two days. For further<br />
information, please contact at <strong>04</strong><br />
3934 3343 (ext. 7503)<br />
LA RESIDENCE HUE<br />
As plans gear up for the biennial<br />
Hue Festival from April 29 to<br />
May 5, Sofitel MGallery's La<br />
Residence Hotel & Spa is holding<br />
the line against outsized pricing<br />
with a Memorable Hue Festival<br />
package at 3.5 million VND<br />
(US$160) per night. Memorable<br />
Hue includes two-night<br />
accommodation, daily breakfast<br />
for two, a one-way airport<br />
transfer, 45-minute back-andshoulder<br />
or foot massage, and<br />
one ticket per person to one of<br />
the festival events. Moreover,<br />
customers can get a 50%<br />
discount when hiring a hotel car<br />
from now until May 15th <strong>2016</strong>.<br />
For further information, please<br />
contact La Residence Hue, 05 Le<br />
Loi, Hue. Tel: 054 3837 475<br />
NOVOTEL NHA TRANG<br />
For only VND200,000/guest,<br />
you can enjoy unlimited beer<br />
while listening to live music at<br />
the Beer Buffet offered by Le<br />
Bar from 17:00 to 20:00 on<br />
April 30 th . Particularly from<br />
April 29 th to May 1 st , The<br />
Square Restaurant will offer a<br />
special dinner buffet with fresh<br />
seafood such as slipper lobster,<br />
green crab, and Angus beef at<br />
the price of VND680,000++/<br />
guest. On Friday April 22 nd<br />
from 18:00 to 20:00, Novotel<br />
will also introduce a weekend<br />
BBQ buffet on the rooftop at<br />
VND400,000++/guest which<br />
includes a free glass of wine or<br />
beer. For further information,<br />
please contact Novotel Nha<br />
Trang, 50 Tran Phu, Nha Trang.<br />
Tel: 058 625 6900 or email:<br />
H6033-RE@accor.com.<br />
PULLMAN VUNG TAU<br />
Enjoy a seafood party with<br />
family and friends from 6:00 pm<br />
- 10:00 pm with fresh seafood<br />
prepared right in front of you<br />
for only VND720,000/guest.<br />
The selection of Japanese rolled<br />
rice and salad, together with<br />
traditional cheese and bacon,<br />
hot dishes as well as traditional<br />
French sweets promises to<br />
bring you an excellent dining<br />
experience. Moreover, with<br />
snacks, cakes, and premium teas,<br />
the British tea party, chocolate<br />
tea party or coffee tea party<br />
are good choices for your<br />
afternoon with friends (Price:<br />
VND220,000++ for two). Don't<br />
miss the chance to explore the<br />
collection of nutritional drinks<br />
like Juicy Lucy, Mango Spice,<br />
or Sweet Chariot prepared<br />
carefully at the Lobby Bar. For<br />
further information, please<br />
contact: Pullman Vung Tau, 15<br />
Thi Sach, Vung Tau. Website:<br />
www.pullmanvungtau.com<br />
ALMANITY HOI AN RESORT & SPA<br />
Located on a short street of Hoi An<br />
Old Town, Almanity Hoi An Resort &<br />
Spa featuring 145 rooms is an ideal base<br />
for exploring the beautiful city. Here,<br />
you can enjoy a free 90-minute therapy<br />
session each day at My Chi Spa during<br />
your stay. For only VND 8,000,000 for<br />
3 days and 3 nights, you will have an<br />
excellent holiday with 2 special dinners<br />
for two, drinks, spa services, round-trip<br />
airport transfer, and late check-out (til<br />
4:00pm). The promotion is valid until<br />
October 31 st . For further information,<br />
please contact: Almanity Hoi An Resort &<br />
Spa, 326 Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoi An, Quang<br />
Nam, Tel: 0510 3666 888 or visit www.<br />
almanityhoian.com<br />
An array of promotions and<br />
special offers by restaurants,<br />
hotels, resorts, fashion<br />
brands, airlines and tourist<br />
agencies in Vietnam and<br />
other countries.<br />
SONATA RESORT & SPA<br />
Sonata is a new 4-star resort spanning an area of 3ha on a beautiful private beach in Tien Thanh, Phan Thiet.<br />
The resort attracts visitors with its green coconut trees, flora, and the sea, providing guests an airy natural<br />
space to get away from the hot weather. From now until April 29th, Sonata Resort & Spa is introducing a<br />
special promotion to give customers more choices for their holiday experience. Prices for a room start at<br />
VND1,200,000+++/night/room. For further information, please contact Sonata Resort & Spa, 719 Road, Tien<br />
Thanh, Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan. Tel: 08 3899 2278/ 062 3846 768<br />
<strong>TRAVELLIVE</strong> 137
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