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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HOTELS<br />
& RESORTS<br />
HCMC<br />
LIBERATION<br />
DAY & LABOR<br />
DAY IN THE<br />
CENTRAL<br />
RESTAURANT<br />
On April 30 t h and May 1 st , gather your<br />
family and friends for the sumptuous<br />
dinner buffet with a luscious array<br />
of seafood, from lobsters, tiger prawns to<br />
mussels and shrimps. A selection of delectable<br />
desserts promises to delight any discerning<br />
palates. The Seafood Buffet dinner is available<br />
from 18:00 to 22:00 at the Central Restaurant<br />
located on the 3 rd floor of the Liberty<br />
Central Saigon Citypoint Hotel. Price: VND<br />
799,000++/person including free flow of wine,<br />
beer and soft drinks.<br />
(LIBERTY CENTRAL SAIGON<br />
CITYPOINT HOTEL *59 Pasteur St., Dist.<br />
1, HCMC *Tel: 08 3822 5678)<br />
HANOI<br />
SATURDAY<br />
CHAMPAGNE<br />
LUNCH<br />
Indulge yourself every<br />
Saturday at the Hilton<br />
Hanoi Opera with<br />
a limitless supply of<br />
champagne, fresh<br />
ocean oysters, lobster,<br />
charcuterie corner,<br />
luscious carving stations,<br />
and an open flame grill<br />
that will cater to your<br />
every desire. Round off<br />
the day with a cheese<br />
selection and deserts<br />
that melt in your mouth.<br />
The buffet is available<br />
from 12:00 to 15:00.<br />
Prices: VND600,000++<br />
or VND 800,000++/<br />
adult with free flow of<br />
Champagne, house wine,<br />
beer and soft drinks.<br />
Admission for children<br />
under 18 is free.<br />
(BA MIEN<br />
RESTAURANT<br />
*R floor, Hilton Hanoi<br />
Opera Hotel *1 Le<br />
Thanh Tong, Hoan Kiem,<br />
Hanoi *Tel: <strong>04</strong> 3933<br />
0500 *Ext: 1605)<br />
NHA TRANG<br />
I-RESORT,<br />
WHERE THE<br />
TIME STOPS<br />
Located far away from<br />
the city center, I-Resort<br />
Nha Trang is a serene<br />
place with mineral<br />
mud springs. I-Resort<br />
Nha Trang impresses<br />
its guests at first sight<br />
with its traditional<br />
Vietnamese architecture<br />
appearing through the<br />
coconut thatched roofs,<br />
the water lily pond in<br />
front of the house, and<br />
the gardens with gourd<br />
trellises and yellow<br />
cauliflowers.<br />
Come to I-Resort Nha<br />
Trang, you can choose<br />
different services such<br />
as mud bath, spa, and<br />
healthcare services by<br />
traditional and western<br />
methods. Moreover, the<br />
mineral mud bath, one<br />
highlight of the resort, is<br />
a great way to improve<br />
your health and beauty<br />
as well as help you to<br />
cure some diseases.<br />
(I-RESORT NHA<br />
TRANG *Group 19,<br />
Xuan Ngoc Village, Vinh<br />
Ngoc, Nha Trang, Khanh<br />
Hoa *Tel: 058 3838 838<br />
*Website: www.iresort.vn)<br />
HA LONG<br />
5-STAR EXPERIENCE AT WYNDHAM LEGEND HALONG<br />
Owned by Ha Long Star Service & Tourist Joint Stock Company and the Wyndham Hotel Group (USA), the 5-star<br />
Wyndham Legend Halong will launch this May. Featuring 217 high-class rooms and luxurious amenities such as the Club<br />
Floor and the separate Club Lounge, the hotel promises to offer visitors a wonderful experience when travelling to<br />
the World Heritage Site, Halong Bay. Wyndham Legend Halong also brings you a new dining experience at Blue Bay<br />
Restaurant, Le Papillon, and Sakura. Additionally, the hotel offers modern meeting/banquet facilities and services as well<br />
as a fitness center, spa, swimming pool, and kids' corner.<br />
(WYNDHAM LEGEND HALONG HOTEL *12 Ha Long, Bay Chay, Ha Long City *Tel: 033 3636 555<br />
*Website: www.wyndhamhalong.com)<br />
26<br />
<strong>TRAVELLIVE</strong>
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