France's meddling in Vietnam really didn't turn out well for anyone. But one of the positive side effects to the colonization is the Hotel Continental Saigon, in present-day Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. So it's no wonder Graham Greene made his protagonist a guest at the hotel when he wrote The Quiet American.
Gorgeous, imposing and extravagant French Colonial hotels are perhaps the only thing in HCM more ubiquitous than families of five speeding past on lawnmower-engine mopeds. Of these hotels, Continental is certainly the most historic and quite possibly the most beautiful.]]>
When it comes to user reviews of Pilgrimage Village in Hue, Vietnam, everyone’s a-talkin’ about the greenery. "Tropical paradise," "felt like you were out in the rainforest" and "serene and lovely" are all slightly-hackneyed-but-still-helpful superlatives doled out by TripAdvisor reviewers.
They also rave about the fresh fruit served every morning and noted that Pilgrimage is only $5 more than Vinh Hung Resort (in nearby Hoi An), and well worth the upgrade.]]>
Last week, we told you about the historic hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia bearing the Raffles name. Never to be outdone by its neighbor and fiercest competitor, Vietnam has announced a Raffles hotel of its own, set to open in Da Nang sometime in 2011.
The resort will be set right on China Beach on a stretch of sand usually inhabited only by fisherman. Once notorious for being the site of bloody battles during the Vietnam War, it's and now famous for such pristine beauty one can hardly imagine anything but pleasantries occurring there.]]>