Cat Ba Archipelago: Vietnam’s Secret Hideaway
The transfer by limo through the 5B Highway cuts down to only 1.5 hours from Hanoi to Cat Ba Archipelago. The Cat Ba Archipelago is an exotic destination with pristine beaches, secluded lagoons, coves, tropical forests, and lakes allow holidaymakers to discover the best places for swimming, kayaking, and biking and many hideaways in the Gulf of Tonkin. Pham Ha founder and CEO of LuxGroup https://luxgroup.vn/ discovers
The central hub of Cat Ba is now framed by a chain of low-rise concrete hotels along its once lovely bay, but the rest of the island is largely untouched and as wild as ever. With idyllic Lan Ha Bay just offshore, you’ll soon overlook Cat Ba Town’s over-development. The two first nights, we stayed at Hotel de Perle Cat Ba – MGallery for an island experience: fish sauce factory, local market, floating village, sea food, beaches and bikes.
Photo connoisseurs hunted the best shots of sunset at the Cannon Fort on the mountain top. Visitors can find the landmark of President Ho Chi Minh, created when he visited the Island and the Cat Ba Fisheries Port in 1959. Cannon Fort (also known as high peak 177) is close to the three beaches, and here you can enjoy a panoramic view of the island from above. Head out of Cat Ba Town to the entrance of Cannon Fort, just 15 minutes away, and take a leisurely 20 minute stroll to the fort. In one direction are the green-clad limestone karsts stretching into the distance, while the opposite side is dotted with colorful fishing boats, beaches, and the town itself.
We started early in the morning to explore the forest in the hope of seeing some wildlife while escaping the burning summer heat. We chose the short trek trail leading to Ngu Lam Peak and the Kim Giao Forest with our guide, Van Anh. She was very informative and knowledgeable about the park and history. We walked the gentle two and a half kilometer Cat Ba National Park Education Trail, starting at the entrance to the National Park Headquarters, and Van Anh introduced us to some of the wonders of this special island. Its animals, plant life and diverse habitats are unique in Vietnam. Another activity is to visit typical karst caves with amazing features, such as Trung Trang and Quan Y or Hospital Cave. We visited Trung Trang Cave on our way back from the trek to Ngu Lam Peak, and were thoroughly impressed.
According to Van Anh, Cat Ba National Park (officially founded in 1986) is 15 kilometers from Cat Ba Town, and covers an area of 152 acres. It is one of the only two protected areas in Vietnam that include both a marine and a terrestrial component. A small forest trail behind the national park headquarters leads to Ngu Lam peak, which contains a nice watchtower with a spectacular panorama of forest-covered karts.
Foreign tourists can hire a local guide to head for a trek through limestone labyrinth leading to Frog Lake in the center, replete with small freshwater swamp forest area that provides water to the population of Cat Ba Island. There are many primary forest on the surrounding kart towers, and moving through to Viet Hai Village, tourist boats take guests back to Cat Ba Town or to some new low-key resorts in Lan Ha Bay.
Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve
Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve is adjacent to the Halong Bay World Heritage Site. It is one of the best examples in the world of a kart landscape by the sea. The 366 limestone islands contain landforms, caves and cave deposits that provide evidence of a long history of erosion and landscape evolution. Many of the small islands rise steeply or vertically from the shallow marine waters and are the distinguishing feature of the region. The bigger islands, including Cat Ba Island itself, are covered green tropical monsoon forest.
The archipelago is of global importance due to the high number of species found nowhere else. The golden-headed langur is one of the 10 rarest primates in the world due to its restricted range and small population size (about 60 in all on Cat Ba Island.) There are also regionally important habitat types including fringe coral reefs, mangrove forests, sea grass beds, willow swamp forest and tropical limestone forest. Most of the habitats are under severe threat, especially due to encroachment. With these special values, Cat Ba was acknowledged as the World Biosphere Reserve in 2004.
There are 5 villages on Cat Ba Island and the Cat Hai District administrative offices. Cat Ba is a major coastal fishing zone, and has tremendous potential in agriculture and fisheries as well as other development opportunities such as nature-based tourism, near shore artisanal fisheries and aquaculture. The famous local products here are Cat Ba Honey and Cat Hai Fish Sauce. Cat Ba has archaeological sites dating to the Pleistocene area, and relics such as ceramics pieces date to the Bac Son Culture about 6,000 years ago.
A Secret Hideaway
Staring from Beo Seaport, 10 minute from the main Cat Ba town by bus, we jumped into our private chartered wooden boat and ventured out on Lan Ha Bay. The floating village in Lan Ha Ba was amazing and probably the biggest in the Tonkin Bay. We got off the boat to visit the fishing farm.
As all destinations have their growth stages, the backpackers always come first, and the middle class and luxury travelers follow. It seems that Cat Ba is still in the first stage. Lot of bars, cafes and restaurants open late, some small resorts and party cruises please the people who have more time than money. A resort run by an Australian and Vietnamese couple just for backpackers is a prime example. They come for rest, relaxation, sun and fun. The summer, in particular, is busy and Cat Ba tourism is still seasonal; busy with Vietnamese for the summer period, and quiet for foreigners from September to April. While cruising we saw the Monkey Island with long and white sandy beaches appearing from nowhere. Others travelers avoid the crowded Cat Co beaches; they can rent a boat and take them to Monkey Island and nearby empty beaches where they have their own peace and privacy.
The scenery is breathtaking, and biking with the bike view is amazing. We spent one hour biking to reach the village and en route we could hear the fog singing and admired the charm of a quiet countryside with distant echoes of wild animals. Local people keep their village very clean, even on the water. They are particularly friendly, and the only vehicles present are electric cars, which makes it a peaceful place.
We arrived the prestigious and pristine Ba Trai Dao Beaches just 30 minutes after the cruise. One of our colleagues said Thailand’s islands and beaches are nothing compared to ours. Vietnam is too hidden, and we seem to keep our best beaches and islands a secret only for ourselves.
Our next excursion was some light kayaking in the afternoon, before checking in to the Nam Cat Resort. Hang Ca Area belongs to the national park, and is known by locals for its dark coves. With two people fitting snugly in each kayak in Hang Ca, we paddled on the bay and through the first cave to enter an amazing cove surrounded by limestone. The tour guide says that there are only 60 individuals on the island, a truly rare and important species indeed, risk to distinction. Overnight cruises options now available from Got Harbor for one or two night stay. www.heritagecruises.com
Frenchman falls for VN coffee
In the 1930s, the Morère family introduced and started to plant coffee in the highlands of the central province of Lâm Đồng, a region renowned for yielding some of the best quality coffee in the world.
Coffee, one of Việt Nam’s worldwide renowned specialties, was introduced to the country in 1875 by the French during their colonialisation of Indochina. Coffee plantations were located in the Central Highlands and owned mostly by the French.
This was the same year the Morère family moved to the country and settled down near Đà Lạt. They grew coffee in the 1930s in the Central Highlands, a region renowned for yielding some of the best quality coffee in the world.
The August Revolution in 1945 put an end to the French colonial time in Indochina and Việt Nam became independent. France did not want to lose its colony and came back until the decisive battle of Điện Biên Phủ, where the much better-equipped French army lost to young Việt Minh troops in 1954.
Pierre Morère, a descendant of the original Morère settlers, has continued in his family’s footsteps. His two-hectare coffee plantation in Đạ Sar Village, home to the Mong Cill ethnic people, is located about 20km from Đà Lạt. Morère has been planting Bourbon coffee, a premium type of Arabica coffee that is considered among the finest coffees in the world.
“Bourbon coffee trees grow very well in the natural conditions at an altitude of 1,500m in the highlands. The higher they are planted, together with suitable soil and sustainable agricultural approaches, the better their taste gets,” Morère said. “It was my grandfather who introduced Bourbon coffee to the land in 1930, and then my mother was born there and took over his business.”
Their vast coffee plantation prospered during that period but they had to leave Việt Nam at the end of the victorious anti-French resistance war.
Stories about his parents and the poetic land of beautiful flowers and lenient local people in the Central Highlands continued to intrigue Morère.
In 1999, he visited the birth place of his mother as a tourist. Eight years later, he decided to quit his job in a real estate company in France and return to Việt Nam to live and work on a feasibility study of the Bidoup-Núi Bà National Park.
In nearby Đạ Sar Village, Morère accidentally met his grandfather’s former workers from the coffee plantation, who were very surprised on seeing him and welcomed him as if he was their relative.
They accompanied Morère to cross over many forests and high hills in search of the precious Bourbon coffee trees that had been abandoned for over half a century. At that time, he decided to re-construct his grandfather’s coffee plantation with the best coffee seeds.
Thanks to his family’s past reputation in the region, he was granted permission to purchase land in Đạ Sar Village by the local authority, an unusual right for a foreigner in Việt Nam, then started to plant Arabica and also managed to locate the Bourbon trees left by his grandparents.
One of his biggest initial challenges was his limited knowledge about planting coffee.
“The paradox of the coffee business is that most of the businessmen in this industry do not study coffee before they step in. I’m one of them. I didn’t know anything about coffee before I discovered the Bourbon coffee in Việt Nam,” Morère said.
“But the ethnic people have taught me how to recognise the Bourbon coffee, how to grow it, how to take care of and harvest it properly. They also taught me everything about the soul of the forest where the coffee is planted, as well as how to start a new life here.”
Bourbon coffee trees are vulnerable to insects so it is one of the most difficult plants to grow, requiring strict natural conditions and specific agricultural techniques. With the aim of producing fresh coffee beans, Morère has managed to create fresh conditions for his trees by planting them in the forest, isolating them from other trees and applying natural anti-insect substances instead of chemicals.
“Coffee, especially the Bourbon, comes from the primary forest so it is best to leave it to grow in its primary condition without pesticides,” he said.
The first coffee trees started to bear fruit after only three years, though in other countries is usually takes four years. According to Morère, this was largely due to the favourable conditions and the climate of the region.
Only the red coffee beans are harvested and are processed totally by hand with the assistance of the Cill ethnic people. Each part of the process is done with great care and responsibility.
“The original taste of Bourbon Morère Pointu is a mixture of aromas from the forest and chocolate, which will make the drinker remember the taste more than any other coffee,” Morère said.
It took him several years to successfully process the coffee beans before creating his own brand name, Bourbon Morère Pointu, and introducing it to prestigious domestic and international customers, notably Annam Gourmet Market and renowned cook Pierre Gagnère.
He has even travelled to Japan to introduce his products to the Japan Coffee Association. The coffee has received much positive feedback on its flavour and quality.
Recently, Starbucks have chosen Arabica Đà Lạt and its premium version, Bourbon, for their coffee stores around the world.
His passion for coffee has made him feel such a close connection with the land where his grandparents used to live that he has no intention of leaving.
“I love coffee, the peaceful life by the forest and the lifestyle of the ethnic people here. I do not feel much difference between them and me. I live the way they live, and I’m very happy to be considered as their sibling and relative.”
“I believe that the coffee planted in Đạ Sar Village will become higher and higher in quality and soon become an economic specialty of the region,” he said. — VNS
Long Bien Bridge – the iconic French construction in the heart of Hanoi
Paul Doumer Bridge: Oil on Canvas, An artwork of Pham Luc.
Works on the bridge began in 1899 and when completed, in 1903, it was named after Paul Doumer, the French Governor General of Indochina. Visitors walking through the bridge could still see a metal plate attached to the truss which reads “1899 -1902 ~ Daydé & Pillé – Paris”. This is also the first steel bridge built across the Red River.
Long Bien bridge in the modern days/ Photo: Kinh te & Do thi
Long Bien Bridge is a reminder of French technological innovation at that time. Under the guidance of French experts, over 3,000 Vietnamese workers undertook the challenge of building the bridge, using up to 30,000 cubic meters of stones and metals, including 5600 tons of rolled steel, 137 tons of pig-iron, 165 tons of iron and seven tons of lead. The total cost of the bridge was up to 6,200,000 French francs at that time (roughly USD70 million today). Long Bien bridge construction period was originally planned to last 60 months, but it was completed in 45 months later.
According to the design of the French contractor Daydé & Pillé Company, the bridge’s length is 2290 across the river and 896 meters of stone approach roadway. Its 19 spans placed on 20 pillars in 40-meter-high (including the abutments). The single-track railway bridge runs in the middle while two side paths are used for motorbikes and bicycles (about 2.6-meters wide) and pedestrian way (about 0.4-meters wide). The direction on the Long Bien Bridge is left-hand traffic, instead of right-hand traffic like other bridges, meanwhile, cars are banned on the bridge.
The Long Bien bridge was almost destroyed by the US bombings during the years from 1965 to 1968, and in 1973 it was rebuilt.
In its more than 100-year history, Long Bien Bridge was once the second longest bridge in the world (just after the Brooklyn Bridge spanning the East-River in the US). It is even known as “the horizontal Eiffel Tower in Hanoi”.
Long Bien Bridge in 1940s, the photo taken by unnamed French photographer.
The iconic French-built bridge has still remained an important part of daily life for residents of the capital. Teenagers, expats and tourists alike love to walk across it on the weekend, buying boiled glutinous corn or charcoal-grilled sweet potatoes.
The bridge is also the best place in town to watch the sunrise or sunset. Many brides and grooms as well as hip young local people choose Long Bien Bridge as the backdrop for their photos. In the afternoon, people in Ngoc Thuy village and Ngoc Thuy ward pick up fresh vegetables or fish for dinner from the small open-air afternoon market on the bridge.
Restoration efforts
Through many ups and downs of history and time, the bridge is seriously deteriorated. There have been several proposals put forward recently to modify and modernize the bridge, so that the city can tackle the increasing amount of traffic between the districts of Hoan Kiem and Long Bien.
The bridge is an tourist attraction to both Vietnam and foreign travelers/ Photo: Kinh te & Do thi
The most notable project is the one titled “Conservation, Renovation and Development of Long Bien Bridge” which has been cherished for more than 10 years by French- Vietnamese architect Nguyen Nga. In 2019, this project was officially released in Hanoi, with the help of the Association for Liaison with Overseas Vietnamese (ALOV).
According to Ambassador Nguyen Phu Binh, ALOV’s chairman, the project has initially received the support of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
“Regarding the Long Bien bridge, the Prime Minister totally agreed to support Mrs. Nga’s initiative on the bridge restoration. He assigned the Government Office and the People’s Committee of Hanoi to discuss with Mrs. Nga and relevant agencies on the restoration. The Prime Minister requested the Vietnamese Ambassador to France to seek French support for the works and asked architect Nguyen Nga to mobilize capital sources to support the project,” Mr. Binh said.
Best Boutique Cruise Line in Asia
Embark on a journey back in time to Vietnam in 1930s with Heritage Cruises Binh Chuan Cat Ba Archipelago boutique lifestyle cruise in Lan Ha Bay in Cat Ba Archipelago. Combining the classical charm of French Indochina with a sense of timeless chic that only the Lux Cruises Group can provide, the cruise is as much an art and heritage space as it is a 5 star boutique cruise. Heritage Cruises Binh Chuan Cat Ba Archipelago invites guests to relive the romance of this bygone era in their boutique cruise which offers all the comforts of the 21st century.
Heritage Binh Chuan received the most prestigious award, TripAdvisor 2022 Travelers’ Choice Awards “Best of The Best”. Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2020, Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45UNROguoNM&t=5s Lux Cruises to expand the brand to Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc in Kien Giang province, and Cat Ba archipelago in Hai Phong city, for unique yachting experiences in the coming year.”
The most luxurious cruise in Vietnam has many cultural features, bringing with it the stories of cultural and historical heritage, fine art, architecture, fashion, and the quintessence of Vietnamese cuisine. The yacht is newly built based on the Binh Chuan ship built by the ship king Bach Thai Buoi, the first Vietnamese to launch a ship from Hai Phong to Saigon.
From the point of departure 100 years ago, today’s Heritage Cruises Binh Chuan takes travelers on a journey to discover Lan Ha Bay in style, a vast sea area with hundreds of islands, lagoons, and beaches, large and small, an experience recognized by the world. Channel 14 describes it “as beautiful as a dream” and Leonardo DiCaprio praises the ‘paradise’ beauty of Lan Ha Bay.
On the cruise, travelers can discover the authenticity of Lan Ha Bay, Binh Chuan Heritage Cruise will bring travelers into a traditional cultural space, the glorious legend of the intangible heritage, and enjoy the beauty of the natural heritage of Vietnam. Heritage Binh Chuan Cruise will bring the most authentic experiences with a minimum of 40 guests and a maximum of 60 passengers on a magnificent and sophisticated cruise operating in the Gulf of Tonkin.
Savored travelers will immerse into the culture, history, art, and people of Vietnam when cruising on a unique cruise amidst natural wonders. On this heritage cruise, travel connoisseurs can go upstream of history and culture to learn the business story of “Vietnam’s king of ships” Bach Thai Buoi and the life of the “Vietnamese Picasso“, Pham Luc, through a rich collection of 100 of his works collected and introduced by the owner Pham Ha in various locations.
Vietnam has one of world’s most beautiful coastal towns: US magazine
Cua Van Floating Village, in UNESCO world heritage site Ha Long Bay, has been named one of 16 most beautiful coastal towns by readers of U.S. magazine Travel+Leisure.
“This little village is completely composed of floating homes,” Travel+Leisure wrote. “About 700 people, traditionally fishermen, live in anchored houseboats, with kids attending a floating school.”
Located to the south of Ha Long Town, not far from Ha Long Bay, Cua Van Fishing Village is surrounded by limestone karst mountains.
The floating village has become a popular tourist attraction in recent years as visitors flock to there to see this unique way of life.
A majority of villagers have moved ashore, but several have chosen to maintain their livelihood in the floating village during daytime because the boats are their lifeline.
In 2015, the village was named the world’s most charming little town by Huffington Post, also based in the U.S.
Some of the other beautiful coastal towns featured on the Travel+Leisure list were Polperro in England, Manarola in Italy, Lunenburg in Canada and Port Fairy in Australia.
Cruising back in time
As incomes have continually increased around Vietnam over recent years, cruises have become more familiar among many Vietnamese travellers.
But not many know that cruises were first introduced in Vietnam in the early 20th century.
Nearby the dock of the Heritage Binh Chuan Cruise is a statue of late businessman Bach Thai Buoi, who was known as the “King of Cruises” in Vietnam.
His most renowned trip was called “Binh Chuan”, with this cruise taking on the name.
This cruise is rich in cultural values and boasts a library with books on Vietnamese culture.
On the shelves is also a copy of “Entrepreneurship in Age 1.0”, which tells of the great Vietnamese businessman Bach Thai Buoi. The stories were collected by his family members.
Along its corridors, cruise passengers can also admire old paintings, photos, statues, and outfits, all of which are representative of Vietnamese culture.
Art lovers on board can visit the first-ever floating gallery in the Gulf of Tonkin, with dozens of paintings by Pham Luc, who has been called the “Vietnamese Picasso”.
Besides contemplating the cultural values found inside the cruise, passengers can also opt for one or more of a range of leisure activities, including kayaking around Lan Ha Bay and soaking up the stunning sunset while sipping on a cocktail./.
Souce: VNA
Vietnam’s Based Lux Travel DMC Has Been Nominated for Five Categories of World Travel Award 2023
For the second time, Lux Travel Dmc (a member of Lux Group) has been nominated under the ‘Asia’s Leading Destination Management Company’ category at the World Travel Awards 2023.
(Hanoi 14 March 2023) After a rigorous selection procedure, Lux Travel Dmc emerged with a nomination for 5 categories: Asia’s Leading Destination Management Company 2023, Asia’s Leading Luxury Tour Operator 2023, Asia’s Leading Tour Operator 2023, Vietnam’s Leading Destination Management Company 2023, Vietnam’s Leading Tour Operator 2023. Among the top three candidates for the best luxury tour operators in Asia, the nomination of ‘Asia’s Leading Destination Management Company’ for the second time, confirming its position as a leader within the Asia luxury tourism industry. https://www.worldtravelawards.com/profile-33516-lux-travel-dmc
As a company, Lux Travel Dmc (www.luxtraveldm.com) has contributed significantly to the benchmarking of experiential travel, lifestyle, luxury travel, adventure travel, the secret hideaway collection, MICE and heritage tourism within Vietnam and throughout Asia under brand Lux Travel Dmc, Lux MICE, Lux Cruises Group, Adventura Travel and the Secret Hideaway Collection. In sharing their intimate knowledge of the region they have helped create the ultimate luxury travel experience, establishing a unique travel style of insightful and rewarding tourism. Travel is now all about destinations, experiences, and memories.
As a company, it is famous for providing travelers with the ultimate travel experience along with establishing a unique style of travel. Famous for its sophisticated and luxurious services, the company has its own offices and representatives on five continents. In receiving a nomination, Lux Travel DMC. (www.luxtraveldmc.com) has effectively been issued with a global endorsement from thousands of travel professionals who believe that their distinct blend of niche and experiential travel is worth sharing with the rest of the world.
Celebrating 18 years at the forefront of the Vietnamese and Asian travel industry, Lux Travel Dmc promotes a style of travel that goes beyond the idea of the conventional sightseeing packages, paying particular focus on immersing clients in the local culture and venturing out to lesser-known détinations and new destination such as Sri Lanka for guests to discover, dream, explore, indulge, relax, experience and immerse. With offices all over the world, luxury vehicles, five-star cruises, boutique hotels, and travel experts provide authentic and unique travel experiences. The key thing sophisticated travelers want today is personal service and the opportunity to have unique encounters with a destination’s culture, history, and people – something they can’t Google. The company has just launched the secret hideaway collection for post-pandemic travelers.
Pham Ha, Founder, and CEO of Lux Travel DMC (www.luxtraveldmc.com) said: “We are honored to be nominated as Asia’s leading destination management which coincides with the celebration of our 18th anniversary. We are a luxury travel trendsetter, one of the leaders in the market. We share our unique travel experiences and intriguing perspective with clients who wish to see Vietnam and beyond. To be nominated by such a prestigious committee is a testament to the innovative product we create and the dedicated team who drives it. I am proud of the whole luxers team who know how to provide a “wow” service to our most sophisticated travelers”.
Famous for Heritage Cruises Binh Chuan Cat Ba Archipelago, coming soon, Lux Travel Dmc will be at the forefront of luxury cruising in Phu Quoc Island City with an ultra-luxury alternative – Emperor Cruises. This prestigious project, driven by Lux Travel Dmc, is positioning itself as a five-star cruising experience with butler service on a traditional Vietnamese wooden and steel vessel where royal glamour, history, and heritage provide the right blend of service, luxury, and unique travel experience and quiet efficiency. The project will create jobs, boost the region’s economy, and help position Phu Quoc as one of the world’s major luxury tourist destinations.
Pham Ha added: “We enjoyed 65% recovery last year and 75-90% to pre-pandemic levels. Some markets such as German market, 100% back to 2019 levels. We expect and prepare a full recovery next year. We promote our authentic, unique travel experiences and call for investors for our very potential of cruises and yachts in Vietnam. The number of cruise tourists accounts for only 2-3% of the total number of international visitors to Vietnam. It’s necessary to attract investors to invest in cruise ships and yachts with Vietnamese nationality that run along the coast. Be the first to cruise along Vietnamese coast in 2025 aboard our Lux Cruises”.
Last year, Lux Travel won Vietnam’s leading destination management company 2022 of WTA. The company’s depth of experience and large infrastructure enable it to create unique itineraries with the operational confidence to fulfill the most sophisticated traveler’s expectations. Lux Travel Dmc won numerous travel awards nationally and internationally. For voting dates from now to 23 July 2023. The World Travel Awards (www.worldtravelawards.com ) serve to acknowledge, reward, and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. Hailed as the “Oscars” of the travel industry, the awards seek to raise the standards of customer service and overall business performance throughout the international industry. Now in their 30th year of operation, the World Travel Awards have evolved to represent a global search for the very best travel and tourism brands.
Lux Group To Launch Two Mega Yachts to Celebrate its 20th Anniversary
Lux Group Is Developing A Fleet Of Two Luxury Vessels. The official unveiling should be sometime in 2025.
“The Lux Yacht Collection represents the next chapter of our long history of industry-leading innovation, and a milestone moment for our company as we continue to capitalize on new opportunities.” says Lux Group Founder and CEO Pham Ha.
Details surrounding the first superyacht SPIRIT and PRESIDENT of the LUX Yacht Collection reveal about 99 suites and duplex suites, a spa, a salon, several bars/restaurants, a gym, a huge infinity swimming pool, and an outdoor movie theater. To ensure guests’ needs are attended to, there will be enough staff to assist them with personalized services.
It’s evident that President’s sleek design, soothing and neutral hues, and contemporary layout were thoughtfully crafted to appeal to a clientele who is seeking relaxation, serenity, and the service they’ve come to expect from the brand.
First and foremost, guests were more than pleased with the ample amount of space both in their suites (purposely not referred to as cabins) as well as across the expansive and numerous common areas of this 190-meter vessel.
The company promised more square footage per passenger and with just 99 suites and a passenger count of more than 300, guests on board the first sailing were happily surprised with the room to stretch out.
The mega yacht is stunning, truly a floating work of art, featuring spacious suites that all offer balconies and high ceilings, 5 dining venues, various inviting common areas, multiple pools (including an infinity one), a handful of whirlpools, a spa, fitness center, cigar lounge, and watersports marina.
VIETNAMESE MARTIAL ARTS – VOVINAM
First of all I would like to say thank you very much for waking up early to join us as we are proud to introduce you our martial art, Vovinam, which is now practiced in 40 countries. It is as famous as Judo, Karate or Taekwondo of Japanese. In our country, people continue to practice VOVINAM every morning so do it like the locals!
Before we practice I will give you some short information about Vovinam.
Our Vovinam (Võ Việt Nam, Việt Võ Đạo or Vietnamese Martial Arts) was founded by Mr. Nguyễn Lộc in 1938 under the Bao Dai reigns of the Nguyen Dynasty, Mr. Loc wanted to provide students an efficient method of self-defense. He believed that martial arts could help to deter outside invaders. So Vovinam is a martial art which contains the national traditions and the spirit of the Vietnamese people.
After he died in 1960, Grandmaster Le Sang continued the development and international promotion of Vovinam. Now In Vietnam, Vovinam is very popular, People still practice it every morning for exercise, for good health and to improve balance like you are doing today. The first Vovinam school outside Viet Nam was established in Houston, Texas. Since 2000, Vovinam has become popular in many countries in the world (above 40 countries)
LOGO
The Vovinam logo is composed of a rectangle conjoined with a circle, angular at the top, round at the bottom. Within this yellow shape, the red text “Vovinam” is written above the marine blue text “Việt Võ Đao”. Under the text appears a yin-yang symbol in red and marine blue. The yin-yang symbol is surrounded by a thick, white circle, symbolizing the being of the Dao, with the mission to merge the yin and yang and to enable the ‘chi’ or life force. A yellow map of Vietnam is superimposed on the yin-yang symbol.
Finally we talk about theory of the martial art of Vovinam, The yinand yang theory (Vietnamese: “Âm-Dương” and “Nhu-Cương”) states that everything in the universe and on earth is initiated through the interrelation of Âm (negative) and Dương (positive).
As to this theory there are martial arts that prefer the hard over the soft and others that prefer the soft over the hard. Vovinam Việt Võ Đạo does not prefer either over the other. Hard and soft are used equally to adapt to every situation, to every problem.
The slogan of Vovinam is “Iron Hand over benevolent heart”, and the goal of Vovinam training is to develop both physical ability and spirit.
Vovinam as we know it today, “Nhu khí công quyền” has 10 forms, it is very good for your health, It has been divided into three sections : first you have to warm up, the second is soft movement , and the third is breathing.
Sailing the Coastline of Vietnam
Added two cruises under Emperor Cruises Brand for Nha Trang and Phu Quoc, Lux Cruises Group Is Developing A Fleet Of Two Luxury Vessels and Attending ITB Berlin 2023.
The marine tourism sector, which is a top priority of the country’s sea economy Master Plan 2030-45, has been struggling to attract investment in cruise harbours and coastal infrastructure to lure globally branded cruise fleets connected with worldwide destinations. Cruise services are one of the key products in building marine tourism as a core part of the ‘blue sea economy’ plan.
The coast of Vietnam is ranked the 33rd in the world. This nation ranks in the top 12 countries for the most beautiful bays in the world including Halong, Lan Ha, Lang Co and Nha Trang. Although Vietnam has 3,260 km of coastline, 125 world- class beautiful beaches, 3000 islands, and 28 coastal cities, it still does not have a cruise ship fleet. Vietnam must have cruise ships along the coast and to carry passengers from Vietnam to other countries.
Making a 67.3 per cent share of the country’s total tourism revenue, a top favourite ocean destination among 156 beach nations, cruise tourism in Vietnam has not been promoted properly so far. The number of cruise tourists accounts for only 2-3% of the total number of international visitors to Vietnam.
Lux Group’s Founder and CEO Pham Ha emphasized that it is necessary to attract investors to invest in cruise ships and yachts with Vietnamese nationality that run along the coast. Be the first to cruise along Vietnamese coast in 2025!
Lux Cruises (www.lux-cruises.com) is a member of Lux Group (www.luxgroup.vn), an award-winning Asian travel and hospitality group with more than 20 years delivering authentic and unique experiences.
Lux Cruises is a combination of 6 cruises, tenders, speedboats under two brands, Emperor Cruises (www.emperorcruises.com) and Heritage Cruises (www.heritagecruises.com), operating in the most scenic bays and archipelagos of Vietnam: Halong Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay, Lan Ha Bay (Cat Ba Archipelago), Nha Trang Bay and Phu Quoc Archipelago.
“Our vision is to start our first expeditions on the Gulf of Tonkin and further expand between Hanoi Capital and Halong Bay on the Red River and its tributaries, along the coastline of Vietnam, on the Mekong River and to other Southeast Asia countries” said Pham
Ha “Lux Group Is Developing A Fleet Of Two Luxury Vessels in 2025 if you interest in our iconic products and investment opportunities, visit our Vietnam Pavillon at ITB Berlin 2023”.
“The Lux Yacht Collection represents the next chapter of our long history of industry-leading innovation, and a milestone moment for our company as we continue to capitalize on new opportunities.” says Lux Group Founder and CEO Pham Ha.
Details surrounding the first superyacht SPIRIT and PRESIDENT of the LUX Yacht Collection reveal about 99 suites and duplex suites, a spa, a salon, several bars/restaurants, a gym, a huge infinity swimming pool, and an outdoor movie theater. To ensure guests’ needs are attended to, there will be enough staff to assist them with personalized services.
