It’s the end of June and I am now spending 2 nights in the
city of Hanoi, Vietnam – a city that is still trapped with the nostalgic
feeling and reminders of the yester years.
My 2 nights stay was in Crown Plaza, West Hanoi, a very good hotel at the price of USD 91 that
comes with breakfast. The breakfast was good, a mix of the Asian
with the west and of course, the Vietnamese.
It is not exactly in the center
of the City, for it is near to where I
need to spend my time.
The room is superb, thrown in with WIFI, although I did not
manage to make it to use although I managed to sign on the network. I was told subsequently that perhaps using
the cable to connect direct to the port,
I would be able to use it.
Opposite is the supermarket,
house in the ThienSon Plaza, and
over the other end, a couple of food
court where you can try out the local food.
For dinner, I was
lucky and been able to savour the local flavours at the Restaurant Spectacle
hidden with the lanes of the city where local and western food flows along with
wine and liquor. Service was good with
the waitresses trying to explain what the dishes are and how to savour them
with their hard to understand accent.
There were plenty of the variety starters to go with the main
course. I chose the Lobster which was
well served, my all time favorite.
In between time, I managed to squeeze in some time to wander
off to a place the local call the Old Quarter with its adjacent “Hoan Kiem Lake …”, another amazing maze of back lanes of
shop houses, shops selling all sorts of branded product, shoes, handbags, luggages, etc…
The 2nd night dinner was at a Vegetarian
Restaurant, again a small outfit tugged
into the narrow maze of lanes of the city center… they called it the Kim
Ma area.
The food was good, and for all 9 our us hugh guys, the bill came to about USD50. What more do you ask for?
My Trip to Venetian , Macau
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Macau, a place well known for its casinos, its good food, beautiful girls and a gateway into China. No wonder, it is appropriately know as the Casino City in Asia. Like they say, a place to wine, dine and entertainment.
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Today Macau is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, and, like Hong Kong, benefits from the principle of "one country, two systems". The tiny SAR is growing in size - with more buildings on reclaimed land - and in the number and diversity of its attractions. The greatest of these continues to be Macau's unique society, with communities from the East and West complementing each other, and the many people who come to visit.
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As someone might put it “I don't think that is possible to stay in better and bigger room for such a price anywhere in the world. The whole hotel is breathtaking. I wish I can go there again soon”
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Another extreme would put it “Worst hotel experience I've ever had from check-in to check-out. Bottom line is there are too many people here, and the management and staff are unable to accommodate the needs of the individual traveler. This is an assembly line factory experience. From check in you are forced to check in your bags first then stand in line at another check”
I would agree with both of these comments, as both my wife and I were caught in similar situations like this.
The hotel resort is superb, 5 star amenities with very beautiful and extremely spacious room. My wife and I were very excited as we landed on their international airport, and eagerly find our way to their Coach service just short walking distance from the terminal exit.
It was sort of a holiday season. And so, when we reached the hotel we were disappointed to find out that we need to follow a long line to get checked in.
Greeted by a crowded reception instead of a warm welcome, we made our way to the concierge to leave our luggage so that we do not have to wait around. Instead, we can start to move around and come back to check-in at a later time.
We couldn't complain though with our room. It was very big, more of like one bedroom apartment split level with large sitting room, and a clear view towards Hard Rock hotel.. It has all the amenities that you would need (very comfortable lounge, TV, Fridge, Coffee Maker, Fax), the huge bathroom with your own bathtub, sala set, dining table, etc and etc. We love the environment and our room.
The food selection during breakfast (which by the way was included in the room rate that we have paid) was great! For USD300 a night with breakfast thrown in plus the theatre show for 2, who would complained. For breakfast, we had 3 different restaurants to choose from.
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The resort hotel provides a free shuttle bus to the heart of the city (airport and other areas in Macau) and we took advantage on this to drop us at the SANDS Hotel and casino and from there, took the cab to the city center which is only a short distance anyway.
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So our trip to the Venetian Hotel, is actually a trip to all other Hotel/Casinos in Macau as well. As we went to the SANDS, Hard Rock, Grand, Palace the LISBOA, the WYNN and others.
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Then, there is this Saint Paul Ruin, the icon of the Macau city. Macau is quite a small city if I can call it one, but it is really a Casino City so after this trip, it would probably be a long long time before I would come this way again.
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All in all, it is a very good, enjoyable trip and money well spent for me and my wife.
Stone Forest Icon
It has always marvel me to go on a trip to China, a country that has so much to offer. My trip to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, brought me to the infamous World Natural Heritage : Stone Forest of Yunnan, China.
The Stone Forest of Yunnan has been inscribed upon the World Hertitage List of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Inscription on this List confirms the outstanding universal value of a cultural or natural property which deserves protection for the benefit of all humanity.
The Stone Forest is known as "One of Earth's Natural Wonders". All visitors to Kunming from home and abroad never hesitate to come here to admire the unique scenes formed by the stones. The Stone Forest is located in Shilin County, 85 kilometres southeast of Kunming. Covering a few hundred square kilometres, stone peaks rise abruptly from the ground in numerous layers like bamboo shoots, forests and pagodas.
The Stone Forest enjoys great fame among tourists all over, not only because the region features a consistently warm climate, but also thanks to its wonderful scenic vistas and landscapes. Among the most dramatic of these attractions is the Stone Forest (Shilin), known since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.) as the 'First Wonder of the World.'
.The Stone Forest is in Lunan Yi Nationality Autonomous County, which is about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Kunming and requires only a three-hour drive. It covers an area of 400 square kilometers (96,000 acres) and includes both large and small stone forests, as well as many other scenic spots. An old local saying says that 'If you have visited Kunming without seeing the Stone Forest, you have wasted your time.' Truly, the Stone Forest is one of the most important attractions of Yunnan.
It is refreshing to walk through the Stone Forest, and marvel at the natural stone masterpieces and are bewitched by the intricate formations. The magnificent, strange and steep landscape creates countless labyrinthine vistas, unique formations.
Among all the scenic spots in the Stone Forest, the rock of Ashima in the Small Stone Forest is the most famous. The rock of Ashima resembles a girl of the Sani people, a branch of the Yi ethnic group, with a kerchief on her head, and a bamboo basket on her back. The shape and expression are both surprisingly lifelike. Ashima was a beautiful girl in a Sani folk tale. She is a symbol of the hope for freedom to choose who to marry, and a happy life for the Sani people. This is a story of a young couple who fall in love, but cannot marry each other. It was first written down in the 1940s and performed in Kunming. It has been published several times, and was filmed in the 1960s. The national dance drama "Ashima" is on the list of the top Chinese dances in the 20th century
Admission Fee: CNY 140 (including Major Stone Forest, Minor Stone Forest, Naigu Stone Forest, Wannianlingzhi Scenic Area, Bushao Mountain and Liziyuanqing Scenic Area)
Allowed for 2 to3 hours for a Visit
Opening Hours: 08:30 to 18:00
Transportation: Kunming East Coach Station (at the East 3rd Ring Road area) has regular buses to Stone Forest. The frequency is 20-30 minutes in peak season and about 40 minutes in low season.
Beside the entrance of Stone Forest, there are regular buses to Naigu Stone Forest Scenic Area every 40 minutes.
Front Scenery of Stone Forest: As soon as one enters the Stone Forest scenic area, a crystal-clear lake comes into focus. By the east lakeside, rise from the water a good array of fantastic stone pinnacles, pillars, shoots, and stalactites, resembling a natural potted scenery. A few hundred steps beyond the lake, there is a pool with a huge boulder in the shape of a squatting lion. Hence it's given the name of "Lion Pool". Further on, a couple of tall limestones block the way like a green screen.
Greater Stone Forest: Inside the sea of Stone Forest, one feels as if were in a bizarre fairyland. The stone formations standing still resemble a variety of things such as ancient fortresses, birds, beasts, flowers, trees, human beings, and whatever else one can imagine.
Lesser Stone Forest: It adjoins the Greater Stone Forest, and has large lawns, lush growth of bamboos and trees as well as mountain flowers in Spring and Autumn. Most fantastic are "The Cluster of Pinnacles Propping up the Sky" and "The Stone Singing Praises of Plums".
Outer Stone Forest: It's gifted with myriad of stone peaks of various shapes. The Lion Hill resembles a squatting male lion on a height.
