Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa is set to introduce a new era of exciting and inspiring hospitality to Vietnam’s central coast with the launch of a series of enhancements, including refreshed accommodation, social and culinary venues, children’s activities and more, to reaffirm its position as the area’s leading luxury family resort. Nestled on a tranquil stretch of Non Nuoc Beach, the gateway to the vibrant city of Danang and UNESCO-listed Hoi An, this five-star resort has been a desirable destination for families, friends and couples to unwind together since its opening in 2011. Now, following a series of important upgrades, Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa is ready to elevate the visitor experience to even greater heights. FUN-FILLED CHILDREN’S EXPERIENCES Camp Hyatt is being expanded and relaunched as an oasis of fun, inspired by Vietnam’s myths and legends. With four distinct indoor and outdoor play zones – Earth, Water, Fire and Wood – this immersive kids’ club will feature an exhilarating array of activities, including toddler play pits, ball pools, canopy swings, climbing nets, a water obstacle course, and more. These upgraded spaces have been officially unveiled in April. FRESH CULINARY VENUES Parents and other guests will also have plenty of opportunities to relax at Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa following the official opening of Vive Océane in June. The first beach club restaurant of its kind in Danang, this alfresco lounge will tantalize travelers’ taste buds with French-Mediterranean and Vietnamese cuisine, crafted using the freshest ingredients and local seafood overlooking the shimmering sea. Cabanas will be ideal for couples to cuddle up, a show kitchen will add a sense of culinary theater, while regular entertainment shows, DJs and bands will create an upbeat atmosphere. This inviting venue will also provide a unique option for outdoor events. Newly-opened, Terrasse offers pre-dinner drinks, artistic cocktails and thoughtfully crafted canapés. A choice of seating includes comfy sofas, while “brazero” fire pits and classic silent movies, screened daily, add to the enchanting ambiance during the golden hours of the day. The resort’s authentic Italian restaurant is being rebranded and reimagined with a creative new concept. Overseen by Executive Chef Pierre Tavernier and Italian Chef Marco Pistillo, Osteria al Mare will be relaunched in May, showcasing casual and contemporary Italian cuisine including freshly-made pasta and a social “Share Share” concept which will be perfect for families and friends to enjoy together. CREATIVE CULTURAL HUB A new Art Gallery will also be unveiled as an exclusive space for talented local and visiting artists to exhibit their work and to provide an original attraction for culture seekers. This collaborative venue will be officially launched in June with an exhibition by Réhahn, the globally-recognized photographer. UPGRADED POOL VILLAS Finally, the resort’s 18 luxurious three-bedroom Pool Villas are being progressively refurbished with new interior furnishings, furniture, and enhanced facilities, plus a garden area where families can play together. A new direct pathway from the villas to the beach will also put the soft sands of Non Nuoc Beach on guests’ doorstep. This renovation project is set to be completed by June 2023. “I am delighted to reveal details of our resort’s transformation, which is set to elevate our guest experience and enhance the quality of luxury hospitality in Danang. With outstanding new facilities for young and old, including an expanded, locally-inspired Camp Hyatt, our beautiful new Vive Océane beach club, refurbished villas, rebranded restaurants, and a bright art gallery, we want to create exceptional experiences for every guest so they return to central Vietnam time and time again,” said Adrian Pulido, General Manager, Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa. Situated on a tranquil stretch of Vietnam’s central coast, Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa is an ideal base to explore the area’s exotic local charms, including three nearby UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Imperial City of Hue, Hoi An Ancient Town, and My Son Sanctuary. With 198 guestrooms and suites, 144 one- to three-bedroom residences and 18 three-bedroom villas, plus 700 meters of fine sandy beach, five outdoor pools, a fitness center, spa, and a selection of restaurants and bars that showcase world-class gastronomy, this resort is ideal for every occasion, from couples’ breaks and family vacations to unforgettable events. Many of the new facilities, including Vive Océane and the Art Gallery, have already soft-opened ahead of their official launch dates. For more information and reservations, please click here.

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Today we take you to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of My Son, an unmissable piece of history in Vietnam. But if you wish to see these amazing ed-bricked towers dooming up, you need to endure a short walk through a forest region. My Son was heavily damaged during the years when combat and war raged through Vietnam but, fortunately, enough has been spared (and partially renovated) to keep it under the watchful eye of UNESCO. Various temple ruins and relics of its stature are spreading over a large field, where sometimes nature has found its way, giving it a unique feeling. In My Son, walls are adorned with the sculptures of gods, priests, animals, and scenes of mythical battles and devotion. The complex was designed as a place of worship of Lord Vishnu. At one time, the site comprised over 70 temples, tombs, and numerous samples with historically vital inscriptions in Sanskrit and Cham related to the construction of My Son have been used to tell its story to all those entering its serene feeling realm. The History behind My Son Between the 4th and 13th centuries a unique culture which owed its spiritual origins to Indian Hinduism developed on the coast of contemporary Vietnam. This is graphically illustrated by the remains of a series of impressive tower-temples located in a dramatic site that was the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom for most of its existence. My Son Sanctuary dates from the 4th to the 13th centuries CE. The property is located in the mountainous border Duy Xuyen District of Quang Nam Province, in central Vietnam. It is situated within an elevated geological basin surrounded by a ring of mountains, which provides the watershed for the sacred Thu Bon river. The source of the Thu Bon river is here and it flows past the monuments, out of the basin, and through the historic heartland of the Champa Kingdom, draining into the South China Sea at its mouth near the ancient port city of Hoi An. The location gives the sites its strategic significance as it is also easily defensible. The tower temples were constructed over ten centuries of continuous development in what was the heart of the ancestral homeland of the ruling Dua Clan which unified the Cham clans and established the kingdom of Champapura (Sanskrit for City of the Cham people) in 192 CE. During the 4th to 13th centuries CE this unique culture, on the coast of contemporary Vietnam, owed its spiritual origins to the Hinduism of the Indian sub-continent. Under this influence many temples were built to the Hindu divinities such as Krishna and Vishnu, but above all Shiva. Although Mahayan Buddhist penetrated the Cham culture, probably from the 4thcentury CE, and became strongly established in the north of the kingdom, Shivite Hinduism remained the established state religion. The monuments of the My Son sanctuary are the most important constructions of the My Son civilisation. The tower temples have a variety of architectural designs symbolising the greatness and purity of Mount Meru, the mythical sacred mountain home of Hindu gods at the center of the universe, now symbolically reproduced on Earth in the mountainous homeland of the Cham people. They are constructed in fired brick with stone pillars and decorated with sandstone bas-reliefs depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. Their technological sophistication is evidence of Cham engineering skills while the elaborate iconography and symbolism of the tower-temples give insight into the content and evolution of Cham religious and political thought. The My Son sanctuary is a remarkable architectural ensemble that developed over a period of ten centuries. It presents a vivid picture of spiritual and political life in an important phase of the history of South-East Asia. The monuments are unique and without equal in Southeast Asia. Article and photos by https://whc.unesco.org/ 

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Also known as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, this country in southeastern Asia has five municipalities and 59 provinces with a population of more than 96 million residents. According to archaeological evidence, the area was first inhabited by humans in the Palaeolithic age, or the Stone Age, over 3 million years ago. Vietnam is a great place to visit some of the local attractions. The Imperial City of Hue, Ba Be National Park and My Son are popular attractions. Some of the best attractions in Vietnam are in Hanoi, which is the capital. So, why not drop off your luggage at a nearby Hanoi luggage storage site and go explore? Imperial City of Hue The walled city of Hue is an enclosure in the citadel of Hue, which was once the capital of Vietnam. In 1789, Nguyen Anh proclaimed himself Emperor Gia Long and had a walled city built for him beginning in 1804. Another set of walls and moat was built outside the original for palaces, pavilions, and gardens. The moat is still filled with water from the Perfume River, and you can still see the Purple Forbidden City. There are many other attractions in Hue to visit while you are in Vietnam including the Buddhist temples, the Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts, and the Tomb of Khai Dinh, who was the 12th Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. Ba Be National Park With more than 56,000 acres of green space, Ba Be National Park was founded to protect the lake as well as the limestone and forests. The lake is a large natural freshwater lake with an average maximum depth of about 75 feet. The name means Three Lakes because there are three sections of the lake. The Pe Leng, Pe Lu and Pe Lam are all connected but the ancient locals considered them three separate lakes. Inside the park, you can see a variety of flora and fauna. Some of the wildlife includes the rhesus macaque, the Asian black bear, and the Asian golden cat. Be sure to bring your camera to this beautiful spot. Na Trang For some beach fun, head to Na Trang where you can find almost four miles of waterfront space. Many of the locals as well as the tourists spend much of their time scuba diving, snorkelling, and surfing. Other exciting water sports at Na Trang include sailing, rafting, and of course, swimming. But you should also see other natural beauties like the Ba Ho Waterfalls, Thap Ba Hot Springs, and the Chong Rock. Don’t miss the National Oceanographic Museum of Vietnam and Alexandre Yersin Museum while you are there. And visit the Long Son Pagoda where you can see an 80-foot-tall white Buddha. Hanoi Also known as the Paris of the East, Hanoi is the most visited city in Vietnam, the capital of Vietnam, and the site of the most popular tourist attractions. Visit the Temple of Literature from 1070 AD, Hoan Kiem Lake, and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where President Ho Chi Minh has rested since his death in 1969. The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is another fantastic sight to see. And if you want to learn more about the culture, the city boasts nine museums featuring everything from art to Vietnamese history. Hanoi Old Quarter is another famous spot, which has 36 streets of crafts and historical architecture. My Son In the middle of the mountains of jungle, My Son is a temple city from the Cham era dating back to the fourth century. These abandoned and partly ruined temples built by the Kings of Champa are still a fantastic sight to see. The temples are to worship the God of Bhadreshwara, or Shiva. About 20 temples are still standing and you can get some fantastic selfies to share on your social media pages. In fact, all the buildings left at My Son are religious buildings like the Kosagra firehouse, Gopura gate tower, Kalan sanctuaries, and the Mandapa hallways. There is nothing like it anywhere else in the world. Hoi An The ancient town of Hoi An is full of beautiful architecture from the 1400s to the 1800s. Located near the mouth of Thu Bon River, the city was a small trading port that was very active back in the 1400s and still has many of the original buildings and monuments, both commercial and domestic. One of the most visited and photographed places in Hoi An is the covered Japanese bridge from the 1500s. This little city is also a fantastic spot to get some souvenirs with all the local vendors peddling their wares. They also have four museums like the Folklore Museum and the Museum of Trade Ceramics. Mui Ne With more than 100 resorts and shops, Mui Ne is a tourist town that attracts thousands of people every year. Like Nha Trang, this city has a lot of beachfront space popular with the locals and travellers alike. The small streets are lined with coconut palms and the whole place looks like a postcard. The sand dunes are popular in Mui Ne as well. The White Sand Dunes are famous for the dune buggies and ostriches. Yes, they have ostriches you can ride there. Kitesurfing is also another popular sport. And you can take a hot air balloon flight to see the sights from hundreds of feet in the air. While you are in Vietnam, make sure you try some of the local eats. One of the most common street foods is Pho, which is rice noodles and broth. Or try the Cao Lau pork noodle dish in Hoi An. Goi Cuon spring rolls are also very popular. But don’t miss the banh mi sandwich that is famous worldwide.

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