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The atmospheric former French hill station of Tam Dao nestles amongst forested hillsides rising up from the rice fields of the Red River Delta just 90km from Hanoi. Tam Dao, meaning three islands, describes the three magnificent limestone peaks that appear whenever the clouds clear. The European-managed Mela Hotel has 20 comfortable guestrooms with balconies offering panoramic views of the mountains and forests. Some of the rooms have their own fireplaces while others are equipped with radiators for cool winter evenings. Not only does the Mela provide the best accommodation in Tam Dao but it also has the best eating-place in town, the Bamboo Restaurant. As its name implies the Bamboo Restaurant is furnished with bamboo as well as local handicrafts. The amazing thing about the Bamboo Restaurant however is its incredibly extensive menu offering everything from a bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup to French cuisine, pasta dishes, couscous and even an excellent fish and chips! There is also a well-stocked bar and a terrace for al fresco dining on summer evenings.
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Air France plans new non-stop flight Air France has announced plans for a non-stop service between Ho Chi Minh City and Paris in a year’s time. The improved economic situation and the rise in number of foreign tourists visiting Vietnam were the major reasons behind the decision but the profitability will depend mainly on an increasing number of business travellers to and from Vietnam. Air France currently flies between Hanoi and Paris on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and between Ho Chi Minh City and Paris on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, all via Bangkok.
New beach resort opens in Phan Thiet The privately-owned Phu Hai Beach Resort opened recently in Phan Thiet. The resort developed by a group of Swiss-based overseas Vietnamese investors, consists of a four-star hotel and villas and currently has a total of 70 rooms. There are plans to expand the resort to 110 rooms in the near future. |
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All
that remains of the former holiday homes of colonial days are some
ruined buildings and crumbling walls amongst the tangled vegetation and
advancing forest. However the attractions of Tam Dao are natural not man
made. Because of its isolation from other mountain ranges the dense
primary rainforest of Tam Dao has a unique flora and fauna and
scientists from around the world are only now busily cataloguing it. Tam
Dao’s forests are of particular interest to bird and butterfly lovers
who come in search of some of the rare and localized species. Tam Dao
Mountain itself, 1,593 metres above sea level, is a four-hour trek from
the town. Along the way it is possible to encounter some of the 30 plus
species of reptiles and amphibians that were unknown to the outside
world just 15 years ago as well as some spectacular scenery and
cascading waterfalls. For more information on Tam Dao or the Mela Hotel
contact 
