Think Vietnam, and you might not think of luxe resorts and sublime eateries. But winning the hearts and minds of the well-financed traveler is this nation’s new revolution. A primer that will have you booking your next trip before the holidays.
If anyone should intuitively understand the appeal of an up-and-coming economy, it’s a deal pro. But even the most adventurous road warrior might hesitate before venturing to Vietnam in search of luxury. This is, after all, a former ostensibly “socialist” regime, one that for decades catered almost exclusively to sandaled backpackers and contrarian adventurists. Could a recovering socialist nation truly deliver a luxe experience to the traveler of means? In search of an answer, I recently set forth to traverse Vietnam from south to north. It was a form of intensive, long-distance due diligence — my equity stake a traveling budget of almost unlimited resources. Ho Chi Minh City
I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (better yet, call it Saigon, as the locals do) after a flight on United Airlines, which flies directly from either Chicago or San Francisco via Hong Kong. The first thing I noticed upon hitting the ground: the city’s robust, almost frenetic energy.
On a humid evening awash in neon, my taxi maneuvered through weaving motorbikes and three-wheel cycles before dropping me in center city at the newly refurbished Caravelle (011-84-88-234-999; caravellehotel.com). During the war, network bureaus headquartered here, and Vietcong rocket teams would sight their weapons on downtown Saigon by the neon Caravelle (sailing ship) atop — until authorities finally figured out to turn the damn thing off. Today, the ambience is decidedly more mellow, all sleek marble and quiet service.
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