Montgomerie Links to host the 2nd Annual Swing to Swim Charity Golf & Dinner Event
The 2nd annual Swing to Swim Charity Golf Day will once again be hosted by The Montgomerie Links and proudly supported by Indochina Land and the Vietnam Swans while being endorsed by The Royal Life Saving Society - Australia (RLSSA), which have contributed significantly to swimming programs in the country.
Swing to Swim will be held on Saturday 17th March 2012 in a bid to raise VND 500,000,000 for local swimming programs, Swim Vietnam Hoi An and Swim Safe Danang. In a country where more children die from drowning than road accidents, these swimming programs are essential for raising awareness and reducing the number of drownings in Vietnam and the immediate region.
Montgomerie Links - KIDS GOLF ‘Learn to play’
Conducted by Mr Taylor Murphy (Australian PGA)
This 6 weeks series of Junior golf clinics will offer coaching in a fun yet challenging environment while interacting with other children. During the series the children will learn the basic fundamentals of the game of golf, they will also have the opportunity to see their own swings on video using V1 teaching softwear.
The format below is designed to make each session fun and interesting while delivering quality instruction.
An Bang Beach: The Locals’ Favourite
Amy Morison
It’s hard to imagine now but when I first stumbled upon An Bang beach, the bank literally comprised of a small row of bamboo restaurant shacks. One of them became my local on a Sunday, when I’d cycle out to the beach for a lunch of crab and beer. I never saw another foreigner. Besides a few basic sundowner chairs on the sand, the tabled seating was made up of miniscule plastic stools. And the beer was always served directly from a crate.
While it might not sound particularly appealing to others, I enjoyed the simplicity of it. The Vietnamese people in the restaurant were so chilled out; unengaged by the same commercial fervour that their city counterparts have long adopted. The beach was almost always deserted during the day (Vietnamese locals go early morning or just before sunset) and so you could really relax, with no-one around and no noise with the exception of the wind and the waves.
Valentine’s Day 2012 Promotions
14th February is almost here, what will you do this Valentines? Here is a list of special promotions and events taking place in and around Hoi An to help you decide.
Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa
‘Relish in the romance of Valentine’s at Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa’
Click Read more for further details on many Valentines promotions.........
Bean Me Up: Coffee Culture in Vietnam
Phil Mellifont
“That was the best coffee we’ve had so far in Vietnam”. I recently overheard this compliment offered by an Australian couple.
The Vietnamese waitress glowingly accepted the compliment, like most Vietnamese waitresses, positive feedback is always happily accepted – after all they’ve learned a foreign language and studied a foreign cuisine in order to gain employment in the restaurant and tourist industry. Waitressing to foreign tourists in Vietnam isn’t some weekend job; it takes a great deal of commitment and training.
Hoi An: A Guide by Miss C
Caroline Mills
Chapter 1 – Getting Your Bearings
Traffic Control
Until very recently Hoi An’s main traffic control device was the pot hole. Recent over zealous road repair has seen the demise of this age old system, with a new scheme involving protruding manhole covers taking their place......
Notes from Hoi An: Sustainable Tourism
Sam Miller
Back home in California you can’t swing a cat without whacking 100 things that are: locally produced, organic, eco-friendly, sustainable, carbon neutral, and/or fair-trade.
It should come as no big surprise in a country where more Vietnamese friends have iPhones than at home and in a town catering to visitors’ tastes and preferences that the trend of ‘Sustainable Tourism’ (a sub-set of Sustainable Development) is catching on here too.
Hello Moto: The King of Transport in Vietnam
Text by Amy Morison, photos by Michele North
Once upon a time I would’ve gasped at the sight of a man riding a motorbike through peak hour traffic with a refrigerator behind him, dubiously strapped to the back part of the seat. And yes, I too remember the feeling of pity mixed with amazement at the gaggle of live ducks being transported by xe may to the local market. (But of course I got my camera phone out, took a quick pic and sent the message to the folks back in Oz). And let’s not forget the pre-Tet frenzy where innumerous two-wheeled vehicles sprout celebratory cumquat trees in large earthen pots – usually wedged between driver and passenger. It’s like weaving through a moving garden of Eden on the street.
Springing Into Tet: Festivities For The Dragon Year
Amy Morison
While Christmas and New Year festivities will certainly be celebrated in Hoi An, the most important event on the local calendar is Tết Nguyên Đán (commonly shortened to ‘Tet’), which is the Vietnamese new year.
Also referred to as the ‘Spring Festival’ to typically mark the beginning of Spring, Tet is a grand affair, filled with ceremony, tradition, family reunions, and, of course, food.
It falls at the same time as Chinese New Year (in correlation to the lunar calendar) however there are various Tet customs that are unique to Vietnam.
New Year Food Parcels - Help Make A Difference
Linda Burn
Being hungry is not nice for anyone, let alone a child.
Many of the families we help don't earn enough to eat much or often and some of the children are malnourished. We are sending the children to school so that they are educated, and we are giving a small food allowance to many of them, but the food allowance just makes a little difference; not enough for any celebrations.
Please help us raise funds for a parcel of the food basics, plus some treats for this Vietnamese New Year, which is the biggest celebration in Vietnam. Without food there is no celebration.
