FAB HOTELS ASIA 100

The Destinations

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Hoi An

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Vietnam may be an ancient state that dates back over a thousand years but not too many places today bear witness to its passage of time. Next to Hue and Hanoi, Hoi An is Vietnam's last remaining vestige to its long and meandering past, an intriguing confluence of Chinese temples, colonial buildings and even a covered Japanese bridge that remains home to some 120,000 inhabitants today. Every aspect of life in Hoi An in the present age remains rooted to a heritage that stretched from the 15th century, a glorious epoch where the coastal town was etched in history as one of the top trading posts of the South China Sea with maritime trade links to China, Japan, India, Europe and even Egypt. Like all historical entities, its fortunes rose and ebbed and after centuries of prominence it was virtually forgotten for 200 years until conservation efforts began in earnest in the 1990s. When a historic enclave is earmarked for tourism, its impending fortunes and misfortunes often hang in delicate balance.  Hoi An as a living portal to Vietnam's glorious maritime past with a wealth of cultural and historical heritage needs to be properly conserved and managed for the future 

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Hue

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The last imperial city of Vietnam under the Nguyen Dynasty, Hue is home to some of Vietnam’s most arresting historical addresses, including the imperial citadel, several ornate tombs of the Nguyen emperors and French style architecture raised during its turn as the capital of colonial Annam. Bordered by tracts of mountains with an enviable coastline that stretches for 128km, Hue is a beautiful heritage city with the Perfume River pulsating through its heart. Besides architecture, Hue is also home to the Bạch Mã National Park, widely considered to be a centre of plant diversity in Vietnam that is home to endangered species such as the Asian elephant, white-cheeked gibbon and red-shanked douc langur. It also protects important bird species, especially Vietnamese endemics such as the Vietnamese crested argus, Annam partridge and Edwards's pheasant, which was once thought to be extinct.
 

The Launchpads

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