Monday, August 30, 2010

The Nam Hai - Hoi An

7 days of pure bliss.  We flew into Danang, the 3rd largest city in Vietnam which is a hop and a skip away from Singapore.

The airport is rather small but given the boom in the tourism, they are building another terminal to handle the growing number of people visiting this beautiful part of the world.  On the way to The Nam Hai, we saw a lot of construction by some of the big name brand hotels being built along the beach front.  Now is really the time to visit before the hoards and hoards of tourists descend. 

When we arrived, we were whisked to the villa to complete our check in.  While D handled the formalities,  I checked out the gorgeous views ....
The Nam Hai Villa View
View from our Villa
The villa had 2 separate areas - a living area and the bedroom.  Lovely separation of space, however they are not linked so if it rains you need an umbrella.  We had great weather and there was no need for that.  The bedroom has a sunken tub and a raised bed (the bedsheets were a too rough for my taste as I think they were going for a rustic look).  Regardless it is a nice romantic design but not suitable for young kids.
The Nam Hai Bedroom and Living Area
Bedroom on the left and living area on the right
The villas and rooms are built in a U shape so that every villa has a view of the ocean.  There are low walls separating each villa but there aren't any walls at the front.   You get a great view of the ocean while lounging on your patio, swimming or reading under the coconut trees but you don't get much privacy.
The Nam Hai Private Pool with view
Private Pool
There are steps at the end of the pool area leading down to the beach and you can just walk out.  We took quite a few evening walks as it was way to hot to be wandering down to the beach in the afternoon.  
The Nam Hai Grounds
Shady Coconut trees to laze under
Most of the time I was hiding under the coconut trees or on the patio or in the pool reading.  We also went to the spa for massages - a must in Asia!!!  The spa was well designed and the massages were fantastic.  I'm usually allergic to the oil used but no issues here :)  Each room overlooks the large pond and the whole spa has a very zen like feel the moment you step in.
The Nam Hai Afternoon Tea
Daily Afternoon Tea
Each afternoon,  tea is served - same stuff everyday (I hope they change this up).  Brownie really enjoyed his afternoon tea and cappuccino.
The Nam Hai Main Pool
Main Pool 
Somedays, we spent some time at the main pool as well.  They have 3 pools to choose from.
The Nam Hai Main Pool
Main Pool
In the evenings,  we had drinks at the bar that overlooked the pools before heading out to dinner.
The Nam Hai View from the Bar
View from the Bar
For dinner, we usually take off to Hoi An Town.  They close off the streets in the evening so that tourists can wander around.  It is a Unesco World Heritage site as it is a well preserved South East Asian trading site dating from 15th -19th century.  Now it feels very touristy,  restaurants and tailors make up almost every other store.  We had fun tailoring some suits and dresses and wandering the little side streets.

There are also quite a few good restaurants in Hoi An and we enjoyed exploring the options, Vietnamese fusion, Vietnamese street food and Italian as well as very very good gelato :)
Hoi An
Ancient Town of Hoi An, A UNESCO World Heritage Site
I really enjoyed my stay at the Nam Hai,  the property is really gorgeous,  the service was mostly top notch.  On the second last day (thank goodness),  I got stung by a large wasp while I was having lunch at the hotel restaurant.  What were the chances!!!  I know that the Nam Hai has no control over the wasps but I didn't think the hotel handled it very well.  I was in pain for the next few days but even that didn't put a dent into my holiday.

The Nam Hai
http://thenamhai.com/
http://www.visasignaturehotels.com/hotel-detail/the-nam-hai

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

MacBook Pro


Finally finally IT has arrived....

The bears are all over it



Friday, August 20, 2010

Figs, Blackberry, Plums, A Bear and 3 Racoons

Loot from the backyard ... the fig tree outside the bedroom attracted a bear and a family of racoons as well. D tries to get rid of the blackberry bushes and vines as they attract the bears. Warning to those that don't grow up around here - don't try to pet a racoon even though the look so cute. They can be vicious - good to know eh.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Peaches Galore

Couldn't help myself - had to get a tray or 3. It's a short season so eat up.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Wedding Photography - Bittersweet by Joseph

I had looked at quite a lot of photographers but eventually decided on Joseph.  Even though he had only just started in wedding photography, I liked his style.  I had also seen first hand how he worked at my brother's wedding a couple of months before and was convinced that he would be able to capture all the emotions and the essence of my wedding day.  I wasn't wrong.

I had heard of quite a few horror stories about how photographers loose footage, didn't have backup equipment etc but I didn't have to worry.  Joseph was super professional.

I know that talking about photography but not attaching any of his work is strange but it is hard to showcase his work here so check out Bittersweet by Joseph.

Bittersweet by Joseph
http://www.bittersweetbyjoseph.com/

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Bridal Veil - Michelle HuiMin - Wedding Dress

So many good emotions on my wedding day that I'm not even going to try going there.  Just want to say that I loved my wedding gown by designer, Michelle HuiMin of Bridal Veil.  I had looked at many designers and finally decided on Bridal Veil as I liked the clean, simple lines, the gorgeous fits of their gowns and of course the added bling bling of swaroski crystals.

michelle huimin bridal veil
Michelle HuiMin's Wedding Dress 
Don't you just love that big bow?  Somehow it just takes the dress up a notch.

Felt like a princess 
For my evening gown,  I wanted a fire engine red gown for the longest time as I figured I wouldn't wear a red gown to any other event.  In the end though I decided on an off white cream off shoulder grecian looking gown.

Bridal Veil provides a one stop shop for dress, make up, hair, bouquet, car flowers and are linked up with a couple of photographers as well.   I got many compliments on my hair and make up.   Makes it so easy for the bride as I didn't have to deal with too many people plus they were professional and were able to advise on every level.  No regrets :)

Bouquet
Photography :  Bittersweet by Joseph

Bridal Veil 
402 Orchard Road 
Orchard Delfi #03-24/25
Tel: +65 6738 6152
http://www.bridalveilonline.com/

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...