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Dear readers,
Welcome to the first issue of 2014 and Happy New Year! The start
of a year is always a time for taking stock of the previous 12 months
and predicting what lies ahead. In that spirit, this issue Timeout looks
at 2014 through the eyes of a broad array of industry insiders. Travel
agents, resort and hotel managers give their take on where Vietnam
is headed over the coming year. Overall, the industry is upbeat and
there are many good reasons for this. Arrivals to Vietnam are up, our
airports are expanding, international flights are on the increase and,
finally, visa procedures are showing signs of being relaxed with the
announcement of visa free stays for direct arrivals at Phu Quoc.
This month’s feature on new openings also gives cause for opti-
mism. Recently an unprecedented number of new, internationally
branded hotels have opened their doors helping to put Central Viet-
nam, the capital and Ho Chi Minh City on the world tourism radar.
Alongside our special 2014 feature, we have an article on one of
the country’s most enterprising entrepreneurs, Bui Xuan Hai. Follow-
ing years of investment and experimentation, he has created gold
painted ceramic products that rival those produced in the glory days
of Japan and China.
In this issue we also shine the spotlight on the shopping revolu-
tion that is changing the face on consumption in the capital. The
all-in-one concept of Hanoi’s two new underground mega-malls has
proven a huge hit despite the economic climate.
In our last issue we suggested our readers head to Sapa for a
white Christmas and we were well aware that more than a few of
you probably thought the suggestion was ludicrous; however, Sapa
was indeed covered in a thick blanket of snow over the festive pe-
riod. If you weren’t fortunate enough to see it with your own eyes,
turn to page 14 to see our photographer’s images of the mountain
town under a heavy coat of the white stuff.
Once again, I would like to wish all our readers good health and
all the very best for the coming year.
Yours sincerely
NGUYEN ANH TUAN
PRICE: VND52,000 if sold separately
Editor-in-Chief
Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan
Deputy Editors-in-Chief
Le Trong Minh
Bui Duc Hai
Do Xuan Khanh
Deputy Managing Editor
Tran Ngoc Son
Designer
Lai Hoang Yen
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REGULARS
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What's on
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Hot deal
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Update
58
Timeout Guide
66
Voyeur
CAST & CREW
Cover photo courtesy of Starlight Cruise