One of the world's most renowned food critics and cookbook authors is teaming with Vietnam Airlines to get her first taste of Vietnam.

Paris-based Patricia Wells, whose book Patricia Wells at Home in Provence won the James Beard Award for "Best International Cookbook," is planning a culinary tour of Vietnam between Feb. 22 and March 3, with the country�s flagship carrier serving as the primary sponsor.

Her 2009 visit will lay the groundwork for a series of cooking classes in 2010, to be conducted at The Nam Hai resort on China Beach near Danang.

�In food circles, Patricia is regarded as one of the very best in the business,� said Mr. Trinh Ngoc Thanh, a spokesman for Vietnam Airlines. �That she�s identified Vietnam as her next realm of interest says something significant about the rising prominence of Vietnamese cuisine around the world.�

Planned stops during Wells�s maiden trip to Vietnam include Ho Chi Minh City, Dalat, Hoi An, Hue and Hanoi. It�s expected that all destinations � as well as her five-star lodging choices, such as the Caravelle Hotel in Saigon, Sofitel Dalat Palace, The Nam Hai in Hoi An, La Residence in Hue and the Sofitel Metropole Hanoi � will be featured in an article she intends to write for a major culinary magazine.

�Of all cuisines on the world stage, Vietnamese cuisine ranks as one of the most intriguing, most sophisticated and least well known,� said Herbert Laubichler-Pichler, general manager of The Nam Hai. �Patricia Wells�s survey and her assessment should make a valuable contribution to the growing body of literature on it.�

Wells, who was born in the state of Wisconsin, will travel with husband and fellow American Walter Wells, former editor of the International Herald Tribune and one of the few non-French citizens to be awarded the French Legion of Honor.

Wells�s cooking classes in Paris and Provence are among the most exclusive experiences in France. She has written nine other books, and served as restaurant critic for IHT from 1980-2007.

The Nam Hai is an all villa resort nestling amid the unique culture of Central Vietnam and combines gourmet cuisine with abundant recreational pursuits in an atmosphere of unsurpassed opulence at Vietnam�s most exclusive oceanfront resort.

Just 10 minutes away is picturesque Hoi An, an ancient �Silk Route� trading port with a rich multi-cultural history and nostalgic streetscapes.

The Nam Hai is managed by GHM, one of the world�s leading creators and operators of award-winning, distinctive luxury hotels and resorts, throughout Asia and the USA.

The resort is connected to the world via Danang�s international airport, just 30 minutes from the resort, offering direct flights from Singapore and Bangkok with future plans for direct flights from Hong Kong and other major Asian cities

The five-star resort is a member of the prestigious The Leading Small Hotels of the World.

For more information on The Nam Hai Resort and for reservations, visit: www.ghmhotels.com