travelfile
massage all your senses
luxury in saigon
ll with John Altwyn-Jones, travel editor
D
iscovering two resorts that exude such style and quality, yet are totally different, is very exciting, with the awesome Six Senses Ninh Van Bay and its sister property, the Evason Ana Mandara, Nha Trang, on the coast around 500kms north of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Six Senses Ninh Van Bay is set on a stunning white sand beach, with towering rocky mountains, on an island 20 minutes by boat from Nha Trang. The resort boasts 58 superb villas with their own pools, idyllic and luxurious, yet in harmony with nature and the environment, romantic, peaceful, away from the stresses of everyday life – a place of solitude. Each villa has a 24 hour butler but you will never need more than swimmers, a t-shirt and a sarong. The Six Senses Spa is redolent with relaxation as the sound of a gentle waterfall and the aroma of essential oils and incense infuse the air. Over on the mainland in Nah Trang, the Evason Ana Mandara, Nha Trang, is the only beachfront resort with direct beach access, set in private tropical gardens with spectacular views of Nha Trang Bay and offering fantastic local and Western food. Intimacy and style are the keys to the success of this resort with only 17 villas containing 74 very smart rooms combining traditional Vietnamese and contemporary styles. All rooms have their own private terrace. Two awesome resorts offering superb value for money, but above all, superb facilities, impeccable service with fantastic food, in unbelievable settings and locations and above all great value for money!
W
ith a concierge meeting us at the airport and escorting us to a stunning Mercedes limousine, we knew the Park Hyatt Saigon was going to be a pretty special experience! The atmosphere and vibe of Saigon quickly embraced us, along with a million or so motorcycles, then concierges swiftly opened doors, welcomed us to the stunning Park Hyatt Saigon located in Lam Son Square in District 1 in the centre of Ho Chi Minh City, and whisked our bags away. The leading luxury hotel in Saigon, the 5-star, 9-storey colonial-style, newly built Park Hyatt Saigon is intimate, offering only 244 luxury rooms and suites.Rooms include the spacious Park Room with polished wood floors, white marble bath with walk-in rain shower or the Presidential Suite 160 square metres in size, including a spacious living room with wooden floors, dining room for eight, fully equipped kitchenette, a full bar, an oversized whirlpool bath and more – this is the place for luxury! With great restaurants and bars in the hotel and many more on its doorstep, the best Italian food in Saigon is in the hotel’s Restaurant Opera, or for Vietnamese and Western cuisine visit Square One, which also offers awesome breakfasts including the best Pho. Feeling peckish later though, the Park Lounge offers afternoon tea with spring rolls. Need to work off all that great cuisine? The Park Hyatt Saigon has the exclusive Xuan Spa which includes a Vichy shower room, a couples’ room and treatment rooms with private terraces overlooking beautiful landscaped tropical gardens with a stunning outdoor pool….and this is in the heart of Saigon!
travel file tips •
Take US dollars and Vietnamese Dong with you as both are accepted, but with $A1 being worth around 21,000 Vietnamese Dong, get used to dealing with some large numbers!
•
There are plenty of ATMs for obtaining cash.
•
Vietnam is a relatively safe country, so you do not need to become paranoid about security, but keep an eye on valuables and jewellery etcetera and use the in-room safe or safe deposit at reception. Don’t carry more money than you need when walking around the streets and do not wear large amounts of jewellery, because it is considered impolite to flaunt wealth in public and you may become a victim of a pickpocket or drive-by bag snatcher.
•
In cities only use licensed or official taxis as there are unlicensed ones which could charge exorbitant fees.
•
Vietnam is a communist country and therefore has rules and regulations that might seem silly to us – like where you can take photographs and where you can’t. Just obey, don’t argue – go with the flow or you might find you staying in rather different accommodation!
•
Take a hotel business card from the reception desk so that you can tell your taxi or cyclo driver where you are staying.
•
Please dress appropriately and do not wear revealing clothing so as not to cause offence to the local people. Vietnamese dress conservatively and it is only in larger cities that dress is a little more relaxed.
Find more travel tips and advice for Vietnam at www.profilemag.com.au
Please note: profile and travelfile do not endorse or any of the facilities or serviced included in this section.
56
profilemagazine
profilemag.com.au