Travel
The Anam
Escape the buzzing city life and check in to this luxurious five-star resort in Vietnam.
When Bangkok Airways started to offer a direct flight from Bangkok to the picturesque island of Cam Ranh in Vietnam, pleasure seekers like us couldn’t help but book a flight. The destination is about one and a half hours from Bangkok and as soon as we landed, we make a beeline for our chosen resort: the luxurious five-star property The Anam.
Located less than 20 minutes from Cam Ranh International Airport, the lush 12-hectare resort boasts Indochine design and architecture, and offers 117 villas, and 96 rooms and suites that range in size from 50 to 267 square meters. If you’re traveling on a budget, book yourself a balcony garden room or a sea view room. But if you want to indulge in the ultimate fancy holiday, opt for one of the spa pool villas, which includes a complimentary spa treatment per day per guest at the exclusive spa area next to your private pool. (If privacy is your main priority, then this room is definitely worth the splurge.) Every room comes with wood furnishings and customized encaustic mosaic floor tiles. If you want a better visual of the resort, check out the latest season of long-running US reality series, The Bachelor, as they use The Anam as a filming location.
The entire resort spreads out along a seemingly endless stretch of white sand beach and the turquoise waters. The facilities are nothing but spot-on. Fun complimentary activities include beach volleyball, sunrise yoga sessions, kayaking and sepak takraw or kick volleyball as it is commonly known in Southeast Asia.
The resort's restaurants will definitely elevate your stay to another level. Come to the Indochine Kitchen for a hearty breakfast buffet, The Colonial for a special course menu, Saigon Bar for scrumptious tapas, and Hanoi House for traditional Vietnamese dishes. All these eateries offer spectacular views, either of the beach, the swimming pools or the resort’s perfectly manicured gardens.
The beautiful city of Nha Trang offers more local delicacies. Don’t miss the bánh mì bat, local favorite Ngàn Houng, or the healthy fare at the Rainforest Cafe, a café in a forest setting.
Long Beach, Northern Peninsula Cam Ranh, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. www.theanam.com. Price starts from B8,364/night
Hotel Labaris
If your ideal vacation involves acres of lush landscaping and views of misty mountains that seem straight out of a fairytale, Hotel Labaris is perfect for you.
Situated among the panoramic Khao Yai hills, Labaris boasts a unique stay in a boutique hotel with a labyrinth theme. The property is full of maze-like pathways, where sculptures, which seem to be a cross between animals indigenous to Khao Yai and magical creatures, peek through the shrubbery. So don’t be surprised if you get caught up in the moment, thinking you’re in some kind of fantasy land.
The looping saltwater pool is worth a mention. Just a few crawls down the pool is a natural creek, where the water runs all year round. There’s no fence or boundary between the two, so you can really feel one with nature when you’re taking your morning or afternoon dips.
If you’re looking for a real escape from hectic city life, pick one of the ten pool villas. Each villa has a private terrace and saltwater pool just a few steps away from the luxuriously decorated bedroom. If you want a full view of the mountainscape, go for the Deluxe or Grande Deluxe room. For a more spacious option, we recommend the Duplex, which has high ceilings and a two-story layout (perfect for small families).
Wake up early to take in the chirping of birds and views of the forest. Drop by Labaris restaurant to enjoy the breakfast buffet or make your way to Rabbit Café for daily-made pastries and house-blend Thai coffee. Lunch and dinner are also served at Labaris restaurant. The eatery offers a variety of cuisines, from authentic Thai dishes such as red curry crab meat with cha plu leaf to international fare like crabmeat salad with avocado and passion fruit, and grilled lamb served with pistachio butter, pumpkin mash and couscous. The hotel is also only minutes away from some of Khao Yai’s most popular eateries, including Ribs mannn, The Chocolate Factory, and Midwinter Green.
With so much political drama going on right now, we can’t deny that a little escape to a “fantasy land” is exactly what we need.