We went on a couple trip to central Vietnam this year, to celebrate 10 years of marriage (amazing huh? haha) as well as my birthday. Since it was such a rare couple trip (the one and only other trip was 3 years ago to Bali to attend a friend’s wedding), we splashed out on a nice hotel, which was ranked #1 in Danang on TripAdvisor when we booked it at the start of the year.
Naman Retreat is a boutique hotel midway between Danang (where Silkair lands) and Hoi An (a UNESCO heritage ancient town). Its name is derived from combining “Nam” from Vietnam, and “An” meaning ‘peace’. And it is indeed a tranquil place.
Rooms
This was our room!
We booked a pool villa, which is what you see in the photo below.
Although extravagant, we figured that it was ok as a rare treat, since we’d probably won’t be staying in such a hotel for a long time more to come. Plus it’s not everyday that one gets to celebrate a 10th wedding anniversary right?
Other accommodation options in this low-rise property include the the usual hotel rooms along a corridor (Babylon Rooms measuring 45 square metres), and the capacious 900 square metres Beach Villa, of which there are only two, right next to the sea. There are also six bungalow-style residences (Naman Residences) ranging from 380 to 900 square metres, which also have BBQ pits next to their private pools.
Food
The spread at the buffet area was not as spectacular as Singapore’s Rasa Sentosa’s, but it was a good quality spread.
Above all, it was simply magical to be able to eat a leisurely buffet breakfast daily, whilst enjoying a book and a great view of the sea without having to attend to grumbly kids.
How we spent our days there
Quiet time by the pool……
Chilling out by the beach……
Taking advantage of the daily spa treatment that is included as part of the package……
And cocktails on the house on Saturday evenings to mingle with the hotel’s managers… There, we found out a lot about local culture, including where 90% of Vietnamese go for honeymoon in Vietnam. Pity that there’s no direct flight there from Singapore, otherwise we’d definitely try to visit!
We also made full use of their daily shuttles to Hoi An and Danang to explore those towns. We especially enjoyed our Hoi An visit, a UNESCO World Heritage Center, thus listed for being an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century.
All in all, Namaan Retreat is highly recommended if you are looking for a boutique hotel experience. I saw some kids there, but this is not so much of a kids-friendly resort since they only had a tiny kids club.
There are other sprawling and more grandiose resorts near Danang too, so do check those out if you are planning a trip to Central Vietnam, which we find really charming, and quite distinctively different in character from the larger cities of Hanoi up north and bustling Ho Chih Minh City down south.
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