Amanoi

Amanoi, the first Aman hotel in Vietnam, is a milestone for both the Aman group and the country’s high-end tourism scene. And it’s a reminder that, among other things, they know how to pick a location: to say that the Nui Chua National Park, on the shores of Vinh Hy Bay, is paradise on earth would perhaps be an exaggeration, but only a slight one — it’s a recognized UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Here, just down the coast from Nha Trang, Amanoi sits elevated on a hillside, with a commanding view of the beaches and the bay.

It’s the sort of location you might have called a diamond in the rough, were you a savvy property developer a decade or so ago; today, of course, it’s anything but rough, the Aman group having taken the trouble of polishing the resort to a high sheen. The grounds, a hundred acres of dense forest and rocky outcrops, remain in their natural state, but the construction, mixing modern architecture with indigenous design in the signature Aman style, is the last word in contemporary resort minimalism.

Not so minimal, of course, is the experience. Everything is quite literally state-of-the-art, from the intensely luxurious accommodations — some villas come with private pools, all with spa-like bathrooms and luxe open-plan bedrooms — to the facilities, including the pools, the restaurant pavilion, and the massive spa and wellness complex. If you’re here to get out and see the best of Vietnam’s central coast, they’ll happily show you the way, whether that means a day on the water or a trip to the national park; and if you’re here to be blissfully sequestered by the poolside, feasting on fresh, contemporary Vietnamese cuisine, they’ve got you covered there as well.

How to get there: Amanoi is about a 70-minute (scenic) drive from Cam Ranh Airport (CXR), which receives regular domestic flights from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang and direct flights from Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Seoul, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.