Favourite hotels: Asia
AS I glance up from my book and take a long slug of the recently delivered, fresh coconut, a thought occurs to me—since when was a 96-room, 117-villa resort, ever this peaceful and such good value?
The Anam in Vietnam’s Cam Ranh Peninsula—where the climate averages more than 300 sunny days a year, reason enough to visit—offers something special, and it’s only a 60-minute flight from Ho Chi Minh City (guests in need of a cosmopolitan hit often coordinate their stay with a night or two at Ho Chi Minh’s impossibly grand The Reverie Saigon).
Vietnam’s bygone Indochine era—when France ruled the country and neighbouring Laos and Cambodia—lives on through the decor. On arrival, your bags are scurried away to your rooms, where vast beds and a pillow menu await—the perfect jetlag cure. Some suites have their own pools, but all are a short stroll from the sea. Every morning starts with a ritualistic dip— if all my days could begin like this, I’d be a better person.
Food is high on the hotel’s agenda: there’s an epic breakfast buffet (tasty morning dim sum quickly became de rigeur) and finedining restaurant, The Colonial, which has a strong French focus. It’s all plated up and delivered with traditional, warm-hearted Vietnamese service.
Guests can take some of these culinary secrets home, too—if you book onto one of the cooking courses, you’ll be whipping up summer rolls and traditional stir-fries galore, for years to come.
Stomach full, hop on a scooter and head off to take part in one of the hotel’s art trails to discover some very talented local artists and photographers.
To relax, go straight to the exotic, Balinese spa—one of the finest I’ve ever visited; the manager passes down age-old Balinese secrets, making the heavenly treatments one of a kind and intensely healing.
It may have only opened in 2017, but this resort is already something of a hidden gem. The area is sure to grow in popularity, so it’s worth visiting now (I’d hate for you to have to share the beach). HL Balcony, garden-view rooms from £142 a night (00 84 258 3989 499; www. theanam.com) Vietnam Airlines offer direct flights (the UK’S only non-stop scheduled service) from London Heathrow to Ho Chi Minh City, from £464 per person (020–3263 2062; www.vietnamairlines.com)