"And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow..." - William Butler Yeats Vinh Hy Bay, Vietnam: The Irish poet William Butler Yeats was writing about The Lake Isle of Innisfree when he penned the line above. But if he were alive today, he could well have been describing Amano'i on the remote mountainous coast north of Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon.
For Amano'i also translates as "peaceful place" - the kind of place most of us need to visit now and again to take a break from today's hectic world. Given the country's turbulent history, perhaps it's surprising to find this sort of peace in Vietnam - especially if you spend any time dodging the literally millions of scooters in Ho Chi Minh City or on the highways.
"That's why we suggest our guests do their Indochina sightseeing and cultural touring first, then finish up here for some relaxation," said Sean Flakelar, Amano'i general manager. Getting here is a small adventure in itself. You would probably fly via one of the major Asian hubs to Ho Chi Minh City, then take a one-hour local flight to Cam Ranh Airport which services nearby Nha Trang. This is where the peace starts "dropping slow," as an Amano'i driver meets you and even helps you put on your seatbelt in the vehicle, where you find bottles of water and a jar of candied dried banana snacks to sustain you during the one-hour, 55-kilometre drive to the resort. The hustle of local village scenery soon gives way to the beach and mountain tranquility of Nui Chua National Park and eventually Vinh Hy, considered one of the country's four most beautiful bays. Cristy Gonzales and her front office staff greet you with cooling facecloths as you arrive at Amano'i's central pavilion, with its broad staircase climbing up to the bar and restaurant.
"Even when it's a busy time, we make a point of living up to our name as being a calm place," said Gonzales. And in your pavilion is a hand-written, personally addressed note: "Xin Chao! Welcome to your Vietnamese home in Amano'i. May the spirit of Amano'i bring you peace and happiness. Best regards, Sean and the Amano'i family."
Indeed, you really do feel peaceful for any number of reasons: - The layout. The resort, opened in 2013, comprises 31 pavilions and five villas spread out over and blending into a hilly, wooded 100 acres. The basic pavilions have views of the mountains or tranquil Lotus Lake while the ocean pool pavilions have ocean views and private swimming pools. If the budget stretches to $9,000-$11,000 a day, you (and several other families, friends, health or other theme participants, or business associates) could choose a villa which has a central living-dining pavilion, swimming pool and four or five separate bedroom pavilions - plus your own butler and housekeeper on 24-hour duty.
The pavilions and villas are positioned to provide maximum seclusion. Even the paths leading into the accommodation are designed for privacy. You really don't see any other guests once you leave the common central, dining, pool or beach areas.
- The service. "You get the feeling you can ask for anything at any time, and the staff will oblige in a happy, willing, attentive and unobtrusive way," said one guest.
My experience with Dr. Dinh Thi Minh Duy - "Dr. Jackie" - was perhaps the perfect illustration of this. I arrived at Amano'i with the aftermath of having a fingernail removed to treat a stubborn finger infection. "Just let us know when you would like to see the doctor - she's here 24/7," said front office manager Gonzales. And sure enough, after breakfast every day Dr. Jackie was waiting for me outside reception to change the
dressing and help speed the healing process. And there was no charge.
Whether it was a buggy driver getting out of the buggy when dropping you off at your pavilion, a spa attendant remembering your workout routine, a waitperson serving you at your favourite table - or general manager Flakelar providing clothes from both the shop and his wife when an airline lost a guest's suitcase - you felt truly cared for.
- The activities. Flakelar broke down the guest experiences as: (1) Land: Visiting the Cham Tower of Po Klong Garai and shopping in nearby Phan Rang City; walking around the friendly fishing village of Vinh Hy - and then, by contrast, visiting the very poor Rag Lai indigenous tribe only a few minutes away up in the hills; trekking into the nearby rock formations.
(2) Water: Hobie Cat sailing, kayaking, snorkelling, swimming in the ocean or the beach club pool, or simply lazing in the sun or under an umbrella: peacefulness at its best.
(3) Fitness and wellness: Choose from the morning complimentary yoga sessions in the Lotus Lake pavilion, tennis and the wide variety of treatments offered in the spa.
To that list I would add: (4) Dining: whether in the dining room, by the cliff pool, at the beach club, at a deserted beach accessible by kayak or in your pavilion and catered by executive chef Daniel Woodbridge who kindly created a special menu for each of our dinners. We ended up repeating our favourites several times: a dozen tiny scallops each, pomelo salad, seared tuna, flash-grilled shrimp, mixed green avocado salad with sweet lemon dressing and a special local dessert of tapioca topped with tropical fruit.
"And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow. . ." I know poet Yeats would have loved it here. - North Shore News money columnist and travel writer Mike Grenby teaches journalism at Bond University on Australia's Gold Coast - [email protected]
