We visited The Anam for a very short break one weekend in October. It was not our first trip to the resort, and we had long planned to return to this tranquility paradise.
We landed at Cam Ranh International Airport around noon, where a minibus with “The Anam” logo and helpful staff were waiting with a welcome drink. It took about 20 minutes from the airport to the resort. The Anam overlooks 300 meters of beachfront on scenic Cam Ranh Peninsula, which averages more than 300 sunny days a year and has 77 villas and 136 rooms and suites.
The resort resembles a park, with flowers and green grass, and has been open for two years. We were warmly welcomed upon arrival with another drink. A feeling of relaxation came upon us straight away. We could smell the sea and enjoyed deep breaths of fresh air after suffering through days of air pollution in Hanoi. We checked the air quality index (AQI) and it read 21 (as good as in the US). A member of the resort’s staff reminded us of the resort’s facilities, services, and restaurants.
We checked in to our pool-view villa surrounding by the swimming pool and garden. From the architecture and design right down to the smallest of details, it felt as though we had traveled back in time. With a tri-level pool just meters from our door and the award winning “Sweet Dreams a la carte” concept, we had an unforgettable experience. This type of villa is ideal for families with children of all ages and enables everyone to enjoy quality time together.
No Shoes. No News. No Stress. Under this philosophy of the resort, we had an experience not found elsewhere. During our three-day stay we felt calm and engaged in a host of interesting activities.
The resort arranges morning yoga and meditation sessions with its resident yogi, Umesh, and recently introduced classes in Vovinam (a Vietnamese martial art) led by resident Vovinam master Huynh Trong Nghia, who has practiced and taught the principles of Vovinam for 20 years, which is tailored to all fitness levels and abilities. The Vovinam classes take place on the five-star resort’s vast green lawn overlooking Cam Ranh’s Long Beach on Monday and Wednesday for adults and Friday for children, from 4.30pm to 5.30pm.
In the evening, we joined the artist-in-residence program. The program and street food buffet are held every Wednesday from 5pm to 9pm and 6.30 to 9.30pm, respectively. Local famous artists depict situations from the daily lives of Vietnamese through the use of the country’s vibrant colors. The artwork is also on sale, making for an original holiday memento. The resort also offers an intimate art tour that takes art lovers into the galleries and homes of local artists, and a four-day artist-in-residence program annually during the festive season.
The Anam also offers plenty of healthy dishes at its world-class restaurants, including light Vietnamese cuisine made with fresh seafood and vegetables in addition to freshly-squeezed juices, smoothies, and cleansing teas.
It also has kids’ corners, a cinema, three swimming pools, and delicious dining at its restaurant, making our stay very comfortable. We could enjoy the morning buffet at Indochine Restaurant or the a-la-carte menu at Colonial Restaurant, while having a snack at lunch-time at Saigon Bar.
In early October, the resort opened a cool new beach club with sweeping views of Long Beach, boasting a vast outdoor deck and live music. Aptly called Beach Club, the venue is perched on the 12-ha resort’s finest grounds, right on Long Beach. The Beach Club’s immense deck and bright and airy interior seat up to 180 people. The new spot lays claim to Cam Ranh’s longest bar, measuring 18.5 meters and affording a panoramic vista of the beach’s white sands, turquoise waters, and dramatic headland.
The menu specializes in Western cuisine, offering a diverse selection of grilled meats, homemade pizzas, burgers, pasta, fresh salads, platters, and desserts. Signature dishes include “The Chef’s Burger”, comprising a Wagyu beef patty, grilled boneless beef rib, local pickled mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, sliced chorizo, grilled zucchini, and red onion marmalade, as well as red wine-braised lamb shank with soft polenta and fresh citrus salad, and a BBQ Beach Club platter with fresh grilled lobster.
In May, The Anam introduced spa villas replete with couples’ massage tables, a large private outdoor pool, and panoramic ocean views. The two new 267 sq m villas are set on a hill and command expansive vistas of Long Beach and islands offshore. In addition to spa facilities, the villas also offer two spacious bedrooms with an ensuite bathroom, a kitchen, a large living room, and a private pool with a deck, BBQ grill, and sunbeds.
The two-bedroom spa villas join the resort’s pair of 180 sq m one-bedroom spa villas set on 400 sq m of lush hillside next to the ten-treatment room Anam Spa.
The Anam recently clinched four 2019 Haute Grandeur Global Excellence Awards, as “Best Corporate Resort on a Global Level”, “Best Villa Resort in Asia”, and “Most Luxurious Suite in Asia” for The Anam Terrace Suite, as well as “Best Culinary Experience in Vietnam”.
It was also deemed Vietnam’s leading “Luxury Cultural Resort” at the recent 2019 World Luxury Hotel Awards. Over 300,000 people voted in this year’s awards across more than 99 award categories. Prestigious Australian magazine “Holidays with Kids” announced that its readers had voted The Anam among the “Top 10 Best Family Resorts Worldwide”, with the resort coming in at third place.
The Anam also recently received “Best Luxury Stay Experience in Vietnam”, “Best Hospitality Entrepreneur”, and “Best Hospitality Employees Team in Vietnam” awards at the 2019 Asia Pacific Tourism and Travel Federation Awards.
“Since our grand opening in April 2017, we’ve worked hard to quickly establish a reputation as one of Vietnam’s finest resorts, overlooking one of the country’s best beaches in its hottest new destination, Cam Ranh,” said The Anam’s founder, Mr. Pham Van Hien.
More than 30 hospitality projects have been licensed for development along the strip in Cam Ranh since 2015. Many are hotels that do or will carry an international brand name. “With so many international resorts establishing themselves in Cam Ranh over the next few years, it will soon rival the likes of Phuket as among Asia’s best beach destinations,” said Mr. Martin Koerner, Group Director Sales, Marketing & Distribution, at The Anam.
Mr. Hien added that industry insiders have predicted tourism investment along Long Beach will total well over $1 billion during the next decade.
