With its rocky outcrops and verdant terrain, Nui Chua National Park on Vietnam’s south-central coast, is one of Southeast Asia’s under-the-radar destinations. Perhaps it was this element of seclusion that encouraged the development of Amanoi, a property designed by Jean-Michel Gathy on the crescent-shaped Vinh Hy Bay located within the park.
Here, a series of regal pavilions and villas are strewn over the landscape with stylish elegance.
The aesthetic is minimalist, and timeless. Interiors have muted schemes of greys, browns and uplifting gold and crimson. As with every Aman property, textures are varied and well considered: smooth wood, sleek concrete, and tactile silks.
At the resort’s spa, guests have their pick of therapies from traditional Chinese medicine and reiki to Pilates workouts that connect mind to body. Its recently introduced Wellness Immersions, each of which were created to engineer specific results be it weight-loss, stress reduction or detoxification, have become popular, especially with Silicon Valley executives. At the Thuy Lien Spa House and the An Son Spa House, treatments like the Banya (Russian bath house) or hammam experiences can be experienced in absolute privacy.
In the evenings, Amanoi’s dining space, the Restaurant, becomes its social centre. Vietnamese cuisine with its fresh flavours comes to the fore with emphasis on just-caught seafood and garden-grown herbs.
For an experience to remember with friends and the area’s wildlife for company, dine in the style of the sacred Cham, whose culture runs deeply in the region’s way of life. Taste dishes authentic to the area such as cucumber salad with marinated octopus and tangy tamarind and chicken soup. For mains, there is Angus beef charred to perfection with local herbs, and prawns lightly stir-fried in chilli salt. For dessert, try the pumpkin custard.
With a table setting in the marine park’s less traversed areas, the dinner takes a mythical turn towards the end of the evening. It leaves memories that linger and add to Amanoi’s mystique, one that magically blends ancient and modern.
