The Awakening Of Central Vietnam

Hoi An makes many a traveller’s shortlist, butsleepier parts of the South Central Coastare asking visitors to stay and play too.

- Monica Pitrelli

What’s the trendiest place to be in Asia right now? Vietnam’s Son Doong cave. The world’s largest cave recently opened to tourists, and virtually every travel publication on the planet is writing about it. (We featured it in our June issue!)

Then, a couple of months ago, Lonely Planet ranked Central Vietnam the 6th best place to visit in the Asia Pacific for 2019. (Singapore was ranked number 4, thanks in part to Changi’s Jewel and the renovated Raffles Hotel.)

The area is enticing travelers to think beyond the country’s well-known “H” hotspots – Ho Chi Minh in the south, and Hanoi and Halong Bay in the north. The South Central Coast (the eastern lower half of Central Vietnam) is even battling its own H-towns – Hoi An and Hue – for attention.

Villas and views

Ever been to Quy Nhon? Not many have. Just five years ago, tourism was virtually non-existent in this central Vietnamese city (pronounced “kwee nyawn”) set between rugged mountains and a gorgeous coastline. Anantara Quy Nhon Villas is trying to change that. Following the success of Nha Trang to the south, Quy Nhon enters the luxury fray with the Anantara as its first five-star international hotel.

With only 26 villas, the property is wonderfully intimate. There are six villa types – choosing the right one is a matter of two decisions: location (beachfront or hilltop) and size (one or two bedrooms). We chose a bi-level Ocean View Pool Villa with a pool on the bottom floor and living quarters on the top. This is a great choice for families with young children; you get the splendor of a private pool without the skittishness of having to watch the kids every second of every day. Extra-high balcony walls are constructed without horizontal (aka climbing) beams – another necessity for families.