Ninh Van Bay, Vietnam’s Well-Kept Secret

The second part of our business trip brought us to the stunning Ninh Van Bay just off the coast of the more popular Nha Trang. I’ve never heard of it before until one of the hotels in this area visited us in the office and did a presentation of their resort. It was only then that I found out about this beautiful place Vietnam is keeping a secret from the mainstream tourism scene, I guess it’s one of the reasons why they were able to keep its natural and untouched raw beauty.

We woke up early that morning to catch our flight to Nha Trang. Upon arrival in Cam Ranh Airport, we were transferred by land to the jetty where we’re taking a 15-min boat ride to reach L’Alyana – our resort for the night. The huge boulders of rock scattered on the beach and the thatched roof of the villas welcomed us and instantly put me on a holiday mode, even if I’m actually there for work.

Our personal butler led us to our two-bedroom beachfront villa with a private pool which will be our home for the night. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to use the pool then as they’ve booked a picnic by the waterfalls for us for lunch. With our summer dresses on and flip flops, we were prepared for a relaxing walk to the waterfalls but much to our dismay, it was actually a proper trek through the woods. Lol. I’m surprised I didn’t injure myself through the trek with my clumsiness.

The picnic prepared for us was worth the trek though but I couldn’t take my mind off our way going back. It was hot and humid that we basically used most of the ice which was meant to keep our champagne cool to cool ourselves down instead. I’d do that again though if you ask me but I definitely would be wearing trek-appropriate clothes next time. :p

We had a couple of hours free in the afternoon so we of course used our private pool the whole time. Late afternoon, the resort arranged a sunset cruise for us. The unparalleled beauty of Ninh Van Bay is the best backdrop for a stunning sunset while we sip our champagne and eat some salmon with caviar. This is life, is what’s been running through my mind the entire time.

When we arrived back at the resort, there was a romantic dinner by the beach waiting for us. We feasted on seafood dishes and more wine. We were spoiled rotten by the staff of L’alyana that checking out the next day was heartbreaking. We needed to move on though and so we did.

We went to An Lam Retreats the next morning for a site inspection and lunch. An Lam Retreats is yet another stunning resort in Ninh Van Bay, the villas are more contemporary in style but still keeping its natural look with its earth-tone furnishings. It will be an adults only resort starting November 2018. After our site inspection, we had lunch in their signature and iconic restaurant – SEN Restaurant and feasted on Vietnamese dishes once again. YUM!

After lunch, we were picked up from An Lam Retreats and were transferred to our resort for our second night – Six Senses Ninh Van Bay. Knowing the brand, I already knew that it will be extraordinary but as we approached the cove where the resort is located – it still took my breathe away. Unfortunately, the resort had a 100% occupancy so we were not able to see any villas other than the ones that we’re staying in. The occupancy rate says so much about the resort, it is the most sought-after property in the area considering that we were there during the low tourism season.

We had a beach front pool villa which I shared with one of my colleagues. The villa is two-level with a lounge area overlooking the pool and the beach on the second floor while the spacious bathroom and bedroom are on the ground floor. We spent the rest of the afternoon cooling ourselves down in our own private pool.

Later that day, we had yet another sunset cruise – not that I’m complaining because who doesn’t love watching sunsets with champagne and canapes? We had dinner by the beach when we arrived back at the resort where they’re having a seafood buffet much to my delight. Needless to say, I stuffed my face with all the fresh seafood on the buffet spread before crashing for the night.

Sadly, good things are bound to end – my heart was breaking as we bid farewell to Six Senses Ninh Van Bay early the next day.

Which of the three resorts is my favorite you may ask? I can’t really choose one to be completely honest, not because I’m being diplomatic (because trust me, I’m not diplomatic at all) but because each of the resorts is stunning and have its own unique features which fits different kinds of travelers. L’alyana is more for families while An Lam Retreats is more for couples or honeymooners. Six Senses is the most upscale between the three and caters to all kinds of travelers as long as they have a budget for it. If When I go back to Ninh Van Bay, I’d probably stay in An Lam Retreats myself mainly because it’s the only adults-only resort in the area. :p

Here’s a short video of what we’ve been up to in Ninh Van Bay, I have to say that this is my favorite video from our Vietnam trip:

Ninh Van Bay, Vietnam from Pinay Flying High on Vimeo.

On a different note, a lot of people have been asking me what camera I use for photos and videos and you’ll all be surprised that it’s just a camera phone. I am using Huawei’s Mate 10 Pro which is amazing! Camera’s wonderful, the memory’s huge and the battery lasts the whole day even if it’s being used constantly. Here’s a link where you can buy this phone from: Huawei Mate 10 Pro (Single-SIM) 128GB BLA-L09 SIM-Free 4G Smartphone (Titanium Grey). Just to remind you, if you do buy it from this link I’ll get a small commission from it at no extra charge to you. Thank you in advance if you do decide to buy it from my link. 🙂

Pin it for later: