HONEYMOON ARRIVAL IN VIETNAM

If you’re arriving in Hanoi, a romantic entrance to the city in a vintage car is an excellent and enjoyable way to get an initial feel for the city, West Lake and the tree-lined colonial boulevards as you drive to your hotel.

Where you will share your first honeymoon night will inevitably depend on your budget. If you really want to make a style statement, the Sofitel Legend Metropole is the capital’s most historic and luxurious hotel, the very epitome of colonial grandeur.

If you want something intrinsically less grand, there are a number of luxury and other very fine and beautiful hotel choices in and around the city, including many internationally recognised brands, but for something really unusual, authentically Vietnamese, romantically charming and culturally interesting, the Moon Garden Resort is a delightfully high class homestay experience, staying with local people and getting to know about real life in this ancient culture, something no luxury hotel can provide.

When staying in Hanoi, it is almost mandatory to visit the stunning beauty of Ha Long Bay, one of the country’s most highly prized destinations, and a cruise of this magnificent seascape is a must for romantic exploration.

The Ao Co cruise ship provides a three day luxurious colonial style sojourn through the wondrous natural features, while several superbly crafted traditional style junks provide for a more intimate, or even wholly private journey.

If you’re fortunate enough to be at the luxury end of the honeymoon spectrum, arrival at Ha Long Bay aboard a seaplane is a dramatic way to connect with your cruise, and features a flyover of some of the bay's outstanding features before skimming across the water to meet your vessel.  

An unusual way to enjoy a fine romantic dinner in this awe-inspiring shapely natural wonder is to dine privately in one of its caves or on one of its secluded beaches, attended to by a chef and waiting staff.

If your portal into the country is Ho Chi Minh City, we can likewise arrange a classic car ride into the heart of old Saigon.  

The Reverie Saigon and the Park Hyatt Saigon are the premier luxury hotels, though again there are many superlative hotel choices in the city. A favourite for honeymooners is the An Lam Saigon River Private Residences overlooking, as the name implies, the Saigon Riverfront, and featuring the Deck Restaurant for fine dining with a view.

If you want to make a bit of a splash, a luxury speedboat can take you out for fine river dining, or take you for a private sojourn into the Mekong Delta. For longer cruises of the Mekong, lasting several days, cruise boats can be chartered.

If you are combining a visit to Angkor in Cambodia, a week-long cruise itinerary will take you in relaxed style up the Mekong River all the way to Siem Reap, a direction of travel that can usefully be reversed if you want to explore Angkor first.  

BEST HONEYMOON HOTELS IN VIETNAM

Hue, the former imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty, has some very fine hotels, including the secluded luxury of the beachfront Laguna Lang Co and Banyan Tree resorts outside the city, the location of which also make them a good choice for visitors to Danang and even Hoi An. The riverside boutique style of La Residence is another very fine place for romantic relaxation. Other fine boutique hotels good for couples in this area are the Pilgrimage Village and the Verdana Lagoon Resort.

The garden houses of Hue are one of the cty's most attractive features, and a private fine dining experience in the Tha Om Garden House provides a marvellous setting for a romantic meal.

In nearby Danang, aside from the Lang Co and Banyan Tree resorts, the Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort on Monkey Island provides first class luxury in a scenic forested area with a fine beach and sea views, while the villas and simple sleek lines of the Fusion Maya and its all-inclusive Spa treatments is perfect for health minded couples.

A little way further south, Hoi An and its beguiling charm are a great place for couples to enjoy the classic Vietnamese culture of this UNESCO World Heritage town, combined with the joys of oceanic relaxation, with the premier luxury of the Nam Hai Hoi An situated on nearby My Ha Beach. Similar in concept to the Fusion Maya of Danang, the Alma Courtyard also has an included daily package of spa treatments. The Anantara Hoi An resort is a fine and serene boutique retreat and yet another Spa style resort situated on the riverbank, close to the historic town.

Near Quy Nhon, the hideaway beach luxury of the Bai Tram Resort is a good place to escape the bustle of life and relax in romantic bliss, with a beach spa and many private dining options. Another alternative nearby spa hotel is the Avani Quy Nhon Resort, renowned for its high quality wellness facilities.

Nha Trang is the most famous of Vietnam’s beach resorts, and a number of particularly fine honeymoon resort choices can be found here, most notably the Six Senses Evason Ana Mandara Resort, on Nha Trang’s beach front, and the sister six senses resort at Ninh Van Bay across the water, both superlative luxury options. Also in Ninh Van Bay, the An Lam Ninh Van Bay luxury eco-resort is another luxury romantic beach resort.  

Offshore from Nha Trang, on Hon Tre Island, the Vinpearl Nha Trang Luxury Resort has its own beach, amusement park and Championship golf course, though visitors should note that the resort can be very busy and is especially popular with Vietnamese holiday makers. Another island delight is the MerPerle Resort on Hon Tam Island.

To the south of Nha Trang, the Mia Resort provides a quiet relaxing air out of the city, specialising in Yoga and Meditation, while even more remotely, near Cam Rang, the tranquil luxury of the Amanoi Resort’s private pavilions hide on the sandy coast of Nui Chua National Park, making the perfect getaway location for honeymooners, away from Nha Trang’s bustle.

If you’re visiting Mui Ne, the luxury boutique style of the Princess D’an Nam and the Anantara Resorts are the top choices.

Inland, at Dalat, the Dalat Palace likewise makes the most of its pleasant countryside location, with a spa, tennis courts and a wonderful golf course. Alternatively, the Dalat Edensee Lake Resort sits beautifully nestled in forest on the lakeside, with a spa and tennis courts, providing a peaceful countryside retreat. Another very tasteful option is the French style of the Ana Mandara Villas Resort, with a spa providing therapeutic revitalisation in a countryside setting with the additional charm of staying in authentic original French colonial villas.

Off the southernmost tip of Vietnam, the Con Dao archipelago is most notoriously famous for its former chillingly brutal prison, used by both the French and the Americans to inflict indescribable misery upon its inmates, and seems, on the face of it, a highly unromantic destination, but this archipelago has much more to offer, such as its lovely beaches, one of which is home to the high luxury of the Six Senses Resort, which offers its famous Yoga, Ayurvedic and Wellness treatments and sports in this delightfully remote and little known part of Vietnam.

Another Island in this southern area of Vietnam is Phu Quoc, further west and close to the Cambodian border in the Gulf of Thailand. The best honeymoon hotels here are the luxury resorts of La Veranda and the boutique Chen Sea Spa Resort, both first class beach locations from which to discover this quiet island realm.