L'Alya Ninh Van Bay

Rooms

The 35 palm-thatched villas have a chic Asian style, with vaulted ceilings, red-teak furniture and comfy beds draped in mosquito nets.

We stayed in one of the Hill Rock Pool Villas, which are blended into the trees and reached via wooden steps to the plunge pool and open-sided living pavilion. From here, an internal staircase leads down to the ground-floor bathroom (with his and hers granite sinks, a walk-in shower, a circular sofa and a bathtub set in a wooden platform) and up to the top floor, where there’s a bedroom, a balcony and another toilet, all with a partial ocean view. Note: the many steps mean these villas are not suitable for less agile guests; and we found the wooden surrounds made it difficult to step in and out of the bathtubs.

The Beach-Front Pool Villas and Lagoon Pool Villas sit in rock gardens accessed by attractive wooden swing gates; the former have direct access onto the sand, while the latter face a casuarina-fringed lagoon. Most have ocean views, but you'll sacrifice a little privacy in return. The lounges have terrazzo floors and polished tadelakt-style walls, and the huge bathrooms (with swing seats on ropes) lead to courtyards with alfresco rain showers and striking bathtubs hand-carved from local pink granite. The plunge pools, set at the front of each villa, are rimmed by bazan stone from Lai Chau in northern Vietnam and surrounded by pine decking with bamboo seating, loungers and umbrellas.

All of the Beach-Fronts, and some of the Lagoon Villas, have 2 ensuite double or twin bedrooms flanking a central living area, making them perfect for familes. For larger families, the lounges in the Beach-Fronts can be made up as additional bedrooms on request.

All villas are equipped with tea and coffee-making facilities, complimentary biscuits and well-stocked minibars. Bedrooms are air-conditioned, with fantastic mattresses, big TVs and fragrant toiletries.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Fan
• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Mosquito net
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

The open-sided restaurant overlooks the beach, with some tables arranged on the terrace and others right on the sand. Pretty candles are placed in huge table-top vases, and potted ferns and palms are carefully arranged here and there. The food is well prepared, aromatic and delicious, with extensive menus covering Vietnamese, pan-Asian and international cuisine. Much of the seafood is local, and vegetables (some from the on-site garden) are organic.

The full eggs, bacon, salmon and spinach repertoire is available at breakfast, as are pancakes and waffles drizzled in a dazzling array of sauces. Platters of pastries and jams are also served, along with pho (Vietnam’s national dish of beef or chicken noodle soup). Breakfast can be served in your villa at no extra charge.

A la carte dining is offered for dinner, in addition to changing set menus - perhaps Asian one evening and international the next. Set meals might start with an amuse bouche of seared tuna and squid, followed by soup or a spicy prawn salad. The main might be seafood with garlic water spinach and steamed rice, while dessert could be a sweet green-bean soup. The choice of à la carte options doesn't change often but it's huge (it would take weeks to eat your way through the menu), with an alluring array of meat and fish such as Nha Trang grouper, Ninh Van Bay lobster and Australian beef.

Lunches are lighter, with Australian burgers, Vietnamese baguettes (banh mi) and salads.

Private dining can be arranged - perhaps a barbecue on the beach, a sunset meal for 2 on the jetty, or an intimate dinner on a boat moored in the bay - and the resort often hosts themed evenings such as Vietnamese street-food buffets or Japanese feasts. There’s also a well-chosen wine list, and a bar amid the boulders. The isolated location means there are few other restaurants nearby, but if you want a change of scene staff can arrange meals at Ka Lam, another small resort owned by the same chain.

Features include:

• Bar
• Kids' meals
• Restaurant
• Room service

Activities

• Lounge on the beach or on a daybed by the pool, or submit to a pampering massage or papaya and honey wrap in the spa. Tai Chi and yoga can also be arranged
  
• Borrow a bicycle and potter around the grounds, where you’ll find hammocks, rope swings and a beach-volleyball net
  
• Climb the trails behind the property with a guide from the resort, who will take you past waterfalls, butterflies and leaping monkeys and up to an exposed viewpoint with outstanding panoramic vistas of the bay
  
• Ask staff to arrange a gourmet picnic in the jungle or on a secluded beach
  
• Learn about Vietnamese cuisine with an on-site cooking class
  
• Set sail on a boat trip into the bay, where you can snorkel, fish and enjoy breakfast or lunch in the sun
  
• Learn about lobster farming, a huge source of income for local fishermen. Ninh Van Bay is dotted with floating lobster nurseries, and visits can be arranged
  
• Borrow a kayak or pedal-catamaran from the watersports centre and head off to discover local coves, or try your hand at windsurfing
  
• Or explore beneath the waves - scuba diving for all levels is available at the Hon Mun Marine Park, 30 minutes away by speedboat
  
• Take a day trip to Nha Trang, Vietnam’s most popular seaside resort. Visit the French-built cathedral, shop in the markets, and admire the highly stylised Cham temples of Po Nagar

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Boat trips
• Cooking classes
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Kayaking
• Mountain biking
• Plantlife / flora
• Pool table
• Private guided tours
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Scuba diving courses
• Shopping / markets
• Snorkelling
• Swimming
• Tai Chi
• Traditional cultures
• Volleyball
• Wildlife
• Windsurfing
• Yoga

Kids

Children of all ages are warmly welcomed, and will love the beach and pool. Some villas have 2 bedrooms (1 double, 1 twin) as well as sofabeds for families of 5-6. Overall, we'd say that the resort is best suited to older kids and teens who can make the most of the watersports and the jungle setting. There are a few hazards for toddlers, including unfenced pools and rocks.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

For couple + 1 child: the standard Lagoon Pool Villas can take an extra bed.
For a family of 4: the Beach-Front (and some Lagoon) Villas have 2 ensuite bedrooms (1 double, 1 twin) flanking a central living area.
For larger families: the 2 lounges in the Beach-Fronts can be made up as additional bedrooms on request.
Cots are also available. Note that no extra guests, nor any children under the age of 12, are permitted in the Hill Rock Pool Villas.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 1.25 hours (Nha Trang)
• Hospital: 45 minutes (Nha Trang)

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

L’Alya Ninh Van Bay sits on a crescent of sand on Ninh Van Bay, a peninsula on Vietnam’s southeast coast. It’s only accessible via a 15-minute boat transfer from the resort’s ‘welcome sala’, which is on the opposite shore, 16km from the city of Nha Trang.

By Air:
Nha Trang Cam Ranh Airport (65km away) is around an hour’s drive from the ‘welcome sala’. It’s served by domestic flights from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and Hanoi, where most international services to Vietnam arrive - click on the links below for a list of airlines.

From the Airport
We recommend booking a road transfer from Nha Trang airport to the ‘welcome sala’, where the resort boat will meet you for the last lag to An Lam (see [rates:VN021:Rates]). Note that the boat transfer is not included in the price. Overland transfers from Saigon and elsewhere in Vietnam can also be arranged if you prefer not to take an internal flight.

Detailed arrival information will be provided when you confirm a booking through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Vietnam and getting around