Anoasis Resort at Long Hai
Our only overnight excursion during
our Vietnam stay was a three day trip to Long Hai, a resort
area on the east coast. About two hours from Ho Chi Minh City
is the Anoasis Resort. The resort was founded by a former
French national who operated a helicopter service. Purchasing
the estate of a former royal ruler, she turned the place into
a resort. The resort still reflects both worlds, Vietnamese
style buildings with French accents. Access is gained via a
long, winding road to the hilltop entrance, offering views of
the resort and ocean (photo to the left). The photo to the
right shows the entrance to the main office area of Anoasis.
The architecture of that particular building was very similar
to those found in Ho Chi Minh City.
The Anoasis consists of a series of bungalows,
perched on a hill overlooking the South China Sea. They
sported thatched roofs and wrap-around porches bursting with
bougainvillea. Our bungalow commanded a spot near the top of
the hill, which gave us a commanding view, but longer walks
to the pool and restaurant. The photo to the left shows an
exterior view of our bungalow, including the wrap-around
porch and bougainvillea. The interior was roomy, with tile
floors and white walls; all the furniture was rattan or
bamboo. The living area was triangular in shape, and featured
a comfortable day bed, a wardrobe, television and
refrigerator, as well as a small writing desk. Both
walls had long windows. This area is shown in the photo at the
upper right. The photo at the bottom left shows the rest of
the room, with another day bed, a king-size bed with mosquito
netting,
as well as a small bureau. The 
room was air-conditioned, and the outside
temperature certainly required it. It was a cool haven when
returning from the sun of the pool. The bathroom was also
spectacular, with a large garden tub with Jacuzzi, shown in
the photo at the lower right. It was beautifully tiled and
roomy.
Overlooking the resort at
about the same level as our bungalow is the Anoasis Resort's
main restaurant. It has an Italian feel, a large al fresco
dining area with a roof over the patio. It looks out over the
remainder of the resort and the South China Sea. The
restaurant featured Vietnamese dishes (especially seafood
dishes) as well as continental cuisine. American breakfasts
were also served there in the morning. When we dined there,
the entire outdoor area (there is an indoor dining area as
well, decidedly less popular among the patrons) was decorated
for Christmas. The photo to the left shows the entrance to the
restaurant, while the photo to the right shows the al
fresco dining area in the evening, all decked out for
Christmas.
From the
restaurant/bungalow area, a tree-lined path descends to an
outdoor recreation area (photo to the left). Between the
hilltop buildings and the beach is a sandy area which serves
as one of the resort's primary recreation areas. The photo to
the right shows an outdoor lounge area, with chaise lounges,
chairs and tables. Behind this area is a pavilion with pool
and ping-pong tables. To the left of the main building
is a series of smaller pavilions that offer massage and
reflexology, with the sounds of the water in the background.
The photo at the lower right shows the massage/ reflexology
area.
Across from the outdoor recreation area is the
heart of the Anoasis Resort, the pool area. The Anoasis
features a large Olympic-size pool, which is fronted by an
open-air bar and restaurant area. Surrounding the large pool
are chaise lounges, while behind these are numerous cabanas.
When we visited, this area was always heavily subscribed, as
was the restaurant, which made passable club sandwiches. The
pool area proved to be more popular than the nearby beach.
Above the pool area is a promenade
overlooking the beach. It is a largely open area, with a
smattering of plastic tables and chairs and plants
at regular intervals. However tastefully landscaped, it
offered very little shelter for the sun. The exception was the
bar area, shown in the photo to the left. It served drinks and
snacks to people on the promenade as well as the beach cabanas
below. The beach itself was soft sand, and the water
reasonably clear. Much like our stay at the Empire Hotel and
Country Club in Brunei, the water at Long Hai tends to be a
bit murky, and the consistency of the sand a bit muddy. So,
while not really a swimmer's beach, it was a wonderful place
to take walks, especially as the sun set in the evening.
