An Lam Retreats Saigon River
Hideaway on the edge of the city
08/08/2024 Reading time: 2 Minutes
Honeymooners and travelers who want to retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life into pristine nature. Ideal for a relaxing night before your flight home.
The hotel on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City captivates with its uniqueness. For Vietnamese honeymooners it is a romantic and exotic setting, for expats in the business metropolis a fabulous weekend destination surrounded by greenery. The enchanting hideaway on the Saigon River is virtually immersed in tropical vegetation. I was able to breathe a sigh of relief as I left the exhaust-laden city center behind me on the hotel's own speedboat.
25 minutes later, a small delegation of smiling staff awaited me on the pier, surrounded by palm trees, bamboo, banana trees, ferns and flowering ginger plants. Later, during a cooking class with Madame Nhi, I discover that there is also a remarkable organic herb and vegetable garden on the property. The path winds through the jungle-like garden on wooden walkways to the villas and suites, most of which have a small pool and sun deck. The retreats were built with the environment in mind. The houses are made from natural materials such as certified wood, bamboo, rattan and stone. The individual interiors with reminiscences of the colonial era were made locally. Some hideaways are furnished with four-poster beds, draped in transparent voile. The terraces are shielded from the neighbors by an opaque picket fence. This means you can expose yourself naked to the sun here. However, I preferred a warm tropical shower.
The kitchen is a delight, where mainly organic produce from the garden is turned into delicious Vietnamese dishes. Of course, the precious koi from the idyllic pond need have no fear. Fish and seafood comes fresh from the market. The same goes for ripe fruit such as mangoes, pineapples and papayas - no comparison with our imported supermarket produce.
In the spa, I indulge in a one-hour foot reflex massage . It makes me feel fresh and alert. Just right, because afterwards I'm driven straight to the airport. It can be reached directly from An Lâm without any traffic jams.
25 minutes later, a small delegation of smiling staff awaited me on the pier, surrounded by palm trees, bamboo, banana trees, ferns and flowering ginger plants. Later, during a cooking class with Madame Nhi, I discover that there is also a remarkable organic herb and vegetable garden on the property. The path winds through the jungle-like garden on wooden walkways to the villas and suites, most of which have a small pool and sun deck. The retreats were built with the environment in mind. The houses are made from natural materials such as certified wood, bamboo, rattan and stone. The individual interiors with reminiscences of the colonial era were made locally. Some hideaways are furnished with four-poster beds, draped in transparent voile. The terraces are shielded from the neighbors by an opaque picket fence. This means you can expose yourself naked to the sun here. However, I preferred a warm tropical shower.
The kitchen is a delight, where mainly organic produce from the garden is turned into delicious Vietnamese dishes. Of course, the precious koi from the idyllic pond need have no fear. Fish and seafood comes fresh from the market. The same goes for ripe fruit such as mangoes, pineapples and papayas - no comparison with our imported supermarket produce.
In the spa, I indulge in a one-hour foot reflex massage . It makes me feel fresh and alert. Just right, because afterwards I'm driven straight to the airport. It can be reached directly from An Lâm without any traffic jams.
