Azerai Can Tho
Stroke of genius from the founder of Aman
08/08/2024 Reading time: 2 Minutes
Couples who are looking for a private hideaway and want to experience authentic life in the Mekong Delta on excursions.
With the opening of Amanpuri on Phuket in 1988, Adrian Zecha set new standards in luxury boutique resorts. Now 90 years old, the Indonesian is still active. One of his last establishments is the Azerai Hotels. Their name is made up of his initials AZ and "Caravanserai". In other words, hostels on trade routes where travelers can rest and recuperate.
The Azerai on an eight-hectare private island in the Mekong Delta is just such a place, albeit in a luxurious design format. After a four-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City and a ten-minute motorboat ride, I drop onto the oversized bed in my river room late in the evening. Outside, tree frogs flute and cicadas chirp in old banyan trees. The distant rattling of a barge floats through the fragrant, sultry tropical air, and towards midnight a peaceful silence descends.
Anyone who has stayed in Amanresorts or GHM hotels, whose origins also go back to Adrian Zecha, will recognize the purist style. The models are traditional Vietnamese village houses with a veranda open on three sides. Elegant wooden furniture accentuates the light and airy ambience. Glass doors to the terrace and side window act as a frame around the dense greenery. Each room and suite consists of a free-standing pavilion. Trees, shrubs and lawns separate them from each other. The large pond in the heart of the complex, where pink lotus sprouts, is fascinating.
Even if it's difficult,-- the next morning I peel myself out of bed early. Because 45 minutes away by boat is the floating market in Can Tho. A small breakfast of croissants and fresh juice is served on the chic hotel boat. After an exploratory tour and a delicious lunch, it's back to the airport. I only found out at the Azerai that there is a non-stop flight from Can Tho to the island of Phu Quoc. Good to know if I'm coming back without a tedious car journey.
The Azerai on an eight-hectare private island in the Mekong Delta is just such a place, albeit in a luxurious design format. After a four-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City and a ten-minute motorboat ride, I drop onto the oversized bed in my river room late in the evening. Outside, tree frogs flute and cicadas chirp in old banyan trees. The distant rattling of a barge floats through the fragrant, sultry tropical air, and towards midnight a peaceful silence descends.
Anyone who has stayed in Amanresorts or GHM hotels, whose origins also go back to Adrian Zecha, will recognize the purist style. The models are traditional Vietnamese village houses with a veranda open on three sides. Elegant wooden furniture accentuates the light and airy ambience. Glass doors to the terrace and side window act as a frame around the dense greenery. Each room and suite consists of a free-standing pavilion. Trees, shrubs and lawns separate them from each other. The large pond in the heart of the complex, where pink lotus sprouts, is fascinating.
Even if it's difficult,-- the next morning I peel myself out of bed early. Because 45 minutes away by boat is the floating market in Can Tho. A small breakfast of croissants and fresh juice is served on the chic hotel boat. After an exploratory tour and a delicious lunch, it's back to the airport. I only found out at the Azerai that there is a non-stop flight from Can Tho to the island of Phu Quoc. Good to know if I'm coming back without a tedious car journey.
