Four Seasons The Nam Hai

Rooms

Enormous villas are all identical. Whitewashed exteriors give way to divine interiors. They mix wood and stone to magnificent effect and each one is dominated by a raised island of luxurious excess that rises with unimpeachable elegance in the middle of the room. At the front you find your bed, an enormous sprawling sea of white linen, with views that tumble over the sitting room below, cut through a wall of glass, shoot off across white sands and land in the ocean. A swivel TV stands to your left and comes with a library of in-house movies; it is connected to a BOSE sound system that links to your very own iPod. In front of the bed, steps lead down to kingly sofas on which to loll about; huge French windows open onto shaded terraces that come complete with a couple of daybeds, beyond which padded loungers bask in the sun on a trim lawn; in short, there are plenty of opportunities for lying down.

Slip back inside and saunter through your villa and you will pass a lacquered eggshell bath embedded in your island paradise behind the bed; this is exceptionally cool and it is quite difficult to spend a night here and resist the temptation to take a long soak. However, if you do, you will find other ways to cleanse yourself in your huge, super-stylish bathroom at the back (varnished wood floors, lacquered eggshell sinks). There are rain showers in dedicated wet-rooms, but if that sounds a little cramped, slide open glass doors and find a private garden that doubles as an outside shower; the space comes complete with stone statues and abundant plants. Elsewhere, Krups coffee machines, his and her wardrobes, beach bags, bath robes, stuffed minibars and fabulous bath potions. Expect the crispest cotton, the plumpest pillows, the comfiest mattresses. Best of all, come back from dinner in the restaurant and find the entire central island wrapped up in ivory curtains. Perfect.

Now you know what to expect inside, here’s the lowdown on other matters. There are 1-bedroom Villas, Family Villas and Pool Villas. Beachfront Villas ring a horseshoe of sand that runs down to the surf. Most Pool Villas do the same, but one row is set back from the beach, with elevated views and serious privacy, while the 1-bedroom Villas are further back still. All Pool Villas have their own pool.

Pool Villas range from 1-bedroom to 5-bedroom villas. If, for example, you take a 3-bedroom Pool Villa, you will find 3 separate villas within your garden walls. One room will be slightly simpler; it comes without a raised bed and is set up to work as an office, but this only applies to 3-, 4- and 5-bedroom villas. Some are closer to the beach and others are set on the hill with spectacular views over the ocean. You also get a communal sitting room that opens onto a shaded terrace and which comes with its own flat-screen TV, a couple of sofas and a dining table. There are complimentary decanters of whisky and vodka as well as wine fridges. Pools get bigger as the number of villas increases, but all have lawned gardens with daybeds, loungers and parasols scattered around. Finally, you get private barbecues and butlers to fire them up, though room service will deliver, if that’s what you want.

Features include:

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

Eating

The main bar and restaurant, Cafe Nam Hai, overlook the swimming pools and are set back from the beach close to reception. They come in a clipped minimalist style with lots of glass and wood, very attractive lighting and a stylish array of cut-glass crystal globes, some suspended above water. The bar has a balcony, the restaurant a terrace.

The buffet breakfast is extensive and laid out beautifully. You’ll find freshly-squeezed juices and fruit smoothies, cereals and muesli, baguettes and croissants, pancakes and waffles, then eggs any way you want them with bacon and sausages, too.

Lá Sen, open for lunch and dinner, offers global comfort food such as wood-fired pizzas and fresh salads, sushi and sashimi, and regional favourites - such as banh vac Hoi An (Hoi An style steamed shrimp dumplings) and ca mu nuong la chuoi (grouper in banana leaf with spice paste) - designed to share during the day. At night enjoy contemporary Vietnamese fare.

Dinner at Cafe Nam Hai is more formal. Expect a blend of Indian and European cuisine, such as pan-fried duck liver with truffled leeks or tandoori prawns with marinated watermelon cubes. There's a varied vegetarian menu, too. Nayuu, added since our last visit, offers a fine-dining Japanese tasting menu that features wagyu beef and the chef's unique take on sashimi, and The Bar is open all day for refreshments.

There is a full in-villa dining menu (breakfast from 6am-midday; lunch and dinner from 11am-10.30pm). Goats' cheese salad, wok-fried chicken and chocolate mousse or a plate of cheese can all be brought to you. There's also the option to have a private beach barbecue for 2, a romantic candlelit affair in which you'll have your own private chef and a daybed for post-dinner relaxing.

To eat out, pop into Hoi An, which has a number of popular old-town restaurants, cafes and bars, where you eat, drink and make merry in attractive courtyards or on river terraces. Mick Jagger once stopped for a bite at Mango Rooms, where excellent food has won itself a big reputation. The Hai Scout Café offers good Vietnamese food (if you’re impressed, return for cookery classes that start at the market, return to the kitchen and finish in the dining room); the restaurant supports the WWF. If you want to eat by the river drop into Restaurant 96, where the food is as good as the view.

Features include:

• Bar
• Coffee maker
• Kids' meals
• Restaurant
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Chill out by your private pool, one of the 3 (yes, 3) other swimming pools or bag yourself a spot of secluded sand on the private beach
  
• Treat yourself in the sumptuous spa which offers an extensive range of holistic-based health and beauty treatments, with an emphasis on healing through aromatherapy, Ayurveda and herbalism, from Bali, India and Tibet
  
• A sports complex offers badminton, tennis, a basketball court, a fitness centre, a sauna and a steam room
  
• Go snorkelling or diving at the beautiful Cham Islands, which the hotel overlooks. Reception can arrange
  
• Take the free shuttle into Hoi An and wander the very pretty old-town streets, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll find Chinese temples, a Japanese bridge, grand French colonial houses and traditional Vietnamese homes. There’s a market, too, and lots of lovely cafés
  
• Catch a taxi boat through the river streets and discover yet more handicraft shops selling woodwork and silk products (the traditional Vietnamese lanterns are gorgeous)
  
• Get some clothes made: Hoi An is a hot-spot for tailoring, and the prices are rock-bottom. Bring a suit and ask them to copy it or flick through the piles of design books for inspiration. They'll whip you up incredible imitations of YSL, Prada and Gucci for a fraction of the price
  
• Don’t miss the much-ignored Museum of the Revolution. It’s above the rather dull Hoi An Cultural Museum and is full of fascinating propaganda art
  
• Catch a tuk-tuk to My Son, another World Heritage site. This religious sanctuary was the capital of the Champa Kingdom, which flourished between the 4th and 13th centuries. A spectacular setting in a lush valley adds to the drama. My Son is one of the most important cultural legacies of Vietnam’s past
  
• Visit the Marble Mountains, 18km to the north and on the road to Da Nang. You’ll find five forested limestone hills, which you can climb for the views or explore for their mysterious caves, which house elaborate altars

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cooking classes
• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Well being

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Location

Four Seasons The Nam Hai is situated on Ha My Beach. It is 30km south of Da Nang and 10km north of Hoi An.

By Air:
Da Nang (30km) is served by regular flights from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Nha Trang, Ban Me Thout, Pleiku and Quy Nhon.
If you're coming from Europe, you'll probably fly into Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi. From these airports you can either transfer onto an internal flight or travel overland if you're planning a longer trip. For routes from the rest of Europe, please click on the links below.

From the Airport
Hotel transfers are the only practical way to arrive as the taxis are unreliable - see Rates for more details.

By Train:
The Reunification Express runs along the coast and offers services from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, stopping in Da Nang. There is also a scenic rail travel journey that runs several times a day from Hue to Da Nang. See Seat 61 for more details. The hotel can pick you up from the train station in Da Nang.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

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