Zannier Bai San Ho, near Qui Nhon, Vietnam - Explore & Book
"Vietnam has over 2,000 miles of coastline, and huge swathes of it remain untouched by tourist development. Think white powder beaches, shimmering paddy fields, and seafront hamlets where coracle boats, fishing nets and reed baskets are still crafted by hand. This is one such spot – a half-mile beach at the tip of a spidery peninsula south of sub-radar Qui Nhon – and it's an absolute jewel. We first visited the bay in 2015, when there were only five villas. Hearing it was slated for expansion, we held our breaths – and then let out a big sigh of relief to hear it was our friends at Zannier, the pioneers behind Sonop, Omaanda and Phum Baitang. These guys have mastered the art of sustainable luxury in spectacular, remote settings. Launched in late 2020, Bai San Ho remains a boutique resort: its 73 villas (from 1 to 4 bedrooms) are comfortably swallowed by a bay this size; the hotel melts into its natural surroundings. The villas are beautifully designed with reclaimed timbers, bamboo, inside-outside living spaces, pared-back interiors and phenomenal attention to detail. The service – be it in the beach bar, the three restaurants (good food and cocktails on tap), the kids club, or the watersports- and activity centre – comes with big smiles and genuine kindness. And those magnificent views, that huge infinity pool! It doesn't really get any better than this. Highs The fine-sand, half-mile beach is the star of the show: fringed by palms and pines, dotted with exquisite shells, crashing waves, and bare minimum visual intrusionThere's tons to do: tennis, yoga, spa, watersports (from sailing to efoils), fishing villages to visit, even a golf course nearbyAnd the snorkelling is superb – the resort's name means 'Bay of Corals' – with year-round warm watersTheir commitment to sustainability is admirable: recycled building materials, 600 re-planted trees, no single-use plastics, and rice from their own paddies (with excess harvest being donated locally). They are the temporary caretakers of the bay and seem genuinely dedicated to protecting itThe breakfast buffet is a dream, an epic spread Lows Make no mistake, it's a long journey – an hour from Qui Nhon's domestic airport, 4 hours by road or rail from Nha Trang. We hear an expressway is being built which will reduce the transfer time but is likely to open the area up; enjoy it now while you can!Occasional big waves can make sea swimming tricky – but there's a panoramic pool, plus private plunge pools in most villasHillside paths mean it's not suitable for the infirm or for pushchairs, but free bikes and buggies around the resort can assist; if in the hilltop villas you need to plan ahead a little for lifts to the beach and restaurantsAt quieter times of year only two restaurants and about half of the villas are openThis is a slightly bigger property than most i-escape hotels" - Michael Cullen
