Anantara Mui Ne Hotel

Mui Ne Beach, KM10, Ham Tien Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province, Vietnam

It’s four hours from Ho Chi Minh City to the south-eastern city of Phan Thiet, a nerve-jangling trip by taxi or a gently meandering train ride. To the north, at the southern end of the 16km-long Mui Ne beach, sits Anantara Mui Ne – a haven for exploring this region away from the big cities.
Step off the hotel’s pool deck and you are straight onto the beach, with the warm South China Sea rolling in – the cool breeze being what makes it one of Vietnam’s top spots for windsurfing. Refurbished only a couple of years ago, the hotel offers 89 rooms, suites and villas with private pools. At the helm of the L’Anmien restaurant is chef Geoffrey Crabbe, who combines Vietnamese flavours and ingredients with a Western twist. The highlight of any stay is a trip with Crabbe to the main market in Phan Thiet, as part of the excellent cookery course on offer at the hotel. The produce is as fresh as fresh can be – the market is replenished twice daily. It’s not for the faint-hearted though as the fish, fowl and frogs are still swimming, squawking and croaking before being summarily dispatched to order. GR. Doubles from £107.