Like its sister resort in Ham Tien, this brand new four-star beauty is set among 6.5 hectares of tropical gardens and alongside a stunning beach. It is, however, more remote and peaceful as its setting is between fishing villages along an undeveloped stretch of coast about 20km south of Phan Thiet. It comprises of 148 rooms and bungalows with some facing the gardens or the sea. There are also three villas, one with a private swimming pool.
The Pandanus Resort was built in 2004 within a 10-hectare garden on a 300-metre-long, secluded beach. The biggest resort in Phan Thiet, Pandanus is located east of the cape at Mui Ne, close to the famous red and orange Mui Ne sand dunes, and far removed from the frenetic pace of the Ham Tien-Mui Ne strip one kilometre away.
While some travellers might prefer the louder, more action-packed hotels in the Ham Tien tourist strip, Pandanus is perfect for families or couples looking to find peace and quiet. Here you’ll be sure to find a few things: beautiful, flourishing gardens; an amazing pool and beach; spacious and well-laid-out accommodations and service standards that reach international levels of quality.
All in all, the Pandanus Resort provides a good price/quality ratio away from the hustle and bustle.
In its more than 10-year history in Phan Thiet, Pandanus has grown to be one of the most successful large resorts in the region with one of the highest occupancy rates. Why? A few reasons. First of all, the layout of the grounds.
It’s very spacious and the expansive grounds are a tick in its favour. The vast entry lobby, built with traditional Cham architecture in mind and employees a group of traditional Cham musicians, is just the start and the sense of space continues from there. The entirely wheelchair-accessible walkways will lead guests through lush, well-maintained gardens and a variety of different bungalows named after tropical flowers found in the region.
Pandanus offers six types of accommodation, from budget and superior rooms in two- and three-storey buildings through to executive apartments and private bungalows. Each room is spacious, accommodating and has every essential a guest should expect from a 4-star resort. With balconies accompanying every room and gardens flourishing throughout the resort, it’s a guarantee that no matter where your room is situated, you’ll have a glorious view.
The resort is child-friendly with child-minding services, playgrounds and a big, open field area for ball games. Just keep an eye out if they insist on tackling the traditional Vietnamese "monkey bridge" over the pond.
Pool and Beach
Adjacent to the quiet beach – the cleanest and widest in the area – is a huge, free-form pool that surrounds an island covered with palm trees. The largest pool in Phan Thiet, it features an outdoor jacuzzi and it’s deeper than most pools you’re likely to find in Vietnam. Professional masseuses offer massages on the beach, around the pool or in the luxurious spa.
With over a hundred lounge chairs circling the pool and the beach, it’s easy to stake out a few for yourself and your family wherever you’d like to spend your day. And with the pool-adjacent Sun Terrace Restaurant taking orders for drinks and light lunches from 1:00 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily, you’ll really have no reason to leave.
Spa
The spa at Pandanus Resort offers a wide variety of treatments and probably has whatever you’re looking for. Open from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., the spa features massages, facials, skin care treatments along with a steam room and saunas.
Appointments can be made daily starting at 8:00 a.m., and it should be noted that appointments must be made to use the sauna and steam room as well. While this might be a slight inconvenience for vacationers used to popping into the steam room without notice, it’s really a testament to just how busy the spa is at Pandanus.
Sports and Fitness
If you’ve explored the surrounding dunes of Mui Ne and want to exercise on the resort instead, there are plenty of options for you to choose from. First of all, there’s the fitness room, which features both workout machines (treadmills, ellipticals, recumbent bikes, etc.) and weightlifting stations.
Along with the fitness centre, Pandanus Resort gives guests the ability to use a variety of well-maintained sports courts and fields. If tennis is your game, there’s a court available during daylight hours, and balls and rackets are complimentary. For the volleyball enthusiasts, there are two courts available: one on grass and one on the beach. Pandanus also houses a badminton court, football field, basketball court and petanque court.
What we love about Pandanus is the way that the resort goes above and beyond for its guests. For example, there’s the wide abundance of services on offer, and some of them are complimentary.
Free tai chi and yoga classes are offered (previous experience isn’t necessary for either) as well as a free introductory walking tour of the Mui Ne fishing village every morning.
All of this stems from the General Manager’s goal of making sure every guest has a good time. And if a guest has a comment, concern or question, they can ask the GM directly at the nightly wine and cheese reception at the Sun Terrace Restaurant.
This recently renovated, 4-star resort on the beach in Phu Hai to the west of Ham Tien has six types of accommodation, including a good selection of bungalows. Its quiet location away from the busy Ham Tien strip makes it the perfect spot for rest and relaxation. Extensive gardens, a great swimming pool and a choice of Western, Vietnamese, Russian and Korean cuisines add to its appeal. All the rooms have balconies, most of them with sea views of Mui Ne.
This family-owned resort has a central location along the Ham Tien-Mui Ne Strip, where it is one of the more affordable accommodation options. It lives up to its name with friendly staff and plenty of places to soak up the sun.
Sunshine Beach has 18 small but clean and well-kept rooms overlooking the coconut garden, and two bungalows just metres from the beach. All have cable TV and complimentary WiFi.
Relax on the pristine sand beachside, or poolside at the new infinity pool; or, lounge in the giant hammock. Its kite school offers kite surfing rental and courses.
The beachfront Sea Shell restaurant and bar serves Vietnamese and western dishes. From 3:30 to 5pm you can enjoy free coffee/tea here with cookies and Vietnamese candy while you soak up the view.
A quick walk across the road to Mui Ne beach, this cozy family-run resort has 7 comfortable cottages. Relax in one of their spacious hammocks, have a sunset drink in a thatched roof gazebo or cool off in their pool.
This is a boutique luxury resort run by a German/Vietnamese couple that envelops its visitors in a world removed from everything else. Intimacy and privacy are key here, and all 21 villas have been arranged so that each is hidden from the others. The rooms themselves, with thatched roofs and open bathrooms, are meticulously clean, and the attention to detail is outstanding. Cham-style statuettes and paraphernalia adorn the beautifully maintained, lush gardens. The restaurant serves Vietnamese and western food at reasonable prices, and overlooks the stunning pool. The beach bar serves small snacks. The Ratinger Löwe restaurant next door is claimed by some to be the best German restaurant in Vietnam. Cham Villas was selected as ‘Vietnam’s finest hotel 2009’ by the Vietnam Travel website.
