2024-07-13 16:53:19
Danang Marriott Resort & Spa, Non Nuoc Beach Villas
A red band surrounds the calm sea. Just after 5 o’clock in the morning, the dawn that gradually grows brighter and turns the sky red heats up the South China Sea in an instant. A new sun rises majestically between the clouds. It’s like the sky is on fire. The world is all gold and orange. I can’t help but sigh. The painting created by Mother Nature is amazing. This is Da Nang, a resort city in central Vietnam.
For a reporter who is an introvert with MBTI who gets tired and loses energy when going out, who wants to sit around blankly in a room with an ocean view but doesn’t want to lie around too much, and who wants to enjoy a vacation with a little activity added to a staycation, Danang Marriott Resort & Spa was a good choice.
Danang Marriott Resort & Spa is located along Non Nuoc Beach. Non Nuoc, located south of My Khe Beach, boasts a 5km white sand beach. As a famous surfing spot, the waves are consistent. It is about 10km from Danang city center, so you can take a Grab taxi to tour the city. It takes 30-40 minutes by car to Hoi An. It is about 30 minutes by car from Danang International Airport.
“There are hundreds of mango trees in the resort,” said Steven Nguyen, head of sales and marketing, who brought out welcome tea made with mangoes and herbs. “Guests can pick and eat as much as they want.” He talked about how “Korea is number one in Vietnam thanks to the popularity of Korean dramas,” helping with the filming of “Taxi Driver Season 2,” how he fell in love with samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) while traveling in Korea, and how the Da Nang airport was decorated in black and pink when K-pop group Blackpink visited Da Nang. That’s how much the resort people liked Korea.
# 122 spacious villas with beautiful ocean sunrise and garden views
There are 122 villas with 2 to 4 bedrooms. Each villa is 328 to 425 square meters in size and has a lovely garden, private pool, and elegant European-style bedroom and living room. The panoramic windows that allow you to view the open sea and tropical gardens are also refreshing. The bathroom has a large sink, so you can spread out your cosmetics and put on makeup. You can spend the day relaxing together in the spacious living room, playing in the pool, relaxing on the sun loungers on the wooden deck, or watching movies on the large LED TV while lying down on the comfortable sofa. Since the complex consists of spacious rooms, it is popular with families.
When you step out the front door, a well-kept garden welcomes you. The mango tree is full of really green mangoes. There are white floret flowers here and there, emitting a gentle fragrance, and palm trees are also welcome. Red bougainvillea with thorny stems, Ixora cochinia with round clusters of dense flowers, Heliconia psittacorum that resembles a parrot’s beak, small yellow trumpet-like chrysanthemums, and white jasmine are in full bloom here and there. Old gardeners come out at dawn to water and take care of the garden.
There are three restaurants within the villa complex, including the Great Room, Tritan Restaurant, and Monsoon Lounge. There is a buggy for transportation within the resort, making it easy for seniors with limited mobility to get around. The tennis courts, fitness center, and spa facilities are also kept clean. The fitness center is open 24 hours a day.
The Kids Cafe, located in the Great Room building, has large windows that allow you to watch the kids play. Kids can participate in the M passport program, which consists of various activities prepared by the resort’s hospitality experts to inspire children and create lasting memories. Children experience coconut leaf art, flower making, beach dancing, Vietnamese folk games, etc. under the guidance of experts. After each activity, children collect stamps and receive fun snacks. Children who collect five stamps will receive the resort’s signature cute turtle doll ‘Toby’ as a gift. Children who exchange two stamps for ice cream in the middle will have to complete five activities again to get Toby. The world of competition is cold.
The villa complex is located right next to the beach, so you can see a beautiful sunrise. You can wake up early to the laughter of children playing soccer on the beach in the morning. The sight of the blue sky, gold, and orange colors blending together as the sun rises is breathtaking. After enjoying the momentary luxury, you can turn around and take a yoga class prepared by the resort. The class is held next to the resort’s main pool.
At night, a Vietnamese family living nearby catches baby crabs on the resort’s private beach. A five-year-old boy picks out crabs hidden in the sand with his small hands. His quick movements are quite nimble. They say they take the crabs they catch home and fry them.
# Breakfast with a generous seafood set menu, BBQ service, and kimchi stew
The main dish that the resort proudly serves is the Local Delights set menu. It is a dish of Vietnamese pancakes, lobster, clams, squid, shrimp, fish, and seasoned pork skewers wrapped in lettuce or rice paper. It is eaten by dipping it in fish, peanuts, and chili sauce. It is said that in Da Nang, it is a special dish served to honored guests. It looks pretty and good for taking pictures. The Vietnamese spout cake served as dessert is a sweet rice cake that is dipped in sweet coconut cream.
The BBQ in villa (Platinum Package with private chef) is a romantic and wonderful dinner. The chefs will come and grill the BBQ on the private pool deck. Rice, noodles, soup, side dishes, fruits, drinks, etc. to eat as side dishes are also served buffet-style in the villa. The villa becomes a wonderful restaurant with the serving service. The BBQ is not spicy, but the seasoning is delicious. The crab meat soup boasts a rich flavor because it contains a lot of crab meat. I tried it according to the travel writer’s recommendation that adding a chili pepper to the soup would be the icing on the cake, and it tasted even better. The taste of the Da Nang chili pepper was similar to that of the Korean chili pepper. The spiciness was between that of the regular chili pepper and the Cheongyang chili pepper.
There is also a floating breakfast menu that is as Instagrammable as the pool villa. A large basket made of tree trunks is filled with iced coffee, fruit juice, omelets, bacon, fried eggs, fruit, bread, yogurt, salad, various cheeses, and jams. It is a basic table for two. You can float the food basket on the pool and have a romantic meal. The colorful food, green garden, and blue pool colors will make you press the camera shutter without realizing it.
A regular buffet breakfast is available at Manho Restaurant. The most popular dish is the instant Vietnamese rice noodles, which you can top with meat, chili peppers, green onions, garlic, etc. to your liking. The broth is very refreshing. Since there are many Korean customers, kimchi stew, radish kimchi, and cabbage kimchi are also available. Danang local food generally uses less spices. It is good for those who are new to spices.
If you want to skip breakfast or lunch and go swimming in your villa, you can also try the afternoon tea service. Mandarin orange cheesecake, citrus praline (nuts cooked in sugar syrup), almond and butter scones, calamansi lime and chocolate couverture tarts, lemon and coconut mousse cake, chicken spring rolls, beef sandwiches, etc. are delivered to your villa on a tray resembling traditional Vietnamese patterns. Enjoying these cute and pretty foods with coffee and tea will soon fill you up.
# 67m giant statue of Avalokiteshvara, thrilling water performances, and night view from a cruise
Danang is both a resort and a tourist city. My Khe Beach, located to the north of the resort, is considered the most beautiful beach on earth. The 10km long white sand beach stretches from the foot of the Son Tra Peninsula to the Marble Mountains. If you drive along the coastal road along My Khe Beach, you will see a large Avalokiteshvara statue on the mountain. This is the most famous temple in the area, Yongheung Temple. Yongheung Temple was built in 2003 to commemorate the souls of the boat people who were submerged after the Vietnam War. The 67m high statue of Avalokiteshvara in the temple is said to protect Danang from typhoons. If you enter the temple, you will see a thousand-year-old banyan tree. It is a magical tree with roots growing from its branches and spreading out abundantly. Small and cute wild monkeys live in groups all over the temple.
After visiting the Yeongheungsa Temple, you can enjoy the water show, Awaken River Show, at the Da Nang Sun World Asia Park. Sun World Asia Park is a large amusement park with an area of over 240,000 pyeong, where you can enjoy various rides including a Ferris wheel. The Awaken River Show is the first show in Vietnam to feature the world’s best talents in extreme sports such as jet skis and flyboards. 10 international jet skiers and 5 flyboarders perform aerial stunts, rising up to 15 meters above the river, spraying cool water.
At night, let’s also visit Helio Night Market. It’s a clean and young-style night market near Da Nang Lotte Mart. Buy deliciously grilled skewers, Vietnamese pancakes, Vietnamese rice noodles, and beer, and take them to a table in the middle of the night market to eat. Each dish costs about 1,000 won. If you order a set menu, they will bring out a clean plate with banh xeo, vegetables, meat skewers, rice noodles, and Vietnamese special sauce. Since there aren’t too many people, you can enjoy the night market in a pleasant atmosphere.
In the evening, enjoy the night view of the Han River in Da Nang. It is also good to enjoy a cocktail on the cruise and watch the Dragon Bridge transform into a golden red light. The Dragon Bridge is a famous landmark in Da Nang, and it is good to visit at the right time because there is a ‘fire show’ at 9 pm on weekends. On the third floor of the cruise, a DJ plays K-pop, and there are quite a few groups dancing to the exciting music. If you do not like loud music, it is recommended to come down to the railing on the second floor and enjoy the night view. It takes an hour for the cruise to go around the river once.
Da Nang = Choi Hyun-jung, Donga.com reporter [email protected]
2024-07-13 16:53:19