Thursday, June 25, 2015

Hoi An - Vietnam :: the beach (and resort!)



beach - 
Cua Dai beach is a 10 minute drive from Hoi An town. Decisions... stay in town or at the beach? We opted BEACH and I'm so glad we did! The sand is soft and fairly clean. The water is perfect for swimming. There is a long stretch of shallow water - so it's great for the kids (and slightly aquaphobic mothers). :)



sunrise and sunset 



This little EARLY RISER watched the sun rise with mommy:





















splashing 






growing up with summers on Ocracoke Island sure made this girl a FISH
exploring









playing





relaxing




washing up


resort living -
The Palm Garden Resort was perfect. One of the few resorts whose beach hasn't washed away, this one was quiet and calm. Beautiful and luxurious without feeling overdone. 6 nights for the same price that 2 nights in Seattle this summer will cost us. Best vaca ever??? maybe.





* being greeted upon arrival with freshly squeezed watermelon juice
* being reminded to call reception for anything we might need so that we don't have to walk, since we have little ones in tow
* chasing frogs on the lawn at dusk
* rose petals floating in the bath 
* STARS! so many stars in the sky!!
* geckos, birds, and nighttime bats
* fresh, fresh food
* towels brought to you the moment you step near the pool
* pool
* playroom 
* soft pleasant music piped everywhere
* drinks with little umbrellas
* spa. need I say more?


room
our own cabana on the beachfront
  

open air shower


washing off the sand...

grounds





The food here was super fresh and delicious. I've never enjoyed vegetables more in my entire life! I read somewhere that most (all?) of the veggies come from nearby farms where they use seaweed as fertilizer. J and I must've consumed at least 5 orders of the grilled garlic squid. And the buffet breakfast!!! Don't even get me started. Catering to a varied clientele - we had our choice of American, European, Vietnamese, and Chinese cuisine. Tables lined with exotic fruits and local breads and pastries. In one meal I could pile my plate with such a mish-mash of food, my dad would be proud. My fav? The Vietnamese breakfast sandwich -- by far! It had some kind of meat, lots of veggies, chili sauce, some other mystery sauce, and was toasted to order. I'm drooling a bit, thinking about it.






pool







people
ABear made a friend while here - a little girl who lives. at. the. resort. ! Because her mom works there. One of the pool guys commutes for one hour each way on his motorbike to work here. One of the resort drivers used to be a driver for the Army and was here during the war. Many people we met in Hoi An and at the resort have family in the United States who run - you guessed it - nail shops. One guy got a little nervous and mumbly when we asked how his family got to America. The resort clientele was mostly Vietnamese, Korean, and European. We were the only Americans. What a pleasure to meet Haong, Vu, Va, and Kitty.


What are your favorite kid-friendly hotels?
What do you like to do at the beach?

3 comments:

  1. Mish mash? Yep, your dad is proud! 😀

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  2. Can I move here? Please? The beach is stunning, drinks are beautiful. That bathtub! And the boys WOULD LOVE everything the girls are doing. Sigh. So amazing

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    1. You would LOVE LOVE LOVE it here, HayK!! Put Hoi An on your bucket list. Especially this resort.

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