Published:  00:00 Saturday - November 19, 2005

Life Resort Quy Nhon seems on the right track to become a favourite among tourists travelling to central Binh Dinh Province, offering a variety of treats for the body and mind.

After a day of touring the province's capital of Quy Nhon, some 16 kilometers from the re- sort, tired travelers often can't wait to get to their final destination - the Life Spa of the four-star resort, which recently received the "Vietnam's Best Wellness Resort" award from Vietnam Economic Times.

The spa oasis in the garden across a wooden bridge has five outdoor treatment bungalows, three indoor suites, six bathtubs, showers, lemon-grass scented steam baths, dry sand and salt sauna, and outdoor ponds.

Manager Ronald Ganswindt waits at the spa to advise guests on the treatments they need. The dry sand and salt sauna may be a priority to detoxify the body and revitalise the skin.

The therapist digs a hole to cover guests neck-deep in a mixture of sea salt and white sand. A heater underneath the mixture helps the body release toxins, leaving guests with a refreshed feeling, despite the heat.

A steam bath with lemon-grass scent and a body massage follow the sauna and shower. For the massage, two or three therapists often move in a synchronized fashion.

A bath with milk, Vietnamese green tea and natural herbs helps guests relax more. Afterwards, they can opt for some aromatic, deep-cleansing, revitalising or lymphatic treatments.

A new day at the resort continues with the wellness theme. The day starts with a free yoga session by the pool. Free taichi lessons on the beach follow in the afternoon.

German Ulrike Ganswindt, the resort's senior duty manager, shows participants the basic positions of yoga and the breathing and moves of tai chi to improve their blood circulation and flexibility.

In addition to massage, yoga and tai chi, the resort is also renowned for its scenic location by the sea on the foot of a hill, and its architecture's combination of nature and Cham culture. Inside and outside the 63 rooms are statues, carvings and paintings of Cham women dancing and fulfilling their daily chores. From the rooms' balconies, guests can watch fishermen casting nets from their boats and pulling them on board after the sun rises and their boats' glittering lights dotting the black ocean after the sun sets. Guests also have a panoramic view of the uninhabited islands in the sea and the rocks and cliffs on the beach.

Life Resort Quy Nhon has a poolside bar and a 160-seat restaurant that serves Vietnamese specialties and cuisine from other countries around the world.

The resort also offers a beach picnic of Western, vegetarian, Vietnamese or seafood dishes and beverages. Beach mats and candlelight enhance the romantic atmosphere. Apart from dining, the resort has many recreational activities, such as basket boat rides, sand castle building, tug-of-war, volleyball, jogging, mountain biking and snorkeling. Life Resort Quy Nhon also organises tours to villages specialising in carpentry, rice pancakes, pottery and conical hats; the Cham towers; the Bana ethnic group village; the Ham Ho tourist site; Nui Mot Lake; Ba Mountain; Linh Phong Pagoda; Hoi Van Hot Spring; Genh Rang Hill; and the tomb of Vietnam's famous poet Han Mac Tu.

Address: Bai Dai Beach, Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province. Tel: (056) 840 132.

Saigon Times Daily