Weekend Minimoon in Da Nang, Vietnam

We didn't plan on having our honeymoon until next year since we had spent so much time away for the wedding. We thought, what's the rush?

Then I spoke with a guy who has been married for 15 years; he immediately said,

"What!? NO. Go on a honeymoon as soon as possible! It doesn't matter if it's just a nice hotel around here for the weekend, it will never be the same and you'll never get this time back again!"

He was so convincing; so off we went!

I had initially thought a nice hotel in the area would be easier and more convenient, but the Husband (still strange to say it!) was game for a weekend away and booked The Intercontinental in Vietnam.

We packed one carry-on bag between the both of us, jumped onto a 1.5-hour flight and found ourselves in Da Nang's clean and orderly airport. We scurried through the Visa and arrival processes before our driver picked us up and handed us cool towels and waters for the drive.

It was already dark, so we didn't realize it at the time but we drove along the cliff and coast up to our resort, which was build within a large cove.  We walked up the to most beautiful lobby and sipped on our welcome drinks while overlooking the entire cove. As we would find out later, the whole resort was very thoughtfully designed so that it took advantage of its location and provided spectacular views from almost every angle.

Outside our room

The tram that went up and down the multiple levels of the resort

I'm no architecture expert, but I can definitely appreciate the thoughtfulness in design here. It was big and bold with details carved and placed in almost every inch of this place. While the rooms themselves were white with intent, it also had sweeping statements of black in large, graceful pieces. 

We've been to several nice places, but every inch of this resort was clean; not a veil of dust or cobweb in any corner! With so much vegetation and landscaping, I would expect to feel a bit of unruliness since the tropical plants can easily get out of hand; but no, every flower and vine was in its place and tended to. Leaves swept up and tidied. I can only imagine the amount of maintenance this place requires (apparently, 600+ employees).

Though, there was one unwelcomed offender:

A photo posted by Kristen Yuki (@kys.asia) on Oct 24, 2015 at 2:53am PDT

DO NOT WANT. Husband had to throw [my] sandals at it (but he got it on the second try)!

Even so, the place was beautiful. I don't know about you, but I'm one of those people who feels like always needs to be doing something. Let's go to the beach, let's go swimming, let's check out the nearby historical city, let's try a random restaurant...

Very rarely have I ever just sat and relaxed. Then again, I rarely stay at beautiful resorts and I finally realized that they are not meant to be left (especially after we barely got to enjoy our wedding venue).

Most importantly, the service was top notch, I was super impressed. Living in Asia, I tend to expect that service will slide (except Japan, service is impeccable in Japan). The service here far exceeded our expectations and even hopes. Not a slight sense of annoyance or fatigue in any of the staff, who were all incredibly kind and lovely.

Lychees and Passionfruit 

So spoiled, look how happy I am to do nothing but eat and drink. Didn't take much to convert me, did it? Oh well, I'm married now, I can totally let myself go, right? Right?

My favorite sandwich that I ordered 3 times.

I never understood why Vietnamese food is so hard to find out here (not Vietnam, of course). I LOVE Vietnamese food with its fresh herbs, vegetables and grilled meats. What's not to like?  I basically ordered this sandwich 3 times within 24 hours, among many other dishes.

This photo I edited to see the colors and detail better.

This photo is unedited and closer to dusk (iPhone 5s)

So romantic. The Citron restaurant definitely had impressive design and views. These hanging tables (sorry, couldn't think of a more poetic way to describe them) made you feel like you were floating.

My handsome husband

Husband's favorite stingray

So yummy! 

I definitely felt like we lucked out on the weather. Apparently it's rainy season in Vietnam and we only felt a few sprinkles here and there. It did give us some dramatic sky art that was constantly rolling and on the move. It gave us some cover from the sun (which can be so intense out here) and the perfect temperature. 

One of the pool areas that look out onto the beach

Oh you know, just hanging out in this giant spa bowl.

Another view of the cove

For the cherry on top, I couldn't help but check out their spa with a foot massage the morning before we checked out. 

Can I say I'm so inspired to redecorate? I wouldn't mind if my living looked something like this.

I had a really nice chat with my masseuse and she explained to me a bit more about the resort and its development. Interestingly enough, the spa and mani/pedi services are actually separate businesses that the hotel seems to sort of outsource. I never thought about it that way but it seems efficient.

On our way out, the hotel actually lost our [one] bag; it accidentally got put onto another bus. They were so apologetic and accommodating, it really made the difference between a stressful situation and a calm parting at the end of our trip.

Thanks to the Husband for making a great choice. It was so nice to spend some time together while eating, drinking and rolling around in a giant fluffy bed.  

Looking forward to our next trip already!