Sustainable Sanctuary in Hoi An — Four Seasons Resort the Nam Hai

Sustainable Sanctuary in Hoi An — A Lasting Haven at Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai

Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai holds the cultural heritage and spirit of central Viet Nam. Between a tranquil beach and deep green tropical gardens, it offers moments of rest and peace.

Words Pyo Youngso
In collaboration with and materials provided by Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai

Ha My Beach, 30 kilometers south of Da Nang, has a different feel from the other beaches nearby. The water is calmer than at Da Nang’s My Khe Beach, a favorite of surfers, and a quiet hush hangs over it, unlike the crowded An Bang Beach to the south. On the placid sea, small fishing boats are occasionally seen casting nets in the traditional way. Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai is the greatest beneficiary of this secluded one-kilometer stretch of shore. Step inside the resort, which faces the clear cobalt waters of the South China Sea, and another perfect world unfolds.

The 35-hectare grounds are, in a word, like an enormous tropical garden. Even in the sticky heat of Southeast Asia, some 60 local gardeners tend the greenery with care, and scattered through it are single-story buildings of soft light-gray stone topped with red roofs, inspired by traditional houses in central Viet Nam. One hundred freestanding villas are arranged in a horseshoe facing the beach, ranging from one-bedroom units to five-bedroom beachfront pool villas. Most connect directly to the beach through a terrace, so you can enjoy an open, airy feeling without ever leaving your villa. To experience The Nam Hai’s appeal more fully, we recommend a pool villa, which comes with a private outdoor pool, a separate dining area and dedicated butler service. Those who want an even more secluded getaway turn to the private villa enclave on a low hill, completely shut off from the outside by stone walls.

Of course, there are plenty of reasons not to stay in your villa all day. First, there are the three main pools beyond the open-sided lobby building. You can swim in the infinity pool that seems to run straight into the sea, or lie on a sun lounger beneath the surrounding palms. At the two restaurants flanking the pools, La Sen and Café Nam Hai, guests savor their vacation while taking in the view. With both indoor and outdoor seating, they serve authentic Vietnamese dishes such as banh mi (a baguette sandwich) and cao lau (a Hoi An noodle dish), as well as modern fusion cuisine spanning Asia and Europe, all to be enjoyed in the sea breeze. After dark, end the day with a cocktail that has a southern-island spirit at The Bar, softly lit, or the Beach Bar, which recalls a tiki bar.

To the left of the resort’s central area lies its hidden oasis, The Heart of the Earth Spa. Inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese monk and meditation teacher regarded as a global Buddhist leader, it is a space that, true to its name, seeks harmony with nature. Three keywords are at its core: stability, creativity and non-judgment. The ‘Goodnight Kiss to the Earth’ ritual held every evening shows the spa’s philosophy at its clearest. It lasts only about 15 minutes, at the spa reception facing the lotus lagoon at dusk, but as you write your wishes on paper to the sound of singing bowls and set a candle afloat on the water, you will feel a quiet peace of mind. Beyond spa treatments in the eight floating pavilions on the lagoon, the spa offers many ways to care for body and mind through meditation and yoga programs.

The philosophy of ‘the earth and I are one’ is not confined to the spa. As at every Four Seasons resort around the world, sustainability is a key part of what defines this place. Each villa has bicycles, so anyone can use one instead of a buggy, and water purified on site is served in glass bottles. Thanks to this, 5.8 tons of plastic waste are cut every year. Native plants grow in the gardens, and the herbs, vegetables and fruit used in the restaurants and bars are grown in the resort’s own organic garden. So are the herbs used in spa treatments. What can’t be produced on site is sourced locally: produce from neighboring farms, fish and lobster caught by fishermen from nearby villages, coffee grown sustainably in Viet Nam’s highlands, and top-grade tea bought directly from local tea plantations. Most of the food on the menus, down to the essential oils used in the spa, follows this approach. The resort’s steady efforts toward a sustainable travel industry have earned it ASEAN Green Hotel certification.
Birdsong in the early morning so vivid you feel you are sleeping in a forest, the shy yet warm smiles of staff you meet at every turn, the pleasant freshness of pedaling a bicycle through the gardens, the cool night breeze after a downpour has washed the heat away. The real charm of a vacation here lies in the peace that such small moments create. And that, too, is a result of the sustainable story The Nam Hai keeps writing.

Local Experiences Offered by Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai

Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai is ideally placed for exploring central Viet Nam. Hoi An Ancient Town is close by, and neither My Son Sanctuary, with its Hindu temples from the ancient Champa kingdom, nor Hue, the former capital of Viet Nam, is far. Around the resort, three UNESCO World Heritage sites form a triangle. The resort makes the most of this geographic advantage by offering guests a range of local experiences. Ask the concierge, and you will get the best answer for your interests, whether food tours, historical excursions, arts and culture experiences or photography.

Hoi An Ancient Town
Hoi An Ancient Town, a 20-minute drive from the resort, is the most appealing choice. The city prospered as an international trading port from the 15th century and has preserved its look from that era so well that it has become a popular destination nearly every visitor to the region passes through. As you walk its every corner, the past of a trading port where the diverse cultures of East and West coexisted, including Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese and European, unfolds. The old buildings of many styles lining the narrow streets are each a monument to a bygone age. Some are now used as commercial spaces such as cafés, shops and galleries. If you are curious about the interiors, visit the gallery showing the work of French photographer Réhahn. Throughout the old building, photographs he took of Viet Nam’s ethnic minorities are displayed alongside traditional costumes. You can also cool off for a while at a rooftop café overlooking the Old Town’s roofs and streets. The night scene is romantic too, when the sun sets over the Thu Bon River, crowded with wooden tourist boats, and the colorful lanterns along the streets light up.

Ba Na Hills
For travelers drawn to somewhere farther and higher, I recommend Ba Na Hills. About 60 kilometers northwest of Hoi An in the Trung Son Mountain Range, it is a resort complex built in the early 20th century as a retreat for the French. During the colonial era, the French escaped the heat by building exclusive getaways of their own in the Vietnamese highlands, such as Da Lat and Sapa. Ba Na Hills was one of them, and it is sometimes called “the Da Lat of Da Nang.” Destroyed during the Viet Nam War, it was rebuilt and reopened in 2013.

Cable cars climb to an elevation of 1,487 meters. There are six routes in all, the longest stretching about 5 kilometers, and the system can carry up to 6,500 people per hour. At the summit, where cool air and wide-open views await, you will find the French Village, the Golden Bridge built in 2018, a theme park and Linh Ung Pagoda. These seemingly mismatched structures and attractions are packed closely together. The crowds are heavy all day, so if you want to see it all with a little breathing room, it is best to go early in the morning.

Nam Hai Cooking Academy
The resort offers plenty to enjoy, from yoga and meditation programs to singing bowl sessions and water activities, but the cooking academy is the one experience truly worth trying. It is a rare chance to learn authentic Vietnamese cuisine from a professional chef who is a local. The academy’s secret weapon is the organic garden in a corner of the resort, where more than 40 kinds of seasonal vegetables and assorted herbs are grown. Using zero-food-mile ingredients, the academy runs private classes on a range of themes, from the imperial cuisine of the ancient capital of Hue to Hoi An street food. The 4.5-hour program goes beyond simple cooking practice and focuses on local culture, and the care that went into it shows.

Together with a professional Vietnamese chef, you start by harvesting vegetables in the garden or visiting a nearby farm to learn about local ingredients. You then meet a rice paper artisan to learn the traditional method and explore an old local market, getting one step closer to Vietnamese culture. Back at the cooking academy, the process of making and tasting the food naturally feels all the more vivid. The certificate the chef hands you after class is a special souvenir of the trip, too.