I’ve been fortunate enough to visit some truly remarkable places, yet my time at Amanoi in Vietnam still lingers with a quiet resonance. I arrived in May 2023, collected discreetly at Cam Ranh Airport, where an Amanoi representative guided me from the baggage claim to a pristine Mercedes GLS AMG. There were no lines, no orchestrated fanfare—just a subtle transition into another world, one perched on the rugged coast of Nui Chua National Park overlooking Vinh Hy Bay. It was clear from the start that I wasn’t simply passing through; I’d come here precisely because Amanoi itself is the destination.
Aman’s story began in 1988 with the opening of Amanpuri in Phuket. Founded by Adrian Zecha, the brand’s original ethos was to forgo conventional luxury tourism hotspots and instead create intimate retreats in remote, naturally exquisite settings. This radical approach defined Aman’s early years : properties were chosen not for their fame, but for their raw beauty and cultural authenticity. Over time, under new ownership by Vladislav Doronin, Aman has expanded into cities, incorporating a more urban flavor into its once purely remote portfolio. While this evolution brings new perspectives—introducing Aman’s signature refinement to more cosmopolitan contexts—it also naturally shifts the brand’s center of gravity. For those who cherish the original spirit of Aman, places like Amanoi stand as comforting beacons of what Aman once was, and in many ways, still strives to be.
There’s a sense of deep privacy that blankets Amanoi. While I know it can hold multiple guests, I rarely saw anyone else—maybe a glimpse of a fellow traveler at dinner, or the flash of movement past a distant pavilion. This uncanny solitude isn’t forced; it’s as if the resort’s design and timing have conspired to grant each guest their own personal oasis. The staff, though attentive and warm, remain elegantly unobtrusive. They greeted me by name as if we’d met before, and the care they lavished never felt orchestrated, but instinctive.
One afternoon perfectly captured this effortless attentiveness. I was reclining by the pool with my travel companion, offhandedly mentioning to them that my sunglasses were smudged. I never spoke to the staff. Yet after a brief swim, I returned to find a microfiber cloth and cleaning solution quietly placed beside my lounger. No one made a show of it. It was simply done—an elegant, subtle gesture that felt almost magical in its intuition.
Such thoughtfulness appeared everywhere. In my villa, the fruit plate was always restored to perfection after even a small taste, and the ice bucket never ran low. I never had to sign a check at dinner, nor was I ever reminded of the mechanics behind my comfort. It was as if the resort breathed a gentle, watchful sigh, ensuring I never felt the weight of logistics or transactions.
Although Aman’s recent ventures into urban settings reflect a brand embracing the future, Amanoi remains a keepsake of its founding ideals—where land and sea, heritage and tranquility, coalesce without fanfare. The villas and pavilions here are placed with a painstaking eye for harmony, never upstaging the views or silencing nature’s own architecture. The cuisine offers local flavors with international poise, and the spa, beside a lotus-strewn lake, invites a slower pace that mirrors the region’s quiet rhythms.
I often think back to those days at Amanoi. In a travel landscape that can sometimes feel formulaic or showy, this place stands apart with its humility and soul. Rather than rushing through a checklist of attractions, I simply existed, gradually tuning into the environment’s own gentle heartbeat. It’s a rare kind of luxury—one that doesn’t need to proclaim itself—and that’s exactly why I’d return.
