We flew direct on Emirates from Dubai to Ho Chi Minh City and then we took an hour’s domestic flight on Vietnam Airlines to Hue which is a tiny airport (you can also fly into DaNang which is an international airport and a major, booming city in central Vietnam ) then a 40 minute drive to our resort Laguna Lang Co - Angsana and Banyan Tree Resort.

Driving towards the resort it was clear that we were in a remote untouched area, with lush green forests (Truong Son mountain range) on one side and a stunning coastline with sweeping white beaches on the other. As we entered the resort, there was an 18-hole Nick Faldo golf course, an organic farm, staff cycling around and further up the path was the entrance to the Angsana Hotel and the Banyan Tree.

Both resorts are situated on a secluded beach with the Banyan Tree resort expanding up the lush mountain cliff while the Angsana resort extends down the private pristine beach. Both resorts offer villas/rooms with private pools and stunning views. On one side of the resort is a river which runs between both properties where you can kayak or enjoy other fun water sports. While many on site activities are offered on the beach such as surfing, jet skis, boating and TAV (quad biking) you can also enjoy the many mountain trails alone or with the hotel tour guides. Bikes are available to cycle around the resort or on a tour outside of the property. We all went out on bikes, with one of my kids sitting on the back of my mountain bike and the other two had their own bikes.

We stayed at the Angsana Resort in a beautifully spacious three floor villa, with stunning floor to ceiling windows which made the beach views even more wonderful. I don’t know what it was about the beds in our rooms, but I can honestly say we all slept amazingly well, with me having to wake the kids up in the morning in order to make breakfast (a few mornings we never made it in time!) Even though we had a private pool, the kids enjoyed the large main hotel pool which wrapped around the resort and opened up into small private peaceful areas and jacuzzi spots.

Between both the properties there is an excellent choice of restaurants, from fine dining to more relaxed alfresco beach dining. I highly recommend Saffron restaurant located on the cliff front at Banyan Tree - try to pre book as it’s a small restaurant and always busy due to the wonderful food and brilliant sun set views.

I have to say, even though this was a large property and the occupancy was high, I still felt very secluded and it never felt busy. With so much to do on site and a private beach that went on for miles you never felt like you saw the same person twice.

Watch our video: https://youtu.be/xxImX0iOwp4

As the resort is located between 3 UNESCO Heritage spots, one being the world famous Hoi An, there is not a shortage of excursions to enjoy. Day trips are well priced, and you can either go by the hotel shuttle bus or like we did, rent a hotel car and driver – they are super cheap and much more convenient.

We actually only left the hotel once to visit a place which has become popular literally over night with a picture that went viral on Instagram – since it was only an hour’s drive from our hotel, we had to go. More on that below…

DaNa Hills - Sun World

After seeing that famous “Gods Hands” golden bridge picture go viral, it went quickly onto my ‘must see’ places to visit. An hour drive from our hotel, we didn’t know what to expect. I thought we would simply come across a bridge, walk over it, take pictures and then leave. But NO, we were in for an amazing surprise.

We drove up to a large parking area where we were informed we had to buy tickets and take the cable car to the top of the mountain. I showed the staff the picture of the bridge I wanted to see, and they said it was on top of the mountain. Still unsure but ready for the adventure we bought tickets which were super cheap and joined the flow of people, of which there were many! We walked through a temple like building and followed the signs to the cable cars, which we entered with a cable pod to ourselves.

As the cable car started moving up the mountain, we started seeing spectacular views overlooking the mountains, waterfalls, streams running down the mountain, the ocean in the distance, with DaNang city glimmering in the sunlight. The journey seemed to take forever as we were going higher and higher. As we increased to 1400 feet we saw our first glimpse of the now famous ‘gods hands’ bridge. We got out of the cable car and walked towards the bridge - our first impression was that it was smaller than we thought, but how on earth did they build this on the top of a huge mountain?! Taking in the view we walked from one end to another, coming out to an area which looked like building ruins (for effect) and a vision of a white 27 meters tall white Buddha in the distance, only to realize there was another cable car taking you even higher - 1487 meters above sea level.  Now this we had to see.

Once at the top and what felt like we were over looking the world the doors opened to what can only be described as…. wait for it….an adventure park!!!!

Music, dancers, entertainers, street festival, princesses, men on stilts, jugglers, fire acts, free beer vouchers being handed out from the German Beer Bar, restaurants and believe it or not, two hotels…it was all happening. The place was teeming with tourists. Welcome to Sun World the most surreal place I have ever seen. At the top of this mountain range, they had built miniature versions of global cities and their cultures with the standout being a Paris street replete with a miniature Notre Dame.

This place is well worth a visit just because it truly is a bizarre but exhilarating experience; go early as it can get hot and very busy:

Prices
700,000 adult - VD
550,000 kids – VD 

After spending a fantastic relaxing week at the glorious and peaceful Lang Co, we were soon enough off to our next destination in Vietnam… Hoi An

 Read the full feature here:

 http://www.uniquefamilytravels.com/2018/09/10/you-must-read-this-before-visiting-hoi-an/

 Relevant Links:

http://www.uniquefamilytravels.com/2018/09/10/tree-house-dinners-on-the-saigon-river/ 

Arabella on Boossa is a stunning 8-room boutique beachfront property, designed with comfort and understated leisure in mind. We had the pleasure of staying for a week in the largest room in the house located on the third floor, just above the second shared living room. Room 8 is a large bedroom with a white 4-poster bed frame, lounge area and enough space to neatly fit 3 extra beds for the kids. This room also comes with a large balcony with gorgeous views of the hotel pool, garden and the beach.

The true identity of this property is that the Australian owner has taken into consideration their guests every need and maximized the space to reflect that. Some of the family suites offer bunk beds and loft-style makeshift floors with a ladder utilizing the space to its fullest. Young children are specifically catered for with well though out food, (including delicious) ice-cream options and pool and garden entertainment activities, including a daily creative arts table for late afternoon while the parents relax in the garden or pool.

The main eating area is at the side of the hotel – an all-open space where breakfast served with a morning breeze is simply wonderful. The menu offers traditional Sri Lanka cuisine along with the usual western favorites and a kids menu too.

The whole hotel is ordained with white sofas, modern ornaments and groups of glass vases stacked with large green tropical leaves. Most of the day, the common doors are left open so the sea breeze fills the air and you can hear the sounds of the waves crashing. It’s a peaceful and comfortable property, which immediately feels like home.

Arabella on Boossa is located 10 minutes from Galle a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Galle is a truly multi-cultural town, filled with hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, shops and especially in the evening and nights is teeming with tourists. Tuk Tuk’s or private cars are available to take you anywhere you wish to visit and the colonial Galle train station is nearby. Personally we enjoyed taking tuk tuks everywhere even though 5 people was a bit of a squeeze in the back, but the kids found it highly entertaining and occupied themselves by counting all the multi-colored tuk tuks we passed along the way

Here's our list of family things to do while in Galle:

Surf Lessons – We signed the kids up to a surf school, which was close by to the hotel. It’s literally a shack on the beach with local surfer dudes as the teachers. The staff gave the kids a quick run though the moves before taking them into the sea, staying by their side the entire time. My son didn’t last too long in the water as when the sea is choppy its pretty exhausting not to mention you spend a lot of time under the waves, but my eldest got to grips with it straight away and considering she has no fear and a personality where she is determined to do what she puts her mind too, she stayed in for hours. While the kids had their lesson, we enjoyed freshly squeezed juices on the beach.

Galle Lighthouse is a nice spot for a walk along the city walls and a perfect place to enjoy an ice cream. A must, Insta-worthy photo stop too!

Galle Town – inside the Galle town walls are alleyways of shops, restaurants and bars. The architecture and interior is a mix of British colonial and Dutch influence while remarkably, within a few square meters of each other you can find places of worship from all the main religions.

Take a train to Walligama and hang out the open window and doors… don’t worry its pretty safe and a cool way to ride the train

A day at Unawatuna Beach – white sands, surfing and lunch spots on the sand. A literal beach paradise and a magnet for backpackers

Japanese Peace Pagoda – we hired a tuk tuk driver for the morning and visited the famous round Buddhist temple which sits upon a hill with views of the coast. While the temple was nice, the kids enjoyed exploring the secret beach at the bottom of the hill. A downward hike through bushes and many steps opens up onto a secret beach with tree swings and a café. Its fun to do but its not the beach I would go to as I certainly wouldn’t fancy carrying a family of five with beach paraphernalia up and down that hike!

Stilt fisherman – spot the fisherman sitting on the stilts in the water catching fish. An old, antiquated method of fishing that still holds its charm.

Turtle sanctuary – a top tourist spot but worth it as the money they receive goes towards supporting the local wildlife and helping rehabilitate the turtles.

Fruit Market – I enjoyed visiting the many stalls of fresh fruit, all laid out neatly providing an array of bright colors – the naughty side of me wanted to pull out an apple from the bottom of the pile just to watch the entire stack crumble, but instead I picked the ones on the top of the pile just so I didn’t leave a dent in their proud, product display master piece!

With a reputation for excellence among Siem Reap hotels, Belmond La Résidence d’Angkor beautifully captures the region’s rich history while offering every modern luxury. Traditional Khmer architecture is complemented by elegant teak and basalt accents, echoing the ancient temples nearby.
Located close to Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Tonlé Sap Lake, it’s an ideal base to explore the wonders of the region. Siem Reap’s lively markets, galleries and thriving restaurant and nightlife scene are also just streets away.

https://www.belmond.com/hotels/asia/cambodia/siem-reap/belmond-la-residence-dangkor/

Day 1 – Enjoy the stunning grounds of the property after check in and venture to the Angkor Night Market

Day 2 - Take a Temple tour with a private guide
Set out early and explore Angkor Wat at sunrise and Ta Prohm. Then travel to Victory Gate of Angkor Thom, through the parkland behind the terrace of the ElephantsWalk past Phimeanakas and the Baphuon temple before ending at Bayon.

Day 3 – A horse trail offering countryside trail rides from sunrise to sunset. You will go on a journey to places that are otherwise unreachable, through local countryside villages, scenic rice fields and tourist free temple ruins. An authentic taste of the real Khmer lifestyle viewed from horseback.

Day 4 – Monastery Experience in Siem Reap
Tour includes:
· Get a peek into the life of a monk in this monastery
· Visit the temple where the monks pray
· Learn about the daily activities and practices of the monks
· Participate in meditation
· Experience a traditional good luck water blessing

Half-day sunset tour in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Bike the Angkor temples and country roads of Siem Reap its most beautiful time of day, in the afternoon leading up to sunset. This cycle tour allows you to experience a different side of Siem Reap and Angkor, finishing up with a sunset dragon boat ride, local treats and refreshments.

Day 5 – A boat tour to Kompong Khleang floating village. This tour takes guests to Kompong Khleang, the largest floating village in Siem Reap province. Located about 55km outside of the city, the villages are home to over 10,000 people, many of whom have been living here for generations. The tour staffs comes from the village and are part of a non-profit that works in the community and enjoys a particularly close relationship with community members. Rather than coming as tourists you are able to visit the village as friends.

Day 6 –Simple but flavorsome, Cambodian cuisine makes use of fresh fish from the Mekong and an abundance of Asian spices. Immerse yourself in Siem Reap’s culinary heritage as you enjoy a cooking class with a local chef in a typical Cambodian village, and enjoy a delicious 3-course lunch of traditional Khmer cuisine.

Day 7 – Relax at the hotel before you leave for the airport.

More Itineraries

Big Sur California:

http://www.uniquefamilytravels.com/2018/05/10/big-sur-california/

Vietnam:

http://www.uniquefamilytravels.com/2018/09/10/visit-vietnam/

Montenegro:

http://www.uniquefamilytravels.com/2018/05/10/72-hours-in-montenegro/

Iceland:

http://www.uniquefamilytravels.com/2018/05/10/wellness-iceland/

Gorilla Trekking:

http://www.uniquefamilytravels.com/2018/05/10/gorilla-trek-adventure/