admin
(No.3, Vol.3, Apr 2013 Vietnam Heritage Magazine,Advertorial)
As an elderly porter, big and broad, with anchor tattoos on his forearms guided me through a verdant tropical garden with such determination as if he was steering a ship at rough seas rather then carrying my baggage to the Seaview Deluxe room at Allezboo resort in Muine where I had just checked in. Intensified by the blazing sun at its zenith and a sea wind blowing in my face, the mirage became so vivid that I nearly believed we were heading, to say the least, to a wind-blown and storm-beaten whaler berthed some twenty steps distant on sparkling waters at the sandy beach, all ready for sail-away.
I entered the elegant snowy-white colonial building of the Allezboo resort reception area, with a huge garden right behind it picturesquely framed by two deluxe accommodation buildings with thatched roofs flaring in the breeze, were none other then a gateway to the filibuster’s embarcadero. It was skilfully hidden behind palm trees with frills of ripe coconuts, magnolia trees in full bloom and wide branching gletisias with dark curls of pods. In spite of the sudden skid of imagination, the porter and I ended up entering a spacious Deluxe room full of natural light, with noble-looking dark wood furnishing. The retired sea dog (salt seaman) gallantly swung the balcony door wide open, letting the fresh and salty sea breeze in and took his leave. The sweeping vistas of the limitless sea till the very horizon with flying bright spots of kites, multicoloured sails of windsurfers gliding on its giant canvas and stunning sandy coastline stretching away for long kilometres to the left, contemplated from the balcony, took the breath away. Far below on the right, in the shadow of tropical greenery, sparkling in the sun and irresistibly tempting, lay the resort infinity swimming pool with huge Jacuzzi bath. The splendid Jacuzzi, observed yet from afar, looked extremely promising for a Jacuzzi party with champagne in the best traditions of decadence. The room interior décor, combining harmoniously the subtle elegance of French colonial style and truly Vietnamese antique-style furniture, lamps and accessories, impressed me by its creative and well-though-out approach. Later, when I walked back to the reception to meet the front desk manager to show me Allezboo’s resort premises I was (pleasantly) surprised to discover a creatively different, non-trivial and harmonious combination of East and West in architecture, starting from overall architectural style and down to even the small details. On entering the reception lobby, with its French-style wooden furniture and looking around closely, I discovered a big Vietnamese throne-like ancestral altar occupying the entire second floor, facing the garden and overlooking the sea through the spectacular Vietnamese-style arc, which in its turn, looked straight into the swimming pool and finally in the vast spaces of Pacific ocean, so that the cool wind from the sea breezed through the whole resort area.
The first line of the resort ocean front was given to two sumptuous honeymoon pool & Jacuzzi villas with a spacious living room occupying the ground floor, 2 full baths overlooking the sea, private Jacuzzi and bedroom with luxurious antique furniture on the first floor, and a private swimming pool with sun loungers under the shadow of a generous piece of tropical garden.
Photos: Allezboo Beach Resort & Spa
The beach front from the other side was where I found the Spicy Lobster Restaurant, with its sophisticated exterior and interior décor featuring fanciful antique candleholders, tinted green and blue from the time and sea salt, looking exactly the same as one could imagine to find at a pirate’s treasure chest or at the old castles in France or Spain. The walls were decorated with an amazing collection of black and white pictures of the people of Vietnam’s faces, full of life and expression. Each and every detail in the restaurant interior décor aims to provide a warm and restful environment to the guests. The Spicy Lobster restaurant offers nightly fine dining, as well as a la carte menu, Western and Vietnamese cuisine and an extensive wine list. It’s also where breakfast in the full buffet variety is served. The culinary breakfast palette includes a hot station with Vietnamese traditional noodle soups changing everyday and big choice of baked tarts and cakes.
A lotus spa placed within an ancient Vietnamese wooden house hidden in the deep of the garden, and invites one to indulge one’s precious self in natural spa treatments and sauna.
With a step out on a beach, one can contemplate the long line of sandy coast stretching for more then 15 km to the north. It is meant for hours-long sunrise or sunset barefoot strolls or lazy watching of bronzed beach walkers passing by. Muine and its surroundings have plenty of sites and sport activities to offer for active travellers, from kiting and windsurfing to exploring sand dunes and canyons, ancient cham towers and wilder landscapes laying south of Phan Thiet yet off the beaten track.
Allezboo resort offers an exquisite accommodation built, planned and decorated with perfect taste and creativity, where style and nature meld perfectly together on the prime oceanfront setting.
Allezboo Beach Resort & Spa
8 Nguyen Dinh Chieu St, Ham Tien, Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan Province
Tel: (062) 3743-777. Email: info@allezboo.com
www.allezboo.com