A Quiet Little Getaway

I was looking down at a single gerbera, floating in water, whilst my legs and back were being actively pummelled and pulled by an exponent of Thai massage. Grimacing slightly in pain, I reminded myself to relax.

I have spent the last 4 days in Fusion Maia resort on China Beach in Danang.

The resort was pretty much idyllic – a lovely beach with waves breaking on white, soft sand, mountains in the distance and an infinity pool aimed straight at the horizon. Graceful palm/coconut trees provide much-needed shade for the deck chairs and day beds scattered around. And the spa (opening comment notwithstanding) had a lovely spa pool surrounded by abundant greenery (see photo). We camped out in one of the two pavilions on either end of the pool, and in this shady nook, read and napped the mornings away. We enjoyed our two treatments per day (and worked our way through the spa menu) and chatted to the receptionist, a university student practicing her English. Our accommodation – I have really nothing to complain about. We had our private pool villa room (with its own little swimming pool and outdoor patio) but spent more time out by the spa pool (with its waterfall) or out by the beach, watching the other resort dwellers go by. Not that there were that many – we were visiting mid-week and it was obviously the lull period.

Our resort, it turned out, was fairly new, having opened the previous year. Next door, a new, large scale resort is still under construction; two doors down a glitzy casino (or should I say, integrated resort) has opened its doors, even whilst one wing of the hotel has still men working on it. I guess I know where some of the resort guests went at night (there were certainly far fewer people appearing at lunch and at dinner, than there were at breakfast). So in a way, perhaps we had paid our visit at a good time – when the resort was still the first mover on the strip, when its far larger neighbours are still putting their buildings up and getting their act together. A year or two more, and maybe the beach will not be as pristine, and the waters beyond busy with jet skiers and the like.

Indeed, a restful and welcome break from the office (although I received quite a few SMSes the first day I was there and spent every evening clearing email).  (For more idyllic photos, check here.