Amiana Resort Cam Ranh

This is Amiana's Cam Ranh property. Distinct from Amiana Nha Trang up at Turtle Bay north of the city. The Cam Ranh one is far larger, 523 rooms and villas, on a still-unspoilt stretch of Bai Dai with fine sand and clear water.

The centrepiece is the 2,500 m² natural seawater pool, the same idea that made Amiana Nha Trang's name, at a bigger scale. There's also the Amiana Spa, working with herbs and Cam Ranh sea salt, and a kids' club.

It is about 14 km from Cam Ranh airport, and 30–45 minutes by road from central Nha Trang. The thing to ask before booking any Bai Dai resort: there is almost nothing to eat outside the gates, so most meals happen on site. Ask what board options exist: half or full, and whether there is a shuttle into Nha Trang. Those two answers move the total cost of a trip more than the room rate does.

A note on the name: Amiana has two properties and they are very different. The Nha Trang one at Turtle Bay on Pham Van Dong is 5–7 km from the centre and much smaller; this Cam Ranh one has 523 rooms and sits to the south. Check which you are booking. Rates across Bai Dai swing with the domestic calendar: Tet, the 30 April–1 May holiday and the June-to-August school break are dearest and fill earliest, while October to December is wet and cheapest.

Other places to stay in Bãi Dài and Cam Ranh: Wyndham Grand KN Paradise Cam Ranh, Ana Mandara Cam Ranh, Alma Resort Cam Ranh. The beach for this whole strip is Bãi Dài; on the way back to the city, Từ Vân pagoda.