Ana Mandara Cam Ranh

Ana Mandara Cam Ranh sits on Bai Dai, on the Cam Ranh peninsula, on a strip of land caught between the hills inland and the sea outside. That is what distinguishes it from most resorts on the same beach: you get both outlooks, and the grounds feel markedly more secluded.

There are 284 rooms, two restaurants, a spa and wellness centre, and event facilities. In 2023 it took the World Travel Awards' Asia's Leading New Resort title, alongside recognition as a beach and eco-friendly resort.

On the Bai Dai spectrum this is the quiet end: 284 rooms, two restaurants, no water park. With young children who need somewhere to spend a whole day, Alma or Selectum Noa on the same beach suit better; if you actually want to rest, this is the one. 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.

Sitting between the hills inland and the sea outside is a real difference from most of the beach: you get both aspects, and the grounds feel more separate. Central Nha Trang is 30–45 minutes by road. 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: Alma Resort Cam Ranh, Mövenpick Resort Cam Ranh, Cam Ranh Riviera Beach Resort & Spa. The beach for this whole strip is Bãi Dài; on the way back to the city, Từ Vân pagoda.