Selectum Noa Resort Cam Ranh

Selectum Noa sits on Bai Dai, the southern stretch of coast that holds almost every five-star resort in Khanh Hoa. It's the first property in Vietnam under Turkey's Selectum NOA brand, and its clearest asset is a 400 m private beach. White sand, clear water, loungers and umbrellas, and no vendors.

The facilities are among the broadest on Bai Dai: a large pool, a water park, a kids' club, a spa, a gym, and several restaurants and bars. It's the kind of resort you pick when the whole family needs things to do without leaving the grounds. The trade being that eating in town means a drive into Nha Trang.

Its place on Bai Dai puts it between the airport and the city: Cam Ranh airport is 10–25 minutes away depending on the stretch, and central Nha Trang 30–45 minutes. 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.

Among the family resorts on Bai Dai, Selectum Noa and Alma have the most for children; for something quieter, Ana Mandara on the same beach fits better. 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: Amiana Resort Cam Ranh, Wyndham Grand KN Paradise Cam Ranh, Ana Mandara Cam Ranh. The beach for this whole strip is Bãi Dài; on the way back to the city, Từ Vân pagoda.