Not your typical wellness retreat; private pools, bikes to town, and fries with your facial
Planning a trip to Vietnam is a bit like solving a puzzle, a fun one mind. The country’s long, skinny shape means that weather, distances, and regional vibes vary massively from north to south. So for a trip in May earlier this year, we started in Hoi An, driving up after flying into Da Nang in central Vietnam and making our way north, which favours the sunnier weather.
We headed to Namia River Retreat, which opened its doors in December 2024. It takes the title of Hoi An’s first and only luxury resort that is tucked away on a secluded islet along the Thu Bon River, offering private pool villas. On the drive up, we pass rice paddies and within the jungle is the very slick Namia River Retreat. Surrounded by nipa palm forests, with the gentle flow of the river cutting through, it’s incredibly peaceful with tropical gardens, winding wooden walkways, sunken pools, and river views from almost every angle.
The wellness aspect doesn’t involve Nicole Kidman psychologically microdosing you. Namia is wellness-inclusive, meaning it’s built into the whole experience and is rooted in Vietnamese traditions. It’s where life can slow down. You’ll get a 90-minute daily dose of pampering complete with steamy hammams, river-view reflexology, and some ancient Vietnamese herbology that somehow makes you sleep like a baby. There’s tai chi by the pool if you’re feeling zen, or you can just float around with your thoughts. It’s not a detox, it’s a retreat and yes, you can have fries with that.
There are 60 private pool villas (with palm or river views) and are all designed with a focus on privacy, nature, and indoor-outdoor living, with wellness perks included. First impressions on our palm view villa are simply incredible, it’s huge and my focus shifts from one wow factor to another. It’s minimalist and modern, spacious and contemporary, decked out with natural textures with timber, stone, woven fabrics, and neutral tones throughout. The sunken bathtub sits just beyond the giant bed, in front of the floor-to-ceiling sliding doors with views of the private pool and the nipa palm forest. It’s beautiful. There’s a lounge area, outdoor shower, and enough space to fully unpack and settle in, which is exactly what you’ll want to do. The minibar is stocked (non-alcoholic, but full of goodies), there’s herbal tea for your evening wind-down ritual, and you can request personalised treatments or remedies from their in-house apothecary like you’re some kind of serene jungle alchemist.
The Lumina Spa is a big part of the experience and it’s included in your stay. Every guest gets a 90-minute treatment daily, with options like Vietnamese cupping, facial reflexology, acupressure, herbal hammams, and steamy Vichy showers. It’s proper indulgence with a cultural backbone, rooted in traditional Vietnamese medicine, but never preachy or performative, and it feels very natural to immerse yourself into.
Food-wise, you’re not short on options either. There are two restaurants, The Merchant and The Fisherman, both flying the flag for contemporary Vietnamese cooking, with a heavy lean on fresh, local ingredients and low-key fine dining flair. Breakfast is all-day (a concept we fully support), and we’re still thinking about the bánh mì with slow-cooked beef and the pandan waffles with coconut syrup.
While it’s easy to get lost in the cocoon of your villa, Hoi An’s ancient town is less than 20 minutes away by bike, and each villa comes with a pair of bamboo bikes to explore the countryside at your own pace. You can cycle past rice fields, cruise along quiet village paths, and be sipping coffee in a lantern-lit alleyway before the heat of the day kicks in, then retreat back to your private pool like the wellness-minded nomad you are.
So while the rest of Vietnam buzzes with scooters and street food and city chaos, Namia hums quietly in the background, a soft reset, dressed in linen, surrounded by palms, and very, very into your wellbeing. What’s not to love?
232 Trần Nhân Tông, Cẩm Châu, Hội An, Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam
namiariverretreat.com
