issue 49 - AsiaLIFE Magazine

Soon enough even the top ofthe Bitexco tower fades into thedistance and urban sprawl givesway to green rural vistas.The spell is somewhat brokenas we suddenly come upon theimposing presence of the newHan Phuc hospital, which is areminder that we are now inBinh Duong, and that An Lam isalso accessible by car for thosewho are not comfortable on thewater. Soon enough though weare again amongst the trees andon approaching our destinationonly a hint of what it contains isapparent from the river.Once installed in my villa, andafter a quick dip in the plungepool to cool down, I can fullytake in my surroundings. Thereis a strong sense of seclusion andprivacy here. As Frot tells meearlier on a tour of the facilities,every villa and room has a privateentrance, so guests can beassured of the utmost discretion.The menu at An Lam featuresmainly Vietnamese dishes, butthere is also enough internationalfare to satisfy most diners. Youcan eat at the open dining areaby the river, but in this instance Ialso opt for discretion and havemy meal served in the villa. It isa difficult spot to resist. The highceiling, cool stone floors andleather sofas coupled with thewide French doors affording awonderful breeze from the rivermake for a perfectly relaxingsetting.The only sounds are the faintrustling of the trees and the oddchug of a riverboat plying itstrade in the inky night. All I canthink is that I really do want thisto be home.For more information or to make abooking go to epikurean.com or call(083) 920 6949.asialife HCMC 37