I’m going to do something I rarely do: I will strongly suggest you visit Can Tho…

Ho chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, is firmly planted as one of the TOP cities to visit in Vietnam. Also on that list, especially for expats, is the fairly close island of Phu Quoc, just a 2.5 hour ferry ride from the mainland. Though many fly direct for about $100, we recently took the slower route and stopped at the amazing mid-way city of Can Tho. It’s a city “under the radar,” but even so, it’s the sixth largest in the country, with a population of 1.2 million people. We also stayed at two different resorts in Can Tho, one on a private island, and the other that was pulled through a 100 year old time warp, and updated to 2023. Here’s what I learned…

A Taste of Luxury on Your Own Fantasy Island

The island of Phu Quoc, just off the southern coast of Cambodia, is not difficult to reach since it is less than 400 km/ 245 miles.

But take a few days to explore the under the radar city of Can Tho, a small town with a lot of excitement- especially at night in town! This layover is about halfway between the two cities, and you can discover a dynamic part of the country, and stay at an amazing resort that may blow your mind!

When it comes to the Azerai Resort, the letter that comes to mind is the letter “P.”

“P” stands for Private.

How often do you find a resort that stands alone on an island all by its lonesome? That’s the case here. The island is called Con Au Islet, and it’s on the Hau River; you can’t drive to it, and you can’t really swim to it, but they do offer a little motorboat to carry you the 5 minute distance from their dedicated launch pavilion. So privacy is the word. If you are a mover and a shaker, or possibly a celebrity, this would be an ideal place to get away from the maddening crowd. For those who truly do travel in style, the resort actually has a helipad for anyone needing a more expedient arrival!

The eight hectare resort was built in 2018, took two years, and the first phase of 60 units (plus five pool villas from one to five bedrooms) occupies just five of those hectares. The island was a partnership between Adrian Zecha, the founder of the world famous Aman Resorts, which has a decades old history of building luxury resort hotels worldwide, and Can Tho businessman, Mr. Nhon, chairman of Novaland Groupa.

The other P word that comes to mind is Peaceful.

As I sat out on the porch at 8:00 p.m., all I heard were crickets and geckoes, and a few motorboats cruising along the Mekong River. But otherwise, silence. With only 60 rooms, there is not much in the way of activity other than a few scattered people hanging out in one of the two restaurants or by the pool, and there are two of them as well. There’s a gym, of course, plus a riding path around the perimeter if you want to stretch your legs and admire the amazing foliage, and especially, the banyan trees scattered throughout—which are magnificent! The resort has a nice selection of bikes that you can use as you wish.

The next P word would be Personal, ie, when you stay here you get the Personal treatment.

Since you have to come across the river by boat, they have a pavilion where you are greeted and you sign in. They brought us a relaxing little drink, and we hung out for a few minutes while awaiting our boat. We were the only ones on the small vessel, and when we docked, our bags were taken care of as we went back to another reception area and offered yet another beverage. Finally it was time to go to our room, which was lovely. Each of the rooms have quite a bit of privacy, with a large bed and windows all around. As you might expect, the bath area was luxurious with a spacious shower enclosure and rain jet shower head.

During the two days we stayed at Azerai we decided to take advantage of the luxury at our fingertips and never even left! Even so, the Cai Rang floating market is just 40 minutes south by boat, and is a great way to start the day since you want to BE there by sunrise. It was suggested that we enjoy the pandan coconuts, which are specific to the South, but we were able to find some in town.

So let’s talk about cost. The Azerai is Pricey— by Vietnamese price standards– but if you compare this to what a similar resort would cost elsewhere in the world, you encounter the final P: Priceless.

Priceless because where else can you feel like a guest on Mr. Rourke’s Fantasy Island television show? Where else can you be catered to without spending your entire vacation budget over just a few days. If you are curious, “how the other half lives,” this is a great way to get a taste of the Finer Things at a five star resort.

For the budget conscious travelers, I recommend you take a FUTA bus from Ho chi Minh city which leaves every hour for all of $9.00 USD. The three hour ride is effortless as the reclining seats offer privacy curtains, AC, and USB power. A rest stop on the way makes the time pass quickly, and the destination bus station in Can Tho is easy to navigate and just ten minutes from the resort. Stay a few days (or more!), then take the second leg south to Phu Quoc via the Rach Gia ferry to the island, which is about a three hour bus trip, followed by a peaceful 2.5 hour cruise.

If you are planning to visit Vietnam, I suggest you put Can Tho and Azerai on your bucket list. The easy to navigate town of 1.2 million people is the gateway to the Mekong Delta region, and a launch point for river traffic going to several destinations. Staying at the Azerai allows you to combine the old and the new; the primitive and the modern, and truly leave southern Vietnam with memories you will never forget.