Tet is one long holiday in Vietnam and the family was itching to go somewhere — anywhere outside Saigon as long as we didn’t need to fly. I left the booking to hubby who decided that we’re going to Mui Ne. He found it difficult to find a hotel not yet fully booked though and the prices of rooms for the holidays is astronomical.

He chanced upon The Cliff Resort — which looked good on the website and was running a promo at that time. So there, booked. I had to research a bit though and the reviews in Tripadvisor was not very encouraging. But since we booked already, all I could do was hope for the best.

Bringing a 9-month old to a holiday isn’t easy so we just decided to hire a car for 5 million VND for 4 days — all in. We didn’t need to worry about the driver’s accommodation nor going around Mui Ne area. But honestly, if the kids were older we’d just ride the bus and get off at our resort — so much cheaper and it’s not that far anyway. But it IS nice to have our own ride so we could stop anytime we liked.

We left before all the ruckus of the Tet holiday, so we arrived at Mui Ne at noon.  We left around 7 am and made a couple of stops along the way and even got lost looking for the Ke Ga Lighthouse.

When we arrived at The Cliff, I was ready to be disappointed. Reviews said that most of the staff are unable to speak English. I was greatly relieved that ALL staff we were in contact with were very courteous and spoke good English. They assisted us every step of the way — I was actually very surprised on how they treated us. I knew then and there that we were going to have a wonderful holiday. Just for their staff, I give them 5 stars.

Checking in was a breeze and we were served welcome drinks while waiting too.

Loved this pretty coral light detail that looked enchanting when lit up.

Our Room

Our room opens to a balcony which has an amazing view of the resort fronting the ocean and it was just perfectly serene and the place looked immaculate from our perch.

The room itself is well-maintained (although I must say The Cliff has just opened late last year).

The bed was comfortable but the pillows were to plushy for my taste but other than that, the light blue room was just perfect for relaxing.

So room, check. Now off to the bathroom —

Spacious. Clean. Complete toiletries.

The details of the bathroom meshed well with the design of the whole room — except that it was separated only by a sliding door that didn’t lock —

that’s okay I guess for couples but for our family with a toddler that runs amok all over the place, it wasn’t ideal.  But otherwise, the bathroom was just right. It has no tub which was perfectly fine by me because I hate it when sand accumulates at the bottom of the tub — and we’re by the beach so I’m pretty sure that’ll happen to us.

I love the details — and the shampoo and conditioner here were really good. I wonder what the brand is.

This trash bin looked really nice — too nice to put trash in.

And I don’t like airing dirty laundry so to speak at the balcony, so wooden clothes dryer at the corner of the bathroom is a good idea.

The Pool

The resort has two pools. The one a bit smaller is much deeper  —-

than the other bigger pool which has an area were kids can swim and play safely.

Ask the attendants and they can easily send out safety devices for the kids.

This bigger pool is elegantly designed at the edges —

The Beachfront 

Of course as with the rest of the resort, the beach front is well-maintained as well. The waters is “swimmable” and you can safely put your stuff in the designated lockers while you take a dip.

It can get quite windy and one afternoon, the wind picked up, the sand hurt our skin  as we headed for cover. It was impossible to make sandcastles then.

But the strong wind brings huge waves that smash against the rocks — makes a great backdrop for photos! 

The Food and the Dining Area
As with any high end resort, the price of food here can get expensive but at the very least, the food in The Cliff is delicious. There also is a good variety of food during breakfast buffet and each day, there’s something new to their repertoire. Speaking of, I miss their cheese salad and their soups.

The dining area opens to seamlessly to the outside veranda where you can dine too while you enjoy the sky and the ocean view.

Overall, the resort is an oasis. Beautifully designed inside —

and out —

But since it’s a “cliff”, there are a lot of stairs here.

It wasn’t easy huffing and puffing all the way up with me carrying my 9-month old in a carrier. BUT, they’ve got a cart that lets you go around the resort, so that helps a whole lot.

Another thing that worried me near our room was this building design. I understand that this is an eco-friendly way to lessen the carbon footprint, as well as, providing ventilation, but a kid can easily slip through the narrow opening.  So it’s best to really keep an eye on your children.

Otherwise, The Cliff is a wonderful getaway. And since the resort is huge, you don’t get the feeling that the place is fully booked. There’s space to play for everyone.