Why Da Nang Is Now the Hottest Spot for Wellness in Vietnam

The central-coastal Vietnamese city of Da Nang is rapidly emerging as a top wellness destination, serving a series of creative retreats and super-innovative spas (one with all-inclusive treatments!) to inject some much-needed Zen into your life. Get your stressed-out self to this visa-exempt beach town STAT. 

HOME TO STRETCHES OF BLINDINGLY white sandy beaches, an easy escape to nature, rich cultural experiences, and an explosion of relaxing retreats, it’s little wonder the Central Vietnamese coastal resort area of Da Nang is emerging as Southeast Asia’s latest wellness hub.  

“Combine this with the various wellness offerings, from luxury retreats, affordable high-quality day spas, and a growing yoga culture, as well as a vast selection of plant-based healthy restaurants, makes Da Nang an ideal wellness destination, easily accessible from many parts of Asia,” said Ramon Imper, general manager of the brand-new TIA Wellness Resort. 

TIA Wellness Resort, which opened in March, is one of the latest entries to cement Da Nang onto the region’s must-visit spa map. Another low-key upstart, Naman Retreat, is doling out all-you-can-spa treatments with your stay. And luxury stalwarts InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort and Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai (see the review of our wellness stay here) have come out with new, far-outside-the-box spa treatments and holistic healing programs just this year. 

In June, TIA expanded its reach beyond yoga and massage to harness the power of breathing, art, energy healing, and nourishing plant-based cuisine with the launch of its Creative Healing Retreat. Built around the pillars of reiki, creativity and the power of breath, the four- or seven-night retreats are designed to wash away life’s stresses and strains while adding balance. And there’s the option to put what you’ve learned into practice with a private tai chi session in the iconic Marble Mountains and meditation at Lady Buddha, Vietnam’s tallest Buddha statue. 

“Body and mind relaxation is still the biggest priority for many guests and our Signature Bamboo Roll-out Therapy, a warm bamboo Vietnamese rolling technique to improve blood circulation and activate deep tissue. Our reiki energy healing therapies are growing in popularity as this traditional healing technique is getting more and more recognition around the world,” said Imper. 

Head to InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, recently voted the No. 2 Beach or Island Resort in Vietnam in our T+L Luxury Awards Asia Pacific, and you can tune into your inner self with a session at its music spa or embark on an energy zen retreat. Sitting snugly in a nature reserve and the solitude of lush rainforest with a 700-meter private beach, the resort oozes tranquillity from the moment you walk through the door. 

Injecting innovation into its symphony of wellness offerings, earlier this year it introduced a new music spa concept at Mi Sol spa – aptly named after the notes in the musical scale – that uses sound and vibration to enhance wellbeing. 

In case you’re wondering what on earth a music spa is, each tone in the musical scale has a specific vibration frequency and can enhance the flow of natural energy around the body. For example, mi – 528 hertz – can stimulate love and restore equilibrium, while sol – 741 hertz – cleanses the body of toxins. This treatment uses tuning forks to harness these frequencies, ensuring relaxation and rejuvenation.   

This month, i.e., July, also sees the resort launch monthly one-day Energy Zen Retreats that aim to elevate mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing through a series of activities across the resort’s four levels: Heaven, Sky, Earth and Sea. Think soothing strolls through rainforest, yoga overlooking the ocean, Tai Chi on the beach, and a barefoot “Sunset Beach Boogie” on the sand. 

If you’re a believer in biophilia, then Naman Retreat has got you well and truly covered. The blissful oasis taps into nature, with holistic wellness sitting at its heart. The free-flow spa is a wall-less sanctuary veiled in green that delivers a range of rejuvenating treatments, from bamboo massage therapy and seaweed body cocoons to Japanese energy healing. 

Its team of experts have also curated a series of retreats, including the two-day destress program designed to ensure you leave with a spring in your step feeling new. Alternatively, the half-day detox delivers traditional therapies combined with pioneering technology, such as the Oxyjet facial and colon hydrotherapy. 

So, if you’re in need of a heavy dose of rejuvenation, look no further than Da Nang… or maybe a smidge down the coast towards Hoi An. 

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