The Vietage by Anantara is a stunning railway journey in Vietnam. The luxe train carriage is decked out in a sophisticated Indochine style and seats 6 couples in their own private carriage. Come along as we explore what the train journey is like and why it is a must do when in Vietnam!
Practically speaking, the journey from Quy Nhon to Nha Trang can be done by plane but the more scenic view is via train. The rail journey is one of the most beautiful ways to see the countryside life from the comfort of a train. Our journey today takes us across 215 kilometres/155miles with an estimated time of five hours with six stops along the way. The ticket price is $420USD per person.
Most people combine The Vietage with a stay at the Anantara Quy Nhon Villas either at the beginning or end. The hotel staff are expert at transferring you to the train station and at 12:45pm on the dot there's a knock at our villa door with porters ready to take us and our luggage to Dieu Triu train station less then half an hour away.
They hand us over to our butler Vy. She takes our bags and ushers us into a cafe where we wait for the train with fresh passion fruit juices and a bowl of trail mix. Our train arrives 45 minutes later and Vy escorts us onto the train when it is ready.
The Vietage is a single carriage that connects onto an existing 13 to 14 carriage train. It is the last passenger carriage on the train and seats 12 people in 6 booths for two. The train carriage has its own inox semi circular bar with bartender and sit up leather stools. The booths are separated by rattan partitions. The vibe is very Agatha Christie meets Indochine.
Almost everything is included on board including a range of signature cocktails, mocktails, tea and coffee. The only extras are champagne and caviar. For the Quy Nhon to Nha Trang journey they serve afternoon tea. When you book your seat, they ask for your sandwich selection. There is also a dedicated vegan menu for the afternoon tea. The reverse evening route from Quy Nhon to Da Nang has a 3 course dinner included and sleeper booths.
There is also free wifi on board as well as amenities like toothbrushes, toothpaste, vanity kits, a neck pillow, eye mask, blanket and slippers. The slippers and eyemasks are yours to keep as souveniers. There are also plenty of power outlets and free wifi on board.
On the train journey there are six stops along the way including La Hai, Tuy Hoa, Gia and Ninh Hoa ending in Nha Trang. Mr NQN is entranced by the views; the afternoon sun lights up the vistas with a soft golden glow.
During the trip we will pass through the mountainous Phu Yen province as well as the East Sea coastline. We pass duck farms then rice paddies - ducks play an important role on rice paddies where they pick out the weeds and eat insect pests leaving their manure behind as valuable fertiliser. We see a man herding a dozen cows along the road and pass by Nui Da Bia rock where people climb to get a view of Nha Trang.
The five hours go by quickly because once you settle in and they explain the amenities, menu and inclusions. We start with coffees - the Swedish coffee made with tonic water is fruity and effervescent while the Vietnamese coconut coffee is rich, strong and sweet. There are also teas available by Vietnamese brand Epicurean Sao. Vy asks us what time we'd like our afternoon tea and we ask for it around 4pm. Also included in the tariff is a 15 minute back and shoulder massage.
The ocean appears after a couple of hours. They time the arrival of our afternoon tea perfectly to coincide with the trains slowing down.
We start with some delicious healthy mocktails. You can choose between exclusively designed signature cocktails or a mocktail version and these can be ordered any time during your ride.
The afternoon tea starts with a gorgeous little mouthful of blini topped with poached Bai Dai libster and Da Lat caviar which is perfection.
Then our three tier stand arrives. The bottom layer are my savoury sandwiches while the middle layer has Mr NQN's. My selection includes a divine toasted banh mi with pork cold cuts, chicken liver pate, pickled carrots, green onion, chilli, coriander and mayonnaise. I also have a flavoursome Coronation Hmong chicken sandwich which has a delicious curry flavour. There's a finger sandwich with Iberico ham and sliced Cheddar cheese.
The last savoury is a square of Melba toast topped with a large, plump East Sea shrimp and salmon roe with dill mayonnaise. There are four types of cakes and they are a mix of Western and Vietnamese. The lemon tart is exceedingly good - I finish it all and then try the strawberry mousse, the passion fruit and walnut eclair and the Quy Nhon style mung bean cake.
And to finish it all off, there are two warm mini scones: a plain and raisin scone with kumquat marmalade and strawberry jam with clotted cream.
Then comes a delicious cheese and charcuterie course with cheese and cured meats including camembert, chorizo, salami and fresh fruit. There’s also garlic bread, fig jam and crackers.
After 5 hours or so we arrive in Nha Trang, a little behind schedule but the lovely staff on The Vietage have been in contact with our transfer to ensure a smooth arrival and pick up. As we alight we see attached on our luggage are two personalised Vietage luggage tags and hand made chocolates in the shape of a train, two reminders of our magical time on the train.
So tell me Dear Reader, have you been on a memorable train ride?
NQN and Mr NQN travelled to Europe as guests of Vietnam Airlines. They stayed at the Anantara as their guest but purchased a seat on The Vietage.
Vietnam Airlines
Vietnam Airlines offers 23 flights per week connecting Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Vietnam Airlines is continuing to add new routes having recently announced new flights to Milan, Munich and Delhi.
https://www.vietnamairlines.com/au/en/home
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