When your expat momfia family is scattered between Singapore and Hong Kong, keeping in touch by Facebook and WhatsApp just doesn’t do it like a good old, in-person girly slumber party. So when we discovered the Angsana Lang Co Resort Unlimited Spa Getaway promotion in Vietnam, we knew it would be the perfect reunion-slash-girls’ weekend for our fab four, giving us the much needed girlfriend getaway that we tend to seek out.
Peek into the gallery above for images of our girls’ weekend holiday in Vietnam
The perfect location for a hop, skip, and jump away from the madness of our daily life
Located nearly halfway between Singapore and Hong Kong, we split the difference in flight times for our meet up. From Hong Kong, we opted for the direct DragonAir flight, while the Singapore crew opted for Jet Star (with a connecting flight via Ho Chi Minh City) to best coordinate flight arrival times.
Because we really just wanted to get through airport security with a mere swipe of a fingerprint, giving us more time at Duty Free
Moms: have you ever travelled without your children?! (Sorry, could you repeat? We couldn’t hear you over the angels singing). This is where it gets awesome. For most of us, the mere chance of having a kid-free getaway is as likely as getting a coveted same-day mani/pedi at The American Club’s Sen Spa. But when such a vacation becomes reality, you tend to send cocky SMS messages boasting about how you cleared security, made all of your purchases at Duty Free and still had time to buy a selfie stick and aerial drone camera in nine minutes flat. (Fact: This really happened).
Let it be said that there is no other feeling like getting through the airport sans children or judge-y hubbys who raise eyebrows while glaring at your Du-Fry.
After relatively short travel time to Vietnam, we arrived at Da Nang airport and were met by smiling Angsana Lang Co Resort ambassadors waiting to whisk us away via wifi-enabled car that was, BTW, perfect for Facebook and IG humblebrag rights (airport transfers are included in the Unlimited Spa Getaway deal).
First question asked: Where is the bar?
As you do in the comfort of camaraderie that only good friends can oblige, we went straight to the bar for a drink. On hand: Pretty glass? Check. Strange magic? Check. Quirky themed, holiday cocktail choices? Check. It settled us in immediately while we waited for the other half of our gal-pal contingency to arrive.
Not your typical sorority house: Our 2-bedroom loft suite with private plunge pool
To get the most holiday bonding out of our girls’ weekend getaway, we booked Angsana Lang Co’s two-bedroom loft suite for our slumber party lodgings. An uber-luxe crash pad spread over three floors and 179 square meters, we squealed as each corner surprised us with new amenities, creative nooks and, of course, really pretty slippers and robes to lounge around in. But it was the top-floor private plunge pool patio overlooking the sea that won us over. We could wind down our days over a glass of wine, listening to the undulating crash of the waves below. I mean, this suite was seriously ah-mazing.
Much needed pampering at the Angsana Spa
Personally, I’m a planner. I take comfort in colour-coding spreadsheets and to-do lists to get me through the crazytown juggling act that is my normal life. So, to appease my own type-A personality, a month before the holiday I booked nearly every spa appointment time available (they said it was an unlimited spa getaway, right?).
Taking advantage of our Unlimited Spa Getaway package perks, we were able to enjoy treatments from a variety of Angsana Spa staff, all incredibly well-trained with attention to detail in their process. From the soothing baths to the aromatherapy scrubs, to the refreshing facials and of course, the always-perfect massage blends…it was really tough to choose a fave because they were all really awesome.
Technically, there was nay a moment that I wasn’t getting a treatment. Here’s a tip: enjoy your spa treatments sparingly, because let’s face it, you too can risk getting sucked into the bizarre, spoiled rotten vortex of getting your beauty sleep without tiny dictators nagging you to cut the crusts off of sandwiches or begging you to act out Queen Elsa’s Coronation Day FOR. THE. ZILLIONTH. TIME.
Our 9-step girls weekend getaway itinerary guide
With three days to enjoy the maximum benefits of our holiday vacation, we had a very loose daily schedule itinerary. Our ritual went something like this:
1) Wake up.
2) Go to the incredible breakfast buffet.
3) Find blissfulness in private yoga at the Banyan Tree pavilion.
4) Return to the Angsana Spa for the morning’s treatments.
5) Meet together for an afternoon lunch.
6) Head back to the Angsana Spa for the afternoon spa ritual.
7) Indulge in dinner, wine, and girly bonding time.
8) Stay up late telling modern-day ghost stories (read: gossip), enjoy wine and giggles at our private, penthouse plunge pool.
9) Repeat.
Our night-capades were especially rewarding. After a long day of spa ritual and general pampering, we enjoyed fab dinners at Angsana Lang Co’s Rice Bowl, but the apex of our foodie bliss was dining in heaven at sister resort, Banyan Tree Lang Co’s Saffron Restaurant. Saffron is a must-dine for anyone in search of excellent, memory-making dinner experiences.
Central Vietnam’s destination resort
Angsana Lang Co Resort is a destination resort. Period. You will not want to leave. Although the resort offers daily, complimentary return shuttles to Hoi An and Hue, only one of us was organized enough to venture into town because she promised family and friends Christmas trinkets from the markets. The rest of us were perfectly happy to chill at the sorority house with bottles of wine and catching up on each other’s lives.
The verdict?
We LOVED the Angsana Lang Co Resort Ultimate Spa Getaway for our girls weekend.
From $250 USD per night, the Ultimate Spa Getaway is nicely priced (and justifiable to our husbands). At the time of booking, our two-bedroom loft suite was $450 USD per night. Split four ways, we snagged a cool deal and unforgettable girls weekend all in one.
The practical: Tips and advice for your Unlimited Spa Getaway at Angsana Lang Co
– Choose Silk Air’s direct flight from Singapore to Da Nang over Jet Star’s. This will avoid any confusion/anxiety over connecting flights and check-in procedures at Ho Chi Minh City.
– Although our three-night girls weekend was enough time in theory, in reality, we should have booked for another two nights to be able to enjoy the many activities on offer at the resort.
– Those super cute amenity bags, robes, and slippers can be purchased at the Angsana Lang Co gift shop so you can relive the memories at home.
– When booking private yoga, you can request particular styles, as the classes are custom made for you and your wishes.
– Although Angsana Spa does not recommend more than one facial per week, we really think you can get one more in there!
– The two-bedroom, three-storey loft suite is perfect for groups of three or four. Opt for those suites closest to the ocean.
– We should have really paid attention to the Angsana Lang Co Resort map, because there are like a dozen pools on the property.
– If you’re not lucky enough to travel without the kids, be sure to bring your own necessities – you won’t find a shop for diapers, formula, etc. without travelling an hour away.
To book your own girls’ weekend Unlimited Spa Getaway holiday vacation, visit Angsana.com.
