Review: The Family-Friendly Alma Resort in Cam Ranh, Vietnam

Patting down the dirt with a shovel and wiping a bead of sweat from my brow, I stood up and admired my work. The baby tree I had just planted at Alma Resort in Cam Ranh, Vietnam, would — with proper time and care — mature into a beautiful coconut palm.

I watched as two resort employees approached and hammered in a wooden placard, complete with my name and the date, next to the tree. This ceremonial tree-planting — a truly moving and memorable moment — is a recently added offering for guests of the 580-room property, the majority of whom are families.

And even as a childless traveler who would normally opt for an adults-only accommodation option, I felt right at home at Alma, which last year was awarded as the No. 1 resort in Southeast Asia by Travel + Leisure.

An Abundance of Options

Alma’s littlest guests are spoiled for choice, whether they decide to spend a day at the on-site waterpark (complete with its own lazy river), tee off at the 18-hole minigolf course or splash in the 12 on-site pools. If the weather feels too hot, humid or rainy, parents have options: They can send the children off to Alma’s Kids Club, which offers kids under 10 years old a variety of educational and recreational activities (an interactive, kid-friendly science museum? Check. An indoor playscape? Check. Cotton candy-making lessons? Check). Or, they can opt for the cinema to catch a flick, fresh-popped popcorn in-hand. Meanwhile, the Youth Club is perfect for teens.

Accommodations Built With Families in Mind

The 74-acre resort, which is most easily navigated by buggy — summoned via a text sent through WhatsApp — has a wide variety of accommodation categories, but the most family-oriented of them all has to be the property’s Oceanfront Pavilions.

These pavilions are beachside and range in size from 1,500 to 2,411 square feet; my gigantic three-bedroom, four-bathroom pavilion came complete with a kitchen, a living room and a private plunge pool with a view of the beach. All three bedrooms have ensuite bathroom facilities. Each standalone Pavilion building features four units across two levels, which could house four different families — or an entire group. Frozen meals and fresh ingredients for in-pavilion family meals can be purchased on-site at the Alma Mart.

Satisfying to Every Palate

Every taste (and even the pickiest palates) are catered to at Alma’s 14 food and beverage spots. Perhaps the most fun experience takes place at the Food Court, a cafeteria-like venue with various stations serving everything from classic Vietnamese staples like bun bo hue and banh mi, to American favorites. Other options include La Casa for made-to-order Italian favorites, in addition to a full gelato bar, and Alma Garden for breakfast, where I often spotted families scattered among plenty of large tables. (Pro tip: suggest clients head straight for the pastries, made in-house in the resort’s state-of-the-art pastry kitchen).

But, that’s not to say that Alma’s cuisine isn’t sophisticated; adults will have plenty to choose from at the buffet or at Atlantis, the beachside seafood restaurant. Or, if families wish to roll up their sleeves and test out their own cooking chops, local tour operator Zazen Travel will come to the property for an interactive cooking class. My group spent time learning how to lovingly roll a rice-paper spring roll, fold minced beef into betel leaves, and properly simmer.

Zazen can also take guests off property, offering excursions into Nha Trang to browse a local market, take a (terrifyingly thrilling) spin in Vietnamese traffic onboard a three-wheeled cyclo or embrace the region’s thriving mango industry with a tour of a nearby farm and restaurant.

One thing to note: Right now, Alma caters mainly to an Asian market — although English is widely spoken on-property, most of the property’s guests are Korean. However, in my opinion, it’s what makes Alma even more appealing for families wishing to offer children a window into another culture.

On my last day at Alma, I took a buggy to the lobby, but asked the driver to make a detour to the gardens across from the Youth Club.

There, my little sapling stood, its fronds waving in the wind.

Not caring how silly I looked, I waved back. It was ironic — my mark on this place would last long after my departure but, likewise, Alma would remain with me for years to come.