The Palm Garden sits on Cau Dai’s most gorgeous stretch of beach, the rooms are generous in size and the 5 hectares of lush gardens are pretty and tropical. It is a good beach resort, by any standard. Perhaps not the most prestigious (see the ‘Nam Hai’ or the ‘Fusion Maia’ on nearby China Beach), but it will have a significantly lesser impact on your wallet and, without doubt, it has many of the trappings of a 5 star resort, despite our 4 star designation.

The coaches in the front car park acknowledge this resorts’ ability to host large groups and events, but once you pass through the reception area the resort is broken down by the tropical gardens. It has a neat low-rise format, the bungalows spread out so accommodation is not cheek by jowl. The better, more intimate beachfront bungalows are set away from the main buildings. The rooms are all well equipped in either these self-contained bungalows or in small blocks. There are three restaurants – ‘The Terrace’, ‘The Courtyard’ and ‘Colibri Beach Restaurant’ – and an attractive spa.

Staying at the Palm Garden is not an intimate experience – the sprawling resort is too large for that. But the atmosphere is friendly, creating a relaxing and convivial vibe and, if truth be told, there is no better stretch of beach in Central Vietnam.