UST a couple of hours' drive from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is the picture-postcard sun-and-sand playground of Phan Thiet. Blessed with powder-soft creamy beaches and blue waters, the area draws in Saigon weekenders as well as international travellers in the know.

Occupying a prime stretch of beach along the select Mui Ne Bay, and covering generous acres of manicured gardens, flowering shrubs and trees, is the hideaway Coco Beach Resort. Intimate, friendly and utterly unpretentious, it is one of the best resorts along this stretch of beach. It offers simple, cosy wooden cottages on stilts within a lush garden setting. There are 31 cottages, 28 of these one-bedroom Bungalows with verandah, sitting area and en suite bathroom. There are also three Villas with space for larger families with kids in tow. All units are air-conditioned, with modest minibar, IDD phones and that essential of tropical travel, gauze mosquito-nets.

The charm of Coco Beach lies in its utterly simple, laid-back style. There is a nice breezy restaurant for Vietnamese or international dinners right at the edge of the sand and the charming Champa serves French in the evenings.

Plunge into the Jacuzzi, swim in the free-form garden pool, send the kids wading in their own safe area, or indulge in a lingering body massage in the shade of the Beach Rotunda. Or simply grab a book and sink into a hammock.

Activities around Mui Ne Bay cover windsurfing, sailing, paddle-surfing, water-skiing and kayaking. There are cultural sites in the vicinity that can be visited for a day's picnic, and a half-day jaunt will get you to the fabled sand dunes of Phan Thiet and the intriguing Ocean Dunes Golf Club. A charming fishing village with colourful boats is nearby. Coco Beach can arrange motorbike and bicycle rentals, car excursions and other options. Head to Vietnam.