There are trains, and then there are time machines masquerading as trains—albeit with white-gloved staff, hand-muddled cocktails, and duck confit. Welcome aboard The Vietage by Anantara, a polished 12-seat carriage that gently purrs through Central Vietnam while your tastebuds, brain cells, and soul go on a holiday of their own. If Indiana Jones and Agatha Christie had collaborated on a Southeast Asian escape, this would be it.

But this journey is not just about posh rail and polished glasses. No, this is about unearthing the mysteries and majesty of the Champa Kingdom. This once-thriving civilisation made its mark between the 4th and 13th centuries, leaving behind towers, temples, and tales that still whisper through the Vietnamese jungle.

The Vietage by Anantara Afternoon Tea – Coastal View

Hoi An: Where lanterns whisper history

You begin, quite fittingly, in the honey-coloured UNESCO darling that is Hoi An—a place where old Japanese bridges and French colonial mansions get along like old drinking buddies. Anantara’s Hoi An Resort, perched along the calm Thu Bon River, is your home here—gracious, elegant, and delightfully free of tour group megaphones.

While many travellers stop at the lantern-lit facades and impossibly Instagrammable tailors, this journey takes you deeper. A guided excursion transports you to My Son Sanctuary, once the spiritual heartbeat of the Champa people. Think moss-covered temple ruins echoing with centuries of prayer and poetry, built when Rome still fancied itself an empire.

Wander beneath those archways, and you’ll feel it—that tingle of time travel. History here doesn’t just sit behind glass. It breathes.

All Aboard: A First-Class Passage Through Time

Then comes the moment. You step aboard The Vietage, and the world tilts ever so slightly toward splendour. There are only 12 seats—more than enough room for your curiosity, ego, and that extra suitcase of silks you picked up in Hoi An.

The six-hour journey between Hoi An and Quy Nhon unfolds like a slow ballet of geography—rice paddies glide past, mountains flirt in the distance, and coastal scenes peek coyly through windows. But let’s talk about what’s on the train.

Lunch? It’s a culinary sonnet. Start with Cham Islands seafood salad or the local sundried beef—tender as a love letter and twice as seductive. For mains, the wagyu cheek is so tender it could make a grown man weep. And dessert? A mango tiramisu that deserves its holiday.

While you’re polishing off the last sip of your lemongrass gin cocktail (yes, it’s Vietnamese, and yes, it’s brilliant), you might opt for a complimentary head massage in the spa nook. Because why not?

Quy Nhon: Coastal Bliss Meets Cultural Gold

Then it’s off to Quy Nhon, the cultural underdog that’s quietly becoming the Byron Bay of Vietnam—sans crowds, plus heritage. At Anantara Quy Nhon Villas, you’re greeted not with keys, but with private villas, infinity pools, and views so calming they could get a monk fired for losing focus.

From here, your journey into Champa continues with a picnic (yes, a proper one—with linen napkins, thank you) at Banh It Towers. These 11th-century marvels perch atop a hill that offers views for days and stonework so intricate you’ll start seeing patterns in your soup later.

For those still itching to move, you can try your hand (and feet) at Viet Vo Dao, the region’s traditional martial art. Or you could sprawl under a palm tree, ordering another chilled coconut and wondering if maybe you were Champa royalty in a former life.

Rates, Details, and Why It’s Worth Every Dong

This luxurious five-day voyage starts at USD 2,850 for two guests, and includes:

• Two plush one-way train journeys aboard The Vietage

• Two nights at Anantara Hoi An Resort

• Two nights at Anantara Quy Nhon Villas

• Daily breakfast feasts (croissants or pho? Yes, both.)

• Guided excursions to My Son and Banh It Towers

• Airport and rail transfers are smoother than a silk ao dai

• A 30-minute foot treatment (perfect after temple-wandering)

• And—get this—20% off food and spa indulgences at both resorts

You can view the full package right here.

But don’t dilly-dally. This isn’t mass tourism—it’s meaningful travel, done the way it should be: one story, one taste, and one soft towel at a time.

Final Thoughts:

It’s rare to find a travel experience that genuinely weaves together history, culture, gastronomy, comfort, and rail romanticism into one seamless narrative. This Anantara experience doesn’t just tick boxes—it tears them up and replaces them with linen-bound journals, handwritten memories, and perhaps a deeper understanding of Vietnam’s quiet majesty.

And if that’s not worth travelling for, I don’t know what is.

By Karuna Johnson

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