Xin chao friends and partners!
While this has been a challenging month, the teams remain resilient as we move into April.
This month’s highlights feature notable experiences, our Travel for Good (TFG) initiative focusing on women-led suppliers, and key destination updates.
March Highlights at a Glance:
- Highlighted Experiences: Discover Hue’s hidden heritage with a cycling tour and experience HCMC’s culture with the Chào Vietnam folk music and dining performance.
- Hotels & Wellness: We feature Namia River Retreat Hoi An, a luxury all-pool villa sanctuary on the Thu Bon River known for integrated wellness journeys.
- Travel for Good Highlighted Experiences: In honor of Women’s Empowerment Month, we highlight women-led TFG organic cooking classes in Hoi An and Hue.
- Important Destination Updates: Note the suspension of Hai Au Aviation’s seaplane services from Hanoi to Halong Bay starting April 1st plus the resumption of Jeep experiences in Hanoi.
- Important Hotel Updates: Zannier Bai San Ho reopens April 1st.
As usual, reach out for any questions.
Maeve & The EXO Vietnam Team
Get Inspired
Featured Experiences
Get Inspired – Featured Experiences that highlight Hue’s hidden charms and the Kim Long area by pedal power plus a cultural performance in HCMC that blends folk music and traditional Vietnamese dishes.
Kim Long Hue Unveiled: Cycling Through Heritage
and Hidden Gems
Half Day
This half day experience delves into the tranquility of Kim Long village by pedal power. The area offers a unique blend of cultural exploration, from quaint garden houses to a hidden temple and is perfect for the culturally curious.
Why we like it: This TFG tagged (Low Carbon, Culture Diversity) leisurely cycle through local villages allows travellers to see hidden temples, traditional garden houses and the quaint bucolic countryside of Hue’s surroundings.
Best suited for: The culturally curious active client who loves to get below the surface of a destination.
Chào Vietnam:
A Cultural Symphony
Evening Tour
A wonderful evening of culture in downtown HCMC, featuring a stunning 90-minute blend of folk music and traditional Vietnamese dishes. Afterward, take a stroll and experience the vibrancy of Ho Chi Minh City at night together with a guide.
Why we like it: We love this experience because it offers a multisensory journey through Vietnam, pairing the soul-stirring sounds of traditional folk instruments with a curated menu of regional dishes that bring each province to life
Best suited for: Those who love cultural performances! What’s not to love?
Get Inspired - Featured
Travel for Good (TFG) Experiences
Travel for Good experiences are curated adventures that turn the journey into a force for positive change. By focusing on community, nature and heritage, we ensure the trip leaves a lasting, ethical footprint on the world.
This March, Women’s Empowerment Month we’re taking a moment to celebrate the women-led suppliers within our community who inspire us to aim higher and lead with purpose every day. Both of this month’s featured TFG experiences are led by women.
Healthy Cooking Class
An Farm
Travel for Good Classification -
Organic Lifestyle
Escape to a beautiful organic farm just outside Hoi An to immerse in the vibrant world of Vietnamese cuisine. Discover indigenous herbs and vegetables while learning how to balance flavours in a hands-on cooking class led by passionate locals.
Why we like it:
Travellers will love this tour for its focus on healthy, organic cooking that celebrates the rich tapestry of Vietnamese flavors. Engaging with local produce and participating in traditional cooking techniques allows for a delightful culinary journey that promotes both wellness and sustainability.
Hue: The Tradition
of Plant Based Cooking
Travel for Good Classification -
Organic Lifestyle
Experience the vibrant flavors of Hue’s vegetarian cuisine with an outdoor cooking class in a 450-year-old traditional garden house. This immersive experience offers a unique insight into the cultural heritage and spiritual connections of Vietnamese society through the art of plant-based cooking.
Why we like it:
Authentic cultural exchange that highlights the balance of flavors influenced by Buddhist traditions. Engaging with local chefs and exploring fresh ingredients at the bustling Dong Ba Market makes for an enriching journey that celebrates the beauty of organic, vegetarian living.
Featured Vietnam Property
Namia River Retreat
Hoi An
Namia River Retreat is a wellness retreat on the Thu Bon River in Hoi An. This luxury property offers 60 spacious pool villas, each featuring open-plan living areas, private terraces with views of the river or palm forest and sunken bathtubs overlooking personal pools.
Why we like it: Feedback and reviews have been outstanding, since they opened in late 2024 hence the reason we wanted to highlight this month!
All-Pool Villa Sanctuary: 60 spacious, open-plan villas featuring private terraces and sunken bathtubs with river or palm views.
Integrated Wellness: Stays include daily 90-minute spa journeys rooted in traditional Vietnamese herbology and herbal hammam rituals.
Island Seclusion: A tranquil riverside retreat on a private islet, offering total peace just minutes from Hoi An’s Ancient Town.
Destination News
Seaplane services between Hanoi and Halong Bay operated by Hai Au Aviation will be suspended from 1 April 2026 due to internal reasons. This experience will be removed from all sales materials and itineraries. Air transfers will be replaced by overland transfers. As an alternative, private helicopter charter services by Northern Vietnam Helicopter Company remain available at a higher price point.
Hanoi Jeep Tours are now re-opened for bookings, providing an immersive way to explore Hanoi. The experience combines visits to major highlights and lesser-known neighborhoods using open-air military-style jeeps, allowing closer interaction with local life.
Renovated Carriages: Tonkin Heritage Express: From March 2026, the Tonkin Heritage Express from Chapa Express has been renovated to offer a more comfortable and ‘culturally-inspired’ journey on the Hanoi – Lao Cai (Sapa) + route. The interiors feature a ‘Tonkin’ aesthetic, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern design through the use of natural materials and local brocade motifs. Contact our team for more detailed information.
Schedule: Hanoi ↔ Lao Cai (Sapa) Overnight sleeper trains run in both directions (depart Hanoi late evening, arrive early morning). A daytime return option is also available from Lao Cai to Hanoi.
Zannier Hotels Bãi San Hô is scheduled to reopen on 1 April following the completion of primary renovation works. Due to high demand during the peak season, new bookings for the Greenfield Terrace Villa are no longer being accepted for stays throughout April. For new requests during this period, the Hill Pool Villa remains available for booking.
Renovations for the Beach Pool Villa and Grand Bay Pool Villa will continue through April, with these categories expected to be ready from July. These works are being carried out under a structured schedule to ensure minimal impact on the guest experience, with close attention paid to noise control and comfort.
The Ninh Binh Bear Sanctuary has announced that, in order to ensure the best possible visitor experience and maintain animal welfare standards, the site will be closed to visitors every Tuesday starting from 1 April 2026. Operating hours on all other days remain unchanged. As an alternative, visits to the primate, pangolin and turtle conservation centers at Cuc Phuong National Park can be considered.
Sustainability News
Hotel Resilient News: 10 High Confidence Hotels in Vietnam!
We have recognised 10 High Confidence hotels in the Hotel Resilient program, making up 13.88% of the 72 hotels – EXO Vietnam area on the platform!
Here are the hotels celebrated for their resilience: Six Senses Ninh Van Bay and Con Dao, Anantara Hoi An and Mui Ne, New World Saigon, Melia Ho Tram, and the Banyan Tree and Angsana Lang Co estates, alongside Caravelle Saigon and Melia Hanoi.
This achievement reinforces our commitment to providing exceptional and resilient accommodations for our guests. We encourage you to continue promoting these outstanding properties to your clients!
EXO Vietnam: Team Highlights!
Happy Tet Holiday: Celebrating the Year of the Horse with EXO Vietnam!
As part of the spirit to embrace our rich cultural heritage by wearing traditional Ao Dai after Tet, we had the opportunity to showcase our pride in Vietnamese culture.
EXO Vietnam Donates for Kitchen God Day 2026 Organized by Keep Vietnam Clean.
EXO Vietnam – Hanoi office has raised a donation through the Green Gem Shop for the ‘Action for Kitchen God Day 2026′ campaign, organised by Keep Vietnam Clean, ending 10 February 2026. Key Achievements:
- Nearly 120 volunteers collected and sorted 2 tons of waste along the Red River, including 780.7 kg of burnt offerings and 306.4 kg of plastic bags.
- For the first time, Keep Vietnam Clean collected 46.9 kg of clean, wet plastic bags in partnership with local recycling facilities.
- A TikTok contest on the effects of burnt offerings garnered over 250,000 interactions.
- Two training sessions educated 209 locals on sustainable spiritual practices.
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