Anantara expands Vietage train routes in Vietnam

In its heyday more than a century ago, U.S. rail travel might have been grand — or at least exciting — but recent shifts in transportation in New Jersey make it feel otherwise. En route to Newark Airport to catch the first of many flights to Vietnam, I occupied the last seat in a car packed with commuters. The carriage screeched as it exited Penn Station at an alarming incline. A filthy film crawled up the inside of the train, like toxic black mold in a leaky house. A British traveler sitting next to me expressed his disdain for all of us. “This is probably the worst train I’ve ever seen,” he said with Notting Hill conviction. I shrugged, unable to defend myself. So, armed with memories of America’s crumbling infrastructure, I boarded the Anantara Vitage Hotel.

The brainchild of Anantara Hotels founder Bill Heinecke, The Vietage is designed to connect Anantara’s popular hotel in historic Hoi An with a new all-villa beach resort in Quy Nhon. The luxury carriage, like a caboose, runs on Vietnam’s north-south railway line, transporting wealthy guests to less touristy Binh Dinh province, linking the province’s capital Quy Nhon with Da Nang, the gateway to Hoi An.

Vietage took four years to grow from an idea to reality and made its maiden voyage on July 1, 2020. , Heinecke decided to add a second route to Nha Trang. Result: Vietage will connect three cities in central Vietnam via luxury rail, a route of approximately 330 miles. The new route will be launched on May 15.

My journey started at Anantara Hoi An. After staying for two days, I checked out at around 7 a.m. and took a private car to Da Nang Station. Vietage has two trips per day. I booked a six-hour trip from Da Nang to Quy Nhon in the morning.

At the station, a young man in a linen jacket with a The Vietage sign escorted our small group into the waiting room, while another member of staff offered cold towels and hibiscus tea. As the train roared onto the platform, the team accompanied us to the end of the line, where two carriages with the Vietage name on them were waiting.

I grabbed my novelty ticket, got on the bus, and scanned the space. Each carriage has 6 private carriages with 2 seats (or 1 sleeper on overnight journeys), accommodating a total of 12 passengers. Gray upholstered banquettes framed in dark wood are partially obscured by rattan screens and thick cream curtains. The elegant design reflects Indochinese style, thanks to Hoang Le Ha, director of ShapeUs Studio in Ho Chi Minh City.

After settling in, the staff delivered a light breakfast of hot pastries. I took a buttery croissant and a chocolate bar from the basket and ordered a cappuccino.

Through the large windows, I watched country life unfold. The train passes through a sparse urban landscape and into verdant countryside, where rice paddies are cut by irrigation canals. Motorcycles pile up at railroad crossings; sampans, traditional wooden fishing boats, cross rivers and waterways; farmers wearing conical nón lá hats woven from leaves work in the rice fields.

In the background, wooded mountains hint at the topography of the hinterland, while red-brick towers rising from the fields beyond tell the story of its history. This area, along with large swaths of Laos and Cambodia, was once the territory of the forgotten kingdom of Champa, with towers housing former citadels and temples. During its heyday between the 7th and 10th centuries, the Cham controlled major routes for the spice and silk trade, eventually falling to the Vietnamese in the 1400s.

After breakfast, a young woman in a robin’s egg blue robe told me I could get a 15-minute shoulder massage in the massage room. Following her through the well-appointed bar car, I noticed the inviting space, with its semicircular stone slabs framed by black leather stools.

Around 11 a.m., staff began preparing the three-course lunch menu. I selected my options via email in advance. Dishes are inspired by local flavors and ingredients. Appetizers include Quy Nhon seafood salad with green papaya, carrots and mint; duck confit topped with sweet and sour Dalat strawberry sauce and topped with Hoi An spiced cranberry jam; or green beans and quinoa salad with a sprinkle of Lemongrass, tofu, peanuts and Hoi An chili sauce. I chose the latter because I love the combination of bright, citrus-scented herbs with tofu.

For entrees, the menu features two meat options: Hoi An chicken rice and braised wagyu neck. I ordered the beef and enjoyed the tender meat soaked in green tea and sesame sauce, served with matchsticks of local vegetables. Desserts highlight Vietnam’s preference for tropical fruits as a sweet dish, such as purple dragon fruit in candied fruit atop passion fruit tart, or strawberries atop creamy coconut yogurt and garnished with local garnishes basil.

I previewed the wine list via email so I knew it would be good. I started with a glass of refreshing sparkling wine from Australia, tried a grassy Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, then a creamy Chardonnay from Chile, and finished with a glass of Italian Primitivo, paired with beef. The service went above and beyond and accommodated any request I had, including my desire for a half glass of wine so that I could taste the wine without wasting or overdrinking it.

Vietnam is home to several craft gin producers who infuse local botanicals into their liquor, a fact I discovered on The Vietage. Guests can enjoy them plain or try them in specialty cocktails or classic gin and tonics. For an additional fee, the reserve wine list sells Champagne, Burgundy, Barolo and Bordeaux wines.

After lunch I checked out the free wifi and it turned out to be fully functional and fast. Then I decided to enjoy the moment by disconnecting. With my slippers on my feet and my head on my neck pillow, I huddled up in a ball and let the scenery unfold, knowing that my ride on the New Jersey bus would be rude while I waited for my return.