Vietnam Beach Wellness & Cultural Adventure

Day one you land in Hanoi and settle into a hotel in the Old Quarter. The first activity is a walking food tour through the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake — bun cha, banh cuon, egg coffee — with a guide who explains what you're eating. The following morning there's a light mobility and stretch class before a Vietnamese cooking class where you make pho broth from scratch and roll your own spring rolls.

The trip then moves to Xuan Tu, a coastal village on the Gulf of Tonkin coast, where you stay in a private beach compound. Mornings start with 45 minutes of stretching and mobility on the sand, followed by a swim. After breakfast the day is largely free: kayaking, walking the fishing village, or nothing at all. Two afternoons include a boat trip out to the limestone islands, where you can swim off the boat and snorkel.

This differs from a standard beach holiday in that the movement is scheduled and led — you're not left to figure out a routine on your own — and from a typical fitness retreat in that nothing is high intensity. It suits people who want to keep moving on holiday without turning it into a training camp, and who are more interested in food and landscape than in hitting numbers.

The instructor leading the movement sessions is a Vietnam-based trainer, English-speaking, with a background in mobility and functional training. Sessions are small — often fewer than ten people — so corrections are hands-on and the class adjusts to whoever shows up that day.

Northern Vietnam in this season is warm and humid, with sea temperatures around 27°C. Expect early starts to beat the heat, afternoons that are genuinely lazy, and evenings eating outside. The compound has a pool and direct beach access, and the village is a ten-minute walk for coffee and fruit.

What's included

- 4 nights accommodation (1 night Hanoi hotel, 3 nights private beach compound) - Daily breakfast - Welcome street food tour in Hanoi - Vietnamese cooking class with lunch - Daily stretching and mobility sessions - Boat trip with swimming and snorkelling - Ground transfers between Hanoi and Xuan Tu - English-speaking instructor throughout - Group dinners as scheduled

What's not included

- International flights to and from Hanoi - Visa fees for Vietnam - Travel insurance - Lunches on free days - Drinks and personal expenses - Airport transfers (can be arranged) - Optional activities and spa treatments - Single room supplement