Welcome to Vietnam!

Dear Retreat Friends,

Yes, you have arrived, you are in Vietnam now. Well, soon anyway :-)

We, Sarah & Hang, are very excited to welcome you and share the beautiful path of yoga and mindfulness with you at the retreat in Mui Ne, Vietnam. The retreat will be fun and transformative as you learn more about yourself and reconnect to your true nature, which is the essence of the retreat. Experience daily yoga, meditation, Qi Gong, mindful walking, delicious vegetarian western & Vietnamese food, and plenty of free time to rest, play in the ocean and swimming pool, read a book, or take a siesta.

To help make your visit to beautiful and resilient Vietnam safe, memorable and enjoyable, we are happy to share some guidance. We invite you to enjoy your breathing as you mindfully read through the Welcome Letter below.

A blooming Vietnamese lotus to you,
Sarah & Hang

Registration Form

To help us get to know you, kindly fill out this form before arriving to Vietnam: Registration Form

Retreat Location

The retreat is held at Trip-Advisor award winning Full Moon Village Resort, on a secluded and private beach in Mui Ne, which is about a 3-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), formerly known as Saigon. A new freeway that opened up in March 2023 has made the trip faster and smoother. The closest and most convenient international airport to arrive to is Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN), Ho Chi Minh City.

Bus Transfers

Included in your retreat package is a saigon om privately chartered return bus transfer to and from District 1 (downtown), HCMC to the Full Moon Village Resort, Mui Ne. It is about a 3-hour bus ride. We will stop half way for a stretch and toilet break. With the unpredictability of what food may be available at the halfway stop, we suggest that you bring lunch/snacks with you on the bus.

Day One & Day Seven Schedule

Arriving at Full Moon Village Resort

We will arrive at Full Moon Village Resort in Mui Ne at around 1:30pm/2pm. Once you arrive at the resort, the resort staff will collect your passport upon check in (Vietnam has a law that requires guests to be registered with the local authorities) and return it to you shortly afterwards. They will also take you to your villa and deliver your luggage. Freshen up, relax, enjoy the pool/ocean and meet us at 4pm in the practice hall above the restaurant with your yoga mat and wearing your yoga practice clothes for a welcome circle and a short gentle yoga practice to stretch out after the bus ride. The mosquitoes usually come out at night so please remember to wear mosquito repellent. Dinner will be ready at 5:30pm.

Daily Schedule

6am-7am: Qi Gong & walking meditation
7am-8am: Fruit, tea & coffee
8am-8:30am: Short lecture on mindfulness, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qi Gong, & yoga
8:30am-10am: Morning yoga: energizing practice to wake up the body & mind    
10am-11am: Brunch               
11am-4pm: Free time / beach / pool time or optional tours
4pm-5:15pm: Afternoon yoga: restorative and yin yoga to calm the body & mind
5:30pm: Dinner
* Free time after dinner

Accommodation

You will be staying in a ensuite room by yourself or shared with your family member/friend, in either a 2-bedroom or 3-bedroom villa. You will share the villa with one or two other retreat participants. Each villa has a shared state-of-the art lounge room, kitchenette with a fridge, kettle, basic cooking ware & cutlery, and daily replenishment of instant coffee/tea & drinking water. You will have a key to your private ensuite room and another key to the villa. There is an in-room safe in every room. The best part is....wait for it...your bed will be made & room cleaned for you everyday, yay!

Each villa has a private jacuzzi and an outdoor day bed. There’s also a large pool situated steps away from your villa. Yes, you will feel like you’re in paradise. Wait until you meet the super friendly staff. The owner is French and the staff are Vietnamese. The wonderful staff and location are the two main reasons why we’ve chosen this resort as our retreat destination.

Complimentary Wi-Fi is available throughout the resort but connection can drop out easily due to the remote location of the resort. Connection, however, is strong enough to log on and send home a quick email to tell your family how much you’re enjoying the retreat. The best Wi-Fi reception is in the reception, restaurant, and bar. We encourage you to limit your internet use so you can enjoy and embrace every moment in paradise.

The resort does not have a gym, weights, or treadmills. The area around the resort is quiet and past retreatants have enjoyed running and walking in the area.

Meals

Included in the retreat are fruit/coffee/tea at 7am and two vegetarian buffet-style meals each day: brunch at 10am and dinner at 5:30pm. You may like to order extra meals, snacks and drinks at your own cost at any other times.

If you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions please let us know (in the Registration Form) as soon as possible so we can pass it along to the resort.

Laundry Service

There is laundry service at the resort but it can be expensive and there’s a chance that your clothes will not be treated in the way that you prefer, especially delicate clothes. We suggest bringing your favourite scent-free (or low scent) washing powder and practice mindful hand washing.

Yoga Mat

Please bring your own yoga mat and any other props that you practice with. We will provide yoga blocks and straps.

If you’d like to pack lightly and purchase a yoga mat in HCMC, for about $10-25, depending on types of mat you want, your hotel will be able to guide you to “Sports Street” (Huyền Trân Công Chúa, District 1), behind the Independance Palace or a sporting shop. Sports Street is in the same neighbourhood/district as the bus meeting point, not too far off the beaten path. Please note that Full Moon Village Resort, our retreat location, does not have yoga mats for sale. You are welcome to leave your mat with us after the retreat and we’ll donate it to the staff or local charities.

Spa Treatments

Massage treatments are available at the resort including full body massage, back massage, Thai massage, and foot massage. As it's an outside service, separate from the resort, they take cash payments only so please bring along cash in VND. The treatment prices range from 250,000 VND to 700,000 VND. 

Tipping

Tipping hotel staff in Vietnam is not expected but appreciated. It is customary to leave a small tip for hotel staff who provide exceptional service. Towards the end of the training, if you’d like to offer a tip, we collect the tips (in VND or USD) in an envelope to give to reception to distribute evenly to the staff. You may like to offer the hotel staff tips personally instead.

What to Bring

• For hygienic purposes, please bring your own yoga mat and any other props that you practice with (i.e. yoga strap, blocks etc but they are not required for classes.)

• A reusable water bottle. There will be plenty of drinking water available at the resort.

• Comfortable yoga wear that covers your knees and torso. Vietnamese people dress conservatively. To help us respect the Vietnamese traditions and culture, it’s best not to show off too much skin. We encourage you to wear leggings or long shorts (not short shorts) and t-shirts or tank tops (not just a sports bra) when practicing yoga or at meal times at the resort.

• Swimsuit, hat, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, sarong, warm shawl, flashlight.

• A notebook and pens to take notes during the morning lecture and jot down your personal insights, revelations, and most inner transformative thoughts.

• Medication from home.

• Some scent-free (or low-scent) washing powder if you prefer to hand wash your clothes.

• A good book, or two.

• A universal plug adapter for your electronic devices.

• Optional: Extra cash in VND for massage treatments and tipping the resort staff.

For your convenience, we suggest that you pack as lightly as possible.

Weather

With temperatures remaining constant year round, the climate of the south of Vietnam is split into two simple seasons, wet and dry. The dry season begins in November and ends in April/early May with late February to May being slightly hotter and more humid. The wet season lasts from May until early November with the months from June, July & August receiving the highest rainfall of the year. Throughout much of the wet season rainfall is generally heavy but short lasting, often occurring in a mid-afternoon heavy downpour.

The average November temperature in Mui Ne is around 23 to 30 degrees Celsius.

Scent-Free

In consideration of others who have allergies, including Hang and Sarah, please attend the retreat scent-free: no perfume/fragrance/cologne/scented products/essential oils. If possible, please use scent-free or low-scent shampoo/conditioner, soap, lotion, deodorant, washing detergent and sunscreen.

Photography

We respect your privacy and would like to ask for your permission to take photos during the retreat for social media to help promote the healing yoga & mindfulness practice, as well as share the photos with you later as a keepsake. Please let us know if you do not wish to be in the photos.

Cancellation Policy

Life happens and we understand that you may need to cancel your trip. As we have made our commitment to the resort, here is the cancellation policy.

• If cancelled 90 days prior to the retreat date: A full refund, minus a $100 USD processing & administration fee, will be issued.

• If cancelled within 90 days prior to the retreat date: A 50% refund, minus a $100 USD processing & administration fee.

• There will be no refunds 30 days prior to the retreat.

• If the retreat is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, like a pandemic, you will receive a full refund.

Contact Email & Number

If you need help with anything or have any questions, please feel free to email us at hello@saigonom.com or call/SMS Hang’s local Vietnam number +84 0559 793 340.

Happy & Safe Travels
We look forward to sharing a rejuvenating week in tropical paradise with you.