Welcome to Vietnam!

Dear Retreat Friends,

You have arrived. You are already in Vietnam, or at least, on your way 😊

We, Sarah & Hang, are so delighted to welcome you into this shared journey and to gather together in Mui Ne for our retreat.

This time together is an invitation to slow down and come home to yourself. Through daily yoga, meditation, Qi Gong, mindful walking, and spacious moments of rest, we’ll explore what it means to reconnect with your true nature, the heart of this retreat. Along the way, you’ll be nourished by delicious locally crafted Western and Vietnamese food, the healing rhythm of the ocean, swims in the pool, afternoon siestas, laughter, and plenty of time simply to be.

To support your arrival in beautiful and resilient Vietnam, we’ve put together some guidance to help make your experience easeful and memorable. We invite you to read through the Retreat Guide slowly, perhaps with a few conscious breaths, letting the journey begin even now.

We can’t wait to welcome you in person.

A blooming Vietnamese lotus to you,
Sarah & Hang

Registration Form

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

Retreat Location

Full Moon Village Resort is a hidden gem in Mui Ne, an award-winning sanctuary where natural beauty meets exceptional hospitality. Nestled along a tranquil stretch of private, sandy beach and surrounded by lush tropical gardens, this idyllic haven invites guests to unwind in spacious, beautifully appointed villas designed for ultimate comfort and charm. With a serene waterfront yoga shala and a stunning 259 sqm pool, the resort offers the perfect setting for both relaxation and renewal.

The resort 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 and 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 1pm. Once you arrive at the resort, the resort staff will collect your passport upon check in and return it to you shortly afterwards. Vietnam has a law that requires guests to be registered with the local authorities. They will also take you to your villa and deliver your luggage. Freshen up, relax, enjoy the pool/ocean and meet us at 3:30pm 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. The welcome dinner will be ready at 5pm.

Daily Schedule

6am Sunrise Meditation & Qi Gong (30 minutes)
6:30am Morning Yoga: Energizing practice to wake up the body & mind (60 minutes)
7:30am Vegetarian Breakfast Buffet
10am Wellness Workshop: Explore topics like Mindfulness, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and Fascia Release (75 minutes)
11:30am Free Time: Relax by the beach or pool, enjoy optional tours or a rejuvenating spa treatment, or simply unwind at your own pace
3:30pm Afternoon Yoga: Restorative/yin yoga to calm the body & mind (75 minutes)

Accommodation

You will be staying in a ensuite room by yourself (single room) or shared with your family member/friend (twin room) in either a 2-bedroom or 3-bedroom villa. You will share the villa with one or two other retreat participants. You will have a key to your private ensuite room and another key to the villa.

Each room features an ensuite private bathroom, daily housekeeping, air conditioning, ceiling fans, in-room safe, and complimentary Wi-Fi, along with essentials like shampoo, conditioner, and both bath and beach towels.

All villas are thoughtfully equipped with a full kitchen, tea and coffee-making facilities, a cozy living and dining area, a private jacuzzi, and a lush garden with the most inviting outdoor daybed, perfect for unwinding in tropical comfort. 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.

Contacting Reception at Full Moon Village Resort

During your stay, the easiest way to contact reception or the restaurant is via WhatsApp. In smaller towns like Mui Ne, English may not be as widely spoken as in the big cities, so using WhatsApp can make requests simpler - for ordering meals, requesting extra towels, booking spa treatments, etc. The WhatsApp phone number is +84 867 024 322.

Meals

Included in your retreat package is a vegetarian welcome dinner on day one and a daily vegetarian breakfast buffet. 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.

All other meals, snacks, and drinks may be purchased at any time at your own expense. You’re welcome to enjoy the flexibility of dining at the resort’s restaurant or in the comfort of your private villa, with a selection of delicious local and international cuisine available. Meal and drink charges at the resort can be settled with cash or credit card after each meal, or added to your room tab and paid at checkout at the end of the retreat. A meal is approxiately $10-20 USD. There is a 10% surcharge if delivered to your villa.

For those who wish to explore further on your own, Mui Ne town offers a vibrant culinary scene and is approximately a 30-minute ride to and from 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.

Spa Treatments

Spa treatments are available at the resort, including massages, facials, and manicures. We personally get daily treatments when possible. The spa is an external service separate from the resort, so cash payments in VND are required. Prices range from 250,000 VND to 700,000 VND (~$12.50 to $35 USD). The spa treatments offered:

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.

What to Bring

• For hygienic purposes, please bring your own yoga mat. We will provide yoga blocks and straps.

• A reusable water bottle. There will be plenty of free drinking water available at the resort and in your villa.

• Comfortable yoga wear that covers your knees and torso. As Vietnamese culture is generally conservative, dressing modestly helps us honour local traditions and customs. We encourage leggings or longer shorts (rather than short shorts), and t-shirts or tank tops (rather than sports bras alone) when practicing yoga and during meal times at the resort.

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

• A lightweight raincoat and a small umbrella can be helpful during the heavier downpours of the rainy season.

• 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.

• Menstrual products. If using a menstrual cup or disc, it’s best to rinse them with bottled/drinking water before use.

• 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.

Power Plugs

Vietnam typically uses 220V voltage and 50Hz frequency, with power sockets that accommodate Type A (two flat vertical pins), Type C, and Type F (two round pins) plugs. While many modern hotels offer universal sockets, it is highly recommended to bring a universal travel adapter for compatibility.

Drinking Water

Tap water in Vietnam is generally not safe to drink directly from the tap, particularly for visitors, due to risks of bacterial contamination and aging pipe infrastructure. It is recommended to use bottled water for drinking, brushing teeth, and potentially washing fruits/vegetables. La Vie or Aquafina are reputable bottled water brands but we haven’t had any issues with other water brands.

If you use a menstrual cup or disc, it’s also best to rinse them with bottled/drinking water before use.

At the retreat, we recommend bringing along a reusable water bottle. There will be plenty of free drinking water available at the resort and in your villa.

Weather

With temperatures remaining constant year round, the climate of the south of Vietnam is split into two 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 torrential downpour.

The average August temperature in Mui Ne is around 30 degrees Celsius.

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 retreat, 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 also like to offer the hotel staff tips personally instead.

Settling Your Bill

At the end of the retreat - either on the last day or the day before - you can settle your bill at reception for any meals, drinks, minibar, and room service. Payments can be made by cash or credit card, Visa or Mastercard.

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 honour your privacy and wish to check in about photography during the retreat. From time to time, we may take a few photos from afar to share the spirit of the retreat and the healing practices of yoga, Qi Gong, and mindfulness, and we’ll also share these images with you as a keepsake.

If you prefer not to be photographed, simply let us know. Your wishes will be completely respected.

Occasionally, Pascal, the French resort owner and passionate photographer, may also visit and take photos for us.

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 or a natural disaster, you will receive a full refund.

Vietnam Travel Guide

Have you read our Vietnam Travel Guide yet? Click on the button below to read our guidance on traveling to Vietnam.

Contact Email & Number

We hope you have fun planning your trip, and please don’t hesitate to email us at hello@saigonom.com if you have any questions. We’re always happy to help!

Once we arrive in Vietnam at the end of July, 2026 we’ll be able to share our local Vietnamese phone number.

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