ER
WE have rounded up a collection of romantic experiences on offer at hotels and resorts around Southeast Asia this Valentine’s Day. We have led with offers in Indonesia, given travel is still limited, but we hope the other destinations will be an inspiration for future romantic travel.
Valentine’s Day Celebrations in Indonesia
Tanah Gajah is fostering romance amid the rice paddies with a private dinner for two in a setting synonymous with Ubud. A candlelit pathway guides couples through the landscape of Tanah Gajah to a private deck set above the kind of verdant rice paddies Bali’s spiritual heart is famous for.
A five course dinner is crafted by Chef Dean, a talented Singaporean chef who joined the team close to a decade ago and has been upping the game on what it means to eat local (most food served is grown around 100 yards from the private dining destination) ever since. A 5-course meal for two starts at IDR2,500,000++ (US$170) exclusive of beverages.
Valentine’s Day Celebrations in Vietnam
A champagne floating breakfast on a heart-shaped tray, tour of three scenic islands, ice-cream buffet and private candle-lit dinner on Vietnam’s Long Beach are among Alma Resort’s Valentine’s Day experiences. The floating breakfast in a private villa pool or one of the 12 swimming pools cascading down to the beach is followed by a tour exploring Mun, Tam and Robinson islands that includes a mud bath, mineral water bath and kayaking.
In addition to options such as a couples massage, pizza-making class, picnic on a hill with a bottle of wine and panoramic sea vistas, the resort’s romantic five-course dinner sets a candle-lit table on Long Beach and is anchored by highlights from the nearby ocean such as oysters, prawns, and lobster.
The Reverie Saigon
An excursion on The Reverie Saigon’s private yacht offers couples a romantic escape away from the hubbub of Ho Chi Minh City. Although spacious enough to comfortably accommodate 10 guests, the 60-foot Monte Carlo 6 yacht is only available for private charters, meaning couples will have it all to themselves.
For bookings on Valentine’s Day only, couples can enjoy a special offer that includes: the Saigon Intermezzo tour, a non-stop, 2.5-hour sunset cruise with a five-course champagne picnic for two, served by a private butler as dusk settles on the city and the spectacular lights of its landmarks begin to paint the skies. The offer includes a complimentary stay in a Deluxe room on the 13th or 14th of February and round-trip transfers in a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or a BMW 7 series. From VND68,000,000++.
Azerai La Residence, Hue
Couples celebrating the holiday of love in Vietnam’s former imperial capital can enjoy a romantic dinner at Le Parfum at Azerai La Residence, Hue. The set menu on Feb. 14 features fois gras cherry on brioche as an amuse bouche, followed by tuna escabeche and a choice of roasted black angus rib or La Residence paella for the main course. For dessert, a decadent molten chocolate cake is served with strawberry sorbet and tomato candies.
The price of the set dinner is VND2,900,000 net per couple. For even more romance on Valentine’s Day, Le Spa, the hotel’s award-winning spa, is offering a 30% discount on a range of relaxing and rejuvenating treatments for couples, including the 150-minute Le Spa Experience, which includes aroma body touch therapy, a sea salt and honey body scrub, a detoxifying mud wrap, and a mini facial.
The Anam Cam Ranh
Oysters, lobster and filet mignon are the order of the day at The Anam this Valentine’s Day. The Indochine Restaurant’s indulgent Valentine’s Day set menu starts out with ‘Trio de oyster – fresh oyster with wasabi, soy sauce and lime, baked oyster with cheese and tempura oyster with yuzu aioli and pickled ginger.
The main course of either butter poached lobster with chili and mango salsa, fennel chips and thermidor sauce, or filet mignon with bone marrow, baby carrot and red wine sauce, is topped off with ‘Raspberry le Jambois’ dessert comprising raspberry coulis, blood orange pate de fruit, almond sable with white chocolate and raspberry ice cream. An outdoor cinema by Long Beach will screen movies under the stars, and, for loved up couples staying in a villa with a private pool, floating breakfast and floating canapes and cocktails are on offer.
Valentine’s Day Celebrations in Thailand
Cupid has aimed his bow at Meliá Koh Samui, enticing couples with floating breakfast, tapas with bubbles and a massage class for couples dubbed the “Ultimate Hands On”. The “Vitamin Sea for Two” and “Energizing Couple’s Escape” experiences are anchored by a stay in a Premium Pool Access Room, offering a private terrace that segues to a lagoon pool meandering through the resort’s grounds like a river.
Vitamin Sea for Two includes a couples massage on Choeng Mon beach and tapas plates with sparkling wine. The long-stay Energizing Couple’s Escape is underscored by a host of wellbeing offerings – a wellness consultation at YHI Spa, the 60-minute Ultimate Hands On massage class for couples, body exfoliation and a facial treatment for two – with a floating breakfast and daily F&B credit.
Banyan Tree Krabi
With a panoramic view looking out towards a dozen limestone cliffs jutting from the sapphire waters of the Andaman Sea, Banyan Tree Krabi’s Naga Kitchen restaurant is an idyllic venue for a voluptuous Valentine’s dinner with your sweetheart. For just THB1,490 net (US$50) per person, you can enjoy a 4-course feast including amorous appetisers such as smoked salmon and tuna, and a mouthwatering main course of either grilled rib-eye steak with shiitake mushrooms or duck breast served with Japanese sesame rice.
This newly opened resort on isolated Tubkaek Beach provides the perfect paradise for a socially distanced meal by the light of a slow sunset. To celebrate Chinese New Year, two days earlier on February 12, the restaurant is also laying on a sumptuous Chinese buffet.
Banyan Tree Samui
Those fortunate enough to be wiling away their days on gorgeous Koh Samui can kindle an evening of romance at Sands Restaurant on the beachfront at Banyan Tree Samui, where a five-course Western-style set menu is available on 14th February from 6 pm to 10 pm. Appetisers include Queen scallops with duck foie gras, while the main course is a mouthwatering dish of stone-grilled veal and tuna.
This is an exquisite open-air venue with both indoor and outdoor dining, set in front of an intimate beach fringed with palm trees and majestic views of the sparkling sea. Two complimentary bottles of Moet & Chandon Champagne Brut (200 ml) will be served to add to the ambience.
Valentine’s Day Celebrations in Cambodia
Lovebirds in Phnom Penh should look no further than the delightfully nostalgic Raffles Le Royal where a weekend of romance beckons. Couples are invited to check in to an elegant State Room on Saturday, 13 February, and receive two concert tickets for the evening when flautist Anton Isselhardt and pianist Misato Nakaishi will entertain guests as they dine poolside under the stars. Alternatively, you may choose a poolside Champagne Brunch on 14 February.
The “Raffles Music and Romance Valentine Staycation Package” also includes a champagne breakfast for two at Le Phnom 1929; a bottle of Prosecco; and early check-in (10 am)/ late check-out (4 pm), allowing you maximum opportunity to light the candles of love all weekend long. [traveltext.id/photo special]
