On board Vietnam's luxurious £250-a-ticket train, including massages and free-flowing drinks

HOI AN, Viet Nam - Aug. 7, 2024 - PRLog -- There was a sort of frenetic energy at Da Nang Station, a rail hub about halfway down Vietnam's tropical coast. People lugging suitcases and duct-taped polystyrene boxes were streaming in and out of its useful entrance, but none looked like they were on holiday.

And then I spotted Koah out front. Dapper in a beige linen suit, the young attendant was holding a wooden paddle with "The Vietage" embossed in gold and scanning the horizon for lost guests like me.

Dreamt up by the Anantara hotel group, this was Vietnam's first foray into luxury rail travel. It was designed to shuttle guests between its resorts in culture-packed Hoi An (20 miles south of Da Nang) and the coastal city of Quy Nhon in utter comfort. But it's also a standalone experience, showcasing central Vietnam's vivid landscapes alongside a three-course meal, complimentary massage and free-flowing drinks over six-and-a-half hours – all included in the price of a ticket, which starts from £250 each way: a fraction of what you might pay for a ride on the likes of the British Pullman or the Orient Express.

The Vietage is unique because it's a single carriage attached to the Reunification Express, the government-run service connecting capital Hanoi and the country's southern metropolis, Ho Chi Minh City. This little quirk means the timing is not what you might consider holiday-friendly hours – the departure south from Da Nang is an almost-bleary-eyed 8.15am, while the service north from Quy Nhon gets in at 12.53am. But the experience more than makes up for it.

As we drew close to Quy Nhon, I moved to the bar where cocktail shakers were rattling with urgency while guests – most of whom, I noted, were British – traded tips on where they'd been and where they planned to head next. Someone had ordered a bitter-sweet cocktail that perfumed the carriage with curling cinnamon smoke, so I quickly did the same, sipping it slowly, lulled into a contented daze by the whisky and the train's gentle rocking. By the time the guestbook came around, my handwriting had turned into a languid scrawl.

More Information - https://www.thevietagetrain.com/