Tết by the Sea: Celebrate Loved Ones at Wyndham Grand Phu Quoc this Year

In Vietnam, once a year, offices close and schools empty so everyone can savor the most important holiday. For many, Tết is the only opportunity to untether from the toil of their busy lives and create memories to look back on in fondness years later. For generations, one’s hometown has been the obvious and often only choice. But in recent years, a variety of economic opportunities and the changing world have introduced the concept of traveling on the Lunar New Year.

There are few better places to create such experiences than sitting beside a pristine beach or in the shade of flowering trees on Phú Quốc, Vietnam’s most famous island. While the expansive tropical island boasts a lush interior surrounded by coast and a collection of resort options to match, Wyndham Grand Phu Quoc, located along Bãi Dài beach has been meticulously designed specifically to cater to families and couples.

Not only does Wyndham Grand Phu Quoc boast alluring qualities like its 550m2 long beach where guests can enjoy a diverse range of water sports, a large 1,500m2 pool, wellness activities, spa and Kid’s Club, but it also features a diverse culinary repertoire with seven restaurants and bars offering everything from western fare and Chinese specialties to traditional Vietnamese cuisine.

Such an escape from the mundane exhaustion of the human condition would be welcome any time of year, but Tết makes it a particularly appropriate time to indulge in the blessings of life. To properly honor the occasion, Wyndham Grand Phu Quoc is putting particular emphasis on Vietnamese traditions with their special “Spring of Love” program, which aims to give family members of all ages an unforgettable holiday experience. From February 10 - 13, the resort will hold a spring festival that will give guests an opportunity to participate in traditional Vietnamese folk games. The joyous activity will whisk older visitors back to halcyon childhoods while introducing children to important cultural touchstones.

The games and general revelry are sure to build up guests’ appetites and the resort has planned a number of culinary options that are representative of both the Tết holiday and the local area. The “Spring of Love” kicks off with a “Tet Flavors” set menu (available from 9/2 - 13/2) which highlights traditional Tết dishes from across Vietnam. The blend of regional specialties includes items one would find in fine dining restaurants as well as favorites made in a loved one’s kitchen.

The Tết meals are joined by a special BBQ seafood buffet dinner (available from 10/2 - 13/2) that embraces the island's bountiful seafood. Fish, crustaceans, shellfish and all sorts of aquatic critters can be sampled soon after being pulled from the generous ocean. Wyndham Grand Phu Quoc will also tap into the region’s culinary prowess with its “Asian Tet” buffet dinner that features a tapestry of traditional cuisine from Korea, China, and Japan (available from 11/2 - 12/2). As Valentine's Day overlaps with Tết this year, Wyndham Grand Phu Quoc has also devised some ways to spark the romantic flame via a wishing tree where guests can mark their “Wishes of Love” and savor a romantic “Sweet Valentine" dinner at VND1,500,000.

No matter your age or nationality, Wyndham Grand Phu Quoc’s holiday programs have something for everyone. While it may not resemble the traditional Tết settings of years past, it provides an ideal environment to relax, unwind and appreciate those most important in your life, and isn’t that what the holiday is all about?

For more information, visit Wyndham Grand Phu Quoc’s website or make a reservation by calling +84 (0) 2973 866 688 or email res@wyndhamgrand-phuquoc.com.