UST a couple of hours drive from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is the picture-postcard sun-and-sand playground of Phan Thiet. Its powder-soft creamy beaches and blue waters draw Saigon weekenders as well as international travellers in the know.

Occupying a prime stretch of beach along the select Mui Né Bay, and covering generous acres of manicured gardens, is the hideaway Coco Beach Resort. Intimate, child-friendly and utterly unpretentious, it is one of the best Vietnam family resorts along arguably Vietnam’s best beach. It offers simple, cosy, wooden cottages on stilts in a lush garden setting. There are 34 cottages, one-bedroom Bungalows and two-bedroom Villas with space for larger families with kids in tow. All have private verandahs, and are moments away from the beach. Cottages are air-conditioned, with modest minibar, IDD phone, safe, and that essential of tropical travel, gauze mosquito-net. And not a TV in sight.

The charm of Coco Beach lies in its unfussy, laid-back style. The all-natural experience continues in the restaurants where fresh fish features prominently.The main restaurant, open all day for Vietnamese or international cuisine, is right at the edge of the sand. Champa is open evenings with an array of French and Mediterranean food.

Plunge into the Jacuzzi, swim in the free-form garden pool, send the kids wading in their own safe area, or indulge in a lingering body massage in the shade of the Beach Rotunda. Or simply grab a book and sink into a hammock.

Activities at this child-friendly Vietnam beach resort and around Mui Né cover windsurfing, sailing, paddle-surfing, water-skiing, kayaking and golf. There are cultural sites that can be visited for a day's picnic, or you might try the fabled sand dunes of Phan Thiet. A charming fishing village with colourful boats is nearby. Coco Beach offers local tours as well as to the hill town of Dalat. Head to Vietnam.