Guests Uncover the Country's History and Culture Through 'The Anam Art Trail'

Five-star Vietnamese beach resort, The Anam, which celebrated its grand opening in April 2017, is delighted to launch ‘The Anam Art Trail’, a new initiative allowing guests to uncover the country’s fascinating culture and history through its artwork.

The Anam’s passion for the region’s creative scene is evident throughout the property, where hundreds of artworks by local artists adorn the walls and pedestals. Thanks to the new initiative, guests of the resort will now be able to meet the individuals behind the artwork and get a glimpse into their lives.

The Anam Art Trail will see guests journey through the picturesque Khanh Hoa province by car or vespa, visiting the villages, homes and workshops of talented local artists which are otherwise inaccessible to tourists. The experience can be tailored according to taste, with guests able to choose three artists from a carefully-curated list of over a dozen of the area’s greatest painters, sculptors and photographers including Mai Loc of National Geographic fame.

Art enthusiasts will have the chance to meet each artist over a glass of wine or an iced Vietnamese coffee within an intimate setting, discovering each artist’s individual story, their experience of living and working in Vietnam and the inspiration behind each piece. Guests will have the opportunity to buy any of the art they see on the Trail, providing a memento of the trip that will last long after returning home.

Following the Trail, guests will be treated to a delicious meal at a seafood restaurant typically only frequented by locals, where they will sample and learn about some of the region’s most famous dishes.

The life story of one artist on the Trail, Mai Loc, epitomises Vietnam’s rapid transformation; once an impoverished miner, he met a Norwegian couple by chance in 1995. They kept in touch and give him a camera as a wedding present, and in doing so, changed his life forever. Now a celebrated photographer, his work has been featured in National Geographic Traveller and Lonely Planet, and he has exhibited worldwide.

Other artists on the Trail include Bui Van Quang, a member of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association known for his paintings portraying daily Vietnamese life, painter and husband-and-wife duo Bao Tran and Luu Thanh Qua and sculptor Doan Xuan Hung.

The Anam Art Trail is the latest initiative from the Cam Ranh property to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to supporting the local population and its businesses. The resort recently introduced a twice-weekly ‘Mama’s Cooking’ evening, during which local Vietnamese mothers are invited to cook traditional delicacies for guests, often drawing from centuries-old recipes passed down from the generations.