The Ultimate 12-Day Vietnam Report: 3 Cities, 6 Hotels, and My Vegetarian Survival Guide
By Sahil Gulati | January 2026
Planning a solo trip is easy. Planning a trip for a couple is fun. But planning a luxury vacation for 16 people (10 adults, 6 energetic kids) across 3 cities in Vietnam? That is a strategic military operation.
We just got back from a 12-day marathon (Jan 8th–19th) covering Da Nang, Phu Quoc, and Ho Chi Minh City. We stayed in 6 different hotels, hopped on 4 flights, and hunted down the best Indian vegetarian food in a country famous for beef noodle soup.
If you are planning a large family trip or just want to know how to execute a multi-city luxury run using points and smart bookings, this is your A-to-Z guide.
✈️ The Logistics: Moving an Army
When you are moving 16 people, you don’t just “wing it.” Here is how we structured the madness.
The Route
- Chennai (MAA) → Da Nang (DAD): Via Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia Airlines).
- Da Nang → Phu Quoc (PQC): Direct (VietJet).
- Phu Quoc → Ho Chi Minh (SGN): Direct (VietJet).
- Ho Chi Minh → Chennai: Via Kolkata (IndiGo).
The “Dealuni” Booking Strategy
I didn’t just swipe one card. I optimized every leg to maximize rewards and insurance:
- International Legs: Booked using the Amex Platinum Charge Card.
- Why? For the robust travel insurance and purchase protection. With 16 people, if one bag goes missing or a flight gets delayed, Amex has our back. The international airline program gave us the best price and a 5X bonus when calling and book with Amex customer care
- Domestic & Return Legs: Booked via Axis TravelEdge using the Axis Magnus for Burgundy.
- Why? To trigger the 5X Edge Rewards. Since these were bulk bookings for 16 passengers, the points accumulation was massive.
- The Price Check: Used MakeMyTrip for one internal leg where the pricing beat the portals.
🚖 The “Grab” Strategy (Ground Transport)
How do you move 16 people without a bus?
- We used Grab exclusively.
- The Drill: We typically needed 3 to 4 Grab cars (6-seaters) for every movement.
- Tip: Grab in Vietnam is incredibly reliable and cheap. We synced up the bookings on multiple phones at the same time so all cars arrived together. No haggling, no confusion.
📍 Stop 1: Da Nang – The Villa Life (Days 1–3)
Da Nang was our entry point, and with a group this size, standard hotel rooms weren’t going to cut it. We needed space to breathe.
The Stay: Phúc Villa (The Ocean Villas Complex)
- The Setup: An absolute mansion. It was an 8-bedroom private villa with a massive hall and a private swimming pool.
- Booking: Agoda.
- The Experience: This was the highlight for the kids. Having a private pool meant they could splash around at midnight without disturbing other guests. For the adults, the massive hall became our central HQ for chai, snacks,Gossips and planning the next day.
- Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. If you have a group of 10+, always book a villa in Da Nang. It’s cheaper than 5 separate hotel rooms and infinitely more fun.
🥗 The Vegetarian Survival Guide (Da Nang)
Finding pure veg food was my biggest worry, but Da Nang surprised us.
- Rasoi Indian Restaurant: Excellent North Indian food. The dal tadka felt like home.
- Gujarat Indian Restaurant: This was a lifesaver for the kids. Getting authentic Dosa, Dal, and Chaas in central Vietnam?
Remember that indian foods are expensive.
☁️ Stop 2: Ba Na Hills – Sleeping in the Clouds (Day 4)
Most tourists do Ba Na Hills as a day trip. We decided to stay overnight.
The Stay: Mercure Danang French Village Bana Hills
- The Concept: This hotel is located on top of the mountain, right inside the French Village theme park.
- The “Hack”: By staying overnight, we had access to the famous Golden Bridge early in the morning (6:00 AM – 8:00 AM) before the thousands of day-trippers arrived.
- The Reality: We had the bridge almost entirely to ourselves for photos. That alone was worth the price of the room.
- The Vibe: At night, when the cable cars stop and the tourists leave, the village becomes quiet, misty, and magical.
Phu Quoc – The Great Resort Hop (Days 5–9)
After the mountains of Ba Na Hills, we took a direct VietJet flight to Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s paradise island.
Now, normal families pick one hotel and relax. But we wanted to experience everything. So, we did something slightly insane: we stayed in 3 different 5-star resorts over just 5 nights.
Moving 16 people (and their luggage) three times sounds exhausting, but when you are moving from one luxury villa to another, the “struggle” is worth it.
🏨 Resort 1: Radisson Blu Resort (2 Nights)
Location: North Island (Ganh Dau)
We started our island leg here because it’s super close to VinWonders and Grand World (the “Venice of Vietnam”).
- The Room: We booked the 1-Bedroom Suite Villas.
- The Experience: This was a great “base camp.” The North of the island is bustling with entertainment. We spent our days exploring the theme parks and the evenings watching the fountain shows at Grand World.
- For the Family: Since we had 6 kids, being close to the VinPearl Safari and VinWonders water park was a huge plus. We didn’t have to travel far for entertainment.
- The Hack: The resort provides a free shuttle to all these spots. With 16 people, saving on 4 taxi rides multiple times a day is a massive saving.
🏨 Resort 2: New World Phu Quoc Resort (2 Nights)
Location: South Island (Kem Beach)
We packed up the 4 Grab cars and moved south. This is where the vibe shifted from “Theme Park Fun” to “Pure Tropical Luxury.”
- The Room: Private Pool Villas.
- The Vibe: New World is all about the village-style layout. Every villa has its own pool, which meant the 16 of us could have our own private pool party without worrying about closing times.
- The Design: It feels rustic yet incredibly high-end. The Kem Beach here is arguably one of the best white-sand beaches on the island.
- The Massive Saving: Staying here gave us free entry tickets to the “Kiss of the Sea” show and the “Kiss Bridge.”
- The Perk: They also provided a free shuttle to Sunset Town.
🏨 Resort 3: Premier Village Phu Quoc (1 Night)
Location: The Southern Tip (Ong Doi Cape)
For our final night, we went to the literal end of the island. Premier Village is unique because it’s located on a peninsula where you can see both the sunrise and the sunset.
- The Room: Massive Multi-Bedroom Villas on the hill/oceanfront.
- The Experience: This was the “Grand Finale.” The privacy here is unmatched. The villa felt less like a hotel room and more like a celebrity home.
- The Hack: The resort provides a free pickup and drop-off from the airport. With 16 people, it is a massive saving on both time and money.
- The Verdict: If you want total isolation and breathtaking views, this wins.
🏆 The “Dealuni” Resort Verdict
After testing all three, here is how we ranked them for our group of 16:
- Best for Kids & Action: Radisson Blu (Unbeatable location near VinWonders).
- Best for “Group Vibe”: New World Resort (The private pool villas were perfect for a large family to hang out together).
- Best for Views & Luxury: Premier Village (Stunning, but 1 night was too short!).
🥗 Vegetarian Food in Phu Quoc
Unlike Da Nang, finding pure Indian vegetarian food in Phu Quoc required a bit more planning.
- The Strategy: We mostly relied on the resort restaurants, which were happy to customise dishes for us (pizza, pasta, stir-fry vegetables).
- Indian Spot: Maa Indian Veg (pure veg) near Grand World, which was handy during our Radisson stay. Maa Indian Veg near Sunset Town was serving only chaat items.
Ho Chi Minh City & The Financial Breakdown
After the island life, we flew into the chaos and energy of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) for our final leg.
🏙️ Stop 3: Ho Chi Minh City (Days 10–12)
Stay 6: Novotel Saigon Centre
- Location: We picked this for its central location. It is within walking distance to major spots, which made exploring easy.
- The Vibe Switch: Going from the quiet, private beaches of Phu Quoc to the motorbike-filled streets of Saigon was a shock! But the city has incredible energy.
- Activities: We explored the Ben Thanh Market (great for souvenirs/coffee), the War Remnants Museum, Saigon Sqaure and Saigon Central for Shopping. and the Post Office.
🥗 The Vegetarian Guide (Saigon)
Saigon is actually the easiest place for vegetarians in Vietnam.
- Banh Mi Chay: We found street stalls selling the vegetarian version of the famous baguette sandwich.
- Indian Food: Loads of options here compared to the islands, Tanshiq, Atithi for Indian Foods.
💰 The “Dealuni” Financial Breakdown
How do you pay for a 12-day luxury trip for 16 people? You use the right cards.
| Category | Item / Description | Booking Method | Cost (₹) | Points Earned / Value Back |
| Flights | International: Chennai ⇄ Da Nang (via KL) | Amex Platinum | ₹22657/Person | 2832(5X booked using Amex Travel Conceirge) |
| Domestic: Da Nang → Phu Quoc | Axis TravelEdge | ₹11892/Person | 5X Edge Rewards | |
| Domestic: Phu Quoc → Ho Chi Minh | Axis TravelEdge | ₹3987/Person | 5X Edge Rewards | |
| Return: Ho Chi Minh → Chennai | Axis TravelEdge | ₹14180/Person | 5X Edge Rewards | |
| Hotels | Da Nang: Phúc Villa (2 Nights) | Agoda | ₹4972/Person | Used M4B card with AEP benefit |
| Ba Na Hills: Mercure French Village (1 Night) | Accor APP | Zero( Paid using Points) | Early Access to Golden Bridge (Priceless) | |
| Phu Quoc: Radisson Blu (2 Nights) | Radisson APP | ₹34000/room | Used M4B card with AEP benefit/Free Shuttles to VinWonders (Saved ~₹10k) | |
| Phu Quoc: New World Resort (2 Nights) | Agoda | ₹9950/Person | Used M4B card with AEP benefit/Free “Kiss of the Sea” & Kiss Bridge (Saved ~₹50k) | |
| Phu Quoc: Premier Village (1 Night) | Accor APP | Zero ( Paid using Points) | Luxury Experience | |
| Saigon: Novotel Centre (2 Nights) | Accor APP | Zero (Paid using Points) | NA | |
| Others | Visa Fees (16 People) | MakemyTrip | ₹2713/Person | Used M4B card with AEP benefit |
| Grab / Local Transport | Grab APP | ₹10000/Vehicle | Used M4B card with AEP benefit | |
| Food & Dining | Cash / Card | ₹12000/Person | Used M4B card with AEP benefit | |
| TOTAL | Grand Total | ₹ 300000 [Total for a family of 3] | Almost 45000+ Points Earned in Axis M4B using AEP |
1. The Card Strategy
- International Flights (Amex Platinum): Used for the initial booking to ensure we had top-tier Travel Insurance. With a group of 16 (including kids), the risk of medical issues or lost baggage is real. Amex gave us peace of mind.
- Domestic & Return Flights (Axis Magnus Burgundy): I booked the VietJet and Indigo flights via Axis TravelEdge.
- The “Multiplier” Effect: This triggered the 5X Edge Rewards on travel bookings.
- The Result: A massive chunk of points that will likely fund a future solo trip!
2. The “Cash Savers”
- Shuttle Hacks: Saved approx ₹5,000–₹8,000 per day on taxis in Phu Quoc by using resort shuttles.
- Free Tickets: Saved approx ₹50,000+ on “Kiss of the Sea” tickets by staying at New World.
- Villa vs. Rooms: Booking an 8-bedroom villa in Da Nang was significantly cheaper than booking 5 separate hotel rooms at a similar luxury level.
📝 Final Verdict
Vietnam is doable for large vegetarian families if you plan it right.
- Don’t stay in one place: Move your base to save travel time.
- Book Villas: It keeps the family together.
- Use Your Points: This trip earned me enough points to fly Business Class for my next vacation.
