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Thatched-roof bungalows raised on stilts above large boulders looking over treetops to a white sand beach and a bright blue bay, Escalade Resort is the newest place to stay in one of my favourite coastal regions of Vietnam. On the east side of Cam Lap Promontory, jutting out into Cam Ranh Bay, Escalade Resort is a small, tasteful, mid-range property. Escalade Resort’s main strengths are its cosy, neatly arranged rooms with lots of natural building materials, its beautiful location, and the excellent views across Cam Ranh Bay, one of the prettiest stretches of coast in the country. Escalade Resort is quiet, secluded, and just about the right price for the quality of accommodation, service, facilities and location. I stayed at Escalade Resort, Cam Ranh, for a week with my parents and we were very happy. [To check current rates, availability & make a reservation for Escalade Resort please BOOK HERE]

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Escalade, Cam Ranh Bay is a good mid-range resort in one of my favourite beach destinations

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REVIEW: ESCALADE RESORT, CAM RANH

Address: Binh Lap Village, Cam Lap Commune, Cam Ranh City, Khanh Hoa Province [MAP]

Average Rates: $40-$60 | Email: reservations@escalade.com.vn

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MAP:

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Cam Ranh Bay, roughly equidistant from Nha Trang (to the north) and Phan Rang (to the south), is known as one of the best natural harbours in Southeast Asia. Cam Lap Promontory is a finger of land sticking out into the bay, characterized by boulder-strewn hills, white sand beaches, calm turquoise water, and a local hamlet, called Binh Lap. There’s always been a handful of places to stay here, but Escalade Resort is the newest and most tasteful to date. With only around a dozen rooms, Escalade is a small but well-planned and well-located resort. About a third of the rooms have wonderful sea views from their wooden-deck and bamboo-railed balconies. The other rooms (all designed in a similar style with a similar square-footage) look out over trees, fields and boulders towards the bay, but only have partial sea views. Naturally, the sea view rooms are the more expensive: average rates are between $35-$55 per night, double occupancy.

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Escalade is the newest of a handful of places to stay on Cam Lap Promontory, a quiet beach destination

Some of Escalade’s rooms have balconies with brilliant views over the sparkling bay

Escalade is built on a rugged mound of large, smooth boulders rising up from a good sandy beach, known as ‘Lobster Bay’ on account of the intensive farming of the eponymous crustacean just offshore. The water quality is generally very good and the sea is usually very calm, because the bay is sheltered by two curving headlands. Swimming is good and quite safe. But bear in mind that this is a working beach, which means there’s a fair amount of fishing-related activity (such as wooden boats and coracles in the bay and lobster cages on the sand) and debris (such as discarded fishing nets, ropes and, sadly, plastic bags floating in the water). However, it’s still far cleaner and clearer than most beaches in Vietnam these days, and, when the sun is out, the colours are extraordinarily vibrant.

The beach at Escalade is pretty & good to swim, but it’s also a working beach with fishing-related detritus

Lobster farming occupies much of the bay & lobster cages occupy much of the sandy beach

Escalade’s rooms are quite small, but they’re nicely furnished and thought-out. Much of the furniture and building materials are made of wood, including bamboo shower cubicles and rails, bamboo-slat blinds operated by pulley, woven ceilings below a thatched roof, and floor-to-ceiling sliding doors onto the balcony. Best of all, these doors also have a mosquito mesh, which means you can sleep with the doors open and listen to the sound of the waves during the night (a simple feature, but one that is rarely used in resorts, hotels or private homes in Vietnam). The bathrooms are neatly organized with nice little touches, such as decorative blue and white ceramic sink basins, floral tile walls in the showers, and tiny woven handicrafts. The beds are good, firm and comfortable; the balconies feature stylish bamboo chairs and a wooden deck on which to sit and admire the view; and all rooms have satellite TV and air-con. The overall style is simple but tasteful and well-organized. Strangely, all of Escalade’s rooms lack a bedside table and bedside lamp, but this could easily be addressed.

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Escalade’s rooms feature lots of natural materials, such as bamboo-railed balconies & a wooden deck

Escalade’s rooms are cosy, tasteful & well-arranged, but a bit small for the price

Escalade’s rooms are all similar in style & square footage, built on stilts over rocks with thatched roofs

Escalade has an attractive little bar on the rocks with tables and chairs on a patio under a the shade of a vine with views over the bay. The bar sells beer (including Hoegaarden, but none of the local craft beers that have boomed in Vietnam in recent years), some wine, a couple of cocktails, juices and several bar snacks. For meals, Escalade shares the beach restaurant with its neighbour, Dao Hoa Vang, a pleasant budget property with a variety of good, cheap rooms. Known as ‘Lobster Bay Restaurant’, the menu includes plenty of fresh seafood, such as clams, oysters, scallops, shrimp, and lobster which are farmed in the bay fronting the restaurant. Quality is good and prices are very reasonable considering the location and freshness of the food. For example, a whole lobster costs between 400-600,000vnd (around $25), which is a lot cheaper than anywhere else in Vietnam. Breakfast, which is included in the room price at Escalade, is also served at Lobster Bay Restaurant. You can choose one dish and one drink from a short but tasty menu, including bread and eggs, stir-fried seafood noodles, Vietnamese coffee and fruit juice. (*At the time of writing, the restaurant was expanding and undergoing renovations, so expect some changes in the coming months).

Escalade shares the beach restaurant with Dao Hoa Vang, a cheaper accommodation next door

Food is very good & quite reasonably priced, including lots of Vietnamese staples

Seafood is very fresh & cheap, including oysters, fish & whole lobsters from the bay

As for activities and things to do, Escalade is mostly about relaxation and seclusion. There are loungers, deck chairs and parasols on the beach and, as mentioned above, the sea here is good for swimming, although swimmers should be careful of fishing nets, lobster cages, and boats. The beach and sea aren’t as clean as they used to be (a familiar story across the country), but they’re still very attractive and a lot cleaner than the more popular beaches in Vietnam. There’s some coral offshore in the bay, which staff can direct you to for snorkeling. It’s also possible to hire a boat to some of the outlying islands and hidden coves. Hiking is a rewarding way to see the local area: there are several quiet, paved lanes as well as pathways leading to local hamlets, harbours, beaches, and through orchards of cashew and mango trees. (See my Guide to Cam Lap Promontory for more information.) Another, longer excursion, is to rent a motorbike and ride the stunning coast road to Vinh Hy and Phan Rang. (See my Nui Chua Coast Road Guide for details.)

Escalade is a great place to unwind; other things to do include snorkeling & walking

Escalade Resort can be accessed from the north by way of Nha Trang or from the south via Phan Rang and the spectacular Nui Chua Coast Road. Escalade is especially easy to reach for independent travellers with their own two wheels. But for those without their own transportation, Escalade Resort can arrange pick-up/drop-off transfers for a reasonable price to/from Nha Trang or Phan Rang train stations, or Cam Ranh airport and bus station. You can search transportation options to/from any of these destinations on Baolau.com. *NOTE: Currently, the car bridge connecting Cam Lap Promontory with the coast road is under repair: motorbikes can pass but cars cannot. Escalade will arrange a car to meet you on the other side of the temporary bridge. [To check current rates, availability & make a reservation for Escalade Resort please BOOK HERE]

Escalade Resort can be reached from Nha Trang, Cam Ranh or Phan Rang

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Disclosure: I never receive payment for anything I write: my content is always free & independent. I’ve written this review because I want to: I like this resort & I want my readers to know about it. For more details, see my Disclosure & Disclaimer statements here

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