Fusion Maia Danang
Fusion Maia Danang is a luxury spa resort in between the city of Danang and the UNESCO world heritage site of Hoi An Ancient Town. It’s one of those places where you go to escape from the stress of everyday life; to unwind and relax, get pampered, eat well and even feel a little bit nurtured. Yes, a hotel resort really can offer all of this…
A resort that is full of natural beauty with lush tropical plants and coconut trees set against the backdrop of a beautiful beach
The concept at Fusion Maia is simple; a luxury resort on the beach with all the usual facilities but with an added wellness programme that shows their truly holistic approach to health and well-being. Check in and enjoy complimentary spa treatments, a daily schedule of activities including yoga and meditation plus a healthy food offering that provides the chance to eat well, feel indulged and inspired (but at no cost to health).
Each day there is a focus on a different chakra (energy centre in the body) with corresponding colours, flavours, aromas and activities at the spa, restaurant and even with a little gift left for us in our room at night time.
Rooms are spacious and chic with private pools, plenty of natural light and a minimalist design. Our spa suite was complete with guest bedroom, jacuzzi bath and a kitchen area for in-villa dining options and within close walking distance of the spa area.
As there is such a focus on health and wellbeing, it will come as no surprise that it was easy to be a vegan at Fusion Maia. So much of the food was naturally vegan and where choices were more limited, staff were happy to get things veganised for us. They managed to offer a professional and friendly service that was full of individual character, creating a laid back atmosphere where it was easy to relax and let them take care of us.
The Vegan Food
There are two restaurants to chose from; ‘Five’ is the main restaurant where breakfast is served but there is also ‘Fresh’, right next to the pool and near the beach where you can get a whole selection of vegan food, juices and even a little bit of inspiration from the giant posters with inspirational quotes hanging on the walls.
Because everything is so laid back at Fusion Maia, guests are also invited to take breakfast at any time and at any place, a service that reflects the relaxed atmosphere at the resort.
Definitely not your ordinary cereal bar
Breakfast gave us the opportunity to get creative with all the exciting ingredients at the DIY cereal bar. We’re not talking standard stuff here either; think puffed organic brown rice, sunflower seeds with rose and ground up flax seeds to go with fresh fruit, dried fruit and soya milk.
The salad bar was equally exciting with a different selection each day, again tied into whatever chakra was the theme of the day. We ate raw noodles made from carrots and courgettes, tomatoes flavoured with basil, green beans and peas with sesame. But it was the sprinkles that really took our DIY salads to the next level with ‘cashew and paprika’ adding a seriously spicy hit and ‘miso, spirulina and sesame’ giving us some green power to start our day. We finished them off with a selection of dressings including watermelon and mint, smoked ginger and a garlicky, green courgette hummus.
The staff also prepared some extra dishes for us with a delicious, healthy, tofu packed Vietnamese pho and a vegetable and tofu stir fry making sure that (in addition to all the fresh juices, coffee and fruit available) we were full to the brim of fresh vegan food every morning.
Lunch at ‘Fresh’ started with ‘Vitamin Booster’ and ‘Strength Catcher’, juices made from tasty concoctions of fruits and vegetables and a wonderful alternative to the usual bread roll, a small ‘vegetable garden’ of raw vegetables standing in a herb laden oil with a griddled lime and rice crackers.
We were also introduced us to the pleasures of the ‘Veggy Beauty Bowl’, a bowl of red quinoa with vibrantly coloured raw and steamed vegetables, fresh coconut, a sprinkle of matcha powder and a citrus dressing.
It’s the kind of food that makes you feel healthy just by looking at it
We ate a soba noodle and mango dish which had the most amazing sesame aroma (not to mention being filled with fresh mango and little tofu cubes) and agreed that this is not only the perfect food to eat in between spa appointments (because it’s so light and nourishing) but it’s food that makes healthy eating exciting.
At dinner the vegan food was easily arranged with a little bit of prior notice to the chef
A tasty cauliflower soup, followed by a red quinoa ‘risotto’ with white truffle and mushrooms and almond cream. The nutty flavours of the protein packed quinoa worked perfectly with the warm earthy undertones of mushroom and truffle, finished with sweet rich almond cream; another healthy yet delightful plate of vegan food.
Dessert turned out to be a chocolate creation that created silence at our dinner table
Chocolate aromas wafted up as we gazed at a rich dark chocolate tart, filled with a chocolate, avocado, and coconut mousse-cream, topped with toasted coconut and served with nut crusted baked bananas and two mini pyramids of peanut butter filled chocolate. As we ate, the only sounds were that of pleasure and when we did finally speak, we could only talk about how good it was and guess how it had all been made.
Our conclusion is that it was made with a fair dose of vegan magic
The Vegan Essentials
There were already non-feather pillows on our bed, so top marks to Fusion Maia Danang for providing a vegan, feather free sleep. The in room amenities were made by ‘Esens’ and a quick read of the bottle said they are made with no animal ingredients (hooray!) and also lacked a few nasty chemicals (like parabens). We contacted the company and they confirmed they also do not test on animals so they get our cruelty-free seal of approval too.
The spa is extremely vegan friendly as the products used for facials and other beauty treatments are by Natural Rendez Vous, and are made made from natural plant-based ingredients (and not tested on animals).
There are plenty of different massages to choose from (all treatments are included in your room rate) including invigorating ‘stretch and release’ Thai style massage, a deep tissue sports massage as well as relaxing, sleep promoting treatments. We were very impressed with the quality of the spa and the services offered.
The Vegan Food Quest Verdict
Make a reservation at Fusion Maia Danang for a vegan friendly, relaxing spa break on the beach within close reach of the popular UNESCO heritage site of Hoi An. Expect vegan food that is fresh, healthy and delicious served by friendly staff in peaceful surroundings.
Don’t forget to ask the chef to create a menu for you in the evening, (you might get a chance to try your very own slice of chocolate flavoured heaven) and enjoy eating healthy and delicious vegan food at every meal time.
We were guests of Fusion Maia Danang but please rest assured that their generosity in hosting us didn’t influence our views
Fusion Maia Danang
Vo Nguyen Giap Street
Ngu Hanh Son District
Danang
Vietnam
Telephone: + 84 511 3967 999
Email: revenuemgr-dn@fusion-resorts.com
Cost From: £320 / $480 per night (Oct 2015)