Traditional Vietnamese herbology, plant-based nutrition and community will underpin the philosophy of the upcoming Namia River Sanctuary wellness retreat in Hoi An, Vietnam.

Scheduled to welcome its first guests in Q1 2024, the luxury sustainable wellness resort is being developed within indigenous gardens on a private five-hectare island off the banks of the Thu Bon river.

The resort will feature 38 private eco-chic pool villas, all of which will include a private in-room spa sala.

Saigon-based T3 Architects has been selected as the lead architect to craft the property, due to its expertise in sustainability.

The project is owned by Vietnamese hospitality, cruise and travel operator HG Holdings and is progressing to the groundbreaking stage.

Facilities will include a wellness and herbology centre, an organic bio-pool with panoramic river views, plant-based dining options and a cooking and wellness lifestyle academy.

Spa and wellness consultancy Luminary Wellness is on board to oversee the project from concept creation to project execution and will also operate the resort once open.

Namia’s two-floor 665 sqm wellness and herbology centre will be fitted with a herbal apothecary, outdoor relaxation terrace, boutique, fitness centre and movement studio.

The spa will be complete with two private treatment rooms – both suitable for couples treatments – as well as two heated herbal hammams, an indoor vitality pool, an outdoor sauna and hot and cold plunge pools.

Michelle Ford, Luminary Wellness CEO and founding partner told Spa Business that the wellness concept will centre around Vietnamese herbology known as Thuoc Nam, plant-based nutrition, signature therapies and movement practices.

Inspired by ancient practices and infused with local culture, the focus on herbalism is designed to provide guests with therapies, food and tools to take home and maintain a natural state of flow in life.

The focus on herbology will see guests offered private consultations for personalised daily herbology prescription, a daily in-room herbal spa therapy, amenities for herbal baths and herbal teas available in their rooms and around the pool.

These offerings will be a part of the resort’s all-inclusive approach.

This package will also include personal consultations with wellness experts, daily herbology rituals and wellness activities, plant-based meals and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as unlimited tropical fruit platters, private cultural excursions and food and wellness lifestyle classes.

“At Namia we’ll strive to help our guests achieve a state of flow,” says Aaran Solh, wellness innovation director at Luminary Wellness, “this is a mental state achieved when people perform an activity and are fully immersed in a feeling of energised focus, full involvement and enjoyment in the process.”

Solh explained that this philosophy will be underpinned by nourishing the body with healing foods. This was inspired by the traditional nutritional pillars of Thuoc Nam and will be elevated with the science of regenerative gut health.

All cuisine offered at the resort will be plant-based, organic and locally sourced – with ties to modern and traditional food medicine – and include fermented food products, pro- and prebiotics and foods high in antioxidants.

“Our cooking and wellness lifestyle academy will also offer hands-on workshops to provide tools for sustainable living, such as making your own herb garden, composting, beekeeping and more,” adds Ford.

“The power of herbs can be applied in daily life, as we improve holistic health using nature’s gifts of herbs, oils and edible plants.”

Namia guests will be offered a menu of retreats and signature spa treatments as well as movement classes such as martial arts, aerial yoga, five rhythms dance, yoga, 5 Tibetan, Dưỡng Sinh and Qi Gong.

At this stage, most spa supplier partners are yet to be selected, but Luminary Wellness has revealed the retreat will feature wavebalance beds that will connect to the river to help guests achieve a state of flow.