Mangala Zen Garden & Luxury Apartments in Da Nang

Maha Mangala Zen Garden & Residence in Da Nang isn’t how it looks. Their name, the pictures, the image they project is sooooo wrong! We are avid travelers and have stayed in countless hotels and top-notch resorts in the world, and of course some were bad. But this one is FAKE, they’re deceptive and a bunch of imposters! They try to give off this Zen vibe but it’s all a façade. First of all, this is not a true Zen garden resort, the pictures are just of a small part of the residence/apartment complex. They have a few units that they rent out. The buildings are multi-levels, but their residences are all on the bottom floors with no views. We rented out 2 units. They looked nice at first glance but look closer and they’re old and moldy, the bathrooms are gross! The hallways and elevators/stairs leading to the units are dirty and sometimes eerily dark. About the Zen-looking area, that’s only the restaurant and tea house area. I’d have to admit their food and presentation was impressive, therefore, to make things convienient we ate most of our meals there. On one of the days, we actually ate 3 full meals there and it was not cheap! This was because we were helping with family affairs nearby and didn’t want to waste time trying to find different restaurants. We also loved their tea area, it looked beautiful. They were boasting about how they hosted tea ceremonies and so we got interested and wanted to try it out for ourselves. We were willing to pay whatever., when we asked to reserve a session, they then said that service is not available. Only when the owner is around, who’s also supposed to be a monk, would he host his friends. It’s all for decorative purposes. The next day, we had hired some workers which we invited to the tea house to have a quick intro before getting to work. Before leaving they wanted to take some photos of the place because they’re working class Vietnamese who said they’ve never seen such a beautiful place and they wanted to have a memento. So we (the guests) along with local workers were asked to take off our shoes and walk through using a certain path, while the employees stood there staring at us, scrutinizing our every move. That was weird but whatever, what infuriated me was the way the Mangala employees were very different in how they treated foreign guests (us) compared to locals who are Vietnamese – just like them!!!! They looked down on their own people because they think locals can’t afford this lifestyle. This takes me to the next and biggest turn-off about this place, it’s how shady their “Zen practice” is and how they run their very “mindful business.” When we checked in, we asked why is it that the apartment looked different from the photos. The employee said those nicer apartments are only for monastics (monks and nuns) and their stays are complimentary. We asked another employee and that was not true. On the checkout date, my partner and I, who are foreigners left very early in the morning, the

Would you like to be “Zen”and shoved into a bedroom building near the front entrance on the main drag for 1.2k a week? O, this is your thing. Stay includes Brekky, but pay extra for the beverages ( $6-10! Coffee or tea). You may order a taxi to get you anywhere ( this complex is 10k south of DaNang) with the reception and find yourself wondering why you pay through the nose for a wheel service that cost 30% less with the ever so busy taxi crowd outside wanting your business. We are visiting in December, it’s coolish (21C) and not so humid. Pool makes you shiver, sewage smell goes with it in your bathroom. Shower is a trickle of warm for only 4min before it gets cold again. Has got wifi, weekends get a bit iffy when you want to watch YouTube. No appleTv or Netflix connections, YouTube is the only possibility when heavy rain is preventing you from a venture to town. Reception office is approachable, but it all seem to come with a tag. Brekky is more than sufficient food wise and delicious non the less. So is the dinner but again price inflated beyond your expectations. We ate in town just as good for a fraction of the cost. Mind you there a monks staying here at the upstairs of the reception. You will need to be clothed from head to toe. Good luck in July when it’s humid and sticky. Fazit: get yourself a green cab and the drivers number. They pretty good if it rains, scooter otherwise and you fine. Book without Brekky, as you need to travel to the reception for food. ( either get picked up by staff ( golf cart or moped piggy back) or walk the 5 min. We had mixed experiences here and unfortunately cannot recommend this place tho but has its good views.