Nguyen Newin, a leading lifestyle influencer based in Saigon, Vietnam, and Dean, living in Chicago, USA, carry not only their luggage but an ocean of distance between them – time zones, flight routes, and months spent apart, which makes every shared moment together feel rare and deeply treasured. Each reunion is more than a trip; it is a conscious decision to cross continents for one another, turning days at the same resort into something precious precisely because they know how it feels to live on opposite sides of the world.
In a time when romance can be captured and shared in seconds, their secret to real intimacy while travelling is simple yet profound: quality time that no one else can replicate, rooted in the awareness of how hard-won those hours together are. The emotional weight of their distance turns even ordinary moments like slow breakfasts, quiet walks, shared sunsets into rituals of connection that others can recognize, relate to, and imagine for themselves.
Seen through their journeys with Club Med, the love language of Nguyen Newin and Dean takes on many expressions, each shaped by the destination’s theme and the attentive hand of the resort. With travel logistics and planning seamlessly handled and their all-inclusive stays kept destination-organic yet hassle-free, they can surrender to what matters most: closing the miles between Saigon and Chicago, and simply being together, fully present, in the same place at the same time.
Effortless planning, so the moments stay personal
One of the greatest gifts Club Med gives couples is ease. Instead of spending the trip arranging meals, transportation, and activities, they arrived knowing the experience had been prepared.
For Newin and Dean, that began on arrival in the Maldives. After a night flight they were welcomed by Club Med’s G.Os and led to a villa where a late‑night in‑room dinner was waiting. From then on, they followed the pace of the waves: waking to the ocean lull surrounding their overwater villa, moving between beachside lounging and spa time, and letting the day drift from sunset apéritifs to a seaside dinner.
Even when the two traveled together at the top of Mt. Asari and Mt. Nagamine of Hokkaido, Newin and Dean found another way to spend quality time together by letting Club Med’s snow rhythm guide their days. There were ski lessons that brought them onto the slopes with pink cheeks and laughter, gourmet dinings and local tasting excursions, cable car rides up to the white-covered mountain, expansive fields of snow for walking while holding hands, and the outdoor onsen always waiting for them after a day in the cold.
Beautiful settings that naturally invite romance
Either their day began above the crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean or in the powder-white quiet of Hokkaido snow, the setting became the first invitation to slow down and move closer. One surrounded them with the gentle lull of waves and a horizon that seemed to stretch endlessly ahead; the other welcomed them with chilly wind, birdsong in the quiet forest, and the soft silence of snow crunched beneath their steps.
Like at Kiroro Grand, romance came through closeness within open space. The cold made every gesture warmer. A walk through the resort became a reason to hold hands tighter, pause longer, and lean into each other against the white-covered mountain scenery.
Or in the Maldives, romance came through the openness of a private island. A quiet breakfast in their private pool over the broad horizon could drift into a slow afternoon lounging near the ocean with apéritifs in hand. Their playful side appeared naturally: a spontaneous dance by the pool under a sky tinted pink, walks across wooden bridges above water so clear they could spot sharks, turtles, and other sea life below, and a silly “jinx” moment broken by a sudden but truthful “I love you.”
Personalised moments where you can fully focus on making the ideas come true
That was what Dean prepared for their anniversary surprise. When the sun went down, his planning was brought to life with the support of the Gentle Organisers (G.Os) and Gentle Employees (G.Es): a private seaside dinner for two, set in the middle of a small heart-shaped island in the sand. Later, they returned to a villa that had been transformed with rose petals, on the bed with lovely gifts and in the warm bath waiting under the open sky.
What made the moment even sweeter was Newin discovering that Dean had planned the full itinerary all along. With Club Med helping to take care of the details and Dean taking the lead for what’s exciting next on the agenda, she could step away from being the one who usually arranges everything, and simply become the one waiting for the next work.
Activities that never leave them unintentionally still
Even on a private island in the Maldives, Newin and Dean’s days were full of things to explore. The island never felt still or repetitive. They joined pilates and cooking classes, enjoyed games and performances, and experienced the vibrant nightlife of Club Med with themed beach parties, live DJs, and traditional culinary. Their playful side appeared naturally: walking across wooden bridges above clear water, spotting sharks and turtles below, and breaking a silly “jinx” with a sudden yet sincere “I love you.”
But activities aren’t just participating in the sports and entertainment nights. For a foodie couple like Newin and Dean, culinary exploration drives their discovery. With Club Med Kiroro Grand as their mountain base, Hokkaido’s food culture was still within reach, turning the trip into a tasting journey of its own: warm meals after time in the cold, apéritif moments at Club Med, and local discoveries around Otaru and Sapporo, from fresh seafood and melon ice cream to matcha, strawberry mochi, and Newin’s go-to Famichiki egg sando.
There were also pauses that made the trip feel complete. Spa time in the Maldives brought warm teacups, a foot massage facing the endless blue, and a full horizon view that made the world feel far away. In Hokkaido, the outdoor onsen offered the same stillness in another form: warm water, cold air, and snow around them.
In a long-distance love story, the destination quietly does half the work. The magnetic Maldives softens the edges of time apart with waves, sky, and open horizons that feel as endless as the calls and messages that keep two cities connected. Hokkaido draws couples closer through snow, the tingles of chilly winds, and the simple craving to share warmth in winter. Long before any itinerary is planned, each place opens a door for romance, turning a long‑awaited reunion into something that feels almost cinematic.
What Club Med adds is the ease of keeping that feeling uninterrupted, especially when you have flown across continents just to be in the same room. With stays, dining, activities, entertainment, and little details already in place, couples do not have to step out of the moment to organise what comes next. Instead of logistics, the only question they need to ask is what they feel like doing together, knowing there is always something waiting for them just a few steps away.
For couples who live far apart, perhaps that is what makes quality time feel so intensely personal on a romantic getaway: the freedom to choose, worry‑free, how to spend the precious hours when distance finally disappears – together in a faraway place where every morning feels like a new possibility, and every night is one more page in the story they are still writing across oceans.
*This article is inspired by Nguyen Newin and Dean’s trips to Club Med Kiroro Grand Hokkaido and Club Med Finolhu Maldives.
Australian Hospitality Alumni Network Vietnam 