Heavenly Hoi An Writing Retreat
Relax, Write & Transform
Get your stories out of your head and onto the page,
connect deeply — emerge creatively recharged.
This popular retreat returns in March 2028 (dates tbc).
Please get in touch if you’d like to be added to the waitlist!
Ready for a writing holiday in Vietnam?
Imagine unlimited writing time. Your pen glides effortlessly over the page. Stories you have longed to write finally flow. Time disappears as you become immersed in deep creative connection.
Your senses are alive with new sounds and smells, the vibrant yellow of Hoi An, the fragrance of incense, the laughter of local children, the gentle sing-song of a foreign language. Capture it all on the page.
Sharpen your powers of observation while getting lost in the winding alleyways of the World Heritage listed ancient town of Hoi An.
Learn how to play again. Writing through the lens of Vietnam will imbue your voice with a new sense of wonder. Daily writing workshops, 1:1 feedback and a supportive writing group will allow you to grow as a writer.
Let this magical place empower you to delve deep into the stories your body holds and release them forever, onto the page. Find your way back to your heart and who you really are!
You will be staying in a small river-facing boutique resort in a local neighborhood amid rice paddies, halfway between the beach and the UNESCO World Heritage ancient town of Hoi An in central Vietnam.
This beautifully preserved ancient seaside town was once a powerful trading port along the ‘sea silk road’. Merchants from China, Japan and later Europe settled here, creating a unique architectural fusion of timber framed houses, pagodas, assembly halls and wooden footbridges that survive intact to the present day.
Today, the wooden shop houses are abuzz with trendy wine bars, artisan tailors, art galleries, fine restaurants, and everything in between.
Let us take you on a restorative inner journey and an outer journey of exploration. Be enchanted by the lantern-lit magic of Hoi An, find stillness in the quiet oasis of our exclusive river-front resort, relax deeply on the over-water yoga deck.
Come and explore this fascinating town with us!
What our guests say about our retreats
“The workshops were well thought out providing guided steps. They were comprehensive in content and provided new aspects for improving my writing which I hadn’t encountered before. I appreciated the links to follow up, the handouts and the examples from the teachers’ own books to explain craft aspects worked well for me. I loved the sense of serenity and of feeling grounded. With the noise of the world absent, it led me to find a wealth of understanding in the silence.”
– Bev Young (Vietnam 2025)
VIETNAM WRITING RETREAT
What you’ll learn
Benefit from the guidance of TWO experienced writing coaches and published authors.
Writing Workshops
Daily writing workshops will help you write a page turner, whether you are writing fiction or creative non-fiction.
Learn how to:
- unleash your creativity
- develop a unique writing voice
- create a compelling premise to hook your reader from the first page
- write in scenes and create narrative drive
- craft engaging characters & believable dialogue
- understand structure and write gripping character-driven plots
- delve more deeply into the heart of your stories
- find the right market for your work (ie. traditional versus self-publishing)
- write a pitch, synopsis and author bio
- incorporate creativity and writing into your daily life
- confidently share your work with others in a supportive environment
- improve your work with constructive and gentle 1:1 feedback with experienced coaches
How we roll…
Every day begins with gentle yoga allowing us to settle into stillness.
Mornings are reserved for themed writing workshops that will help you master the craft.
In the afternoons you have the option to participate in guided free-writing sessions, allowing you to dive deep into your creative well. Afternoons are also reserved for rest and free time.
We conclude each day with a scrumptious Vietnamese dinner, sharing, readings and good conversation.
Whether you’ll be bringing a draft or starting from scratch, there’ll be plenty of free time for writing as well as opportunities to share your work in no-pressure readings, as well as one-on-one feedback.
Learn to cook flavorsome, authentic Vietnamese dishes in a cooking school set amid vegetable gardens and rice fields.
All activities are optional! This is your writing retreat and there is no judgement if you skip the yoga or prefer not to share your writing.
Your home away from home…
You’ll be staying in the hamlet of Cam Thanh, an authentic Vietnamese neighbourhood halfway between Cua Dai beach and the World Heritage listed Old Town of Hoi An. Your home away from home offers a tranquil oasis amid ponds and palm trees.
Our pool-facing teaching space is shaded and the unique over-water yoga deck is a place of stillness where kingfishers visit and carp frolic.
An Villa Boutique Resort is a small boutique resort offering self-contained bungalows and comfortable studios.
Anicca Villa is a self-contained deluxe villa situated a short walk away across the river (bicycles and transfers by electric shuttles are also available). It has beautifully appointed rooms with ensuites, two rooms sharing a bathroom, and also a small, self-contained wooden bungalow.
Both are reserved for our exclusive use and have private pools. There are plenty of quiet spaces to retreat in contemplative stillness, as well as communal areas where you can write together.
You’ll be able to walk to the vibrant local neighbourhood market, grab a bicycle and meander through rice fields or catch a taxi into the old town or the beach (each about ten minutes away).
Reservations & Rooms
All prices in Australian dollars.
A non-refundable deposit of $550 will reserve your spot!
Many of our guests opt to stay an extra day or two to make the most of their stay. Let us know if you’d like to add additional nights at your own cost.
Large private bungalow
with en-suite, private veranda/courtyard
$3500 pp
Private upstairs studio
with en-suite, private veranda
$3400 pp
Single room in deluxe villa
with en-suite
$3400 pp
Small private bungalow
with en-suite
$3350 pp
Deluxe Private room in shared villa
with shared bathroom
$3300 pp
Small private Room
with en-suite
$3200 pp
SHARED ROOMS $2900 — available on request if booking with a friend
What’s included
6x nights accommodation in a 4-star river-front boutique resort & luxury private villa
All breakfasts, all lunches & all dinners
Daily writing workshops with TWO experienced coaches & published authors
Optional 1:1 feedback sessions
Authentic Vietnamese cooking class
Daily morning yoga
Guided gentle breathing techniques and meditations
A personal tarot reading to help shine a light on your way forward
Welcome gift bags
Open mic night
Not included
Airfares & airport transfers; visa fees, alcohol and personal items
Your Retreat Leaders
Kerstin Pilz
Kerstin Pilz
Edwina Shaw
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I fly into & how do I reach An Villa?
We highly recommend flying straight to Danang as getting through immigration at this airport is much easier than the bigger cities.
In our participant forms we ask for your flight details so that the staff at An Villa can organise a transfer for you by taxi (at own expense, circa AUD $35). The driver will be waiting for you outside the arrivals terminal holding up a sign with your name. The trip to An Villa takes about 30-40 minutes.
You can pay for the airport transfer directly at An Villa upon check-out.
What if I don't write in English?
The writing you will be doing in this retreat is for your eyes only. Sharing is optional but encouraged. Some of our foreign language writers in the past have opted to summarise their words in English.
What kind of yoga will we do?
Our days begin with a gentle flowing yoga practice to wake the body, incorporating restorative and gentle yin-style poses to connect you deeply to your body and breath. Each movement is linked to breath making these practices a form of moving meditation. Edwina’s sessions also incorporate other gentle energy-based practices such as Tai Chi and Chi Gong.
The classes are designed for people who have some experience with yoga, but you don’t have to be an experienced yogi to participate. Your highly experienced teachers will tailor each pose to suit individual needs.
In the early evenings Edwina’s breathwork sessions will help you clear your mind, calm your body and connect with your higher self through guided relaxation and simple breathing techniques anyone can do.
Think you can’t meditate? Think again. These breathing exercises are designed to help slow your thoughts and calm your mind, leading to a blissful meditative state.
What kind of writing will we do?
The daily writing workshops are designed to help you unleash your creativity, connect with your voice and lead you towards the stories you need to write. Writing sessions are aimed at any level of writer, whether you are working on a project, or simply writing for yourself as a way to make sense of life.
Our writing workshops are interactive, fun and informative and run for two and a half hours in the mornings. Workshops early in the retreat focus on unblocking your creative voice with guided meditations followed by free-writing to carefully selected writing prompts. Timed freewriting allows you to bypass your inner critic so that you can write straight from your core, without stopping to think or edit or worrying about grammar and spelling.
As the retreat progresses the workshops become more focused on elements of the craft of writing, from setting and character, to dialogue and writing in scenes, to structuring your plot to create a compelling narrative and then learning about a variety of publishing avenues.
Not everyone who comes to our retreats wants to write (and/or publish) a book for a wide audience, but these workshops will also help you develop a regular writing practice, find your unique voice and deepen your understanding of the craft of writing, regardless of the kind of writing you do.
Sharing your writing is totally optional, but we find that reading your writing aloud helps build confidence, momentum and creative synergy!
All workshops are optional and there is no judgement if you skip a workshop. Just let us know beforehand, so that we don’t wait for you. But we do encourage you to attend ALL writing workshops because you will always learn something new!
Terms & Conditions
• A non-refundable deposit of $550 is required to book your spot.
• Full payment for all bookings is required 3 months prior to retreat start. Any bookings made thereafter, must be paid in full upon booking.*
• To participate in our international retreats, you will need to provide evidence of international travel insurance. This will also protect you in case of flight cancellations or any unforeseen events.
*feel free to ask us about staggered payment plans
Refund Policy
If you cancel 3 months or more prior to the retreat start, we will refund your fee minus the $550 deposit. However, if you can find a replacement to fill your spot, we are happy to refund all fees paid minus a $250 administrative fee.
Cancellations up to ten weeks prior to retreat start will receive a 50% refund of the total paid, less the deposit.
If you cancel two months or less from the retreat, we are unable to provide any refunds.
Sample schedule
7:30 Morning yoga
8:30 Breakfast
10:00 Writing workshop
12:30 Lunch
Free time
15:00 one-on-one mentoring sessions/tarot card readings/massages/solo writing or writing with a group
17:30-18:00 Yoga breathing, meditation and deep relaxation
18:30 Dinner
Do I need a visa?
I want to add extra nights & trips
An Villa always reserves two nights for our guests on either side of the retreat, and additional nights are easily arranged by the friendly staff. They will also help put you in touch with local service providers to organise additional excursions and onward travel.
Do I need to speak the local language?
Have more questions?
What our guests say about our retreats