The Beaches of Southern Vietnam

Nha Trang: While Tran Phu (the main public beach) is inviting, there are better beaches to the north of the city and on some of the islands in the bay. Hon Chong Beach is about 10 minutes from town. If you have extra time on your hands, Dai Lanh Beach (about an hour to the north) is worth a day trip. It is also possible to catch a cruise to the bay's islands; they provide some of the best beaches.

Phu Quoc: In the Gulf of Thailand about 40 from Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Phu Quoc has some of the most idyllic and undisturbed beaches on Earth. It is the largest island in Vietnam, 25 miles from Ha Tien. The 30 mile long island is a year-round draw for the small number of tourists fortunate enough to learn about it. The island's shores are so magnificent that Marcia Selva, writing for Destination Vietnam, described one beach there as "the most beautiful beach I had ever seen."

Kien Giang Province: Kien Giang Province offers other beaches for the international visitor. The town of Ha Tien on Vietnam's border with Cambodia was chosen because of its beauty as the site to shoot the French film L'amant (The Lover) in 1995. By boat from Ha Tien the Hai Tac islets provide some nice areas for beginning scuba divers. The biggest of these islands, Hon Doc, boasts a gorgeous white sand beach.

Ba Dong Beach,Tra Vinh Province : Ba Dong Beach in the coastal province of Tra Vinh was a resort where the French went to swim and rest in colonial times. Today it is frequented by Vietnamese vacationers. Sadly, the transportation routes into Ba Dong were for the most part destroyed during the War. Thirty years later they have not been rebuilt and Ba Dong remains difficult to get to. But if you can get there, the coast is strewn with 6 miles of white sand and the air is "clear and fresh", according to one description.

Vung Tau : For most of the 20th century Vung Tau has been the premier beach resort in southern Vietnam. An old port, Vung Tau was the first area of Vietnam to become a vacation and health resort for foreigners. Part of its appeal was location; the city sits on a small peninsula about 75 miles from Ho Chi Minh City. Its 12 miles of soft sand beaches and calm waters still draw hordes of visitors looking to escape the stress of life in a city of 4 million people. There are five different beaches in Vung Tau.

Con Dao Island: A little north of Vung Tau, the coastal province of Binh Thuan is home to several attractive beach areas. Con Dao Island was once a French run prison for Vietnamese involved in the independence movement. The island is now home to Phi Yen Sea Resort. Con Dao's beaches are generally shaded with evergreen trees planted during the early 20th century. The island also boasts some lush primitive forests.

Phan Thiet: A better-known area in Binh Thuan province is Phan Thiet, 120 miles from Ho Chi Minh City and just south of Cam Ranh Bay. Coco Beach is the area's best known resort. About 15 miles up the coast from Phan Thiet, still in Binh Thuan Province, is the fishing village of Mui Ne. The beach is a series of sand dunes and palm trees which have attracted a lot of artistic attention from painters and photographers, but haven't drawn tourism developments to the area.

Ninh Chu Beach: Leaving Binh Thuan Province takes visitors further up the coast to Ninh Chu Beach in Ninh Thuan Province. Ninh Thuan is the warmest part of Vietnam and receives the least rainfall. The beach was once set aside for the exclusive use of President Nguyen Van Thieu, chief of Ninh Thuan province, and other officials of the former government of South Vietnam.

The Nha Trang Area: While Vietnam has a lot to offer in the way of beaches, the resort town of Nha Trang (population 300,000) in Khanh Hoa Province is my favorite. It has two great attractions: 6 miles of prime beach on the edge of town and the lowest humidity level in Vietnam.

The city of Nha Trang, with its relatively small population, has managed to hold on to a small town atmosphere. It sits as a strand of buildings wedged between steep green mountains and a bay filled with small islands. An avenue laced with palms runs between Mediterranean-style villas and modern hotels on the one side and one of Vietnam's most scenic beaches on the other.

The slow pace of Nha Trang is one of its main attractions. It is not Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City: you can rent a moped and explored to city at your leisure without dying in traffic.

Nha Trang is the site of some of Vietnam's best seafood. The north end of the city's beach is home to a number of seafood restaurants catering to tourists. Because it has an ethnic Indian population, there are also a few good Indian restaurants in the city.

The most luxurious place to stay in Nha Trang is probably the Ana Mandara Resort, a little more than a mile from downtown Nha Trang. It sits on 20,000 square yards of "tropical landscaped gardens by the beach, offering total privacy with magnificent views overlooking the ocean and the splendor of Nha Trang Bay," according ot the resort's web page. Nha Trang Lodge is another nice, affordable place to stay if you're looking for something inside the city.

The tropical waters of southern Vietnam have been neglected for years now by the sun seekers of the world. But it seems likely that Nha Trang, along with many of Vietnam's other beach locations, will soon come to the forefront of the tourism world.