All about Vietnam beaches

Vietnam has the largest marine potential in Southeast Asia, with 3,260 km of coastline and more than 3,000 islands and bays in different sizes. The country has 125 beaches, most of which are beautiful beaches including Da Nang beach being voted by Forbes magazine as one of the six most attractive beaches on the planet. Looking for a beach paradise for your beach break? Here's the list for you.

Vietnam is one of the 12 countries with the most beautiful bays in the world, Ha Long Bay, Nha Trang Bay. That explains why the number of sea tourists in Vietnam accounted for nearly 70% of total foreign tourists to the country. Let's take a look at the beaches and islands that are most valued in the area from the North to the South.

Category:

The North: Halong, Cat Ba

Halong Bay - World Heritage Site recognized by UNESCO

Halong Bay is part of the Gulf of Tonkin, with a total area of 1553 km2 including 1969 islands.

Best time to visit Halong Bay?

Halong Bay is a seaside island with a distinctive climate of two distinct seasons: summer and winter.
The temperatures from April to October is around 27-29 degrees Celsius (peak of the domestic tourist season)
Winter from November to March the next year with cold temperature, around 16-18 degrees (the most beautiful time is from August to October) is the time that most foreign tourists chooses to come and visit Halong Bay.

Direction: Hanoi - Halong Bay

(The total distance is around 170 km and takes 3-4 hours traveling on cars).

Bus: The buses to Halong usually start from My Dinh and Luong Yen bus station, the first departure is at 6 am and the latest is at 17 pm.
Train: Train from Hanoi to Halong: You can choose HALONG EXPRESS train from Gia Lam bus station ( takes about 5 hours ) about 100.000 VND ($4.27) / person / way.
Seaplane: modern and luxury service from Hai Au Airlines with the activity of bay sight-seeing and exploring caves such as Thien Cung Cavern, Dau Go Cave, Me Cung Cavern, etc

        - 7 most beautiful beaches in Halong Bay :

• Tuan Chau beach

• Bai Chay beach

• Ti Top beach

• Ngoc Vung beach

• Quan Lan beach

• Minh Chau beach

• Ba Trai Dao beach

Cat Ba

Location: The largest island in the islands of Halong Bay, located in Cat Hai island district, 30 km toward the East of Haiphong City, 25 km from Ha Long City.

Best time to visit Cat Ba island?

The same as Halong Bay. They are close to each other.

• Depart from Haiphong by speed-boat (50 minutes) or by ferry (about 3 hours).

• Depart from Hanoi by Hoang Long bus or Interbuslines ... (about 4-5 hours).

• Depart from Tuan Chau (Halong) by ferry (45 minutes)

• Or Halong - Cat Ba cruise programs is also available for you to choose from.

Some activities in Cat Ba island: swimming at 3 Cat Co beaches or on Khi island (monkey island), trekking in Cat Ba National Park, visit Viet Hai village, Lan Ha Bay (sailing on a yacht, Kayaking, and scuba diving).

Central of Vietnam: Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Nha Trang.

Hue - Lang Co beach

Lang Co Bay (Phu Loc District, Thua Thien Hue Province) is located 30 km down south of Da Nang City and 70 km up north of Hue City which was recognized as one of the most beautiful bays in the world in 2009.

Best time to visit Lang Co beach?

The most ideal time to go to Lang Co is from April to July. It rains a lot after August so the water can be cloudy. From December to March the next year is relatively cold.

Transportations to travel to Lang Co beach:

• Airplane: Phu Bai Airport has just opened after the upgrade. Daily flights from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to Hue are available now from Vietnam Airlines, VietjetAir, Jetstar with the price around 1,000,000 VND ($42.64) / way.

• Train:
  - Ticket price from Hanoi to Hue: 350 - 800,000 VND depending on the type of seats.
  - Ticket price from Saigon to Hue from: 400 - 1.200.000 VND depending on the type of seat.

Hoi An

Hoi An is not only known as a heritage recognized by UNESCO, but also is a place where you can find the most attractive beaches of the world such as An Bang, Ha My, and Cu Lao Cham Island...

Best time to visit Hoi An? 
In general, it’s hot in Hoi An. There are two distinctive seasons in a year, dry season from February to August which is the ideal time to come and visit the city, especially from February to April; and the rainy season is from October to December which is wet and cold with high humidity.

Transportations: 
Hoi An in Quang Nam but the nearest airport is Da Nang (30km from Da Nang). The airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar, Vietjetair are operating flights from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to Da Nang. If you want to buy a cheap ticket, you should order about 3 to 6 months.

• Train:

From Hanoi or Saigon, there are train routes to Da Nang (north-south route), fare varies from VND 400,000 to VND 1,200,000 depending on the type of train and seat. It takes from 14 to 20 hours to travel from these two cities to Da Nang by train.

• Bus:

It costs about 400,000 - 500,000 VND and 18 to 20 hours from Hanoi / Sai Gon to Da Nang.
. You can choose buses from Hoang Long bus, Hlink, Mai Linh, Thuan Thao.
Since the transfer point to Hoi An is mainly the pier, Da Nang. From here you can take a bus/taxi to Hoi An conveniently.
• If you start from Hanoi, you can drop off from a stop at Tam Ky Station (Quang Nam), where you can drive to Hoi An.
• If you start from Saigon, you can choose buses that travel to the North or to Danang, the drop off in Hoi An.

Beaches:

             -  An Bang beach:
Location: Cam An ward, about 3 km toward the east of Hoi An ancient town.
An Bang is well known for its beautiful blue sea and white sand. In 2014, An Bang also reached the top 100 most beautiful beaches in the world by CNNGo.

             -  Ha My beach:
Ha My beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Asia rated by the Telegraph (England) in 2017
Location: Dien Duong commune, 7km from the town.

              -  Cu Lao Cham:
Cham Islands consists of seven small islands of biodiversity with natural forests, beautiful beaches, coral reefs, and many valuable aquatic species.
 Location: Located in Tan Hiep commune, Hoi An city, 18 km east from Cua Dai beach, about 30 minutes on the speedboat from Cua Dai port or by wooden boat departing at Bach Dang wharf which takes about 2 hours to travel.

Da Nang:

One of the cleanest and most beautiful cities in Vietnam. With the characteristics of tropical monsoon climate and the average annual temperature is quite high and stable, there are two distinct seasons, dry season (from January to July) and the rainy season from August to December.
The period from February to August every year is the ideal time to go to Da Nang. At this time, the weather is very nice, with little rain, no storms, so it is ideal for activities of sightseeing, relaxation, and recreation.

​​My Khe beach (voted as one of the most attractive beaches on the planet by Forbes) With a coastline stretching up to 90 meters, the white sand beach, blue sea and in conjunction with the system of luxury hotels. , vacation homes, beach resorts on the beach My Khe is an ideal destination.
Travel activities such as diving, coral reefs, boat racing, ... and many other interesting beach sports.

What are the three most popular means of transportation to Da Nang?
Airplanes, trains, and buses
+ Airplane: Domestic airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar or VietJetAir … all have flights to Da Nang.
+ Train: Departures from Hanoi / Saigon
+ Bus: All provinces have buses go directly  to Da Nang

Nha Trang

Nha Trang is in the top most beautiful bays in the world
Nha Trang city is the centre of Khanh Hoa province, in the South Central Coast of Vietnam.
Nha Trang is 1,280km from Hanoi capital and 448 km from Ho Chi Minh City.

The best time to travel Nha Trang
Nha Trang is a tourist city all year round. Nha Trang is not only famous for its beautiful beaches, attractive places but also mild weather throughout the year, in areas less affected by storms. The annual average temperature is 26-27 degrees Celsius. The climate is divided into two distinct seasons, rainy and dry.

• From January to August: dry season, the weather is very nice, not too hot or cold. This is the time that has the most domestic tourists coming to visit Nha trang, especially from July to September.

• September - December: The rainy season: In the last months of the year, Nha Trang started to have the rains accompanied by the cold.

Transportations:
There are many transportations to Nha Trang such as buses, airplanes, trains ... from Hanoi, Sai Gon, Da Lat.

• Bus:

From Hanoi: Takes around 31 hours
From Saigon: Takes around 8 to 10 hours

• Train ( 1315km) It is possible to take SQN (Sai Gon - Quy Nhon - Sai Gon), Thong Nhat train (TN, SE) or train Golden Train, Blue Train

              1.Sai Gon Station
 - Address: 01 Nguyen Thong, Ward 9, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
 - Phone: (08) 3843 6528 - Fax: (08) 3846 6091
 - Email: gasaigon01@yahoo.com
 - Website: www.vr.com.vn/gasaigon/ or http://vetau.com.vn/
- The ticket office: (08) 38 436 524 or (08) 38 468 701 (tel: 2302)
- Fax: (08) 38 436 524
            2. Ha Noi station
- Address: 120, Le Duan, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
- Tel: 84.43.9423697 - Fax: 84.43.7470366
- The train will stop at Nha Trang Train Station (near the stone church) 17 Thai Nguyen, Nha Trang
- Phone: (058). 3822113

What to visit Nha Trang?

There are many tourist destinations, such as Vinpearl Land, Hon Mun, Hon Tam, Ninh Van Bay, Institute of Oceanography, Ponagar Towers, Husband-wife, Dai Lanh Beach, Dam Market ...
Activity; Snorkeling, surfing, surfing, kayaking ... mud bathing.

The south of Vietnam: Mui Ne / Phan Thiet, Con Dao, Phu Quoc.

Mui Ne / Phan Thiet

Phan Thiet is a city in Binh Thuan province, 183 km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. Phan Thiet has been a popular beach destination in Vietnam with white sand, blue sea, and countless coconut tree lines.

The best time to visit Mui Ne / Phan Thiet?
You can travel Phan Thiet in all months of the year. It’s windy, sunny and less stormy in Phan Thiet.

• From January to December: the weather is cooler than the months of the year. April and May are the hottest.

• The period from April to August is considered the best time to travel Mui Ne, now the sea is green and cool.

• Avoid the end of June and early July because this is the seaweed bloom season, also known as "red tide". Note, in September on Mui Ne is often heavy rain.

How to go to Mui Ne?
- From Hanoi to Mui Ne
There is no direct flights to Mui Ne but there are 3 alternatives:
1. Fly from Hanoi to Saigon + buses to Phan Thiet / Mui Ne.
2. Fly from Hanoi to Nha Trang - then go to Phan Thiet by buses
3. Travel by train from Hanoi to Phan Thiet then use buses to get to Phan Thiet city
- From Saigon to Mui Ne
There are buses and trains available.
      + By bus: Depart at Mien Dong or De Tham, District 1. Tickets will range from 90,000 - 130,000 VND depending on the supplier.
      + Train to Phan Thiet
If you take SPT train the price will be around 110.000VND (depart in the morning) or the PT4 train (go to the weekend). You can buy the ticket at Sai Gon train station - 01 Nguyen Thong, District 3.
· Golden Train high-quality train, priced at 160.000 VND / ticket or more, departs in the morning.

What to do in Mui Ne / Phan Thiet?

Explore Phan Thiet by motorbike, experience the feeling of the sand slide, See "Fishermen Show" or Kitesurfing are the popular activities here that you can check out.
Beaches:

Mui Ne is famous for many clean and beautiful beaches including :

• Bai Rang is about 15 km from the city center, the most beautiful beach in the city. Phan Thiet

• Hon Rom beach: In Hon Rom, the beach complex has many areas such as Hon Rom 1, Hon Rom 2, Thuy Trang …

• Other attractions including:

• Suoi Tien, Nui rock gullies

• Hon Ghenh or Hon Lao

• Bau Trang lake

• Bau Sen lake (18 km from Hon Rom, Hon Mui bay near Hon Rom

• Mui Ne fishing village) km north of Mui Ne

• Po Sah Ina (7km from Phan Thiet) relics of Champa kingdom

Con Dao

Con Dao is also known by different names such as Con Son, Con Lon or Con Non, also known by the Khmer call Koh Tralach. Con Dao is also known as Poulo Condor associated with the French colonial period.
Con Dao is 180 km from Vung Tau. From Ho Chi Minh City, you can catch the bus to Vung Tau city, then transfer to Cat Lo port to get to the pier.

Best time to visit Con Dao
- From March to September: It is rainy season in Con Dao with light rains lasting about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Especially, in this season, Con Dao sea is calmer than the dry season which is the highly recommended period to come and visit the beach.
· From October to February: The sea is billowy, the weather is pretty unstable, the prices for services are raised relatively high.

Transportations to Con Dao
There are two types of vehicles to Con Dao that you can use: ship and airplane:

- Ships to Con Dao:
To get to Con Dao, take the bus from Saigon (If you are in Hanoi, you should go by airplane) at Mien Dong bus station to Vung Tau, when to Cai Lu port to buy tickets to Con Dao. The train will depart from 17:00 pm and arrive at 5 am the next morning. You can bring your motorbike (if you want) by boat to Con Dao

- Airplane to Con Dao:
Currently, only Vietnam Airlines and Air Mekong have flights to Con Dao.

Attractions in Con Dao
Con Dao, Dam Trau Beach, An Hai Beach, Doc Doc Beach, Ong Dung Nature Reserve, Hon Bay Beach, Dam Tre Bay, Con Dao Museum etc…

What to do in Con Dao?

Scuba diving (coral reefs system in Con Dao can be said to be the most abundant in Vietnam)
Fishing and explore the island of Con Son Bay

Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc is an island full of forests and mountains, an area of 1320 square kilometers, located in the Gulf of Thailand and 45 kilometers west of Ha Tien.

Best time to visit Phu Quoc?
The most tourist season is from April to September.
You can travel to Phu Quoc at any time of the year because the average temperature is only about 28 degrees Celsius. The best time to visit Phu Quoc is the dry season from late October. until March or lasted until May (quiet sea, beautiful time, less rain ...)
       More detailed information here in Link

Transportations:

• Airplane: There are airlines that fly to Phu Quoc Island: Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar, Vietjet Air. Often the plane to Phu Quoc island comes from Sai Gon, Hanoi, Can Tho and Rach Gia.

• Bus and speed-boat with the routes Rach Gia - Phu Quoc (2.5 hours): Ho Chi Minh City - Rach Gia (6-7 hours)

• Find detailed information about transportations in Phu Quoc HERE

Activities:
Snorkeling, fishing, squid fishing, visiting the national park, Vinpearl Amusement Park, Vinpearl Safari, Dinh Cau night market.
Or to check out all of my blog about Phu Quoc, please visit this link.

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