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Between the famous food and the spectacular nature, Vietnam needs to be on your travel list. With over 2,000 miles of coastline, your trip to Vietnam is best served as a beach trip, but finding the best one can be a lot of work. Check out our list of the best beaches in Vietnam to help inspire your beach trip.
Ha Long Bay
Imagine one of the most beautiful sights you’ve seen, straight out of a fairytale with deep blue and turquoise water surrounded by towering, mossy rocks. That’s Ha Long Bay, in the north of Vietnam. The bay is dotted by little green islands and was designated a World Heritage Site in 1994. While the most popular thing to do in Ha Long Bay is taking a cruise on the water, there are plenty of ways to get into the water as well. Bai Chay and Tuan Chau offer “parachute pulled canoeing”, which isn’t so much canoeing as it is being strapped into a parachute and (safely) being catapulted into the air by a motorboat around the bay. Other calmer activities include scuba diving, snorkeling, or kayaking (just watch out – curiosity may pull you into a cave!). Island hopping is the best way to explore the small beaches across the bay.
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Long Beach
Long Beach, also called Truong Beach, is exactly as the name suggests: long. The 12-mile long main beach of Phu Quoc Island is split into two sections: North Long Beach and South Long Beach, separated by an estuary. The yellow sand is the perfect place to sit back and relax, while the clear turquoise water is perfect for any of the water sports, scuba diving and snorkeling. The south end of the beach is home to pearl farms while the north side presents more accommodations options. Long Beach also has its own little village, called Long Beach Village which is the main center for tourists and is full of hostels, bars, and easy ocean access.
My Khe Beach
Once voted Vietnam’s most luxurious beach, My Khe sits on Vietnam’s central coast outside Danang. The beach is famous for the swim and surf, but also for the luxury hotels lining the coast. It was actually first made famous by a US TV show called My Khe Beach, shining a spotlight on how much the troops enjoyed the beach’s soft sand and clear water. Enjoy the sun and sand as well as the small calm waves, or just enjoy the pure natural beauty of the area. The picturesque beach is also close to many historic sites, such as the port of Hoi An and the Hue Imperial City.
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City Beach
This beach near the city of Nha Trang is located on the southern end of the country is known for its clean sandy beaches with the vibrant blue of the water on one side and the rising buildings of the city on the other. Relax in the sand or go out for a day trip starting from the docks in City Beach. Rent bikes in the city and cycle your way to the shore’s edge, where you can go paragliding up above the beach. Or just rent some chairs and an umbrella to lay out and soak up the sun. If you head into Nha Trang, you can visit the ancient Po Nagar Cham Towers, or climb up to the Long Son Pagoda.
Hon Chong Beach
Just below the Cambodian border is the peaceful, quiet Hon Chong Beach. The isolated stretch is home to caves, grottos, shrines, and of course, the deep blue sea stretching out before you. Hon Chong Beach is the ideal place to relax with your feet in the sand. The beach also offers scuba diving, snorkeling, surfing, and swimming. Often called the “Ha Long Bay of the south”, Hon Chong is home to calm waves and caves hiding in nearby rock formations. The closest town to Hon Chong Beach is Ha Tien, worth the trip for the views on top of Da Dung Mountain, or the view of the elegant Chua Hang Pagoda, an ancient temple on the side of Sam Mountain.
Doc Let Beach
Doc Let sits just north of Nha Trang, by the city of Ninh Hoa. The beach boasts about 11 miles of coastline for you to enjoy. Doc Let is split into three sections — the northern part, which houses many of the hotels and services, the central part, home to a shipyard and port, and the southern part, where you’ll find the best spot to relax and a jungle forest to explore. Doc Let also has gives you access to a host of watersports, including jet skiing and surfing.
Con Dao Island
Con Dao is located on an island just off the coast of Tra Vinh. Visit the isolated beaches, and enjoy the peace they offer. This beach paradise has the typical white sand and clear water of the rest of Vietnam, but the history it tells is much more interesting. Con Dao, now transforming into a must-visit beach getaway, began as a French penal colony. The prison buildings are still standing, and visits are encouraged to learn not only about the history of the island but of the country as a whole. Many of those who were held prisoner at Con Dao are now regarded as heroes in Vietnam.