Spoilt for choice: Vietnam’s best beaches

Mar 9, 2011 4:59:24 AM

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Vietnam might have been late to Southeast Asia’s beach party, but it was worth the wait. The country boasts more than 3400km of coastline, with infinite stretches of powdery sand, hidden coves, lovely lagoons, impossible boulder formations and tropical islands ringed with yet more beaches. Help! Too many choices!

Nha Trang

The heavyweight champion of Vietnam, Nha Trang has been knocking out visitors for years. True, the town is brazen and brash, but the beach is bold and beautiful and a gateway to a cluster of quieter islands.

Mui Ne

Set on a seductive swathe of sand, Mui Ne is an absolute charmer with swaying palms and towering dunes. Get pummelled on the beach by a masseur or pummelled by the waves with some water sports – this place blends action and inertia to perfection.

Phu Quoc

Simply the most beautiful island in Vietnam, Phu Quoc is liberally sprinkled with picture-perfect white-sand beaches and cloaked in dense, impenetrable jungle. Long Beach is sophisticated, Ong Lan Beach romantic, and Bai Sao simply irresistible.

China Beach

OK, so we are using artistic licence with the name, but whether you call it My Khe to the north or Cua Dai to the south, it’s all just one long, luscious stretch of sand. Try surfing off the shores of Danang or just pamper yourself at the resorts near Hoi An.

Con Dao

The Con Dao Islands have been protected from over-exposure by their isolated location off the coast. Enjoy it while it lasts, with their smattering of resorts and an overdose of idyllic beaches, as this is sure to be the next big thing in Vietnamese beaches.

Doc Let

While the rest of the world is sunning itself in Nha Trang, slip up the coast to this little teaser, home to some atmospheric resorts and some squeaky white sand; a place to get away from it all.

Ho Coc

Vung Tau to Phan Thiet is almost one long beach, but much of it remains mercifully inaccessible to the masses. Sample its potential with a retreat to Ho Coc, a glorious sandbar about midway along this stretch.

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Comments

19 December 2010 1:01AM sumo_yong Report this comment
I'm Vietnamese. The article said that one of the Vietnamese best beaches is China beach. It is wrong. You should edit it from China beach to Vietnamese beach (or Cua Dai Beach).
17 May 2011 8:43PM sofolo Report this comment
As far as I know, in Vietnam, there is no beach called China beach (that's the fact), it is just distorted information. That's My Khe beach or Cua Dai beach. I think "the lonely planet" should verify information before providing, in order to make readers not confused.
28 September 2011 10:55PM lane_n Report this comment
When the first time I read this article I'm confusing a little about the name China beach because I've heard about that before. So I think Lonely Planet should take the advice of sofolo.
30 November 2011 1:37AM michelinchef Report this comment
I think China Beach is correct. It's clearly the most common name for English speakers, just like Vietnam "East Sea" is commonly known as "South China Sea". My disagreement that both My Khe and Cua Dai are terrible beaches and LP isn't able to name a decent spot along the whole 30 km strand? Please tell me something out of the beaten track I don't know, otherwise what's the use?