Vietnam Travel Guides : Ba Ria – Vung Tau
Vung Tau is old port, the first Vietnamese area to be visted by vacationers and people seeking health treatment. Vung Tau is located on a 110km2 area, 125km south-east of Ho Chi Minh City. Vung Tau, with average temperature of 28oC, has 20km of coastline with famous soft-sand beaches and calm waters.
Vung Tau Vietnam
Vung Tau has 5 beaches scattered over the peninsula. Bai Truoc, also called Front Beach, is located on the northern side of Vung Tau and stands between Nho and Lon Mountains. Restaurants, kiosks, and hotels are accessible close by the beach. Vong Nguyen, also called O Quan Beach, is a peaful cove with good wind. Surfers particularly enjoy this area.
Bai Dua or Dua Beach is located approximately 2km from the center of the city. People who do not like crowded beaches particularly enjoy this quiet beach. Bai Sau, also called Back beach, is the longest stretch of sand of the peninsula. It is located approximately 2km from town on the southeast-ern side of Vung Tau. It is exposed to South China Sea wind and surfing there is excellent. And finally, Bai Dau beach is located at the foot of lon Mountain. It is a small and quiet beach, 3km northwest of Vung Tau.
Mam Ruoc
Just as Phu Quoc is known for its Nuoc mam – fish sauce, Vung Tau is famous for its Mam ruoc – fermented shrimp paste. “Ruoc” are small shrimps that are caught only during the rainy season. To prepare “mam ruoc”, the “ruoc” are first cleaned and let dried under the sun for 3 months. They are then mixed with salt, ground into powder and put in a jar and exposed to the sun for another 45 days. Sugar is then added to the mixture which is left fermented for 30 days. Finally the ruoc are dried again under the sun for 10 days and “mam ruoc” is now ready to be served, usually as sauce for various types of meat dishes.
Ocean Park
Ocean Park stretches 800m along the beach, paralleled with Thuy Van Avenue, Back beach. This is the most beautiful and longest beach in Vung Tau. Standung at any point at Ocean Park, you can view and enjoy the immensity of the sea, the freshness of the wind and the warmth of sun shine.
East of the Park is the sea, immense and blue. To the west the park is surrounded with the graceful and beautiful Thuy Van Avenue. Looking to the North, you can see the beautiful sea mountain landscape of Ky Van point, Long Hai. To the South-east is the mystery Hon Ba, about 300m off-shore, when pilgrims and local inhabitans gather during every middle of the lunar months.
Ky Van resort in Long Hai , a place of nature
Long Dat district, Ba Ria Vung Tau province, 110km from Ho Chi Minh city and 30km from Vung Tau. Stretching along the white sand bank of Long Hai sea side is a panoramic masterpiece of nature, the Ky Van resort, which bears an international name the Anoisis beach resort Long Hai. With 13 ha of land, it used to be the retreat of the last Vietnamese King, Bao Dai. The resort treats its guests to a serene at moromantic scenery of sloping woodland beside a wonderful beach.
Ki Van resort at night
Here, bungalows and villas are built separately and surrounded with grass cover and flower beds under the shady trees. From the windows one can get a stunning view to the sea. Furnishings are mostly made of bamboo, wicker and leaves, creating an impression of plainbut comfort.
Starting operation in early 1998, this oasis has received a number of highranking patrons, both locals and foreigners. One of them, the American Ambassador arrived to Vietnam, Pete Peterson wrote in its remembrance album, during his stay with his new wife, that they were very happy to be among the first guests of the resort in the year of Tiger ( 1998). He also wrote that everything here was excellent and they would surely return some time.
Vung Tau beaches
Bai Truoc – Front Beach
Bai Truoc is also known as Bai Tam Duong. Tam Duong means “searching for the sun”. The beach is located between Nui Lon mountain and Nui Nho mountain. From afar, the beach is shaped like a crescent moon, and along the beach, there are many coconut trees. Not a clean beach for swimming, it has many kiosks, open-air restaurants and bars and it is the beach closest to urban Vung Tau.
Bai Sau – Back Beach
Bai Sau is also known as Bai Thuy Van. This stretch of beach is located in the southeast side of town and is about 10km in length from the base of Nui Nho. The most popular beach in Vung Tau, it is packed with Saigonese every weekend during the summer months. Teenagers arrive on scooters, locals by mini-van or bus and affluent tourists by hydro-foil boats . The sea is calm during the dry season. Strong undertow currents make swimming dangerous in some spots.
Bai Dua – Pineapple Beach
Historically known for its wild pineapple trees and black rocks, Bai Dua is located at the foot of Nui Nho Mountain. It is the smallest of the four major beaches in Vung Tau but very popular for its calm waters and its majestic sunset. Bai Dua is also known as Huong Phuong Beach. Visitors come to this rocky cove for its tranquility and cleanliness.
Thich Ca Phat Dai ( Sakymuni Pagoda)
Thich ca phat dai
Thich ca phat dai is a large pagoda in Vung Tau city. It was built in 1941 on a 6 ha area on the slope of Big mountain, 3km from the city center. The beauty of the pagoda is the combination of religious architecture and natural scenic beauty. Attention should be paid to the 19m high Bat Giac tower ( Octagon tower) and the statue of Cakya Mouni in the zen position : the height of the statues is 10.2m and the diameter is 6m.
Bach Dinh ( White Villa)
Bach Dinh or the White mansion was built during the French occupation. The mansion sits at the bottom of Nui Lon overlooking the South China Sea and is one of Vung Tau’s major landmark. Work on the mansion began in 1898 and was completed in 1916.
At the time, no expenses were spared as the amount of work and manpower involved in laying the road leading to the mansion were done almost completely by manual labor. Commissioned by French governor Paul Doumer, this mansion has served as summer retreat for Emperor Bao Dai as well as vacation home for Vietnamese heads of state.
The mansion is 50m above sea level and is designes in the style of 19th century French architecture. The grounds of the mansion still show signs of a once glamorous lifestyle of the French governor who commissioned this building. The garden has an open air dance floor and many statues and details of Greek mythology. In terms of historical significance, Bach Dinh was where King Thanh Thai of Nguyen Dynasty was under house arrest before he was finally exiled to Reunion island in Africa.
Con Dao Island
Con Dao Island Vung Tau Vietnam
The island of Con Dao is 230 km from Ho Chi Minh City. Originally it was used by the French to incarcerate revolutionary prisoners. Nowadays Con Dao is considered an historical vestige where fighters for independence were held and tortured.
The prison, built in 1861, covers a total area of 347,140 sq.m . Part has been transformed into a museum where tiger cages, set up during the period of colonialism, still remain. One km behind the prison is Hang Duong cemetery where several prisoners were buried.
Con Dao island is part of an archipelago comprised of 14 islets. The area providing facilities for tourists is now a national park with beaches, crystal-clear waters and coconuts groves.
Binh Chau Hot Springs
The Binh Chau Hot Springs are located 70km west of Vung Tau. Covering an area of 1sq.km, Binh Chau consists of many lakes and ponds joined by an underground pool od mineral water that has been created from a network of 70 main sources.
The hot water, which has a temperature of 80oC is directed into pools where it is used for its medicinal values, such as treating skin disease and rheumatism. They belong to a protected area that also features numerous forests, coasts and lakes. Hotels and restaurants have been built to accommodate visitors who go there for health as well as recreational purpose.
Binh Chau Hot Springs is an attractive site for those who love nature and who want to relax in an enchanting environment.
Statue of Jesus
Jesus statue on Little Mountain - Vung Tau
The enormous 28m figure of Jesus gazing across the East sea with outstretched arms is located at the southern end of the Small mountain. Built in 1971, this Giant Jesus rests on a 10m high platform. The interior of the statue is hollow and contains a spiral staircase of 129 steps, ascending from the foot of the statue to its neck. The two shoulders of the figure are balconies, each able to accommodate up to six people, which offer a splendid view of the surrounding landscape. This is the largest sculpture in the South of Vietnam. Resent construction of a pathway has made the 30 minutes hike up the mountain more pleasant and the panoramic view from various vista points along the way is magnificent.
