Is there a nice beach resort near Saigon?
Following a tour of Cambodia and Vietnam this summer I would like to spend 2 or 3 days relaxing on a beach, preferably near Saigon as that as where the tour ends and where I'll be flying home from. Can anyone recommend a picturesque, relatively quiet resort that is not overly touristy.
Vung Tau, while very close to Saigon has a beach that is a real tragedy. The Government have built heaps of high class resorts and hotels close to the b each, but almost none are actually on the beach. You will need to cross the road, but that is not the problem.
The Saigon River receives untreated raw sewage and also is prone to large amounts of domestic wast. This sweeps out to sea, but much of it washes up on the beach. Also, not too far off shore is a combination of oil rigs and major shipping lanes. The result is the oil that ends up on the Vung Tau beaches.
It is not particularly cheap to eat or shop, and the resorts/hotels jump the prices on weekends and for foreigners.
Sadly, Vung Tau is also a town favored by pedophiles. Garry Glitter got arrested there and spent time in jail for his activities with 12 and 13 year old girls. He is not the only one.
Going to Vung Tau by bus can take as much as 2 and a half hours subject to traffic. The quickest is to take the hydrofoil down the Saigon River. Costs about $9 each way.
Best close beaches as per your description is undoubtedly at Mui Nei. $4 - $8 by bus each way. They advertise it as 4 hours each way, but heavy traffic can slow it down to as much as six hours to travel the 210 kilometres.
At Mui Nei, there is a string of resorts to suit all price ranges with most on the beach. The beaches are clean. You can either laze around or get into the many activities such as para-sailing and windsurfing. Go the short distance north to the fishing village and invite yourself of a fishing boat and head out to sea. Most will charge you nothing if you give them a hand with the nets, and you get the freshest sea food possible.
You can stay at 3 star resorts for as low as $15 a night to over $50.
The best of all of the Mui Nei resorts is possibly 4 star "Sailing Club" which is around $45 and up each night, and owned by an Australian.
If you get sick of the beach, a short drive north is the giant sand dunes. You can visit alone on a rental motorbike, or jump in a organised jeep tour.
A little south of Mui Nei is the small city of Phan Thiet. The markets there offer you very cheap shopping, compared to what you can find in Saigon. Phan Thiet also has some neat history. You can visit the ancient, but well preserved Cham Ruins half way between Phan Thiet and Mui Nei. Also, Phan Theit is the site of a massacre just prior to the escalation that pretty much marked the start of the Vietnam War. South Vietnamese militia believed to have been under direction of the corrupt South Vietnam Government stormed in killing many civilian farmers. Estimates are between 50 and 200. It was said that this was the nail in the coffin that lead Ho Chi Minh to re-commence aggression. It was an event that was largely kept secret.
Any way, I digress.... another option is to take the train from Saigon to Phan Thiet, then take a taxi bus or motorbike to Mui Nei.
Vung Tau beaches on weekends are packed with Saigon locals, while Mui Nei, even when the resorts are fully booked out, offers you wide quiet clean beaches. And, I can not recommend high enough to try the huge fresh Tiger Prawns. They are close to the size of a Maine Lobster (about 4 to the pound or 7 to the kilo). Shop around and you will find some restaurants that will serve you a plate of fresh prawns for under $10, some as cheap as $5.
Have fun.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - City Tour
saigon tours vietnam
saigon tours vietnam
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