The best bays in central Vietnam

Here are the most beautiful bays in central Vietnam.

Quy Nhon Bay




Spreading from the south of Phuong Mai peninsula to Genh Rang, the bay of Quy Nhon takes an important role in the marine economics of Quy Nhon City in the central province of Binh Dinh. There are many beautiful beaches in the bay like Hoang Hau (Queen), Tien Sa, etc.

Xuan Dai Bay




The central province of Phu Yen boasts numerous beautiful scenic spots of which Xuan Dai Bay is a masterpiece of nature. With its rare and yet still little-known beauty, this bay makes an attractive destination.

Located 50 km north of Tuy Hoa city, Xuan Dai Bay covers 13,000 hectares. It is flanked by 15 km Co Ngua Mountain which, from afar, looks like a unicorn’s head.

The 50 km-long Bay has many beautiful small beaches with a primitive beauty. The area includes mountains, islets and peninsulas such as Ong Xa islet, Da Mai mountain, and Mu U peninsula which together create a magnificent landscape.

Xuan Dai is a picturesque landscape designed by Mother Nature in which the mountains, water and sky blend harmoniously.

Around Xuan Dai Bay, there are several sites for tourists to discover.

Ganh Den is a slope of hundreds of stacked rocks on top of which stands a lighthouse.

Beautiful sandy beaches stretching beneath the slope are not large but beautiful enough for tourists to relax and experience life close to nature.

Xuan Dai Bay inspires tourists with its sandy beaches, of which the most beautiful is Binh Sa or Long beach. It looks like a long strip of white silk around a forest of coconut palms and casuarina trees.

According to local fishermen, the morning is the perfect time to discover the bay because the sea is relatively calm. Nhat Tu Son is the most beautiful island in the bay. Located a few hundred meters from the mainland, the 5 ha island serves as a screen to the fishing villages of My Hai and My Thanh.

Near Xuan Dai bay, there are famous landscapes such as Da Dia reef, O Loan lagoon, Cu Mong lagoon, which are ideal places for organizing various types of tourism activities such as mountain climbing, sea-diving, boat-racing, wind-surfing and exploring the sea.

Xuan Dai bay has witnessed many historic events: in the years of 1775-1801, there was a seabattle between the Tay Son army and the Nguyen Dynasty; during World War II, the navy ship of the Japanese Royal Ship was sunk in the middle of Xuan Dai bay by Allied war-planes; Vung Lam bay used to be the most bustling trading port of Phu Yen in the past, the door connecting Phu Yen to outer trading worlds.

Vung Ro Bay




Vung Ro is a lush and charming bay located in Xuan Hoa Nam Commune, Dong Hoa District, Phu Yen Province. Vung Ro Bay has a total area of 16,4 kilometer meters water surface and is surrounded by three majestic mountains among the immense sea, including Deo Ca (in the north), Da Bia (in the east) and Hon Ba (in the west). Also, the Bay is shielded by Hon Nua Islet in the south.

Along the path to Vung Ro, you will marvel at the green trees space, endless countryside grasslands, flickering turquoise seawater from a far distance and small plain houses on an enormous ground. If you go from Deo Ca mountain pass, you will be challenged by spectacular hairpin curves and experience steep craggy mountain slopes as well.

Looking from Deo Ca, you can see Vung Row, withits breathtaking allure. You can,stop for a while on the mountain pass to gaze at that wonder. Vung Ro Bay looks like a giant mirror reflecting the scenery. Those scenert is mighty but also romantic and poetic. The Bay is like a brilliant nature painting with spectacular clear sky, mountains, blue sea, white clouds and forest.

Moreover, visiting Vung Ro, tourists can enjoy relaxing moments at many serene and pristine beaches, such as: Lach beach, Mu U beach, Chua beach, Chan Trau beach, Lau beach, Nhan beach, Bang beach and others. You can discover endless flat sands next to the immeasurable blue sea, duck in the cool water and play joyfully amidst a quiet and tranquil space.

Vung Ro is the land’s sweetheart-a funny comparison made by the locals here because it is always protected and shielded by enduring and mighty mountains. Consequently, the sea is calm and gentle.

Vinh Ro Bay looks beautiful at any time of a day. Even in the dawn or sunset, in the sweltery noon or black night, Vung Ro Bay always captivate tourists by its fascinating charm.

Vung Ro Bay is also known as a historical witness of fierce fighting during the Vietnam War with the involvement of America. However, it still remains pleasant, pure and peacefully beautiful over the years. In Vung Ro Bay, you may be shocked to know that among the crowded boats anchoring there, there is a shipwreck somewhere under the water. The ship carried patriotic soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the Vietnam War against the Americans in 1964-1965.

People consider Vung Ro Bay a paradise of the Nau land. It not only possesses harmonious and calm atmosphere, but also evokes the glamor of avprimordial beach paradise in Vietnam.

If you feel tired of the crowded beaches and are eager to be immersed in a peaceful and pristine beach, then make a plan to explore Vung Ro Bay right away. Blue sea, fine sands and marvelous undulating mountains scenery promise to be an interesting destination.

Van Phong Bay




About 80 kilometers from Nha Trang to the North, it is easy to go to Van Phong Bay. It is one of the largest and deepest bays in Vietnam with wonderful scenery and diverse sub-marine ecosystem.

According to experts, Van Phong bay is a “sleeping beauty” on a large sea area. It has a huge potential for tourism, sea ecosystem and sea economy in the area as well as on an international scale.

Indeed, many tourists, especially foreigners,feel it is the ideal place for relaxing, discovering, and entertaining. It is peaceful, wonderful, and pristine.

Van Phong bay is a group of smaller bays and beautiful islands which are named after natural things: Na Island, Couch Grass Sea, Xuan Dung Sea.

Van Phong bay seduces visitors with its endless white sandy beach, clean and transparent seawater where you can see bustling life under it and colorful and lively coral reef. Moreover, there are mangrove forest remains, hundreds of plants and many rare and beautiful marine animals. You canalso go diving to discover marine life in Van Phong bay.

The beaches here are peaceful and clean in the sunshine. The sand is pure white. The color mixes with the blue of the sky and water, and the white of the clouds to create a peaceful scene. From the beaches, you can see the Dai Lanh beacon and a mighty rock mountain called Bia Mountain.

Van Phong bay is favored both for natural beauty and good weather with warm sunshine all year. Therefore, it is an ideal place for honeymoons. In the sunrise, if you get up early you can feelthat the sea air seems to be overwhelming you. As the sun darts its beams on the bay, a foggy set of curtains disappears and a picturesque scene appears instead. A new day starts with fishing boats going off to sea.

Son Dung beach appears to be isolated from the world. However, there are 11 families who live there. Many visitors come to Son Dung for its pristine beauty and curiosity about the fresh water that can be found underground there. It is considered a special favor of nature in the small fishing village and also attracts many visitors. The precious fresh water source is a living source of people living here.

With fabulous beauty, Phong Van bay is listed on the top 4 ideal place of attractions in the sea. The bay has good climate, and various kind of marine plants and animals but also unique topography with closed bay, beautiful beaches and sand dunes, diverse ecosystem like tropical forest, mangrove forest, … Van Phong bay is a tourism paradise in Khanh Hoa province

Nha Phu Bay




15km away from Nha Trang Beach to the north, Nha Phu is a haven for nature lovers who want to immerse themselves in tranquility.

Nha Phu bay has peaceful waves all year around. In the middle of the sea and blue and clear sky, the cluster of dreamlike islands looks like sails to be filled with winds going offshore. Thi Islet is one of the more popular islands. It features a pristine beach for swimming and playing games, and visitors can enjoy charcoal-grilled or fried fresh seafood, meat and vegetables that are served on bamboo tables.

Lao Island is another attractive island in Nha Phu Bay, Vietnam. It is named “Monkey Island” because there are hundreds of monkeys living in flocks in the wild forest and they are friendly with visitors. Tourists can enjoy entertainment and recreational activities such as sea bathing, boat racing, horse riding, fishing, flowers, birds and golden fish parks, especially circuit performances of elephants, bears, monkeys, dogs, and cats. On Lao Island there are guesthouses and accommodations available, which have traditional  and unique characteristics of Viet Nam.

Visitors looking for an island with five-star services and accommodation won’t find them here, but for those who want a back-to-nature experience, Orchid Stream Island is one of the best choices. The island is formed by many small streams flowing down Hon Heo Mountain, winding through rocky hills for six kilometers and across the plain before emptying into Nha Phu Lagoon. Until recently there were few services available for tourists, but today there are many activities:  ostrich riding, an animal circus, mountain climbing or sea-sports such as parasailing and jet skiing. A tour to Nha Phu Bay is suitable for dynamic and nature-loving travelers.

Nha Trang Bay




With an area of about 507km², including 19 large and small islands, Nha Trang Bay is one of the rare natural models of a bay system in the world. The bay contains rare typical ecosystems of tropical sea such as coral reefs, mangroves, sea grass...

With a diverse ecosystem, Nha Trang Bay is an ideal habitat of rare and valuable animal species, including swallow, sea turtle, red coral, Pinctada maxima, Cypraecassis rufa, sheep’s ear abalone (Haliotis ovina)…

The climate in the bay is divided into two distinct seasons, the dry season from January to August, the rainy season from September to December with an annual average temperature of 26°C.

Chong Islet, Tre Islet, Bich Dam, Mun Islet, Tam Islet are open to tourists, Tre Islet – the largest islet in the bay with an area of over 3,000ha – attracts the most visitors with 5-star accommodation and golf course, Vinpearl Land Amusement Park and the world’s longest sea-crossing car cable (at the time of inauguration in March 2007) with the total length of 3,320m. At Tre Islet, visitors will have the opportunity to rest and bath in the sea; and also experience cuisine, shopping and sports, entertainment activities such as aquariums, water music, water park, thrilling games, indoor games, surfing, water ball, jet skiing, scuba diving...

Mun Islet is also a must-see destination for visitors when visiting Nha Trang Bay. The seabed in Mun Islet has high biological diversity, especially corals with about 350 species, accounting for over 40% of all hard coral species in the world. Mun Islet sea is the first marine protected area of Viet Nam. Here, visitors can dive snorkeling, ride glass-bottom boats or walk under the sea to admire the magnificent water world of Nha Trang sea. Hon Mun is also the placemwhere many couples choose to take underwater wedding photos.

Tam Islet is also an ideal destination for recreation and leisure activities. Hon Tam Resort built on the islet offers many Asian villas and services for visitors such as parachuting, jet skiing, windsurfing, sailing, high-speed motorcycle...

Tri Nguyen Fish Lake Tourist Area in Mieu Islet is an interesting destination for people who love sea creatures. This is a sea lake parted by the stone revetment system. The lake breeds hundreds of valuable and rare sea creatures. Tri Nguyen Aquarium in Tri Nguyen Fish Lake Tourist Area – a miniature ocean with lots of precious fish and marine plants has the shape of a fossil ship covered fully moss. Soi Beach which is about a few hundred meters from Tri Nguyen Fish Lake Tourist Area offers recreational activities for visitors such as jet skiing, parachuting, scuba diving ...

Swallow’s nests are a specialty of Nha Trang City. Many islands in Nha Trang Bay are home to swallows, of which Noi Islet is the most famous. To Noi Islet, visitors will have the opportunity to visit the temple of swallow’s nest ancestor to learn about the history of formation and development of this craft and climb the stone steps leading Du Ha Mountain top to take nice photos on natural scenery of swallow islet. Noi Islet also owns Doi (Twin) Beach made from a curved sand bar on the two sides as two letters C leaning against each other. The sea here is calm and clear. Visitors can swim, watch colorful corals and fish, enjoy dishes made from swallow’s nests in the restaurant on the island and buy many products from swallows such as original swallow’s nests, refined nests, ginseng swallow’s nests ...

In June 2003, Nha Trang Bay became the 29th member of the club of the most beautiful bays in the world.

Cam Ranh Bay




From Nha Trang city, take the National Highway number 1 for about 40km to the south, then turn to the east, go over the Long Ho bridge; you've arrived in  Cam Ranh Bay. Cam Ranh Bay is about 100 sq.km with five to six km width, nearly 15 km long and a depth of 15-20m.

With the advantages of being a close, wide and deep bay, Cam Ranh Bay is able to harbor large-tonnage ships of about 10 thousand tons right to the port and 20 thousand tons to the bay door. Cam Ranh Bay's beauty has been well known for a long time. Mountains and sea form a masterpiece of the nature. The bay has contrasting colors: the white sand, the blue sea and sky, and the green mountains and tree.

Cam Ranh used to be very bustling in the past, but now it is quiet and calm.  The streets are crowded in the daytime but become incredibly quiet at night. Fishing villages are located along the coast, nestling themselves in dense coconut or evergreen forests. Along the coastal line is a lovely series of residential areas: Ba Ngòi,Đá Bạc,  Bảo Giếng and the peninsula across the bay, including the communes of Mĩ Ca, Bình Ba, Vũng Nôm and especially the Thủy Triều lagoon that has a shallow water tide, and is a breeding ground for blood cockles.

If you have a chance to visit Cam Ranh Bay, you can take a 40-minute boat ride from the port of Đá Bạc (Ba Ngòi) to Bình Ba, the place of sea breezes all year long and beautiful scenery. You can also visit Vũng Nôm - a bustling fishing village - located on the bank of a peaceful and calm river and surrounded by big gardens of coconut and longan trees.  It's also rich with different types of food, most notably lobsters in Bình Ba, which can reach enormous sizes with almost 1-metre antennae. Some can weigh up to seven or eight kilos. In addition, Cam Ranh also has different kinds of seafood, such as snail, crab, seaweed, squid, and fish, which are very delicious and reasonably priced. In summer, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy an mangoes that are small but extremely sweet.

Cam Ranh Bay has great economic and tourism potential. All of the beautiful landscapes around the bay, such as the sand, fishing villages, and the hills of the peninsula in the extreme southern region, and yellow apricot blossoming all year round warmly welcome visitors. Cam Ranh Bay is considered one of the national major gateways to export products from the central Highlands, such as forestry products, rubber, tea, coffee, tobacco, sugar and fruit.

Sand from Ba Ngòi is white and contains silica, the material for chemical industry to produce glass and crystal. Cam Ranh Bay can also be an ideal place to establish shipping industries, fishing and seafood processing to supply hotels and for export. Cam Ranh Bay is expected to be one of the largest industrial centers in a near future. 

Vinh Hy Bay




Vinh Hy is blessed with unique beauty and charm; no matter how often you visit Vinh Hy and the surrounding areas, you will discover a new attraction every time.

First-time visitors typically choose to take a cruise in the bay in Ninh Thuan Province to see the coral reefs and the many islands and rocks with their fascinating shapes, like an ear or a turtle, or a hand with fingers stretching to the sky.

Travelers on their second or third visits tend to opt for the boat voyage to the off-the-beaten-track areas. The pristine beaches and beautiful rocks will impress even the most seasoned traveler.

There are many beaches to choose from that are suitable for both amateur and strong swimmers, such as Ba Dien (crazy woman), Tien (fairy) and Coc (cup) beaches in the bay, and Thung, Hoi, Binh Tien beaches which slope gently to the sea.

It takes more than an hour to reach these tranquil beaches, but the scenery on the way is breathtaking and the reward once you arrive are gentle waves, breezes blowing in from the sea and the sweet sound of waves lapping against the shore, especially if you are willing to take the 30 minute boat trip to some of the more remote beaches.

A boat driver called My told the Daily that he has transported numerous groups of tourists through the walls of high rocks perched by the sea, all of whom have been overwhelmed by the picturesque beauty of the area.

The waves are constantly crashing against the walls of rocks. Over time the scene may change as the rocks are transformed by the waves, but the beauty and magnificence of Vinh Hy continue to attract visitors from near and far.

Phan Rang Bay




Stretching from My Tan to Dinh Cape, Phan Rang Bay is home to many beautiful beaches and rich sources of seafood.

Phan Thiet Bay




This bay, which hasmany famous beaches and tourist sites, is located in central Vietnam.

Compiled by Pha Le / vietnamnet