Is there a nice beach resort near Saigon?

Show all answers

Oz M

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.

genius4sure

You can check out Tâm Ngọc Beach Resort in Ấp Đông Hoà,
Huyện Cần Giờ .
It's 50 kilometers away from District One of Saigon. For more info, you can contact (08) 38744200 when you are there in Vietnam.

Also, if you have time to spare, try VILLA H2O. It's 18 kilometers away from District One of Saigon. The address is:
1/4C Đặng Thúc Vịnh, Ấp 3, Xã Đông Thạnh
Hóc Môn, Tp. HCM
Telephone: (08) 37110576

rick m

Vung Tau is the closest beach/resort area to Saigon. It is about a 2 hour drive by motorbike and 1 hour by taxi/bus. It is not what I consider overly touristy, but if you want more solitude, head further north along the coast. There is a dive center/resort not too far from Vung Tau if I remember correctly.
Summer is monsoon season so you may not have good beach weather when you arrive.
Enjoy your trip!

Charlie

You dont have a lot of time , but your best bet may be to go to Mui Nei . You can get a taxi pretty cheap for a return rate , its about 4 hours drive but well worth it . As "rick m" says there is only Vung Tau and that takes quite some time getting there depending on Hyrofoil times plus its more like "Pattaya Beach" and not a quiet resort .

MACY STAR

Mui Ne is the best beach which is near to Sai gon, you can get there by taxi. It'll take you from 3-4 hours to get there, the food is also very good at there and very cheap, too. It has a lots of travel agency in Sai Gon so if you want to go somewhere, ask for a tour, the tour guide will explain the specific tour for you and the fees for you to know

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: