24. Long Hai Beach

Long Hai is one of two towns of Long Dien district in Ba Ria – Vung Tau province. Long Hai is about 12 km to the Northeast of Vung Tau city and about 16 km to the Southeast of Ba Ria city, and about 100km from Ho Chi Minh City. Long Hai is also known as Ky Van beach (or Thuy Van), about 3km in length running along rows of green coastal she-oak trees, clear blue sea water, clean and smooth sandy beach and gentle waves. From Ho Chi Minh City, there are two routes to Long Hai: Ho Chi Minh – Vung Tau junction – running to Long Hai and Ho Chi Minh Cat Lai Ferry – Nhon Trach – Long Hai industrial park. Because the distance from the city is short, Long Hai becomes one of the best weekend or holiday tourist spots near Saigon. Long Hai is also a destination for young people who like to travel on weekends. Because it only takes two hours by motorbike to be in Long Hai to experience, explore the mountains, swim in the sea, and vistors should not forget to visit Long Hai fishing village when boats dock, unload fish… watch the sunset and return to Saigon on the same day.

Long Hai beach is a lovely beach with hills and mountains running along the coast, a long and wide coastline, and pure blue sea that winds south of the foot of Ky Van or Thuy Van mountain (also known as Minh Dam mountain today). Long Hai Beach has one side of the forest and one side of the blue sea, with a gentle coastline, long stretches of golden sand, poetic rocky shores, and gentle waves lapping on the shore, so it is perfect for those who love swimming and participating in fun group activities on the beach: teambuilding, fishing, canoe surfing…. Connected to Long Hai beach is Nuoc Ngot Pass with a rocky mountain range reaching out to the sea, creating a wild, extremely interesting landscape. Along the coast are rocky beaches of many different shapes that adorn the sea, making the nature here both poetic and majestic. If you visit Long Hai beach once, you will remember it forever and want to come back many times.

Long Hai has a cool climate all year round, so people can travel at any time of the year, but usually visitors come in October and November, which is considered the coolest and most beautiful time of the year. Because visiting Long Hai at this season allows people to not only immerse themselves in the clear water, smell the salty sea scent, gaze at the blue sky, and hear the cool ocean wind blowing, but also to visit Nuoc Ngot Pass to enjoy cherry blossoms blossoming along the forest edge. Visitors will be amazed by the white-purple color of cherry blossoms, the green color of forests and the blue color of Long Hai sea. A poetic and romantic scene that is rarely seen in spring.

At night, Long Hai beach whispers and waves follow the cool breeze blowing in from the sea; the streets are shimmering and magical with lights from hotels, restaurants and coastal streets,  and it will be extremely interesting for you to watch the sea at night, when the sea and sky are decorated with sparkling lights, when the hidden fishing boats spread far away remind us of a truly interesting experience.

There will be more new things, if you visit the fishing village in the early morning as you can discover a bustling atmosphere of an early market right on the coast when the fishing boats off the coast have returned. Usually around 5 – 6 o’clock, fishermen, traders and many visitors wait here to select and buy and sell fresh batches of shrimp, fish and squid. Interestingly, when you return to Saigon, you can also bring back fresh seafood from Long Hai beach to your loved ones. And after going on a picnic and swimming in Long Hai beach, do not forget to walk to visit Dinh Co, sacred and famous for the large fishermen’s festival held solemnly every year. After admiring and worshiping Co, there will be more new experiences when you visit Mo Co right near Dinh Co as there will be more interesting stories to be told.