Visiting Viet Nam: Ba Ria - Vung Tau as a Weekend Getaway

As a tourist hub of Southeastern Vietnam, Vung Tau is situated over a 140 square kilometer peninsula which is separated from the mainland by a gulf river called Co May River. The name "Vung Tau" (literally "anchorage") appeared during 14th and 15th centuries when it regularly welcomed European trading ships. Actually, it was also called as Cap Saint-Jacques ("Cap Xanh Giac" in Vietnamese) by the French Indo-chinese government. Thanks to fantastic beaches and hospitable weather, along with a busy sea harbor as well as short distance (i.e. 125 km) from Saigon, tourists, abroad and local alike, flock to Vung Tau to enjoy their vacations, especially during Spring and Summer.

Let's take a 2 hour ride by motorbike or car through Highway No. 51A, and start carrying out "been there - done that" checklist as follows:

• Go to Back Beach which is a tourist hub with hundreds of resorts and accommodations like homestay or hotels. The Front Beach is for ships and vessels to nail awaiting for next trips or exchanging their catches.

• Go shopping for seafood at Chợ Xóm Lưới (Fishing hamlet market) where various seafood is on sales along some small streets, and you can also ask the vendor to cook it for you, which may be called "take-away seafood".
• Don't forget to visit the Light House on top of Small Mountain. First built in 1907, then rebuilt in 1911, this place affords a panoramic view of the whole city. The Lighthouse projects light as far as 35 sea miles (64.75 km) and is equipped with telescopes to follow and direct ships at sea.

• Nghinh Phong Cape (literally meaning "Cape of breeze welcome" or "Cape of greeting the wind") is the cliff of Vung Tau, which offers an extensive view toward the ocean and the city. Remember to arrive here early in the morning to admire the sunrise.
• Last but, well, the least, Bạch Dinh (Villa Blanche) is located on the slop of Big Mountain along Tran Phu Street, which was built in 1898-1916 as a villa of French Governor General Paul Doumer. This structure was named Villa Blanche after his favorite daughter; however, the local people call it Bạch Dinh (White Palace) due to its coincidence of exterior appearance - white color. The villa becomes an exhibition showroom which showcases hundreds of antiques collected from Cau Islet-Con Dao.

• On the way to the Lighthouse, there is a terraced café named Son Dang Quan (literally Lighthouse café on the mountain). This is a nice place to sit around stretching our view over the Jesus statue mountain, the city and, of course, such a beautiful sea.

• On the way from Saigon, you should ride through Long Son Commune to see more awesome natural beauty with some fishing villages floating on a river. These villages also welcome tourists to stay and enjoy fresh salt-water fish and other foodstuff.

• Long Hai is around 20 km from Vung Tau to the north, where there is a local goddess temple called "Dinh Cô" and thus a cultural festival called "Dinh Cô Festival" is held annually. The town also features Minh Đạm Moutain with a stone summit where visitors can feast their eyes over the town toward the endless sea. Remember to watch your belongings because there are plenty of monkeys wandering around.

• Ho Coc and Ho Tram are two famous eco-resorts with rustic nature and gentle sea.
• Bình Châu Hot Stream in Xuyên Mộc District offers On-sen hot bath.
• As far away an archipelago in the southern sea, Con Đao Islands is best known for Côn Đảo Prisons, Côn Đảo National Garden. You can get there by hydrofoil fast ferry that costs 350,000 VNĐ and sets off at Côn Đảo Port (April 30 Road).
• If you look for a farm backdrop with cattle grazing around, well, you can visit a sheep farm near Ba Ria Town.

The photos used in the articles are both of the author and other online sources. For further information, please feel free to contact me at nhphuc2310@gmail.com.

Thanks for your attention. Remember to check up further articles of mine if you're interested in this travel topic.

For other articles, please check out:

Thu Duc Town at http://hubpages.com/travel/Thu-Duc-Saigon-A-joyful-suburb
Tay Ninh at https://hubpages.com/travel/Tay-Ninh-Province-Why-not
Da Lat Half Way to Heaven at http://hubpages.com/travel/Do-we-need-a-long-trip-to-change-horses-in-midstream
Life Trap Escape at http://hubpages.com/travel/Life-Trap-Escape
Ke Ga Cape at http://hubpages.com/travel/Sunset-on-Ke-Ga-Lighthouse
Mui Ne Beach at http://hubpages.com/travel/Mui-Ne-Such-a-Paradise
Da Nang City at http://hubpages.com/travel/Thomas-Wanderlust
Hai Phong City at http://hubpages.com/travel/Hai-Phong-Once-Coming-Then-Staying
French Colonial Structures in Saigon at http://hubpages.com/travel/French-Colonial-style-Architecture-in-SG
Top 3 things to do in Saigon Vietnam at http://hubpages.com/travel/Top-ten-things-you-must-do-in-Saigon-Vietnam
Can Gio a nice choice at http://hubpages.com/travel/Can-Gio-A-nice-choice
Cat Ba Island at https://hubpages.com/travel/Cat-Ba-Island-Shining-in-the-Sun
Ta Dung at https://hubpages.com/travel/Ta-Dung-Vietnam-A-Pearl-of-The-Highlands
Top camping spots near Saigon, Vietnam at https://wanderwisdom.com/travel-destinations/Hit-the-road-up-to-Central-Highlands