Dai Lanh Beach, Travel Guide, Vietnam

Dai Lanh Beach

Last updated March 2024 | Words and photos by Vietnam Coracle

Tom, Vietnam Coracle

Tom Divers is the founder and creator of Vietnam Coracle. He’s lived, travelled and worked in Vietnam since 2005. Born in London, he travelled from an early age, visiting over 40 countries (he first visited Vietnam in 1999). Now, whenever he has the opportunity to make a trip, he rarely looks beyond Vietnam’s borders and his trusty motorbike, Stavros. Read more about Tom on the About Page, Vietnam Times and ASE Podcast.


A broad sweep of sand between two dramatic headlands, Đại Lãnh Beach is a strikingly beautiful spot on the south-central coast that’s generally ignored by foreign travellers. Located between Nha Trang and Tuy Hòa, this wide, two-kilometre beach is bounded to the north, south and west by steep, green mountains. To the east, the sea rolls in, breaking on the sand beneath a line of tall casuarina trees. A fishing village nestles at the northern end of the bay giving way to a long stretch of sandy public beach at the southern end, where there are two good, affordable accommodation options. Đại Lãnh has always been a beautiful beach, but until recently it was spoiled by road noise and traffic from National Highway 1, which passed behind it. Now that two new tunnels lead under the headlands at either end of the bay and the highway has been re-routed further inland, Đại Lãnh is comparatively peaceful and pleasant. Ideal as an overnight stop on a longer coastal itinerary or as a destination for travellers wanting to avoid the more touristy beaches in the region, Đại Lãnh is also a good base from which to explore other attractions in the area.

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Dai Lanh Beach, Travel Guide, Vietnam

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DAI LANH BEACH


A Broad Beach in a Dramatic Bay Enclosed by Green Mountains

Đại Lãnh Beach is 80km north of Nha Trang and 40km south of Tuy Hòa. Despite its obvious potential as a beach destination, there has been little development of the bay for tourism so far. This is mainly due to the traffic and noise pollution that the beach was subjected to before the opening of the tunnels, in 2017. Since then, Đại Lãnh is a much calmer, quieter and more attractive place to be, and it won’t be long before developers realize this and start building more accommodation on the beach. Đại Lãnh makes an excellent overnight stop between the popular beach cities of Nha Trang and Quy Nhơn, or as a stop on a coastal road trip, such as the Beach Bum or Coast Road routes, or as base from which to explore other sights in the area (see Related Guides). Weather and sea conditions are best from March to August; it can be rough and wet between November and January. Click an item from the contents below for more details:

CONTENTS:

Map

See & Do

Sleep

Eat & Drink

Transport

Related Guides

Dai Lanh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Đại Lãnh Beach in on the south-central coast in Khánh Hòa Province

MAP:

Đại Lãnh Beach

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See & Do:

Every time I visit Đại Lãnh, I’m surprised at what a dazzling sight it is. Seen from the passes at either end of the bay – the Cả Pass to the north and the Cổ Mã Pass to the south – it’s difficult to understand why Đại Lãnh doesn’t attract more visitors and receive more attention from the travel industry. In the past, everyone travelling north-south on the nation’s main road would be treated with glimpses of the sweeping bay and blue sea from their vehicle. People would gasp at the sight of the beach, but few would stop, except maybe for a quick snack and a photo before continuing on their journey. Back then, the issue of traffic and noise pollution from the road took the edge off Đại Lãnh’s appeal and was a major hindrance to its development as a beach destination and being anything more than a pretty sight from the road. However, when two new tunnels opened in 2017, leading under the Cả and Cổ Mã passes and linked by a new highway several hundred metres inland from the beach, Đại Lãnh was left in relative peace. Some transportation still takes the old road along Đại Lãnh Beach (motorbikes and oil trucks aren’t allowed through the tunnels), but the traffic is light. The train line still passes along the bay, but I feel this adds a certain romance and excitement to the destination, rather than being an unwanted distraction.

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Dai Lanh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Đại Lãnh Beach is enclosed on three sides by steep green mountains

Dai Lanh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Đại Lãnh public beach

Known during the colonial period as Cap Varella, the beach used to be a popular weekend destination for French colons and any Vietnamese lucky enough to have the time (and money) for leisure. The post-tunnel era should mark a change in the perception of Đại Lãnh Beach from brief pit-stop to desirable beach retreat once again. The transition is still in the early stages, but it seems inevitable that major tourist development will eventually come. For now, travellers can enjoy this long beach for a night or more at a couple of good accommodation options.

Dai Lanh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Exterior of a guest room at Đại Lãnh Beach Villas

Dai Lanh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Guest rooms at Đại Lãnh Beach Hotel

Sheltering tightly at the northern end of the bay is Đại Lãnh fishing village, whose fleet of wooden boats cluster in the calm waters, nodding in the surf. A new embankment leads along the seafront by the village lined with coracles and wooden trestles of tiny fish drying in the sun. A pier handles the catch each morning, which is interesting to watch, although the fishy smell might be too much to handle for some people. On the opposite side of the main road (west of the ocean), there are crossings over the railway line and into the narrow village lanes which are dotted with local food and drinks vendors, especially around the market. There are some interesting buildings, including a few old red-tile-roofed traditional houses and some Vietnamese Modernist dwellings. Phước Sơn pagoda is on the main road not far from the small, good-looking Đại Lãnh train station.

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Dai Lanh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Đại Lãnh fishing village is sheltered at the northern end of the bay

Dai Lanh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
A new embankment leads along the seafront of Đại Lãnh fishing village

The village peters out as it reaches a shady stand of casuarina trees near the centre of the bay. This is where the long, sandy public beach starts and continues unbroken to the southern end. Although there’s some household trash washed up on the sand, the water is clear and the swimming is very good. The cleanliness of the beach will depend on the time of year, weather conditions and currents, but in general the sand is kept cleanest in front of Đại Lãnh Beach Hotel and Đại Lãnh Beach Villas. The former is accessed via a small bridge over a stream leading to a large, open-sided restaurant, which also offers deck chairs, beach loungers and showers for a reasonable fee. Busy during national holidays, it’s tranquil, breezy and empty at most other times. Assuming the weather and sea conditions are good, you could happily spend anything from a few hours to a few days here, watching the blue waves break in a long line across the two-kilometre beach, enjoying cool evening swims, and waking up early for mesmerizing sunrises.

What’s more, this is a great place to base yourself for several nights while exploring the area’s other interesting sights, such as Vũng Rô Bay, Hòn Nưa Islet, Núi Đá Bia Mountain, the Cả Pass and Hòn Gốm Sandbar. There are lots of reasons to like Đại Lãnh Beach and to think that it has a bright future.

Dai Lanh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
The public beach is located at the central & southern end of Đại Lãnh Bay

Dai Lanh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Beach loungers at Đại Lãnh Hotel

Dai Lanh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
View from a guest room at Đại Lãnh Beach Villas

Dai Lanh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Fishing boats in Đại Lãnh Bay

Dai Lanh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Đại Lãnh bay seen from the fishing village

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Sleep:

On the main street through Đại Lãnh there are a couple of cheap and decent local guesthouses (nhà nghỉ). The best of them is Phú Ngoan Hotel, which offers clean, simple rooms for around 300,000vnd per night. But it’s worth remembering that the railway is immediately behind the hotel and the road is in front, so noise can be an issue. There used to be a better choice of guesthouses and mini-hotels along Đại Lãnh’s main road, but they have disappeared post-pandemic.

By far the best place to stay is at either of the two locations of Khu Du Lịch Đại LãnhDai Lanh Tourist Zone. Located near the centre of the bay, the cheaper of these (Đại Lãnh Beach Hotel) is accessed via a little bridge leading off the main road and into the trees along the beach. Beyond the sprawling restaurant are several rows of simple but pleasant rooms set back from the beach under the trees. Singles, doubles and triples are good value at 400,000đ-900,000đ with air-con, hot water shower and breakfast. The cheapest option are the cute, colourful wooden beach huts raised above the sand (400,000đ), but they’re a bit cramped. Furnished tents are available too (500,000đ) or you can pitch your own on the sand for a nominal fee. For even better accommodation (and a swimming pool), head to the southern end of the bay where a roadside restaurant is also the location of a collection of very attractive beach villa rooms (Đại Lãnh Beach Villas) with balconies and terraces leading onto the sand beneath a grove of coconut palms (1,000,000đ-1,200,000đ per night with breakfast). Note that all prices are likely to rise during public holidays.

Beach huts, Dai Lanh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Cheap (and small) beach huts at Đại Lãnh Beach Hotel

Beach Villa, Dai Lanh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Spacious bedroom at Đại Lãnh Beach Villas

Swimming pool, Dai Lanh Beach Villas, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Swimming pool at Đại Lãnh Beach Villas

Guest Room, Dai Lanh Beach Hotel, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Standard guest bedroom at Đại Lãnh Beach Hotel

Guest House, Dai Lanh, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Exterior of Phú Ngoan Guest House

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Eat & Drink:

Đại Lãnh, and much of the surrounding coastal region, is famous for its chả cá (fish cakes). These are sold in speciality stores along the main road through the village (look for signs saying chả cá). The fish cakes are also served in many of the dishes sold at eateries along the roadside, such as bún chả cá (fishcake noodle soup) and bánh mì chả cá (fishcake baguette). There are several casual seafood restaurants (quán cơm hải sản) lining the road through Đại Lãnh village, many of which serve the local speciality, lẩu mực (squid hotpot). For good, visitor-friendly dining with ocean views (and a breeze), the restaurant at Đại Lãnh Beach Hotel is very good and so is Quán Như Tiên. For breakfast, snacks, juices and cafes, try searching the streets around the market.

Evening meal, Đại Lãnh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Evening meal at the restaurant at Đại Lãnh Beach Hotel

Food vendor sign, Đại Lãnh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
A street food sign, including local favourite chả cá (fish cake)

Food vendor, Đại Lãnh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Street food in Đại Lãnh village

Fishing fleet, Đại Lãnh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
As a fishing village, Đại Lãnh is famous for seafood, especially lẩu mực (squid hotpot)

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Transportation:

Before the tunnels opened at either end of Đại Lãnh Beach, all north-south buses used to pass through the village. Now, however, buses take the new highway which leads behind Đại Lãnh and through the tunnels. This means it’s a little more difficult for independent travellers to get to Đại Lãnh, unless you have your own wheels or hire a vehicle and driver. If travelling by motorbike or bicycle, simply take the Cả Pass from the north or the Cổ Mã Pass from the south (both are beautiful roads) and you’ll arrive at Đại Lãnh Beach. It’s also possible to visit Đại Lãnh as a day- or day-night-trip from either Nha Trang (80km due south) or Tuy Hòa (40km due north) with a hired car and driver, which usually costs around $100 per day arranged through your accommodation. If travelling by bus, you can ask any of the north-south buses to drop you at the Cổ Mã Pass, from where you’ll need to walk or hitch the last 3km to Đại Lãnh Beach. The nearest airports are Tuy Hòa and Cam Ranh (Nha Trang), both of which have regular flights to/from major domestic cities. Đại Lãnh has a train station, but it is rarely used and is not a regular stop on the north-south Reunification Express train services. There may be irregular local trains that stop at Đại Lãnh station, but you’d need to check at one of the major stations nearby, such as Tuy Hòa or Nha Trang.

The Cả Pass tunnels, Vietnam
Since the tunnels opened in 2017, buses rarely stop at Đại Lãnh Beach

Old highway, Đại Lãnh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Traffic on the old highway running through Đại Lãnh is far lighter than in the past

Đại Lãnh railway station, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Đại Lãnh railway station is an interesting building but few trains stop here

Đại Lãnh Beach, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam
Đại Lãnh Beach seen from the Cổ Mã Pass to the south

*Disclosure: I never receive payment for anything I write: my content is always free and independent. I’ve written this guide because I want to: I like this beach and I want my readers to know about it. For more details, see my Disclosure & Disclaimer statements and my About Page

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Leave a Comment

Questions, updates and trip reports are all welcome. However, please keep comments polite and on-topic. See commenting etiquette for details.

  1. Cameron Davies says:
    May 15, 2019 at 3:49 AM

    Hi Tom,

    Vung Ro Bay and Dai Lanh are amazing. Really looking forward to Hon Gom sandbar tomorrow. You recommend staying at Hotel Binh Lieu, a tall grey building.

    There is still one sign saying ‘Hotel Binh Lieu’ outside, but the hotel itself has been painted in loads of colours and its name has changed to ‘Le Plateau’ as far as I can tell. Still very easy to find, but easier if you know the name and colour change.

    Cheers,
    Cameron.

    1. Tom says:
      May 15, 2019 at 3:23 PM

      Hi Cameron,

      Thanks for letting me and other readers know about that – great update. I think I’d heard something like that before, but had no conformation.

      I hope you enjoy the Sandbar – there’s also been reports of changes up near the top there, too.

      Tom

  2. Johanna says:
    March 27, 2019 at 2:33 AM

    Nous sommes arrivées à Dai Lanh hier avec un bus local depuis la gare nord de Nha Trang. Jolie plage mais pleine de déchets. Le port et les centaines de bateaux sur l’eau sont beaux.
    Par contre il est impossible de louer une moto. Nous avons essayé à plusieurs endroits mais nous n’avons eut que des refus. Nous n’avons donc pas pu visiter la presque île.
    Jolie étape mais seulement si l’on a sa propre moto.

    1. Tom says:
      March 27, 2019 at 3:04 AM

      Thanks, Johanna. Glad you enjoyed it.

  3. Simon says:
    January 2, 2018 at 11:32 AM

    Hi, we just arrived in dai lanh and unfortunately there is nothing more left of the beach than a narrow stripe full of waste and dirt. Probably, the destruction is due to a typhoon in november, we read about. Also the little huts you wrote about are gone and there are a lot of destroyed houses along the coast. It seems like they’re already building some new touristic facilities, but i guess the devastation of the beach is irreversible. We are planning to check out vung ro bay tomorrow. I’ll let you know what the situation is there.

    1. Tom says:
      January 2, 2018 at 11:45 AM

      Hi Simon,

      Thanks for the update. I’m very sorry to hear that. Yes, I’m sure you’re right that the typhoon in November had an impact on the beach, but I suspect that, ever since the new tunnels opened in September 2017, the beach has been slated for big development, hence the destruction of the local houses.

      I hope Vung Ro is still nice.

      Good luck,

      Tom

    2. David says:
      January 13, 2018 at 5:11 PM

      Hi Simon,

      Just confirming (in case your comment was for some reason delayed in being published or something) you were/are in Đại Lãnh early January 2018?

      Reason I ask is… we jumped on some cheap tickets to Tuy Hoà in 2 weeks times and after consuming this excellent blog had planned to base ourselves in Đại Lãnh. Obviously your comment is of concern considering this part of central Vietnam was badly affected by typhoon Damrey.

      I thought it odd then that Đại Lãnh Tourist Area is still actively posting on Facebook so seeing as our travel plans are suddenly in jeopardy I contacted them and they confirmed that although they sustained some damage from the typhoon, after performing repairs they are operating as per normal. So… I wonder if you might be on the wrong stretch of beach?

      @Tom: fantastic blog, there is so little information about this area and your posts have been a goldmine regarding Hon Gom Sandbar, the Vung Ro bay and the Dai Lanh and Mon beaches.

      David

      1. Tom says:
        January 14, 2018 at 12:10 AM

        Hi David,

        Thanks for this information.

        Although I haven’t been to Dai Lanh since typhoon Damrey, I would imagine that, despite the destruction caused, much of it will have been cleared or repaired by now and the area in general will still be very scenic and worth visiting. However, it does sound as though resort construction has started on Dai Lanh beach – surely because the traffic of Highway 1 has now been diverted through the tunnel – and I’d expect the beach and fishing village to change a lot in the coming months.

        If you do go, I’d appreciate any updates.

        Thank you,

        Tom

        1. David says:
          February 2, 2018 at 3:38 PM

          Hi Tom,

          We just returned from 5 days in Đại Lãnh & Tuy Hoà. Here are our observations:

          Đại Lãnh beach hotel is very much in operation. They did sustain some damage – staff showed us the photos of the aftermath – but after a few weeks of cleanup are back up and running since mid December (see https://www.facebook.com/KhudulichDailanh/posts/1503238353105295 . The beach huts were re-positioned a little further back from the sea, but are all there. We agree with your assessment the hotel is overpriced for what it is. They are expanding a little. A few new kiosks built recently, another bridge to cross that creek/stream was in construction. Was a tiny bit of construction down the road. Seemed more like holiday houses though than full blown tourist area.

          The sandbar and its beaches are so serene. We hired a bike and spent the day there most of the time it felt like we were the only people there. Interestingly the locals referred to it as the Đầm Môn/Sơn Đừng area. Based on a quick google search it seems you may have coined the name Hon Gom Sandbar 😉

          Vũng Rô bay and Môn beach are also stunning. The prawn and fish farms seem to be slowly re-building. Driving through the town we saw a lot of green wire mesh cages being built. There were also many floating restaurants to be seen. Sadly we were advised by several locals not to ride on a bike through Cả pass (from Đại Lãnh to Môn beach at least). Apparently since the tunnel began operating the roads have far fewer vehicles and bandits are quite common, especially at night and in the lead up to Tết aka now.

          Overall, based on what we’ve seen in other parts of Vietnam there is not much sign of destruction remaining. A lot of houses that are in poor condition at the moment look like they were in such a condition before the typhoon. I would say it is more a sign of the low incomes and low standard of housing in the general area.

          Still no sign of big construction though from what we could see. 2 different taxi drivers mentioned that they are still waiting for the area’s potential to be exploited and for the tourism boom to begin (they are looking forward to it for the economic reasons).

          David

          1. Tom says:
            February 4, 2018 at 9:44 AM

            Hi David,

            Thank you very much for you updates and information. I’m glad to hear that the area is still beautiful and not yet undergoing major construction, and that the parts that were affected by the typhoon are recovering.

            Tom

  4. Riana Roetapp says:
    October 24, 2017 at 6:43 AM

    Dear Tom,

    Thanks for your labour of love that’s this website, it has helped me in my planning tremendously. Do you know if the Dai Lanh tunnels have opened? I could not find anything on news sites about it (that I could read). We are coming from Dalat and want to find a base along the coast to explore Vu Rong, Van Phong. For now, it’s a toss between staying in Doc Let (and vegging out there) or Dai Lanh.

    1. Tom says:
      October 24, 2017 at 6:50 AM

      Hi Riana,

      Yes, the tunnels have opened, so Dai Lanh is much quieter than before. However, they are now carrying out some resort construction on parts of the beach.

      Personally, I’d prefer to base myself in Dai Lanh rather than Doc Let, simply because it’s a bit more local. But both beaches are great places and convenient bases from which to explore the area. Don’t forget Hon Gom Sandbar too 🙂

      I hope this helps,

      Tom

  5. Selu says:
    November 1, 2016 at 6:24 AM

    Hi Tom,

    Thanks a lot for this website, it’s pretty useful for the expat community living in Beautiful Vietnam. My last trip to Ha Giang in September is an evidence of this 😉

    I’ll be hosting three friends during next January (Tet and the previous week), and I persuaded them to go from Saigon to Hue by train with rented bikes (I think Tigit is the most reliable option for us, for a long trip) and start from Hue to come back to Saigon by bike. 10 days, 1000 km, I think it’s doable for people who’s not used to long distances by bike.

    I’ve been in Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An (also Hai Van pass, wow), but I’ve never been in the long coastal belt from Hoi An to Nha Trang. I came to your website to look for some information for these five provinces (Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa) and I barely found anything, just for the south area of this coastal belt, the closest area to Nha Trang. Why? Is this area not worthy enough to give it a try? Could you please lend me a hand with this?

    Cheers,
    Selu

    1. Tom says:
      November 1, 2016 at 3:58 PM

      Hi Selu,

      I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed Ha Giang.

      The coastal route from Hoi An to Nha Trang is great if you stay on the coastal back-roads as much as possible. I haven’t written any details guides to that route yet, but I have marked the route on my Beach Bum map here. Make sure you zoom in close so that you get the small roads. At some points you do have to go on Highway 1, but most of it in on smaller coastal roads. Highlights are the beach road north and south of Quy Nhon (and Quy Nhon is a great city too), and the coast road south of Tuy Hoa, including Vung Ro Bay, the Ca Pass, Dai Lanh beach and Hon Gom Peninsular.

      Another option from Hoi An is to go up to the Ho Chi Minh Road at Thanh My and take it south to Kon Tum, then take the mountain road QL24 (also called AH132) down to Quang Ngai and join the coast from there (or you could take QL19 down to Quy Nhon).

      I hope this helps,

      Tom

  6. Trang Le says:
    November 3, 2015 at 5:58 AM

    While you at it, consider swimming at night time at Dai Lanh beach especially on moonlit nights. The sound of the waves roaring on calm water of early summer and the one-road town hanging afar from one mountain pass to another with a trickle of light are enchanting. Submerge in the warm and reflective water and you melt right into the universe.

    1. Tom says:
      November 3, 2015 at 11:08 AM

      Yes, sounds nice. Thank you

  7. Alex says:
    January 24, 2015 at 12:42 PM

    Hi, Tom! Just visited this area, thanks to your notes, and have to say, that Bai Mon, QL29 road, ving ro bay are totally amazing. Also a nice thing about wildlife – you can met some wild animals, birds and butterflies just in the road, which is extremely rare for this country, where the wildlife seems to be totally gone in the past even in national parks. But just have to mention 1 thing for some travelers, may be it will be useful and destruct some illusions. Beaches of Vung ro bay and north of dai lanh beach are using by locals as a huge trashgrounds – locals throw away all garbage, , cans, old underwear, spoiled food, cloth, rubber, paper and absolutely everything from their houses straight to the beach. And once you see this on the north part of the beach, there absolutely no wish to go swim in this water at more clear south part of dai lanh beach) but of course, views, nature and authencity of this places, as far as a great wild beaches of Bai Mon and more to the north, doing this area absolutely must stop place for 1-2 days. By the way , did you visit a peninsula just south from Dai Lanh? Unfortunately, I didn’t have time, but it seems to be beautiful area as well..

    1. Tom says:
      January 25, 2015 at 4:01 AM

      Hi Alex,
      Happy to hear that you enjoyed the area. Yes, trash is a problem with many undeveloped beaches in Vietnam. It is very sad. Sometimes the tides and the winds at certain times of the year can make the beaches dirtier than at other times. However, you can nearly always find a stretch of beach that isn’t dirty. People’s awareness of the consequences of littering is slowly getting better. I do hope that trash on beaches and in rivers and forests won’t be a problem for too long. I still love the area and I would chose it over the cleaned-up but massively developed beaches of Nha Trang and Mui Ne any day.
      Thanks for your comment.
      Tom

  8. Martin says:
    December 26, 2014 at 6:45 PM

    Thank you for this insider tip! Two of my best days in Vietnam. Literally a private beach, relaxing, sun. In the afternoon I took a walk to pier, where the fisherman unloaded the catch. One of them invited me home and we cooked cuttle fish. Of course he only spoke Vietnamese. One of my warmest memories.

    1. Tom says:
      December 29, 2014 at 1:10 AM

      That’s good to hear! It’s a great beach apart from the highway running behind it.