Last updated March 2024 | Words and photos by 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.

With calm, clear waters, rocky escarpments, hidden coves, beaches squeezed between jungle-clad bluffs, remote fishing villages and good road access, Vũng Rô Bay and Bãi Môn Beach should be well-known coastal destinations. But, despite several huge development proposals for the area over the last decade, there has so far been no implementation whatsoever, leaving this achingly beautiful promontory on Vietnam’s south-central coast almost entirely empty and untouched by mass tourism. For now, at least, Vũng Rô Bay and Bãi Môn Beach remain an ideal destination for independent travellers, especially those on two wheels. Great as a day-night trip from Nha Trang or as a stop on a longer coastal itinerary, this rugged, green and enchanting cape was formed, according to legend, by a magical bird that flew down from the north and descended upon the area to become a mountainous headland.

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VUNG RO BAY & BAI MON BEACH

A Gorgeous Coastal Region Ideal for Exploration

In this guide, I’ve written a description of Vũng Rô Bay and Bãi Môn Beach, including a few things to see, do and eat, as well as an annotated map of the area and lots of photos. Weather is best between March and September. The nearest decent accommodation is on Đại Lãnh Beach (15km southwest) or Tuy Hòa City (35km north). The latter also has an airport and train station, as does Nha Trang (130km south). However, Vũng Rô Bay and Bãi Môn Beach are best visited as part of a longer coastal road trip (by motorbike, bicycle or car), such as the Beach Bum route or the Coast Road. Getting to Vũng Rô Bay and Bãi Môn Beach is part of the fun of visiting. Access from the west is via a steep spur road (QL29) from the top of the Cả Pass, and from the north via a beautiful, empty coast road from Tuy Hòa (also QL29). This road weaves along the waterfront linking both Bãi Môn Beach and Vũng Rô Bay. (There are several others beaches and activities in the area: see Related Guides.)

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CONTENTS:

Map

Vũng Rô Bay

Bãi Môn Beach

Related Guides

MAP:

Vũng Rô Bay & Bãi Môn Beach

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Vũng Rô Bay: 

Vũng Rô Bay is formed by a tongue of rugged land that spreads southwest into the ocean, sheltering the shoreline from the winds and weather coming off the East Sea. The large bay is dotted with hundreds of floating homes, fish farms and wooden fishing boats which appear to hover above the cobalt-blue water. A dramatic backdrop is created by craggy, jungle-covered mountains culminating in an 80m-high, free-standing boulder atop the highest peak in the region, known as Núi Đá Bia – ‘Stele Mountain’ – which bears down on the bay and can be climbed independently.

Standing at the provincial border of Khánh Hòa and Phú Yên, Vũng Rô Bay is bounded on all sides: to the west by the Cả Pass, to the north by Núi Đá Bia Mountain, to the east by Mũi Điện Cape, and to the south by the craggy islet Hòn Nưa, which acts as a sort of natural guard post at the entrance to the bay. As such, Vũng Rô is not only a highly scenic area but also an ideal natural harbour. Indeed, Vũng Rô has long been slated for major port and tourism development, but as yet none of the ambitious plans have come to fruition.

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Road QL29 skirts along the northern shore of the bay, passing Vũng Rô port and village where there are a few snack vendors and cafes. But the best dining is actually out on the bay itself at one of the dozens of floating seafood restaurants (bè nổi hải sản). Reached via short boat taxis, these restaurants serve fresh treats from the sea, such as lobster, giant shrimp, fish and oysters, much of which is farmed in the bay and freshly caught to order. Dining out on the bay at lunchtime is a major draw for domestic visitors. Look for signs on the road saying bè nổi hải sản and follow the pathways down to the boat jetties to be ferried out to the restaurants. Prices are quite reasonable.

Despite its natural beauty and tourism potential, Vũng Rô Bay is still best known – in Vietnam and the United States – for an incident that occurred here during the ‘American War’, in February 1965. The bay was once an unofficial port on the Maritime Ho Chi Minh Trail which supplied the National Liberation Front for South Vietnam (Viet Cong) soldiers in the south with arms by way of nameless ghost ships that attempted to sail down from the north undetected carrying Soviet and Chinese war material. Between 1964 and 1965, several ‘ghost ships’ landed successfully at Vũng Rô Bay with thousands of tons of weaponry.

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The event known as the Vũng Rô Bay Incident was sparked when a US helicopter flew over the bay and noticed a large camouflaged vessel perpendicular to the shore. The pilot alerted the South Vietnamese base in Nha Trang who subsequently sent planes to bomb the area. Several skirmishes ensued and, depending of which side’s account you read, the ship was either blown up by National Liberation Front soldiers to prevent it coming into South Vietnamese and US hands, or it was blown up by South Vietnamese planes. Either way, the event signaled the end of the Maritime Ho Chi Minh Trail and confirmed US suspicions of a secret sea route from the north supplying soldiers in the south. Some dozens of lives were lost in the incident and after it the US built a military supply port in the bay. Today there’s a monument, memorial and small museum to commemorate the incident (called Tàu Không Số – Ship With No Number) at the water’s edge near where it occurred.

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Bãi Môn Beach:

Just a few kilometres due north of Vũng Rô Bay on the coast road (QL29), Bãi Môn is a perfect V-shaped inlet filled with golden sand and enclosed on two sides by rocky cliffs, the southern one topped with an elegant lighthouse. The beach – one of the best in Vietnam – is a fabulous sight, especially seen from the many viewpoints along the coast road just north of it. Entrance and parking is 30,000vnd at a ticket kiosk. Several well-maintained pathways lead around the area: one goes straight down to the beach; another leads up along the side of the cliff to the lighthouse, after which it continues to a wild and windy cape (Mũi Điện) which is the second most easterly point on mainland Vietnam. The last pathway is a steep staircase ascending directly from the beach to the lighthouse.

Bãi Môn beach is great for swimming, although it is very exposed during the day (there are no trees) and there’s sometimes a strong current, so be careful. The short hike up to the lighthouse is well worth it. Originally constructed in 1890 during French colonial times, the lighthouse was totally destroyed by bombs in 1965 (the same time as the Vũng Rô Bay Incident – see above), but was eventually rebuilt in 1995 and has been fully operational since 1997. The lighthouse was one of the first ever to be constructed in Vietnam and led to the area becoming known as Mũi Điện – Electric Cape – a name which persists to this day. The lighthouse is 26m high and visitors can go inside and climb the rickety spiral stairwell leading to the light itself, which can be seen as far as 40km out at sea. From the top, the panoramic views of the bay are superb.

To the right, after passing the ticket kiosk there’s a small structure called Chú Mười which can prepare meals and even offer basic accommodation for the night. It’s also potentially possible to camp on Bãi Môn beach, but you must ask permission first. There are some snacks and drinks vendors and a souvenir shop near the entrance, but not much else, although that’s bound to change in the near future. If you continue due north on the coast road (QL29) there’s another good beach (Bãi Tiên) and several roadside cafes with views over the sands. If you have time, spend at least half a day exploring this area, because there’s lots more to see and discover.

*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 & bay and I want my readers to know about them. For more details, see my Disclosure & Disclaimer statements and my About Page

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