Vung Tau Vietnam: The Ultimate Travel Guide
Taking only 3 hours driving from Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau welcomes all travelers with a marvelous view of a 20 km beautiful coastline. Separated completely from the mainland, Vung Tau Vietnam gives you all the chance to marvel at the mesmerizing scene of the East Sea transforming completely at sunrise and sunset.
Visiting the place, you can find yourself become one with a comforting and peaceful atmosphere along the winding roads. The magical beauty of Vung Tau, Vietnam is made from the harmony of the vast blue sea, the towering rock mountains, the ancient, solemn temples and cathedrals. More than just the famous landmarks, travelers to Vung Tau also find themselves immersed into the charm of the countlessly alluring places as well.
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The best time to travel to Vung Tau, Vietnam
There is no best time to travel to Vung Tau Vietnam, simply because anytime is the best time. Vung Tau is packed all year round thanks to the welcoming temperatures, never too cold or too hot.
The only thing you should keep in mind is to stay away from the storms, so always remember to look up the weather forecast prior to your trip to Vung Tau. Moreover, this beach city always attracts more visitors during the weekends and of course, on public holidays, so be prepared for service fees to be charged higher than usual. Other than that, you are good to go!
You can explore Best of Vung Tau Private Tour – Shore Excursion
Beautiful Beaches in Vung Tau
Vung Tau beaches pride themselves on crystal clear waters, unspoiled sceneries in combination with one-of-a-kind beach activities that ensure you the best beach tour holidays.
1. Long Hai Beach
The Long Hai Beach still holds many pristine and clean features, gentle beaches, golden sand stretching across the beach covered by the clear, blue water, all harmonizing with the greens from the peaceful forest. The source of relaxation from mother nature captures each and every visitor to the place. In addition to swimming, visitors can freely enjoy cheap, fresh seafood in the early morning.
2. Back Beach
Even though its official name is Thuy Van Beach, the name “Back Beach” has been associated with the calling of the locals. Back Beach is calm and quiet most days of the year except for the strong monsoon. With fresh, cool space, Back Beach is ideal for you to change from the hot urban atmosphere.
3. Front Beach
If the Back Beach boasts peaceful beauty, immersed in the typical sunshine of the tropical climate, the Front Beach is more vibrant, bringing in the breath of a prosperous and bustling life. This is the area that focuses more on entertainment facilities. Along the Front Beach are rows of coconut trees, lush tropical almond trees, and a shady park area for pedestrians.
4. Con Dao
Owning pristine islands and elegant beaches, Con Dao is considered the “resort paradise” in Vung Tau Vietnam that you cannot ignore. Con Dao has also been included in Lonely Planet’s travel magazine as one of the top nine of the world’s most mysterious islands.
Coming to Con Dao archipelago, you have plenty of time to relax in the cool blue water, scuba dive to see corals, go fishing, explore Ong Dung forest, watch turtles laying eggs and visit many other mysterious islands such as: Hon Bay Edge, Hon Trung, Hon Tre, Hon Cau, Hon Ba,…
5. Suoi O Beach
Suoi O Beach, also known as Song Lo beach, is located in Binh Chau Commune, Xuyen Moc District (Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province), about 3 km from Binh Chau Market, on the way to Binh Chau Hot Springs. Suoi O has both a fresh spring and smooth white sand beach with the vast blue sea. The special feature of this beach is that there are two parallel blue water lines connecting the river and the sea separated by white sand.
6. Ho Coc – Ho Tram Beach
Different from other beaches in the center of Vung Tau City, the landscape in Ho Tram is quiet with the rustic local lifestyle. The calm blue sea and the stretching white sand are indispensable. You can also enjoy the rare peaceful moments of life when coming to resorts here, peacefully listening to the wind from the coast.
Only 2 km from Ho Tram is Ho Coc, Ho Coc Beach is famous for its serenity and captivating scenery. The coastal road from Ho Tram to Ho Coc is exceptionally graceful and poetic for the blue of the sea mixed with the green of the immense trees.
Best Tourist Attractions in Vung Tau, Vietnam
Even the locals would love traveling to Vung Tau because it is very close to the city. However, besides alluring beaches and delicious seafood, Vung Tau has many other interesting tourist attractions that are all waiting you to explore!
1. White Palace
White Palace is called after the French name “Villa Blanche”, which means white villa. Located on the big mountain side of Vung Tau City, White Palace has its front facing the sea while the back leaning on the mountain. This 3-story building features a height of 19m and a length of 25m. Visiting the villa, travelers adore the French architecture showcasing in the artistic layout.
2. Pagoda of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
Prominent among the temple scene is a 16m high statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva standing on a white lotus. Located on the big roundabout road of Vung Tau City, Pagoda of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva was first constructed in 1976 before rebuilt in 1993 as spaciously as it is today.
3. Linh Son Co Tu
Not the biggest temple but Linh Son Co Tu is the oldest one in Vung Tau. In the main shrine of the pagoda is a 1.2m high Buddha image with gold-plated stone sculpted very skillfully to create a gentle and very lively face according to the nuances of the Cham Buddha image. Archaeologists have estimated that this statue was built about 1600 years ago.
4. Statue of Christ the King
The Statue of Christ the King, also known as the Statue of God with his arms out, or the Statue of Christ at the top of Mount Tao Phung is one of the great wonders of Vietnam as well as one of the world’s tallest Jesus Statues. The statue stands tall atop Mount Tao Phung to bring a breath-taking view for visitors.
Considered as a similar version of the statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this statue is 32 meters high, spanning 18.3 meters long with a staircase inside consisting of 133 steps up to the hands of the statue.
5. Statue of Gautama Buddha
Located on the Big Mountain slopes of Vung Tau City, this is one of the most famous temples in Vung Tau, and also the one that has been recognized by the Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture and Information as a National Historical-Cultural Monument. The scene of Buddha sitting in meditation on a lotus can be recognised from afar blends perfectly with the surrounding natural landscapes, giving all travelers the best photo opportunities.
6. Ho May Park
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This is exactly one of the most fascinating destinations to explore when coming to Vung Tau Vietnam. Ho May Park is always great for families with children for a wide variety of games such as aircraft, horse-drawn, roundhouse, train, children’s water park, etc. All the exciting activities will surely guarantee you a fantastic time with your loved ones.
7. Thang Tam Temple
Thang Tam Temple in Vung Tau Vietnam, a cultural and spiritual destination is a place of worship of three guards of the residential cluster of Phuoc Thang village – formed to protect Vietnamese merchant ships under the decree of King Gia Long. This place has witnessed many struggles for the independence of Phuoc Thang people and is also a valuable historical relic of the Vietnamese nation.
8. Vung Tau Lighthouse
The Vung Tau Lighthouse stretches an area of more than 3,400m2 with separate areas such as customs tower, lighthouse, military service works such as tunnels, vaults, signal poles, etc. There is a staircase inside leading to the top of the lighthouse, where there are strong balustrades and balconies. This is where visitors can capture the entire romantic scenery of this coastal city into the eyes.
9. Worldwide Arms Museum
Located quite close to Front Beach, the Museum of Ancient Weapons embraces the ancient appearance of a French mansion which is home to more than 2,500 ancient weapons artifacts from around the world. The artifacts were collected by a British-born man named Robert Taylor, with a passion for antiques he founded the museum and introduced it to the public.
10. The Big House
Long Son Big House or Ong Tran Temple was built with a total area of about 2 hectares. Mr. Tran’s real name is Le Van Muu, who came to Vung Tau to set up a career and evangelize. He helped the people here have a happier and more prospering life.
Tran’s temple (February 20 in lunar calendar) and Trung Cuu day (September 9 in lunar calendar) are two major festivals of Tran temple, attracting tens of thousands of people to attend. In 1991, Mr. Tran’s big house was recognized by the Ministry of Culture and Information as a national historical monument.
See more on Long Tan Battlefield and Vung Tau Highlights
Special events in Vung Tau, Vietnam
More than just attractive attractions, Vung Tau also captures the hearts of visitors through the diversity of traditional folk festivals, originated from the deep-rooted customs and beliefs of its sea dwellers. If you are someone who’s interested in digging through the layers of history and cultures, you should never miss out these special events in Vung Tau. Here are some:
1. Nghinh Ong Festival
Known as the biggest festival for the fishermen in Vung Tau Vietnam, Nghinh Ong Festival has been recognized as one of the 15 important festivals in the country since 2000. Every year, from the 16th till the 18th of August of the lunar calendar, Nghinh Ong Festival takes place at Ca Ong Tomb, Hoang Hoa Tham Street, Vung Tau City.
2. Ba Ngu Hanh Temple Festival
Ba Ngu Hanh Temple takes place from the 16th, 17th to 18th of October of the lunar calendar in Ba Ngu Hanh Temple of Vung Tau City. Even though the festival has been attracting seas of visitors to come to pray and give offerings, the solemnity is still well preserved while locals conduct usual rituals and some folk games.
3. Dinh Co Festival
From the 10th to the 12th of the lunar February every year comes the Dinh Co Festival. Located near Long Hai Beach, Dinh Co is an ancient temple featuring traditional architecture in harmony with religious meaning. The festival here is filled with folk cultures long ago, and that’s the reason why it can attract thousands of visitors to come and immerse themselves into the cultural space.
4. Commemoration Feast of Tran Hung Dao
The Commemoration Feast of Tran Hung Dao is held annually on the 20th of August of the lunar calendar. This ceremony used to be strictly held among the locals only, but now it is open for everyone, and thus attracting quite a number of visitors throughout the whole country.
5. Festival of the Dinh Than Thang Tam
Every year, the festival of Dinh Than Thang Tam occurs on the 17th till the 20th on the lunar month of February. The ceremony takes place sophisticatedly with many complexed regulations following for people to pray for peace, as well as wishing for a prospering harvest season for fish and shrimps.
Holidays in Vung Tau, Vietnam can be spent lazing on the beaches, exploring local festivals, taking in dazzling inland vistas and visiting glittering temples. When you reach this very line, is it good to plan a trip to this fantastic beach paradise? Contact us now.
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