Local Interest
Healthy, outdoor fun!
Hash Harriers
Vung Tau is not yet a major tourist drawcard, but it’ s only an hour or so by hydrofoil ferry or two hours by road from Ho Chi Minh City – and there’ s plenty to see and do for the savvy traveller and expat alike. An unusual but very interesting way to see the city and its surrounds is to spend a pleasant Sunday afternoon with the local Hash House Harriers( there are more than 2,000“ Hash” chapters in nearly 200 countries – including at least five in Vietnam). Vung Tau City Hash House Harriers, widely known as“ VTH3”, was founded in 1992 and includes a vibrant mix of itinerant oil & gas workers from around the world, a solid band of local families, a growing number of expat English teachers and businesspeople, and the ubiquitous retirees! They run, walk or crawl(!) every Sunday, regardless of the weather, with average attendance anywhere between 20 and 40. A big attraction for hashing with VTH3, apart from the obvious ones of meeting new people, making new contacts and having fun, is to gain an appreciation of the local countryside and culture“ up close and personal” – via exposure to sites( and sights) that the average tourist could never hope to see! Small Mountain, on the eastern point of the peninsula, is home to the iconic, 32-metre tall statue of“ Jesus with outstretched arms”. Tourists are able to climb 811 steps to Jesus statue and then another 100 + inside to reach the outstretched arms, which provide“ balconies” with views across the city on one side and the East Sea( aka South China Sea) on the other. But an alternative route to the statue that’ s very popular with VTH3, is to follow a trail up the back of the mountain and through a local village full of happy children who flock around the Hashers to joyfully practise their English at every opportunity – it’ s lots more fun! Another site that’ s arguably just as popular is the lighthouse on the other peak of Small Mountain. Tourists reach the top by sealed road, but Hashers have several trails they love to follow through the bush – again, meeting lots of friendly locals along the way! Big Mountain is the“ jewel in VTH3’ s crown”. It extends about 6 km and has several peaks, all of which provide off-road trails for intrepid Hashers. There are many fishing villages dotted along Vung Tau’ s East Sea coastline, extending more than 20 kilometres north of the city. The“ Hash” has been to most of them! And then there’ s the serenity of Long Son Island on the western side of the peninsula. Access is via the Go Gang bridges, which are themselves home to an abundance of Hash trails around the oyster farms, before reaching the mountain that dominates the island and hosts several Hash trails. A particularly popular one goes straight up, over the top and down the other side; it’ s great fun, but definitely not for the faint-hearted! A bit further north, to the west of the provincial capital, Ba Ria, is Dinh Mountain( aka Nui Dinh) – arguably the chapter’ s favourite“ away destination” because of the swimming pool café halfway to the top, and the lake almost at the summit!
On the eastern side of Ba Ria is a range of mountains known collectively as“ the Long Hais”, which are very popular with trekking groups – and of course the Hash! As far as possible, VTH3 alternates its runs, with a“ local” run one week( Big Mountain, Jesus Hill, Lighthouse Hill or the beach and fishing villages); and an“ away” run the next: Go Gang and Long Son island, Nui Dinh, or Long Hai and the Minh Dam Base area. They’ re all within about 40 minutes by bus, which is just long enough for a lusty sing-song on the way back into town after another enjoyable day socialising and taking some healthy exercise in the fresh air of the Vietnamese countryside!
The MAG Vung Tau 19