Travel Adventures
in charge were a little unsure of their prices and policies for foreigners staying here. But, after a polite chat and sitting down for a drink with them, I would expect everything to work out fine.
Bai Tam Hai Teo;( 100,000vnd) 097 830 0884; Signposted to the right, 8km after turning off the coast road, a dirt track leads through cashew trees to a gated garden: this is Hai Teo. Let yourself in and close the gate behind you. The family here allow camping on their beautiful, powdery beach for 100,000vnd with your own tent. They can provide food and drink if you ask in advance.( You can also pay 25,000vnd just to access the beach.)
Bai Tam Binh Chau;( 100,000-700,000vnd) 090 5166 629; Next door to Dao Hoa Vang, Binh Chau is a simple place with lush gardens and a glorious beachfront. There are a few clean rooms with air-con( 400,000-700,000vnd) or you can pitch your own tent on the sand for 100,000vnd, or rent a tent for 200,000-300,000vnd for 2-4 people. If you’ re camping, the showers are a bit rustic, and on weekends and public holidays the peace is occasionally disturbed by groups playing loud music. But most of the time it’ s quiet, pristine and laid-back.
Wild Camping;( free) Before reaching Binh Lap Village, the road passes over a hill covered in eucalyptus forests and cashew plantations. You’ ll see dirt paths leading off the road and into the trees on both sides of the road. Several of these paths reach sandy clearings on high-ground with superb views over Cam Ranh Bay. If you have your own camping equipment, nothing quite compares to setting up camp under a tree and boiling a brew to watch the sunset over the bay. If you do camp, make sure you are as discreet as possible, and set an example for other travellers – both foreign and domestic – by not leaving your trash behind.
Mid-Range:
Sao Bien Cam Ranh;( 500,000-1,000,0000vnd); www. saobiencamranh. com; 090 366 9363; [ MAP ] On the western side on the Promontory, take the road beyond Binh Lap Village following the signs for Sao Bien( also known as Starfish). Remote and hidden, this cluster of accommodation options is accessed by a very steep downhill pathway – something to bear in mind if you have small children or trouble walking up and down steep hills. The bay here is gorgeous; a bit like a smaller and more secluded version of the one at Ngoc Suong Yen Bay Resort. The sandy cove is bisected by large, smooth boulders from which steps have been cut and slides attached. The water is beautiful and calm; the swimming is excellent. Accommodation ranges from fan-cooled, hobbit-sized, wooden A-frame beach huts with shared bathrooms( 500,000vnd for 1 or 2 people) to air-conditioned, white-washed brick bungalows and villas( 800,000- 1,000,000vnd). The beach-side gardens are beautifully landscaped and it’ s all very cosy and nicely set up, but prices are just a little bit too high, in my opinion. However, the room rates include use of all the
Sao Bien has several accommodation options dotted around a beautiful bay activities on site including, among other things, kayaking which is great fun in the calm bay.
High-End:
Ngoc Suong Yen Bay Resort;($ 100- $ 150); www. ngocsuong. com. vn / yen-resort;(+ 84) 58 2222 892; This is one of those places that leaves you open-mouthed the first time you see it. The location has to be among the loveliest of any beach resort in Vietnam and, considering this, the prices aren’ t so bad( although the rooms could do with some maintenance and TLC). As you take the eastern branch of the road leading along Cam Lap Promontory, there’ s a small sign on the left for Ngoc Suong Yen Bay. Pass the guard in the kiosk( paying the 50,000vnd entrance fee) and continue on the dirt road through cashew trees to the western side of the promontory. Here, you’ ll lay eyes on a stunning double bay, divided by a chain of boulders sculpted into strange shapes
The MAG Vung Tau 11