Cam Ranh Bay : Cam Lap Promontory
Travel Adventures
Cam Ranh Bay : Cam Lap Promontory
Words and photos by Vietnam Coracle
Filled by the calm , glistening waters of the East Sea , Cam Ranh Bay , just south of Nha Trang , is a splendid natural harbour surrounded by hills . From its southern shores , a finger of land points northwards into the bay : This is Cam Lap Promontory , one of those rare places that ’ s easily accessible yet undeveloped and utterly beautiful . It ’ s the kind of place you fall in love with , and one that , for the time being , really does deserve the overused epithet of ‘ hidden gem ’. Beaches don ’ t get much better than this in Vietnam , and yet , if you visit on a weekday ( avoiding weekends and national holidays ), you will probably have the chalky , whitesand , boulder-studded beaches and mirror-flat , jade-blue sea all to yourself . This is my guide to one of my favourite corners of coastal Vietnam .
Easily accessible yet rarely visited by foreign travellers , Cam Lap Promontory has plenty of local charm
8 The MAG Vung Tau
THE LOCATION :
_________________________ Almost equidistant from Nha Trang ( 75km to the north ) and Phan Rang ( 65km to the south ), Cam Lap Promontory is a rugged horn of land projecting into Cam Ranh Bay . Accessed via a steep , narrow , paved lane leading north from the spectacular Nui Chua Coast Road , the promontory is made up of giant boulder piles which rise from the calm , blue waters of the bay . Despite all this rock , the entire peninsular is cloaked in foliage : eucalyptus plantations occupy the high-ground , giving way to shady groves of cashew and mango trees on the low-ground . The trees and boulders continue right to the waters ’ edge , where the waves have slowly eroded the rocks into fine white sand .
The eastern side of the promontory boasts a series of gently
Cam Lap is a rocky promontory covered in fruit plantations that continue up to the white-sand beaches arcing bays with excellent white-sand beaches separated by giant boulders lying in the sand like unfinished sculptures ; there ’ s even some decent coral just offshore . The western side is more rugged , characterized by a handful of sheltered coves which provide natural harbours for small fishing fleets and remote settlements . Although the sand is not as dazzling on this side of the promontory , the water is exceptionally calm and blue , and there are a couple of wonderfully secluded bays . There are places to stay and eat on both sides of the peninsular . There ’ s only