Travel Adventures
Ho Tram & Ho Coc Beaches
‘Words and photos by VietnamCoracle.com’
Two long and wide stretches of sand, Ho Tram and Ho Coc are by far the best beaches within easy reach of Saigon. Forget Vung
Tau, Long Hai and Can Gio: if you’re a Saigon expat with a mini-break of a couple of days, or a traveller looking for a short
trip out of the city, this is where you should be heading. Mui Ne, Phu Quoc and Con Dao all have ‘better’ beaches, but because
of travel time (in the case of Mui Ne) and airport hassle (in the case of Phu Quoc and Con Dao), they are better-suited to longer
trips of at least 3 days. Thanks to upgraded roads, Ho Tram and Ho Coc beaches are now only 2-3 hours from Saigon. There’s
a growing choice of accommodation, good food options, and lots of activities to keep you occupied. I’ve been visiting these
beaches regularly for almost 10 years, and they remain my favourite short trip from Saigon.
THE BEACHES
Ho Tram Beach
Stretching from a sandbar in the west, all the way to the tiny fishing hamlet of Ho Tram in the east, this beach is over ten kilo-
metres of fine sand backed by casuarina trees. To the west of the beach, the long sandbar, formed by the Ray River, is a terrific
location, with the East Sea on one side and the river and mangrove forest on the other. The sandbar has a few accommodations
on it (including camping), but it’s still a long way from realizing its potential. Moving east from the sandbar, most of the land
between the road and the beach has been portioned off for the development of large resorts and residences, including the ul-
tra-luxurious Hamptons. However, construction work is very slow, and the only resort to have opened on this section of beach
is the superb Ho Tram Beach Boutique Resort. Further east, towards Ho Tram fishing hamlet, there are several thatched seafood
restaurants which also rent deck chairs on the beach, and some offer camping too. Just before the crossroads at Ho Tram hamlet,
Sanctuary luxury villas offers a glimpse of what the future holds for this beach. But, apart from that, Ho Tram hamlet is still a
pretty local, sandy and salty place. There’s access to a public beach here, but it’s tainted by fishermen’s debris. However, the
little seafood shacks lining the road are excellent, and there are several cheap accommodation options too.
Sand & casuarina trees: Ho Tram beach stretches from the River Ray sandbar to Ho Tram hamlet
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The MAG Vung Tau