Travel Adventures
Riding the coast road by bicycle or motorbike is a very rewarding experience. You should be able to negotiate renting a mo-
torbike for the day from most accommodations. The ride along the Ocean Roadfrom Ho Tram hamlet to Ho Coc beach and on
to Binh Chau Hot Springs is particularly scenic, and so is the road north from Ven Ven Hotel, cutting through the dense, ani-
mal-echoing jungle.
Informal beach huts & seafood restaurants line the beach & hire deck chairs
on the sand for a small fee
ACCOMMODATION
There’s a rapidly growing range of accommodation on Ho Tram and Ho Coc beaches in all price ranges. As the combined length
of the beaches is over 20km, the accommodation is spread over a wide area. This means that, unless you have your own wheels,
it’s best to know where you’re planning to stay or, even better, have made a reservation, before you arrive. Advanced bookings
are essential during public holidays, when prices rise by as much as 40%. The places listed below are in order of my own person-
al preference in each category.
HO TRAM BEACH:
Budget:
River Ray Estates (camping): With accommodation options in all ranges, River Ray’s cheapest rates are for camping on its
extensive, sandy, shady, beachfront. If you have your own tent you can pitch it here and use the facilities, including showers and
a pool, for 90,000vnd a night (there are no tents available for rent). It’s located on the sandbar at the western end of Ho Tram
beach.
The Beach House (camping): Further up the sandbar from River Ray Estates, the Beach House is a decent new option. They have
a good campground (including showers) under casuarina trees and a long beachfront. The price is 95,000vnd to pitch your own
tent and the same to rent one.
Phuong Tu Motel: Located on the corner at the Ho Tram hamlet crossroads, Phuong Tu is a classic, clean, friendly Vietnam-
ese guesthouse (nhà nghỉ). Rooms are set along an open-sided corridor. The price is right: doubles and twins starting from
250,000vnd. You can even fish off the terrace here. (Note that several caged animals, including a monkey, may not be to every
visitor’s liking.)
Phi Lao (camping): Another camping option, Phi Lao is at the top of the hill just beyond Ho Tram hamlet. They rent tents
(100,000vnd) or you can bring your own (50,000vnd) and pitch it on their leafy patio or, if it’s raining, under their roof. Showers
included.
Saigon Container (camping): A new beach camping option on the future site of the Saigon Container Resort, which portioned off
its land years ago but has yet to do anything with it. Pitch your tent on the sand or under the trees for a few dollars.
Huu Nghi (camping): This local seafood restaurant allows you to pitch your tent (or rent one of theirs) on the beach for a very
reasonable 50,000vnd per night.
Hoa Lan Hotel: A nice little place in the thick of Ho Tram hamlet, Hoa Lan has decent, airy double rooms starting from
300,000vnd a night.
Hoa Bien Motel 1 & 2: On either side of Hoa Lan Hotel, this new motel has very clean rooms in a nice leafy courtyard in Ho
Tram hamlet. Doubles start from 400,000vnd, but the owners are a little bit cheeky when dealing with foreigners, so you should
be able to get prices down by a couple of dollars if it’s not busy.
T&T Hotel: The first of several pretty good guesthouses that have opened up on the road leading north, behind Ho Tram cross-
roads, T&T has fine rooms starting from 250,000vnd. BOOK HERE
Le Minh Hotel: Just beyond T&T, this smart, spotless hotel has good, modern rooms starting from 500,000vnd.
Hoang Chanh Tri [MAP]: A bit further up the road, and on the opposite side to Le Minh, this mini hotel has good-value, clean (if
a little dark) rooms starting from 250,000vnd. BOOK HERE
Tan Duy Hotel: This excellent hotel is located 10km from Ho Tram beach, in the little town of Phuoc Buu. There are two reasons
you might want to stay here: If the other budget accommodation closer to