Along the Coast

Vietnam has over 2000 miles of coastline. In an earlier post, I showed you the unique beauty of Ha Long Bay, in the north of Vietnam. We also visited other sections of the coast where we found some fine beaches and Vietnam’s famed oyster bay. 

Danang, on the central coast, is one of the cities known for its beaches. If you were paying attention to the news during the years of the Vietnam – I mean American War, you’ve probably heard of Danang. And maybe the name China Beach sounds familiar. American soldiers on R&R (rest and recuperation) during the war gave this nickname to Danang’s My Khe Beach. (They also left behind about 25,000 Amerasian children.) Today, Danang is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Vietnam. 

Although our time in Danang was very brief, it made a big impression on me. I could hardly contain my excitement when I got my first glimpse of the pristine blue ocean waters from the windows of our bus. Being a lifelong resident of the East coast, I still regard the Pacific as somewhat exotic. We were off the bus just long enough to wiggle our bare toes in the sand and to feel the surf swirling around our ankles. 

I didn’t want to leave, but we were on a tight schedule. An guided us on a short walk past some colorful fishing boats and then on to lunch at a local restaurant. 

Our menu included some new items, including green mango salad with beef, crispy fried cauliflower, shrimp simmered in tamarind sauce, and grilled pork wrapped in guava leaves. 

And since it was Valentine’s Day, I took advantage of the restaurant’s special promotion – a glass of Vietnamese Hong Dao pink vodka for $1.50. I’m not a big fan of vodka, but this actually tasted good. 

Not far from Danang, Vietnam’s oyster bay nestles among undulating hills of green velvet that stretch to the coast. 

The road near Lap An Lagoon

The oysters from Lap An Lagoon in Lang Co Bay are reputedly the best in the country. I was surprised to see that they’re raised in recycled rubber tires – not the most attractive sight! There’s also some controversy about the contamination of the water. 

During our brief stopover, I didn’t try any oysters, nor did I buy any pearls from the jewelry stores that line the shore of the lagoon. However, I definitely took advantage of the western-style restroom facilities. 

A common sign in Vietnamese restrooms 

With the summer-like heat and humidity (hard to imagine it was winter back home!), I could hardly wait to get to the beach once we arrived in Nha Trang, a small coastal city over 300 miles south of Danang. My clothes had been sticking to my body for what seemed like days on end. A dip in the Pacific proved to be a great way to cool off. However, I wasn’t expecting to be knocked off my feet by the powerful waves.

Nha Trang is a city of 300,000 people whose main source of income is tourism. One modern high-rise hotel after another lines Nha Trang’s beachfront boulevard. Signs everywhere are in Vietnamese, Chinese, and occasionally, English, as the overwhelming majority of tourists come from China. 

The setting is perfect for a beach resort; lush green mountains tumble down to meet the dazzlingly blue waters of Nha Trang Bay. Palm trees sway over the sands. It could be a tropical paradise except for the roar of cars and motor scooters zooming down the wide seaside boulevard. As expected, there are few traffic lights and crossing from the hotel side of the main road to the beach side is a life-threatening endeavor. 

Nha Trang really comes to life when the sun goes down and colored neon lights transform the hotel-lined main drag into a smaller version of the Las Vegas Strip. Even the pace of the traffic seems to increase. Tourists and locals alike throng the mini-parks along the beach. Children run through plazas, trailing colorful long-tailed kites. 

  

With a friend from my OAT trip, I took a mile-long walk at dusk along the seaside promenade to a popular beachfront restaurant called The Sailing Club. From our table, we looked out at the reflection of the moon in the waters of the bay. I was my first non-Vietnamese meal (quinoa and veggie salad) in several days. Finally, it seemed that we had found a haven of tranquility. However, halfway through our meal, the not so welcome sounds of live retro pop music cut through our conversation. That’s Nha Trang for you. 

Thanks to An, we were able to see more than the touristy side of Nha Trang. One night, he led us away from the glitz of the main boulevard, back through crowded alleyways, to a smoky barbeque restaurant, where we cooked meats and seafood onto table-top charcoal grills. 

Squid on the grill

After two days in Nha Trang, it was time to move on. I cast one final look from my hotel room window. 

One last glimpse of the Pacific

Dawn was breaking over the waters of the Pacific, cars and motor scooters were already streaming down the main road, and temperatures were undoubtedly rising. I was looking forward to our next destination, up in the mountains, far from the coast.