Vung Tau
The Beach Town Of Ho Chi Minh City, A Two Hour Drive Or A Fast Ferry From Saigon, With A 32 M Christ Of Vung Tau Statue On A Hill, A Long Back Beach, Lighthouse And Seafood. Packed On Weekends And Quiet On Weekdays. A Weekend Getaway For Locals, Said Plainly · Vung Tau, Ba Ria-Vung Tau
Vung Tau is the beach town of Ho Chi Minh City, a peninsula about 125 km south-east of Saigon, reached in roughly two hours by road or a little over an hour by fast ferry. Its best-known sight is the Christ of Vung Tau, a 32 m statue on Nho Mountain, climbed by more than 800 steps for a view over the town and sea. Beyond it lie the old lighthouse on a hill, Front Beach with its quiet cafes and the longer Back Beach, which draws the weekend crowds with deckchairs, seafood grills and a promenade. It suits Saigon residents, families wanting an easy sea day, and travellers who like fresh seafood and a lived-in resort town rather than a polished one. It is worth it on a weekday, when the beach is half empty. It is not a place to spend a week: the water is brownish, the sand is plain, and there is little beyond the beach, the statue and the lighthouse. Weekends are packed and traffic is heavy. Come for a day or a night.
Vung Tau peninsula, about 125 km south-east of Ho Chi Minh City on the South China Sea coast, Vung Tau, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Vietnam
The beaches are open at all hours and FREE to walk, though deckchair and umbrella sellers charge for a seat. The Christ statue and its hill path commonly open from early morning to late afternoon, with a small entry fee and a steep climb, and the interior stair may be CLOSED in bad weather or for maintenance. The lighthouse keeps similar daytime hours and its small fee should be confirmed. Seafood restaurants open lunch to late evening. Some pagodas and the Bach Dinh palace close at midday, and the fast ferry has set sailing times that change by season; check the current timetable before planning the return.