Central Coast (Vietnam) Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Map of Central Coast (Vietnam)

• 15.412275108.7044781 Chu Lai – Has a large airport that serves Quảng Ngãi and Tam Kỳ
• 16.069444108.2097222 Da Nang – Vietnam's fifth largest city with lots of tourists, where the beaches are the main attraction
• 16.805556107.0905563 Dong Ha
• 17.483333106.64 Dong Hoi – A sleepy beach and seaside town with all the necessary infrastructure; laid back, authentic and genuinely friendly, with at least half a dozen hostels, convenient for accessing Phong Nha Ke Bang national park.
• 15.877669108.332655 Hoi An – A trading port with a UNESCO World Heritage listed old city and pedestrian-friendly shops and cafes
• 16.456111107.5763896 Hue – The former imperial capital and a popular tourist attraction
• 16.627211106.7373337 Khe Sanh
• 15.380833109.11758 Lý Sơn
• 12.245109.1916679 Nha Trang – A popular beach town
• 16.251108.07310 Lang Co – A fishing village that includes mountains, a river, a lagoon, an island and a 32-km beach
• 15.120556108.79222211 Quẚng Ngãi – A sleepy town and off the beaten tracks, known for the My Lai incident during the Vietnam War, with lots of cultural and historical sights
• 13.769581109.23137212 Quy Nhon – The inexpensive and tourist-free alternative to Da Nang, yet off many people's radar and therefore still a tranquil and authentic, lively and pleasant city with a much (among the locals) hyped beach. Good for a break between Nha Trang and Hoi An.
• 15.566667108.48333313 Tam Ky
• 19.8075105.77638914 Thanh Hoa
• 18.673333105.69222215 Vinh

• 15.950556108.6819441 Cham Islands (Cù Lao Chàm) – 7 islands that are 17 km (9 nautical miles) offshore to the East of Hoi An river-ocean inlet
• 16.9875107.03592 DMZ
• 15.76324108.1244463 My Son – UNESCO World Heritage listed ruins of temples built by the ancient Champa civilisation, located close to Hoi An
• 19.916667104.854 Na Meo – A border crossing town
• 17.533333106.155 Phong Nha Ke Bang national park – Caves, caves, caves
• 12.66109.286 Van Phong Bay – Includes a 25-km long peninsula called Hon Gom and the islands Hon Lon (Big Island) and Hon Ong (Whale Island), one of the few places on the Vietnamese coast that remains semi-natural, after the decision to abort a container port project.

This region is likened by the Vietnamese to the bamboo pole connecting the baskets of north and south. The Truong Son Mountains, stretching all the way to the coast between Hue and Da Nang, have traditionally divided the country in two in terms of weather and dialect, although the actual demarcation line during the Vietnam War was slightly higher up at the 17th parallel to the north of Hue.

Jul-Nov is the typhoon season, so it's wise to check the forecast a few days before your planned visit. Typhoons form in the Pacific, east of the Philippines. In some years, they curve north toward Taiwan and Japan and leave Vietnam in peace. In other years, they cross the Philippines and run straight into central Vietnam, causing flooding and wind damage. The threat of typhoons is one factor that has limited economic development in the central region relative to the north and south.

Many airports along the Central Coast connect with Hanoi and HCMC — north to south:

• 18.736667105.6708331 Vinh Airport (VII ^IATA) near Vinh
• 17.515106.5905562 Dong Hoi Airport (VDH ^IATA) near Dong Hoi
• 16.401667107.7027783 Phu Bai International Airport (HUI ^IATA) near Hue
• 16.043889108.1994444 Da Nang International Airport (DAD ^IATA) near Da Nang — has many international connections
• 15.406111108.7055565 Chu Lai Airport (VCL ^IATA) near Quảng Ngãi
• 13.955109.0422226 Phù Cát Airport (UIH ^IATA) near Quy Nhon
• 13.049444109.3336117 Tuy Hoa Airport (TBB  ^IATA) near Tuy Hoa
• 11.998056109.2194448 Cam Ranh International Airport (CXR ^IATA) near Nha Trang — has a few international connections

There are train stations at most above mentioned cities and towns; like Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Dong Hoi, or Da Nang, and Hué. The closest railway station to Hoi An is 17 km away; Trà Kiệu.

The Hai Van Tunnel between Danang and Hue cuts 20 km and a good hour off travel time between the two cities, and bypasses the dangerous and scenic Hai Van Pass. The toll for the tunnel for an ordinary car is 25,000 dong, a price well worth paying, especially if you're prone to carsickness.

• By motorbike for close–by destinations and to explore the surrounding areas
• By train to go from city to city
• By tourist bus (aka open tour bus) to go from ho(s)tel to ho(s)tel

• The Citadel of the Hồ Dynasty, a UNESCO World Heritage located some 40 km north of Thanh Hoa

• Northern Vietnam to the north
• Vietnam's Central Highlands to the west
• Southern Vietnam to the southwest

North Central Coast