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Vung Boi, the "sleeping fairy"
Leaving the center of Quy Nhon city and heading north towards Phu Cat district, you will reach Vung Boi beach. This is truly a haven for beach lovers, as the beach here still retains its pristine beauty, untouched by commercial tourism activities.
Photo: Aloha Nguyen
To reach this secluded beach, from Quy Nhon city, follow provincial road 640 to De Gi fishing port. From there, continue by boat around the mountains to reach Vung Boi beach. If you enjoy hiking, you can also reach Vung Boi beach by climbing over Hon Lan mountain.
Photo: Aloha Nguyen
From De Gi port, you'll board a speedboat to experience the feeling of floating on the sea. The trip is short, taking just over 20 minutes, but enough time to glide past the foot of the mountain, where strangely shaped rock formations welcome the white waves crashing against the shore. On these rocks, occasionally, a few fishermen sit precariously, fishing, much like Jiang Ziya waiting for his catch.
Photo: Aloha Nguyen
It feels like stepping into a completely separate world, where you can freely frolic in the crystal-clear water, snorkel to admire the coral reefs, and watch schools of fish swimming in the transparent, bottomless water. Your summer beach experience becomes even more memorable with a trekking trip to the golden sand dunes of Vinh Loi right next to the beach. Unlike the sand dunes of Phan Thiet or Ninh Chu, the tops of the dunes here have many jagged rock formations. From this high point, you can take in the panoramic view of Vung Boi, a beautiful landscape painting.
Photo: Aloha Nguyen
Vũng Bồi is currently almost uninhabited, so the atmosphere is very peaceful. After enjoying a refreshing swim in the cool, clear water, don't forget to kayak around the rocky outcrops. The best part is snorkeling to catch shellfish and fish, then grilling and enjoying them right there. Remember to inform the kayak owner in advance so they can prepare everything for you.
Photo: Aloha Nguyen
"If you're not going to try the scad fish salad, you can't miss De Gi."
This is a common saying among many locals in De Gi, Phu Cat. Located near Vung Boi, a once important coastal town during the Nguyen dynasty, it is famous for its specialty, scad fish salad. Locals also say: "If you go to De Gi without tasting scad fish salad, how can you say you've truly been there!"
Photo: Aloha Nguyen
The scad fish are caught by fishermen in De Gi early in the morning, so they are still fresh and curled up. The most difficult part of making scad fish salad is deboning. They use scissors to cut off the head, fillet the fish, leaving a small amount of bone about one-third the size of the fish, then pack it in ice to keep it fresh. A key element contributing to the unforgettable flavor of scad fish salad is the soy sauce. In addition, there are fresh vegetables to eat with the salad, all from the home garden, such as lettuce, perilla, dill… And, of course, thinly sliced unripe bananas, green mangoes, or starfruit are indispensable to remove the fishy smell and add a pleasant sourness.
Photo: Aloha Nguyen
To enjoy raw fish salad, you must add plenty of soy sauce. Dipping and slurping simultaneously allows you to fully appreciate the rich flavor of this famous raw fish salad from the De Gi coastal region.
Lộ Diêu, the "sister" of Eo Gió
When mentioning the scenic beaches of Binh Dinh, everyone thinks of Quy Nhon, Ky Co, and Eo Gió. However, few people know that Binh Dinh also has rocky shores and cliffs with a pristine, captivating beauty, like "fairies" yet to be awakened. Lo Dieu rocky cliffs, located in Lo Dieu village, Hoai My commune, Hoai Nhon district, are one of them.
Photo: Aloha Nguyen
To reach the rocky cliffs, you have to travel through the Lu Yao mountain range. The newly completed asphalt road winds through the mountains, flanked by sheer cliffs on both sides. Looking ahead, you only see the endless stretch of asphalt road. After navigating a sharp hairpin bend, a glance to the right reveals a vast expanse of lush green forest.
Photo: Aloha Nguyen
The Lộ Diêu rocky cliffs appear before your eyes, a wild and majestic sight. From above, the Lộ Diêu beach forms a gentle curve, winding along the sparkling golden sand, its back resting against the towering cliffs.
Photo: Aloha Nguyen
On sunny days, the sea water turns a brilliant blue, the sand is soft, and the picturesque scenery offers visitors moments of ultimate relaxation as they immerse themselves in the vast expanse of sea and sky.
Photo: Aloha Nguyen
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
+ Getting there: Emerging as a highly attractive tourist city in the central coastal region, Quy Nhon warmly welcomes visitors from major cities. Numerous flights from airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, and Jetstar Pacific to Quy Nhon are available from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Quy Nhon is also located on the North-South railway line, making it very convenient for tourists to travel there by train.
+ Cuisine: Must-try specialties when you travel to the coastal city of Quy Nhon:
- Phuong Teo Fish Noodle Soup: The fish cakes are made entirely from fresh fish with various spices. The noodles are made from a mixture of rice flour and wheat flour, resulting in a chewy texture and a unique translucent color when cooked. The broth is mainly made from fish bones and heads, creating a subtly sweet flavor that leaves a lasting impression. You can visit Phuong Teo Fish Noodle Soup at 211 Nguyen Hue and 415 Nguyen Hue to enjoy this dish.
- Co Nam's Shrimp Pancake Restaurant: When in Quy Nhon and wanting to enjoy the unique flavors of the martial arts land's cuisine, we invite you to visit Co Nam's pancake restaurant at the foot of My Cang Bridge, Phuoc Son Commune, Tuy Phuoc District. From Quy Nhon, it's less than 30 km by motorbike or car, following the road through Tuy Phuoc town and then turning towards Phuoc Son. The restaurant is small, without a sign, located right by the roadside, but it's always bustling with customers.
- Mẫn's Rice Noodle and Pork Offal Porridge Restaurant (76A Tran Phu): Rice noodles and pork offal porridge are two different dishes, but they are combined to create an interesting meal. Rice noodles are a variation of fresh rice noodles. The porridge is cooked quite thinly, using blood simmered with broth from pork bones and offal. The porridge is both sweet and fragrant, and when eaten with a plate of skillfully prepared pork offal, it makes this dish exceptionally special.
- Ut Loi Seafood (20 Vo Dinh Tu): Only open from afternoon to evening. This restaurant is frequented by locals, so all the seafood is fresh, the owner is friendly and enthusiastic, and the prices are affordable.
- My Hanh Shrimp and Crab Noodle Soup (32 Ngo Duc De): The ingredients for the famous Phu My shrimp and crab noodle soup in Quy Nhon must be shrimp and crab from Tra O lagoon to achieve the sweet and fragrant flavor. The noodles in this dish must be fresh noodles pressed by a machine, boiled in rice water, and rinsed with clean water before being added to the bowl. There are at least 10 Phu My shrimp and crab noodle soup restaurants throughout Quy Nhon city, so diners can enjoy it to their heart's content. The price is 18,000 VND for a large bowl and 16,000 VND for a small bowl containing both shrimp and crab noodles.
- Street food: In Quy Nhon, streets specializing in selling food have been established. Ngo Van So Street is the most famous food area in Quy Nhon with countless delicious and affordable snack stalls. Ngoc Han Cong Chua Street is a recently emerging food street with noodle soup and snail restaurants that are also worth trying.
+ Accommodation: Quy Nhon is a tourist city, so accommodation services are quite good, with a system of guesthouses (around 500,000 VND/night) to 4-5 star hotels such as Hoang Anh Gia Lai – Quy Nhon, FLC resort, Muong Thanh, Saigon Quy Nhon, Hai Au (prices from over 2 million VND/night)... If you like a new experience, you can try homestays with pretty good service (prices from over 700,000 VND to 1 million VND/night).
+ Transportation: From Quy Nhon, you can travel by motorbike along the coastal road on Provincial Highway 640, stretching over 90 km north, and successively reach Vung Boi, De Gi, and then Lo Dieu rocky cliffs. Located halfway along this route, Vung Boi beach belongs to Phu Cat district, about 30 km from the center of Quy Nhon city.
+ Service: To rent a speedboat to explore the Vung Boi sea area, you can contact Mr. Toan in advance by phone at: 0122.770.4129.
