Vietnam Beach: Nhat Le Beaches, Dong Hoi

The fourth in a series of short descriptions about different beach destinations in Vietnam. This time, some "hidden jewels" in Central Vietnam.

Also see:
Vietnam Beach: Lang Co Beach, Lang Co
Vietnam Beach: China Beach (Non Nuoc), Danang
Vietnam Beach: Cua Dai Beach, Hoi An
Vietnam Beach: Nhat Le Beaches, Dong Hoi
Vietnam Beach: Quy Nhon Beaches, Binh Dinh
Vietnam Beach: Nha Trang Beach, Khanh Hoa
for other Vietnam Beach destinations.

Why visit Nhat Le Beach, Quang Binh, Vietnam?
A group of rarely visited beaches close to the World Heritage listed Phong Nga-Ke Bang National Park. There are ocean beaches and smaller ones along the banks of the Nhat Le river.

What is Nhat Le Beach?
A very 'Vietnamese' beach experience. Nhat Le is one of a number of small, white-sand swimming beaches clustered around the mouth of the Nhat Le river in the town of Dong Hoi in central Vietnam.

These beaches are not as commercialized as many others along Vietnam's "Beach Coast". There are far fewer vendors, touts and peddlers here than most foreign travelers encounter when they visit the beaches in Vietnam. Some of the beaches actually have no vendors at all - great for hassle-free relaxation, but less than ideal if one wants everything "laid on".

Privacy, proximity to the well known, and much visited Phong Nga-Ke Bang National Park, and waveless beaches along the lower reaches and at the mouth of the river are the big drawcards here. The small beaches along the river are particularly good swimming spots for the children, but take care with the tide and currents. Aside from Phong Nga-Ke Bang National Park, there is also a historical village that offers some insights into life in this region in days gone by.

Where is Nhat Le Beach?
Dong Hoi town, the capital of Quang Binh province is 260km north of Danang, 100km north of Hue and 500km south of Hanoi. The town is set virtually right on the main Nhat Le beach. The other beaches stretch up and down the nearby coast north and south of the river mouth.

When to visit Nhat Le Beach?
April to August is the best time to visit Nhat Le and surrounding beaches. August-September also heralds the beginning of the typhoon season, so some pounding surf and stormy weather can be experienced.

How to get to Nhat Le Beach?
By Air
Vietnam Airlines flies to/from HCMC (Tan Son Nhat), Hanoi (Noi Bai) and Dong Hoi Airport every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Return tickets, before taxes and charges, are approximately VND 238,000 (US$13.37) from Hanoi and VND 857,000 (US$48.15) from HCMC.

Alternatively, Vietnam Airlines flies to/from HCMC (Tan Son Nhat), Hanoi (Noi Bai) and Danang several times daily. As well as operating daily flights to/from HCMC (Tan Son Nhat), Hanoi (Noi Bai) and Phu Bai Airport (Hue). Several regional international airlines also fly directly into Danang and Phu Bai International Airports.

By Rail
Dong Hoi railway station is 3km from the town, the journey from Hanoi takes approximately 10 hours and costs start at VND 217,000 (US$12.20). Tickets for the 6 hour journey from Danang start at about VND 112,000 (US$6.30) while tickets for the 3 hour trip from Hue start at about VND 70,000 (US$3.94). The journey from HCMC takes about 23 hours and tickets start at approximately VND 500,000 (US$28.10).

By Road
Dong Hoi is on National Highway 1A and a picturesque 2-3 hour drive up the coast from Hue.