The 154-kilometer-long coastal road from Khanh Hoa to neighboring Phu Yen guides visitors through pristine islands and fishing villages in central Vietnam.
The 154-kilometer-long coastal road from Khanh Hoa to neighboring Phu Yen guides visitors through pristine islands and fishing villages in central Vietnam.
The journey starts from Nha Trang, a popular resort town famous for its long, sandy beaches. Travelers can take National Highway 1A to conquer the twisting, narrow Ro Tuong Pass, 11 kilometers from downtown Ninh Hoa District. |
From Ro Tuong Pass, travelers are supposed to continue following National Highway 1A for another 42 kilometers to reach Van Gia fishing port in Van Ninh District and take a 40-minute boat ride to Diep Son, a combination of three isolated islets in the middle of Van Phong Bay. The islets are joined by an 800-meter path that emerges at low tide. There are no hotels or resorts here, though conditions are suited to camping. Visitors should be aware that electricity is only available from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. |
Next are Dam Mon Peninsula, a hidden gem in Nha Trang, and Mui Doi (Doi Cape), the eastern pole of Vietnam, hit by the first rays of the sun. The road from Dam Mon to Mui Doi is divided into two stages. First, travelers must pass four kilometers of sandy hills with streams, grasslands and two high slopes to reach Co Ong Bay where boats carry them to Mui Doi. |
The pristine Mon Beach, untouched by the tourism boom. |
Hon Yen Islet lies around 15 kilometers to the north of Tuy Hoa and is home to thousands of canaries (yen), hence its name. Fishermen from across the province flock to Hon Yen Islet for the busiest anchovy harvesting season of the year each June. For many years now, Hon Yen has been attracting young travelers with its pristine beauty and carpets of coral reefs rising up during low tide. |
One landscape highlight of Phu Yen is the 800 meter Binh Thanh Bridge (on the left of the photo), said to be the longest of its kind in Vietnam. The bridge, which crosses Binh Ba River, is also called God of Tiger Bridge due to its proximity to a shrine to the feline deity, said to ward off disease and drive away evil. |
(Source: VNExpress)