Discover the land on 'Vietnam's most beautiful coastal road'

PHU YEN Located on the coastal road known as the most beautiful in Vietnam, Dong Hoa town has plains, hills, mountains and sea, considered a masterpiece of the land of Nau.

In recent years, Phu Yen has become a hot destination during the summer. Dong Hoa town, located in the south of Phu Yen province, is a new town established in June 2020 on the entire area of the former Dong Hoa district. The town is located in the South Central Coast region but has both plain, mountainous and sea terrain.

The east of the town borders the East Sea, a coastal sandy area. The northwest is an alluvial land formed by the Da Rang and Ban Thach rivers. The south is a mountainous area that occupies a large natural area, with an average altitude of 400 - 500 m.

Arriving in Dong Hoa town on July 6, Mr. Hoang Minh Duc (Da Lat) traveled by motorbike along National Highway 29, passing Mui Dien - Dai Lanh lighthouse.

Large passenger buses usually do not run on this route but follow Highway 1. Therefore, visitors can rent a motorbike or taxi from Tuy Hoa city center to admire the 35 km stretch of the coastal road known as the most beautiful in Vietnam, Duc shared.

The first point of Dong Hoa town on this route is Deo Ca. Deo Ca is about 333 m high, about 12 km long, cutting across Dai Lanh mountain range at the border between Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa provinces on National Highway 1. The top of the pass is located in Vung Ro village, Hoa Xuan Nam commune, Dong Hoa town.

From the top of Deo Ca looking down to the east is Vung Ro Bay located between the arc-shaped mountain range. Vung Ro Bay is the natural boundary at sea between Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa, with an area of about 16.4k m2 and is surrounded by 3 mountain ranges including Deo Ca (in the north), Da Bia (in the east), Hon Ba (in the west) and is sheltered by Hon Nua Island in the south.

Vung Ro Bay was chosen as the landing point many times for the "Unnumbered Ships" supporting the Southern battlefield. Vung Ro Bay is listed in the top 10 most beautiful bays in Vietnam by the Vietnam Record Organization in 2013. The bay has a total of 12 small beaches with wild and peaceful scenery for visitors to experience and explore .

Passing Deo Ca, Duc arrived at Mui Dien - Dai Lanh lighthouse area at around 5:30 am, at dawn. The first rays of the day's light yellow gradually covered the blue sea, the yellow-brown rocky slopes, the white sand strip at the foot of the mountain and the grass on the top. In the distance was Dai Lanh lighthouse, the place to welcome the first sunrise in Phu Yen.

"I rate this route as the most beautiful coastal route in Vietnam, even somewhat better than Vinh Hy Bay - Ninh Thuan route. I have traveled this route many times but am still fascinated by the beauty here," said Mr. Duc.

Anh Duc said the best time to watch the sunrise here is around 5:30 - 7:00 in the summer. If you come later, the sun will be too strong and your photos will be backlit. In the afternoon, from around 4:00 p.m. onwards, the sun is favorable to watch the sunset.

The next destination is Bai Mon, along with Mui Dien and Dai Lanh lighthouse, which belong to Mui Dien tourist area. The entrance fee for out-of-province tourists is 20,000 VND, and for local tourists is 10,000 VND.

Bai Mon has a large, spacious sand strip, fine sand and a mountain stream flowing down, making it an ideal place for swimming and overnight camping.

Dong Hoa town is where the Da Nong River flows into the sea with sandbanks stretching out to the middle of the river. Opposite the river mouth is Da Bia Mountain, the highest mountain in the Dai Lanh mountain range of Deo Ca mountain range. On the top of the mountain is a giant stele stone about 80 m high that can be seen from a distance.

Coming here, visitors can also experience trekking to the top of Da Bia mountain to see the East Sea and the scenery of Dong Hoa town.

Dong Hoa town has not been affected by tourism, so the landscape still retains its wild and peaceful beauty. Steep cliffs, sedimentary rocks jutting out into the vast bay, fine white sand beaches embracing the turquoise water, ships going out to sea and returning to port, and simple fishing villages create a natural masterpiece in the heart of Xu Nau.

A representative of a camping service provider in Dong Hoa said that the town currently does not have SUP, scuba diving, or squid fishing services. In addition to swimming and trekking to Dai Lanh lighthouse or Da Bia mountain, visitors can experience camping on the beach, with prices ranging from 100,000 to 300,000 VND for a tent for 2-4 people. Visitors can also prepare their own tents, tools, food, and drinks to camp overnight at Bai Mon and Bai Tien for free.

Dong Hoa belongs to the central coastal climate zone, the climate is divided into two distinct seasons: dry season and rainy season. The rainy season is from September to December. Around October and November, there are often storms. The dry season is from January to August.

The best time to go to Phu Yen beach in general and the coastal area of Dong Hoa town in particular is around February - August. The beach is most beautiful around March and April, the water is blue and clear, the sea surface is calm and the waves are not too big, creating a peaceful atmosphere for the scene here, this representative added.

Small islands and islets in Phu Yen such as Cu Lao Mai Nha, Hon Nua, Hon Chua, and Hon Dua all have canoe services to the islands, with prices ranging from 100,000 to 150,000 VND for one person for two trips.

Dong Hoa town is located about 5 km from Tuy Hoa airport, about 30 km from Tuy Hoa city center. The coastal road through Dong Hoa town is spacious, flat, clean, not much traffic because this is not a main road, suitable for sightseeing experiences by motorbike or self-driving car.

"Dong Hoa town, with its plains, mountains, rivers and sea, is definitely the most beautiful date this summer," said Mr. Duc.