Visit Phan Thiet for tourism and to enjoy seafood.

Seafood caught from the waters of Binh Thuan is available year-round, but many types of seafood such as crabs, sea snails, octopus, scad, boxfish, snapper, grouper, etc., are at their best during the rainy season, peaking in summer - the tourist season for many families...

Tourists enjoy Phan Thiet's seafood specialties. Photo: N. Lan

Early in the morning, just after 5 a.m. when the sky was still misty, hundreds of tourists had already gathered on the shore of Ong Dia Rock Beach to watch fishermen net fish, catch crabs, and gather shellfish. Small boats and coracles, sailing about 300-500 meters from the shore, cast their nets, creating an ethereal scene as they moved across the rippling waves. Every now and then, a few coracle boats would pull their nets ashore, their catches a variety of seafood including herring, scad, mackerel, and a few boxfish struggling as they were brought ashore. When the nets are pulled ashore, tourists and even small seafood vendors from the markets flock to choose fish, shrimp, snails, crabs, etc. Everyone chooses what they like; many tourists, seeing live fish caught in the nets, point and say, "I'll choose that one, weigh it for me!" Nearby, the next net is pulled up, this time with more crabs, so those who like to eat crabs rush over to buy them. The scene at Ong Dia Rock Beach in the morning is as lively as a festival. Ms. Hoang Ngoc Anh from Binh Phuoc, who is on a family vacation in Phan Thiet, said: "Seafood is sold everywhere now, but seeing the nets being cast from the sea and then choosing the fish, crabs, snails... is a very unique feeling." For Mr. Dinh Phuong from Ho Chi Minh City, who is on a summer vacation in Phan Thiet: "My whole family loves coming here in the morning to watch the locals catch fish. The kids, who usually sleep in, excitedly want to come along when they hear about going to Ong Dia Rock Beach in the morning..." As he spoke, Mr. Phuong pointed to the children who were choosing snails and crabs with their mother, "Look, the mother and children bought all sorts of things and then went back to the hotel to have them boiled and eaten. It was incredibly delicious..." Mr. Ho Chinh, a fisherman from Phu Hai who regularly fishes in the coastal waters from Phu Hai to Ong Dia rocky beach, said: “During the rainy season, a lot of water from rivers and streams flows into the sea, bringing with it food, so seafood gathers near the shore to hunt. From April to November, the food from the currents flowing into the sea is abundant, so most seafood, from fish to crabs and snails, is plumper and sweeter than in the dry season. My family has a small boat and a small fishing boat that fish near the shore. Although the species we catch aren't as large as those caught by ships going further out to sea, the advantage is that we sell live seafood, so we have a stable income from selling to tourists and to small traders who resell it at Phan Thiet markets on the same day… According to Mr. Chinh, boat owners and small fishing boat owners usually sell at market prices when they pull in their nets to sell to tourists, which tourists really appreciate. Many tourists don't haggle when buying fish, snails, or crabs and even generously give extra money to the net pullers…”

In Phan Thiet, there are many places selling fresh seafood. Besides Ong Dia Rock Beach, Mui Ne Fishing Village, Mui Ne Market, and Phan Thiet Big Market, tourists can buy live crabs, snails, and swimming fish at several seafood stalls located on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, Mui Ne - Ham Tien, Phan Thiet fishing port, Hung Vuong Street, and Trung Trac - Trung Nhi Street. Some markets like Phu Thuy Market, Cam Sinh Market, Van Thanh 3 Market, and seafood areas on Le Thi Hong Gam Street or Nguyen Hoi Street also have many vendors selling fresh seafood of various types, from fragrant snails, limestone snails, and jumping snails to hairy clams, scallops, and razor clams... All of these seafood can be transported for up to 10 hours and still remain fresh.

In the first six months of the year, Binh Thuan welcomed over 5.54 million tourists, reaching over 52% of the annual plan, generating revenue exceeding 15 trillion VND – a rather impressive figure. There are many reasons why tourists are increasingly visiting Phan Thiet and staying longer, one of which is the abundance and quality of seafood thanks to the ocean currents and weather. The high-quality fresh seafood, combined with both rustic and sophisticated preparation methods, creates a diverse and distinctive coastal cuisine, featuring dishes such as grilled scallops with scallions and butter, sea snail salad, conch salad, fish curry, hot pot, grouper hot pot, snapper, scad salad, and fried catfish... Hundreds of delicious seafood dishes from Phan Thiet are in season; come to Phan Thiet for a summer vacation and enjoy the seafood!

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/ve-phan-thiet-du-lich-and-thuong-thuc-hai-san-131396.html