Discover authenticity in Vietnam’s last maritime tourism frontier

Phu Yen: Explore the land of Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass, as beautiful as it appears in the film of the same name.

“Travelers always look for authentic and unique experiences in new destinations; they now want to slow down their travel experiences in order to explore, dream, discover, relax, indulge, and immerse in natural and cultural heritage,” writes Pham Ha, CEO of Lux Group.

“Phu Yen is a newly emerging, high-end beach destination for Vietnamese holidaymakers which offers a taste of authentic Vietnam to foreign travelers”.

Vietnamese people began to be aware of Phu Yen after the success of the movie “Dear Brother”, directed by Victor Vu and based on the famous novel by Nguyen Nhat Anh, “Tôi thấy hoa vàng trên cỏ xanh” – yellow flowers on the green grass. The movie is very evocative with beautiful, peaceful scenery of rice fields, mountains, wild beaches, and islands, and it features childhood games from the 1970s which my generation used to play. It really brought back good memories.

I arrived at Tuy Hoa as a guest on Vietnam Airlines flight from Hanoi for a tourism conference before reopening tourism fully and to celebrate the Vietnam record of the largest restaurant made of bamboo, Gozo Brew House, at the newly built Stelia Beach Resort Tuy Hoa. I then took a great weekend escape at the latest luxury beach getaway, far, far from the madness of crowds. For that reason, I returned here after experiencing this buzzword-hideaway-of-high-end-Vietnamese-travelers-for-the-last-two-years.

I am passionate about designing and investing in cruises and yachts and worked with passion to create the beauty of Heritage Cruises Binh Chuan Cat Ba Archipelago as the French hotelier Arnaud Zannier made the state-of-art Zanier Hotel Bai San Ho. It is as ethereally eclectic as his other far-flung properties in Namibia and Cambodia. The area’s local dishes, traditions, materials, and architecture take center stage – a common theme across Zannier’s clutch of distinct properties.

I was immediately intrigued by the local accent of our tour guide Tam who used many local words, much to our amusement. He promised that the group would experience the indigenous culture, a rich history, friendly people, stunning landscapes, and local cuisine. We were full of anticipation as we set out on our new adventure to explore one of the last tourism frontiers in my own country.

Remote location, easy access
Travelers, both foreigners and Vietnamese, know Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa and Quy Nhon – Binh Dinh, but not Tuy Hoa – Phu Yen. Lying between Nha Trang and Quy Nhon, the province of Phu Yen is one that travelers generally pass through on their way up or down Vietnam’s long coastline.

The provincial capital of Tuy Hoa is 120 km north of Nha Trang and has an airport with direct flights to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi as well as good rail and bus connections. Some 12 km south of Tuy Hoa, Long Thuy beach is a long stretch of white sand with clear water that is popular with the Vietnamese, yet still to be discovered by international tourists.

Phu Yen has Xuan Dai Bay to the north and Vung Ro to the south and Tuy Hoa City right in the middle. Further south, Vung Ro has numerous islands that can be explored and have links on the East Sea to the famous Ho Chi Minh trail from the American war.

The North Vietnamese government secretly transferred weapons along the path on the ocean to fight America and liberate South Vietnam and relics here such as Vung Ro remind travelers of the struggle that took place to gain Vietnamese independence.

Sightseeing
Tuy Hoa is very rich in history and culture and in 3 days you can discover some of its highlights such as temples, churches, lagoons, beaches, and bays.

We stayed at the Stelia Beach Resort and on the first day we were introduced to the city, the signature Cham Towers in Nhan Mountain north of Tuy Hoa. O Loan Lagoon, Tam Giang reservoir, Mang Lang church, Thanh Luong Pagoda, Da Dia Reef are among the highlights. We were delighted by the rivers running through the countryside, sleepy villages, the deep yellow of the rice fields, and the backdrop of mountains.

More colorful around Christmas for sure, the charming 17th-century church, which is often compared to the one in Macau, is decorated for the festive season. The very first dictionary of Alexandre de Rhodes, who developed the Vietnamese language we speak today, is kept at the old A Mang tomb area near Mang Lang church.

The geography of Phu Yen province is varied and diverse with the Truong Son mountains overlooking a narrow strip of plain which is tucked between the ocean and the foothills. The province is known as one of the rice baskets of Southern Central Vietnam thanks to the reservoirs built by the French, which are still in use today.

The coastline has a unique feature in Ghenh Da Dia (Rocky Plate Reef), an example of a type of reef that is only found in Ireland and Jeju Island, Korea with the Phu Yen reef being the largest, according to our tour guide, Tam.
Rocky Plate Reef lies 40km from Tuy Hoa City and stretches along the South Central Coast of Vietnam emerging from the immense ocean like a gigantic honeycomb of stones. Widely acknowledged as one of the natural wonders of Central Vietnam, the giant ‘beeswax’ plate reef is made up of thousands of basalt columns, 50m wide and 200m high.

Many people know Phu Yen thanks to the movie “Tôi thấy hoa vàng trên cỏ xanh” (Dear Brother in English) as many of the scenes were filmed here. We visited all of the locations linked with the film including a school and a periodic market (a traditional market where vendors only sell one type of animal on any given day of the month, so on the 16th they only sell chickens).

We relished the panoramic view of sandy Phu Thuong Beach and wondered why there was no tourism development there. Make sure you visit before it changes! We spent some time just relaxing on this beautiful beach before returning to the Stelia Beach Resort. I did not forget to check out the newly built Nghenh Phong or Saluting Wind Tower, nearby at sunset.

The second day we ventured to the south of Tuy Hoa where the virtually traffic-free road runs parallel to the empty white-sand beach. It reminded me of Tran Phu Boulevard in Nha Trang 20 years ago.

Vung Ro and Cap Mui Dien are the highlights in this area and the lighthouse is one of the oldest in Vietnam with panoramic views of the ocean, reef, and beach from the top. Nature lovers will enjoy the opportunity to camp on Bai Mon beach at the foot of Mui Dien and spend a little time going back to nature and relaxing to the sound of the waves lapping on the shore.

Vung Ro Bay is scenic with a view facing the imposing Truong Son mountains. Here we pay homage to the memory of sailors who died here and learn a little about their historic ships. The tour guide says that some tourism projects are planned which will make this region more popular with travelers and enhance the local economy.

During our short time here we had plenty of sun, sand, and seafood. The food was particularly delicious and was to the tastes of everybody whether they were from Hanoi or Saigon. The tuna fish and oysters were a particular favorite. The highlight was my stay at the Beach Pool Villa (122), I enjoyed every single moment here and I could definitely bring my family for a maritime holiday in this paradise on earth for a week.

Who should go there?
Adventurers and intrepid travelers, explorers, photographers, families, and people who want to discover exotic places where you are among some of the first people to visit and will enjoy the solitude. It is also an ideal location for team-building company trips and I certainly plan to bring my staff here this summer.

When?
The climate in the region is one of the best and most stable in the country, with a minimum of rain and a balmy average temperature of 28c all year round. The weather in Tuy Hoa is similar to Nha Trang due to its close proximity. It is a year-round destination, but the best time to experience it is from June to September when you can expect dry weather and blue skies.

Accommodation
There is currently limited choice for accommodation but what is there is some of the best around. The range includes:
Zanier Bai San Ho, top 5 stars, a beach getaway, far from the crowd. It is definitely recommended for leisure luxury travelers with its own private beach but a remote location, located 70 km from Tuy Hoa city center. The nearest airport is Phu Cat

 

 

Stella Beach Resort is a beachfront boutique resort suitable for a r&r vacation, recommended for couples, small groups, and families traveling with kids.
Viet Star Resort and Spa, 5-star Vietnamese standard, is located just 15 minutes from the city, on a hilltop close to Highway 1 and the railway station. Ideal for both the MICE and leisure market.
Cendeluxe Hotel is a 5-star property with a central location and great views at very affordable prices.
Kaya Hotel is a 4-star city hotel with easy access to the beach.

Getting there
Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air, Bamboo Airways have both connections from Hanoi -Tuy Hoa and Saigon-Tuy Hoa. In addition, travelers can go to Nha Trang and reach Tuy Hoa in 2 hours by car along a very scenic highway. Train and bus services are also available for travelers who have more time. You can even combine two destinations Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa and Tuy Hoa – Phu Yen or Tuy Hoa and Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh Province ) in one trip to make the most of your time.