Vietnam TravelTravel Special FeaturesA slow ride to Vung Tau

A slow ride to Vung Tau

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Having been chased out of three countries for inappropriate behavior around children it is surprising that Gary Glitter decided to set up his mother care language school in Vung Tau. Even if he managed to miss the dazzling statue of the Virgin and baby Jesus in the hills at one end of town, you would have thought the giant version of the grown-up Jesus, Acapulco style, would be fair warming that Vung Tau is a place to take its morality seriously.

There appears to be more religious institutions per square kilometer than most other towns in the region. The road in from Saigon is a gauntlet of new Catholic churches and just in case you were worried that the Buddhists might be missing out, the stretch of bitumen around the headland has a serious choice of temple options. Come on, come on Gary, what were you thinking?

Beaches

Vung Tau has all the basics to be decent overnight getaway from Saigon. There's a picturesque bay filled with cobalt blue fishing boats, and the sea itself is a great shining expanse. Also, there are lush green hills surrounding the town which is only an hour and a quarter from Saigon. Well, that's if the hydrofoil runs as scheduled. Last trip to Vung Tau it took two and half hours to get there (this involved changing vessels because the first broke down) and almost two hours returning without a break down. The Hydrofoils leave at haft hourly interval from Ton Duc Thang Street and cost $10 USD.

Vung Tau is a long town so working out where to go at first glace can be a little hard. At the time of writing the best beach (the back beach) was looking like demolition site. Broken bricks and other building materials littered a substantial stretch of the beach closest to town. A much better option is spending some time gazing out over the bay where the hydrofoil docks either from the new park, your hotel or one of the waterfront venues.

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