TRAVEL ON THE COASTAL ROADS IN VIETNAM
Travel On The Coastal Roads In Vietnam. Vietnam is a coastal country on the west coast of the East Sea with unique geopolitical and economic characteristics. With a coastline spanning over 3,260 kilometers from Mong Cai in the north to Ha Tien in the southwest.
Travel On The Coastal Roads In Vietnam Directions & Information:
Vietnam is a coastal country on the west coast of the East Sea with unique geopolitical and economic characteristics. With a coastline spanning over 3,260 kilometers from Mong Cai in the north to Ha Tien in the southwest (excluding the coast of the islands), it ranks 27th out of 157 coastal countries, island states, and territories worldwide. With approximately 3,000 big and small islands, including the two archipelagos of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, Vietnam is regarded as one of the nations with the greatest potential and advantages in marine and coastal resources.
The S-shaped strip of land currently has 28 coastal provinces and cities, accounting for 42% of the mainland area and 45% of the national population, including Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien - Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh.
The coastline from Mong Cai (Quang Ninh) to Do Son (Hai Phong) is a limestone mountain arc of Dong Trieu that has sunk and been covered by seawater, transforming the mountains into thousands of islands of various shapes and sizes, forming the Ha Long scenic area, which UNESCO recognizes as one of the world's most beautiful natural landscapes.
Do Son is a long peninsula of nine low mountains extending into the sea, producing a popular tourist, relaxing, and swimming destination. The northern shore consists of the Northern Delta, which is mostly flat.
The central coast runs and bends from Sam Son (Thanh Hoa) to the Central Coast shoreline, and is intertwined with several types of towering sand dunes or alluvial sand caused by the alluvium of the rivers that pour into the sea. On many stretches, small mountain ranges run out to sea, forming small peninsulas, bays, ports, famous beaches, resorts, and tourist attractions such as the Hoanh Son range with Ngang Pass and the Hai Van range with a nearly 500m high pass; the ports of Cua Lo (Nghe An), Da Nang, Dung Quat (Quang Ngai), Quy Nhon, bays, and Cam Ranh ports; tourist and resort beaches of Sam Son, Cua Lo, Non Nuoc, Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Hon Rom.
The southern coast has a small mountain area jutting out, which is Vung Tau, a well-known tourist and resort area; the rest are alluvial flats at the mouths of the Mekong River, mangrove forests in Ca Mau, and a group of limestone mountains in Ha Tien (Kien Giang), which are partly onshore and partly under the sea, creating a natural landscape similar to Ha Long in the north.
There are over 4,000 islands throughout the East Sea and on Vietnam's continental shelf, with the Gulf of Tonkin alone accounting for nearly 3,000 islands, the largest of which are Cat Ba, Cat Hai, and Bach Long Vi. There are hundreds of huge islands on the central coast, the most common of which are Hon Me, Hon Mat, Cu Lao Cham, Cu Lao Xanh, Hon Tre, and Con Co.
The Hoang Sa archipelago in the East Sea spans around 15,000 km2 and includes over 30 rocky and coral islands. The Truong Sa archipelago, located 240 nautical miles south of Hoang Sa, spans 180,000 square kilometers and includes over 100 islands of various sizes. Twelve major and small islands, including Con Dao, are located about 100 nautical miles from Vung Tau.
Ride the curved coastline of Vietnam from south to north for 3,000 kilometers:
The Coastal Roads stretch approximately 3,200 kilometers along Vietnam's undulating eastern coast, linking the south and north via modern coastal highways and seldom utilized backroads. Two prevalent misunderstandings about biking Vietnam's coast are:
- Highway 1 (QL1A) for most of the journey).
- The Coastal Roads route spans 3,000 kilometers, with only 370 kilometers on Highway 1 - less than 10% of the complete journey.
Riding Vietnam isn't only about the mountains; the shore is also worth your time and attention. If you enjoy the sea, salty air, limitless horizons, sandy beaches, wide open spaces, fresh seafood, fishing villages, beach towns, and swimming in the water, this is the route for you.
The Coastal Roads route focuses on traveling between Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and Hanoi as near to the ocean as possible while avoiding congested freeways. This book contains an annotated route map, fast at-a-glance data, an overview of major issues like distance, length, weather, and lodging, as well as fully illustrated descriptions of each segment of the trip. This is a long road journey, so I've arranged my tour into three sections: Southern, Central, and Northern. These are then separated into eight parts. Riders can do the entire route or only portions of it; however, if you just ride one segment of the Coastal Roads route, make it sections 2-5, which have the nicest coastal views and roads.
ROUTE MAPS: CLICK HERE
Southern Part:
Section 1: Saigon→Vung Tau→La Gi→Mui Ne | 250km
Section 2: Mui Ne→Phan Rang→Nha Trang | 280km
Central Part:
Section 3: Nha Trang→Tuy Hoa→Quy Nhon | 230km
Section 4: Quy Nhon→Quang Ngai→Da Nang | 260km
Section 5: Da Nang→Hue→Dong Hoi | 300km
Section 6: Dong Hoi→Ha Tinh→Vinh | 215km
Northern Part:
Section 7: Vinh→Thanh Hoa→Hai Phong | 375km
Section 8: Hai Phong→Cat Ba→Hanoi | 105km
Trip Overview and Details:
QUICK DETAILS:
Route: follow the coast (avoiding Highway 1) between Saigon and Hanoi.
Distance: 3,000 kilometers (complete course)
Duration: 3 weeks (complete journey).
Scenery: large swaths of unoccupied coastline, tiny fishing communities, vibrant beach cities, quiet beaches, and impressive coastal passes.
Attractions include: beaches, islands, swimming, seafood, historic sites, battle ruins, superb riding, and pontoon bridges.
Road Conditions: modern highways, decent backroads, some rough portions, minimal traffic, and some busy sections
Best time: March-September.
The Vietnam Coastal Road route starts and ends in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in the south and Hanoi, the capital, in the north. Although I have prepared this route from Saigon to Hanoi, you may bike the Coast Road either south-to-north or north-to-south; it makes no difference. Riding the full length of the Coast Road is a fantastic road trip in and of itself, but you can also join the route at nearly any point along the way. If you just ride one length of the Beach Bum Coast Road, make it sections 2-5, which have the nicest coastal roads and vistas. For the northernmost stage of this road journey, between Hanoi and Hải Phòng, I recommend taking the train instead of riding the congested highways in and out of the city.
Distances and Duration: The Vietnam Coastal Roads route from Saigon to Hanoi spans 3,000 kilometers. If you want to bike the full trip, three weeks is approximately right. However, it depends on how you want to ride: huge miles over several days or shorter trips with overnight stays at attractive locales. A lengthy riding day on Vietnamese roads ranges from 200km to 400km, whereas a decent day is 100 km to 200 km.
Itineraries & Sections: I have written and organized the Vietnam Coastal Roads itinerary from south to north, beginning in Saigon and finishing in Hanoi, although riders can travel in either direction; it makes no difference. I've separated the Vietnam Coastal Roads into eight sections, each of which may be handled as a full day on the road, although this is not required. Because the Vietnam Coastal Roads route is littered with cities, towns, and villages with lots of lodging alternatives, you may be quite flexible and loose with your plan, stopping almost wherever and whenever you like.
Weather and Season: March through September are the finest months for riding the length of Vietnam's coast roads. During these months, the weather is pretty consistent along the coast, with plenty of sun, heat, and infrequent tropical downpours, while the water is frequently calm and clear. In contrast, the months of October through February may be shockingly chilly, damp, windy, and gray, with choppy waves, particularly north of Da Nang. Take a peek at the Weather Guide to better understand the seasons and climate around the country.
Traffic and Road Conditions: The Vietnam Coastal highways route avoids congested main highways as much as possible. However, because the coast is more heavily inhabited than the highlands, some portions can be congested, particularly where traffic is bottlenecked as highways pass through large cities. However, traffic on the Vietnam Coastal Roads route is usually minimal, and the road conditions are often excellent. Exceptions to this include a few places where coastal backroads are being converted into coastal highways, which requires considerable building. In addition, several of the coastal backroads are short and narrow but paved.
Fuel Stations: Fuel Stations are located at regular intervals throughout the whole Vietnam Coastal Roads route, so you should have no difficulty fueling up. Nonetheless, don't allow your gasoline gauge to drop too low before looking for fuel stations.
Accommodation: Each city and town shown on the map with a red pin provides a variety of lodging options to suit all budgets. Even outside the big villages, there are several beach communities with comfortable accommodations. The Vietnam Coastal Roads itinerary has more variation and overnight alternatives than any other road trip on my website. Even if you find yourself on a lonely, deserted stretch of Vietnam's Coastal Roads at night, there will most certainly be one or two local Guest Houses/Nha Nghi/ Motel/ Khach San nearby. Because there are so many hotel possibilities along this route, no specific places to stay are highlighted on the map.
Foods and Drinks: You'll never be without something to eat or drink on the Vietnam Coast Roads: there are stores, cafes, soup stalls, street food sellers, diners, and restaurants everywhere. The Vietnam Coast Roads Path offers great Quan Com/ Hai San (rice/seafood establishments) that provide fresh, tasty seafood in an informal setting. There are several foreign eating alternatives in the major coastal cities, ranging from pizza to sushi. Along Vietnam's vibrant coastline, you won't go hungry or thirsty.
Trash: Like many other countries, Vietnam is now dealing with a trash problem in its countryside. Unfortunately, the shore is where this problem is most visible: even empty beaches suffer from garbage. The majority of the garbage you find on beaches and in the water is casual home litter (such as candy wrappers, pot noodles, and drink cans) and fishing-related debris (such as lines, nets, and polystyrene boxes), not industrial waste. Keep in mind that, outside of tourist cities, the majority of Vietnam's beaches are still 'working beaches' where fishing people make a livelihood from the sea. Litter in the countryside is a far more complex issue than most travelers have time to grasp, so try to be patient with the quantity of rubbish you encounter and set a good example by disposing of your litter respectfully and limiting the amount of single-use plastic you consume while traveling.
Source: Tom - Vietnam Oracle
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