A week in Saigon-1/19- 1/25/2025

Day 3- Vung Tau--1/21/2025

4th stop: Bãi Truoc/Front Beach

After leaving White Palace (Bach Dinh) we are heading to Bãi Truoc (Front Beach),

 The scene shifts from history to everyday coastal life, and it’s just as captivating.

This bay you are looking out over is not just scenic, it is  working water.

Those colorful boats scattered across the surface belong to local fishermen who have been part of Vũng Tàu’s identity for generations.

The bright blues, reds, and greens of the boats aren’t just decorative, they help identify vessels and add a kind of vibrancy to the bay that makes it feel alive.

Closer to shore, you’ll see smaller boats pulled up onto the sand, resting between trips.

Farther out, the majority of the boats anchor or drift gently, often heading out early in the morning or late at night when fishing conditions are best. Many of these fishermen work in small crews or as family units, using traditional methods alongside more modern equipment.

What makes this area special is the contrast. We are standing on a peaceful promenade, watching what looks like a picturesque painting, but each boat represents long hours of labor and a livelihood tied closely to the sea.

View from the promenade of the bay and there’s also a rhythm to it. Boats come and go with the tides, and in the early mornings, the shoreline can become a small marketplace where fresh catch is brought in and sold right away. Even during the day, when things feel calmer, you can sense that quiet industry continuing just beyond the horizon.

This colorful canopy along the promenade at Bãi Truoc  is such a cheerful and memorable detail, it really transforms a simple walkway into something festive and inviting.

The structure is usually made up of repeated circular frames in bright orange and yellow tones, arranged overhead to form a kind of tunnel or canopy. As we walk beneath it, the light filters through, casting warm hues onto the path and creating a playful, almost glowing effect.

Thierry, Hoa, and George.

Mai, Chi Be, Cang, and me having a great time walking around this area.

One last look at the boats on the shore.

Panoramic view of the shore.

Promenade facing the front beach.

We are just resting a bit and enjoying the view of the bay.

After leaving Bãi Truoc, we told our driver we wanted to stop for a cocktail and he stopped at Mercure Vung Tau swhich was a great way to slow the day down.

The setting there is really what makes it special. Right by the water, the hotel opens out to a beautifully designed beachfront area where everything feels relaxed yet refined.

Large, wide umbrellas stretch over comfortable lounge seating, creating pockets of shade while still letting you feel completely connected to the ocean just steps away.

The atmosphere is effortlessly coastal-chic, soft sea breeze, the gentle sound of waves, and that open view of the horizon.

As the light starts to mellow in the late afternoon, everything takes on a warmer tone, making it an ideal time for cocktails. Glass in hand, we were sitting in that sweet spot between day and evening, where the heat begins to ease and the sky starts to soften. At Mercure Vung Tau, these drinks were as much a visual treat as they were refreshing.

 The iced tea with lychees, the vibrant passion fruit cocktail came out like little works of art.

Bright colors catching the light, garnishes carefully placed, each glass adding to that relaxed, seaside mood.

Margaritas were refreshing and also delicious.

Sitting there under the umbrellas with the ocean in front of you, it’s one of those simple pleasures that feels just right in the moment.

Then, as the day wound down, the journey back to Ho Chi Minh City brought you to Ton Duc Thang Street for a late bowl of pho.

 Even if the meal didn’t quite live up to expectations, it almost doesn’t matter, some days are defined less by a single dish and more by everything that came before it.

From the coastal views of Vung Tau, the climb up the Christ statue, the quiet beauty of the palace, the fishing boats at the bay, and that relaxing cocktail by the sea, it all comes together into a full, memorable day. Not every bite has to be perfect when the experience as a whole is.

NEXT... Day 4- Fairy stream, Mui Ne