Phu Yen, Vietnam’s land of the rising sun

Phu Yen, located on the south central coast, is the first point on the Vietnamese mainland to welcome the sun every morning.

It has a diverse topography consisting of mountains, rivers, lagoons, bays, and islands and a myriad of beautiful natural sights for visitors to explore.

Best time to travel

Phu Yen’s sunny season is from January to around August, and is perfect for sightseeing. There are also lots of local festivals during these months, so remember to check their dates if you want to see them.

But April and May can be quite hot, so visitors who choose to go during this period should be mindful and take sun-protection gear and water

From May until the end of July is the peak domestic tourist season, and during this period Phu Yen can get pretty crowded. It might not be an ideal time for those who prefer a quiet and relaxing holiday.

Where to go?

✅Da Dia Reef: a unique seashore area of uniformly interlocking basalt rock columns. Created from volcanic eruptions millions of years ago, the bountiful rocks are dark lava columns with roughly flat surfaces of different shapes – round, pentagon, hexagon, polygon – resulting in a spectacular stone structure.

✅Vung Ro Bay:  Vung Ro spreads over an area of 16.4 square kilometers, with beautiful beaches and the ocean on one side and forested mountains like Deo Ca and Hon Ba, and the highest peak, Da Bia (Tombstone Mountain), on the other. There are hundreds of floating homes, fish farms and wooden fishing boats in the main bay. From here, visitors can take a boat to visit seafood farms, try to be a fisherman for a day and learn how locals catch lobsters or go catching fish or squid. There are also other recreation options such as jet-skiing, snorkeling and visiting historical relics for visitors. Vung Ro Bay has 12  beautiful, pristine beaches such as Lach, Mu U, Chua, Chan Trau which are perfect for a refreshing dip in the cool, clear water or just unwinding in a tranquil, quiet place on the white sand.

✅Xuan Dai Bay: a picturesque 50km stretch of coastline backed by mountains and dotted with traditional fishing villages, sandy coves and towering cliffs.

✅Champa Towers: Important cultural landmarks of the ancient Champa Kingdom.

✅Mon Beach: a triangle of sand wedged between rocky headlands, Mon Beach features crystal clear waters and has yet to be discovered by tourists so aside from a handful of wooden fishing boats, is often completely deserted.

✅Mui Dien (Dien Cape): considered one of the most spectacular coastal roads in Vietnam, with a view of the mountains to one side and dozens of beautiful beaches to the other.

 ✅O Loan Lagoon: famous for culinary specialties such as red oysters, cuttlefish, jelly fish, blood cockles and a type of red algae, the lagoon is lined with golden sand dunes and casuarina forests which provide shelter for pelicans, storks and ducks.

✅Van Hoa Plateau: located 400 metres above sea level, this misty mountainous terrain is home to lakes, streams, waterfalls, primeval forests and ancient relics. Every September and October, the landscape is transformed into a vibrant red by fields of berries.

How to get there

From Saigon, visitors can take a bus, train or airplane to Phu Yen Province's capital Tuy Hoa.

From Hanoi, there are trains and flights.

The airport is around 10 km from the city downtown, so remember to arrange for transportation to your hotel beforehand to save time and money. You can take a taxi on arrival if you choose so.

Source: Internet.