It’s official; two stunning beaches in Vietnam have made it onto TripAdvisor’s best beaches in Asia list! Both the Cua Dai Beach in Hoi An and Non Nuoc Beach in Da Nang made it onto the list (in places 23 and 24).
Cua Dai beach (pictured above) lies just a few kilometers north of Hoi An town itself, and boasts gorgeous white sand beaches set against clear blue seas. Cua Dai translates as ‘big sea mouth’ and the beach itself runs for some 3km. The modest waves make the beach a hit with local families and travellers alike who come to swim, snorkel and generally chill out. A range of cafes serving fresh seafood and juice line the beach. Hoi An itself is a must-visit; the traffic-free streets are lined with fifteenth century merchants’ houses, ancient pagodas and the remarkably romantic Japanese Bridge. Take a tip from me and snap up some of the local artwork and silk scarves, which you can see produced in front of you at one of the many silk factories.
Head just a few kilometers further north and you’ll stumble on Non Nuoc Beach; a gem amongst Da Nang’s thirty km stretch of coastline. Sumptuous sands lead to calm, clear blue waters. An all-year round destination, Non Nuoc’s five km stretch is backed by the towering Marble Mountains, better known locally as Ngu Hanh Son. Luxury hotels and resorts have made their home here, as international travellers cotton on to the superb watersports facilities, as well as the family-friendly swimming, sunbathing and snorkelling. Welcome shade is provided courtesy of ancient casuarina trees, where keen hikers can follow the trails up into the foothills of the Marble Mountains, with their traditional pagodas and sacred caves. In Da Nang city itself, tree-lined boulevards host fascinating cultural and archaeological wonders, in what is the old capital of the Champa Kingdom.
Image credits; 1; stupiddream via Flickr CC BY-ND 2.0, 2; Vyacheslav Argenberg CC-A-2.0
