Phu Yen is another off beat track destination in Central of Vietnam with pristine beaches, busy fisherman villages, glistening mini desserts, mouth-watering seafood and astounding natural landscapes. Quiet beach with romantic scenery, isolated islands and marvelous stone cliffs, Phu Yen is truly a precious gem in Southern Vietnam. Let’s find out why Phu Yen is so attractive and alluring!
Situated in the middle of Binh Dinh Province (Quy Nhon) and Khanh Hoa Province (Nha Trang), Phu Yen is a coastal province in the Central of Vietnam. Its capital is Tuy Hoa City. Phu Yen remained unpopular to tourists for a long time as the province did not invest much in promoting its tourism. After the launch of the movie “I see yellow flowers on the green grass”, which was shot in Phu Yen, the province’s picturesque landscapes started to capture attention from Vietnamese tourists. Since then, tourists have flocked there to discover other lesser-known attractions in Phu Yen.
Phu Yen has a tropical climate which means it’s rather warm and humid most of the year. To avoid the hottest season, the best time to travel to Phu Yen come here between January and March. During this time, you’ll experience temperatures in their high twenties and there will not be a lot of rain. The closer your travel dates are to summer, the hotter it will get, but chances of rain are still low. If the heat doesn’t bother you, traveling in summer is great as you’ll be sharing the beaches with fewer people.
If you can, avoid the time between September and December. That’s Phu Yen’s rainy season and you risk getting caught in heavy downpours several times a day. You’ll still have your share of sun and warm weather but be ready to get the occasional free shower. Also, note that bad weather might make it impossible to go on boat trips during this time (in Phu Yen as well as neighboring provinces), as going out to sea wouldn’t be safe.
Indochina Charm Tours share you some traveling tips to Phu Yen help you have good preparation for Phu Yen trip.
Tuy Hoa airport is located across the river, seven kilometres south of the city centre. There are daily flights to HCMC(Jetstar, Vietnam Airlines, VietJet) and Hanoi(VietJet).
If you want to see more of Vietnam’s landscape and are not in a hurry, why not take the train to Phu Yen? The famous North-South Express stops in Tuy Hoa and connects the city to hubs like Danang, Ho Chi Minh City (~11 hours), and Hanoi (~13 hours). To make the long journey go by faster and even get some rest, go for a berth. It’s quite comfortable and you’ll be rested enough to explore come morning. Check out Vietnam Railway’s website to find a train and book it directly.
The bus situation in Tuy Hoa is confusing as there is more than one station. There is the main Tuy Hoa station as well as other stations belonging to individual bus companies.
All north-south buses going along Highway 1A can drop off at Tuy Hoa — more specifically, they will drop en route along the highway which lies five kilometres west of the city. Buses (if they’re nice) will stop at a major intersection where a few xe om hang out. If leaving from Tuy Hoa, there’s two side-by-side bus terminals to choose from at the corner of Nguyen Tat Thanh and Tran Phu Streets. The one run by Thuan Thao Tourist offers the most departures. Bold travellers can also stand on Highway 1A and flag down a passing bus.
If you’re traveling with a few friends or you simply want to be more flexible, you can hire a driver. That way you can travel as fast or a slowly as you like and even make some stops along the way. To find a reliable driver at a fair price, it’s best to ask your hotel’s front desk staff. They can recommend someone for you, put you in touch, and give you some recommendations on which route to take.
Phu Yen province is the heart of many religious and historic remains, but today, it is best known for its beaches and bays. You can combine these destinations or choose among them based on your preference.
This short beach, especially the two sets of sea cliffs on either end is so beautiful that it attracts a lot of tourists from all over the world to come here and take some pictures for your Instagram feed. With just 500 meters in length, the beach looks exactly like a small kingdom that is isolated.
You can climb onto a hill nearby for a sweeping view of Xep Beach from above. This hill became popular to tourists as the place where the children from “I see yellow flowers on the green grass” flew kites. In real life, this place is a small meadow where the locals’ cows are herded. I did not see any yellow flower there though, unfortunately.
Tip: It was extremely hot when we visited Xep Beach at 10am. Nobody was on the beach and we felt like burning when standing on the hill overlooking the whole area. We later learned that locals only visited Xep Beach in the afternoon to avoid the burning heat from the sun.
The name Da Dia Reef, in Vietnamese literally means “the sea cliffs of stone plates” – and from this very exciting name, you, for sure, can’t miss this unbelievable destination. Nowhere in Vietnam can you find such a beautiful piece of art by nature: hundreds flat black stones are stacked on top of each other right next to the sea. It’s hard to believe this amazing structure was arranged totally by nature.
Theoretically speaking, Mui Dien Cape is the first location in Vietnam to receive sunlight for a new day. After climbing steps for around 30 minutes (slow pace), you will reach the foot of the Mui Dien Lighthouse. Climbing up to the lighthouse gives a stunning view of the sea below.
From the Lighthouse you can also climb out to Mui Dien. It’s a bit hard to climb out here so mind you step!
Tip: Interested in visiting the northernmost point of Vietnam’s territory as well?
Bai Mon Beach can be accessed from the entrance to Mui Dien area as well. You need to pay an entrance fee and also a parking fee (very cheap!). There are shower rooms near the entrance for you to change before walking 200 meters to the beach.
Now here’s the interesting part. As you walk to the beach from the entrance gate, you will first be able to see the Mui Dien Lighthouse on top of the hill on your right hand. As you walk further, a gorgeous landscape of yellow sand dunes on the left, a clear channel in the middle and a green hill on the right will leave you stunned. You can even see fish swimming in this clear channel. And finally, the beach! Bai Mon Beach is nestled between 2 hills with the length of only 400 meters. Its clear water, smooth sand and amazing view will not disappoint you.
Tip: The beach is most deserted at around 2-3pm, when the sun still shines quite brightly. Come here at this time and make the beach your own!
From Mui Dien and Bai Mon, continue driving forward and you will soon arrive at a lively fisherman village. The smell of fresh fish is unmistakable. This place is called Vung Ro – a small busy bay with lots of fishing activities going on. You can stop by at a local boat house to buy fresh seafood and taste them right there (the locals can help you cook).
The capital of Phu Yen province, Tuy Hoa is the center of cultural and economic life in the area. It is also home to some great historical spots such as the Ngoc Lang temple and the Nhan tower built by the Champa people. Take a few hours to check out the city before heading out into the countryside, it’s well worth it.
Located in Tuy Hoa City, Nhan Tower was built by the Cham people on top of the Nhan Mountain in the 12th century. Here you can have a beautiful view of Tuy Hoa city with the Da Rang River flowing by.
Tip: You can ride motorbike / drive car directly to the top of Nhan Mountain. The mountain’s height is only around 60 meters.
You’ve just arrived in Phu Yen and you might feel a little bit tired. I have a simple dish that will wake you right up. Let’s stop for just a moment to get some chicken rice, my friend!
First, let me ask you something: Does the name of this dish sound familiar to you? Chicken rice is a popular dish in Vietnam, but each region has a specific way to make it. Let’s take Phu Yen and its “almost” neighbor, Hoi An, as an example. Unlike Hoi An rice which is cooked in a rice cooker, Phu Yen rice is cooked directly in a hot pan with oil, minced garlic, and chicken broth to make it radiant yellow.
If you need to talk about just one Vietnam’s seasoning in its hundreds of herbs, powders, and fermented stuff, that thing must be the fish sauce, made of salted fish. And in Phu Yen, you will have the chance to witness how fishermen catch their anchovy in the early months of the year. Here in Phu Yen, people make fish sauce with anchovy (Mắm Cá Cơm) to have the thickest and most delicious fish sauce all over Vietnam. You will have the chance to see people make the sauce from 300 to 400 kilograms of fish, put them in a wooden box for more than half a year until the fish starts to melt into the thick and full-of-protein sauce.
One of the ingredients that decide the success of this dish is fish cake. The fish is minced thoroughly, then seasoned and folded into pieces. After that, it is steamed or deep fried. A healthy helping of fresh green chives is served on top. And most importantly, the broth isn’t made from pig thigh bones but from fresh fishbones. That’s the reason why the broth has a naturally sweet taste of fish that you’ll never tire of.
People say that if you leave Phu Yen without trying seafood, it means that you NEVER visited Phu Yen! On top of that, blood clams in O Loan lagoon are the most famous of them all. They are bigger than anywhere else, easily caught, and they appear regularly. Chefs often include them in many dishes with different ingredients such as grilled onions, chilis, or tamarind and vegetables.
The best time to try them is at night when all the lights are on and the streets are less busy. Slurping blood clams while sipping a local moonshine (I’d suggest Bau Da alcohol) and watching the starry sky will be absolutely relaxing and poetic.
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