My encounter with the Binh An Village Resort in Vung Tau came in August this year. My buddy asked me to recommend a nice beach resort in Vung Tau to pamper his girlfriend for a short trip. I flipped through my faithful Lonely Planet and Binh An Village came highly recommended. Called the resort to make a booking and even though I thought the listed price of US$200 was reasonable for a boutique resort along the seafront, I asked for a discount and the lady manager gave us a 20% discount taking into consideration it was a weekday stay. Cool!

Stayed at Thuy Duong Hotel in Vung Tau 2 months back (Oct 09). Thuy Duong Hotel is along the ‘back beach’, further down the road away from the main actions meaning it is quiet which is one of their attractions for me. In fact, it was so quiet that my Vietnamese friend found it eerie

There are about 3 ways one can get to Vung Tau from Saigon:

1. Tour bus from Sinh Cafe and other tour agencies. About 3 hours.
2. Drive or ride to Vung Tau from Saigon. About 3 hours (under 2 hours if you are a hell rider).
3. Take the hydrofoil. It is the most comfortable and fastest at just under 1.5 hours.

In this travel tip on how to get to Vung Tau from Saigon, I’ll show you where to buy the hydrofoil or ferry ticket, the timings of those ferry services and how those hydrofoils to Vung Tau feels like.

By hydrofoil, the southern coastal town of Vung Tau is hardly far enough from Ho Chi Minh City for travelers to grab a catnap. Arriving in Vung Tau after the 75-minute journey, the first thing you notice is the wide, curving bay filled with fishing boats so colorful you may wonder if a fleet of tankers carrying oil paints simultaneously ran aground there. Forested mountains hug the long coastline; French colonial mansions dot the foothills. A luxurious marble pathway greets visitors along Front Beach. In the mornings, sidewalks gleam with fresh catches of fish sold to passersby. On the rocks that the early tide has exposed, women scrape away at stubborn, clinging shellfish…