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Vung Tau is the first seaside resort for
the elite in Vietnam. The first hotel, the Arduzer, was built in the 1870's
and was a spa for the French leadership at the time. Over time, many more
bungalows and vacation homes were built by the well to do of Saigon. Today,
Vung Tau has many large and modern hotels on its 3 main beaches. Vung
Tau is also known for its abundance of pagodas and temples, most of
them lean against the mountains and face the ocean.
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A serpentine road 6 km long hugging Small
Mountain starts from Bai Truoc (Front Beach), passes by Nghinh Phong (Windy
Point) and leads to Bai Sau (Rear Beach). Named Ha Long (Descending Dragon),
the winding road goes up and down along the shore, offering a spectacular
view of the skyline and refreshing ocean wind. Facing the ocean on three
sides, Vung Tau is windy all year round and has 2 distinct seasons, rainy
from May to October and dry from November to April. Average temperature
is 28 deg. C.
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Another
winding road 10 km long circling Big Mountain starts from fishing village
Ben Dinh, passes through Bai Dau and ends at Front Beach. Traditionally
a weekend get-away spot for city dwellers from Saigon, Vung Tau has also
a significant fishing industry. With oil riggs only 70 km off shore, the
city is a center of services for the exploitation of gas and oil.
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