Seaside delights

Long stretches of beach, white sand, plenty of sunshine – these and other visual and sensual treats are on offer in abundance at the picturesque seaside destination of Lang Co Bay in central Vietnam.
I love the sea and always missed the chance to visit the beach every summer. Lang Co Bay in central Thua Thien-Hue Province was the choice this year and there are no two ways about it – we had a really great time there.
We drove some 70 kilometers south of Hue Town to Lang Co, leaving early in the morning, and were thrilled to see the immense coastline with silky white sands, clear blue waters, mountain with tropical forests stretching to the seashore, and a peaceful fishing community.
We needed no further invitation to explore the area further.
Lang Co is home to a diverse ecosystem, including 151 species of fish, and 31 species of marine life living on the seabed including many rare and precious species, such as lobster, mackerel, cuttle-fish, sea horses and oysters.
Amid the forests and the sea is the brackish water lagoon of Lap An, covering 1,500 hectares, which is abundant with crabs, sweet snails, snappers, oysters, mullets, grouper, and much more. A short distance from the beach, Chan May Cape and Lang Co fishing village are also great places to visit.
Having booked an ocean-view villa at Lang Co Beach Resort in advance, we didn’t have to look for a place to stay, as was the case with many other visitors during the busiest part of summer.
After checking-in, we popped into our room just to leave our suitcases there. A festival was being held in town and we wanted to see it. Following a friend’s suggestion, we rented a motorbike at a shop opposite our hotel for just VND100,000 a day, a cheaper option than the VND30,000/hour rate at the hotel.
We drove some two kilometers up to Hai Van Pass, said to be the best place to admire the beauty of the bay. It was a beautiful, clear day, and the view was absolutely stunning. When we got to the highest part, which is the border between Hue and Da Nang, Lang Co Bay looked like a painting with broad strokes of white, blue and green.
Coming back from the pass in the late afternoon, we decided to check out local life around Lap An Lagoon. We were surprised to see so many changes that had occurred since our first visit five years ago. The village has become a much more animated place as its fishermen have more work to do because of increased tourism. Thankfully, one thing that has not changed was their plain, friendly and open-hearted manner.
We spent an hour fishing there while admiring the peaceful lagoon at sunset and sipping a glass of fresh, cool coconut water. The huge lagoon by the village was gradually being lit up by thousands of lamps on fishing boats. I remember seeing this scene in photos, paintings and television innumerable times but those were incomparable with the actual experience.
We had our dinner of dishes made from fresh seafood and it ranked up there among the best meals I have ever had. As night fell, local fishermen escorted visitors to the lagoon to catch gobies and experience the night on the lagoon. We did not join them but continued to drive around, sightseeing.
Lang Co is becoming another resort magnet. Along the 13-kilometer beach, there are dozens of newly-built hotels and resorts providing choices aplenty for visitors. There were also many big restaurants like Bien Ngoc (near our resort) and Sao Bien Be Den (at the foot of Hai Van Pass), which are apparently very popular.
We returned to the resort very late at night. The next morning we visited the Chan May Cape and Canh Duong Beach. Although every place in Lang Co Bay is wonderful, especially during sunrise and sunset, Chan May Port and Canh Duong Beach are extra special, exuding a sense of completeness. The road leading there also offers beautiful sights on either side.
For the sporty minded, diving, windsurfing or playing volleyball are options, but we were content with just visiting places and taking in the sights and sounds, not to mention touching base with locals.
HOW TO GET THERE
It is easy to get to Lang Co Bay from Hue or Da Nang by shuttle bus, taxi or even xe om (motorbike taxi) because the bay is close to National Highway 1A. Lang Co is just 30 kilometers from Da Nang Airport and 50 kilometers from Hue’s Phu Bai Airport.
The best time to visit is between late April and late July, when temperatures average 25 degrees Celsius.
Many new resorts are springing up in Lang Co, but at present some of the most popular include Lang Co Beach Resort and Thanh Tam Resort, which are located right in the center of Lang Co Town, or the Nirvana Spa and Resort which is some 2 kilometers further in a more quiet and peaceful area.