Vung Tau Unveiled: The Ultimate Coastal Retreat, or is it?
Have you ever arrived somewhere at just the right time? When the crowds have thinned, when the accommodation is priced right so you can stay longer, and when you can actually slow down and take it all in? It's really nice here, isn't it it? It is. Hi I'm Justine and I'm Darryl and we're the Breakaway Bravehearts. In this video we're exploring Vung Tau After the non-stop energy of Ho Chi Minh City, we took a stab at the map, packed our bags and headed to the river. We're on our way to Vung Tau. Wo it's off season, I gather it's a good time to go and visit Catching the Greenlines Fast Ferry and it cost something like 15 bucks and gets you down there in about 2 hours.
To be honest the journey wasn't 100% smooth but we did have a few moments out on deck where the skyline faded behind us and the open sea stretched ahead hinting at the change of pace to come. So we made it! How you feeling? Feeling a little bit queasy... Well there's no better cure for queasiness than fresh air and a change of scenery.
Vung Tau has plenty of eco-friendly ways to explore like electric golf carts and the VIN Suite of electric taxi cabs Another form of transport to be able to get around is on one of these! So $2 an hour, you get to enjoy and have some two wheeler fun. So there are plenty of places that you can hire them from - they've got lots of hire places along the beach. Vung Tau has a lot to offer but there it's quite scattered around. [Music: Sticky Issue] Pacing ourselves through the streets we quickly saw that Vung Tau is a city of contrasts.
One side of the town has lively beaches, peaceful parks, traditional fishing boats and echoes of the past. While the other half is completely under construction and ready to usher in the future. Large parts of Vung Tau are under construction at the moment so it's not all looking at its best. And there's a huge section of the coastline which is totally under construction and can't be accessed. I can't go into film to show you but actually this is a reverse of what we've warned about before.
This seems to be a turn for the good because old abandoned resorts are being taken away and what's being built is a beautiful big public space. With Vung Tau changing around us we took the chance to slow down and experience it as more than just visitors. Yeah now you got those beautiful trees and not so much of a beautiful view there though unfortunately - but it's nice how they - it's still beautiful isn't it - it is, and it's nice how they are preserving green spaces that public can use and that this isn't all just resorts and hotels the whole way along the coastline. Absolutely they found that sort of semi balance haven't they? Yes. One of the best parts of slow travel is finding a rhythm, noticing the small details and seeing a place as locals do and along the way we picked up some great tips and tricks. So what we thought might be helpful is for you to kind of get an idea of what maybe $10 to $12 can buy you now - take into consideration that we do take on these for a longterm: 3 to 4 weeks - So we managed to get this particular room which came in at about $12 per night.
You do get a bigger working area, if you are like us where you're working online, a washing machine, cooking facility. And of course we always recommend you come to the street markets, not only because you're guaranteed fresh fruit and produce that is locally grown, and you know your money is going to the locals, but also because of the energy and the vibe and the noise and I wish you could smell it too! Of course slow travel isn't just about picture perfect moments. It's about figuring things out as you go, embracing the hiccups and seeing a place for what it really is.
The reality of any country that's still developing its infrastructure is that not everything's going to be perfect. The reality of Vietnam is that Google Maps isn't always going to give you accurate information - this is the scenic spot that Google Maps recommended. Do you see any pathways or is this a pathway - um stop - no it's not it's not So some of the places we can't actually access by the little electric moped so we decided to walk it but Google Maps has taken us to some rather random little tracks which look a little dodgy We also seem to be randomly walking through people's backyards... "Oh no!" [echo: "Oh no"] And the reality of traveling off season is that not every day is going to be beautiful and sunny. The locals don't seem too bothered by it though. So to really understand how Vung Tau became what it is today we needed to dig into its history and that meant a visit to the museum. The first floor of the museum is dedicated to nature with a range of displays about forestry, agriculture and fisheries. Explanations are provided in English -
This time we remembered our headphones because there is a QR code for an audio guide. This area also explains archaeological history. There were relics found in Vung Tau from 2,000 years ago. The Museum's displays were incredibly lifelike and give you a real insight into how people lived during during the historic times.
This traditionally built house shows you all the detail of how they use nature to construct. They only use like half of the bamboo - like slices of it. It's amazing seeing the leaves as the roof. These are the Choro people - I am really not pronouncing that correctly, my apologies. Choro lived in the highlands. They ate white sticky rice cooked in bamboo, grilled meat, soup and fish, and homegrown vegetables, much like what we still eat today in Vietnam. They had a belief system that included a rice God and of course rice was a staple throughout the centuries and very quickly was turned into a liquor.
One, is the rice cooker. There's number two, that's the steam generator. Number three is the alcohol vapour engine. The unique Vietnamese ingenuity has been alive for centuries. We found the process of making the rice paper particularly interesting as we've eaten a lot of it since we've been in Vietnam. This is true. The second floor is dedicated to Vung Tau's military history including the French invasion in 1859 This display explains what's called here the French exploitation policy which refers to the French introduction of rubber trees and their use of Vietnam as an industrial capital. It resulted in exploitation of native lands and a lot of death as workers were treated poorly.
Workers that died on the plantation were wrapped in a mat and put in a shared coffin and then brought to the owner's land, taken out of the coffin and buried. Very soon after that, the owners planted more rubber trees on that land. The owners explained that this was because they were providing shade for the dead but really it was just using dead bodies as fertiliser. But the mistreatment didn't stop at the plantations and those who dared to resist faced brutal consequences.
Many were arrested and sent to places like Con Dao Island: home to the infamous tiger cages. Built by the French in the 1940s and later used by the South Vietnamese puppet government, they were designed to break the spirits of political prisoners. Victims were crammed into them, barely able to move and guards would walk above the cages and torment them from above, much like a zookeeper taunting a caged animal.
That's how they got the nickname tiger cages, because of the inhumane conditions where people were treated worse than animals. They are a chilling reminder of resilience and the cost of Vietnam's fight for independence. This is sadly what human beings are capable of. Where's the dignity? When the Vietnamese started to fight back against colonial oppression Vung Tau became an area of arms development. The museum gives a lot of detail around the role that Vung Tau played during the American War.
This is a tunnel that was built here in 1948 and became a strategic hold. It was fully developed into huge area with off-going tunnels and underground spaces - oh yeah, a food cellar, wow who' have thought this? It was the perfect space from which to launch attacks during the American war and played a major role in one of the most successful defence movements in gaining independence. Pretty cool re-creation. And the top floor is dedicated to Vung Tau today and its economic development. So we've seen many such ships in harbour and out to sea and it's estimated that Vung Tau will ship out around about 150 million tons of goods in 2025 alone.
So we really enjoyed the museum - incredible value at only 40K or $2 a ticket. It gave a great oversight into Vung Tau and the significant role it has played in Vietnam's history and development. Beyond that it's also a city of deep faith. You don't have to be religious to be curious about the towering Jesus Christ statue watching over the coastline. Vung Tau is interesting in that it has two religious structures dominating its mountains The gold Buddha on one side and Jesus Christ on the other.
Be prepared to come up a lot of steps... We've reached the two 250 - now I heard there was 800 so there's still quite a few to go. 300. Plenty of rest stops along the way though. It's got really quite a picturesque walk up as well, hasn't it? And while the cloud cover makes the background quite grey I am very grateful for it because it does make it cooler and walking up all those steps you do need to have that freshness, that coolness. Well there's something that has surprised me already about here is - not simply just going to visit the statue of Jesus Christ - they've created lots of spaces where you can yeah really take in what's here.
Christianity in Vietnam has a pretty fascinating history. It goes all the way back to the 16th century when the Spanish and the Portuguese first came to this land but it really took off in the 17th century thanks to French Jesuits like Alexandre de Rhodes who even helped introduce the Vietnamese alphabet. Over the years Christianity sometimes grew, sometimes faced persecution. Just like the other religions, during the Communist era it was suppressed and then brought back to life again during Independence. Hence the enormous Jesus Christ statue that you walk inside to see his view of the city.
Now we're at the 650. Okay 800 steps, we made it! I'm a little bit puffed, not going to lie to you, cause it is warm even though it's a cloudy day. Luckily we bought our water with us because there's more steps to go, you still got to go in the statue and all the way up to the arms.
Surprisingly the rules for entry into the actual statue are different to the rules posted at the entrance of the park. I see no bags...do not wear a hat...please no shoes... So I'm not allowed inside because my skirt is apparently too short which is a shame. I should have known it - I knew about pagodas, but I didn't know about this particular statue, as even though we were allowed in at security, I'm not allowed inside the actual statue.
My skirt is exactly at knee length - that's on my knee - so there you go now you know. However you can get yourself some long pants at the shop just next door for 50,000k which is equivalent of $2. Another thing you should know is that the space inside the statue is incredible narrow and you often need to stop for others.
If you experience claustrophobia this might be a challenging climb for you so coming up onto the arm is quite an experience in itself. It's actually only enough space for three or four people but they still keep cramming them in so it's a little crowded up here. It's definitely worth it, look at this amazing view. Wow how amazing, that's pretty impressive! So this definitely counts as a unique experience, standing in the arms of Jesus Christ overlooking Vung Tau. Christianity may have left its mark on Vung Tau but Buddhism had been shaping Vietnamese spiritual life for nearly two millennia before it arrived. I love the serenity of this sort of place it really does give you that - I don't know whether it's just the images or, you know, as soon as you turn around and you see that - it's very calming.
So sadly a bit of a grey day in the sky today but the view from here is still stunning and on a sunny day I can imagine this would just absolutely shine. No wonder the Buddha's smiling, he's got a fabulous view up there right? Wow. I think we can walk up there and see what he sees. Yes. So this is a Zen Monastery originally a pagoda built in 1966 It stands 80m high on the big mountain and it wasn't until 1995 that it actually became what we're seeing today. It's fun to see people here celebrating New Year in their National costumes.
Buddhism is the largest organized religion in Vietnam and it integrates just about every part of their daily life. Most people practice Buddhism as kind of a blend of all the different strands, and their own local culture and traditions. We've gone into a little bit more depth about how Buddhism is practiced and what it means to the people of Vietnam and Cambodia in one of our upcoming videos, so make sure you hit subscribe and the notifications bell. So this particular monastery is a practicing monastery. It's the here solely for worship.
But not all of the spaces are open obviously, but they have opened a lot of it and you really get to enjoy the space. And it's a beautiful space too. You know obviously you're up close and personal with a Golden Buddha so that's something new for me. I haven't experienced such a monumental piece before. It's quite impressive. So this is definitely a place we recommend coming to. It's a little bit trickier to access but worth the effort for sure.
We really enjoyed just wandering through this beautiful park area and enjoying the tranquility. However we are here during preparations for Tet so we can hear them practicing for their concerts in the background and still setting up the stages all ready for tomorrow's big event. Nothing brings the city to life quite like Lunar New Year! It's really so colorful! Quite spectacular. So it looks like they transformed this place with flowers! Obviously there's a whole use of yellows and reds as well because they believe very much that yellow and red is prosperity. A lot of preparation and thought gone into how this is all coordinated.
This was not here when we first - and now there's a massive stage going up! I'm so looking forward to having a look at this snake that they've done. It just looks amazing. A cobra by the looks of things. Oh of course it's the Year of the Snake! Oh wow the whole way down this street! Yes. I swear that wasn't there before! So we've been lucky enough to come to Vung Tau right at the time that they're preparing for the Lunar New Year celebrations and you can tell they really want to celebrate! The whole atmosphere is transformed.
One day later and this place is buzzing with people - So now as night draws on the lights come on and the party is about to begin! The place has suddenly come alive! And now it's time to party! Lunar New Year, or Tet, is the most important holiday in the Vietnamese calendar. It's like Christmas, New Year's and everyone's birthday all rolled into one. It's when families all come together to honour traditions and to wish a fresh start to the year. Being a farming culture, Vietnam has been celebrating the Lunar New Year for centuries but not always like this. The heavy Chinese influence elevated it to the status that it has today.
And as the night goes on the place just gets busier and busier and the energy is getting higher and higher! After the excitement of the Lunar New Year celebrations the next day we were ready for more exploration and were lucky enough to catch a very special event. The first day of the New Year, families and friends walk together to reach Hon Ba Pagoda, a small island just off the shore. So behind me right here can only be reached at certain times of the day due to the tides. As you can probably see from here now, it's not reachable - it was reachable this morning and it was amazing how many people there were actually came across there.
I guess it's a very sacred place and therefore there's only a limited amount of time you can use there but it looks now - the contrast is phenomenal - and watching people cross slowly with purpose was a beautiful reminder of the quieter more reflective side of the new year. With all the energy of the New Year still fresh in our minds we made our way back to a place that has sparked many of the changes in Vung Tau: the White Palace. So because of its location close to Ho Chi Minh and also with a really great port area Vung Tau has actually been important to all the different types of people that have lived in Vietnam including the French, and then the Americans when they were here during the war. So the White Palace is an example of French architecture that still has a lot of influence over the city.
Quite tranquil here already isn't it - it's beautiful and quiet - you've already lost the traffic noise. Wow these leaves are massive! Yeah they make cool cwunchy sounds I can cwunch all the leaves! Built during French rule it's a reminder of the city's colonial past and also of how much has shifted since then. Oh wow yeah, you can see how this would be strategic, So valuable strategically. I have to admit it is pretty impressive.
I mean in its time it would have been quite imposing. Definitely a statement for the French administration in Vietnam. So there is information on the walls in both Vietnamese and English Oh this is an audio guide. So this one was built at the same time as the Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh, so 1898. So the whole building seems to be preserved and decorated exactly as it would have been in the day. A pair of African elephant tusks. Poor elephant.
The guests would have had a beautiful view because they wouldn't have had this monstrosity. Wake up in the morning - oh wow!, I bet. From what I gather is that sometime in their history the emperor was basically imprisoned in this particular establishment. This is the Emperor Thanh Thai, I don't know whether I'm pronouncing it correctly - this is where he would have been imprisoned in these surroundings. So for less than a dollar we have just been able to enjoy learning a little bit of culture and history. It's a lovely surprise to be honest with you.
So is Vung Tau just another beach town weekend getaway? We don't think so! It's a city where history and modern life weave together, where quiet moments and vibrant energy sit side by side And traveling here in the off season that's when you get to see it all. Not just the postcard version - the real living breathing Vung Tau. As the sun sets over Vung Tau we have to say how grateful we are to Vietnam for hosting us during this year of their 50th anniversary. In our next video we're going to wrap up our whole two months in Vietnam and share everything that we've learned with you. We really hope you'll join us for that.
Until then, happy travels everyone! You didn't say happy travels - I didn't did I? Why did you not say happy travels? I don't know!
2025-02-11 06:12
