A beach at HonSon Island, Kien Hai District, the southern province of Kien Giang

Think beaches in Vietnam, and chances are Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, or Da Nang will spring to mind. Not many people in fact know that down south, in Kien Giang Province, are some remote beautiful beaches.

Kien Hai District, some 30 kilometers from the provinces capital Rach Gia, has 23 islands with beaches that are famous locally like Nha (house), Chen (bowl), Bang, and Bac.

Chen Beach in Hon Tre Island, the districts capital, is the most famous.

Only over 100 meters of its two-kilometer length is sandy. The rest is covered with rocks that look uncannily like overturned bowls when the tide is high. One can go hundreds of meters into the sea without getting the feet wet by walking on the rocks.

With a small rented boat and a fishing rod, tourists can start a leisurely day of fishing 300 meters from shore. Another recommended activity is buying seafood directly from fishermen, usually for cheap, having them cooked, and enjoying them right on the beach.

Not far from Chen is Dong Dua (coconut cavern), which is actually a little bay covered by coconut trees and rocks.

While the island is usually compared to a floating turtle, its tail is Duoi Ha Ba Beach, whose name, translated literally, means sea gods tail. The beach, also known as Dua (pineapple), gets narrower and narrower until it disappears under water.

It is full of rocks, some high enough for climbing. It is also a favorite fishing location for locals since its fish stocks are said to be plentiful because of submerged caves. People often catch groupers weighing a couple of kilograms here.

HOW TO GET THERE

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Kien Giang’s rocking beaches