Blogs from Vung Tau, Southeast, Vietnam, Asia
April 15th 2012
Ellen, Alex and I made our way back to Saigon especially because we have been invited to be guests of Loc to celebrate a milestone associated with the passing of Loc’s father the previous year. Normally the milestone is the first anniversary of the death and signifies the formal end of the mourning period. However in a perfect show of just how flexible Buddhism is, the family elects to slate the anniversary at 100 days because anything else would come up too close to the Viet New Year celebration of Tet. The celebration is to take place in the family’s home town of Vung Tau, a favourite weekend getaway for Saigonese looking for some beach time. As proceedings are getting underway at 9am, we arrange to meet Loc and his fiancé Truc at 6.30am sharp at ... read more
March 25th 2012
We needed some sun! Living out in the sticks is fine but there's nowhere we can really go to enjoy the sun when it shines without attracting rather more attention than we want!! The solution - Vung Tau. This is the nearest beach resort town to Saigon and accessible by a hydrofoil in an hour and a half. Sadly they don't run late enough in the day for us to go straight from work so we took the bus instead. From Mien Dong bus station we headed out of town in a minibus at breakneck speed swerving in and out of the traffic all the way. It was breathtaking, nay, frightening, and our knuckles were certainly white for a lot of the time. We got there in two and a half hours but I would have ... read more
March 8th 2012
It was another really hot day on Monday 5th March and so we planned to get the Hovercraft Ferry or Hydrofoil down to Vung Tau, which is about 50 miles away on the River/Sea route. Vung Tau is a coastal town that is being touted as the next big place in Vietnam. The reason for that is that it's location is better than Saigon as a Port and it is of course a Sea Side town, it also has one other important commodity ..... Oil..... and you can see the oil rigs quite clearly from the shore. The Aussies come over to work them, and those that don't go home on their time off, stay in the town. The place also the a pretty lousy reputation because this is the town that Gary Glitter was allowed ... read more
February 19th 2012
Leaving HCMC we take a short 90min ride by bullet ferry to Vung Tau terminal, we are met by Keivn (Vietnam Ulysses President) who directs us to our next hotel. After checking into our hotel for 2 night we quickly refresh ourselves and head off to get our bearings and try not to forget our way back. Our walk eventually takes us to the new "Tommy 3 Cafe" (Vietnam Ulysses Club) for refreshment and catch up with Glen (Vietnam Ulysses Vice President) the cafe ower for a chat and pickup up our motor scooters our transportation while here. Setting off, we, not only have to get used to smaller lighter bikes, but also remember to ride on the opposite side of the road and remember anything goes as far as road rules. This we find is ... read more
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside.....yet again!
Published: December 19th 2011Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Vung Tau » Thuy Tien
December 18th 2011
Once or twice a year our school organises trips for our students, usually to some out of the way tourist resort or theme park. Our last trip was to Suoi Tien park near Ho Chi Minh City where I became an impromptu, kindergarten carer to 150 kids ranging in age from 7-16; which is NOT my idea of a fun day out! However, this trip was solely for our adult students and our destination was to be a spotless and virtually untouched beach near the small village of Thuy Tien which is just outside the grotty and heavily touristed town of Vung Tau. The excursions are organised around Christmas, due to the fact that by this time of year, the monsoon is usually over. The only downside to these trips are the early rises. Despite my ... read more
March 10th 2011
Vung Tau After a few days in Saigon it's good to escape to somewhere a little less frenetic. The two ferry companies operating to Vung Tau come to the rescue. Vung Tau is 125km from Saigon sitting on the South China Sea and although it's not an island, it has isolated island feel to it. The main town has a laid-back charm to it and has many attractive French colonial buildings. The market has a fish section which is one of the most impressive Monk has seen in Vietnam, probably as a result of the hundreds of small fishing boats moored offshore. There are beaches, including in the town, however, the main beach called the 'back beach' is on the other side of the peninsular - just a 5-minute taxi ride from town. It's a fairly ... read more
February 24th 2011
I always find it remarkable how in life how peoples paths cross as well as the timing of these events. My journey crossed paths last week with a remarkable lady which resulted in a chance of a life time opportunity for me. Her name is My Huong. My Huong co-managers three orphanages in Vung Tau, Vietnam & although her title is Project Manager she wears many hats. From Nurse to Teacher to Financer she is dedicated & completely hands on and with the help of a remarkable team, they provide a safe, healthy home for Orphan children. My Huong herself has an inspiring life story, so much so that she was chosen to share her story by an Australian TV Network covering the story of Children who were involved in Operation Baby Lift in 1975. For ... read more
February 21st 2011
Walking is something I do everyday, and I walk for hours. Sometimes I take my camera, other days I take my ipod or just a bottle of water. So much to see in the streets of Vietnam. I relish getting lost, knowing full well that if worse came to worse (which hasn't happened yet) I could return home in a cab. I think of so many things when I am walking and its as if my mind is exercising along with the speed of my legs. I pass many people in the street all ambling somewhere. I always nod, smile & say G'day and am usually recieved with a slight frown. Its not a custom over here to greet like that (obviously), but it is my Australian manner and I continue to do so in effort ... read more
February 18th 2011
My time at Vung Tau is now coming to an end and I have really only just scratched the surface of the lifestyle here between westerners & the locals. Should I have stayed only a few days and just saw the neccessary tourist attractions I would have missed the beautiful displays of hospitality I received from the local Vietnamese as well as the gritt and grind of daily life. If this is my introduction to Vietnam than I am certainly excited to experience much more diverse lifestyles in Mui Ne, Hoi An, Hue, Halong Bay to name a few. All, I am sure, will offer a completely different cultural experience and it is all ahead of me. Such a gift! Since I have arrived I have shared beers with the male expats, tea with the local ... read more
January 31st 2011
My purpose for staying in Vung Tau was to stay relatively close to Ho Chi Minh. I really had no idea of what to expect with Vung Tau, however now I am here I am baffled as to why there aren't more of the back packer community here. Vung Tau is full of large (extremely) open air cafe's and bars and scattered Niteclubs. The atmosphere is relaxed and slower in pace. The beaches aren't as pristine as those you may see in the northern cities however back beach is clean with deck chairs peppering the sand and thatched huts serving beers and groovy tunes is enough of a beach atmosphere for me to enjoy. The accomodation like anywhere can vary from the budget to the pampered and for those wishing to stay an unpack for a ... read more
