Central Coast

The Central Coast is a region of Vietnam.

Cities

• 1 Chu Lai – Has a large airport that serves Quảng Ngãi and Tam Kỳ
• 2 Da Nang – Vietnam's fifth largest city with lots of tourists, where the beaches are the main attraction
• 3 Dong Ha
• 4 Dong Hoi – A sleepy beach and seaside town with all the necessary infrastructure; laid back, authentic and genuinely friendly, with at least half a dozen hostels, convenient for accessing Phong Nha Ke Bang national park.
• 5 Hoi An – A trading port with a UNESCO World Heritage listed old city and pedestrian-friendly shops and cafes
• 6 Hue – The former imperial capital and a popular tourist attraction
• 7 Khe Sanh
• 8 Lý Sơn
• 9 Nha Trang – A popular beach town
• 10 Lang Co – A fishing village that includes mountains, a river, a lagoon, an island and a 32-km beach
• 11 Quẚng Ngãi – A sleepy town and off the beaten tracks, known for the My Lai incident during the Vietnam War, with lots of cultural and historical sights
• 12 Quy Nhon – The inexpensive and tourist-free alternative to Da Nang, yet off many people's radar and therefore still a tranquil and authentic, lively and pleasant city with a much (among the locals) hyped beach. Good for a break between Nha Trang and Hoi An.
• 13 Tam Ky
• 14 Thanh Hoa
• 15 Vinh

Other destinations

• 1 Cham Islands (Cù Lao Chàm) – 7 islands that are 17 km (9 nautical miles) offshore to the East of Hoi An river-ocean inlet
• 2 DMZ
• 3 My Son – UNESCO World Heritage listed ruins of temples built by the ancient Champa civilisation, located close to Hoi An
• 4 Na Meo – A border crossing town
• 5 Phong Nha Ke Bang national park – Caves, caves, caves
• 6 Van Phong Bay – Includes a 25-km long peninsula called Hon Gom and the islands Hon Lon (Big Island) and Hon Ong (Whale Island), one of the few places on the Vietnamese coast that remains semi-natural, after the decision to abort a container port project.

Understand

This region is likened by the Vietnamese to the bamboo pole connecting the baskets of north and south. The Truong Son Mountains, stretching all the way to the coast between Hue and Da Nang, have traditionally divided the country in two in terms of weather and dialect, although the actual demarcation line during the Vietnam War was slightly higher up at the 17th parallel to the north of Hue.

Climate

Jul-Nov is the typhoon season, so it's wise to check the forecast a few days before your planned visit. Typhoons form in the Pacific, east of the Philippines. In some years, they curve north toward Taiwan and Japan and leave Vietnam in peace. In other years, they cross the Philippines and run straight into central Vietnam, causing flooding and wind damage. The threat of typhoons is one factor that has limited economic development in the central region relative to the north and south.

Get in

By plane

Many airports along the Central Coast connect with Hanoi and HCMC — north to south:

• 1 Vinh Airport (VII ^IATA) near Vinh
• 2 Dong Hoi Airport (VDH ^IATA) near Dong Hoi
• 3 Phu Bai International Airport (HUI ^IATA) near Hue
• 4 Da Nang International Airport (DAD ^IATA) near Da Nang — has many international connections
• 5 Chu Lai Airport (VCL ^IATA) near Quảng Ngãi
• 6 Phù Cát Airport (UIH ^IATA) near Quy Nhon
• 7 Tuy Hoa Airport (TBB  ^IATA) near Tuy Hoa
• 8 Cam Ranh International Airport (CXR ^IATA) near Nha Trang — has a few international connections

By train

There are train stations at most above mentioned cities and towns; like Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Dong Hoi, or Da Nang, and Hué. The closest railway station to Hoi An is 17 km away; Trà Kiệu.

By road

The Hai Van Tunnel between Danang and Hue cuts 20 km and a good hour off travel time between the two cities, and bypasses the dangerous and scenic Hai Van Pass. The toll for the tunnel for an ordinary car is 25,000 dong, a price well worth paying, especially if you're prone to carsickness.

Get around

• By motorbike for close–by destinations and to explore the surrounding areas
• By train to go from city to city
• By tourist bus (aka open tour bus) to go from ho(s)tel to ho(s)tel

See

The south gate of the citadel

• The Citadel of the Hồ Dynasty, a UNESCO World Heritage located some 40 km north of Thanh Hoa

Go next

• Northern Vietnam to the north
• Vietnam's Central Highlands to the west
• Southern Vietnam to the southwest

North Central Coast