The Best Places to Go Surfing in Vietnam

If you’ve seen Apocalypse Now (1979), you’ll know that you can surf in Vietnam – and how! The country has 3,000km (1,800mi) of beautiful coastline, and terrific waves, the best of which are found as you head down the South Central Coast. Ready to board? Here are the best places to go surfing in Vietnam.
Fancy an adventure in Vietnam? Our 12-day Vietnam trip visits the top highlights of the country, including Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An and more – with the help of our Local Insider.
Da Nang, for the all-around best surfing
Architectural Landmark

Nha Trang, for swells for all levels
Natural Feature, Architectural Landmark

Mui Ne, for kitesurfing
Natural Feature, Architectural Landmark

Vung Tau, for easy access from Ho Chi Minh City
Architectural Landmark, Natural Feature
Bình An, Hue, for beginner surfers
Natural Feature
Built around the crumbling Forbidden Purple City of the ancient Nguyen dynasty, and set on the banks of the Perfume River, Hue is a Vietnam must-see. The surrounding countryside is dotted with ancient temples and tombs, many of them set in scented, bird-filled gardens. Golden beaches run south from here, many of them known to few tourists. The fishing village of Bình An stands on a long, curving bay of sand between a forest-covered cape and the mouth of the vast Dam Cau Hai lagoon. With gentle waves suitable for surfers still struggling to stand, it’s a beginner’s beach to practise on before heading over the mountains, to the bigger breaks around Danang, some 40 minutes away. The water is warm enough to enter without a wetsuit outside the peak domestic tourism season (late July to late August), and the beach is usually empty. It rains heavily here between September and December.
Cửa Đại, Hoi An, for its location near the city
Architectural Landmark
Hoi An town is enchanting: a place full of mindful moments in temples covered with pink and blue tiles and crowned with sinuous dragon-serpents. Wandering the narrow streets, you’ll spy terracotta-topped cottages painted in ochres and warm yellows. The slow river, lit with lanterns, makes for dreamy gondola rides past covered bridges and quayside restaurants. It’s one of the best places in Southeast Asia for souvenir shopping – with markets packed with leather and ceramics, and dozens of shops selling made-to-measure suits and shoes. And it’s by the beach. To surf, head for Cửa Đại, an exposed beach break with left- and right-handers, barely 10 minutes from the town centre. Shacks sell snacks and the sand is palm-shaded, but on warm, calm days it can get crowded. The best surf is in the low season between December and March (which can be wet). Just be sure to avoid the busy Tet (Chinese New Year) long weekend.
Lăng Cô, Danang, for a quiet surfing getaway
Architectural Landmark

When the Americans landed at China Beach at the beginning of the Vietnam War, there was nothing here. Now there’s a city: Danang. Cable cars ferry thousands of tourists daily into the formerly wild, forested mountains, now home to a Disney-style resort devoted to Vietnamese culture – you may have seen its famous Golden Bridge held between giant outstretched hands. Corporate towers cluster the city centre and legions of resort hotels line the sand. Lăng Cô is a few kilometres north, but it’s separated from the hurly-burly by a mountain ridge. For the moment it’s relatively free of big development. And the beach is gorgeous, as wide as a football field, and stretching for some 10km (6mi) between a sheltered lagoon and the open sea. The sand is silk-soft and cotton-white. Waves vary depending on the swell, but can be massive in the late summer and winter when storms hit the South China Sea.
Alex Robinson contributed additional reporting to this article.
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