Experience sleeping in a wooden hut, swaying gently in the midst of Binh Lap Sea

Those are just 2 out of many exciting experiences that the Sao Bien Ecotourism Area in Binh Lap, Cam Ranh offers you. Often likened to a miniature Maldives of Vietnam, Binh Lap, despite being a peninsula, is completely isolated from the outside world. The first impression when coming here is the pristine, tranquil beauty that is rare to find anywhere else.

Binh Lap Tourism – Experience sleeping in a wooden hut, swaying gently in the sea

When mentioning Binh Lap, people will talk about the famous Ngoc Suong resort, chosen for filming movies like The Lady Assassin and Kisses and the Shining Kisses, Villa Golden Flower with Binh Chau beach of blue sea and white sand, followed by the quaint fishing villages along the coast. But few know that Binh Lap also has a separate ecotourism area, dedicated to those who love tranquility. Coming to Sao Bien Ecotourism Area, you will enjoy the experience of sleeping in wooden huts on the sand or, even more uniquely, swaying in a hammock amidst the sea, let's explore with Mytour.

With a criterion of operation based on nature and local culture associated with environmental protection, Sao Bien Ecotourism Area is still pristine and natural, untouched by pollution and disruption. Sao Bien has researched and cherished this treasure so that you can enjoy the scenery and the diverse flora and fauna, as well as the culture and daily life of the people here.

Located on a beautiful beach and a picturesque fishing village at the foot of the mountain named Binh Lap Village, Sao Bien Ecotourism Area has a relatively pleasant climate. You can visit Binh Lap at any time of the year. However, if in the rainy season from September to December, you should monitor the weather a few days before to choose a suitable day for your trip. For the spring and summer months, Binh Lap's sea is clear, the water is transparent to the bottom, this is the best time to explore Binh Lap.

The most attractive feature of Sao Bien Ecotourism Area is the adorable little wooden huts that are incredibly cozy. Staying here, you will experience the maximum feeling of being by the sea without being disturbed by anyone or anything. These are small wooden pyramid-shaped houses, with open front and back designs. With an area of 6m², inside the hut, there is a 1.6m x 2m mattress for two adults, a folding table, a fan, a lamp, and a wooden floor in the front for you to enjoy the breeze, barbecue, and relax. The huts are placed in various positions close to the sea, especially under perennial shady trees for you to freely choose.

The toilet is one of the most challenging designs because it needs to be both private and airy. At Sao Bien, with a very unique idea: building an 'open' toilet in a 'closed' space so you don't have to worry anymore.

However, that's not all, Sao Bien also brings you many more surprises. One of them is sleeping on a hammock strung in the middle of the sea. Has anyone ever tried that?

Besides, a series of outdoor activities are waiting for you at Sao Bien Ecotourism Area. For those who love and want to explore nature, absolutely do not miss the following experiences at Sao Bien Ecotourism Area in particular and Binh Lap in general: cycling on the sea, sliding down into the sea, fishing, diving to see coral reefs, renting boats to nearby islands like Binh Ba, Binh Hung... learning how to make 'banh can' under the guidance of local people, going crab hunting at night along the beach, admiring the sunset or climbing the mountain to see the panoramic view of Cam Ranh Bay... And if you go in a large group, you can request to organize a BBQ party on the sea with karaoke, campfire burning all night long.

Sao Bien Ecotourism Area is not only for couples in love, adventurous young people but also a destination for families looking for a quiet and comfortable space. The sea in the ecotourism area is very calm, the sandy beach is gentle, so it is safe for children and those who cannot swim. The beach is wide, the sandbank is shallow, the surface structure is flat and solid enough for cycling or playing football near the water's edge. Surrounding it are rocky islands so the beach is quite sheltered and safe. Especially, there are many small fish swimming in groups, occasionally leaping out of the water, making the sound of fish flapping their tails clearly audible. Children can chase after the wind whirls or catch snails, or wear snorkels, diving masks to catch starfish or spiny oysters.

With many carefully crafted scenes, young couples about to get married also choose this place to preserve beautiful memories before entering married life.

Prices for accompanying services at Sao Bien Ecotourism Area:

Entrance ticket, sea bathing, freshwater bathing, water slide, hammock on the sea: 50,000 VND/person.

Kayak, bicycle rental: 200,000 VND/hour.

Leaf hut rental: 200,000 VND (maximum 6 guests).

Small wooden hut rental: 500,000 VND (maximum 12 guests).

Large wooden hut rental: 1,500,000 VND (maximum 30 guests).

Bringing food into the paid tourist area: 20,000 VND/person (except fruits, pastries, light snacks, with minimal waste).

Surcharge for seafood brought into the tourist area: 150,000 VND/kg (served with charcoal stove, utensils, pre-cooked like steaming, boiling).

Surcharge for beer and soft drinks: 5,000 VND/can (with ice and glassware).

The hut/room rental price is calculated from 12pm the day before until 12pm the next day, however, if the day you book the hut/room has no guests, Sao Bien will be flexible for you to get the hut/room immediately and anytime (from 7am) and similarly when checking out before 3pm there will be no additional charges. For air-conditioned rooms, if you exceed 24 hours, staying an extra 8 hours will be charged an additional 50% of the room rate. If you bring your own tent for overnight camping, it will be charged 200,000 VND/person, with free use of the services on the beach.

There are 3 routes to Binh Lap:

– Departing from Cam Ranh: From Cam Ranh airport, you go through QL1A to enter DT702 road, heading to Vinh Hy bay. This route is over 40km with a panoramic view of Cam Ranh bay. It takes about 1 hour to drive. However, because this route goes through QL1A, there are many large vehicles which can be dangerous.

– Departing from Phan Rang: From Phan Rang city, continue on QL1A for about 40km to petrol station 74, then turn right onto DT702 and follow the direction to Ngoc Suong resort. Similar to the route from Cam Ranh, this section goes on QL1A so there are many large vehicles which can be dangerous. However, this route hugs a loop of Chua mountain, passing through Kien Kien with many beautiful scenes. If you like, you can stop by and explore the extremely romantic Kien Kien stream.

– Coastal route: Also departing from Phan Rang city, but you cross Nai lagoon, Vua lagoon and enter Nui Chua National Park on DT702 road, this is one of the most beautiful coastal routes in Vietnam that you cannot miss. With a length of about 65km, you will admire one side of the mountain and one side of the sea with extremely majestic scenery. Before entering Binh Lap, this route will pass through Rai cave, Vinh Hy bay, Freshwater stream, Ba Ngoi port to Binh Ba, Kinh beach to Binh Hung, Binh Tien village and countless mesmerizing beaches such as Banana beach, Freshwater beach, Binh Tien beach... Because the road has many hills, only mostly tourist cars and motorcycles, so it is quite deserted. If you choose this route, you should check the gasoline before going.

From Saigon or Hanoi, you can easily and quickly fly to Cam Ranh airport. If in Saigon, going to Cam Ranh or Phan Rang by train or bus from Mien Dong bus station are both possible. Just after a night on the bus, arriving in the morning, you can rent a motorbike to continue to Binh Lap.

– Airlines such as Vietjet and Jetstar operate many cheap flights.

– Buses from Saigon to Cam Ranh are provided by Phuong Trang, to Phan Rang by Hoang Anh.

– Renting a motorbike anywhere costs 100,000 - 120,000 VND/person. However, in Phan Rang, many places to rent a motorbike may require you to deposit 1,000,000 VND before receiving the bike.

By Little Duy

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Reference: Mytour Travel Handbook