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Looking for an Affordable Summer Adventure? Try Exploring Phan Rang - Núi Chúa - Bình Lập for Loads of Fun.
Journey to Phan Rang, Núi Chúa, and Bình Lập for Just 1.2 Million Đồng
From Saigon, you can purchase sleeper bus tickets to Ninh Thuận for around 140,000 đồng. Depart around 10 PM to arrive in Phan Rang by 5:30 or 6 AM the next morning.
In Phan Rang, rent a motorbike to cruise along Route 702 for 100,000 đồng/day. Enjoy breathtaking views of white cliffs on one side and the azure sea on the other.
Route 702 takes you through Hòn Đỏ, Hang Rái, and Vĩnh Hy. Feel free to explore these spots at your own pace. Hòn Đỏ is free but requires off-roading and a bit of hiking, while Hang Rái has an entrance fee.
Hang Rái has recently undergone extensive renovations, including the addition of 3 conservation ponds for fish and sea turtles.
While Vĩnh Hy Beach may not boast fine sand, the glass-bottom boat tours to observe the coral reefs below are quite intriguing.
Note that while Bình Tiên is in Ninh Thuận, Bình Ba, Bình Hưng, and Bình Lập belong to Khánh Hòa. Specifically, Bình Ba cannot be reached via Route 702 but requires heading towards QL 1A and then to Cam Ranh.
To access Bình Lập, take the route towards Bình Hưng, then turn right towards Bình Lập. Follow a small dirt road through the Bình Lập village. Along the way, you'll pass by Ngọc Sương Resort, once a filming location for 'The Lady Assassin.' If interested, you can stop for a swim, with an entrance fee of 50,000 đồng per person.
Afterwards, you can visit the Villa of Golden Flowers, featuring beautiful scenery with golden flowers, green grass, and sea lavender. Our group opted for a homestay with 4 rooms, 2 with air conditioning and 2 without. We brought tents and hammocks, so we didn't rent rooms but had to pay a living fee of 80,000 đồng per person.
The host, Nhàn, also known as Nhàn Bình Lập, owns a boat. Around 3 PM, you can join Nhàn on a boat trip to the sea, where you can assist Nhàn in diving for sea cucumbers, moon snails, and sea urchins along the rocky shores, or catch crabs and fish for an evening BBQ. The most delicious fish there are zinc fish and trumpet fish.
In the evening, head to the beach for a BBQ. Kim Xuyên boasts a wide beach, spacious enough for camping for up to 100 people. The beach is clean, with white sand, perfect for relaxation.
This area is also known for lobster farming. In the late afternoon or early morning, go out to sea with the fishermen on their coracles. They use these coracles to collect snails for the lobsters to eat. Sometimes, they catch large fish or delicious snails and sell them to you at incredibly low prices, so low that you might feel compelled to give them extra money to show your gratitude.
If you're a regular customer and receive special treatment, you might have the chance to enjoy mini lobsters, each about half the size of an adult hand, priced from 90,000-100,000 đồng per lobster. If one gets stuck, it's even cheaper.
The next morning, we boarded Nhàn's boat and headed straight to the sea. Nhàn took us to an unnamed deserted island adjacent to Robinson Island. The island is uninhabited, with white sand and azure waters. After setting up our tents, we rushed to the sea. The waves were gentle, the sea was beautiful, and swimming was endlessly enjoyable.
At noon, we packed up our tents and returned to Ninh Thuận. If you have time, you can try dishes like fermented fish noodle soup, fish noodle soup, or mixed fish salad with wild betel leaves. You could also visit Mỹ Nghiệp village, home to Bàu Trúc pottery, and have a Cham meal at a Cham family's house for lunch.
In the afternoon, visit the sheep fields in An Hòa commune. In the evening, hop on the bus back to Saigon. The entire trip costs only around 1.2 million đồng.
As per Nhật Anh/Tuổi Trẻ
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Referencing: Mytour Travel Guide
From MytourJuly 20, 2017
