Exploring the Charm of Hon Khoi Salt Fields and Doc Let Beach

We embarked on a journey from Nha Trang, driving along National Highway 1 towards the north for approximately 40km until reaching Ninh Hoa district, Khanh Hoa province, where the pristine beauty of Doc Let Beach awaits. Continuing from the Doc Let intersection for about 10km further leads to Hon Khoi Peninsula, renowned for hosting the largest salt fields in Vietnam.

The Majestic Salt Fields of Hon Khoi

Hon Khoi, also referred to as Hon Khoi Peninsula, is surrounded by the sea and rivers. The name Hon Khoi has its origins dating back to the 18th century. Before 1930, Hon Khoi was part of Phuoc Ha Ngoai district, within Van Ninh district. In 1930, it became part of Ninh Hoa district. Currently, Hon Khoi comprises 4 communes: Ninh Hai, Ninh Diem, Ninh Thuy, Ninh Phuoc.

Salt production in Khanh Hoa province is mainly concentrated in the Hon Khoi area, covering a total area of about 650 hectares. Ninh Diem alone accounts for 400 hectares of this total area. Hon Khoi is renowned for its salt-making profession, with vast expanses of pristine white salt fields stretching to the horizon, creating fame and beauty for this land.

The salt-making season usually extends from January to around July every year. Sea water is channeled through large and small channels into the salt fields. The salt-making profession here dates back to the French colonial period and has undergone changes in salt-making methods over time, with increasing demands for salt quality.

The salt production area in Hon Khoi is supplied and drained through the Cau Treo canal system. This canal was excavated during the French colonial period, spanning approximately 30m wide and nearly 8km long, along with a network of 12 branch canals to channel water from the Cau Treo canal into the production area.

Salt fields are typically managed using two methods: salt-making on soil and salt-making on canvas.

Salt production in traditional salt fields involves two main areas: the 'soaking fields' and the 'drying fields.' In the soaking fields, seawater is first introduced and left to evaporate for several days to increase the salt concentration. From the soaking fields, the brine is then transferred to the 'harvesting fields' where salt crystallizes. As the salt begins to precipitate, workers use tools called 'bamboo scrapers' to gather the salt into small pyramid-shaped heaps on the fields, which are then loaded onto carts and transported to collection points.

Before the 2010s, salt was manually collected into woven bamboo baskets and carried to centralized piles. Nowadays, salt is loaded onto small pushcarts and transferred from the fields to the shore, where mechanized vehicles handle the transportation.

In addition to traditional land salt fields and salt covered fields, there's a recent addition of Japanese refined salt. For this type, salt fields are tiled, seawater is poured in, left to sun-dry for 7-8 days, harvested, then ground. After grinding, it's sun-dried again to complete the production process for the final product.

Salt-making hours usually start very early. Around 3 AM, lights from flashlights can be seen gradually converging onto the salt fields for harvesting. Men scrape salt while women handle the loading and transportation. This sequence repeats from one section to another, with laughter echoing across the area even in the darkness of night.

As the reddish-orange sun gradually illuminates the horizon, the silhouettes of salt harvesters cast upon the water's surface create vivid scenes. Around 7 AM, activities start winding down. Afternoon work sessions typically commence around 3 PM and extend into the evening to avoid the intense midday sun.

The salt fields in Hon Khoi serve not only as tourist attractions but also as havens for numerous professional photographers seeking to capture the labor beauty of salt harvesters. Many award-winning works in domestic and international photography competitions have been shot at the salt fields in Hon Khoi.

Salt production in this area is increasingly being invested in to improve quality for export. The livelihoods of local salt harvesters are gradually stabilizing to retain workers, preserve, and develop the salt industry.

Doc Let Beach

In addition to salt harvesting, Hon Khoi is also home to Doc Let, a highly renowned tourist destination known for its white sand dunes by the sea and mild climate year-round. However, the best time to visit Doc Let is during the dry season from January to September when the sky is clear, the sea is calm, ideal for beach activities.

Doc Let exudes the characteristic beauty of Nha Trang's island sea with its shimmering blue waters under the sky's cloud reflection. The shallow, gentle waves and gradual slope make it perfect for tourists, especially children, to enjoy swimming. The sprawling white sandy beach stretches for kilometers, adorned with leaning coconut trees, creating an alluring and distinctive scenery.

Doc Let Beach remains natural and untouched, preserving its rustic charm. Due to the tranquil sea, fishermen's boats are frequently active. You can also camp for a picnic on Doc Let Beach, savoring fresh seafood just caught. Spending the night on the beach to admire the nighttime sea and welcome the dawn over the sea is incredibly romantic and memorable.

For this year's island beach tourism season, if you haven't made any choices yet, head to Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa. Here, you can visit Hon Khoi to admire the famous salt fields along with the coastal labor beauty, and the dreamy white sandy beach of Doc Let.

Mytour Golocal is a blog writing program introducing beautiful destinations across Vietnam, part of the Mytour Go & Share program. This is a great opportunity to promote local tourism to everyone. For each qualified article, you'll receive 800,000 VND and the chance to become a contributor with Mytour. For more details about the program, visit: https://trv.lk/golocal