Traveling to Binh Hung Island: The Ultimate Guide

Binh Hung Island, located in Cam Binh commune, Cam Ranh city, is nestled at the foot of the mountain pass along the Binh Tien - Vinh Hy coastal route. This place is renowned for its fine white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters. As tourism on the island is still relatively undeveloped, it retains many pristine and charming features.

Traveling to Binh Hung Island: Comprehensive Handbook

Insights into Binh Hung Island

Binh Hung is one of the three islands in the Tam Binh group in Cam Ranh Bay (Khanh Hoa province). It is also known as Hon Ty or Hon Chut.

Stepping foot on the island, you will be immediately captivated by the azure blue sea and pristine white sandy beaches. While the beaches here may not be as long and wide as those in Mui Ne or Nha Trang, they are always clean and clear down to the bottom. The sea is shallow, calm, and just a few dozen meters from the shore, at chest level, you can already see coral reefs beneath your feet. Particularly, the beaches are adorned with vividly shaped and colored rock formations.

Islanders primarily earn their livelihood through aquaculture, particularly lobster farming. The houses on the island are usually clustered together facing the sea, and another impressive aspect is the cleanliness of the roads around the island.

Planning Your Trip to Binh Hung Island

Travelers can visit Binh Hung Island all year round, but it's advisable to avoid months with heavy rain and storms like September and October. The ideal time to visit the island is during the summer months when the sea is calm, allowing you to enjoy the beautiful scenery of blue sea, white sand, and golden sunshine.

Transportation to Binh Hung Island

From Saigon or Hanoi, you can travel by plane, bus, or train to Cam Ranh. To save time, it's recommended to depart from Saigon at night to arrive in Cam Ranh early the next morning.

From Cam Ranh City, take National Highway 1A towards Ninh Thuan, then follow the new road to Binh Lap – Binh Tien for about 15 kilometers to reach Bai Kinh – Binh Hung.

If departing from Phan Rang City, take National Highway 702 towards Vinh Hy Bay for about 57 kilometers. At the Vinh Hy intersection, turn left onto the new road for another 13 kilometers until you reach Bai Kinh.

From there, travelers can take a boat to the island, which takes about 10 minutes and costs 10,000 VND per person for a one-way trip. If visitors wish to bring a motorbike to the island, the fee for transporting a motorbike is 10,000 VND. Electric vehicles on the island serve only one route from the pier to the lighthouse, with a price of 20,000 VND per person per trip.

Traveling from Binh Ba, tourists can rent a boat to Binh Hung Island, which takes about 60 minutes each way. However, if traveling in a group, it's better to go on weekdays, while solo travelers may find it more economical to go on weekends or holidays. Return boats from Binh Hung Island operate all day, with the last departure around 6:00 PM.

Means of Transportation on the Island

Boat

You can rent a boat to visit the fish farms of local fishermen and enjoy seafood right there. These boats have transparent glass bottoms, allowing you to admire the beauty of coral reefs while cruising.

Motorbike

You can rent a motorbike from guesthouses or hostels on the island for a price ranging from 120,000 to 150,000 VND per day.

Walking

Due to the small size of Binh Hung Island, travelers can also choose to explore the island on foot.

Where to Stay on Binh Hung Island?

At Home Stays: Many homeowners now offer accommodation services, where guests can sleep on hammocks or mats at a reasonable price of 50,000 VND per person per night. This option is suitable for those who want to experience the swaying sensation on the sea while listening to the sound of waves or the bustling sound of fishermen's boats every morning at sunrise.

Homestay Services: You can contact local households. This option allows travelers to experience the convenience, thoughtfulness, and hospitality of the host. Mytour introduces 1 homestay with an extremely beautiful location, just a few steps from the beach, called LOST Station. This is a homestay with classic, luxurious style, from design to interior furnishings, which will evoke a sense of returning to your childhood. You can accommodate up to 12 people at a very good price.

Guesthouses: There are some guesthouses on the island run by fishermen for around 70,000 VND per person per night. Additionally, travelers can easily find rooms with fans, air conditioning, and good amenities.

Camping: This option is chosen by young travelers, traveling in groups or backpacking. Choosing beautiful beaches like Bai Kinh for camping and overnight camping is a great experience.

Must-Visit Destinations When Traveling to Binh Hung Island

Binh Tien Beach

Located in Binh Tien village, this beach was planned by local authorities to become a resort area, so residents have been relocated to the mountainside. However, for many years, no additional construction projects have been implemented, so the beach remains quite pristine.

If you're traveling by car or motorbike from Cam Ranh to Binh Hung, be sure to stop at the rest area along the way and take a photo with this stunning beach.

Note: The project management does not allow visitors to enter by road, only by boat if desired.

Kinh Beach

This is the first beach you'll set foot on when visiting Binh Hung Island. Islanders use this beach as a transit point between the island and the mainland. The convenience of this beach makes it easy for travelers to move around. If coming from the mainland, you can park your vehicle on the beach and walk down to enjoy the sea. If you're on the island, you can catch any boat to the beach for only 10,000 VND per person. Boats operate continuously day and night, making it very convenient.

The water here is the clearest in the area, and the beach is shallow, making it perfect for family fun. There are some tents available for rent by the beach manager, priced at around 100,000 VND per tent.

Freshwater Beach

Freshwater Beach is a unique beach with the ocean on one side and a freshwater cave on the other. The water here is crystal clear, and you can also admire the marine life swimming beneath the surface. If you tire of the saltwater, you can venture into the cave and enjoy a refreshing swim in the freshwater inside.

Chut Lighthouse

Following the narrow road up Hon Bu Mountain, you'll soon reach Chut Lighthouse, a beacon that has been guiding ships into Cam Ranh Bay for over 100 years. From the lighthouse, you can observe the bustling activity of cargo ships at Cam Ranh Port to the west and gaze out over the expansive sea to the east, where small fishing boats dot the horizon.

Banana Beach

This beach boasts the widest stretch of sand on Binh Hung Island and also the deepest water. It's best explored if you're a strong swimmer or have flotation devices for water play. The sand here is fine and clean, often used by islanders for building homes. The water has a unique greenish hue reminiscent of banana leaves. Occasionally, you might spot foreign tourists snorkeling here.

During windy seasons, this beach can have fairly large waves, so it's usually less crowded. You can reach the beach by road, following the Binh Tien loop road from Bai Kinh to Vinh Hy. After about 1km, you'll see the road leading down to the beach.

Egg Stone Beach

Your first impression upon reaching this beach will be the sight of gigantic, round rocks resembling dinosaur eggs. This beach is for sightseeing only, as it's not suitable for swimming due to the rocky terrain.

To reach the beach, you walk up the path to Chut Lighthouse, nearing the summit there's a road on the right-hand side leading down. The descent to this beach is steep but not too difficult. With a bit of stamina and excitement, you can make it down to the beach in just 10 minutes.

Me Tree Beach

Located on Binh Hung Island, but to get to this beach, you'll need to rent a boat as there's no road access. This beach is relatively small, with mainly coral sand, so it's very clean. The water here is crystal clear like a swimming pool, and even at 5 meters depth, you can still see the bottom. In the middle of the beach, there's a large rock, perfect for standing and posing for photos.

Must-Try Delicacies on Binh Hung Island

Lobster

In Binh Hung, there are 3 famous types of lobster: red lobster, green lobster, and bamboo lobster. These species grow rapidly and have high export value, providing the main source of income for the locals. Lobster is often prepared simply by steaming, grilling, or making porridge... yet it is enough to delight diners with its rich, sweet, and aromatic flavor. For culinary enthusiasts, extracting lobster blood and mixing it with alcohol creates a very unique and enticing taste.

Sea Urchin

Sea Urchin, also known as Nhum, is a dish that is very easy to prepare. It can be eaten raw with a hint of lime or lemon, grilled with butter or lard. Particularly, Sea Urchin porridge and Sea Urchin with eggs are a perfect combination of colors and flavors of the ingredients, creating a nutritious dish and an effective health tonic.

Sea Anemone Fish

When it comes to fish, perhaps the most impressive is the grilled Sea Anemone Fish, wrapped in rice paper with some fresh vegetables and raw mango, dipped in lime fish sauce, it will surely make you 'forget your way home'.

Seafood Pancake

The way seafood pancakes are prepared here is not much different from those in other regions. In addition to the extremely delicious seafood filling with shrimp, squid, clams, and fresh scallops, which retain their sweetness, another distinctive feature that makes Binh Hung seafood pancakes special is that they are small, slightly crispy, golden, and very low in oil, so they are not greasy to eat.

Fish Cake Noodle Soup

The sweet and savory taste of the fish broth, a hint of sourness from the tomatoes, combined with the rich flavor of fried fish cakes, and a spicy kick from chili... that's all it takes for the fish cake noodle soup in Binh Hung to have a uniquely delicious aroma that leaves diners amazed with every bite.

Squid Cake

If you've ever tried fresh squid cakes in Binh Hung, you'll surely remember the experience vividly. The main ingredients for making squid cakes are rice flour and fresh squid. The indispensable tool is a hot charcoal stove and a set of clay molds. When placed on the charcoal stove, the mold heated up, the prepared batter is evenly stirred and poured into the mold. After about three minutes of cooking, fragrant and crispy cakes are ready, giving you a delightful hot squid cake to enjoy.

Key Notes When Visiting Binh Hung Island

• It's advisable to carry lightweight luggage, wear cotton clothes that are thin and cool. Remember to bring swimwear as Binh Hung Beach is stunning.

• Bring sunscreen, a raincoat, or an umbrella to be prepared for any weather conditions.

• Binh Hung is quite remote, so it's a good idea to pack some snacks in your luggage to deal with hunger at any time.

Mytour Suggests Some Most Popular Binh Hung Island Tours

Binh Hung 2D2N Tour: Explore Binh Hung Island

Binh Hung 2D2N Tour: Binh Hung – Binh Lap – Binh Tien

Five Peaks 3D3N Tour: Binh Hung – Binh Lap – Binh Chau – Binh Tien – Binh Ba

By Tieu Lam (Compilation)

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Reference: Travel Guide from Mytour