Story: Truong Quy
Photos: Tonkin, Nguyen Hai

Jutting into the East Sea like the prow of a ship cutting through open waters, Ba Ria – Vung Tau holds the distinction of having the longest name of any province in Vietnam. Many might ask, “What’s so special about Vung Tau?” – especially since it lies just about 100 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, at the southeastern gateway to the Mekong region.

Yet beyond the familiar coastline lies Ba Ria, a land of red soil along the Dong Nai River’s estuary, where early Vietnamese settlers first arrived centuries ago, its stories and secrets still waiting to be discovered. There’s also Con Dao, far offshore in the East Sea, once known as a “hell on earth” prison island, now transformed into one of the world’s most breathtaking and mysterious archipelagos.

Con Dao Island

Geography and history have endowed Ba Ria – Vung Tau with a sense of openness, a place forever catching the winds of change. With mountains, forests, and sea in close embrace, the region carries layers of cultural sediment shaped by centuries of external exchange. A charming city, bustling ports, and oil fields symbolize modern prosperity, while coastal and forest landscapes compose the perfect “profile” for an unforgettable retreat.

It’s rare to find such diverse landscapes in close proximity: the silvery waves of the East Sea lap against a coastline of graceful white sand, while inland, fertile red earth and ancient forests beckon exploration – both “up the mountains and down to the sea” – within just a few dozen kilometers.

The Mansion of Long Son

Join Heritage Guide in returning to Ba Ria – Vung Tau to enjoy the ever-changing, refreshing, and amazing experiences it offers, like “a white sun pulsing with the breath of the sea” (from a poem by Hoang Trung Thuy). One moment you’re weaving through ancient forests and along red-dirt paths, the next, you’re enjoying hot mineral springs or gazing across white dunes bordering the sapphire sea. The painful traces of prisons and war leave visitors even more aware of nature’s healing grace, carried in the sea breeze rustling through tropical canopies as silver waves caress white sand beaches beside emerald forests and red earth, lulling the soul into peace.

The Heritage Guide: Ba Ria – Vung Tau edition will be available on all Vietnam Airlines flights starting May 1, 2025.