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Truc Lam
In the past few years, An Bang Beach has drawn many newcomers, particularly artists who came together to set up their homes, thus contributing to the village’s special vitality.
Over the past decade, An Bang village has emerged as a delightful oasis for visitors. Located less than 5km from Hoi An’s Old Town, An Bang has undergone a spectacular transformation from an impoverished backwater where residents fished and made fish sauce, to a thriving hub of home-stays, restaurants and cafes. It has retained its vernacular traits and adapted to its new role as an international tourist hub. An Bang charms those who love nature and wish to enjoy some multicolored culture.
It’s a great pleasure to learn that various international travel websites ranked An Bang as one of the best beaches in the world. CNNGo voted An Bang among the world’s Top 50 finest beaches, while TripAdvisor also sings its praises. These compliments are largely due to its natural blessings. Visitors can stroll along the 3km-long beach, enjoying crystal clear sapphire water and velvety white sand. The ocean at An Bang tends to be calm, making it suitable for swimming and sea sports like kayaking, jet-skiing, parasailing and enjoying boat tours past villages on the De Vong River.
In the past few years, An Bang has drawn many newcomers, especially artists who gathered here, thus contributing a special vitality to the village, which resembles an art retreat by the sea.
Both locals and artists attribute the village’s fame to Le Ngoc Thuan, who was born in 1980. A native of An Bang, over 10 years ago, Mr. Thuan began to dream of founding a new model of tourism business to attract more visitors to his homeland. In those days, An Bang was chiefly known as a pristine beach where the locals came to bathe in the late afternoons. There were no services catering to tourists.
After starting a homestay, Mr. Thuan began to instruct his fellow villagers in the business of offering accommodation and ecotourism services. An Bang has emerged as a big cluster of small villas surrounded by greenery. As fishermen and fish sauce makers, the villagers had many old jars and worn coracles. They used these abundant materials to create marvelous home-stays. Old jars and boats serve as planters for flower beds. Fences and doors are made of old planks from boats.
One can dream of a day when An Bang is comparable to Bali, particularly as Mr. Thuan and his partners have opened a Beach Club, an exotic tourist sphere, firmly rooted in the rural culture. In founding the Shore Club, Mr. Thuan and his partners hope to alleviate the weekend overcrowding that plagues Hoi An, creating a premium, luxury resort escape for visitors. Located near a World Heritage site, An Bang is a safe bet for tourism, and will help to diversify the travel landscape in Central Vietnam.
