Hon Chong, Vietnam

Crab scuttles.

Taken on: 26th December, 2011. Copyright: All Rights Reserved - See greeneyedmon5ter's page of Flickr

Read more about Hon Chong

Whatever the tourist brochures tell you, Hon Chong is not the Ha Long Bay of the south -- it is as simple as that.

A few rock pinnacles and limestone karsts do not a Ha Long make.

That doesn't mean that it isn't a worthwhile destination in its own right, however. A welcoming seaside village set on a rugged coastline, Hon Chong makes for a decent R&R stop on any Mekong tour. This is especially the case if you're headed towards Cambodia for the overland crossing with Kep.

Though it sees a flood of Vietnamese holidaymakers around Tet, it can feel practically deserted for the rest of the year, making it the ideal locale to lay back in a hammock and unwind.

Though the town's sole road fronts along a lovely pine-tree fringed beach, the swimming in Hon Chong isn't very good. The sand is too slimy, and the water too shallow -- those fisherman walking 20m from shore? They aren't on ... Read our complete Hon Chong travel guide

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