Ninh Thuan province
Ninh Thuan is a small province on Vietnam's south-central coast, squashed between Khanh Hoa to the north, Lam Dong to the west and Binh Thuan to the south, with the South China Sea stretching out to the east. For travellers heading to Da Lat from the coast, Route 27 strikes inland from the provincial twin-cities capital of Phan Rang Thap Cham making for an easy trip up into the hills.
Compared to Nha Trang to the north, and Mui Ne beach to the south, the beaches in Ninh Thuan province like Ca Na and Ninh Chu aren't as postcard-pretty, but if you're looking for a half-decent stretch of sand and don't want to share it with other travellers, then you're in the right place -- few travellers have heard of Ninh Thuan and even fewer overnight in the province. Aside from the twin towns of Phan Rang Thap Cham and the beaches, there's fishing and craft villages, pagodas, cham temples and diving opportunities to keep boredom at bay.
Ninh Thuan gets barely a mention in most travel guides and the Open Tours slow down on the way through Phan Rang Thap Cham just long enogh for a drinks break at the Cham towers before pressing on to bigger, brighter and far far busier destinations to the north and south. This means if you're keen on seeing the less-travelled Vietnam and don't mind a lack of creature comforts, then this province is worth having a bit of a poke around in.
