The turquoise waters of Van Phong Bay sparkle and dreamily slide over soft white sand. Towering palms, small fishing boats and hardly a soul on the beach completes this postcard-perfect scene. Surprisingly, affordable accommodation is to be had and there are a few budget places — not beachfront, but in town.

Getting to Doc Let is as cheap and easy as hopping on the air-con blue-white-yellow public bus #3 in Nha Trang (Nha Trang – Ninh Hoa – Doc Let) which runs once an hour from 06:30-17:30 and costs 24,000 VND per ride. It takes 1.5 hours one-way. Otherwise, head north on National Route 1 for 33 kilometres to Ninh Hoa (birthplace of popular Vietnamese grilled pork rice paper wraps nem nuong) before driving east 10 kilometres to the coast. Having your own transport gives you the flexibility ... Travelfish members only (Full text is around 600 words.)