Quy Nhon (In the Best Way)
Real talk from September 2023 · 9 days · ~$447 · infinite mosquito bites
π Jump to... (or just scroll, I do what I want)
How I Ended Up in Quy Nhon
Honestly? I only came here 'cause I was running away from Nha Trang. I know, Nha Trang is fine. It's fine. But after four days of Russian tour groups, jet skis, and guys trying to sell me cocaine on the beach, I needed quiet. I met this Australian photographer at a cafe in Da Lat – he'd just come from Quy Nhon and he said, "Mate, it's what Vietnam used to feel like." I booked a sleeper bus that night.
The bus dropped me at the station on TrαΊ§n HΖ°ng ΔαΊ‘o at 5:45am. First thing I noticed? The silence. No blaring karaoke. No touts. Just the sound of a lady sweeping leaves with a bamboo broom, and this distant rumble of the ocean. The air smelled like rain‑washed asphalt and something grilling – maybe pork, maybe squid. And the light. This soft, milky gold light hitting the pastel facades on Phan Bα»i ChΓ’u. I stood there with my backpack, completely still, for like five minutes. Nobody bothered me. That never happens.
What went wrong immediately? I tried to withdraw cash at an Agribank. The machine gave me money but no receipt. Then it beeped angrily and the screen went black. I stood there holding 2 million dong and no proof. I went inside, the security guard just shrugged and said "hαΊΏt tiα»n" (out of money). Not my problem, I guess. So I started walking toward the beach with a wad of cash in my pocket, feeling like a tiny drug lord.
Anyway, I found a homestay on XuΓ’n Diα»u street, right across from the beach. The owner, Ms. HαΊ‘nh, looked at my sweaty face and said "you need coffee first." She made me a cΓ phΓͺ sα»―a ΔΓ‘ with this intense dark roast – I later found out it's from the farm of her cousin near Pleiku. I sat on her plastic stool, watching the waves, and decided I wasn't gonna leave for at least a week. Best accidental decision of the trip.
The Neighborhoods: Real Talk
π️ XuΓ’n Diα»u / beach strip – THE place
Look. You HAVE to stay on or near XuΓ’n Diα»u. It's the long coastal road, not as manicured as Nha Trang's TrαΊ§n PhΓΊ, way more chill. The beach is right there, and the sidewalk is wide enough for the morning joggers and the ladies selling bΓ‘nh trΓ‘ng. At 8am, it's old men playing cα» tΖ°α»ng under the almond trees. At 8pm, it's families with those little plastic tables, eating boiled peanuts and watching the moonlight on the water. I walked this road every single day. There's this one villa at 96 XuΓ’n Diα»u – powder blue, with bougainvillea pouring over the fence. At 4:30pm the light hits it exactly right, like a Vermeer painting. I took like 40 photos. None captured it.
TrαΊ§n PhΓΊ – the "downtown" spine. It's okay. Has the banks, the post office, a few OK coffee shops. But it's noisy with motorbikes and not very walkable. I'd go there for errands and leave asap.
π« NhΖ‘n BΓ¬nh – I walked there from the city center because I read about a "secret" Cham tower. The tower was small and locked, and the neighborhood is just... residential sprawl. Dogs chased me. I stepped in something wet. Not worth it. Skip.
Nguyα» n Huα» area – this is where the locals actually hang out. Not touristy at all. I found a cafΓ© called CΓ PhΓͺ Vợ Chα»ng (Husband Wife Coffee) – no sign, just a house with the garage open. The wife roasted beans in the back. The husband served. 15,000 VND for a black coffee that tasted like chocolate and burnt caramel. I went there three times. They started recognizing me. The wife pointed at my sunburn and laughed. "NαΊ―ng quΓ‘!" (too much sun). True.
Also, Ghα»nh RΓ‘ng – it's a bit south, more residential, has the Thiα»n Δα»nh pagoda and the tomb of the poet HΓ n MαΊ·c Tα». It's pretty, but not really a neighborhood you'd stay in. I took a Grab there one morning. Felt more like a day trip.
Anyway, the vibe of Quy Nhon is subtle. It doesn't hit you over the head. It's a city that's okay with being ignored. That's its superpower.
Food That Made Me Emotional
I didn't expect to have a spiritual experience over a bowl of noodles. But Quy Nhon's specialty, bΓ‘nh hα»i chΓ‘o lΓ²ng, changed my brain chemistry.
The disappointment: BΓΊn chαΊ£ cΓ‘ – I know, I know, Quy Nhon is famous for it. But I tried two different places and both were just... okay? Maybe I went to the wrong ones. The broth was kinda flat, the fish cake was dry. My homestay owner said I should've gone to BΓΊn ChαΊ£ CΓ‘ 46 – 46 LΓͺ Hα»ng Phong. I didn't get a chance. Regret.
Hangover cure that saved me: I wasn't hungover, but I was exhausted and sun‑stupid. I stumbled into QuΓ‘n Chα» RΔng on HoΓ ng VΔn Thα»₯. Just a cart, really. She sold chΓ‘o vα»t (duck porridge). The broth was infused with ginger and turmeric, and she shredded duck meat on top. I added a pinch of pepper and a tiny lime. I felt my soul re‑enter my body. 30k.
Street food that scared then delighted me: bΓ‘nh Γt lΓ‘ gai. Little green dumplings wrapped in banana leaf. They look like something a witch would make. Inside: mung bean, coconut, and this weirdly savory‑sweet pandan dough. I bought one from a lady on TΔng BαΊ‘t Hα» for 5,000 VND. She gestured "eat now." I did. It was chewy and fragrant and I immediately bought three more. She laughed and called me "bαΊ‘n tham Δn" (greedy friend). Accurate.
Expensive mistake: I walked into a restaurant on An DΖ°Ζ‘ng VΖ°Ζ‘ng that had an English menu and a guy in a suit standing outside. I ordered "grilled scallops with onion and peanuts." They brought out four scallops on a bed of salt. Bill: 220,000 VND. Same dish at the night market: 80k. I paid the "I look like a tourist" tax. Whatever.
What locals ate vs tourists: At the seafood stalls by the beach, tourists ordered the lobster and tiger prawns. Locals ordered the little clams (nghΓͺu) with lemongrass, the baby squid sautΓ©ed with garlic, and the cΖ‘m chiΓͺn – simple fried rice with bits of sausage. I switched to the local orders. Cheaper, tastier, and I didn't feel like a walking ATM.
Tourist Stuff vs. What Actually Ruled
Skip the Eo GiΓ³ boat tour. Seriously. It's not that it's bad – it's just mobbed now. I went on a Tuesday and there were like 50 people on the walkway. The views are stunning, sure, but you're fighting for selfie space. Also, the vendors are aggressive. A woman followed me for 100 meters trying to sell me a plastic starfish. I paid 40k to park the Grab bike and then 25k entrance fee. Over it.
✅ Kα»³ Co – okay, this one actually rules. BUT go with a private boat or a small group, not the big tour. I booked thru Ms. HαΊ‘nh, 350k all inclusive. The water is this unreal turquoise, and there's a little lagoon area away from the crowds. I saw a blue starfish. I snorkeled for an hour. They served lunch on the boat – whole fish, prawns, spring rolls. The return trip, we stopped at Eo GiΓ³ from the water side, which was way cooler than the crowded viewing platform. Do that.
ThΓ‘p ΔΓ΄i (Twin Towers): Two Cham brick towers right in the middle of the city. I walked there from my homestay. They're small, kinda crumbling, but there's a weird magic to them. No crowds. I sat on a bench for 20 minutes just looking at the brickwork. Free entrance. There's a little museum with Cham artifacts – nobody inside. I had the whole place to myself. That felt more special than any "must-see."
HΓ n MαΊ·c Tα»'s grave: I'm not a poetry guy. But I went because it's on a hill with a view of the sea. The tomb is in a quiet garden, lots of frangipani trees. A few people paying respects. I don't know – it was peaceful. Not really a tourist thing, more of a pilgrimage for Vietnamese literature fans. I'm glad I went.
Thing I found by accident that beat the guidebook: BΓ£i XαΊΏp. It's a tiny fishing cove about 20km south. I took a Grab there (350k round trip with waiting). The beach is maybe 100 meters long, no resorts, just fishing boats and a couple of homestays. I sat under a coconut tree and read my book. An old fisherman gave me a cup of tea. No one asked me for money. I swam in water so clear I could see the fish around my legs. That was the real Quy Nhon.
Getting Around: What Google Maps Won't Tell You
Day 2. I wanted to go to BΓ£i XαΊΏp. Google Maps said "bus number 43." I waited at a stop on TrαΊ§n PhΓΊ for 30 minutes. No bus. I asked a lady selling sugarcane juice. She pointed to the other side of the street. I crossed. Waited 20 more minutes. Finally a minivan with a hand‑painted sign that said "BΓ£i XαΊΏp" stopped. I got on. Paid 25k. Took 45 minutes. Not bus 43. I think bus 43 is a myth.
The scam attempt: A guy on a motorbike near ThΓ‘p ΔΓ΄i said "tower closed for lunch, I take you to marble village." I said "khΓ΄ng, cαΊ£m Ζ‘n" and he literally made a sad face and rode off. That's it. No persistence. Very low‑key scam. Honestly, I almost felt bad for him.
Walking: The best way to see the city. It's flat, the sidewalks are mostly walkable, and there's always something – a woman frying spring rolls, a makeshift barbershop under a tree, a puppy sleeping on a motorbike seat. I walked from XuΓ’n Diα»u to the market and back every day. That's how I found the coffee shop with no name.
Motorbike rental: I didn't. Too scared of the highway to Kα»³ Co. But my homestay offered one for 120k/day. A German girl staying there rented it and said it was fine. She also said the police stopped her near PhΓΉ Mα»Ή because she didn't have an international permit. She paid a "fine" of 300k, no receipt. So, you know, risk vs reward.
Where I Stayed: The Good, Bad, and Weird
HαΊ‘nh's Homestay – 42 XuΓ’n Diα»u. Not on any booking site. I found it 'cause a guy on the bus recommended it. Ms. HαΊ‘nh has four rooms in her house, right across from the beach. I paid 220,000 VND/night ($9). My room had a window facing the sea, a fan that clicked rhythmically, and a mattress that was basically a yoga mat. But the sheets were clean and smelled like jasmine. The shower: cold water only. But it's so hot there, cold water felt amazing. No noise except the waves and the occasional rooster. At 5:30am, monks from a nearby pagoda chanted – it drifted over the water. I started waking up for it.
What you didn't notice in photos: the gecko living behind the wardrobe. He came out every night at 8pm and chirped. Ms. HαΊ‘nh named him "ThΓ nh." She said he brings good luck. I named him Geoffrey. We coexisted peacefully.
The amazing thing: Ms. HαΊ‘nh invited me to dinner with her family one night. Her daughter taught me how to wrap nem rΓ‘n. Her husband, who spoke zero English, kept pouring me shots of rice wine and saying "Mα»t, hai, ba, dzΓ΄!" I got tipsy on a Tuesday night, eating home‑cooked food, with waves crashing outside. I paid 220k for the room. That experience was priceless.
Price paid: $81 for 9 nights. Worth it? I'd pay double.
The Thing That Surprised Me
How few tourists speak English. I don't mean that as a complaint – it just caught me off guard. In Nha Trang, every menu had English, every vendor knew "cheap price for you." Here, I had to use Google Translate a lot. Pointing at menus. Smiling and nodding. And you know what? It was fine. Better than fine. It forced me to learn. By day 4, I could order coffee, ask for the bill, and say "cαΊ£m Ζ‘n" with the correct tone. People appreciated it. One lady at the market high‑fived me.
Also, the rain. September is supposed to be the start of the rainy season, but it rained only twice while I was there. Once was a sudden 20‑minute downpour. I was having coffee at that nameless cafΓ© on Nguyα» n Huα», and the street flooded instantly. The owner didn't even pause. She just handed me a bΓ‘nh bΓ² and said "mΖ°a tαΊ‘nh nhanh" – rain stops fast. And it did. Ten minutes later, the sun was out and the street was steaming. It felt like the city breathing.
And the trash. I wasn't surprised by the trash itself – Vietnam has a litter problem, we all know that. What surprised me was that every morning, old ladies with bamboo brooms and dustpans swept the sidewalks and collected the trash into neat piles. They were out there at 5am, every day. It's not the city cleaning them; it's the community. I don't know why that hit me so hard.
π΅ Song that defined the trip: “ChΓΊng Ta Của Hiα»n TαΊ‘i” by SΖ‘n TΓΉng M-TP. Heard it in a taxi, then in a juice bar, then humming it myself. It's the official soundtrack of riding shotgun on a motorbike at sunset.
Money: What I Actually Spent
I tracked every Δα»ng in a Notes app. Used to be cheaper – my friend came here in 2019 and paid 25k for bΓ‘nh hα»i; I paid 45k. Everything's gone up. Still cheap, but not THAT cheap.
| Category | What I Paid (USD) | Worth It? |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (9 nights) | $81 | Ms. HαΊ‘nh + Geoffrey = priceless |
| Food + coffee (avg $6/day) | $54 | I'd pay triple for BΓ BΓ©o's bΓ‘nh hα»i |
| Transport (Grab, bus, xe Γ΄m) | $38 | Hello Kitty helmet was worth 10k extra |
| Kα»³ Co tour + boat | $15 | Blue starfish = yes |
| Eo GiΓ³ entrance + parking | $3 | Meh. Just go to BΓ£i XαΊΏp. |
| Souvenirs (coffee, woven bag) | $22 | The bag broke on day 2. Still love it. |
| Misc (laundry, tips, entrance) | $19 | Laundry lady charged by the kilo – 35k |
| TOTAL (9 days) | ~$232 | Plus bus from Da Lat $11 = $243 |
I spent $19.80 on coffee. That's 12 cΓ phΓͺ sα»―a ΔΓ‘s. Each one was perfect. No notes.
Mistakes I Made So You Don't Have To
- I didn't bring mosquito repellent. Thought "it's September, maybe fewer bugs." Nope. They feasted on my ankles. Ms. HαΊ‘nh gave me this green balm called "Con Γ" – smells like menthol and eucalyptus. Worked better than DEET. Buy it at any pharmacy for 25k.
- I overpaid for the Grab to Kα»³ Co. I booked it directly in the app – 520k round trip. Later I found out Ms. HαΊ‘nh could arrange a car for 400k. Always ask your homestay first.
- I forgot to check the local holiday. September 2 is National Day. I arrived on Sep 1. The city was PACKED. Domestic tourists everywhere. I couldn't get a table at BΓ BΓ©o. I ended up eating at a mediocre phα» place. Learn from my failure.
- I packed a rain jacket but no rain pants. Rained once when I was on a xe Γ΄m. My shorts were soaked. I sat in a coffee shop for an hour waiting for them to dry. Not cute.
How It Actually Went: Day by Day
Day 1 (Sep 1): Arrived 6am. Found homestay, slept 3 hours. Walked the beach, ate bΓ‘nh hα»i at BΓ BΓ©o. Sat on the beach until sunset. Jet‑lagged. Perfect.
Day 2: Meant to go to Kα»³ Co, but Ms. HαΊ‘nh said "full because holiday." Instead walked to ThΓ‘p ΔΓ΄i. Sat with the Cham bricks for an hour. Found the nameless coffee shop on Nguyα» n Huα». Drank two coffees. Read 50 pages of a novel. Realized I hadn't checked Instagram in 24 hours. Felt free.
Day 3: National Day. Crowds everywhere. Grabbed a xe Γ΄m to BΓ£i XαΊΏp – best decision. Only 10 people on the whole beach. Swam until my fingers pruned. Ate grilled squid at a shack. The owner's daughter was practicing English with me. "What is your favorite animal?" she asked. "Seahorse," I said. She laughed. I don't know why. Good day.
Day 4: Rain all morning. Sat at the homestay, drank Ms. HαΊ‘nh's coffee, talked to a guy from Finland who was learning Vietnamese. He taught me the phrase "tΓ΄i no rα»i" – I'm full. Used it at lunch. Felt like a genius.
Day 5: Kα»³ Co tour. Saw the blue starfish. Ate lunch on the boat. Sat on the bow and let the spray hit my face. Came back sunburnt (shoulders). Bought a bottle of nha Δam (aloe vera) from a pharmacy for 30k. Cried a little applying it.
Day 6: "Recovery day" – walked to the market, bought a woven bag, got lost, found a temple with a huge banyan tree. A monk smiled at me. Didn't say anything. Just smiled. I sat on a bench and listened to the chanting. Not religious, but felt something.
Day 7: Hired a xe Γ΄m (Mr. TΓ’m, Hello Kitty helmet) to go to HΓ n MαΊ·c Tα»'s grave. The view was gorgeous. Walked down to Ghα»nh RΓ‘ng beach, which is rocky and not swimmable but beautiful. Ate bΓ‘nh xΓ¨o from a cart – crispy, filled with shrimp and bean sprouts. 20k. Best 20k I've ever spent.
Day 8: Slept through my alarm (the monks didn't chant that morning, maybe a holiday?). Missed sunrise. Went for a late breakfast, tried bΓΊn chαΊ£ cΓ‘ – meh. Walked to the train station just to look at it. Bought a ticket to ΔΓ NαΊ΅ng for next week. Starting to feel sad about leaving.
Day 9: Last full day. Went to BΓ BΓ©o one more time. She recognized me and said "bΓ‘nh hα»i, phαΊ£i khΓ΄ng?" (noodles, right?). I nodded. She gave me extra chΓ‘o lΓ²ng. I tried to say thank you properly: "CαΊ£m Ζ‘n cΓ΄." She patted my hand. I walked to the beach and just sat there until the sun turned the water gold. I think I get why people stay here.
Practical Stuff (Without the Boring Lists)
SCAM DIALOGUE (low‑key): At the ThΓ‘p ΔΓ΄i parking lot, a guy tried to charge me 10k for parking my bike. I didn't have a bike. I was walking. He pointed at a random Honda Wave. I said "khΓ΄ng phαΊ£i xe tΓ΄i" (not my bike). He shrugged and walked away. That's it. No drama.
Health thing: I ate something that didn't agree with me – probably the raw herbs if I'm honest. Stomach cramps at 2am. Ms. HαΊ‘nh gave me ginger tea and some little pills called "Berberin." Vietnamese penicillin. Worked in 2 hours. Buy them at any pharmacy, 15k for a strip.
Packing regret #12: I brought jeans. Why. It's 32°C and 80% humidity. My jeans sat in my bag. I wore shorts every day. Also, bring a power bank. The homestay outlets were few and far between.
Local phrase that opened every door: "LΓ m Ζ‘n cho tΓ΄i xem thα»±c ΔΖ‘n tiαΊΏng Viα»t" – Please give me the Vietnamese menu. Even if I couldn't read it, I'd point at something and hope. Usually worked. One time I accidentally ordered a bowl of pig intestine. Not my favorite, but I ate it anyway. The vendor was so amused she gave me a free coconut.
Also, the Grab app works here but fewer drivers than big cities. Sometimes it's faster to just wave down a xe Γ΄m. Ask the price before you get on. A short ride should be 20-25k. If they say 50k, say "ΔαΊ―t quΓ‘" and walk away. They'll usually call you back.
Still have questions?
Drop a comment below – I read every single one. Even the ones correcting my grammar.
Last updated: September 2023 · Spotted a mistake? I probably made another one. Tell me gently.
π quy nhΖ‘n Ζ‘i, mΓ¬nh nhα» bΓ‘nh hα»i quΓ‘
No comments:
Post a Comment