Thursday, February 4, 2016

Beaches of Vietnam: Another Hack Writing Job

(Reclaimed from Blogjob. I was supposed to have been paid $10 for this and I never was paid $0.01... and it was a source of cyberpain to the computer, as well. Blogjob tags: Cape Mui Ne beachDoc Let beachhack writing,Lonely PlanetMy Khe beachNha Trang beach,Phu Quoc islandTravel Channeltravel writingTrip AdvisorVinpearl resort. And, would I personally want to visit these beaches? Whatever for? Assateague is only a long drive away.)

How accurate is this post? How would I know? It was written from research, for payment; the site fouled up--in such a way that I've deleted some of the source links cited, as suspected vectors of computer virus and/or spyware--and the client didn't pay, so I have to publish the article somewhere...and I'm glad Blogjob exists, because one of the members of the Blogspot doesn't like to be reminded of anything about Vietnam.
Nevertheless. Wars end. Nations move on. The Travel Channel has recommended beach resorts in Vietnam even to U.S. viewers. I was asked to gather more facts and quotes to add to their Top Five list. The client asked for information about certain details about each beach, and it had to be compressed into approximately 1000 words. Here's what I found:
Vietnam has many beaches and enjoys lots of beach weather. Here are five of the best rated beaches in Vietnam.
1. City Beach, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa Province
Nha Trang is a bustling, tourist-friendly city that takes pride in staying quiet, clean, and "walkable." Beach weather can be expected for most of the year. From the beach, hotels, restaurants, bars, nature walks, and cultural tours are easy to reach on foot or by air-conditioned bus. Island visits are another popular attraction.
How to reach: Although Tranh Phu Street is a busy thoroughfare, Vietscape and other reviewers recommend it for "Zen walking."
Some reviewers wish there were more lifeguards.
The Travel Channel describes the coral reefs and caves as "some of the best diving in the South China Sea." Wakeboarding, kite surfing, and banana boat rides are also available.
Several hotels and some guided tour services advertise wheelchair accommodations.
Public toilets are free of charge. There's a small fee for showers, and changing rooms may be available on only part of the beach.
Sunbeds, chairs, and umbrellas can be rented.
Local people mostly cycle, and charge a low fee for bike parking.
Nha Trang offers so many attractions that some visitors are even beginning to complain. The Vinpearl luxury resort, with its cable cars across the ocean, is especially notable.
2. My Khe Beach, Da Nang
Although Da Nang is a big city, efforts have been made to preserve My Khe Beach as a tourist attraction.
How to reach: Da Nang is accessible by air, sea, train, bus, car, or bicycle. Ba Na, the mountain resort, is accessible by a scenic 5-km cable car ride. From the airport, the beach is a 25-minute taxi ride.
Waves can get a bit rough at My Khe; some Trip Advisor reports suggest that lifeguards may seem too cautious.
My Khe is famous for surfing and also invites kite surfing, fishing, water skiing, and yacht racing.
Da Nang doesn’t get top ratings for wheelchair accessibility, or even walkability. Some hotels offer wheelchair-accessible rooms.
Changing rooms, showers, and public toilets are free to the public, and likely to be uncrowded and clean during the heat of the day.
Sunbeds, chairs, and traditional thatched umbrellas rent for reasonable rates.
Car parking is available.
Other attractions nearby: Da Nang has a full range of hotel, restaurant, and bar accommodations. The city also offers museums, cultural attractions, and football.
3. Cape Mui Ne, Phan Thiet
Famous for its dunes or sand hills, Mui Ne is “moving upmarket,” with more hotels and less camping on the beach.
How to reach: Phan Thiet can be reached by bus, train, taxi, or private vehicle; a discussion of the pros and cons of each method appears at
Some resorts advertise lifeguards, sometimes specifying that their services need to be rented by the hour.
Mui Ne offers a variety of beach sports, including all-terrain vehicle cruising on the dunes, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, paddle surfing, kayaking, and sailing. Fishing dominates the north part of the beach; swimming is recommended along the south part.
A few hotels and resorts claim to be wheelchair-accessible.
Changing rooms, showers, and toilets seem to belong to hotels and resorts rather than being offered to the public.
Sunbeds, chairs, and umbrellas can be rented from the hotels and resorts.
Car parking is possible in town, though not recommended. However, small motor vehicles can be used on parts of the beach.
Although Phan Thiet consists of one long street, its rural atmosphere is favorable to interesting wildlife. In addition to the resorts, the town offers a variety of bars, restaurants, and sightseeing tours.
4. Long Beach, Phu Quoc
Long Beach, the center of tourist activity on Phu Quoc Island, can be reached by air or by sea. It’s slated for massive “development,” but currently it still has a remote, rural quality that prompts several sites to urge visitors to visit Phu Quoc while the beaches still look like this one:
“Hurry up…before the golf balls start flying past your head,” urges [a source I don't know well enough to trust] of Bai Dai Beach.
Some of the hotels offer lifeguard service.
Snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, jetskiing, paddle surfing, and other water sports are available, and tourists can fish for squid.
Even the “luxury” private hotels on Phu Quoc aren’t rated wheelchair-friendly.
Trip Advisor mentions changing rooms, showers, and toilets only in the context of hotels:
Some hotels and restaurants rent out sunbeds, chairs, and umbrellas.
Roads have been built, and are being built, to accommodate motor vehicles.
Other attractions nearby: About 70% of the island is being preserved as a national park, so scenery and wildlife should continue to be available. Meanwhile, hotels, restaurants, bars, guesthouses, and spas are preparing for increasing levels of tourist activity.
5. Doc Let Beach
The Hon Khoi peninsula, which includes Doc Let Beach, is about 33 km north of Nha Trang. While most beach areas in Vietnam are open to the public, Doc Let may charge a minimal fee if visitors aren’t staying in one of the peninsula’s hotels. Some visitors think it’s worth paying to visit “one of the best beaches in Vietnam.”
Some hotels employ lifeguards.
Doc Let Beach is best rated for swimming.
Some of the hotels are wheelchair-friendly, although let means “lag” and this beach was named for the high dunes that slowed visitors down.
Hotels and resorts offer toilet and shower facilities.
Sunbeds, chairs, and umbrellas can be rented.
Hotels and spas offer car parking. The peninsula can be reached by car.
Other attractions of the peninsula include tours of nearby islands, views of the salt “pans,” boating, fishing, and kayaking.
A final thought…
Even luxury accommodations in Vietnam usually cost less than comparable accommodations in many other countries.

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