VUNG TAU BEACHES

	Bai Sau - Rear Beach Bai Sau is also known as Bai Thuy Van. This stretch of beach is located in the southeast side of town and is about 10 km in length from the base of Nui Nho. The most popular beach in Vung Tau, it is packed with Saigonese every weekend during the summer months. Teenagers arrive on scooters (3 hrs travel), locals by mini-van or bus (2 hrs) and affluent tourists by hydro-foil boats (1 1/2 hr). The sea is calm during the rainy season but there are frequent periods of high winds and big waves during the dry season. Strong undertow currents make swimming dangerous in some spots.
Bai Dua - Pineapple Beach Historically known for its wild pineapple trees and black rocks, Bai Dua is located at the foot of Nui Nho Mountain. It is the smallest of the four major beaches in Vung Tau but very popular for its calm waters and its majestic sunset. Bai Dua is also known as Huong Phuong beach. Visitors come to this rocky cove for its tranquility and cleanliness.
	Bai Truoc - Front Beach Bai Truoc is also known as Bai Tam Duong. Tam Duong means "searching for the sun". The beach is located between Nui Lon mountain and Nui Nho mountain. From afar, the beach is shaped like a crescent moon, and along the beach, there are many coconut trees. Not a clean beach for swimming, it has many kiosks, open-air restaurants and bars and it is the beach closest to urban Vung Tau.

	Paradise Beach In 1994, a taiwanese conglomerate paid a large sum of money to the vietnamese government for the right to build a theme park with private beach on the northern end of Bai Sau. This beach, not too aptly named Paradise Beach, is open to the public but requires an entrance fee. Everything here costs twice as much as at the other beaches. It is populated mostly with group tourists from other asian countries.
Bai Dau  Bai Dau is situated 3 km northwest of town. It is a small, rocky beach but its water is calm, shallow and very clear. Known as "foreigners' beach", it is frequented by travelers who want relaxation. Vietnamese visitors also go to Bai Dau, but for a different reason: to eat at "Cay Bang", widely recognized as the best sea-food restaurant in Vung Tau.
	Hon Ba Hon Ba - Islet of the Goddess, just off Nghinh Phong tip between Bai Dua and Bai Sau, can be reached only on foot when the tide is low. It has the shape of a tortoise and is home to a temple built by fishermen in honor of the Goddess of the Sea.

	Mam Ruoc Just as Phu Quoc is known for its Nuoc Mam - fish sauce, Vung Tau is famous for its Mam Ruoc - fermented shrimp paste. "Ruoc" are small shrimps that are caught only during the rainy season. To prepare "mam ruoc", the "ruoc" are first cleaned and let dried under the sun for 3 months. They are then mixed with salt, grinded into powder and put in a jar and exposed to the sun for another 45 days. Sugar is then added to the mixture which is left fermented for 30 days. Finally the ruoc are dried again under the sun for 10 days and "mam ruoc" is now ready to be served, usually as sauce for various types of meat dishes.
Food Vendors Vietnamese eat everywhere, at all times of the day. It is no exception at the beach, and food vendors are abound at all beaches, except at Paradise Beach, where they are not allowed. Most in demand are shellfish dishes, such as So` Huye^'t, O^'c Hu+o+ng (the finest escargot), Nghe^u (Clams), Ghe. (Blue Crabs), So` DDie^.p (Scallops). Popular deserts are fruits such as Bu+o+?i Bie^n Hoa` (Grapefruit), Nha~n Ho^.t Tie^u (Longan with tiny kernel) and Che` DDa^.u Hu~ (Soft tofu in light brown sugar syrup cooked with ginger roots and pineapple leaves).
	Sunset on Bai Dua This picture of the sunset on Bai Dua beach concludes our little "slide show" of Vung Tau. Visit us again on our next Vietnam destination.