As a coastal province in South Central of Vietnam, Khanh Hoa has 385km long seaside with nearly 200 big and small islands along the coast and over 100 islands, reefs in the Spratly Island. Coast is fractured to create the famous ideal area for tourists because of many beautiful beaches, white sand, blue sea, no fierce fish and underground swirl.
The undulating and high mountains running East Sea create wonder of natures and swamps, airtight bays, Khanh Hoa has a tropical climate, monsoon is divided into two clear seasons, rainy season and sunny season. Rain just lasts only in two months October and November, the ten remaining months in the year are bathed in sunlight to make the landscape beautiful nature landscapes more attractive.
With favorable conditions, Khanh Hoa can develop diverse forms of tourism: Resorts Tourism, hunting tourism, diving tourism, trekking tourism, tourism research, conference tourism, swimming - sailing travel, especially Island Tourism.
THE SEA ISLANDS TOURISM
Khanh Hoa Sea has the most depth in Vietnam’s Seas and it contiguous to the ocean as well as the international maritime routes. Bottom of the sea has high slope, roughness with many layers of coral reefs. Along the seaside are swamps, bays, river channel, sand-banks to facilitate the establishment of ports, aquaculture and tourism development
Khanh Hoa has 6 large bays and swamps, they are: Dai Lanh, Van Phong Bay, Hon Khoi, Nha Phu lagoon, Nha Trang Bay (Cu Huan) and Cam Ranh Bay... Each bay has its own characteristics which can be organized into lines, clusters and tourist sites, resort, diversified and attractive swimming area. The typical locations such as Dai Lanh, Dam Mon (Van Ninh District), Doc Let, Ninh Phuoc, Nha Phu Lagoon (Ninh Hoa), Vinh Luong, Bai Tien, Tran Phu Beach, Bai Tru, Bai San (Nha Trang city), tidal flat, Bai Dai (Cam Ranh city).
Van Phong Bay: The largest bay in Khanh Hoa Province has the total area of 503 square kilometres and an average depth of over 10 meters, the deepest place is over 30 metres. Van Phong bay with Dai Lanh beach, Son Tap mountain– Trai Thom, Doc Let beach is the place which has the tourism potential of the sea - forests - the largest mountain in Khanh Hoa province and in the whole country, because it is harmonious combination among sun, clouds, waves, islands, forests with white sandy beaches.
They are the advantages to help Van Phong to have strengths in the development of eco-tourism clearly. Van Phong Bay is considered as "the development main tourism area” by Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, in the industry's long-term plan to 2010. Van Phong Bay is also listed as one of four most ideal sea tourists by Sea World Association
Dai Lanh Beach. Photo: Lai Khanh.
Nha Trang Bay: To be the second largest bay after Van Phong Bay of Khanh Hoa province with an area of approximately 400 square kilometers. The East and South of the Bay are limited by an arc of islands. The largest island is the Hon Tre Island (also known as the Big Island) with an area of approximately 30 square kilometers. On the island there are familiar bathing beaches such as Bai Tru, Bai Tre. Tri Nguyen Aqurium (Hon Mieu) and Hon Mun...
Nha Trang Bay. Photo: Nguyen Van Thien.
Hon Mun Island is the place to build the first marine protected area in Vietnam which has coral reefs with a population of primitive sea creatures, almost unique, not only in Vietnam but also in the South East Asia. Temporary boundary of Nha Trang Marine Protected Area is territorial water including islands: Hon Tam, Hon Mieu, Hon Noc, Hon Ho, Hon Dun, Hon Mot, Hon Mun and Hon Tre. They are islands which are not only beautiful on the shore, in the water, but also bring huge revenue to the Khanh Hoa province, due to the resident and nest-building of the nest bird.
Hon Mun – Nha Trang city. Photo: Nguyen Anh.
Tri Nguyen Aquarium. Photo: Nguyen Anh.
At the second congress of the Club of the most beautiful bays in the world held at Tadoussac (Quesbec, Canada) on May 2003, Nha Trang Bay has been recognized as an official member of the club, it opened a great opportunity to promote Nha Trang city- Khanh Hoa province.
Cam Ranh Bay: An area of approximately 185 square kilometers, common depth is from 5 to 10 meters, outside depth is from 12 metres to 25 metres, out of the bay will approach with "depth contour" 40 metres. Cam Ranh Bay is a quite hermetic Bay; people here live mainly on farming, fishing, handicrafts...
Cam Ranh Bay is considered one of three ports which has the best natural conditions in the world, surrounded by mountains to make the sea always airtight. Cam Ranh Bay is only international maritime shipping 1 hour (compared to Hai Phong away 18 hours).
In the bay there are some ports operating such as sand mining Port, Ba Ngoi Port, Da Bac fishing Port and military Port.
Binh Ba Fishing Village – Cam Ranh Bay. Photo: Nguyen Anh.
Nha Phu Laggon:
Surrounded by Hon Heo Peninsula in Ninh Hoa town is Nha Phu lagoon, with an area of approximately 100 square kilometres. In the middle of the lagoon are some islands, the largest island is Hon Thi with the high peak 220 metres. Cluster of islands: Hon Thi Island, Hon Lao Island and Orchids streams (Hon Heo Island) create a complex of islands tourist in the North of Nha Trang city.
FOREST POTENTIAL
Khanh Hoa is a province which has districts, plains, mountainous districts and even island districts. In which, Khanh Son mountainous district has climate considered as "The second Da Lat city", with the cool air, fog around with beautiful mountains as a water colour painting. Together with an attractive native culture, the unique natural landscapes such as Ta Gu waterfall, Doc Quy Waterfall, Doc Gao archaeological sites, To Hap revolutionary base.....Specially, in 1979 the ancient Lithophone , an ancient musical instrument of humanity in Khanh Son district was discovered.
Khanh Hoa has temperate climate due to the nature of ocean climate, with the variety of terrain creates the natural diversity of the Khanh Hoa, especially forest biological diversity are high with many endemic species such as primary forest, bamboo forest, coniferous forest, ferns, orchids ... Besides, Khanh Hoa exists many species of rare plants and animals listed in the red Book such as lutung, bears...
Yangbay Tourist Site. Photo: Lai Khanh.
Hon Ba natural Reserve also is one of the attractive tourist destinations for travelers to Khanh Hoa. It is a primeval forest with height of 1.578 metres, bringing climate of the temperate region, located on the boundary between the Khanh Phu, Khanh Vinh district and Suoi Cat Commune, Cam Lam District, Khanh Hoa Province, far from Nha Trang city approximately 60 kilometers to the South West, and is the place where Dr. Yersin lived and worked in the early 20th century. Scientists have counted at Hon Ba, Khanh Hoa province there are 41 species of plants and 59 species of rare animal listed in the Red Book. Here, there are 559 species of tropical plants, including 401 branches, 120 high-level plants and 4 layers of birds and animals of 27 sets, 88 families with 255 species.
HISTORICAL RELICS AND CULTURE.
In the process of historical development, the generation of Khanh Hoa residents created the unique architectural projects, the valuable cultural and historic sites such as: Ponagar tower (Nha Trang), Dien Khanh Citadel (Dien Khanh District), Ninh Hoa District (Ninh Hoa), Tran Quy Cap Temple (Dien Khanh District), Trinh Phong Temple (Dien Khanh District), Phu Cang Temple (Van Ninh District), Vo Canh stele, Thanh Hoi ancient citadel, Ong Thach temple…
Resounding Lithophone of Khanh Son District. Photo: Ha Binh.
Together with the tangible cultural heritage are the intangible cultural heritage which have their own characters in the culture that typical is legend of the goddess Ponagar - mother country, the Thap Ba festival, Anh Chua festivals, ball- dancing.
Ponagar Tower.
Thanks to favorable natural conditions (Long beach, white sand, beautiful scenery, mild climate ...), preservation of many historical and cultural relics, Khanh Hoa annually attracts a large number of domestic and foreigner tourists to visit and have a resort. Therefore, Khanh Hoa has been considered as one of the tourist centers of the country by Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.