I used to be a fan of beaches, that is, until I went to Bauan, Batangas and joined a group of free divers. There's just so much more in the oceans to be fussy about whether the sand in the beach is white or not. So in my sidetrip to Quy Nhon before the start of the conference I'm attending I decided to go to a beach in Nhon Hai, a fishing commune about 30 min from Quy Nhon, and which, I've read, has a nice diving site.
Nhon Hai, like its closest city Quy Nhon, is still largely off the beaten track. I discovered Nhon Hai by Googling Quy Nhon along with keywords "snorkel", "diving" and "corals". There were very few blog entries, or entries for that matter, which were in English, and Google returned mostly pages from tour agencies.
When I came to Nhon Hai what I saw was a quaint, idylic seaside town. The coastline is lined up with small pastel-colored houses with tiled roofs, weird round fishing boats which were practically oversized rattan baskets, coffee shops, eateries full of Vietnamese people who were here on vacation. I also saw some temples with large religious statues. But the main feature of the place, perhaps, are the hundreds of fishing boats of all sizes docked near the shore. Everywhere there's this pervasive Mediterranean atmosphere that make Instagram worthy shots.
On the farthest end of the shore toward the south you can find Nhon Hai's only available overnight accommodation, the newly-constructed Nhon Hai Hostel. I booked their 5 USD/night dorm room through the hostel's Facebook page and shared it with a Dutch guy, who unfortunately, left after lunch to continue his trip.
The hostel arranges trips to the nearby Hon Kho Island using the hostel's own rubberboat for 300000 VND where one can go snorkeling. I was the only guest that afternoon and had no one to share the fee with, but the hostel's owner gave me a whopping 200000 VND discount. I wanted the boat driver to take me to the reef; unfortunately, due to the language barrier he was unable to understand my request and instead, dropped me off the beach where most boats dock. I attempted to swim but saw nothing but the flat, sandy seafloor and rocks. Every now and then a colorful fish would come and say hello. If you're a beach person, then Hon Kho Island will be perfect for you. The water is clear and the sand is brown to light brown in color. From Nhon Hai on the opposite shore Hon Kho looks like a huge rock. Some tourists also take a short hike to the island's low peak.
The following morning I requested that I be taken back to the island and specifically to the reef. Instead, the owner suggested that I try snorkelling on the reef at Nhon Hai. I was a bit disappointed with what I saw - the entire reef was bleached. You can tell by the varried terrain the reef makes that it used to be magnificent, with shelves upon shelves of massive corals. Sadly, everything was either just white or brown.
My disapointments aside, I still enjoyed my short stay. The beach is beautiful and the water is crystal clear. Despite the language barrier, the locals were very friendly. (Actually, I got a bit lost when I first set foot and one local contacted Nhon Hai Hostel for me. She could have just pointed the direction where the hostel is, but she went the extra mile. A few minutes later, a hostel staff fetched me on his motorbike.) The food is also as good and cheap as you will get elsewhere in Vietnam. When I checked out and was on my way to the bus station, an SUV stopped on the side and honked. It was the hostel's owner, and he offered me a ride back to Quy Nhon.
I may not have achieved what I originally planned but the hospitality of everyone in Nhon Hai is definitely something I will never forget.
Some Useful Information
To get to Nhon Hai (pronounced /nyon hai/) from Saigon or Ho Chi Minh, take a flight to Quy Nhon and from the airport, take a bus to the city proper for 15000 VND and another bus to Nhon Hai for 35000 VND. Make sure to contact Nhon Hai Hostel in advance through their fb page and ask for the bus schedule since bus trips are scarce.
If you want to snorkel, prepare a picture of the reef and show it to the boat driver. Lifevests are available for free but you can bring your own snorkeling mask since the one they have tends to leak. If you are not after the reef, you can just enjoy Hon Kho Island for its beautiful beach and rock formations.
Wifi and food are available at the hostel. You can also try the coffee shops and restos in the area. The next morning, I overheard some foreign guests who were out to catch some lobster. Maybe you can also ask the owner how to go about that.
I didn't see any banks in Nhon Hai so make sure to bring enough cash. There are plenty of ATMs in Quy Nhon proper.
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