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Ba Ria Vung Tau Province
Overview
Ba Ria Vung Tau is a coastal province in the eastern region of Vietnam where there are poetic and beautiful beaches and the wind blowing all day from the sea. The province is like a resort for visitors in the holidays. The sea in this area is home to various valuable marine species.
Geography
Area: 1,989.6 sq. km.
Population: 926,3 thousand habitants (2006)
Capital: Vung Tau City
Administrative divisions:
Town: Ba Ria.
Districts: Chau Duc, Xuyen Moc, Tan Thanh, Long Dien, Dat Do, Con Dao.
Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province is located in the Southern Vietnam, to the northeast of the Mekong Delta. It shares its border with Dong Nai Province to the north and Binh Thuan Province to the east, Ho Chi Minh City to the west and East Sea to the south - east.
Climate
The tropical monsoon climate is influenced by the ocean and has an annual average temperature of 27°C. This province benefits from more than 2,700 hours of sunlight annually. There are two distinct seasons: the dry (from November to April) and the rainy (from May to December). The annual average temperature is 27ºC.
Transportation
Vung Tau is 129km from Ho Chi Minh City, 95km from Bien Hoa (Dong Nai), 513km from Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa)
Road: Ba Ria - Vung Tau has National Highway 56 to Dong Nai Province, National Highway 55 to Binh Thuan Province, National Highway 51 to Ho Chi Minh City. Express buses leave for Bien Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City, My Tho and some others.
Air: There are flights from Vung Tau to the Con Dao Islands.
Boat: Vina Express operates hydrofoils from central Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Tau.
Attractions
Thich Ca Phat Dai
Location: Thich Ca Phat Dai is situated about 3km from the center of Vung Tau City.
Characteristics: Thich Ca Phat Dai Pagoda is one of the largest pagodas in Vung Tau.
The site of the pagoda occupies an area of 6ha on the side of Big Mountain. The beauty of the 19m high pagoda lies in the harmonious combination between the natural surroundings and the architectural structure
This pagoda exists exclusively for religious worship. The pagoda is unique in its white cement construction of the giant statue of Thich Ca Buddha sitting on a large lotus blossom
Con Dao Island
Location: Con Dao Island is situated in Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province
Characteristics: Con Dao Island is also famous for its nice beaches shaded with evergreen trees, fresh air, clear blue waters, and primitive forests
Looking at a map, Con Dao Island looks like a bear rising from the sea to south east of Vietnam. Originally a prison for patriots and revolutionists during the French and American resistance, Con Dao Island sheltered brave revolutionary spirits of the Vietnamese people. More than 22,000 prisoners who dedicated their lives to national independence were incarcerated on the isolated island of Con Dao.
Con Dao was recognized as a nature reserve in 1984 and a national park in 1993. The total protected area of the park is 20,000ha, including 14,000ha of sea and 6,000ha of forest on 14 islands. There is also a buffer zone that is 20,500ha wide. Con Dao National Park encompasses oceanic and coastal ecosystems such as mangrove forests, coral reefs and sea grasslands. Over 1,300 species of sea animals have been identified here. The park is the most important egg-laying area in Vietnam for sea turtles. The island also has many precious animals, the most important being dugong (called “sea cows” by locals). Between late 1996 and early 1997, officials at the park counted 10 dugong in the sea surrounding the island. With high oceanic biodiversity, Con Dao is classified as one of the areas given optimum priority in the world's system of oceanic reserves.
The best time to visit Con Dao Island is from March to June, when the sea is calm. Some of those beaches include Dam Trau, Hang Duong and Phi Yen where visitors can relax and enjoy the warm temperature. The ocean around Con Dao Island is a heaven for sea life and the splendid forest cloaks the land. This is ecotourism at its best. Clean, smooth sand banks, blue sea, dolphins jumping and racing after boats, tropical almond trees swinging in a cool sea breeze, peaceful narrow roads, and forest covering most of the island, make Con Dao seem like heaven to visitors from far and wide.
Con Dao is one of the few places in Vietnam that is home to rare dugong, sea turtles, and dolphins, and to varieties of orchids found nowhere else in the country. In addition, the island has large and diverse coral reefs comparable to the most famous ecotourism spots in the region. This peaceful island district has 5,000 people whom nature seems to have created with kind hearted and generous characters and adventurous enough to choose the remote island as their home. Visitors will arrive there to enjoy themselves in an intact natural environment and have a good time with dugong, sea turtles and dolphins playing freely around the island paradise.