Sa Huynh Beach in the central province of Quang Ngai has clear water, golden sand, and pine trees… It also has a small rocky surprise

The stretch is just 200 meters long, cut off from the rest of the 10-kilometer long Sa Huynh Beach by two rocky ranges.

But Bai Con (Little Beach), which locals call Sa Huynh’s “abandoned child,” has its own unique beauty.

Unlike the other part of Sa Huynh Beach, the waters of Bai Con are always calm and peaceful.

From the nearby Cam Mountain, Bai Con’s golden sands make it look like a yellow silk strip floating on a blue sea.

The two long rocky ranges offer a special adventure for the beachgoers, as navigating them is fun, but not always easy.

From Bai Con, we went west along the rocks, listening to the bird songs from the trees of a nearby mountain. Some of them decided to give us a surprise by darting out of the trees and flying to the rocks we were “walking” on.

After walking for about 20 minutes, we saw the Thien Y A Na Goddess Temple. Thien Y A Na is the Vietnamese name for Po Nagar, the Goddess of the Cham people.

Sa Huynh fishermen visit the temple and pray for a safe trip before heading out to sea.

How to get there

- Bai Con is around 60 kilometers south of the town of Quang Ngai in its namesake province.

- To reach the beach, visit the Sa Huynh Tourism Site in Pho Thanh Commune in Duc Pho District. You can park your vehicles there or around the site. Then ask a xe om (motorbike taxi) to take you to Bai Con (about VND15,000 per person) as there are no parking lots near the beach . You will arrive at Bai Con twenty minutes later.

- You should bring food to enjoy at the beach.

- Apart from Bai Con, you can also explore Hoc Mo Cave in Thanh Duc 2 Hamlet in Pho Thanh Commune and travel around Ma Vuong Hill in the neighboring Pho Khanh Commune to see historic archeological sites.

We moved back and went east. Not long after, we saw smoke rising into the air from people baking oysters. We sheltered behind a large rock to avoid the smoke.

When locals have some free time, they come to the beach with lit torches. They choose some rocks to which numerous oysters cling and bake them. The high temperature force the oysters to open their mouths but their shells are still attached to the rocks.

They are then seasoned with pepper, salt, and lemon juice before the meat is taken out and consumed, accompanied very often by local alcohol. If you are a visitor, chances are you will get invited by the hospitable residents to join them for this special meal.

It is also possible to buy fresh oysters on the way to Bai Con for around VND35,000 (about $2) per kilogram. An oyster soup of rice porridge is a surprisingly enjoyable meal.

Local residents will extend their hospitality if you ask to join them as they take their boats out to sea. Drifting on the gentle waters of Bai Con is a good way to soak in the peaceful atmosphere.

When you are on the boat, it is not a bad idea to carry a pair of binoculars to watch monkeys forage for food on the nearby mountain.

Eight local tour operators recently gathered in Hanoi to officially launch the Responsible Travel Club of Vietnam (RTC), with the goal of promoting tourism that respects the ecosystem, biodiversity and local cultural values.

The members include Footprint Travel, Indochina Travelland, Active Travel, Blue Swimmer Adventures, Freewheelin’ Tours, La Vie Vu Linh, I Travel and Sisters Tours Vietnam.

According to Dang Xuan Son, product manager for Footprint Travel and chairman of the club, RTC aims at working closely with travel firms, NGOs, communities and authorities to promote responsible tourism in Vietnam, design and market tourism products.

“Working together is key to the success of responsible travel, which is about giving something back,” he said.

Currently, RTC is working with SNV Netherlands Development Organization in an on-going responsible travel project in Chieng Yen Commune, Moc Chau District in Son La Province.

VinaCapital , Vietnam"s largest fund manager, Friday launched an 18-hole golf course in the central city of Da Nang.

Designed by Australian Greg Norman, the world"s number one ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s, "The Dunes" covers 150 hectares of a sand hill in Ngu Hanh Son District’s Hoa Hai Ward, about 10 kilometers from the city"s downtown area.

It is one of the two 18-hole courses belonging to the  Da Nang Golf Club. The other is yet to be put into use.

The club is part of the US$450 million VinaCapital tourism complex built along the Da Nang beach that includes hotels, villas and apartments.

Restaurants are no longer just about filling an empty stomach.

Nowadays, “fine dining” means elaborate multi-course meals and set menus for triple the price of regular five-star restaurants.

And somewhat surprisingly, Vietnam is no exception.

Featuring highly trained waiting staffs, top quality produce and the freshest, most expensive, ingredients, fine dining establishments have arrived in Vietnam, with each looking to define its own signature style incomparable to others.

Due to the steep prices, few can afford to have such “fine” meals, but the nouveaux riches in Vietnam, plus a healthy congregation of wealthy expats, are eating it up.

FINE DINING IN VIETNAM

IN HO CHI MINH CITY

• Le Caprice
5B Ton Duc Thang St., Dist. 1

• Olivier, Sofitel Saigon Plaza
17 Le Duan Blvd, Dist. 1

• Signature, Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Tower
88 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1
191 Hai Ba Trung St., Dist. 3

IN DA LAT

• Le Rabelais, Sofitel Dalat Palace
12 Tran Phu St.

IN HANOI

• Le Beaulieu, Hotel Legend Sofitel Metropole Hanoi
15 Ngo Quynh St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

• Spices Garden, Hotel Legend Sofitel Metropole Hanoi
15 Ngo Quynh St., Hoan Kiem Dist.

IN HOI AN

Senses, Life Resort Hoi An
1 Pham Hong Thai St.

“Our customers can be those who want to impress very important customers or even impress their lovers,” said Vincent Tan, executive chef at Equatorial Hotel.

The down low

Benjamin Attwater, a chef at Park Hyatt Saigon, explained the hefty price tags associated with fine dining: “to make a nice shape and different design fine dining dishes, the chef has to cut and waste a lot of food. Fine dining restaurants are not places one comes every day.”

One of the most important aspects of a fine dining restaurant is its ambience, its ability to take you away to another world.

Le Caprice offers breathtaking views of the Saigon River and a panoramic vista of the city.

Senses restaurant at Life Resort in Hoi An was designed to remind guests of Vienna.

Less is more

Fine dining restaurants eschew the “bigger the better” philosophy, banking on the fact that wealthy people watch what they eat and are content with paying more to eat less.

The first impression food projects when it is served is very important, so presentation is key.

“Just like a photograph, or a painting, a dish should be attractive and catch the eye immediately. And like a painting, a dish should have balance,” said Attwater.

Martin Bequart, executive chef at the Sofitel Saigon Plaza agreed, “Presenting a dish takes a lot of playing with ideas, colors, volumes, plate dressings, and setups.”

“The food is like a beautiful woman who just woke up in the morning. She should take care of herself with some nice clothes, make-up, accessories and perfume to make her more sexy and attractive. The same with the food after being cooked,” said Bequart.

“New fine dining restaurants are opening all the time in Vietnam, and more and more expat chefs want to show off their style here,” said Attwater. “Many young Vietnamese chefs are also learning about fine dining restaurants, and many of them, I’m sure, will be well recognized in their own right in the near future.”

From Hai Lang Town in the central province of Quang Tri, we drove across 6 kilometers of dusty roads bordered by tall grass and eucalyptus trees.

Before we reached Tra Loc Lagoon, we were refreshed by a drive through a dense forest.

Arriving at the lagoon, we could see the tall trees reflect perfectly in the still, ripple-less water.

Clear water, cool wind, pristine beauty.

Parts of the lagoon were blanketed by water-ferns, lotuses, and water-lilies.

The fragrance of cajuput flowers wafted from the forest and over the lagoon.

Monkeys gazed at us as they jumped from tree to tree in the forest.

The four-meter-deep lagoon is home to freshwater fish, including carp, snakehead fish, thac lac fish, and even wild ducks.

Groups can rent huts on stilts at the lagoon’s edge to stay over-night, singing, playing guitar and feasting all night. Food at the lagoon, mostly made from local fish, is delicious and cheap.

Some prefer to just sit silently, listening to the songs of singing birds in the forest.