An Bang Beach, Vietnam - Can being beachside be accessible?
Most people have heard of Hoi An, a UNESCO world heritage ancient town in Central Vietnam. But you don’t realize that in Hoi An’s vicinity there are some beautiful beaches. One in particular is An Bang Beach, which feels somehow removed from the hustle and bustle of the city, like a quaint seaside haven. This tranquil village beckons travelers with sand, gentle waves and a laidback charm. This stretch of coastline makes you slow down and take a breath from the energy of Vietnam’s cities.
We flew Air Asia from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Da Nang International Airport, Vietnam with my Travel Scooter being delivered to the plane door on arrival making it so easy to transition to Immigration. The terminal has recently been upgraded and is very efficient as we got sent through via the disabled/parents queue and exited immigration quickly. By the bag pickup we purchased our Sim Card for one month and headed outside to the ATM machine to start feeling like a millionaire as we withdrew millions of VND for very little of our own currency. We ordered a Grab thru the App and then a 30min journey to An Bang, once again getting used to the traffic and abundance of scooters. A 6 seater allowed us to leave the scooter unfolded so super easy to load it straight in the back.
We arrived at our accommodation, La Alba Villa situated on the main street of An Bang. Fully ramped into a stylish entrance foyer with a lift to access all floors. We requested a ground floor apartment for ease of access, well appointed with a King Bed, large walk in shower and full kitchen, this made for a very comfortable stay. The location is superb with the delightful French Bakery Cafe next door for breakfast or more. A short 5 minute walk to the beach or to the small local restaurants up the main street made everything easy.
An Bang Beach sits about 5km from Hoi An, with the rice fields in between, close enough to the old town without being in it and all the tourists which can be overwhelming. Most tourists journey out here by bicycle or Grab vehicles for a day at the beach, but for the lucky few they base themselves here and escape the crowds. It is very simple to pop into Hoi An for a day of sight seeing.
The coastline has seen a lot of development in recent years but luckily An Bang has avoided most of this due to being right amongst the sand dunes and is considered unsuitable to build large scale projects on. An abandoned small castle stands testament to this, the shell of it stands there forlornly overlooking the beach. The town is seeing small scale development, more accommodation is being built, local businesses popping up, a mini golf course to attract families, but it still feels like a quaint village.
The beach is the main drawcard here, small round basket boats dot the beach, as do a multitude of sun loungers under shade umbrellas. With views of the Cham Islands and Da Nang in the distance, grab a lounger and chill for the day, cold drinks and meals delivered to you and then if you want a break from the beach head to one of the many beachside bars and restaurants and sample a range of dishes. The beach has no true wheelchair access and is stepped down in most areas, but if you can partially ambulate it is possible to spend a day here. The restaurants above the beach have areas to park up and enjoy the sun or find shade, so you still get the feeling of beach life. I have learnt that just being able to observe the beach fun and the gentle waves rolling in is enough for me to feel content. All the bathrooms are in the restaurants above the beach, so a bit of a walk to get to.
All the seafood is on display in tanks outside the restaurants awaiting your choice of crayfish, crab, prawns or fish for a delicious meal of fresh seafood. As the sun goes down live music is usually spilling out of one of these bars, so sit back, enjoy a drink and watch the lights of the fishing boats in the distance catching tomorrow’s meal. The Bars and Restaurants are easily accessed from an alley behind them, but the bathrooms do not have fully designated disabled toilets although they are of a good size and all Western style.
Every morning we wake up to hear the noise from the nearby daily morning market. This snapshot of local life is what being in a small village gives you. Women in conical Non La hats and coloured Ao Ba Ba pyjamas selling their wares, from daily catches of fish, to fruit, vegetables and poultry.
The main street is filled with small eating establishments, spas and some clothing shops. The lanes running off this are full of small hotels, guesthouses, homestays and some delightful cafes and restaurants. The majority of the businesses have ramps up into them and the kerbs are small. There are no footpaths to speak of so you are on the road or the lanes to get around, this feels safe as the traffic is slow and considerate. Just wander the well paved lanes somewhere different every day, to discover another hidden delight around the corner.
Travel just outside An Bang and over the Co Co River bridge to the Tra Que Vegetable Village, where local households have used this 40 hectare area growing vegetables and herbs for over 400 years. Using seaweed from the river as fertiliser, the food is fresh and healthy. The produce is supplied to all the local restaurants and markets in the area. You can also take cooking classes here using all the locally picked fresh ingredients and try the local Basil Seed drink. This village has two areas either side of the main road, one is very quiet and smaller, the other is where the tour groups go, so it can be crowded but offers more interaction with the locals. The Rao Cafe is here and is well worth a time out as it is all one level outside and is stylish, comfortable with outstanding coffee and views of the vegetable gardens. There are rice fields surrounding the area, so make time to wander through these to get glimpses of water buffalo, bird life and locals working the fields. This area has had an extensive upgrade with all new footpaths around the vegetable village and is very accessible. This was one of the most enjoyable daays out we had.
If your looking to escape the sometimes crowded beach, head just down the road to Hidden Beach where there are some stylish Cafes like Sound of Silence or Taste of the Sea which have beach access. The beach is less crowded, although it does not look as good with large erosion bags holding back the sea from the restaurants and is unaccessible for those with difficulty navigating a steep slope.
When it comes to food options An Bang has a large variety of cafes and restaurants. The main street offers cheap local restaurants with delicious Vietnamese food, to Greek, French, Mexican and fusion dining all with differing degrees of access, so don’t be concerned if one is too difficult as the next will be great and the food is exceptional at all. If you head beachside it’s fresh seafood on offer, caught that day and delivered to site. You can even choose your own from the large tanks sitting adjacent to the restaurants, Crayfish, crabs and an assortment of fish unknowingly awaiting their fate.
We can highly recommend French Bakery for its pastries, Blu Station for Greek Souvlaki, Mom’s Kitchen for anything on the menu, Na Huy Restaurant for the Crispy Chicken Wontons (also the bonus of watching the owner cook in a tiny kitchen), breakfasts at Cozy Corner Cafe, beachside coconut coffee at Rua Cafe, An Bang Beach Village Restaurant where the father cooks Vietnamese and the Mother cooks amazing Indian food, The Rao especially the grilled scallops and Casa Loco for the best Mexican food. An Bang really delivers on food, so try a new place everyday and experience the variety and quality of dining options on offer.
The month spent here was so enjoyable, mainly because of the friendly locals. Being a small community we formed connections with so many people, from Restauranteurs, the lovely hat sellers on their motorbikes, the staff at La Alba Villa, Mimi for a weekly massage, to the locals we saw most days going about their daily lives.
An Bang beach has so much to offer, so do yourself a favor and spend some time here. This place seems like it is isolated but it’s reassuring to know that Hoi An is 5 mins away and the city of Da Nang with Hospitals and an International airport all within half an hour. In terms of accessibility the majority of the town is great as there are no hills, the lanes and roads well sealed, the businesses trying to make them more accessible and we did notice a fulltime wheelchair user living here, and a gentleman on a travel scooter as well, so all very positive if your looking for a long term stay.
Staying here will leave you so relaxed and possibly contemplating how good would it be, to live here long term, so please add this to your itinerary before it really gets discovered.