Just a two-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City, there is Long Hai, a small town a few kilometers up the coast from Vung Tau, although in order to get there from Vung Tau you have to retreat inland as far as Baria. It is such a non-descript little place that you could easily pass through without realising you had ever got there. Glimpses of the sea can be had from the road through the trees, but only just. Long expanses of clean sand and beaches far superior to Vung Tau' s are the main attraction. Along the stretch of road that runs north of Long Hai several resorts have opened and more will surely follow to take advantage of the natural and unspoilt coast.

The coast road from Long Hai first ducks inland past large sand dunes then rejoins the sea, winding its merry way around rocky headland and passing within a few feet of small, sandy beaches. The caves at Minh Danh, five kilometers from Long Hai, are soon reached. Signposted, it is a scramble up the hill to reach them. The caves and crevices were used by Communist soldiers as a hide-out from 1948 to 1975. At about 40 kilometers from Long Hai, there are the hot springs at Binh Chau. Here one can immerse oneself in a communal pool or a private one, although be careful where you bathe: in places the sulphorous water bubbles out of spring at 82ºC. See yourself by buying an egg and boiling it.