Quy Nhon
Discover Quy Nhon
Quy Nhon (Vietnamese: Quy Nhơn), the capital of Bình Định province on the coast of central Vietnam, is a city long dismissed by Vietnamese and foreign travellers alike. But for those in the know, that disregard is precisely what makes Quy Nhon the rarest of gems: a beach city in Southeast Asia unspoiled by the ravages of mass tourism. Quy Nhon is a city of 457,000 people (2019), which stands in stark contrast to the commercialism and development of other Vietnamese cities like Da Nang.
Famous Beaches
Taste of Quy Nhon...
With hundreds of fishermen hauling in their daily catch each morning and kilometres of open-air beach restaurants, Quy Nhơn is a great city for fresh seafood. But beyond its well-earned fame as a year-round pescatarian paradise, it also offers the adventurous traveller the chance to try specialties little known outside Bình Định province. And for a small city, Quy Nhơn can boast of a surprisingly huge selection of vegetarian restaurants. Compared to other Vietnamese cities, restaurants are informal and cheap. Customers usually sit directly on the street or inside the multi-use living room of the restaurant owner. In all but the most expensive places and a few mid-budget venues, tables and chairs are wobbly and often-broken contraptions made of cheap plastic and aluminium. Even nicer places are often set inside a semi-open garden rather than what you'd imagine as a more typical indoor restaurant. The price of any dish in Quy Nhơn is much cheaper than in bigger cities — an entire plate of shellfish costs less than one shell in Saigon — and you can easily fill yourself for just a few dollars in most restaurants and for less than a dollar in vegetarian places. Still very far off the international traveller circuit, restaurants cater only for the tastes of local residents and Vietnamese tourists.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Quy Nhon into what it is today.
For a small region which is often overlooked by local and foreign tourists, Quy Nhơn and the surrounding Bình Định countryside have played a surprisingly important role in three major periods of Vietnamese history: Champa, the Tây Sơn rebellion, and the Vietnam-American War. Quy Nhơn first came to prominence in the 11th century as the capital of the Chams, the indigenous people who ruled over what is now Central Vietnam. With its fertile lands, well-protected port, and large river ideal for transportation, the area was able to support the expanding Cham empire and its growing economy, and the surrounding mountains — as well as the extra hundreds of kilometres of distance from their enemies, the Viets. The Cham built up a commercial centre and port in what is now Quy Nhơn and established their new capital of Viajaya in the plains 50 km safely back from the coast, which dominated Central Vietnam and the trade routes of the South China Sea. But the Cham kings stepped too far in the 15th century when they tried to enlist Chinese support in their battle against Vietnam. In retaliation, the Viets invaded Vijaya with a massive naval fleet of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. The Viets burned the capital and surrounding villages, killed 60,000 Cham men, took 30,000 slaves, and forced the surviving peasants to adopt Vietnamese culture and language. In the centuries since, the remainder of Cham civilization was destroyed piece by piece in an official policy of Vietnamization....
Climate
Quy Nhơn is classified as a tropical savanna climate due to its heavy monsoon rains from mid-September to mid-December, light and infrequent rain the other nine months, and temperatures which almost never drop below 19°C (66°F) at any time of the year. It's hot and sticky during the peak tourist season from April to mid-September, but the summer is much milder than Saigon in the far south of the country or even Nha Trang 220 km (135 mi) to the south. Temperatures in Quy Nhơn can rise up to a sweltering 37°C (99°F), but most summer days are typically around 32°C (90°F), and the beach area benefits from the cooling of gentle ocean breezes. Evenings are warm and pleasant, with temperatures generally around 27°C (81°F) and never dipping below 25°C (77°F). The monsoon season from mid-September to mid-December sees torrential bursts of rain on most days and nights.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsPhù Cát is served by carriers Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air, and Bamboo Airways with return flights from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. As the biggest city between Hội An and Nha Trang, Quy Nhơn is often used by Vietnamese and local travellers as a convenient overnight stop for coastal trips. The scenic Highway 1D connects Quy Nhơn to Nha Trang 220 km (135 mi) to the south, offering stunning views of the coast and beaches as it wraps around mountain passes. Traffic is light, and you can easily average at least 40 km (25 mi) per hour throughout the whole journey. Hội An lies 290 km (180 mi) to the north of Quy Nhơn on Highway 1. The road is well-maintained in most areas, but in comparison to Highway 1D heading south, traffic is heavier and the views are less impressive....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Cyclos have fallen out of favor and are barely anywhere to be found, not to mention that they did never cater for tourists in the first place. Quy Nhơn is a wonderful city for walking. People are friendly and constantly greet foreigners with "Hello", street vendors on every block, peeks of local family life visible through the always-open doors, and sidewalks lined with trees and Vietnamese flags. Additionally, the well-maintained beach promenade is beautiful for a stroll and quite often nearly empty of other people. Nevertheless, Quy Nhơn is quite spread out. Even at a brisk pace, it could be 20–30 minutes to walk from the central areas to the beach, while a walk from the far southwest end all the way to the eastern tip takes about 90 minutes. If you're just going for an ocean holiday and will stay at a hotel close to the beach, you can definitely get by on foot and with the occasional taxi.
Where to Stay
Almost all visitors to Quy Nhơn are local Vietnamese tourists, and the accommodation options cater to them in terms of hotel styles, food, and service. On the plus side, though, you will find prices that are significantly cheaper than in other beach cities in the country, no scams or higher rates for foreigners, and a personal friendliness that overcomes all language difficulties (well, many of them, at least). Online reservations are available through the standard international booking websites. Hotel growth hasn't been massive, but it definitely has outpaced tourist numbers in the last decade, and even in the Tết holiday period or peak summer months, you will never have a problem finding a room for the night if you just ask around a bit. The bay of Bãi Xép, a hamlet of Quy Nhơn 10 km (6 miles) south of the city centre, has a total population of a few hundred people, dogs, cats and chickens.
Money & Budget
There are ATMs throughout the city, including the free ones, VP Bank, TP Bank and ACB for JCB and European Visa cards. The biggest concentration of ATMs is found just north of the Coopmart on Trần Thị Kỷ between Nguyễn Tất Thành and Lê Duẩn streets. Six banks offer ATMs within a short distance from each other: Techcom, VietinBank, Agribank, Dong A Bank, ACB, Maritime Bank. Foreign money can be exchanged at numerous bank offices throughout the city. Bills must be fairly new and in good condition; bills which are slightly worn or older than 10 years are often rejected. No passport required. Several gold and jewellers shops in the centre also exchange dollars quickly and often at rates slightly better than the banks.