I was driving the motor scooters alone in the dark along the coastal mountain road. Why was I driving alone at 3:00 AM? Because I needed to reach Mui Dien lighthouse before the break of dawn. What a journey just for a sunrise!
What is special about this sunrise spot? Well, I will tell you the reason in this article and you will understand why I chose to wake up at 3 AM and drove alone 30km on the shadowy mountain coastal road for a fleeting moment of sunrise magic.
The story begins when I chose to stop in Phu Yen in a summer day.
Where is Phu Yen? Never heard of it!
Many friends of mine told me that there is nothing to see in Phu Yen, but it turned out to be one of my favorite destinations in the end. Few places in Vietnam are as charming as Phu Yen – the land of the rising sun. This Vietnam’s easternmost province hasn’t been well-known until the launch of Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass, a famous Vietnamese movie which was filmed there. The diversity in enchanting geography, fabulous culinary delights, and an abundance of thrilling activities make Phu Yen a real feast for seasoned travelers yearning for adventures.
Phu Yen is approximately 100 km from Quy Nhon. The capital of the province is Tuy Hoa, which is also a small town. However, you will like the peaceful vibe here since there are not so many tourists as in other cities. This town is a hidden tourist germ.
How to get to Phu Yen?
Located in central coastline Vietnam between Binh Dinh Province (Quy Nhon) and Khanh Hoa Province (Nha Trang), Phu Yen situates 1160km from Hanoi and 561km from Ho Chi Minh City, which can be easily reached by bus, train, or airplanes.
The nearest airport is Tuy Hoa Airport and the second nearest one is Cam Ranh Airport in Khanh Hoa. There are not so many flights to Tuy Hoa, so in case you need to fly, you can choose Cam Ranh Airport and then take the bus to Phu Yen. It will be a long journey though.
From Quy Nhon or Nha Trang or other cities in Vietnam: there are many buses operating daily to Phu Yen. You can check in 12go.asia or vexere.vn or go directly to the central bus station of each province to ask about the schedule.
What is the best time to visit Phu Yen?
Featuring a tropical climate, Phu Yen experiences hot and humid weather most of the year. The stormy season is from September to November while April and May should be the warmest time and the peak domestic season is from May to August, hence the period from January to March is considered the preferable time to visit Phu Yen. With a little rain and an average temperature of 22-28 degrees C, the weather is particularly pleasant this time.
How many days should you spend in Phu Yen?
Unfortunately, I only spent one day in Phu Yen since it was not in my plan. For some reason, I followed my gulf feeling and decided to visit this province anyways. Therefore, I only made one day here. Believe me, if you have time, you should make it to two days. I was only able to visit Ganh Da Dia, Rang Dong lighthouse and Tuy Hoa city.
Accommodation
Tuy Hoa is the base to do day trips. If you are a backpacker with camping gear, you could camp at the foot of Mui Dien light house. There are some vendors selling snacks and drinks at the foot of the hill, or you can just camp on the Bai Mon beach and areas nearby. By doing that, you could already watch the sunrise on the sea from your tent. The way to go to Mui Dien light house will be explained later in this article.
If you want to sleep in a proper bed, I stayed in a very nice hostel in Phu Yen, Samstay hostel. The owners are a very cute middle aged couple taking care of the business for their children living in Sai Gon.
If you opt for more luxury hotels, booking.com offers you many options.
Food in Tuy Hoa, Phu Yen
There are many dishes to try in Phu Yen. However, if you only stay for really short time like me, I would recommend you trying two dishes: Ocean Tuna Eye, and Banh Canh (thick noodle with toppings like pork meat).
Mắt cá ngừ đại dương or Ocean Tuna Eye
Seriously? Yes, it sounds gross, but it is a very popular dish in this town and almost all local tourists I knew tried this. The famous restaurant for this dish was unbelievably crowded when I arrived.
The preparation of Ocean Tuna Eye involves unique techniques that require the local culinary expertise. The dish is not only a treat for the taste buds but also an interesting cultural experience. If you are an adventurous food enthusiast and not vegetarian, then this dish is for you to challenge.
Bánh canh hẹ or Vietnamese thick nood
Banh Canh is not the unique dish only for Phu Yen. However, Banh Canh in Phu Yen is special because it is chive noodle soup. This noodle soup is distinct for its thick and chewy noodles, accompanied by a flavorful sweet fish broth and green chives together with a variety of toppings such as seafood, meats, and herbs. Banh Canh is a comforting and satisfying dish that reflects the rich culinary heritage of Phu Yen. Local people like to eat it with minced chili, satay and a piece of lemon.
Some famous restaurants for you to try this dish are Thanh Tâm Restaurant at 53 Điện Biên Phủ Road, Ward 7, or Xứ Nẫu restaurant at 222 Trường Chinh Street also in the same Ward 7.
After a long journey, those dishes really made my day. Despite my short stay, I could tell that the local delicacies are quite unique and impressive. It also reminds me that exploring the local food is not just to satisfy our hunger, but a way to understand the rich traditions and flavors that define the land we are visiting.
What to see in Phu Yen?
Gành Đá Đĩa (Sea Cliff of Stone Plates)
Phu Yen is famous for Gành Đá Dĩa (or Gành Đá Đĩa) in Vietnamese or The Sea Cliff of Stone Plates in English, a small coastal area of arranged basalt rocks of volcanic origin. You will see this geological formation in just a few places in the world. It located along the coast in An Ninh Dong Commune, Tuy An District, Phu Yen Province, Vietnam.
According to Wikipedia:
“The area is special but small, only about 100 meters wide and 250 meters long, composed of an estimated 35,000 columns of basalt rocks.
The rocks are dark lava columns with roughly flat surfaces of different shapes – round, pentagon, hexagon, polygon etc. Ghenh Da Dia looks like a gigantic beehive or a pile of dinner plates, hence the name – Ghenh Da Dia (The Sea Cliff of Stone Plates).
These rock columns were created from volcanic eruptions millions of years ago; when the molten basalt flows met cold water, they solidified and shaped these rare polygonal formations due to thermal contraction effects.”
How to get there: Ganh Da Dia is 30 km located south of Tuy Hoa. I drove there by motor scooter which gave me the best freedom. If you are not an experienced driver, you could get a taxi or try to share it. Or you could also hitchhike there, which I did not try because it was too hot, and I already rented a bike. However, it is possible to try.
When you should visit: The reason I want to emphasize the time you visit Ganh Da Dia is because of the crowd. I reached there around 10ish and was shocked by the crowd. This is a relatively small area so it should not take you much to discover everything. However, either you come there early before 9 AM or you come around noon because the crowd is running away from the sun, and you can be alone there.
Mui Dien light house
Fee to enter lighthouse: 20.000 VND.
I drove the motor bike to this light house to watch the sun rise. Just to let you know, I do not recommend anyone who is not an experienced driver to do the same. I started at 3:vs 30 AM to drive alone for 30 km in the dark in an almost ghosted area before dawn.
Mui Dien Lighthouse is about 30km north of Tuy Hoa. People are still debating whether it is the easternmost point or the second easternmost point after another cape in Khanh Hoa. However, we do not need to care about this topic.
The most important point is that this lighthouse is situated on top of a hill overlooking the South China Sea and offers one of the best spots for sunrise in the country. It is known for its scenic views and is a popular destination for local tourists. The view over South China sea when the very first lights of the day are shining cannot be missed in your traveling list.
You can check the sunrise and weather forecast to prepare for this trip.
Vung Ro Bay
Vung Ro is a small Bay that is near the Mui Dien lighthouse. Therefore, you will just need to drive about 15 minutes, then you can see Vung Ro from the mountain coastal road. This is a very beautiful peaceful bay with dozen boats of fishermen.
There is a monument to honor the “Unnumbered ships”. Those ships refer to the vast number of secret ships delivering food, medicine and other supplies for North Vietnamese troop in the South Vietnamese battle fields during Vietnam War from 1955 to 1975.
Tuy Hoa, capital of Phu Yen
Vietnamese tourists love selfie and making photos for their social media accounts. That is maybe the reason Tuy Hoa offers quite a few locations for them to check in and take photos. In my view as a backpacker, this city is peaceful and cute but not so special. The night life here is also not as compared to other mainstream cities like Da Nang, Hanoi, or Sai Gon. If you have time, you can check some highlights in the city such as Nghinh Phong square, Mang Lang church, otherwise, a half day is pretty enough.
Other places
As mentioned, I did not have time to check everything in Phu Yen, but I got a list of recommendations. However, those places above are the highlight of the province and must-see places. In addition, you can visit Hon Yen, Nhan hill, Nhat Tu Son in Xuan Dai Bay.
That’s what Phu Yen could offer, and I feel so lucky to decide visiting this small province and not yet commercialized like other towns in Vietnam.
Phu Yen is fast becoming a sought-after destination in Vietnam, particularly beloved by locals for its untouched beauty and authentic charm. As more tourists are drawn to this hidden gem, I would recommend you to discover it now before it undergoes further commercialization.