While in Quy Nhon, I decided to rent a motorbike for 2 days to explore around- including Ky Co Beach. The rental price per day was 120K dong. I don’t know any other way to explore the place by yourself on a budget. There were some bicycles to rent too, but those were not an option to go far.
Nhon Hai Beach and Chua Huong Mai
So on my first day, I woke up early to start exploring and be able to see all I wanted that day. I rented the motorbike in my Homestay which was great. My first stop of the day was Nhon Hai Beach and Chua Huong Mai. In this area, the beaches are not beaches to lie down and relax, yet. They are fishing beaches. I mean, filled with fishing boats and trash. There was nothing going on here. The place is super quiet, with a few locals around saying hello and that’s all. The views are nice though and all those boats give the beaches their charm. The furthest beach actually had a nice beach bar and would be a cool spot for a stop. But, I didn’t dedicate much time to stay around. Anyway, going this far was worth it because the views are nice along the peninsula. So it was a nice motorbike ride, no traffic, and a very pleasant ride. Nearby there is a place called Nhon Hai cemetery that I decided to skip, but you can add to your itinerary.
*PS: on this day my camera failed me, and my phone with pics from this day was stolen so all I have left are IG stories prints. sorry 🙁
Ky Co Beach
My next stop of the day was Ky Co Beach. To be honest with you, I didn’t do a lot of research about the places, just the basics and then we see. So, I was very surprised when on my way to this beach, I was stopped several km before to pay an entry fee. I confess that at first, I thought it was a scam, but then I saw all the Vietnamese paying… The fee was 117K dong and it includes a fee to access the beach and a shuttle bus that takes tourists from the top of the hill to the bottom, as they claim it is a dangerous path. Well, it certainly is very steep, I mean extremely steep, but the street itself looks pretty fine. Anyway, a way to make money.
This was the first time I paid to access a beach in Vietnam so maybe that’s why I was so surprised and not happy about it. Whatever, I did this trip to Ky Co Beach, so not paying wasn’t in question even though I understood the price wrong. I understood it was 170K, which would be a LOT, but was 117K. Odd number but acceptable haha. Ky Co Beach seems to have a reputation, mainly among Vietnamese tourists.
So, the ticket fee is collected before starting the ascend into the hill that leads to Ky Co Beach. I understand why it is paid because basically, that stretch of street has only the purpose of getting to this beach. Along the way the views are stunning. As you follow the street to Ky Co Beach, you will come across different viewpoints on both sides of the hill. I could see the beaches down there, the big Buddha statue in the distance, and all the surrounding area! What a great view here!! Great street to be done on a motorbike honestly.
Once at the entrance to Ky Co Beach, I need to wait for a shuttle bus and pay to park my motorbike. While waiting for the bus I could see some birds and reptiles that they keep caged there as an attraction. I saw some birds I hadn’t seen before. I don’t enjoy seeing caged animals, but that was how I spent my time waiting to go down the hill until the beach. No motorbike can access the bottom entry to Ky Co Beach.
At first, the beach didn’t look that amazing honestly. The water shades aren’t mesmerizing. They are very normal shades of blue. The beach has some people but is not overcrowded at all. And besides a handful of foreign tourists, the sand was deserted as Vietnamese don’t lay under the sun at the beach.
There was a restaurant with expensive things but I was hungry and there wasn’t really another option. Bring stuff with you or expect to pay the location price.
Only once I decided to go for a walk along this colorful wooden path in the rocks I started to understand the beauty of Ky Co Beach. From the colorful path, I could see how it is surrounded by a green mountain with 2 waterfalls coming all the way down to the beach and some really cool rock formations on the base that give the beach a particular charm. So pretty the view from HERE! Wow. Ky Co Beach became more interesting haha.
Then I walked all the way to the side where the cool rocks were, only to find lots of coconut trees and empty beach chairs. A feeling of paradise arose. The place was empty! Awesome! Love empty quiet beaches. From the rock formations, the view of the beach is so beautiful! There is some sort of cavity in the rocks where the water from the mountain is dripping and the place is super cool to escape the hot sun. I spent a long while just relaxing in this little slice of quiet paradise. The place is very clean and well-maintained, it seemed to be under development still. Lovely!
Eo Gio
Next, I decided to drive to Eo Gio, where I saw all the boats docked, from the top of the hill. The place is charming but a similar sight to what I had already that day. Another fishing village beach.
From Eo Gio, I headed to the last spot of the day: Linh Phong-ong Nui Temple, a giant Buddha statue that is seen clearly in the distance.
Linh Phong-ong Nui Temple (Giant Buddha statue)
Driving here was also smooth. The streets here are very large and kinda empty. Riding is pretty chilled. Once at the temple I parked my motorbike at some local restaurant and paid 10K because I didn’t see any other motorbikes parked in front of the temple, which was weird. So I asked a lady about parking the motorbike there and she said something like “the police might take it”. So, better safe than sorry. I parked it at a spot where people shouted when they saw me.
The Buddha statue is up there on the hill! Hundreds of stairs to get there but worth every sweat drop. The view gets better and better as I climb up and it is not that hard to walk all those stairs. At the top, the view is as wide as one can have. Beaches, mountains, rivers, and a very diverse landscape around can be admired. I sat on the stairs to admire the views until it was almost sunset time. It was so peaceful and quiet. I love to sit and enjoy places like this for a long time. My meditation…
The sunset itself was seen while driving along the long bridge called Cau Thi Nai! I think this was the best spot where I could end up seeing the sunset. The sunset was right in front of my eyes. The sun was looking huge and perfect! It was the perfect end of my day!
To have dinner I always stayed on the street where my homestay is because there is a daily night market going on with several food options. This street food is just near Quy Nhon Beach, and it offers a good place for a night walk. In love with Quy Nonh already!
