Day 3... at the coast

It was great being by the sea again with a cool breeze and fresh sea air. As we rode north along the sandy coast we saw that great swathes have been bought up by foreign companies, busy constructing huge holiday complexes and restricting access to the sea for ordinary people, although this is a sparsly populated area.

This was our Hotel for the night; a little upmarket from the usual but there wasn't much choice. We called at one spacious complex with manicured lawns and found out the price for a twin room was over $100, so were lucky to find this very comfortable alternative at the very reasonable price of about $12. Our room was on the first floor at balcony level.

The coast road is very quiet and the Vin Vin Hotel is only a few yards from the beach, although it looks as though their access could soon be cut off by a new building construction.

The natural coastline and under new construction.

We were told that we'd enjoy a visit to the local hot springs, so after a tourist breakfast of eggs, bread and coffee we found our way there and what did we find but a new tourist complex built around hot springs that no doubt the locals used to enjoy for free!

There was a modest entrance fee and we wandered along tree-shaded walks, noting the expensive restaurant, till we came across the 'swimming pool', which at 37' was a really hot bath and a sign advised no more then 15 minutes immersion. As we had to pay extra for this privilege we stayed there a few hours, relaxing on loungers in the shade of swaying palms and reading our books. It made a change!

This sign by the bike sheds indicates a Conference of our favourite International Bank!

The rest of our journey that day was quite short to the nearest town where we found a small and inexpensive Nha Nghi for the night.

After the bustle of Bien Hoa and Ho Chi Minh City, this is a refreshingly rural area and bullock carts seem to be the favourite mode of transport, after motorbikes of course.