ACCOMMODATION
Ho Chi Minh City
also known as Saigon
The nearest international airport to Vung Tau City is Tan Son Nhat, located in the heart of Saigon, the biggest city & economic hub of Viet Nam. In case you want to spend the night or more to explore this dynamic place, we jot down some notes for you below.
In Saigon, you can find everything, from dormitory to the fanciest 5-star hotel according to your wishes and budget. Accommodation is not so cheap here, so better to plan ahead. Plus, some areas are nicer to stay than others. For your consideration:
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District 1: the very city center, you will find any services you want, most of the usual touristic activities, but also the traffic, noise and pollution of a congested area. Avoid the backpacker area (Bui Vien street) if you're looking for a calm resting place as it can be anything but relaxing at night.
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Thao Dien, in District 2. If, after a few days traveling in Viet Nam, you want to get back to a more western setting, you can stay in Thao Dien. The atmosphere is more like a village in Europe, you will find French bakeries and western restaurants with everything translated in English. Even though things here are a bit more expensive than other districts, it can be enjoyable from time to time :).
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Around Pham Viet Chanh street in Binh Thanh District, or Binh An in District 2: great areas where you will find affordable western places surrounded by the most Vietnamese vibes.
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District 3, near the District 1 side, cheap, with nice coffee places and pubs, a good area as well, similar to Pham Viet Chanh and Binh An.
Few hotel ideas can be found here or here, taken from our friends.
Anyway, with a Grab bike or a taxi, everything is reachable in less than 20 minutes. So you can just pick a quiet place and it should be fine! Let us know if you want our thoughts on a place you like :)
where love will be celebrated
Vung Tau
Thanks to its proximity to Saigon (only 2-hour drive), Vung Tau is a popular tourist destination; thus, there are a lot of options for accommodation here. We do not have much experience of staying in hotels in Vung Tau since we always rest at Anh's parents house whenever we visit the city. Though it shouldn't be difficult to find a place to your liking. You will find everything on Airbnb / Booking / Agoda, usually at a more affordable price than in Saigon.
Vung Tau has a lot of hotels facing the sea, from cheap hostels to fancy 5-star resorts. For your consideration, the main beach areas where most hotels are located are:
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Bai Sau (the Back Beach) - this is the most popular / the best beach for swimming & watching the moon rise at night.
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Bai Dua (the Pineapple Beach) - this beach is not pleasant for swimming but it has one of the most scenic coastlines in Vung Tau (Ha Long street) where you can watch the most beautiful sunrise, climb the small mountain, and chill at pretty nice coastal cafés.
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Bai Truoc (the Front Beach) - this beach is quite small comparing to Bai Sau but it's the closest to the city center and well-connected to most places. It has a seaside park that offers a lovely view to the docked fishing boats.
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Bai Dau (the Strawberry Beach) - this beach is a bit far from the city center so it's less crowded, however we don't recommend swimming here (lots of hidden rocks). It is close to the wedding venue, and the sunset view is lovely in this area.
The venue of the wedding is Làng Bình An, which means the Peaceful Village. It is located in between the Front Beach and the Strawberry Beach. They propose charming / vintage rooms with beautiful scenery, a very calm atmosphere, and a stunning view to the sea, especially for the sunset. Staying here will surely be more convenient for you on the wedding day. However, you can find cheaper options with easier access to the beach and closer to the city center.
If you're interested in staying at Binh An Village, we recommend that you do the booking soon as they only have 9 rooms in total (and 1 room Hoi An is already reserved for us). Our guests will get a special 5% discount: you can check out their original room rate & photos here. To book, you can drop them a message on Facebook, send them an email at langbinhanvt@gmail.com, or call the hotline 0901 555 247 to talk to Ms. An. Please clearly state that you will stay for Anh & Quentin's wedding to get the 5% discount. Kindly note that they are not working with Booking and Agoda - online booking on an intermediary channel can be done through Traveloka but the price will be higher, so better to contact Binh An directly.
Overall, Vung Tau is a small city so even if we are not at a walking distance from each other, everything is easily reachable with a Grab, a taxi, an electric bus, or a public bicycle (check out Transportation section).