On water

Swimming

More than 3000 kilometers of coastline for your ideal swim

ChillWet from 30 minutes to infinity Year-round, depending on region 4 places

What it is and why

Swimming in Vietnam is full-fledged cultural experience. Local residents prefer to enter water early morning, before dawn, or after 17:00, when sun loses aggressiveness. Tourists have all opportunities: from luxury beach resorts of Nha Trang to secluded bays of Con Dao islands.

Choosing place for swimming, consider seasonality. In north (Ha Long) it is comfortable to swim in summer, while in south (Phu Quoc, Mui Ne) high season lasts from December to April. Central coast ideally warms up from May to August, however in autumn here strong storms are possible.

Where to do it in Vietnam

Points on the map are real places where this activity can be done. Numbers in the list match the markers.

Sao beach (Bai Sao)
Phu Quoc
Snow-white sand and calm turquoise water — ideal "bounty" beach.
My Khe beach
Da Nang
One of most popular city beaches in world with excellent infrastructure.
Dat Doc beach
Con Dao
Secluded island beach with crystal clear water and calm entrance.
City beach of Nha Trang
Nha Trang
Five-minute access to sea from any point of city center.

Tips

Observe regime: best time for swimming — before 10 am and after 4 pm, this way you will avoid sunburns.
Always pay attention to color of flags on lifeguard towers: red flag means strong rip current or storm.
Use reef-safe sun lotions if swimming near coral reefs.
In public places along beaches of Vietnam it is accepted to swim in swimsuits, but it is not worth walking in them around city — throw on light clothing.

Caution

Beware of 'rip currents', which often occur on open beaches of Da Nang and Mui Ne.
In jellyfish season (usually summer) be attentive: if you see that locals do not enter water, possibly many stinging organisms in sea.
Do not leave valuable things without supervision on sand, even if you plan to swim only couple of meters.