From the Ganh Da Dia cape, back roads continues along a sleepy, winding route through lush green hills and coastal villages.
This ride will mark the end of my journey through the beautiful Phu Yen province and its stunning coast road, ending at the regional capital of Tuy Hoa. Before dawn I had visited the cape and its unique rock formations, now it was time to hit the road.
This is another short-ish ride that allows for an afternoon on the beach and a couple of possible side trips to beaches, lookout points and a large buddhist pagoda site (I just did the temple).
Unlike the previous day with its unavoidable stint on Highway One, the ride to Tuy Hoa city is entirely possible on small and lightly trafficked county roads.
I pop in to the local beach, taking a narrow, signposted track opposite the Da Dia Farmstay (a nice looking place that was closed for rainy season when I came through).
It’s nothing special out of season so I continue along.
Right at the bottom of a steep hill I make a startling discovery: my helmet is still back at the homestay. This is now the second time I’ve forgotten it and the backtracking is a killer.
At least this is a lovely ride, still Vietnam but with a different feel to it than the previous days.
A ride through rolling green hills
Maybe it’s the misty and overcast light, but the landscape reminds me of an oil painting. The colours here are softer, and the vegetation and tea plantations a deeper green.
Before too long the route passes through the harbour village of Phu Luong where I find a coffee shop (map location here) overlooking the water. It’s a pleasant spot to watch boats passing by though the young people serving are clearly nervous and surprised to see a foreigner.
The hills disappear, making way for a long straight journey down a narrow finger of land wedged between river and lagoon.
As always in Vietnam the land and water are intertwined.
Soon pastoral landscapes make way for an impressive bridge leading in to the town of An Hai. Here a dense cluster of houses perch right on the river. I’m tempted to explore for a while in the maze of narrow tiny streets but push on instead.
At An Hai you’ll find a crossroads with two possible routes – a slightly longer one that hugs the coast past homestays and a beach or two, and an inland route through the countryside.
Mi Cay Noodles
Since its hard to make choices on an empty stomach I stop for a bowl of noodles. And not just any noodles but the extremely delicious Mi Cay made by Trinh Trinh (who also happens to be a budding social media superstar).
Mi Cay is a relatively new noodle dish with origins in South Korea. It exploded in south Vietnam a few years back, part of a wave of food trends driven by the younger generation.
On this trip I have seen Mi Cay all over the place but have yet to try it, and love the colourful swirl of red cabbage, enoki mushrooms and corn. Apparently this dish can be made super spicy but Trinh Trinh fortunately makes me a mild version.
After talking to my new friend I choose the shorter inland route and it is green and pleasant. Rolling hills and tea plantations return for a while, and there are very few trucks or heavy vehicles (though the odd farm tractor rattles past).
From the main inland road, it is possible to again veer off towards to coast for a side trip to the Ganh Ba Cape. Gloomy skies made me skip this and continue south.
Thanh Luong Pagoda
Gradually more houses appear and I take a detour to check out a (locally) famous buddhist pagoda about eight kilometres north of Tuy Hoa called Chua Thanh Luong.
It’s an impressive site with free entry that clearly attracts a lot of local tourists, surveyed by a giant buddha. Statues, fountains, paintings and grottoes are arranged lovingly around the site’s rambling gardens.
They range from serene to tacky to downright quirky including a series of baby buddhas and even a weird spaceman in the grotto.
The road to Tuy Hoa
A flat and uneventful road leads into the regional capital of Tuy Hoa. Forests gradually give way to patches of sand dunes as I approach the coast.
I’ve ridden this way before and what used to be a lovely approach road to town through Casuarina forests is now a bit less nice as various parcels of land are marked off for resort development.
It’s a reminder that nothing stays the same and that this area may not retain its relaxed and sleepy feel forever.
Tuy Hoa
Tuy Hoa is a top spot to stop and chill.
It’s small enough to have everything you need close by but large enough to have some pretty buildings and an interesting variety of shops, eateries and street food.
The traffic culture here is very different to other parts of Vietnam. Motorbikes stop at traffic lights and there isn’t the same frenetic energy as elsewhere.
Cycling and even walking are low stress and in the evening I enjoy grazing on street food around and checking out the market.
Tuy Hoa also has a fantastic beach, kept super clean. In fact if you are looking for a place to splurge out on a resort or nice hotel for a day or two then you won’t find much better value elsewhere.
I stayed at the Sala Beach Hotel which gave me access to the hotel pool, a separate beach side pool and a buffet breakfast. Swish!
If you’re looking for a budget option, the Yen Phu Hotel is a traditional and friendly mini-hotel with secure parking and located in a quiet back street.
The guesthouse is located around the corner from one of my favourite restuarants in Vietnam, Bo De Vegetarian.
Gateway to the Vung Ro Pass
The best part about Tuy Hoa (pronounced Twee Hwaah) is that it is the staring point to one of the most spectacular coastal riding routes in Vietnam, the Vung Ro Pass and Bai Mon Beach.
I’ll talk more about this amazing scenic route in my next blog post.
