Bai Dong (Nghi Son, Thanh Hoa) is a destination loved by many tourists thanks to its still quite pristine beauty, clear blue sea and not too crowded.
At the beginning of summer, Ms. Linh Anh (Hanoi) had a 3-day 2-night trip to Thanh Hoa, exploring Bai Dong and swimming in Hai Hoa beach.
Below is a detailed itinerary shared by the female tourist:
Day 1: Moving from Hanoi, swimming in Bai Dong beach
From Hanoi, tourists take about 4 hours to reach Nam Son fishing village (Nghi Son ward, Thanh Hoa province). You can choose to travel by private car or passenger car.
Ms. Linh Anh's family chose a passenger car with on-site pick-up and drop-off service. According to her, the car is clean, has a spacious bed, air conditioning, free phone charger and drinking water. However, the car runs throughout the journey, does not stop in the middle of the road and passengers are not allowed to eat and drink on the car. Therefore, tourists should prepare mentally and eat their fill before starting the journey.
In Bai Dong, local people mainly do homestay accommodation business. Room rates commonly range from 500,000 - 600,000 VND/night, weekends and holidays may increase even higher.
Her family chose to stay at a homestay located right in the center of the village, convenient for transportation.
Accommodation establishments also rent motorbikes at prices of about 150,000 VND/day for manual motorbikes and 200,000 VND/day for scooters, including gasoline.
After checking in and resting, visitors can drive about 2 km to Bai Dong in Nghi Son Eco Island eco-tourism area to swim.
Entrance ticket price is 40,000 VND/adult, children are free. Tickets can be exchanged for drinks or some snacks inside the tourist area. This area has full changing rooms, fresh baths but is not allowed to bring food from outside.
In the evening, visitors can stroll around the church area or the beach-side football field to enjoy the cool air. Many refreshment stalls serve sugarcane juice, kumquat tea, lemonade at a price of about 10,000 VND per cup.
Day 2: Explore the seafood market, experience the life of a fishing village
Early morning is an ideal time to visit the local seafood market when the fishing boat has just docked.
Here, visitors can easily buy fresh seafood such as squid, shrimp, fish... After shopping, visitors can hire processing right on the spot to enjoy.
After breakfast, you can take a motorbike to explore the small roads in the fishing village or move along trails to the beach of local people. If you love taking photos, the rocky beach area near Phu Hue homestay is also a popular destination for many tourists.
In the afternoon, Ms. Linh Anh's family spent time playing on the beach in front of the Pearl Island hotel.
This area has clam farming grounds, so children really like to experience catching clams with their own hands. In addition, tourists can also participate in SUP rafting if they want to experience activities at sea," she shared.
This is also a beautiful time to watch the sunset on Bai Dong beach.
Day 3: Hunting for dawn at Nghi Son lighthouse, visiting Hai Hoa beach
The first destination on the last day is Nghi Son lighthouse. The entrance fee is 10,000 VND/adult, parking fee is 5,000 VND/vehicle.
According to Ms. Linh Anh's experience, the best time to watch the sunrise is from about 4:30 - 5 am, because after 6 am the sun has risen quite high.
Standing from the lighthouse, visitors can take a panoramic view of the sea and the fishing village. After that, the family continues to take a bus, traveling about 30 km to Hai Hoa beach to swim, have lunch and rest.
Hai Hoa has gentle sandy beaches, light waves and is quite deserted, so it is suitable for families with young children. Although the sand color is darker than Bai Dong, this place still brings a feeling of peace, suitable for relaxation.
In the afternoon, the family got on the bus to return to Hanoi, ending a short trip.
Cost
The total cost for the family trip including 2 adults and 2 children is about 7 million VND.
This expense includes round-trip bus ticket price of 280,000 VND/person, room rate of 700,000 VND/night, motorbike rental of 200,000 VND/day, lighthouse entrance ticket, entrance ticket to Bai Dong and meal and entertainment costs depending on demand.
Ms. Linh Anh noted that in the summer, sea tourist destinations are very crowded. Therefore, tourists planning to come here should proactively book buses and homestays early to avoid running out of tickets, rooms or price increases when booking close to the schedule.
