Travel guide: Binh Ba Island – Cam Ranh Bay
Binh Ba island (Đảo Bình Ba) is a beautiful island not far from mainland, about 20 km (13 miles), located in Cam Ranh bay, Cam Binh ward – Cam Ranh city – Khanh Hoa province (60 km or 39 miles from Nha Trang and 15km or 10 miles from Cam Ranh airport).
The island is also known under the name Lobster island (đảo Tôm Hùm), because this place is famous for big and tasty lobsters. Unlike its noisy, bustling and urbanized neighbors (Nha Trang, Mui Ne – Phan Thiet), Binh Ba’s sea is pristine with two long and beautiful beaches.
Binh Ba Island at Cam Ranh one of the beautiful tourist destinations bestowed by nature for the people of Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa with many pristine beaches but adorned with a beauty that captivates and combines with a rich and delicious seafood culinary system, promising to bring unique and unforgettable experiences for tourists
Travelling to Binh Ba is quite easy and convenient. Following informations will help you have a perfect trip.
Contents
How to get to Binh Ba island
Binh Ba is located about 60km south of Nha Trang city, belonging to Cam Ranh city (Khanh Hoa province) and has a population of approximately 5,000 people.
Binh Ba belongs to Cam Binh commune and the only way to reach the island is by boat or canoe from Ba Ngòi Port
You have to get to Cam Ranh first, then take a boat to Binh Ba island. There’re 2 ways to get Cam Ranh.
By plane:
There’re many fights from Hanoi, Sai Gon to Nha Trang. You can consult the route and time of flights on websites of VietnamAirlines or VietJetair.
By bus:
* From Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city), it takes around 10 hours for a 540km (340 miles) trip.
There’re many bus firms to Cam Ranh, fares about $11 for a bed or $8 for a seat. You can consult some reputed bus firms such as:
– Ha Linh bus. I think this firm is best. Add: 217 Pham Ngu Lao street – 1 district – Ho Chi Minh city. Tel: +8483.920.9470
– Phuong Trang. 292 Dinh Bo Linh street – Binh Thanh – Ho Chi Minh city. Tel: +8483.8309.309
– Hanh cafe. 229 Pham Ngu Lao street – 1 district. Tel: +848.3920.5679 or +848.3837.6429
– Sinh Cafe. 246-248 De Tham street – 1 district. Tel: +848.3838.9597
>> Check out best hotels in Nha Trang
* From Hanoi. The distance is 1400km (880 miles), which takes under 30 hours. Fare of buses from Hanoi is about $40 to $45. Some reliable firms are:
– Hoang Long bus. Add: Giap Bat bus station – Km 6 Giai Phong street – Hoang Mai district, Tel: +844.3664.6617 or My Dinh bus station – 20 Pham Hung – My Dinh, tel: +844.3795.1776
– Sinh Cafe (open tour). 38 Ly Nam De street – Hoan Kiem district – Hanoi. Tel:+8498.8757.689
If go by bus, you need to tell driver to drop you at Cam Ranh post office or Cam Ranh bus station. These are close to Ba Ngoi port (cảng Ba Ngòi) where you will take boat to Binh Ba island. There’s only one trip from mainland to the island at 10a.m everyday, and 2 trip back from island to mainland at 5a.m and 12a.m.
From Ba Ngòi port, you take a boat to the island for over an hour or 20 minutes by canoe. Sitting on the boat, you can freely admire the scenery in the bay. The nature here is beautiful and almost untouched: white and yellow sandy beaches stretch smoothly as if never touched by human footsteps.
The ferry and speedboat operate from Ba Ngòi Port to Binh Ba Island.
Please note that currently only two modes of transportation are allowed from Ba Ngòi port to Binh Ba and vice versa, which are wooden boats and high-speed canoes.
Wooden boats usually transport tourists who want to enjoy the scenery or pregnant women who are not allowed on high-speed canoes. In case of bad weather, when high-speed canoes are not permitted to operate, passengers must also travel by wooden boat.
- The schedule for the boats from Ba Ngòi to Binh Ba is 7 am, 10 am, 1:30 pm, and 4 pm.
- The schedule for the boats from Binh Ba to Ba Ngòi is 5 am, 9 am, 12:30 pm, and 4:30 pm.
The canoes here operate more flexibly; you just need enough passengers or you can rent one privately for transportation back and forth within the time frame from 7 am to 4 pm on the same day.
Interesting facts about Binh Ba island that few people know
- Binh Ba Island is part of the joint military zone of Cam Ranh Peninsula from the 20th century to the present day. This place is a key military base and is always guarded by soldiers 24/7. Nowadays, Binh Ba is also the most popular tourist destination in Nha Trang. However, tourism activities are still limited, so only Vietnamese tourists are allowed to visit the island.
- Binh Ba Island is also affectionately called “Lobster Island”. Because the water here is very suitable for raising lobsters and they are also the most famous specialty in Vietnam. With a suitable size for one person to eat, fresh and delicious meat at the cheapest price in Nha Trang. So if you travel to Binh Ba on your own, don’t forget to enjoy this seafood cuisine.
- Binh Ba is a fairly secluded island, without restaurants or hotels like in the city. Instead, there are only guesthouses and homestays run by local residents. However, in return, you can experience the life of a fishing village at very affordable prices
- Binh Ba Island, along with “Binh Lap, Binh Hung, and Binh Tien,” belongs to the “Four Famous Islands” – the top 4 most beautiful islands in Khanh Hoa.
- In June 2019, a video recorded by local residents captured the appearance of dolphins in Binh Ba Sea, immediately attracting a large number of social media users and further endearing tourists to this island.
Hotels and motels on Binh Ba island
There are not so many choice, and no luxury hotels on Binh Ba island too.
Here are a few recommendations:
Resort Anami: It is a newly built small resort located in the exclusive position of Bai Chuong, one of the most beautiful spots to admire sunrise in Binh Ba. All rooms here are made of premium imported wood, with beautiful interior design and fully equipped with modern amenities. The most special feature is that all rooms have a sea view.
Blue Anchor Hotel: is one of the hotels that can be said to meet 2-star + to 3-star standards. The rooms here are simply but beautifully decorated, facing the sea, creating an extremely peaceful atmosphere, especially for those who want to relax and unwind.
Mrs. Dung’s motel, tel +84972.332.202, about $4/night, and $4/meal.
Mrs. Tuyen’s motel, +84914.493.793, cool and spacious motel, comparable to Mrs. Dung’s motel. Additionally, you can buy seafood (lobster, snail,…) to eat in hotel with affordable price.
For homestay, you can contact Mr. Tu +8494.2016.958, who offers spacious, clean and comfortable house, close to market and beaches, suitable for big group of 20 people.
Where to visit and play on Binh Ba island
As I mentioned above, Binh Ba is just a deserted island with limited tourism development, so there are many restrictions on entertainment activities here. In the past 1-2 years, games such as kite flying, banana boat rides, jet skis and diving have started to appear.
Speaking of diving, I would like to add that the coral reefs here are not like those in Nha Trang Bay which are deep under the sea. The coral reefs here are shallow, meaning that as long as you know how to swim and buy a ticket to the diving area and submerge your face underwater, you can admire many species of colorful corals.
In addition, the beach here is also very beautiful. Based on my observation, most people only enjoy swimming in the sea and then return to rest on hammocks near the shore. Adding a glass of salted lemonade or coconut is enough to appreciate how wonderful life can be.
You are advised to spend 2 days for the attractive sites and interesting activities on Binh Ba:
1. Nom beach (bãi Nồm) is a sandy beach with clean and blue water. Most of locals and tourists choose this place to entertain.
2. Chuong beach (bãi Chướng) has many rock and reef, more for sightseeing and seafood.
Besides Nom and Chuong beaches, if you can rent a boat to visit other distant beaches then very amazing.
3. Historic sites from wartime (over 1 century ago) such as blockhouses, cannon, tunnel through mountain,…
Several interesting activities that you can’t miss:
4. Get up early to watch sunrise, as Binh Ba is among the first place in Vietnam to welcome sunrise. Not a bad idea!
5. Fishing and squidding. You can contact boat owners to enjoy this service. Fishing is usually in the early morning while squidding is at night.
6. Diving to watch reef. If you don’t have much time, you can dive at Nha Cu beach (bãi Nhà Cũ – on the island).
7. Travelling around island. You can rent a motorbike to take a tour around island, visit historic sites from wartime, go to the peak of hill to have the entire island in your view and a part of Cam Ranh bay.
8. Catch Cong (Còng – a kind of crab) in the evening. There’re many Cong on Binh Ba beaches. When the night falls, you will hold a lamp, find and chase after them, very interesting. What’s even more interesting is when you get to fry and try them!
Tour guide service on Binh Ba island
You can contact Mr. Quy +8493.2536.997 (or +8497.2000.784) or Mr. Hau +84123.3157.654 (owner of a fish boat) for a guide and information on the island.
Specialties of Binh Ba island
Don’t miss Binh Ba’s lobster (tôm hùm), which is fresh for 30%-60% cheaper than restaurants on mainland. There’re 2 types of lobster: alive and dead. Alive lobster is from $70-$90. Dead lobster is from $20-$30, which is also still very fresh and tasty coz they only just die anyway.
Apart from lobsters, this place is also famous for many other seafood dishes such as: sea urchins, snails, catfish, squid, shrimp, razor clams, and tuna… In addition to that, in order to have an extremely enjoyable experience, you must eat these dishes in two different places depending on the time of day.
During lunchtime, you will eat at the houses near the dock while enjoying the view of the sea. You can have a glass of beer or wine. At this time, how vast and interesting the sea and sky are. How fascinating life is.
As for dinner time, no need to say more. Set up a table next to Nom beach and enjoy a grilled seafood feast. At this moment, not only can you savor the delicious taste of seafood but also feel the salty breeze from the sea combined with a peaceful atmosphere. This moment and emotion make you forget your way back! Indulge yourself generously!
Conclusion
Binh Ba Island is one of the beautiful tourist destinations bestowed by nature to the people of Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa, with many pristine beaches that embrace a beauty that touches people’s hearts. Combined with a system of delicious and diverse seafood cuisine, it promises to bring unique and unforgettable experiences for tourists.
If you are in Saigon, Hanoi, Da Nang or somewhere that is already familiar with the bustling and crowded scenes, always enjoying in lively and professional tourist areas, then this is the time for you to experience a new feeling with a trip to Binh Ba Cam Ranh.
So if you’re looking for an unforgettable adventure, look no further than Binh Ba Island. Make your dreams a reality and start planning your trip today. With its unique beauty, hospitable locals, and endless activities, you won’t be disappointed. So pack your bags and get ready for the trip of a lifetime!
Don’t forget to check out other fascinating articles about this beloved city:
Top 9 Best Luxury Hotels and Resorts in Nha Trang
A Local’s Guide to the Best Food in Nha Trang
One Day In Nha Trang – What To See, Eat & Do!
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