Cua Dai beach has been touted as the best beach in Asia and voted as the one of the best beaches in Asia by millions of travellers through polls conducted by travel guides such as tripadvisor. I welcome a beach holiday anytime and I’m always excited to uncover what the hype is all about!
Where is Cua Dai beach?
Cua Dai beach is in Vietnam and along the coastlines between Hanoi and HCM. The beach faces the South China Sea and is about 4km to the north-east of Hoi An Town. Although blessed with a tropical climate, the best time to visit is from January to May (temperature ~ 20-30s and low rainfall), while May to August is the hottest and September to January is the rainy season.
How to get to Cua Dai beach / Hoi An?
The easiest way to Hoi An is to fly into Da Nang Airport. Da Nang is easily connected through HCM or Hanoi and the transit itself can be an adventure as flight delays are pretty common, as well as language being a barrier. It is therefore advisable to book connecting/direct flights with the same carrier such as Vietnamair, Jetstar or Singapore Silkair. It takes 25-30 mins by taxi to get to Hoi An from Da Nang Airport and one way will cost about USD 25-30.
Welcome to Cua Dai beach
Be greeted by the amazingly clean, beautiful and unspoilt beach upon your arrival.
Cua Dai beach stretches on for 3km and is extremely peaceful and uncrowded.
Say hello to relaxing and bye bye to touters.
Do take care when swimming in the sea as the currents can be strong. Guess that also explains for the eroding beach at the tip and lack of water sports in this area.
Where can you stay?
Hoi An Boutique An Boutique is an amazingly peaceful and lusciously green luxurious beach front resort.
The best bit? An exclusive private beach decked with chairs that are nicely spaced out.
The bonus? A free shuttle service that brings you back and forth to Hoi An town throughout the day. This equates to about USD5 savings each way (that can easily buy you 5 cans of beer at the local supermarket)!
Hoi An Town
Stroll down the ancient city, which is also a UNESCO heritage site, and enjoy the well preserved buildings with a unique blend of local and foreign influences. Hoi an, in general, is laid back and locals are remarkably warm and hospitable. Take time to tailor some clothes and shop the handicraft; fret not about exorbitant shopping quotations. There are plenty of restaurants and pubs for you to periodically rest those tired feet. Enjoy the most delicious vietnamese spring rolls at Morning Glory.
All about the money
Prices are usually quoted in VND although your friendly shop owners will be happy to convert to USD for payment. Credit cards are not widely used and mostly accepted only in restaurants.
Getting around
Taxi is the best option to get from one place to another fast. Most taxis are on meters – look out for the bigger taxi chains Mai Linh (white and green taxi) and Faifoo (yellow taxi) which is accompanied by a smartly dressed chauffeur (white shirt and matching taxi colour tie). Alternatively, rent a bicycle to explore the town.
Conclusion
Cua Dai beach is a perfect alternative for those seeking a tranquil retreat and a change from the more commercialised beaches in Indonesia and Thailand. Definitely worthy of its crown as one of the best beaches in Asia (if not the best). A perfect weekend getaway if you are based in Asia, and a lovely stopover for travellers embarking on a longer Asia escapade. Sun-soak all day, get lost in time, enjoy the sounds of the sea waves and pamper yourself at the spa. Super love this place and recommend at least a 3-4 day stay to truly enjoy the beach as well as Hoi An Town. I guess I’m already missing the place as I write.
Book your tickets and accommodation now!
Vietnamair http://www.vietnamairlines.com
SilkAir http://www.silkair.com
Jetstar http://www.jetstar.com
Low rates @ agoda.com
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