Vung Tau
Saigon's weekend coast, an oil town on a headland with a thirty-two metre Christ you can climb inside.
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Vung Tau sits on a headland at the mouth of the Saigon river approaches and has been the weekend sea for Ho Chi Minh City since the French built it as Cap Saint-Jacques. It is also the base of Vietnam's offshore oil industry, which is visible in the supply boats and the workforce. On Small Mountain stands the Christ of Vung Tau, finished in 1993 after a long interrupted construction, about thirty-two metres tall on a base, with a stair inside the figure up to the shoulders and a view from there over the sea. A lighthouse of 1907 stands on the other hill.
What you actually see
- A headland weekend resort - Saigon's nearest sea.
- The offshore oil base - supply boats and industry in the port.
- A thirty-two metre Christ - with a stair inside up to the shoulders.
- A lighthouse of 1907 - on the second hill.
When to go
November to April; weekdays are far quieter than weekends. A full day.
Honest expectations
The beaches are not clean and the water is affected by the port and the river. Weekends are extremely crowded with Ho Chi Minh City visitors. The climb inside the statue is hot and narrow, and dress rules apply.
Nearby
Ho Chi Minh City is north-west; Long Hai and Ho Tram are east.
What to pack for Vung Tau
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.